Rasp
Senior Editor
[From: The Odinist, no. 91 (1985)]
ODINISM AND RACIAL POLITICS
"Man is a political animal."—Aristotle
Recently the Fellowship received a letter co-signed by a couple of disgruntled (ex-) subscribers criticizing some of the editorial policies of THE ODINIST. While we generally don't use the pages of our publication to reply to private critics, the issues raised by this letter are so fundamental that we shall deal with them here.
The letter writers accuse THE ODINIST of doing a disservice to paganism by promoting 'religious zealousness in the form of politics', especially, 'Nazi politics' and 'German nationalism', as evidenced by our articles dealing with the ideas of Alfred Rosenberg and Friedrich Nietzsche. Such 'political' writings, along with others evincing offensive 'racial overtones', it is alleged, negate the 'personal growth and spiritual growth' which a presumably apolitical paganism would encourage.
In our article 'Odinism—Religion of Relevance' (THE ODINIST #82) we dealt at length with the traditional and current symbiosis between Odinism and politics; we won't rehash the entire issue here, except to restate our core position: "There is nothing ... that 'can escape religious consideration or religious significance: true religion inescapably impacts on every aspect of life (and death) .... Political and social institutions are expressions or externalizations of spirit ... thus may be discerned a complex interrelationship—an ecology—involving the spiritual and the secular. One cannot be separated or forced from the other without grave disturbances resulting ..."
Does THE ODINIST espouse 'Nazi politics' and 'German nationalism'? We have indeed presented a resumé of the philosophy (but not specifically the political views) of Alfred Rosenberg, who was indeed a 'Nazi' (although he was more of a pan-Nordicist than a narrow German nationalist, while the great Nietzsche, whose insights we have often promulgated, was neither a 'Nazi', nor a pan-Nordicist, nor least of all a German nationalist). Does this make us 'Nazis'?
The 'Nazi' charge is, of course, the cheapest of all the cheap shots that can be aimed at anyone who finds something positive to say about any, even the minutest, facet of National Socialism, or who merely desires some degree of objectivity in dealing with this grossly maligned movement. The standard cop-out in avoiding the 'Nazi' label is to make copious denials and then intone the orthodox liturgy of anti-'Nazi' denunciations. We will only say that we consider National Socialism in all its aspects as a legitimate topic for analysis, discussion and criticism, regarding it neither as a divinely-inspired panacea nor as the embodiment of all evil.
The Odinist Fellowship, as a religious organization, does not officially endorse any one political group or ideology. We believe that there are many possible political roads leading to pagan and folkist horizons. Accordingly, in THE ODINIST we have discussed in an objective manner and sometimes even in favorable tone such, political and social phenomena as anarchism, socialism, industrial democracy, radical decentralism, Jeffersonian democracy, the Polish Solidarity movement, left-wing Christian social activism and Iranian revolutionary thought, to name a few. We have examined, from a pagan perspective, the ideologies of political thinkers from George Orwell to Col. Kaddafi, and have analyzed social praxis from Red China to the farms of the Amish. Rational consideration of such a broad spectrum of political and social life is hardly 'zealousness'. We leave it to our readers as intelligent and critically-thinking individuals to make up their own minds vis-a-vis the variety of ideas we present.
If anyone is so insecure in his beliefs that he fears the challenging re-examination of them which exposure to other viewpoints entails, then he had best not upset himself by reading THE ODINIST. And if any self-proclaimed or self-styled follower of Norse paganism disdains controversial political issues for fear of being called a dirty name and becoming 'unpopular', then, quite frankly, such a tremulous creature has no business being an Odinist. The Vikings weren't pussy-willows, and we shouldn't be, either.
What about the 'racial overtones' of our articles? THE ODINIST never has and never 'will preach racial hatred, and we firmly believe that a good Odinist is never so arrogant or ethnically chauvinistic as to not respect or learn from the folkways of other peoples and races. Nevertheless, as we have said before, 'Odinism is a manifestation of the Aryan soul, and there can be no Aryan Soul, and thus no Odinism, without the Aryan!' If any Odinist is ashamed of the 'racial overtones' of being Aryan, of standing up for Aryan rights, then we wonder why so skittish a person would even want to be an Odinist. After all, there are plenty of universalistic religions, and even pansified paganisms, from which to choose. For our part, we, as Odinists, shall continue our struggle for Aryan religion, Aryan freedom, Aryan culture, Aryan consciousness and Aryan self-determination. We want to make Aryan pride respectable, just as Black pride, Jewish pride, Indian pride and Chicano pride are now respectable.
