An entry about... religion? What?

I know I don't spend much time or space on this journal talking about my spiritual life, and that's only partly intentional. Every time I consider doing it, it just seems too personal. Most people seem to see me as a sort of free-range agnostic, and that's not entirely true. This confusion has caused some friction in the past. I remember one particular instance when I criticized a self-identifying Wiccan for using Wicca as a way to beg attention from her apathetic peers. The backlash against me included her referencing my "mouth-frothing" closed-mindedness and prejudice against Pagans.

I suppose it hadn't occurred to me that people did not realize I am Pagan. Part of my objection to her behavior was that I felt it reflected poorly on me.

Now, I need to preface this little confession with something. I'm well aware of the age of my religion, and I'm well aware that it was constructed largely to serve a political purpose. In fact, I take huge issue with the people who have historically argued that feminist Neo-Paganism is returning to some sort of primal matriarchy where everything was awesome.

A couple of people reading this might recognize this as the potential root of my distrust of feminism. I'm totally down with the whole gender equality thing, and the idea that gender roles are socio-cultural constructs is also relatively important to me. However, revivals of Goddess traditions have often been based on rather sloppy scholarship.

( Cut for length. )

An entry about... religion? What?

I know I don't spend much time or space on this journal talking about my spiritual life, and that's only partly intentional. Every time I consider doing it, it just seems too personal. Most people seem to see me as a sort of free-range agnostic, and that's not entirely true. This confusion has caused some friction in the past. I remember one particular instance when I criticized a self-identifying Wiccan for using Wicca as a way to beg attention from her apathetic peers. The backlash against me included her referencing my "mouth-frothing" closed-mindedness and prejudice against Pagans.

I suppose it hadn't occurred to me that people did not realize I am Pagan. Part of my objection to her behavior was that I felt it reflected poorly on me.

Now, I need to preface this little confession with something. I'm well aware of the age of my religion, and I'm well aware that it was constructed largely to serve a political purpose. In fact, I take huge issue with the people who have historically argued that feminist Neo-Paganism is returning to some sort of primal matriarchy where everything was awesome.

A couple of people reading this might recognize this as the potential root of my distrust of feminism. I'm totally down with the whole gender equality thing, and the idea that gender roles are socio-cultural constructs is also relatively important to me. However, revivals of Goddess traditions have often been based on rather sloppy scholarship.

( Cut for length. )

An entry about... religion? What?

I know I don't spend much time or space on this journal talking about my spiritual life, and that's only partly intentional. Every time I consider doing it, it just seems too personal. Most people seem to see me as a sort of free-range agnostic, and that's not entirely true. This confusion has caused some friction in the past. I remember one particular instance when I criticized a self-identifying Wiccan for using Wicca as a way to beg attention from her apathetic peers. The backlash against me included her referencing my "mouth-frothing" closed-mindedness and prejudice against Pagans.

I suppose it hadn't occurred to me that people did not realize I am Pagan. Part of my objection to her behavior was that I felt it reflected poorly on me.

Now, I need to preface this little confession with something. I'm well aware of the age of my religion, and I'm well aware that it was constructed largely to serve a political purpose. In fact, I take huge issue with the people who have historically argued that feminist Neo-Paganism is returning to some sort of primal matriarchy where everything was awesome.

A couple of people reading this might recognize this as the potential root of my distrust of feminism. I'm totally down with the whole gender equality thing, and the idea that gender roles are socio-cultural constructs is also relatively important to me. However, revivals of Goddess traditions have often been based on rather sloppy scholarship.

( Cut for length. )

Work priorities

I dislike being told to stay on the dialer when I'm trying to clear my sinuses of mucous. I apologize that I have to come to work during all stages of a sinus infection. I apologize that, no matter how shitty I feel, as long as I can speak I come to work. Hell, I counted myself fortunate that my nose wasn't bleeding at work, and now that I'm starting to feel better I'm told that my completes per hour (how many 'pledges' and 'no pledges' I receive in an hour on average) aren't as strong as everyone else's.

Of course they're not. Do you see what I'm doing? Am I sitting and playing with my hair, sipping coffee, reading a magazine, or doodling? I am furiously blasting infected snot out of my face so that I can continue to call.

*sigh*

She didn't make a big deal of it, but I'm really not sure what she'd rather I did. Not come?

Work priorities

I dislike being told to stay on the dialer when I'm trying to clear my sinuses of mucous. I apologize that I have to come to work during all stages of a sinus infection. I apologize that, no matter how shitty I feel, as long as I can speak I come to work. Hell, I counted myself fortunate that my nose wasn't bleeding at work, and now that I'm starting to feel better I'm told that my completes per hour (how many 'pledges' and 'no pledges' I receive in an hour on average) aren't as strong as everyone else's.

Of course they're not. Do you see what I'm doing? Am I sitting and playing with my hair, sipping coffee, reading a magazine, or doodling? I am furiously blasting infected snot out of my face so that I can continue to call.

*sigh*

She didn't make a big deal of it, but I'm really not sure what she'd rather I did. Not come?

Work priorities

I dislike being told to stay on the dialer when I'm trying to clear my sinuses of mucous. I apologize that I have to come to work during all stages of a sinus infection. I apologize that, no matter how shitty I feel, as long as I can speak I come to work. Hell, I counted myself fortunate that my nose wasn't bleeding at work, and now that I'm starting to feel better I'm told that my completes per hour (how many 'pledges' and 'no pledges' I receive in an hour on average) aren't as strong as everyone else's.

Of course they're not. Do you see what I'm doing? Am I sitting and playing with my hair, sipping coffee, reading a magazine, or doodling? I am furiously blasting infected snot out of my face so that I can continue to call.

*sigh*

She didn't make a big deal of it, but I'm really not sure what she'd rather I did. Not come?