{"collection":"bos","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bos/bos337.htm","path":"bos/bos337.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bos/bos337.htm","text":"Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999]\n \n \n \n Risk Assessment Within The Craft Community \n By Weyland Smith\n \n \n There seems to betwo schools of thought within the \"Craft Com-\n munity\" concerning the dangers faced by Pagans in general and witches\n in particular. One school thinks that we are now in the Age of Aqu-\n arius and that all danger has passed. The other camp seems to feel\n that we are beset with dangers and that our only safety lies in\n remaining \"the hidden children of the Goddess\", telling no one of our\n religious faith (including our fellow practitioners), and being ready\n to fly or fight on a moment's notice. Who's right? Do we know? Have we\n even tried to find out?\n \n On theone hand, we live in a countrywith a Bill of Rights. Times\n have certainly changed since witchcraft was a hanging offence in\n Massachusetts. People have been known to proclaim their faith and live\n unmolested. On the other hand, there are about 3 million people in the\n United States who profess themselves to believe that the Bible is the\n literal word of God. If Leviticus says \"Thou shalt not suffer a witch\n to live.\", then there should be 3 million people out there ready to\n drag me out of my house and kill me.\n \n Fortunately, the answer does not lie with either extreme and\n therefore our reaction should likewise avoid either extreme position.\n We live in a world beset by dangers. We could be in a traffic ac-\n cident. We could have our house burglarized. Our child could be\n abducted on the way home from school. We could be struck by lighten-\n ing. Do we stay home, guard the house and family and avoid living? Of\n course not!\n \n What we DOis to act in sucha way as to recognize therisks we run\n and to minimize them. We try to live in reasonably safe neighborhoods.\n We keep good locks on our doors. We drive defensively and wear seat\n belts. We teach our children to run from threatening situations. This\n isn't paranoia, just good sense.\n \n Is thereany danger that we as witches and pagans might be sub-\n jected to another violent suppression? Any Jew with an eye to recent\n history would tell you that of course there is! Is that danger great\n here in this country? Not at present, but we do live in a world\n subject to rapid changes. Within my lifetime, people of Japanese\n extraction in this country were summarily rounded up and shipped off\n to remote camps. This action was contested all the way up to the\n Supreme Court to no avail.\n \n \n 1724\n \n \n \n So what should we do?\n \n Well for a start, recognize that there is SOME residual risk\n whenever anyone takes an ethical position. We must understand that\n this risk is present whether we think it should be so or not. Further,\n we must each decide what level of hazard we are personally willing to\n run and to which we would subject our families. Finally, we should\n avoid doing anything which might subject ourselves and those around us\n to risks when such risks are avoidable. Especially, we should respect\n one another's right to manage his own dangers. Just because I choose\n to take a risk doesn't give me the right to endanger you!\n \n Should wereturn to living ourlives under perpetual cover?I hope\n not. But I do respect the individual rights of my brothers and sisters\n of the Art to each make that decision on their own. It is on this\n middle ground where I suggest we should all try to live for the\n present.\n \n \n \n \n 1725","title":"Internet Book of Shadows: Risk Assessment for The Craft C...","type":"page"}