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Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com


 
           
 
                         Risk Assessment Within The Craft Community 
                                      By Weyland Smith
 
 
                   There seems to betwo schools of thought within the "Craft Com-
           munity"  concerning the dangers faced by Pagans in general and witches
           in particular.  One school thinks that we  are now in the  Age of Aqu-
           arius  and that all  danger has passed.  The other camp  seems to feel
           that we  are beset  with  dangers and  that our  only  safety lies  in
           remaining "the hidden  children of the Goddess", telling no one of our
           religious faith (including our  fellow practitioners), and being ready
           to fly or fight on a moment's notice. Who's right? Do we know? Have we
           even tried to find out?
 
                 On theone hand, we live in a countrywith a Bill of Rights. Times
           have  certainly changed  since  witchcraft was  a  hanging offence  in
           Massachusetts. People have been known to proclaim their faith and live
           unmolested. On the other hand, there are about 3 million people in the
           United States who profess themselves to believe that the Bible  is the
           literal word  of God. If Leviticus says "Thou shalt not suffer a witch
           to live.",  then there should be  3 million people out  there ready to
           drag me out of my house and kill me.
 
                 Fortunately, the answer  does not  lie with  either extreme  and
           therefore our reaction should  likewise avoid either extreme position.
           We live  in a world  beset by  dangers. We could  be in a  traffic ac-
           cident.  We could  have  our house  burglarized.  Our child  could  be
           abducted on the  way home from school. We could  be struck by lighten-
           ing. Do we stay  home, guard the house and family and avoid living? Of
           course not!
 
                 What we DOis to act in sucha way as to recognize therisks we run
           and to minimize them. We try to live in reasonably safe neighborhoods.
           We keep  good locks on our  doors. We drive defensively  and wear seat
           belts.  We teach our children to run from threatening situations. This
           isn't paranoia, just good sense.
 
                   Is thereany danger that we as witches and pagans might be sub-
           jected to another  violent suppression? Any Jew with an  eye to recent
           history would tell  you that of course there is!  Is that danger great
           here  in this  country? Not  at  present, but  we do  live in  a world
           subject  to  rapid changes.  Within  my lifetime,  people  of Japanese
           extraction in this country  were summarily rounded up and  shipped off
           to  remote camps.  This action  was contested  all the  way up  to the
           Supreme Court to no avail.
 
 
                                                                             1724
           
 
              
              So what should we do?
 
                 Well for a  start, recognize  that there is  SOME residual  risk
           whenever anyone  takes an  ethical position.  We must  understand that
           this risk is present whether we think it should be so or not. Further,
           we must each decide what level  of hazard we are personally willing to
           run and to  which we would  subject our families.  Finally, we  should
           avoid doing anything which might subject ourselves and those around us
           to  risks when such risks are avoidable. Especially, we should respect
           one another's right  to manage his own dangers. Just  because I choose
           to take a risk doesn't give me the right to endanger you!
 
                 Should wereturn to living ourlives under perpetual cover?I  hope
           not. But I do respect the individual rights of my brothers and sisters
           of  the Art to  each make that  decision on  their own. It  is on this
           middle  ground  where I  suggest we  should all  try  to live  for the
           present.
 
             
 
 
                                                                             1725
 


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