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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 18086
[Pagan]
Date Posted:
6/30/2007
7:41:25 am EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 6,363
RSS: 27,348
Comments: 6
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Paganism In Utah
Author: Devin Felix Source: Deseret Morning News
Title: PAGANISM IN UTAH
There are witches among us.
Witchcraft, also known as Wicca, is one of hundreds of pagan religions followed around the world. And there are hundreds of Utah pagans.
For some the word "pagan" might bring to mind images of prehistoric tribal people in remote village huts. While most pagan traditions are based in the ancient past, most modern pagans present a much more familiar picture. They hold jobs at offices or stores or call centers. They send their children to public schools. They drive cars rather than broomsticks.
There are as many "flavors" of paganism as there are denominations of Christianity, if not more, says Tara Sudweeks Willgues, also known as the Rev. Heron. Wicca, Asatru, Stregheria and Shamanism are all types of paganism, just as Lutheranism, Methodism and Catholicism are denominations of Christianity.
Misperceptions and fear cause many pagans to keep their choice of religion hidden, especially in the workplace, says Maureen Duffy-Boose, founder and president of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist pagans, a national pagan group.
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Community Thoughts: There are 6 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Utah Pagans | Jul 1st. at 1:06:19 am EDT
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Rose Welsh (St. George, Utah) - Email Me
I don't think Utah pagans are anymore mature than the rest.
1. Gretchen and Tara have been around the SLC NeoPagan scene for years and years. Their spiritual growth happened during a lot of those immature Witchy things you hear so much about. There has been conflict in that group of people.
2. Gretchen for one, has made her mistakes for the press, but I think she's grown and learned from them.
3. I haven't known Tara since she had long hair and was married the first time (many moons ago) but what I can see of her church it looks pretty "together". I'm proud of what she's accomplished. Sad that Quickbeem etc. had to go, but still she's doing a fabulous job.
4. Maureen has been in the NeoPagan scene in SLC for the longest of the three women interviewed. I haven't seen her in about as many years as I haven't seen Tara, but it sounds like she's got her act together too.
5. Although I can't say with absolute certainty, that article seems like that if it wasn't written by someone in the Community, they are very Pagan-freindly. He knew exactly how to portray the people and the faith, unlike most reporters who are as put-out of sorts.
It will be interesting to see how many negative and positive letters to the editor come out of this. The other comment about the Deseret News about the Deseret News only reporting Mormon news, that's a fact Jack. I'm surprised this slipped through the sensors. To give you an example: If a war broke out in Europe and the President of the Mormon Church gave a moving speach on the same day, the President would get front page treatment and the war would get a foot note or a back page article.
Rose
Find More info -- HERE
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| Very Interesting | Jun 30th. at 11:56:29 pm EDT
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Silver Faery (Hays, Kansas) - Email Me
Having been raised in the Mormon Church and seeing different reactions from people once they find out I have left to go to Paganism, I can say I am not really suprised. I do know some Mormons from Utah are very closed minded and unaccepting, to the point of not even accepting members that are not originally from Utah themselves. But I have and still know of many that are accepting of other religions and actually remember their own religions struggle with people accepting them. Many of them outside of Utah go through just as much discrimination as Pagans do! All in all a very well written article.
Silver Faery
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| Surprising | Jun 30th. at 4:17:12 pm EDT
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Midnight Sun (Logan, Utah) - Email Me
I find this article pleasantly surprising, in that it does not dwell on the usual unfailing Christian right ideals that seem to sell so well. It does strike me as odd that this newspaper would choose an article like this, when the Mormon community I live in is not the open minded, accepting establishment portrayed. Perhaps I am merely being bias, but I speak from experience. I truly hope this will help this insular thinking people. The world, or the one I live in, could do with enlightenment from another idea or faith, even if not claimed as one's own. Thank you, Deseret News
Cheers, and Blessed Be
Midnight Sun
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| Beautiful Article! | Jun 30th. at 10:54:06 am EDT
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Devi Spring (Toronto, Ontario) - Email Me
It actually doesn't surprise me too much that this was written in Utah. As the article stated the Mormons have been harshly persecuted in the past, and even today many refuse to acknowledge their faith as a "real religion" instead calling it a "cult". Sound familiar?
The city I grew up in had a large Mormon population and I was friends with many of them growing up. Although they held firm to their own beliefs, they respected everyone else's right to theres. I always had a deep respect for them.
Even today, my partner's family is Mormon, although most don't practice currently. They are extremely open minded about other religions, and his parents are constantly picking my brain about spiritual aspects of faiths they don't know much about (since I was a Religious Studies major, and they know I follow an un-orthodox spirituality myself) . All his siblings know that I'm Wiccan and think it's just peachy, even telling their kids to make sure and ask me what it's all about.
Yes, I do love the Mormons. The vast majority of the ones I have met have been earnest in their own faith, open to others' paths, and just genuinely good people. A great many mainsteram Christians could take a page or two from them!
Hooray for this paper and this uplifting piece!
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| Wow ! ! | Jun 30th. at 8:39:06 am EDT
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Ananta Androscoggin (Greene, Maine) - Email Me
A respectful article, which shows signs that the reporter actually tried to gain some understanding of the subject he was writing about.
AND, unlike so many articles we see, there were no asinine fluffy-bunny-type statements of stupidity quoted. Is the Utah Pagan community unusually mature for our country?
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