Musings For A Darkened Room

I recently picked up the most recent issue of newWitch Magazine and was pleased to see the piece written by Dagonet Dewr on the pagan influence that can be found in the C.S. Lewis’ book The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe. People have always been quick to point out the strong Christian undertones in this book and even more so with the recent release of the film, however Dewr clearly argues that there is in fact just as much pagan teaching in the book as there is Christian dogma. Many Christian churches have been pushing the book and film on children, probably in hopes to bring them closer to the Christian faith. However they don’t realize that with the book as well as the film these children will find many other things common to pagans. Things such as magic, mythical creatures, and of course witches. Things that will make them ask questions that many Christian parents may or may not be ready to answer. A full transcript of the article from newWitch.com can be found below…

I have been watching with some veiled amusement an absolute tornado buzzing and whirring around on some of the Pagan e-lists I’m on. Seems that some evangelical Christian churches have been putting together trips for public school kids to see the movie adaptation of C. S. Lewis’ book The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. I suspect the organizers of this effort believe that exposure to Lion will help bring the poor, unchurched kids to Jesus. In response, some Pagans are hideously offended and are calling for efforts to try and stop kids from seeing the movie.

My response is a little different ­ I ask, “where do I send a check to help fund this noble effort?”

This whole brouhaha is, to me, a perfect example of the notorious Pagan inferiority complex run amuck. Here’s my question: If one didn’t know that the author was a fervent evangelical would you categorize Lion as a Christian story with Pagan overtones, or a Pagan story with Christian overtones?

It is true that the central plot device of Lion involves a sacrificial death, and the primary antagonist of the story is the White Witch. But although Lewis meant for the story to be an allegory for the Christian gospel, the motif of the sacrificial (and resurrected) god is far older than Christianity. Ask any worshipper of Baldur, Dionysos Dendritus, Tammuz, Osiris, or any one of a number of other gods; sacrifice is a an element of myths about the human virtue or condition, not a solely Christian one.

Is there Pagan content in Lion? You bet. A short list: Dryads. Fauns. Centaurs. Magick. A truly Pagan Father Christmas. Talking animals. A creator deity who is also an animal spirit. A villain who subverts the natural order of the seasons. Griffons. Unicorns. Healing that comes from a maiden figure (if Lucy isn’t the Maiden in disguise as a British pre-teen, I don’t know who is.) There’s a lot more Paganism in there than Christian dogma. We need to evaluate the real threats to our community and concentrate our efforts on campaigns that matter. C.S. Lewis was a good storyteller, and a passionate and orthodox (though not fundamentalist) Christian, but I wonder if the folks who want to make sure that every kid in the world sees Lion know what they are really doing. They are exposing kids to magic and just because it is supposed to be Christian magic doesn’t mean that it is any less magical. For every Pagan kid who is converted to Christianity by seeing The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe there will surely be hundreds of Christian kids who will be exposed to magic, and perhaps, get to Paganism through wondering about dryads. I should know, I was one of them.

I’ve been following this story since it was reported on CNN a few days ago, and now that I find out it takes place in San Bernardino it all makes sense…

Reported by Irma Lemus, Staff Writer for DailyBulletin.com

SAN BERNARDINO - In what is shaping as a battle between conformity and self-expression, Pacific High School has suspended a ninth-grade boy for wearing lipstick and eye makeup.

Officials are calling it a violation of school policy, which they seemed unable to find in writing.

James Herndon, 16, repeating his second year at the school, and his mother, Valerie Wallace, say James has been wearing black lipstick and red eye makeup the entire time he has been enrolled at Pacific. He also wears his hair in a dyed-red mohawk with the sides shaved. But that was not cited as part of the reason for the five-day suspension, which was imposed Monday.

The youth said the makeup expresses religious beliefs he shares with his mother, a Wiccan priestess in the neopagan religion based on northern European beliefs in the supernatural.

James also said the suspension is sex discrimination and violates his constitutional right to free expression.

“If I can’t wear makeup,’ James said, “then the girls or the staff can’t wear makeup either.’

He said the makeup is not an expression of sexual orientation. The boy also dresses in black clothing in the fashion of self-styled Goths, familiar figures among students on high school campuses for several decades.

