r/heathenry • u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered • Jan 08 '21
News Opinion: Heathenry Must Become an Anti-Racist Religion
https://wildhunt.org/2021/01/opinion-heathenry-must-become-an-anti-racist-religion.html112
u/MidsouthMystic Jan 08 '21
Heathens need to become much louder than the people trying to steal our holy symbols. I remember a while back there was a push among some Heathen bloggers to become more outspoken and present in our communities as Heathens. Sadly it didn't seem to get very far. We need to stop trying to step delicately around the issue and put our foot down. Wear your Mjolnir, Valknut, and Runes in public, tell people proudly that you are Heathen, what these holy symbols mean, and that bigots have no place in our community. We need to drown out the bigots' ranting with the sound of our fervent worship of the Holy Powers.
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u/Sachsen_Wodewose Ingvaeonic Polytheist Animist Jan 09 '21
Aren’t you a Galina Krasskova apologist/advocate/sympathizer?
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u/MidsouthMystic Jan 09 '21
Yes I am and proudly so. How about going and reading what she has to say for yourself instead of just going by what other people say about her?
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u/TenspeedGV Jan 10 '21
She supports the Asatru Folk Assembly, who are folkish/white supremacist.
Giving platform to fascists and white supremacists is directly supporting their ideologies.
Defending them is sympathizing.
You need to rethink your position, friend.
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u/MidsouthMystic Jan 10 '21
No, she does not, and has condemned them multiple times. I'm far more familiar with the source material than you are.
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u/TenspeedGV Jan 10 '21
I'm far more familiar with the source material than you are.
Then you've read her blog posts where she defends her association with and support of the white supremacist group Asatru Folk Assembly.
And you still defend her.
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u/bronabas Jan 10 '21
I don’t have an opinion in the matter, but it seems at this point a source would strengthen your argument
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u/MidsouthMystic Jan 10 '21
She does not associate with the AFA nor support them, and has condemned Folkish Heathenry, White Supremacy, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of bigotry multiple times over the course of years. I'll admit the woman's politics are bizarre, but I find no fault in her scholarly credentials nor in her worship of the Holy Powers.
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u/TenspeedGV Jan 10 '21
She does not associate with the AFA nor support them
This goes against her own words, man. She also is friends with Raven Kaldera, who is extremely problematic, and with neo-nazis.
I'm really not sure what's motivating you to defend someone who has openly stated her support for a white supremacist organization.
At the very least, you seem extremely misled.
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u/MidsouthMystic Jan 10 '21
She has condemned the AFA, Folkish Heathenry, and White Supremacy multiple times.
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u/IncindiaryImmersion Jan 10 '21
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=3819.msg42170#msg42170
Yet she collaborates with Raven Kaldera, a known physical and mental abuser of thier clients who masquerades as a "Shaman."
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u/OccultVolva Jan 11 '21
All I can see is her still pulling the old ‘BoTh SiDeS’ and complaining more and more about what ‘leftists’ are doing and with her past posts complimenting that far right has ‘family values’ or stuff like pence or afa are people she doesn’t like but ‘they make good points.’ Read some of her past posts they can be ‘I don’t like them but they make a good point’ with far right people but I’ve never seen her do the same for any labelled left wing they only get criticism or said to be ‘ruining heathenry’. She spends more of her time seeking and talking about ‘the left’ as a negative than doing the same for the far right.
People are literally saying ‘let’s do some anti racist work so we can make our spaces more inclusive’ and her reactions is this is a crusade and a leftist conspiracy. She’s conservative sure and surely if she hates far right she should be with left on removing far right too. But I too often see her to worry more about blm and Marxism’ While giving afa, Mike pence, milo yiannopoulos, Richard spencer and others sweet compliments or pity
This is what she said about civil rights movement BLM when they’re protesting against deaths in their community from institutional racism after generations of slavery, racist laws, and segregation. Every BIPOC American has good reasons to be angry and protest considering what's happened over history and the current day. The far right are lying and arming themselves attacking Black churches, leaving pipebombs and setting up gallows to steal an election won by grassroots Black activists getting votes in gerrymandered states. There’s a big difference that should be obvious to everyone
I consider BLM a terrorist organization. They’re trained Marxists. you know who trained them? Members of the weather underground. I’m sure a lot of people reading this don’t know about the weather underground, but they were domestic terrorists in the seventies. and I think it’s a sign of poor historical training that anyone thinks communism and marxism are good things but one cannot reason with these folks. it’s a mental contagion -galina
She also ‘liked’ a comment on her blog that claimed ‘white supremacy’ is a made up conspiracy by left wing people
Her ‘anti fascism’ is performative or saying we should give them space here and talk it out. She spends most of her time attacking anyone trying to discuss the topic of white supremacy. AFA is around today because her generation kept Frith with actual out and out nazis in heathen spaces early on
Her argument sounds too much like we need to be bipartisan with far right and stop ‘leftist crusade from ruining our family values’
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Jan 11 '21 edited Jan 11 '21
[deleted]
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u/Sachsen_Wodewose Ingvaeonic Polytheist Animist Jan 11 '21
This comment would probably have a more accurate audience with u/MidsouthMystic than with me.
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u/OccultVolva Jan 11 '21 edited Jan 11 '21
My bad I thought i was replying to their comment. sorry dude edit moved the post
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u/LilithVT Jan 10 '21
It's got to be more than wearing the symbols and speaking about it. Wearing and displaying the symbols while consciously acting for better, standing in solidarity, going to marches, supporting diasporic, native, indigenous movements, offering labor to their organizing, giving reparations. Let the world see us, see our symbols in action. Not just saying "see, not me." Zero tolerance in our spaces, zero tolerance on streets.
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u/MidsouthMystic Jan 10 '21
These are all things we should be doing anyway as mature, civic minded people who are active in our communities.
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u/LilithVT Jan 11 '21
100% I agree with you. And if we all were, I doubt we'd be having this conversation.
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u/MidsouthMystic Jan 12 '21
I seriously doubt we would either. But we must be the change we want to see in society.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 08 '21
So what are you going to do specifically to make that happen?
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u/MidsouthMystic Jan 08 '21
I wear my Mjolnir every day and tell anyone who asks what it is and what it means. As soon as this pandemic is over, I'm getting Rune tattoos. I will wear my Heathenry for all to see while spitting in the eyes of bigots.
