The Political Threat to PHYSIS

It has been a while since I last posted here and many things have been going on in the political world since then. One of the major issues I have taken note of is the increasing political threat to Nature (PHYSIS) herself.

I've been listening to the radio, watching TV, and reading on the Internet about the increasing push by the American Right Wing to continue pressing corporate power over all else. The belief seems to be that we must allow businesses to do what they want so that they can take care of our economy - aka "trickle down economics". Well, we've been doing that since the 1980's and it worked out as long as the people at the top were being responsible, but we have found out that they are NOT responsible people. They have taken our economy down with their gambling failure which then required a ridiculously large taxpayer bailout for them in order to keep this capitalistic economy floating and not dive into a depression.

Now, what does this all have to do with Nature? EVERYTHING. Corporate power when left unchecked as it has been since Reagan was in office, is again threatening both the Earth and our human Freedom. Large oil companies are poisoning the planet, killing animal and human life, and making exorbitant amounts of money with no intention of improving the social welfare of the locales they inhabit. Africa, South America, and now the US is suffering from the irresponsible actions of corporate tyrants.

On top of this, the fundamentalist Christian populist/political machine is mobilizing in a way never before seen since the times of the Crusades lead and/or fueled by people like Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Pastor John Hagee, etc...... They conduct wars in the name of God (just like their Muslim brothers by the way), push corporate agendas in the name of God, and exploit Nature as if there was no tomorrow for them. (Perhaps because there is no tomorrow for them due to their Apocalyptic psychology).

I think its time that this new combination of corporate/religious militancy be addressed as a real threat to our planet and to our human freedom. This is not a benign political ideology anymore, but it is becoming a real political movement which needs to be opposed. Nature herself is caught in the middle of wars between extremist religious zealots and unregulated corporate competition. The people behind this often claim that their god is granting them the right to conduct themselves this way at the expense of everyone else.

I don't know about you, but I was never asked about this, nor was I told by ANY god that this was a good thing. I doubt Nature was asked what she thought about it either. In any case, this is no longer something we can ignore.

What will you do about this? I have one idea: reviving an ancient pre-Christian, Hellenic practice on which our country was founded on, its called DEMOCRACY!

From the FAQ of the Helliniki Hetaireia Archaiophilon:

"In ancient Graeco-Roman Paganism, Priests and Priestesses generally had the responsibility for worship at a particular temple or shrine; in many cases these were civil offices or hereditary positions. On the other hand, ancient Pagans never felt the necessity of clergy interceding with the Gods on their behalf. Anyone who knew the proper rites could lead a sacrifice and prayer to the Gods, and the Gods often appeared to mortals and intervened in their lives. Nowadays many Pagans take a similar view, and we work to come into direct communion with the Gods, without the need for clergy."

For the organization's full FAQ page: http://apollonios.tripod.com/hellenic/eea2.html

Oikos vs. Clergy

Anyone who knows me, understands that I am against the idea of having Hellenic clergy. I feel very strongly that the ancient tradition of the OIKOS (home/family) as the center of religious life, with the head of the household as priest, is still valid even in today's modern world. Hellenic religion, in my view, was for the most part, egalitarian in nature which really does away with the need for permanently installed religious experts, such as priests or clergy.

That said, there are people and organizations within the American Hellenic community today, such as Hellenion, who feel that it is desirable if not necessary to have professional clergy. The main argument they present revolves around weddings and funerals. In order to have a legally recognized wedding for example, many States require that a legally recognized member of clergy be the officiant. Funerals are also another event where they would prefer to have a clergy member present in order to conduct a proper funeral rite, rather than have a Christian priest or minister conduct the rite in which it is so common to have happen here in the U.S. This often applies in end of life care facilities, such as hospitals and nursing homes.

I can see the validity in the argument for clergy in today's world. Yet, I still feel strongly that there is no need to compromise our values for the sake of convenience or following the established system. The system should conform to us, and if not...we can fight about it.

