CWRUPA "Are You Pagan?!?"

Are You Pagans?!?

Though mentioned in our FAQ, this is the question that falls most often from the lips of incoming freshmen . . . and their concerned parents. To alleviate fears and dispell negative imagery, this question and others are answered here in greater detail.

A Brief History:

In 1995 when CWRUPA was founded, the "P" stood for "Pagan." Several students (who did not feel their needs were met by the campus ministries) came together to found the organization as a way to provide an open accepting environment for members of non-mainstream religions. The group labeled itself a special-interest organization, vacillating between being a study-group and an alternative worship gathering.

CWRUPA did succeed in attracting a vast diversity of students, but this nearly destroyed the group as a whole. As a pagan association, CWRUPA simply wasn't structured to meet the expectations of those used to so many different traditions. Worship and rituals as group events rapidly became impossible due to conflicting belief systems. Students belonging to main-stream religions expressed feeling unwelcome and members of more alternative paths felt persecuted and attacked. There seemed to be no way to have a meeting without offending or upsetting someone, and group activity decreased greatly. In order to create an environment open to all members of the CWRU student community, the group needed to drastically change its structure.

In the spring of 1996-97, the membership voted in new officers and amended the constitution. The "P" in CWRUPA was changed from "Pagan" to "Pan-Spiritual," and more diverse speakers were sought in abundance. Ritual and worship were stripped from the group schedule entirely, and CWRUPA re-worked its format along more academic lines.

CWRUPA Today:

Today CWRUPA maintains a more diverse structure than before. Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Taoists, Native-American shamanists, African spiritualists, and many others all number among our members. Many of our members also belong to other organizations on and off campus that better serve their personal religious needs. Our president grew up in an Eastern Orthodox Christian household. Our Secretary is Jewish by birth and in practice. All of these students have chosen to work together and share each other's traditions. CWRUPA's current members continue to strive to present an environment that is truly open and accepting of all of the beliefs and faiths represented by the student body. Through a more open, non-worship environment, and the scheduling of more varied events, CWRUPA has managed to double its current membership and triple its attendence.

Some of CWRUPA's members are "Pagan." As members of CWRU's student body, these students are more than welcome to attend our events, as are all undergraduate and graduate students. However, while the group is pagan-friendly, it is not pagan-oriented. One who attends our lectures and events regularly is equally likely to be invited to a Wiccan circle (ritual) and a Christian revival. The spirituality of the group is maintained through philosophical debates, demonstrated practices, and philanthropy events; the organization does not worship as a group. While invitations are made by individual student members to their friends, no member will ever be asked to view or participate in any form of worship by CWRUPA. We do present interactive demonstrations. One has the option to actively participate in the event, but is never expected or required to do so. Think of it as a concert where the performer invites the audience to sing along -- no one is forced to do anything.

For more information on these and similar issues, please take the time to read our FAQ. It presents examples of our structure and meetings, as well as discussing general issues such as on-campus worship services. If you have specific questions, please feel free to write to our president, Dusteen Richards . All e-mails will be answered.(back)