School officials were unable to cite any reference to makeup in school regulations or the California Education Code. They pointed to a section of the school’s Student and Parent Handbook on dress code tying the suspension to a paragraph saying that if clothing “creates a safety hazard … or when the dress constitutes a serious and unnecessary distraction to the learning process or tends to disrupt campus order,’ the student is in violation.

Christine Sun, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said two Education Code sections protecting students’ freedom of expression and guarding against gender discrimination appear to have been violated.

When James returns to school Monday, he will wear the makeup with his mother’s blessing. “My son shouldn’t change the way he is.

“After my divorce from his father, he became very depressed, and wearing the makeup makes him feel good,’ she said, adding that the boy’s psychologist and psychiatrist encourage him to express himself.

District spokeswoman Linda Hill declined to comment on the case, citing student confidentiality laws. She said the district follows the law. She said students shouldn’t wear excessive makeup or clothing that could conceal identity or be distracting.

She said the prohibition applies to boys and girls.

Lynda Savage, a San Bernardino City Unified School District board member, said “without knowing all the details, my gut reaction is to support the principal. We don’t suspend students just because. I suspect this student was a distraction to other students.

“We bend over backwards to provide our students better educational choices. I think this student needed to make a better choice.”

The ACLU’s Sun had a different take: “High school is the time where many students are expressing themselves and really finding themselves and so to suspend the student is such a severe punishment it’s wrong. It’s wrong not only as a legal matter, but it’s not good policy.”

I’ve studied paganism since my freshman year of High School, and I have never once read of Wiccans having to wear make up…Not saying it’s wrong, it just seems like bad publicity for pagans. Seems more like an excuse to scream discrimination rather than the real reason: Personal Expression

I came across this in one of my Yahoo! Groups and got a kick out of it and thought I’d share:

So, I’m standing at a bus stop and they pull up. A car load of well meaning, bible thumping nut cases that are just frantic! The middle aged professionally dressed woman rushes forward…She takes my arm and with trembling voices she asks….”Have you found Jesus?”  Her eyes plead with an urgency that is out of proportion to a bus stop. Now normally I just politely decline the sermon, and free religious paperwork that such folk pawn off on unsuspecting by-standers. But unfortunately for her, she is the fourth car to accost me in the last 20 minutes. So by now I’m beginning to wonder what the heck is wrong with these people. I mean if its not Christians it is the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Can a simple Druid get no peace?

So calmly as I can muster, without being sarcastic I reply, “You people lost him, again??”  The woman looks confused. This is not the response she was hoping for and she needs to regroup. She takes a deep breath intending to launch into her sales pitch for her God, and church, paying no heed to the concept that *I*
might not be into being converted. I decide to not let her get going so I launch into a speech of my own…

“What is wrong with you Christians? Every time I turn around you’ve lost Him!” I hit her with a glare of accusation. “I mean really…” I take a measured breath. “How do you expect to have anyone follow a deity that you can’t even find!”

The poor woman looks stunned. This isn’t going so good. Panicked she looks desperately to the car… Surely one of the men can help…. Undaunted I press on… “Maybe the problem is with you people… I mean Muslims never seem to lose there deity. Come to think of it neither do Jews, or Pagans of any kind.”

I look at the man getting out of the car. He’s all smiles. “I realize you people used to burn people like me at the stake… What was that about deity even? I may be a Pagan-heathen, but I have never ever woke up panicked that I couldn’t find my Goddess or God. They are always right where they should be… In the fire of my candle, in the air that I breath, in the earth that I stand on, in the water of my spring. I never feel abandoned by my deity(ies).”

“Of course, you Christians aren’t much fun…” I continue. By now they are all out of the car. Befuddled, aghast, and at a loss for words. “Of course,” I offer trying to give them some defense for losing Jesus. “He
could have left due to religious differences. If I remember correctly He was Jewish. So if you are really so eager to find him…” I smile gently to soften the blow. “Check the nearest synagogue. He’s probably in there. Also you folks should try and remember that this is America… Where freedom of religion means ALL religions.”

Slowly they climb back into their car and drive away. I stand at the bus stop… No pamphlets, no bible, no dogma. I haven’t found Jesus, but I haven’t lost him either.  Oh and if you’ve found Jesus, please get his face on the evening news A.S.A.P so the Christians can stop looking for him.