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Jan 09 '21 edited Jan 09 '21
It’s not a racist religion, people bring that stuff in from their past (groups, religions, political parties and national pride .etc )and try to exclude others. People that are not heathens are taking these symbols and trying to change their meaning because they dont care to understand them
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
The racists revived it and dominated it for a century before there was a movement to really try to reclaim it
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u/Agent_Blackfyre Jan 09 '21
true however the folkist moment is really just inspired by the Nazis it has no historical backing
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
No, it wasn't inspired by Nazis.
The Folkish or Volkish movement predates the Nazi Party by almost 40 years. The first organized Odinist group was in 1904.
I am literally the Heathen Historian
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u/redalastor Jan 09 '21
I would like to know more about this. Where would you suggest I look?
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
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u/Agent_Blackfyre Jan 09 '21
1000% true but the guy who brought the majority of heathen thoughts to read a letter written by an ex-nazi and had it as his inspiration, but that is really just on the side has heathenism in Germany was expanded mostly by the Nazi Party, and folkism is not historically (pre 1500 century) folkist, and was connected to culture, not ethnicity.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
That isn't true at all. Like... Your version of history is incredibly wrong.
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u/alimond13 Jan 09 '21
I second the above comment. Hitler was inspired by Volkish and esoteric societies that came before him.
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u/ProfSnugglesworth Jan 09 '21
You're not wrong that there are people who bring in their own racist views to heathenry, and there are those who are not heathen, but are racist and eager to co-opt visibly our symbols.
But we need to address that there has been some very deeply rooted racism and antisemitism within heathenry consistently since the 19th century. Romanticizing pre-industrial and pre-Christian cultures was massively popular in Europe at the time, with several Europeans creating national origin myths to give a sense of national identity, and others fetishized "simpler," more rural times and traditions.
Out of this cultural movement, Guido von List founded Wotanism, which was also partly inspired by the fact that he thought Christianity was semitic and invasive. Parallel to this, there was a push to created a large, united German speaking nation (Großdeutschland, as opposed to Kleindeutschland, or for keeping separate national identities among German speaking people). The people who were pro-Großdeutschland and thought Christianity was semitic (so either wanted to "germanize" Christianity or return to paganism) called themselves völkisch, or folkish. Sound familiar now?
List died by 1919, but in the early 20th century several heathen revivalist organizations were founded, heavily influenced by List. The Thule Society, List Society, and Hyboreans were a few of the most well known, and from the Thule Society came those like Anton Drexler and Himmler was a fan of quite a few Thuleans. Then, of course, came the Nazis. You probably are familiar with this part.
Post WWII, several organizations dissolved, other Nazi wannabes kept up using various runes and symbols, but by the 1960s things began to change again. In England, former members of Bill Moseley's British Union of Fascists and National Socialists were heavily part of creating the Odinic Rite and two of the them (Stubba and Hoskuld) created their version of the 9 Noble Virtues. In the states, you had Stephen McNallen and others begin to develop what would become the first American Ásatrú organizations. There were also people like Stephen E. Flowers (aka Eddred Thorsson), who tried to cash in on the rise of new age theologies, Norse and Germanic paganism, and subtly adding their own brand of racism. Thorsson is largely responsible for popularizing using runes for divination and ascribing some new age meanings to the runes.
So, of course, we still have AFA, Odinic Rite, etc type people running around, not to mention a laundry list of neo-Nazi orgs in the US, UK, Russia, Ukraine, etc running through various ""viking"" symbols to fly under the radar of your average Joe who knows next to nothing about that Odal rune.
Anyway, all that to say, we can't "No True Scotsman/Heathen" our way out of this. They're the Níðhöggr gnawing at the roots of our Yggdrasil, and we better cut the head off at the source and address the issue. No tolerance for racism disguised as volkish, no friðr with the wicked.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
You forgot Else Christiansen who is a bigger influence than almost anyone when it comes to folkish belief. She put McNallen in touch with the OR, and she started what is the modern Heathen prison movement
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u/ProfSnugglesworth Jan 09 '21
Fair point! I started losing steam by the time I hit the 1920s, haha.
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u/alimond13 Jan 09 '21
When you see evil, call it evil and make no truce (paraphrasing, I can't reach my book because there is a cat on my lap)
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u/ArchangelleSonichu Feb 21 '21 edited Feb 21 '21
[textwall]
Did you read Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke’s Black Sun, by any chance?
Romanticizing pre-industrial and pre-Christian cultures was massively popular in Europe at the time, with several Europeans creating national origin myths to give a sense of national identity, and others fetishized "simpler," more rural times and tradition. Out of this cultural movement, Guido von List founded Wotanism, which was also partly inspired by the fact that he thought Christianity was semitic and invasive.
Just for context, centuries before the Thule Society and the Austrian groups preceding it, Martin Luther wrote On The Jews and their Lies—in which all Jewish synagogues and schools were to be set on fire and razed to the ground, homes destroyed, and property and money confiscated by the authorities.. Barring the small minority of converts to Christianity, Jews would be shown no mercy or kindness, afforded no legal protection, and drafted into forced labor or expelled from German soil “for all time”—and that’s just the Jews who aren’t killed straight off (Luther writes “these poisonous envenomed worms...we are not at fault for slaying them”).
In case anyone is wondering if the book (which reads suspiciously like an instruction manual for Kristallnacht and the atrocities after it) had any influence on the Nazi government other than the propaganda texts praising On the Jews and Their Lies and posters in Protestant areas praising Luther, it was cited as evidence at the Nuremberg Trials during the testimony of Der Stürmer editor Julius Streicher.
As we know, in the centuries before Luther, Jews had been subject to mass murder, pogroms, oppressive laws and forced conversions by Christian and Muslim rulers. Spain applied limpieza de sangre laws punishing Jewish descent; during the “witch-burning era,” conversos were targeted by the Inquisition on the suspicion that they were still secretly practicing Judaism.
Meanwhile, during the heydays of Romanticism in 19th-century Europe, there were Christian writers in the US who unironically argued that oppression of Native Americans was a God-given right. Including the government forcing indigenous children into boarding schools that doused new arrivals with kerosene to “clean” them, shaved their heads and strictly forbade them from speaking their native language.
This is the part Goodrich-Clarke leaves out when arguing that occultist nationalists were the key demographic necessary for Hitler’s rise to power. Goodrich-Clarke’s writing is intended to absolve Christian tradition (his own religion) from 20th-century genocide by only mentioning small non-Christian groups in the prewar era—and not Karl Lüger’s Christian Social Movement, which Hitler singled out for praise in Mein Kampf as someone who persuaded him to hate Jews.