Now, while I am no personal fan of Timothy J. Alexander, he proposes that people who choose to be ordained for legal reasons, acquire their ordination through a "given upon request" process from institutions that abide by that process (and there are a few that do). This preserves the idea that ANYONE can acquire the status of 'clergymember' without any special religious or institutional process, which is in keeping with the egalitarian notion of Hellenic religion. I think this is an excellent approach for those who choose to go the clergy route.

Now, in doing research while engaged in this debate, I came across some other interesting pieces of information regarding State law as it pertains to officiating weddings. I cannot speak for other states, but it seems the state of California allows ANYONE (friend, relative, etc..) to be "deputized" for a day in order to conduct a legally recognized wedding. I feel that this option is one of the most profound options available to Hellenics in California. It allows traditional Hellenics to have family or friends conduct the wedding and also have it legally recognized. This law is also perfect for people with no particular religious ties to forgoe the need for clergy if they so choose...i.e. atheists or non-demoninationals for example. The brilliance of this law is that it allows for MAXIMUM freedom for MAXIMUM diversity of a population. Now, I realize that not all states have this law, but California state law has now set a precedence which can now be lobbied for in other states.

For those interested in more information regarding California state law and marriage officiants:

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/pages/faqformarriagelicenseceremonyinfo.aspx



Here is Los Angeles County's Deputy Commissioner for Day Program

Deputy Commissioner for a Day Program:

The Registrar/Recorder-County Clerk has a program that allows individuals to be deputized for a day to perform a wedding ceremony. All those requesting to be deputized should fill out the form provided on the web or send in a letter detailing:

• the full name of the person to be deputized
• the telephone number and address to contact that person
• the name of the parties
• the date of the wedding
• the location of the wedding

The letter or application should be mailed in to the address below with a check or money order for $75, made payable to RR/CC, 2 months prior to the wedding. Applications received less than one month prior to the wedding if accepted, will be subject to a $13 expediting fee. Mail the letter or application to:

Deputy Commissioner For A Day
Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
12400 Imperial Highway
Room 5001A
Norwalk, CA 90650

Once the letter and fee are received a confirmation letter of approval will be sent to the sender. The confirmation letter will request the individual who is to be deputized to contact our office and make an appointment to be sworn in. Individuals are deputized on Thursdays only, at 11:00a.m. and only by appointment. No appointments will be issued without the fee being paid.

For emergency situations where an individual cannot be deputized on Thursday, accomodations may be able to be made, depending on staff availability. There will be a nominal fee.

Individuals coming in to be deputized should expect to spend an hour here at the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Deputies are welcome to bring guest, however because space is limited we ask that they bring no more than one guest.

The $75 is non-refundable; however it can be applied to another deputy appointment within the same calendar year.

Should you have any additional questions please call (562) 462-2081.

So, to me, the OIKOS is still the center of religious life as it was for the ancients. The question is, do we have the courage to demand that our system conform to us, the people, or do we conform to the system? It's obviously easier to conform. Some people have criticized the notion that we 'pagans' cannot change the system or that it changes too slowly. I would argue that if we only fight for ourselves, then it WILL be difficult. But as I see it, this issue extends beyond the pagan community and affects many other groups as well. Minority groups have certainly had a difficult time fighting the system, but when these groups come together, change is inevitable.

Martin Luther King Jr. on Consistency in Justice

I thought it would be appropriate to post this Facebook response I was inspired to write in response to the idea of happiness and freedom. It began with a quote from Corette Scott King:

"I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people... But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream to make room at the table of broth...er- and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people." -- Coretta Scott King

Well, I would say that Coretta King's quote speaks more to the moral correctness and consistency with Justice than it does about happiness. There will always be dissatisfaction in some part of the population with any decision (Heraclitus theory of flux and opposites).....that said, we should focus on what is morally and objectively consistent. But as far as I am concerned, the religious dissatisfaction of those who discriminate based on sexual orientation, is less important than the civil (and human) equalities that are at stake here. Our civil laws are not based on religious ideologies, but practical protections of the civil freedoms of all our citizens.

As the good Dr. said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'....IMHO, we have to be consistent in our Constitutional values as a Nation for true happiness to exist for all of us.