Can Wicca inspire social change?

[David19]

I was going to place this in the Wicca forum, but I wanted to get a lot of views on this, but if someone wants to move it, feel free.

This is something I thought about today, after one of my modules for uni (on music and how it brings about social change), but one of the things that was brought up, was that during the slave trade, slaves were taught Christian songs, which they mixed with their traditional music, to create the various spiritual music (gospel, etc), which helped keep people strong and together in tough times, and my lecturer did say, that, that was really the true message of Christianity, about keeping it together in tough times, and I know that one of the main reasons, if not the reason, Christianity become popular in ancient times is those of lower classes (slaves, etc) felt it called to them, felt it would bring about social change, but it kind of made me think of Wicca, do you think Wicca would ever be able to keep people together in tough times (like the slave trade and also creating something like gospel or Blues music), and, IMO, I see Wicca as more a religion that appeals to middle class people, and not people who are oppressed, I can't find the exact quote, but I believe it was Fred Lammond who said in Gardner's original coven, there was a guy who worked in the City of London, and various other, professional types.

I don't think that had Wicca been introduced in ancient times, it would not have been popular with "lower" classes 'cause, and this is just my own personal opinion, it lacks that character that draws people together in times of crisis (that's not to say Wiccans don't draw from their faith in hard times, they can and do, but i think it works for individuals and not communities), it would have probably been popular with "middle - upper" class people, though.

Anyway, I really do hope this made some sense, and doesn't just sound like me rambling on about something, but I just wanted to get your opinions on this.

Thanks.

[Theres]

i personally don't give much credit to Christianity, Wicca, or any other specific religion for helping people through tough times.
i think that kind of inspiration comes from faith itself, and i don't think it matters what religion your faith is based in.

[ap Dafydd]

The kinds of religions that really appeal to the downtrodden tend to be either millenarian or chiliastic - either the Prophet/Mahdi will come and lead us to the promised land or the end of the world is nigh and the sufferers will get their reward in heaven.

Rastafari's a good example.

I see Wicca as being somewhat the opposite, with not a lot of faith and no Prophet or Millennium myth but a greater focus on the now and what we do in it.

gwyn eich byd

Ffred

[Xirian]

I tend to agree with Theres that it has to do with faith itself. Personally I feel that the Wiccan religion is far too elitist and that it is too scattered on a whole, presently, to bring about cohesive social change in the short term. I could see that if all the sects (including solitaries), were in agreement on the most fundamental issues of their religion (which is evident on this forum and other's that that's not really the case), that they might have a chance at making more of a social affect.

[David19]

I tend to agree with Theres that it has to do with faith itself. Personally I feel that the Wiccan religion is far too elitist and that it is too scattered on a whole, presently, to bring about cohesive social change in the short term. I could see that if all the sects (including solitaries), were in agreement on the most fundamental issues of their religion (which is evident on this forum and other's that that's not really the case), that they might have a chance at making more of a social affect.

I think I agree with you, I see Wicca as, kind of, being more individualisic, than community-based, I think religions like Christianity, Islam, (and also Asatru, IMO anyway) can pull a group together and help unify them (e.g. Islam covers social ties, and in Asatru, I think there's kind of a lot of "tribal" focus such as the family, the grove/hof (not sure the correct Heathen term?), etc).

[Tanya]

I absolutely believe it can. I can't sperarate in my mind what i do for a living and what I do as religious practice. I am the water quality facilitaror for a region about 100 miles square. I work with the community to look after their rivers and source $$ for them to do water management work like tree planting, fencing out livestock, erosion control, managing ground water pollution, and discovering how much water our river needs in it to stay healthy...

every day I am working with people, promoting social change towards environmental protection.. and that can't be seperated from the fact that I am Wicca

[Cassie]

Maybe it is too soon to tell. Wicca in it's present form is still a rather new religion (albeit based on older beliefs and practices) and I think it is still evolving.
There have been times when religions like Christianity and Islam have met the religious and social needs of large communities because of what people of various social strata needed in those specific times and places. But then again these are evangelical religions and Wicca is not.
Even so, perhaps in a world where the environment is changing, the appeal of nature based religions like Wicca will grow more rapidly.

[David19]

Like what Cassie and Tanya said, i think maybe Wicca could help towards environmental problems (although most environmental groups are secular and also a lot of environmentalist i know are Christian, only one Pagan-ish person), but in terms of other social problems, I don't think it can, it, to me, isn't really a religion for communities, more for individuals who feel called to it.

[Meadhbh]

Maybe. But like other people have said, Wicca isn't really ordered enough to effect much change in the near future. You get six wiccans in one room and see if you can get them to agree with each other on anything. If Wiccans were willing to agree and yes form some sort of orginzation they might be able to. Right now I don't think so.