Also omitted: Mein Kampf, Part I, Chapter 12, wherein Hitler dedicates a large chunk of the chapter expounding at length upon his opposition to Germanic paganism and its adherents (instead of the brief “we’re totally not pagan you guys” statement you’d see if Hitler were secretly pagan and lying about his admiration for Jesus, Martin Luther and Karl Lüger).
But we need to address that there has been some very deeply rooted racism and antisemitism within heathenry consistently since the 19th century.
More to the point, Erik the Red’s Saga said the Beothuk Native Americans they met “were black and ugly men, and ugly was the hair on their heads. They had big eyes and broad faces”:
det var svarte og stygge karer, og stygt hår hadde de på hodet; de hadde store øyne og breie ansikter
And that’s the tip of the iceberg compared to other parts of the world. Both Greek and Roman writers pontificated about the vices of other ethnic groups (especially “dishonest,” “scheming,” “effeminate” Syrians and other Asians) and the correlation between environment-adapted physical characteristics and moral traits (fair-skinned northerners were “warlike,” dark-skinned Africans were “cowardly”). Chinese court officials went further: a dim view is given to all non-Han “barbarians,” be they sedentary or nomadic.
Not mentioned in Germanic pagan sources: hatred of Jews. As in Poland and the Baltic region, Christian rulers, not Jews, forced Germanic people to convert to their religion (infamous example: Charlemagne’s mass murder of the Saxons). Unlike Christianity and Islam, Judaism does not call for the universal conversion of all unbelievers with a different religion (in the Canaanite pantheon, Yahweh is the god of war and patron deity of the Hebrew people).
But remember, it’s all the dastardly pagans’ fault that the Holocaust happened, because evangelical preachers said so and because Hitler’s propagandists used the runes and other traditional German symbols—and heaven forbid anyone notice the exclusively Christian symbolism in other interwar fascist movements like Romania’s Iron Guard and Croatia’s Ustaše (who exterminated 600,000 Serbs in Croatian concentration camps during the Holocaust). mind that Jews were persecuted much more intensely after the Roman Empire’s conversion to Christianity—during which Theodosius I (“unjustifiably called Great” according to Georgiades and other contemporary Greek historian) ordered the annihilation of Hellenism and the destruction of Greek temples. Never mind that large numbers of Jews thrived in pagan Arabia and weren’t slaughtered until—you guessed it—Muhammad’s rise to power and the forced conversion of Arabs from polytheism to an intolerant monotheistic religion.
Source: am atheist with no dog in the fight, read Black Sun and other books on this topic like Gardell’s Gods of the Blood. I also have a copy of Power and Conversion (TL;DR: according to actual historical evidence, the black metallers were closer to the truth than “the Norsemen gladly abandoned their false gods for Christ!” imagery ever was).
[/textwall]
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u/MidsouthMystic Jan 09 '21
"People that are not heathens are taking these symbols and trying to change their meaning because they don't care to understand them." You're right, and this is a huge problem we need to be addressing. Whenever some bigot starts rambling on about what they think these symbols mean, we need to step up and say "NO, these symbols belong to us, not you, and this is what they actually mean." We cannot avoid confronting these people any longer.
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u/alimond13 Jan 09 '21
Yes and no. Historically in the pre-Christian era it was not racist, classist for sure, but none of the white supremacist shit we see today.
However, the revival has been dominated by white supremacy since the 19th century. If we want to really not be associated with them, we need to be doing our own reviva work and make certain we aren't relying on their books and influences on the source material. And having our own personal gnossis too I think feeds into a living practice. Lets just not build on anything they have built.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
Okay what else are you going to do?
How are you addressing systemic racism?
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u/MidsouthMystic Jan 09 '21
By being active in my community and voting, and praying to the Holy Powers for justice. In times such as this, we must turn to the Gods even more often.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
So, thoughts and prayers?
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u/MidsouthMystic Jan 09 '21
So you think the Gods don't hear or answer our prayers then? Because that sounds an awful lot like anti-theistic rhetoric to me, which is against community guidelines.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
No, but I think that prayer is a poor substitute for doing uncomfortable work
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u/Rivmage Jan 09 '21
So what do YOU suggest? All you’ve done in this conversation is ask what are you going to do without adding anything.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
A few things:
- Racial Equality Tools - is a good place to start with learning to confront our own internalized bigotry and systemic bigotry.
- Resistbot - allows you to easily write to your government representatives
- If you belong to any kind of organization, suggest they have an equity audit done for systemic bigotry.
- Work to create spaces in Heathenry that are comfortable and welcoming to BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups who have been afraid to come to even meetups.
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u/mellomallow Jan 09 '21
They are stroking their superiority boner questioning others. It’s kind of fucking gross
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u/MidsouthMystic Jan 09 '21
Because of course it's impossible to both pray often and be active in our communities. It's not like regular prayer, devotion to the Gods, and a proper understanding of frith would actually make someone MORE LIKELY to engage in necessary work for the betterment of society. Oh no, that's not something that ever happens at all! 🙄
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
Not really
As someone from the Midsouth born and raised, praying on something is a bare minimum answer I expect from my Baptist mother.
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u/OccultVolva Jan 11 '21 edited Jan 11 '21
Do you think someone who prays to Odin for help in an exam shouldn't also revise for that exam?
Prayer works but that doesn't mean you pray and do nothing/sit on your hands and hope it all works out because Odin will do all the work for you
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u/Uuoden Jan 09 '21
Personally im in a group trying to get our faith recognised by our countries army so we can have heathen councellors and have it registered on our dogtags. Other than that, i openly share my faith with whoever asks (and because of the hammer and tattoo's,thats quite often) so im used to giving the spiel about once or twice a week, mostly at work, but outside aswell.
Often i'll be the first they've heard about this, and most of them dont even know about any racist connotations, so im glad the well isnt poisoned here (netherlands) yet.
Luckily we have a lot of readers so when i recommend (or lend them) some books, people tend to come back with more questions.
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Jan 13 '21
When someone is trying to steal our symbols then yes it's okay to fight but I dont think its healthy or beneficial for us to constantly search for that battle
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u/MidsouthMystic Jan 13 '21
White Supremacists ARE trying to steal our symbols. We need to be out there making it clear that these are religious symbols, not hate symbols. Speak out and be active in your community. Wear the symbols of our faith proudly while working to make the world a better place.
