Why Paganism?

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 369.

The attraction of Paganism is not only in the idea of casting love spells. The popularity of Paganism can also be attributed to the fact that it tackles issues that teenagers are interested in - in a way that other religions do not.

The supernatural is a good example of this. Massimo Introvigne (lecturer at Harvard University) suggests that programmes such as ”Buffy the Vampire Slayer” illustrate the problems that organised religions are suffering from. He says that Buffy is telling us that 'Supernatural beings may be out there, but traditional theology is not regarded as useful for dealing with them'.

Paganism also places issues such as the environment, morality and gender at the top of its list of priorities. These are issues that teenagers can relate to. The Pagan Federation of Great Britain states in its three main principles a 'love for and kinship with Nature', a 'positive morality' and a 'recognition of the Divine which transcends gender'.

Author, Silver Ravenwolf thinks that the inclusion of women is a particularly important factor for the masses of teenage girls who turn to Paganism. She says 'women in particular don't like the idea of being second-class citizens in spirituality. Wicca has the male and female on the same footing'.