Misconceptions and Negative Associations

[CalledTheRaven]

(First, if this is in the wrong place, I apologise. Feel free to move it.)

What are some misconceptions you about your path that you have to deal with. Are there any negative stereotypes or cultures often associated with your path or are there any you assosiate with another?  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Racism although that's actually fair enough because there are some racists up in our Asatru. Also the misconception that we're all 6'5" giant hairy men with axes, although that one's more funny than anything else.

With witchcraft, a whole heap. I don't come across the "omg SATAN" one much at all. It's more the "you follow the rede" thing, or the "you worship the same gods as me" or "you practise rituals the same way as me" and so on.  

[CalledTheRaven]

Yeah, that whole white supremecist crap is a pain in the a**. That would fall under the negative associations bit. Sadly, the two most popular religions for white supremacists are fundamentalist Christianity and Heathenism. The problem is convincing people that we're not all or even mostly neo-nazi skin heads.  

[rmcdra]

One big misconception about my religion, that is spouted by an ignorant priest in my religion no less that Gnosticism is "Catholic on the outside, Buddhist on the inside".

Trouble is that people do correct him on it but he doesn't care *sigh*  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

Agreed again on the racism, and the thinking that all Heathens are big, hulking blond guys who have a fetish for axes and beer.

It also chaps my a** to hear "Oh the runes are just tarot without pretty pictures!" .

And all of the Odin fanboys who think that being Heathen means you have to love fighting/war, hate Christians, and that Valhol is the ONLY acceptable afterlife. These are also the ones who tend to ignore (at worst, deny) Odin's love of knowledge, writing/poetry, and his cunning.  

[Briar Drake]

For the Rose is a Beautiful Flower

I would say that the biggest misconception about my faith is that anyone who doesn't dedicate themselves to one specific path must be a 'magpie eclectic' and take whatever looks good without thought.

A Beautiful Flower with Thorns

An Adventurer is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when the plot requires him to.

 

[Musical_Vampire_Socks]

The misconception that pagans just dance around naked in the woods all the time. (I know that some groups do go sky-clad but not everyone)

I was at a ritual one night and my boyfriend came to pick me up and was waiting in his car down the street two cop cars came up to his car and asked him how old he was and what he was doing their and he replied that my girlfriend is at a pagan meeting and I'm waiting to pick her up. His description of the reaction of the cops was funny. They were wide eyed and then one of the cops said that "oh I have heard of pagans they dance around naked" and the other cop gave him a look like what is your girlfriend into. And my boyfriend replied "not this group". They said their excuse for asking him these questions is because recently their had been some stealing in the neighborhood and they wanted to check him out.

Anyway I find this is be a common misconception that I have come across. When people see my pentacle or discover I'm a pagan/neopagan they will ask me some common questions but the subject of nakedness normally arises. I know that it was one of the first questions I asked about the subject myself so I can't blame them.  

[Corabella]

I've almost always gotten the Satan stuff. I haven't gotten it in a long time (sort of. Recently I was told I needed Jesus and needed to be saved, but not straight up Satan stuff.) I was always interested, but when I was in middle school and really started doing hardcore research and began really trying to make a final descission, I posted something in a blog about it, and I got numerous replies that I should be careful because, and I quote 'these things may seem good or harmless, but the devil always makes things seem that way to temp us into doing what he wants'.  

[CalledTheRaven]

rmcdra, how did that guy get to be a priest if he doesn't know what he's talking about? Also, I'd imagine you have to deal with a lot of "What's that?" kind of stuff.

[rmcdra]

[Adalyna]

I've always had a problem with people assuming anything I believe must be completely contradictory to reality, or that I have absolutely no capacity to think critically whatsoever.  

[TheyCallMeJustiursa]

Well I dont have my own Path yet...but for years now, my refusal of Christianity has led to interesting situations. Apparently something about me screams convert me. In High School a girl I had a crush on tried to convert me. I have had a couple people throw BIbles at me. And anytime there is any kind of "come to Jesus" thing anywhere I always get picked and asked. "Do you believe in God?" or something. I had a group of Mormons visit my house several times to try and convert me and my family. I just shut the door in their face on the third day. But most of my interactions of this kind have been cuz I am Persian not cuz of my religion sadly.  

[rmcdra]

[Morgandria]

Oh, the list I could make of the negative stereotypes and misconceptions around Wicca. I don't have that much time. The sheer number of people who want to call themselves my brother or sister, and I want to smack upside the head with a hammer to banish their ignorance or stupidity, is staggering. Yay misappropriation! >_<

Witchcraft, I've been blessed not to get too much flak about. Then again, I'm really not that public about it, either.

Surprisingly enough, you get BS about Native religion a lot, if you're like me and look whiter-than-freakin'-white. Some non-Natives harass Natives still, with very blatant racist comments and behaviors. Mind you, some Natives are equally as racist towards non-Natives. If you don't look Native enough, sometimes you'll get treated as less-than, even though we're well inter-bred in this country, at this point. It's stupid.

Some of it's spiritual - a lot of white people still treat Natives like they're the magical Noble Savage.
Some people will go so far as to ask any Native they meet about totems, or spirit guides, or all sorts of stereotypical crap that might not be applicable...or something the person wants to share with a total stranger. Or you get those clueless folks who assume all Native religions are the same, and that all the tribes are one great big happy hippy family. And, like Wicca, there's a lot of misappropriation going on.

Life's full of people who just don't want to understand. I do my best to avoid them entirely.  

[Scorpy-Sue]

Most of the flak I've gotten in life has been over my sexuality, so I can't say I've ever heard first-hand anyone knocking my religion.

Okay, no, I lied. There was one guy, a good friend of my boyfriend, who likes to argue about religion because he has a huge beef with it. He asked me if I liked being associated with white supremacists because I'm a Heathen. I told him I'm not associated with white supremacists because I'm not a white supremacist (and I don't even identify as white). All the people I've told my religion, other than him, haven't even known what it is, which I guess I prefer because then I don't have to deal with "Oh, that's the one with all the Nazis in it, right?" Sigh.