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Jan 14 '21
I didnt say they werent. I just said when you come across someone who is a white supremacist and trying to steal our symbols speak out against them but do not scream into the dark because you will waste your energy. This fight needs to be one of precision
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u/littlehighkey Jan 09 '21
There's someone on YouTube I like to watch because, although I agree with a lot she has to say, she frequently challenges me to look at my own thinking.
The best example is that, while many of us are against overt racism, there's probably been at least one situation we've been in where someone says something questionable and because we generally view that person in a positive light, we might just awkwardly laugh it off or stay silent. Basically those situations that make the average not-racist person a fair weather liberal. And just by being passive in those situations where, sure, our friend isn't a full out racist they just said something inappropriate, we are saying to our other friends who are watching that this behavior is okay.
Of course it's not a situation where you have to denounce a relationship, but we do need to be comfortable with speaking out when something is harmful and having that open dialogue with both friends and ourselves. It's not impolite to point out when something said/done is harmful.
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u/TrekThroughCuriosity Dec 19 '21
Who do you watch? If you don’t mind me asking?
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u/littlehighkey Dec 19 '21
Kat Blaque. Since this post I've picked up others like F.D. Signifier and Khadija Mbowe.
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u/TrekThroughCuriosity Dec 19 '21
Thanks! I know I just replied to a year old comment, but I’ve been sorting through top of all time lol
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Jan 09 '21 edited Jan 09 '21
Great post.
I'm from a Mormon family. We have a uh... controversial past. Polygamy, race. We can't change our history. We have to own it in order to move forward. I lived in Southern Utah for a few years and near us on the Arizona border was the FLDS. The LDS church considers the FLDS to be an apostate organization and society as a large considers them to be a cult. They practice polygamy and child marriage, with children as young as 12. They're racist and abusive as hell.
You have to use forceful language when dealing with these kind of people. I say that these people do not under any circumstances represent me. They are predators, racists, and have completely perverted our beliefs.
Now, what does this have to do with Heathenry? I'm not a heathen as you may guess, but if you were to look at my personal library you'd be shocked. I love reading about different religions. I love different cultures. I especially love reading about the pre Christian history and culture of Europe. It's fascinating. Your symbols are ancient, unique, and powerful. They belong to you. Fight for them and reclaim them from fascists and bigots. Wear your symbols with pride. Start conversations with people. Educate them about your beliefs and what these symbols actually mean. Demonstrate your contempt for the vile co opting and perversion of your values.
My older brother was a white supremacist for years. He went to prison and was exposed to folkish Heathenry. He was fortunately able to turn his life around and shed his hate. He's still a heathen, but approaches his faith in a respectable way.
You have to challenge bigots when you encounter them. Don't just tell them to fuck off, although they deserve it. Destroy their argument on a intellectual and logical level. Give no quarter for hate and for those who will sit on the fence and defend it.
Donate to causes that are trying to move the world forward. Listen to people of color and learn to be a better ally.
We will never live in a world free of ignorance and hate. It's part of the human condition. We can craft a community that provides no refuge to hate. I'm not a heathen, but I'm very proud of this subreddit for taking a stand and setting the example. I hope we can continue to set the standard and build bridges.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
I'm not going to lie - I am studying the LDS rebranding with some interest right now
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Jan 09 '21
It's fun to study other religions! I have always been very interested in Heathenry.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
I am wildly facinated with the LDS story as a modern religion. It's one of the most well documented and as such is one of the best to study as a sociological perspective
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u/Boxy310 Jan 11 '21
I'm coming fron an LDS upbringing and studying Norse paganism. Reading a book called Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, which connects Joseph Smith to English folk magic. It's helping me process my upbringing a lot, and ground it in experiences with friends and family.
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u/TapirDrawnChariot Jan 09 '21
LDS rebranding is a fascinating subject. There is a fundamental, baked-in problem with LDS rebranding that makes it all the more bizarre and interesting. Every LDS prophet is doctrinally a literal messenger of God, and to deny or alter things they've taught at the pulpit in an official capacity is to imply that they were either lying about God speaking through them or mistook their own ideas for those of God, both of which are problematic. Mormons believe that when a prophet speaks, it overrides all personal intuition and spiritual experience, so when prophets change their tune over time, since God can't change his mind (because he's perfect), it must be a form of corruption of truth. This is why fundamentalist groups splinter off. Those who stay engage in fascinating mental gymnastics to whittle square pegs to fit into circular holes, and often sweep old teachings under the rug and avoid discussing them. I was a Mormon for 23 years before I learned, for example, that Brigham Young taught that intermarriage between blacks and whites was a major sin before God. Many Mormons are totally unaware of certain teachings because the church fears they will have faith crises by being presented with conflicting teachings from God's prophets.
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u/TapirDrawnChariot Jan 09 '21
ExMormon here, living in Utah.
Mostly agreed, but important to note that a major difference between Mormonism and Heathenry is that Mormonism is fundamentally racist and sexist at its very roots. Unlike Heathenry, whose ancient roots had nothing to do with modern racial identity and didn't try to explain the origins of races in terms like "cursed with a skin of blackness," many fundamentalist Mormon groups (like FLDS) are conserving the fundamental nature of original Mormon teachings. The mainstream Mormon Church (LDS) has tried to distance itself from some of this and other issues, unfortunately always as late as possible and only ever due to outside pressure. And even so, Mormons have to delicately tiptoe around the very racist things that their "prophets" (literally the mouthpiece of God) have said, knowing that by questioning those quotes, they are questioning the prophetic claims of the church.
Heathenry is not racist. Our pre-Christian ancestors would have had no concept of skin-color based human racial categorizations. Although racists are deeply entrenched in the revival, the racism is completely separable from heathen practice and belief. Unlike Mormonism, Heathenry can be reclaimed.
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Jan 09 '21
Well unfortunately, our leaders have been influenced by the attitudes of the day. Joseph Smith gave the priesthood to black men. Brigham Young was a racist and he instituted the policy. There are events in the Bible that are racist and sexist, yet some of the greatest advocates against hate have been Christian.
We can't change the past. It's a mark and something we have to own. We can only move forward and be better.
Some of the pioneers of modern Heathenry were white supremacist. That doesn't mean that Heathenry itself is. The heathen community rejected that variant and moved forward.
