Pagan Club

Paganism can be sanctioned and even promoted on campus and in the local newspaper, but Christians and conservatives are pariah. Pagans unite in new club At UW-Waukesha, education is goal

As president of the Pagan Student Alliance, a new club at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha, Braun hopes to show non-believers that they have nothing to fear from followers of paganism. "We're coming out of the broom closet," the 20-year-old Waukesha resident said with a smile.

I don't care how a person worships. Although, I do see danger in paganism, I'm not going to address that in broad terms, because this is a personal issue. My daughter (31) claims to be a Wiccan, yet she also tells me there is a G-d. (I'm confused!) She asks questions that with my limited knowledge, I try to answer as truthfully as I can.

The club has raised eyebrows and drawn criticism from some at UW-Waukesha, yet administrators and student leaders are voicing tolerance and a willingness to learn. "It's an opportunity for students to be exposed to new ideas," said Sue Kalinka, associate director of student services.

I'm getting pretty sick of that word - tolerance. There seems to be a lot of tolerance for negativity, yet little to none for positive influences, like Christianity? New ideas aren't always good ideas.

At UW-Waukesha, club members have heard occasional criticism, including one time when a fellow student told Braun she would "burn in hell" for her beliefs. For the most part, however, the group has generated a healthy curiosity about paganism, which is exactly what organizers had hoped.

I'm getting pretty tired of the "burn in hell" crap too. Instead of constant condemnation, perhaps it would be wiser to take a gentler approach, teach by actions, encourage more positive faith based clubs.