Recently I was reading a post on the blog Der Sankt Speaks in which Ben Vess asks “Is Gay OK In the Deaf Community?” In this post, he discussed his own experiences with growing up as an openly gay boy in a Deaf residential school, and how he was well-accepted by the others at the school. Ben’s point in asking the question was whether the Deaf Community as a whole is more accepting because being Deaf is considered more significant than one’s sexual orientation.
The comments to this question were somewhat mixed, with some people indicating that homophobia was and still is a problem in the Deaf Community… but with many others indicating that the Deaf Community is indeed more accepting, or at least becoming so.
This has prompted me to think… can the same attitude be applied to Deaf Pagans?
Is the Deaf Community more accepting of those who practice an alternative spiritual path?
For the most part, I have not encountered any serious negative experiences as a Deaf Pagan, but I know that some people have refused to talk or socialize with me or others when they discovered that we are Pagan. I have friends – both deaf and hearing – who work in Deaf schools or in Deaf programs, and they have to hide their Paganism because they are afraid if others find out, they could lose their jobs. I know of Deaf Pagans being harassed by other Deaf in their communities who kept trying to force them to go to church.
I am pretty open about being Pagan and have no problems with talking about it if I am asked, but I do not “advertise” it everywhere or to everyone. I tend to be a little careful about who I tell, or what I say. But I don’t try to hide it or deny it either.
However, I know that many people in the Deaf Community are not comfortable with Paganism. I have had people tell me that one of the reasons I don’t always get a lot of comments on this blog site is because readers won’t leave comments on a Pagan blog.
I don’t know whether or not this is actually true, but I would not be shocked to find out that it is in fact the truth. While I think that is rather sad, it’s not all that surprising.
I remember reading a comment on another blog that mentioned Deaf Pagan Crossroads, in which the individual stated
Geez, I was stunned to see an article about Deaf Pagan. Where have I been? I really feel sorry for them because they do not understand fully how dangerous they have been playing like the pagans. What they really need to know is Jesus Christ. Study the Holy Bible and see what Jesus says.
Now, I don’t want to seem rude here, but I would like to say this… I have read the Bible, and I do know something about the teachings of Jesus Christ. I have nothing against Christianity, or those who practice this religion. I believe that all paths lead to the Divine Spirit, and each of us must choose our own spiritual journey.
I have chosen to undertake my own personal spiritual journey which is very special to me, and to practice a religion that brings me peace and enlightenment. In doing so, I strive to be the best person I can be… and to love, honor, and respect all human beings and all living things as a part of my family, and a part of this wonderful universe.
Yes, I know that being Pagan is not well understood or well accepted in our society – deaf or hearing. Let’s face it… mention the word “Pagan” or “Witch” in most places, and people freak out. They get all these weird ideas in their heads about how “dangerous” we supposedly are.
I hope people don’t think I am dangerous!
I know that Christianity is the popular religion in this country, and most Deaf people belong to Christian churches. That’s okay… I respect that. But those of us who choose a different religion would like respect and acceptance also. Whether you are Christian or Jewish or Buddhist or Muslim or Pagan or Hindu or whatever your spiritual path might be…
the most important thing is showing love and kindness for one another.
So… I would like to ask my readers -
Is being Pagan okay in the Deaf Community? Do you feel people who practice an alternative spirituality or lifestyle in the Deaf Community are accepted? Can a Deaf person be open about such beliefs and talk about them freely, or is it necessary to hide your spirituality from others because you are afraid of rejection?
Please share your comments! I’d like to know what you think!
This sculpture shows the sign for "connect"...and that is what Deaf Pagan Crossroads is all about - making connections. Connections between Deafhood and Paganism, connections between the Deaf Community and the Hearing Community, connections between myself as the writer and you as the reader. I hope you will take the time to read my various posts, some of which are listed below. Welcome to the Crossroads, and I hope you make some connections here!
Personally, Paganism interests me, since it’s one of the oldest religions. It also seems to be very tolerant and accepting, which is more than what I can say about Christianity in general.
I don’t think we would comment on your blog, Ocean, if we held disdain for Paganism or worse. As for the deaf community accepting Paganism, that’s a good question.
I think it varies, just like it would in the hearing communities, but I would be inclined to say the deaf community is a bit more accepting. It depends on where you live, and such. I noticed that the smaller the local deaf community is, it’s more accepting. The bigger the local deaf community is, the more intolerant it is.
I could care less what the Christians think about me, because in general, they’re hypocritical and their beliefs aren’t consistent. I’ve found that the majority of religions are like that, really. Paganism and Buddhism are the only two that I do not think are hypocritical. And the whole Religious Right movement scares me. The movie, V for Vendetta, one of my favorite movies, pretty much succinctly sums up why the Religious Right is so scary. It’s fiction, but it could easily turn into reality.