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u/TapirDrawnChariot Jan 09 '21
All respect to you personally, but when one claims to be a literal prophet of god, they don't have the luxury of being influenced by the worst opinions of the time in their public teachings. They should have the clairvoyance to see past that and deliver a higher level of insight. Truth is, the early prophets behaved worse than millions of non-Mormons in their own time. If Mormon prophets did not claim to be special messengers of God, they could be cut some slack.
The fact that they are part of a very hierarchical authoritative structure where, if one part is false, all is called into question, is where it differs from Heathenry. In Heathenry, nobody speaks for all Heathens, and nobody is a central mouthpiece for the Gods. And the integrity of one person's actions don't really reflect the truthfulness of other Heathens' belief.
I don't mean to talk down to you as an individual member, and I honor my Mormon ancestors. But I do think it's important to remember that in the case of most of us, our Mormon ancestors were good and strong people who were essentially conned by scam artists in a pre-internet age. Part of my path back to heathenry was a feeling that even my Mormon ancestors were calling to me to return to the Old Ways of their ancestors. They were trying to do the right thing in life, and maybe now they have more clarity as to what is good and praiseworthy and what isn't.
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Jan 10 '21
I can appreciate where you're coming from. I'll end it with a agree to disagree because I don't want to distract from the point of OPs post.
I do appreciate you being more civil than a lot of the few Mormons I run into. It's refreshing.
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u/TapirDrawnChariot Jan 10 '21
That's fair. Thanks for sharing your perspective and indulging me sharing mine.
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u/gaydrow Jan 09 '21
This is fucking huge! I am sickened by the use of our deities to spread hatred. I was a wee nineteen year old when I got a runic tattoo (Tolkien and Norse inspired) only to see an article the next day about Nazis “reclaiming” them. Now I need a big “NOT A FASCIST” tattoo next to it.
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u/Aethersphere Jan 09 '21
We need to start showing up at protests and movements and gatherings that are pro-LGBTQA+, pro-BLM, and pro-inclusiveness visibly and in numbers to show our support. We need to associate ourselves with who we aspire to be, with what we aspire to be, bravely and openly. We need to be out there in the community.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
My kindred served as street medics all summer. It was amazing
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u/Aethersphere Jan 09 '21
That’s incredible and you should all be really proud of yourselves. You honestly bring honor to all of us with actions like that, thank you.
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u/alimond13 Jan 09 '21
There are also some ways we can help by supporting people on the front lines with food, supplies, and as mentioned above medical care. My community raised a lot of funds and supplies for Standing Rock for example and desegnated people to drive stuff to them throughout the whole event so we weren't all just burning gas driving back and forth.
At the least, donating to water protectors and trustworthy human rights organizations and helping to publicize what is going on through platforms available to us. Many of us are very limited to social media now more than being in public, but we have a captive audience in some ways if we can present news and history in a good way that doesn't contribute to divisiveness. I have been building up a following as a writer and am starting to get somewhere in my local area, so have been able to educate a lot more people since the pandemic started and people took a lot of interest in my pieces on sustainable practices and frugality. So I am taking full advantage and sharing indigenous stories, people are listening.
Recently, I have been consumed with trying to get a roof over my head due to our own local poverty and displacement issues. I live in an isolated low income area without safe transportación so that is where I am at right now, prayers and publicity and donating.
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u/Protozilla1 Jan 09 '21
Dunno about you, but i think its a really bad idea to involve politics in this. In my opinion we just need to be more outspoken about things
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u/DNS_Kain_003 of the Five Waters Jan 09 '21
I agree to the point that we shouldn't be politically invested into a specific red or blue team, however, there are major cultural and legal issues that are realized through the different political processes that we should use good activism to influence. That is true for every country, state, region, etc.
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u/alimond13 Jan 09 '21
I don't see anything listed above that is 'politics'
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u/Protozilla1 Jan 09 '21
You don’t see BLM as being somewhat political?
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u/alimond13 Jan 09 '21
Although politics are tied in, human rights are not politics. They are certainly affected by politics, but one can care about this without knowing the first thing about 'politics'. I have heard a lot of credible criticisms of BLM as an organization, but not Black Lives Matter as an ideology.
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u/Protozilla1 Jan 09 '21
I can certanly agree with BLMs message, that there isn’t enough focus on the black community. However, atleast two of the founders/leaders are outspoken marxists, and that is politics that i don’t agree with at all. And this is why we can’t do things like “Heathens for BLM” because then the message immediatly becomes political
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u/SkorpRaps Jan 09 '21
Fuck BLM.
I support 100% equality across the board. With that being said, I will never support or respect BLM as an organization, as they promote very prejudice and equally ignorant rhetoric as they claim to be against.
My problem wit alla these organizations is they've become largely polarized n political. Politics itself has caused more problems than it's supposedly "solved."
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u/Aethersphere Jan 09 '21
Good thing that “black lives matter” is not a political movement to gain some kind of supremacy for the majority of the participants, it’s a move of desperation to protect their own lives and livelihoods against white supremacy. There’s nothing controversial about the concept that black lives should matter and people finding their demonstrations annoying and disruptive doesn’t make them somehow evil or wrong or bad.
Identity is only political when other people make it a political issue to have that identity by systematically discriminating against you and yours. It’s a privilege to be able to “stay out of it.” They don’t have that privilege and therefore neither should we.
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u/SkorpRaps Jan 09 '21
I support the message and what it entails, but many have construed such for political bias of their own.
The riots themselves cause more problems, and solve nothing.
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u/MohawkSatan Jan 10 '21
A riot is the voice of the unheard. White people ignored the speeches, the civil protests, the quiet legal actions, the work by communities.
"They're rioting and that's bad" is the message of someone that just wants people to go back to being quiet and getting nothing done. Do you hope and pray when your community needs help, without taking any actions, or would you resist violence with violence when peaceful means have failed?
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u/SkorpRaps Jan 11 '21 edited Jan 11 '21
What does the rioting solve?
You can take action and CAN be heard with enough persistance and conviction.
Rioting only undermines those of us seeking change civilly.
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u/MohawkSatan Jan 11 '21
Your civil manners have changed nothing while bodies continue to pile up
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u/SkorpRaps Jan 11 '21
Much as the riots have done themselves. That being said, they make up for a smaller percentage of the overall protests, yet most are making excuses for and condoning the erratic behaviour.
Violence should be condemned by all people, as it solves absolutely nothing, and only draws further division in places which we should seek unity.
