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Originally Posted by Antithesis  Opressed might have been a strong word, because even though the label still carries something of a stigma and a lot of senators have been pushing for restrictions against Pagans (and even Bush said he didn't think witchcraft was a religion), there have been some big improvements. The Supreme Court has really came through in guaranteeing rights to Wiccans in particular, even if our elected officials will not.
I don't think pagans today are as protected as a member of the abrahamic religions, but not as looked down upon as much as an atheist. | Like with anything concerning civil rights, it will take time. And considering Paganism has only been (excuse another pun) out of the broom closet since the 1970's, we've actually come a long way in securing civil rights since then. And honestly, it's going to take time for people to actually stop and learn about any of the Pagan traditions. Heck, even among the Pagan traditions, because of the diversity of them, there's still a load of misunderstanding. Then you throw in the fluff bunnies with the idolisation of Buffy, Charmed, etc.???
We have alot of stereotypical ideals to overcome community wise and those willing to come out of the broom closet and become vocal. As more people actually start asking real questions instead of asking 'hey, do you really vanquish demons?', 'can you fly?', or my all time favorite, 'did you have to make a pack with the devil' type of questions?
There's centuries of stereotyping and myth to overcome before there will ever be true acceptance. And even then, there's always going to be those that cling to the misinformation just because they choose to remain blind. And those types really don't concern me much, nor make me less inclined to be myself.  |