That’s my two muddled thoughts in the morning on Paganism.
My religion is one of several that considers all religions of the world as different ways to seek truth and that there are many roads to God. Quakerism is a Christian religion (in its history and most of us consider ourselves inspired by the Bible, but we do have our Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Wiccan attenders).
Even though Quaker, I do admit to feeling concerned that Paganism might be separating from the mainstream and using language such as the words “pagan” and “witch” may reinforce this idea. There is too much association with animal worship, satanism and other ideas not recognizing a link between humanity and the Almighty. Perhaps a vocabulary review by Pagans might be a good move toward unity.
I agree, the religious right can be scary. A gentle, accepting and liberal view of religions is a more Godlike approach.
~DPG
I think it is an individual personal belief whether it’s ok in Deaf community or not. For me paganism is something I wouldn’t want to get into because the Bible is clear on that. Just my belief. If you have explored the bible and decided to go with paganism, then it’s your choice and I will not judge you for it. I know some people will have differences of opinon, which is their right. We all have free will. The problem with asking these types of question in deafread is that it does not cater to a wide variety of the deaf community. For example, how many grassroot deaf read deafread? My guess is average age of readership is somewhere around 30′s to 40′s? So, answers you get really does not necessarily reflect the deaf community as a whole. Same probably goes for gay issues. Younger people are more less likely to judge than older people.
I admit I’m not too familiar with paganism. From what the bible says, paganism worships idols. Perhaps you can shine some light into that.
Hm. I think it’s probably varied, like DeafPundit said. There probably is a lot more acceptance and willingness to respect diverse traditions, including Paganism here in the San Francisco Bay Area than in, say, Wichita, Kansas (or for that matter, much of the Midwest, Plains, and the Bible Belt). I think such intolerance is sad, because while I’m not into Paganism, I believe everyone has his/her own path and we should all be willing to learn about each other’s path respectfully.
I have always respected every person’s belief no matter what it is as long as it is part of positive and light. Any destructive or dark or pure negative belief (force or destroy anything in its way) is the worst of all. There are many good and bad people in all religions and non religions. Our goal is to provide positive and love energy to all of people. That is the greatest gift for all of us.
Deafchip
there are hard to tell that you are pagan or not.. bec there are a lot tricks in the pagan. I guess that i am pagan but i do not lecture other ppls about pagan unless they ask me…
Deafpundit pretty much said it all for me. My religion is private and individual, which is generally how I think religions should be practiced — I have yet to see an organized religion that didn’t scare me at some level. It is unfortunately an intolerant world out there.
Like other commenters said, it all depends on how one perceives and understands the religions of the world including Paganism.
As a social studies teacher, I am required to teach basic beliefs of all religions including American religion ideals such as Quaker, Puritans, etc. When talking about the history of Salem witchcraft, the villagers turned against those who practiced witchcraft. So this concept of the view had been negative and resistant upon what had been associated to the pagans. There are obviously a lot of myths and misconceptions about Paganism that has been considered a forbidden topic leaving not only the deaf people but hearing as well a limited understanding about it.
To be honest with you, I don’t have a complete understanding about it either. But does it matter to me? Well, I didn’t even think about you as a pagan when reading or leaving comments because what I think about is your rambling thoughts.
So what is really dangerous here folks? The ones who practice prejudice and stereotyping.
I like to call myself a ‘Recovering Catholic.’ I do this for several reasons, most significantly their views on sexual orientation and reproductive safety. However, I do know that almost all religions are the same. They all teach that there is a supreme ‘Something’ out there who created everything and who guides everythng.
This being the case, I have simply decided I follow no religion. I have my own private relationship with the ‘Something’ that I feel suits me just fine.
I don’t think people should judge others for their beliefs, simply because no matter how strongly you believe (in whatever your beliefs are) one day you will pass from this earth, and you may find out you were wrong. I mean, none of us, no matter how strong our convictions are, knows with any certainty. That’s why they call it faith.
So, let people belive as they see fit, as long as it doesn’t impact your right to do the same.
Dennis
Hmmmm… I admit to being vague on paganism. I am more familiar with Wiccan, because Wiccan is mostly for enpowerment and I like it. I do admit sometimes wondering if paganism and Wiccan are same… But I don’t “practice” it. I call myself a Christian, but I do have a problem with the churches because they are somewhat limiting
I am with Deaf Chipmunk… I am more into light and dark, love and hate. etc… opposites and that we need them to teach us grow, etc. I have been lurking in Jill’s ACIMTV site a lot lately
.