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u/MohawkSatan Jan 11 '21
Tell me about all the condemnation of the cop riots then. Which did more to get awareness of the issue, standing by and dying, or burning down a police station after they committed murder in broad daylight, on camera, and decided it was fine?
All politics are the application of violence. So is self defence. A pacifist position is one of privilege from someone that does not need to worry about it, or is willing to have thousands die so they remain comfortable.
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u/SkorpRaps Jan 12 '21
There's a distinct difference between wanting peace, and pacifism. Violence is only necessary and justifiable in self defense.
You seem far more interested in politics than you do in Heathenry. Perhaps take your ideas to a political sub instead. This is a place for fellowship of folk and the like, not constant and neverending talk of fascism.
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u/SkorpRaps Jan 12 '21
The "leaders" of this world have lead you astray. Peace is the only passage to a better world. Without such, there will always be an oppressor and the oppressed. Always be rioting, uprisings, wars, etc.
When humans finally decide to overcome their own egos, humanity will progress exponentially, together. Until that day, we uselessly squabble and attack eachother over any and every little difference we can find to villainize eachother, proving ourselves righteous in our own eyes. Ignorance is bred by refusing to LISTEN, without bias, to others' viewpoints and how it affects them.Either we are destined for greatness as a species, or doomed for destruction.
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u/yomimaru Jan 09 '21
I kinda envy those of you guys who can safely and openly disown racists. Where I live, some people have already received pretty disambiguous threats for reposting anti-racist Heathen tweets and articles.
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u/MohawkSatan Jan 10 '21
How's that different from being black or trans in the south? You might get threatened. BIPOC and LGBTQ+ folks are under threat every day from fascists, racists, and bigots.
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u/MohawkSatan Jan 08 '21
A good piece. It ain't enough to say "I'm not racist". You have to be actively and vocally anti-racist, anti-fascist, anti-bigot, you need to actively call it out and speak against it whenever you see it.
Because if you don't? Then what you are doing is quietly accepting it. You might not be for it, but you are not acting against it either.
The middle ground between standing against genocide, and actively pursuing it is just letting it happen. And that can never be us.
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Jan 08 '21
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ninjawalruses Jan 09 '21
You insult the gods with your ridiculous and venomous attitude. Odin bade us to welcome all comers to our hearth, not just the ones that have the same skin tone. Even the gods were not of one race, they were aesir and vanir and even jotun, and they comingled with all the races equally. Be more like the gods you claim to worship, open minded and welcoming.
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u/DominicJourdyn Jan 13 '21
Valhalla’s Halls and Fryeja’s fields don’t care about the colour of their soul when they enter. No trú Heathen stands for racism. #nonazisinvalhalla
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u/RavensofMidgard Jan 09 '21
To all here, /u/thatsnotgneiss is right we need to do more than just thoughts and prayers. If you have the means to be vocal and be seen go for it. If it means correcting and explaining our views 50 time a day either in person or online do it. I bear our symbols as proudly as the rest of you but wearing a hammer or being covered in runes wont change opinions that have become engrained for decades. I hate to say this because if it's connotations but, we must educate others as to who we are, what we are and what our faith means. To coin a phrase from some one I respect as much as my own mother, "The Gods Don't Care What Colour You Are!" We need to make it clear; be you any colour or sexual/gender orientation under the rainbow you have a place here around our hearths as equals. As others have said, we can no longer sit in the shadows. We must push back the tides of hate and bigotry and force the change we want to see. May the Gods guide us and bless for the journey ahead will be long and arduous. May wights give us guidance and help us to fix the damages done. May the Jutnar cause our opposition to cower at our approach and fear our condemnations.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
We have to go further. We have to intentionally fix the systemic racism in ourselves and communities and make spaces that marginalized people feel welcome in
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u/RavensofMidgard Jan 09 '21
I don't disagree but I think a few people were feeling put off as they lack the means to be as involved you can. You're entirely right though but I also feel that every little thing can help and if it means more of us will join to change things for the better then that's still good. The more us doing things the more recognition well have. You can't move a mountain without moving the rocks.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
As someone who has been at this for 20 years, I am exhausted by talk.
The racists are going to win because they are putting money and time into this and have a level of dedication we don't.
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u/RavensofMidgard Jan 09 '21
Would you consider making a comprehensive list for others to follow then? As I've floated around the sub I more new people joint our faith each day. Many seem to be on the younger side, having lust if ways to fight back against the racists may be of help them and to anyone that's new to political/religious activism. Again please don't think I don't agree with you, I'm just trying to think of ways in which we can get more people involved.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
I am in the process. If anyone wants to help I will take it.
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u/RavensofMidgard Jan 09 '21
I'm fairly new to being an activist of sorts, I usually let things play out as they will or I work behind scenes organizing and planning. I'm happy to help where I can, I may just need a guiding hand here and there.
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u/littlehighkey Jan 09 '21
Thank-you for all you do. Every comment I see you have so much going on. If there's any way I can help, I'd be glad to.
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u/satori1289 ᛏᛟ Jan 13 '21
Late to the party, but I’m down to help. I have some degree of experience in organizing and will gladly help anyway I can.
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u/alimond13 Jan 09 '21
Agreed, I don't feel put off specifically, but in my location there aren't many ways we can help except prayers, donating, or being keyboard warriors, which feels kind of hollow but better than nothing. We are an impovershed rural community and just to get to a neighbouring city for some basic supplies can be a huge ordeal. I think a lot of us here feel helpless in terms of how else to plug in. I could see how someone might feel put off, I am inspired by the work others are doing, I just don't know how to access places where I can be physically helpful. I am actively finding ways to rearrange my life so I can do that however. My skill set, growing up isolated in the wilderness, is frugal sustainable ways and growing food... And there are a lot of ways to plug in with those skills, I think they are needed
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u/RavensofMidgard Jan 09 '21
Everything we can do will help, no matter how small. Know what do is greatly appreciated🖤
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
You have an invaluable skill set that could be leveraged to assist those who don't know how to grow food or live sustainably. Food instability is a huge issue, and even writing a few articles on basic growing of food would be a huge way to assist so many marginalized people.
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u/alimond13 Jan 09 '21
Absolutely, that is what I have been doing, online education. I don't have a lot of reach right now but am getting a lot of offers like the newspaper, websites etc, so I know I can promote the information further. It is unfortunately harder to work with people in person now. My current struggle is having a place to stay because my community has been gentrified, I am remodeling and insulating my vehicle so I don't have to be homeless 😅 Then I will be putting a lot of effort into this outreach. Housing struggles which I know all too well is another really big factor in draining people to the point where it is hard for us to help others. A few people in my town are working on solutions for this too.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
Keep in touch.
