Interfaith in the Wake of DC40

  How do we respond to such a flagrant act of religious aggression as the New Apostolic Reformation leader's DC40 campaign? The group targets all non-evangelical Christian faiths and specifically focuses on Pagans as the cause of this country's downhill slide. In fact, the entire operation is a grandiose act of hexing, which, although ironic, doesn't make it any less terrifying. Something as public as this cannot just be laughed off as right-wing extremism. After all, it is intimately connected with presidential hopeful Rick Perry's start-up campaign.
  Living in Texas, in Governor Goodhair's own city, I've watched this sort of abhorrent state-church power brokering occur time after time. Part of the reason that even more liberal areas of Texas are able to remain under  Republican control is a concentrated effort toward disenchanting potential Democratic voters and a persistent strategy of gerrymandering on an increasingly flagrant scale. What can we do?
  Interfaith work is a vital part of stopping the progression of exclusionary 3-faith America. When an Interfaith group forms, bonds are forged across the lines of theology and practice, creating an active network that can work toward a shared goal of pluralism. Challenge yourself to investigate what ideas you might have about the other faith communities in your city. After all, most public rituals here in Austin are held in dedicated Interfaith chapels at Christian churches.
  Another important quality of Interfaith work is that it widens your base of support. Most obviously, when you're working together, you all gain the power of numbers at the voting booth. Fragmented social justice and political campaigns can become paragons of solidarity within diversity. To unpack that some more, you also gain intellectual community. A broad spectrum of individuals from different walks of life tend to bring so many more ideas to light, so much more perspective and constructive, objective criticism.
  On an even more basic level, I suggest intrafaith work. Try to connect with other Pagan or Pagan-friendly groups in your area. They're out there and they probably have similar concerns. Regardless of differences in our practice, we owe it to each other to work toward a more pluralist nation.
  Something you and your local Interfaith organization can do is work toward creating a vibrant spiritual identity, both locally and statewide. A lot of wind could be taken out of DC40's sails by reversing their tactic. Let each state in turn celebrate it's cultural and religious multiplicity. As a Pagan, try working with the spirits of your land, your state or your neighborhood specifically. See what they have to say to you, get to know them. I'll bet they don't like this aggressive attempt at monoculture any more that you do.

  In the spirit of this, my next post will be about Tejas as a spirit and a form of the Goddess...it's gonna be fun!