Does a concern with political issues negate personal and spiritual growth? It may! Certainly, fanatical preoccupation with politics, along with addiction to the drug of political action, is a poor substitute for self-knowledge and being in tune with inner and ultimate realities. But let's turn the question around: MUST personal and spiritual growth necessarily preclude political involvement? We think not. Just as one's politics may be rooted in and perpetuate self-delusion, so also may personal devotion to 'purely spiritual' matters lead to a deluded, narcissistic self-isolation. Surely a healthy nurturing of Self and Spirit can only be realized through the dynamic balance of fearless introspection and committed action in confronting worldly challenges! A de-politized, introverted, innocuous, sanitized, don't-rock-the-boat paganism may be genuine—it may also be ignorance of or insensitivity towards vital affairs irresistibly impinging on personal and collective life; at worst, it may be cowardly escapism in the face of inevitable struggle.
We're not saying that a good pagan MUST be a political partisan—only that a political partisan CAN still be a good pagan.—Those who tout an anti-political paganism as the 'one true paganism' are guilty of a dogmatism of papist proportions.
In the totality of its presentations THE ODINIST has always striven to effect a harmony between the inner and outer expressions of the Odinic religious impulse. This effort, in the 'personal growth' dimension, is reflected by our many articles on lifestyle, ethics, on Aryan man's existential plight, and especially by our ongoing 'Wisdom Of ...' series which distills the teachings of many of history's finest Indo-European philosophers in the interest of providing guidelines for everyday living within the scope of a comprehensive pagan world-view. So we are more than a mere forum for socio-political speculation.
But, like it or not, religion always has and always will overlap with politics. Today, religious movements around the world are in increasing numbers adopting militant political stances and forms. The Islamic Republican Party of Iran; the Shiite Amal movement and the Druze Progressive Socialist Party of Lebanon; the separatist Sikh Akali Dal party of India; the Jews' Gush Emunim, Rabbi Kahane's Kach group and the National Religious Party of Israel; the Japanese Buddhist Sokagakkai; and the Black Muslims and New Christian Right in the US are a few among the many current politico-religious formations; they demonstrate that awareness, that religious values must sometimes be secured through political means. Pagans in general and Odinists in particular had best ponder deeply whether they can afford the luxury of sticking their heads into the comfortable sands of religious hobbyism while their opponents, above all the fundamentalist Christians, maneuver for political advantage.
We must not lose sight of basic spiritual goals amidst political gaming. But higher truth-seeking neglectful of worldly realities is a dubious wisdom.
[P.W.]
ODINISM AND RACIAL POLITICS
"Man is a political animal."—Aristotle
Recently the Fellowship received a letter co-signed by a couple of disgruntled (ex-) subscribers criticizing some of the editorial policies of THE ODINIST. While we generally don't use the pages of our publication to reply to private critics, the issues raised by this letter are so fundamental that we shall deal with them here.
The letter writers accuse THE ODINIST of doing a disservice to paganism by promoting 'religious zealousness in the form of politics', especially, 'Nazi politics' and 'German nationalism', as evidenced by our articles dealing with the ideas of Alfred Rosenberg and Friedrich Nietzsche. Such 'political' writings, along with others evincing offensive 'racial overtones', it is alleged, negate the 'personal growth and spiritual growth' which a presumably apolitical paganism would encourage.
In our article 'Odinism—Religion of Relevance' (THE ODINIST #82) we dealt at length with the traditional and current symbiosis between Odinism and politics; we won't rehash the entire issue here, except to restate our core position: "There is nothing ... that 'can escape religious consideration or religious significance: true religion inescapably impacts on every aspect of life (and death) .... Political and social institutions are expressions or externalizations of spirit ... thus may be discerned a complex interrelationship—an ecology—involving the spiritual and the secular. One cannot be separated or forced from the other without grave disturbances resulting ..."
Does THE ODINIST espouse 'Nazi politics' and 'German nationalism'? We have indeed presented a resumé of the philosophy (but not specifically the political views) of Alfred Rosenberg, who was indeed a 'Nazi' (although he was more of a pan-Nordicist than a narrow German nationalist, while the great Nietzsche, whose insights we have often promulgated, was neither a 'Nazi', nor a pan-Nordicist, nor least of all a German nationalist). Does this make us 'Nazis'?
The 'Nazi' charge is, of course, the cheapest of all the cheap shots that can be aimed at anyone who finds something positive to say about any, even the minutest, facet of National Socialism, or who merely desires some degree of objectivity in dealing with this grossly maligned movement. The standard cop-out in avoiding the 'Nazi' label is to make copious denials and then intone the orthodox liturgy of anti-'Nazi' denunciations. We will only say that we consider National Socialism in all its aspects as a legitimate topic for analysis, discussion and criticism, regarding it neither as a divinely-inspired panacea nor as the embodiment of all evil.