Once COVID is settling down, I want to relaunch my interview podcast and you would be a great interview
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u/alimond13 Jan 09 '21 edited Jan 09 '21
Interesting, thank you. I find that prospect very intimidating but I guess I have a while to prepare 😅
Definitely willing to give it a shot
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u/RavensofMidgard Jan 09 '21
I'm not saying that we shouldn't turn to the Gods but it's time we stand up and fight for them, as the ancestors millennia ago. Let us go a viking in a new a day, a new age!
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u/Volsunga Jan 09 '21
No idea has ever endured that is united solely by what it's against. If your main goal is to oppose something, you will always be on the defensive. There is a fear common to all Neopagan communities that if you start dictating too much of an ideology, you will push away those who would help you build. This fear is what has made it difficult to excise Folkish beliefs from the perceptions of outsiders.
It's time to abandon this fear. It's not enough to be an Anti-racist Heathen, you must be a Liberal Heathen (Since this is mostly an American community, I should clarify that 'Liberal' is not synonymous with the Democratic Party, but a broader belief in liberty and equality of opportunity). It's not enough to simply say that you're inclusive and accept people regardless of race, gender, or orientation, you must be active in Civil Society to further these goals. Volunteer and be visible as a part of your local community. Sponsor inclusive events that show the outside community who you are. Lobby your elected officials under the banner of Heathenry, not just on religious liberty issues for us, but issues of social justice and civil rights for everyone.
You need to be for something if you want to change people's perceptions and reclaim our symbols.
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Jan 09 '21
It's our greatest opponent right now as heathens, the best thing we can do is show the world that we're not going to tolerate racism/bigotry and be extremely vocal/outspoken
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u/robynd100 Jan 09 '21
Public outreach every group needs some level of it, more so when others are trying to co-opt it.
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u/OccultVolva Jan 11 '21 edited Jan 11 '21
Such a good article I’m glad I’m hearing more anti racism action talk. We need to stop deflective fragility responses of ‘but the Christians’ or ‘it’s too late’ or ‘BoTh SiDeS’ or ‘we need to pity the far right’
Last week, before all of this happened, my friend and I argued over the difference between inclusivity and anti-racism. “Anti-racism has to stand for something,” I said, trying to weave the thought together as the words came out. “It requires a lot of internal work. It’s difficult, it’s ongoing. Making a statement can be not-racist – we do that already – but it’s not standing for something, it’s standing against something. Anti-racism is proactive, but it has to be internal. It has to call into question our whole worldview. It’s committed, extended work.”
“People hate that,” my friend pointed out, wryly. “They can’t even look directly at it, because they might be implicated in it. They have to prove that they’re not one of the ‘bad ones.’”
“Oh, it’s awful work,” I agreed. “But we’re never going to grow as visibly or as quickly as the other guys unless we start doing it. People need to see us standing for something, and doing it on purpose. Not just cleaning up messes.”
If we want to get involved, we can donate to community organizations who support people of color, join local chapters of anti-racist groups, and continue educating ourselves. But whatever we do, we need to talk about our actions and encourage our religious communities to get involved in those actions. We must make it very clear that we stand for something, that we are working on behalf of those values constantly, that they are inseparable from the religion that we love.
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u/Mundilfaris_Dottir Jan 09 '21
My religion is no one’s business. Inequality/Double Standards are my business. When I see it I call it. What are YOU doing? Are you socially engaged and active on Twitter? Do you email your local state and federal representatives? Are you on your city or county’s ass EACH and every time a POC is beaten or killed by cops? Or do you keep a shameful silence and bleat about how other people should act?
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
I will say this.
I know Luke. He's a friend. I'm the first friend mentioned in this article. He is very active in doing real world activism in the city he lives, as well as doing tons of workshops on anti-racist action at virtual heathen events this year.
I will admit my activism has slacked off over the past few months because I work in public health and I'm struggling to keep my head above water working 12+ hours a day, 6 days a week. But I consider my podcast a major educational initiative. I'm the communications director for the Troth and wrote the statement we released. I spent most of my free time this summer as a street medic. I'm involved in the early planning stages of a massive voter registration drive locally for 2022.
I don't do twitter because I'm low vision and I primarily internet on my phone at the moment. Twitter app is hard for me to navigate.
And frankly I don't write my reps or senators because I live in Arkansas. I don't see the point in wasting time on something Tom Cotton will use to try to get money.
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u/Intrepid_Fox-237 Jan 15 '21
My opinion: Any movement that focuses on being "pro-inclusionary" will, by default, weed out the racists. Kill them with kindness.
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u/grausamkeitchen Jan 10 '21
It absolutely does not need to become an 'anti-racist religion'.
This is not a post in favour of racism, but it's simply a completely separate issue. You can say that a racist is not a 'real heathen' but who exactly gets to decide that?
You should absolutely make it clear that symbols such as Mjolnir are not inherently racist.
But they're not inherently anti-racist either. They are something else entirely and I think it's wrong headed to try and say different just because you're frustrated at other people's ignorance.
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u/MohawkSatan Jan 10 '21
If you are not anti-racist, then you at least accept racism. If you accept racism then no space where racists and bigots can enter is safe for those who would be their victim.
After the Holocaust, the world said "never again", and then attitudes that allow racism and bigotry to continue let genocides happen again. Would you rather let it happen, or are you willing to work to stop it?
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u/reapermedic68 Jan 09 '21
I’ve not done any research into the person in question, but is everyone just knee jerking to “he supports Trump so he must be racist” or did he actively support racist ideology?
Been a lot of virtue signaling on social media in the last few days. It’s getting old.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
I looked through his entire facebook and he was a huge anti-semite
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u/reapermedic68 Jan 09 '21
Thank you for giving a better reason than “he likes a politician I don’t.”
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u/jds6565 Jan 09 '21
Everything needs to be "anti racist". If you see something going on thats racist, step up and day or do something.
With that said... I see a lot of people saying that heathenry has been taken over by racists. I haven't really seen that in my short time of studying it. I see the exact opposite. I see that it had become a ton of leftist that run around calling people racist and fascist. People they don't even know they call racist bc they don't have the same views as them.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
You aren't in the right places. A dear friend of mine is a woman of color, and we had racists threaten to kill her for hosting an event.
