The Jerk VS Bigotry Ratio

I’ve been watching the fall-out from the Halloran piece on The Village Voice since it was published. Every time I thought I had something to say about it, I would notice something else that would make me pause and cogitate.

Straight up, I find Thrasher’s wanton and casual bashing of Pagan religions offensive. It’s unnecessary for this story and the image of a drunken lout staggering over a goat’s bloody corpse is ridiculous. (The artist refused to comment when I contacted him.)

When Halloran first made headlines, I thought he was a bit of an ass, and took some mild heat for saying so. I was thrilled a Heathen had been elected, but I didn’t like him. His interview on Pagan+Politics, with his implication that Wiccans were poor and uneducated, incensed me. Thrasher’s imitation of Halloran’s disdain of Wicca both amuses and irritates me.

However, by and large, it appears the Heathen community is ok with the article in The Village Voice. Which astounds me. Had Halloran been Jewish and treated Judaism in the way it’s treated Heathenry, would this article be acceptable by that community? I think not.

So all I can reason out, is that there is a balance between the jerk and bigotry quotients. The bigger the jerk, the more bigotry we are willing to tolerate in revealing his jerkiness. Tearing down a real scumbag is more important than maintaining the dignity of your faith.

At least, that’s the only rationale I can think of for the response the Thrasher article has gotten. Maybe I’m wrong. Apparently Wiccans really do see the world differently from other Pagans, because I really don’t get what’s going on here.