Like Barb said, the dangerous people are those who are not tolerant of differences in people.
You present the Wiccan teachings in a well-informed way and we appreciate learning about it. When kids ask me about life in plants, I always say God is in all of us, in all of animals, in all of plants… defining God places limits so we will always try to define God/Goddess to make sense to us.
Karen
By the way, I don’t know how accepted paganism is in Indiana… being it part of Bible Belt, I doubt it is widely accepted. But then I am still new in Indiana and as time goes one, I will learn eventually…
Hi,
I am a christian myself. I respect other religions because most of the time when we talk about religion. They do not criticize me for being a christian. If they do not, why should I criticize them for having a different belief than mine.
People believe in different things. One may believe that this diet works for him/her, while the others believe that this diet doesn’t work for him/her. Do they argue about it? No, the same goes for religion.
You have brought up a legitimate point, and it covers a wide spectrum of views. I personally practice my own sort of spiritualism and I dont follow the views of any churches. I have always looked into paganism and my Hubby is a christian, but he has felt the same as me about churches.
We prefer to look at it this way, the world is our “church”. We dont need to go inside of a building when we have the trees and the skies, the wind whispering, and the sun warming our skin. We give thanks for our blessings and appreciate where they come from.
We also saw the movie “V” and it has become one of our faves as well, and it is scary to know how easily it could actually happen.
I know that there are others who go to church for fellowship and the support of other members. But I have a hard time going somewhere that tells me to love one another, and yet certain people/ behavior/religions are not tolerated. More power to you if thats your choice, just dont force your ideas on me.
Maybe you could share your views on paganism to open eyes and minds and educate them. I would come and see/read and as a matter of fact, as a show of support, I am adding you to my links!
well, you know what my views are about pagans – it’s something everyone decides for themselves. It’s very interesting and I have the most respect for people who declare themselves to be pagans – many of the basic pagan beliefs are very much congruent with mine. As an agnostic, I’ve adopted the attitude that as a mere mortal, I cannot and should not pass judgement on a person’s choice of belief. I also believe that I cannot and should not assume that I have any knowledge whatsoever if there is a spiritual being or not. It would be the height of arrogance for me to insist one way or another!
Now as for your question – do deaf people who practice alternative religions or lifestyles be accepted by other deaf people. Yes.. but grudingly so. Often I perceive an attitude that says to me, “you’re one of us because you’re deaf, so we’ll put up with it”. I don’t see genuine openmindness on the part of some people. If I wasn’t deaf, for instance, I know there are people out there who would not socialize with me. It’s only my deafness that forces them to consider accepting me.
But on the other hand, that is a good thing, because when people who themselves are not open minded, the best way to combat that is by exposure to the “other”. I’ve seen it happen a lot of the times – Person A doesn’t like Person B because person B is B. But Person B is deaf, so Person A puts up with it. But eventually, Person A starts to like Person B, so their mind opens up a little bit to B. But then again, it just as often happens that Person A opens up to Person B, but Person B is “special”, and not like all those “other B’s”.
But I guess we should all take what we get, and be grateful that our common experience as deaf people is much stronger than religious affiliations and family ties, for the most part.
I have always viewed that the term of religion should be replaced by “relationship”. We are all children of our Supreme One. (God). We are all part of family therefore it should be relationship, not religion. Ancient leaders (kings, queens, chiefs, emperors, etc.) invent religion, to control people for their own benefits (sometime postive but most of the time, no)
Deafchip
I don’t think the deaf/hoh community is any different in how it approaches spirituality. You will have people who are open and accepting, and you’ll have others who are closed and enjoy excluding others because of some misguided power trip. It is unfortunate, however everyone is different and perceives the world and higher powers in different fashions, One should not have to justify or feel uncomfotable about their spiritual walk, it’s between them and their higher power (or whatever term you want to use). I have never understood the philosophy which makes people miserable and hateful and expects them to be happy about it.
Deaf Chipmunk: nicely put!
Also, I find paganism/wiccan to be relatively unorganized, so my hairy eyeball factor here is relatively low
As an amateur Kabbalist, I found that everyone of us is the essence of our own being endowed by Divine Being. Although we are circumscribed in the Christianity era, we need to realize Saint Mark’s claim of Jesus as a lonely, restless, mysterious stranger whose mission is dark and obscure. Everything he tried fails. According to Mark’s book, by the end there is no God, no loyal followers, just torture by crucifixion, climaxing in a colossal death scream. Jesus’ story closes without a resurrection and with an empty tomb. Three women fleed in terror, ” When shall we three meet again–In thunder, lightning, or in rain? (Shakespeare)” I believe rather firmly that Jesus was also an amateur Kabbalist who never mentioned his father’s name…a no-no in the Hebrew tradition but a yes-yes in the Christianity.