The Odinist Fellowship, as a religious organization, does not officially endorse any one political group or ideology. We believe that there are many possible political roads leading to pagan and folkist horizons. Accordingly, in THE ODINIST we have discussed in an objective manner and sometimes even in favorable tone such, political and social phenomena as anarchism, socialism, industrial democracy, radical decentralism, Jeffersonian democracy, the Polish Solidarity movement, left-wing Christian social activism and Iranian revolutionary thought, to name a few. We have examined, from a pagan perspective, the ideologies of political thinkers from George Orwell to Col. Kaddafi, and have analyzed social praxis from Red China to the farms of the Amish. Rational consideration of such a broad spectrum of political and social life is hardly 'zealousness'. We leave it to our readers as intelligent and critically-thinking individuals to make up their own minds vis-a-vis the variety of ideas we present.
If anyone is so insecure in his beliefs that he fears the challenging re-examination of them which exposure to other viewpoints entails, then he had best not upset himself by reading THE ODINIST. And if any self-proclaimed or self-styled follower of Norse paganism disdains controversial political issues for fear of being called a dirty name and becoming 'unpopular', then, quite frankly, such a tremulous creature has no business being an Odinist. The Vikings weren't pussy-willows, and we shouldn't be, either.
What about the 'racial overtones' of our articles? THE ODINIST never has and never 'will preach racial hatred, and we firmly believe that a good Odinist is never so arrogant or ethnically chauvinistic as to not respect or learn from the folkways of other peoples and races. Nevertheless, as we have said before, 'Odinism is a manifestation of the Aryan soul, and there can be no Aryan Soul, and thus no Odinism, without the Aryan!' If any Odinist is ashamed of the 'racial overtones' of being Aryan, of standing up for Aryan rights, then we wonder why so skittish a person would even want to be an Odinist. After all, there are plenty of universalistic religions, and even pansified paganisms, from which to choose. For our part, we, as Odinists, shall continue our struggle for Aryan religion, Aryan freedom, Aryan culture, Aryan consciousness and Aryan self-determination. We want to make Aryan pride respectable, just as Black pride, Jewish pride, Indian pride and Chicano pride are now respectable.
Does a concern with political issues negate personal and spiritual growth? It may! Certainly, fanatical preoccupation with politics, along with addiction to the drug of political action, is a poor substitute for self-knowledge and being in tune with inner and ultimate realities. But let's turn the question around: MUST personal and spiritual growth necessarily preclude political involvement? We think not. Just as one's politics may be rooted in and perpetuate self-delusion, so also may personal devotion to 'purely spiritual' matters lead to a deluded, narcissistic self-isolation. Surely a healthy nurturing of Self and Spirit can only be realized through the dynamic balance of fearless introspection and committed action in confronting worldly challenges! A de-politized, introverted, innocuous, sanitized, don't-rock-the-boat paganism may be genuine—it may also be ignorance of or insensitivity towards vital affairs irresistibly impinging on personal and collective life; at worst, it may be cowardly escapism in the face of inevitable struggle.
We're not saying that a good pagan MUST be a political partisan—only that a political partisan CAN still be a good pagan.—Those who tout an anti-political paganism as the 'one true paganism' are guilty of a dogmatism of papist proportions.
In the totality of its presentations THE ODINIST has always striven to effect a harmony between the inner and outer expressions of the Odinic religious impulse. This effort, in the 'personal growth' dimension, is reflected by our many articles on lifestyle, ethics, on Aryan man's existential plight, and especially by our ongoing 'Wisdom Of ...' series which distills the teachings of many of history's finest Indo-European philosophers in the interest of providing guidelines for everyday living within the scope of a comprehensive pagan world-view. So we are more than a mere forum for socio-political speculation.
But, like it or not, religion always has and always will overlap with politics. Today, religious movements around the world are in increasing numbers adopting militant political stances and forms. The Islamic Republican Party of Iran; the Shiite Amal movement and the Druze Progressive Socialist Party of Lebanon; the separatist Sikh Akali Dal party of India; the Jews' Gush Emunim, Rabbi Kahane's Kach group and the National Religious Party of Israel; the Japanese Buddhist Sokagakkai; and the Black Muslims and New Christian Right in the US are a few among the many current politico-religious formations; they demonstrate that awareness, that religious values must sometimes be secured through political means. Pagans in general and Odinists in particular had best ponder deeply whether they can afford the luxury of sticking their heads into the comfortable sands of religious hobbyism while their opponents, above all the fundamentalist Christians, maneuver for political advantage.
We must not lose sight of basic spiritual goals amidst political gaming. But higher truth-seeking neglectful of worldly realities is a dubious wisdom.
[P.W.]