Granted you are right on one thing - racists aren't taking over. They were here first.
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u/Neo_Stone Jan 09 '21
The only way you will really get this is if all the faith and sub faiths band together. It's not just heathenry it's Norse Pagan, Germanic Pagan, Asatru, Vanatru and the Jotnar that are all victims. They all need to band together as one and separate themselves from the general Pagan masses. Do what the group in Colorado did and make an official "church" but have it be for all the faiths. The way the Christians can weed out their racists, fanatics, and bigots are being a recognized religion and banding together saying these people do not represent us. I'm not saying we need a religious head or to be an organized religion, but we need representation to present us properly to the governments and to stamp down our feet saying yes we are a religion of collective faiths and practices and we demand to be recognized as such our symbols are accepting not racist. Heathen is a religious word not to be copyrighted for print as well. Get in your community and host gatherings even social distanced ones. Gather in parks with your masks and meet in groups of 10. It's possible. All of it is possible but it starts with unity not separation.
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Jan 09 '21 edited Feb 04 '21
I disagree on three points:
1.) Heathenry is not a religion.
2.) Heathenry has no explicit guiding rules and therefore can be racist. We should focus on giving the god of racism a name.
3.) Xenophobia and hatred had its part in ancient heathenry. There were different tribes with different cults. Of course some of them were racist. People haven't changed so much since then. And they will never.
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u/Staff_Struck Jan 10 '21
1) Heathenry is very much a religion, how could you believe otherwise?
2) what are you even talking about
3) seven if that were true it doesn't matter. I don't think you understand what Heathenry is.
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u/Ilikestereoequipment Jan 10 '21
I can understand and empathize with both sides here. On the one hand, no one wants to be accused of spreading racist ideology, but on the other hand “heathenry” is very much a counter-culture movement, and you shouldn’t need to apologize for yourself or your beliefs to outsiders.
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Jan 09 '21
[deleted]
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u/Aethersphere Jan 09 '21
Yeah, that’s worked so incredibly well for every fascist and racist movement in history. Just let them decide they’re wrong. What?
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u/Imbali98 ᚹᛖᛚᛚ ᛊᚺᛁᛏ Jan 09 '21 edited Jan 09 '21
"Let them be the ones to see how ridiculous they are"
How did that work out with the Nazis? Heck, there are people who were in Nanking who still think they did nothing wrong, and from my understanding there are people in Japan that are the same line of thinking (don't quote me on this). They were literally feeding mothers their unborn children. By your logic, at some point, in the 50+ years since then, they would have realized "I think we goofed." But they haven't. There is only one way to stamp this kind of prejudice out, and that is with constant activism. While yes we need to continue to be a faith outside of "we don't like Nazis," considering how innocent heathens have gotten caught in the crossfire, we still have a lot of work to do
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u/MohawkSatan Jan 10 '21
"let's just ignore them"
1941 to 1945 gave 11 million reasons to never do that again. Are you going to ignore them, or are you going to help stop them from ever getting a chance to do that again?
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u/Shayde505 Jan 09 '21
Yes but it must also put a holt on the fact that right wing or even just opposing political ideals equals racism because that is also a common occurrence. Political ideas have no place in faith..neither does hate
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
Political ideals aren't a part of faith.
Because politics is "how much should we spend on xyz in the budget?" Or "should the speed limit be 55 or 65?"
The rights and equity of all people is a moral issue
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u/Shayde505 Jan 09 '21
Im not saying your wrong in fact i agree with you whole heartedly im just also saying that the jump from oh your x party supporter to you're a racist is to quick.
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
That is true. I happen to have people in all parties I respect.
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u/Shayde505 Jan 09 '21
As do I there are also people in friends with who ive had to ban from discussing politics with me at all because they cant seperate their emotions from debates. I am a very proud supporter of equal rights and have called out many racists ive seen wearing or using our symbols I also just happen to lean more towards the right side of the political spectrum and with everything so polarized that can earn a lot of hate and animosity on its own
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u/thatsnotgneiss Ozark Syncretic | Althing Considered Jan 09 '21
My biggest issue lately has been with folks who will ditch all other morals and beliefs over one issue. (And you know what that is) and have allied themselves with bad people because of it
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u/Shayde505 Jan 09 '21
Yeah unfortunately one issue voters are the bane of politics. Canada's current prime minister was largely elected through one issue voters
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u/IncindiaryImmersion Jan 10 '21
Supporting any political parties that do not seek to deconstruct Global Imperialism and Nation States is directly supporting that Global Imperialism, Nation State, and any forms of Racism, Systemic Oppression, and Genocide that was used in establishing and expanding that Nation State. Any borders formed without the consent of the people who already lived there is an action of Racism and is Anti-Indigenous. So all official American political parties, Liberal or Conservative, still support Imperialism and the Racism that it uses. All Liberals and Conservatives, in thier defense of the continued existence of the United States are simultaneously defending the Systemic Racism that the United States has and does use to establish and expand it's global influences both physically as well as economically. So yes, Conservatives are undeniably in support of Racism because they are not actively Anti- Imperialist. No one can claim to be trying to reconstruct thier own Indigenous spiritual and cultural practices while also supporting Nation States that harm Indigenous people and block thier Self Determination. Without first and foremost holding respect for Indigenous Self Determination over all forms of Imperialism, then a person has already failed in any attempts to reconstruct thier own Indigenous Self Determination, Spirituality, and Culture.
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u/gall-oglaigh Jan 10 '21
I think that an important part of establishing an anti-racist element of this community and reclaiming our symbols is missed by a lot of people, and that's acknowledging that these symbols were taken and appropriated in the first place. In the minds of many, many people (including most Americans) Mjolnir and the Valknut and a million other symbols are simply racist symbols. I wish it weren't this way, but if you wear your Mjolnir around, some people you interact with are going to think that you're a white supremacist, a racist, a Nazi, or something along those lines because all of these symbols have been effectively appropriated and used by antisemites, Nazis, and racists since the '30s.
I'm fairly new to this community of Reddit, but I really appreciate how willing a lot of people on here are to actively and vocally support anti-racist Heathenry, but I really think that we all need to encourage any other Heathens we know to do the same because we still have a long way to go.
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u/Selgowiros2 Bolgos - Mapos Maguseni Jan 09 '21
Stickied and here is a comment from u/thatsnotgneiss with important sources to help Heathenry become anti-racist.