Is paganism accepted in the deaf community? That’s a different question from whether homosexuality is accepted in the deaf community, since I think paganism is something you choose for yourself.
I’ve gone through years of growth with the same people and every time they come out of the proverbial closet and acknowledge their homosexuality, it just seems like a natural progression. There’s this acceptance, from what I’ve observed, because it’s like the person is achieving gradations of self-fulfillment.
Obviously, with paganism or any other belief systems, including Christianity, this is different… it’s a person choosing a new path and putting on a persona.
If there’s consonance, if it fits like a glove, absolutely you can count on not just acceptance but also support. If it seems to clash with your history, then you wonder… and there’s this early alienation, as if to ask, “What the hell is your angle?” That’s the point where skepticism falls down from the sky.
This isn’t just for paganism, but any belief system, even Christianity. Example: If you’re a born-again Christian, I will wonder. I won’t vilify you, no way, but neither should you expect me to accept you right off the bat. I suspect the same goes for many deaf people… more on that soon*.
If you’re a pagan, okay, I will wonder. I won’t vilify you, no way, but neither should you expect me to accept you right off the bat. Again, I suspect the same goes for many deaf people… again, more on that soon*.
The crux of it, I guess, is if it’s innate (homosexuality, etc), many deaf people will view it as a non-issue. *back to what I wanted to say about deaf people. The community is small so there’s this constant exposure and interaction with you. Being gay isn’t something you hide at work, at school, when we hang out at a coffee place or at the ballgame.
But when it’s a choice, exposure has to at least be constant; being pagan isn’t something you are at work, at school, when we hang out at a coffee place or at the ballgame. And if our interaction is limited, how are we supposed to be accepting of something we’ve seldom or never seen from you?
Therefore, I think asking whether the deaf community is accepting of paganism is a totally different question from acceptance of homosexuality, and speaks nothing to our general tolerance.
WOW!
I want to take a moment here to thank everyone who left a comment sharing their own thoughts in regards to whether or not Paganism is in fact well accepted in the Deaf Community.
This has been a subject I have thought about a lot over the years, and discussed with other Deaf individuals, Pagan individuals, and Deaf/Signing Pagans.
Your comments have been interesting and thought-provoking. I plan to write a new post that will be in response to some of the statements made here, and share some of my own thoughts.
In the meantime, please feel free to continue to visit here at the Crossroads!
Blessings,
~ Ocean
[...] treasure trove of ideas and perspectives–inspiring another blogger to ask a similar question “Is pagan ok in the deaf community?” Throughout the comments in my previous entry, there was one thing that intrigued me the [...]
Very interesting blog and comments! Know what, I learned about Pagan for the first time when I read this. I have heard about it and did not do much research. After I read your blog, I decided to surf around to educate myself more about Pagan. Very interesting and informative.
Now to answer your question, Is Pagan Ok in the Deaf community? I say, Yes! If we should not accept Pagans in the Deaf community because if we do, we should not accept anyone else in the Deaf community! Then the Deaf community will become extinct!
I would agree to all of the blogs that it’s ok for Pagan in the Deaf Community. I, myself, and my wife are involved in the Pagan Community. There are few Deaf were involved as well. It helps us to gather together to meet someplace similar to Deaf Club or Deaf Social.
I have been a Pagan for over 14 years, but knew about Pagan nearly 30 years. I accepted it and it is very spiritually with a long journey. We’re all very loving, kind, peaceful, caring, thoughtful, socially and so on.
I feel that religious people need to respect non-religious and different religious. They should not criticize or look down on them. Everyone have thier own beliefs. It is thier freedom to choose what belief they wanted to be involved. The world is full of diversities.
All of us should be open-minded and learn new things.
Judy B
I have not had any problems within my community when other deaf learn I am pagan. I usually explain pagan/wicca but I “shy away” from the word “witch”. Some people nod their heads & probably inside think “she is weird” but nobody has laughed or ridiculed. And why? I find that some deaf who grew up in residential schools didn’t know much about their own family religion. No terps at home church on Sunday (synagogue, mosque). Nobody taught us the Bible. We went to church & stood up when everyone else did & sat when everyone else did. First time I visited a pagan store for a friend of mine, the clerk was interested to explain things. She even invited me to a meeting & hired a terp. It was a great experience I learned about the pagan mentality. We Deaf are very happy when someone “outside” our culture WANTS to share info with us. So I think that’s why I have had positive experiences explaining my faith to other Deaf.
Gaena S