We Are Our Deeds

 

I believe there is a guilt complex going about in Pagan/Heathen circles. Let’s face it the vast majority of Norse Pagan/Heathens or Germanic pagans are whit. This is not a lie but a fact. In my thirty-seven years of practice I have met, in person or on the internet, one person who practiced Germanic Paganism or Asatru that was not a white Norther European. One. Let that sink in. We are not a culturally or racially diverse group.

I did a bit of research when I started writing this. I looked at the member makeup of Asatru groups on Facebook, groups that consider themselves inclusive or universalist. I looked at profile pictures, names, and even reviewed some of the profiles. I found there are a whole lot of white people in these groups and that’s about it. So, why is that?

Historically, what many call Asatru today started as a white thing. I am not saying that people of color were excluded, I am just saying white people were interested in the platform. I am guessing this is because it was a Norther European thing. You need to take history into account. The reawakening of the new age religions came about in a time of social and cultural change. In the late 1960s and 70s you have a lot of cultural movements growing based upon ethnic or racial identity. This includes many of the civil rights groups, most notably the Black Panthers, the American Indian Movement, the Young Lords out of Chicago, and unfortunately a bunch of Neo-Nazi groups that count the afore mentioned. My point, people were getting in touch with their cultural or ethnic roots. On the surface this does not make any of them racists or fascist, besides the Nazis, definitely fascists. So, if you were a young black person in the 1970s why would you join a group exploring the religion of white Northern Europeans? My guess is you would not. At this stage of the game people were joining groups that spoke to them, their culture, their beliefs, etc. Thus, when Asatru groups were forming, they tended to be white groups.

Systemic racism is a serious problem. Many of us white folks had these background racial ideas drilled into us from birth, and many of us didn’t know it was even happening. Thus, the vast majority of us have background racial noise buzzing somewhere in the backs of our minds. This could not have been more true during the start of the Asatru movement. Enter Stephen McNallen. McNallen back in the day never thought he was a racist. He disbanded his first group, The Asatru Free Assembly because of racists and Nazi infiltration. He did have these ideas about genetics that everyone sort of looked at as “thing he was into.” Mostly it was dismissed and not considered racist. Personally, I never read any of his metagenetics bullshit until many years later, but the way he manipulated his words made it all seem harmless at the time. What you have to remember is hat a lot of people or al colors and ethnicities were talking about their “ethnic religions”. It was the 1980s. A lot of my black friends were wearing “tradition” African shirts and hats, and woven Africa necklaces and talking about African culture and religions, while I was talking about Vikings and Asatru. It was cool, no one was excluded, and we all enjoyed some great conversation. My point, there were a lot of groups that formed between the 1960s and the 1980s based upon ethnicity that were not inherently raciest or exclusive based on the color of one’s skin or country of origin.

We have had a lot of Nazi issues in this country and most recently a huge one. The pendulum swung way right and now it has made a return to way left. Current events created a situation where it became acceptable wo be a racist (not going to sugarcoat it) to where it is not OK to be a racist and anything you say (or have said), do (or have done), will be used to label you as a racist.

People past statements and actions have come back to haunt them. This despite the fact that decades have past and they have corrected themselves, the changed. Systemic racism instills racial ideas into folks without their knowledge and thus they reflect those racial ideas. As society recognizes that systemic racism exists people make corrections to be more racially sensitive (I hope). For example, President Biden was all about the “Tough on Crime” policies back in the day. Due to his subliminal bias due to system racism he created a war on people of color, all while believing he was doing the right thing. He’s changed his mind (I think?). My point, the ideas when had in the past were based on the situations of that past. If we grow and become enlightened our ideas change and we become better people.

Now my issue with a lot of you. Nothing personal people but stop calling people out as racist unless you have definitive proof.  What if you are wrong? Do you have any idea what that can do to a person’s personal and professional life? Heathens are being banned on social media, their business are being essentially shuttered because of accusations based on opinion and not fact. They are being ostracized from heathen/pagan groups, and in some cases targeted with threats of violence. I was banned on Facebook for months over a post about the Runes because I talked about how the Nazi used the runes to fool a nation. It was anti-Nazi! But because of wording I was labeled racially insensitive. Accusations have consequences, speak the truth.

I have seen a lot of lists put out by Asatru/Heathen groups stating who is a racist and who you should avoid because of it. Some of these lists include the reasons why they are considered “dangerous”. I did the research, a good number of these folks are being called out for a singe statement made in the late 1970s or early 80s. They disregard all statements made after this and make no mention of correction. Some of these people have known for decades and I know them to be good people, who are not inherently racist, and make all attempts possible to be sensitive to race issues. The best part, when I defend these people, I get call a fascist or a racist. Let me tell you something. Creating your own reality and vilifying those who disagree with you, that is fascism.

My point is stop calling people out without definitive proof or based on past deeds. If you just “think” someone is a racist because you disagree with them, than you are just as bad as them. Judge people on the whole of their deeds, not past discretions. If you have not read, We are or Deeds, by Eric Wodening I suggest you do.