About Heathens Against Hate
Heathens Against Hate has been around for over 15 years. We have spoken at the Parliament of the World’s Religions and interfaced with both ADL Philadelphia and the SPLC on topics of mutual concern, such as the misuse of sacred Germanic symbols by alt-right elements within Heathenry. Our faith has specifically been infiltrated (and our imagery has been co-opted) quite heavily by white supremacists. In response to that, it’s not enough to say “we’re not like that” — we need to actively fight back and show that there is no place for fascism or white supremacy in our faith. The Heathen community consists of people from all walks of life, including racial and ethnic backgrounds, ability levels, gender identities, sexual orientations, educational levels, socio-economic classes, political identities, and even religious identities (some Heathens follow more than one religious tradition). This diversity is a beautiful thing.
While we are all Heathens, we are not solely focused on issues affecting Heathens or other pagan traditions. As practitioners of an animist faith that recognizes the inherent interconnectedness of the world around us, we recognize that no one is free when others are oppressed and that we have a moral imperative to work towards a future where we are all free. We stand in solidarity with people of all races, sexualities, gender identities, nationalities, religions, and ethnicities.
Our members
Right now, our core team is:
- Rob Schreiwer: Senior manager/co-founder
- Eric Thorpe-Moscon: Senior manager/co-founder
- Miche Nickolaisen: Website and marketing, coalition building, messaging, and logistics
- Garrett White: Community outreach, coalition building, messaging, and communications
- Michael Stewart: Logistics, medical consideration, and community outreach
- Stacey Lynne Stewart: Graphics, communications, philosophies, and messaging
- Jay Gregory: Logistics, event planning, and community outreach
- Roux Gregory: Logistics, event planning, and community outreach
More member info (and more members) coming soon — watch this space!
What is Heathenry?
If you aren’t familiar with Heathenry, it’s an umbrella term for several modern iterations of ancient Germanic/Norse religions. The word Heathen, in contrast with its use in the Bible, is simply a term used to refer to the ancient Germanic religion in all of its variants. When the cities converted to Christianity, the old religion remained on the “heath,” or in the countryside. We use this term as an umbrella for the modern expressions of that ancient religion.
Speaking in very broad brushstrokes, Heathenism:
- Is polytheistic: We believe in multiple deities (and that the existence of our deities does not necessarily negate the existence of other deities)
- Is animistic: We believe that the world around us is imbued with spirit — for example, that trees, plants, mountains, etc. all have a spirit and thus should be treated with a base level of respect
- Involves ancestor veneration: We honor those who came before us, whether they were our literal ancestors or not, and believe that keeping someone’s memory alive and passing down their stories is a way to continue the love and respect for them that we had in life
If you would like to learn more about Heathenism, here are a few beginner resources:
- The “Our Religion” page at the Troth’s website
- Urglaawe.org, for more information on Urglaawe specifically (Heathenry through a Pennsylvania Dutch lens)
- Lots of resources listed on the Books & Resources page at On Black Wings