Pagan laity


Once removed from ritual

In some of the talks I have with people curious about paganism, I usually stress the difference between a revealed faith and an experienced one.

In a revealed faith, the emphasis is on the message. The Divine already spoke, it's up to humans to figure the message out. The message has to be protected, and often takes on a semi-divine status itself.

In an experienced faith, the emphasis is on the experience with the Divine. Literally very little happens until you take that first leap of faith into the abyss. Nor is that the last leap of faith you will have to take. There is no map, no guidebook, nothing you can study in advance. After that step, it's just you, the Divine, and the universe. And sometimes not the universe.

Up until a couple of weeks ago, if you had told me about pagan laity, I would have said those people just hadn't found their way quite yet. But there are a growing number of self-professed pagans who seem more interested in the buzz than the ritual. They will attend, but they don't want to participate.

If they were Christians, they'd be called pew warmers or back benchers. They show up, but they don't give. It's like religion is just a form of theatre to them. They would get just as much by going to see a football game. And there are refreshments at the football game.

Not only does religion as spectacle mean food and drink on demand, it also means you don't have to pay that close attention to what is happening in the sacred space. Drawing down the moon, scoring a touchdown, explosions filling a twenty foot screen, what's the difference? You can take a cell phone call, talk to your neighbor, drop your program, and still not miss the "really important bits."

Besides, there is always instant replay.

Without the connection brought by participating, the only emotional validation left is the buzz. There is no meaning, nothing beyond the peak brought on by the buzz.

It's why Hollywood "blockbusters" have to have bigger and bigger effects. It's why the hype machine cranks into high gear for professional sports. It's why all those huge megachurches brag about their attendance numbers. The emotional peak substitutes for meaning and connection.

I'm a solitary. If I want it done in ritual, I have to do it. There is no one I can depend on to carry me along.

I'm not sure you can be pagan and not participate in ritual. If you're only going to watch, you might as well start a tailgate party in the parking lot.

Posted: Tue - February 14, 2006 at 11:41 PM
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