We recognize that the global community is made up of many diverse cultures, each with its own set of inherent beliefs. Since those associated with The Flinthills Pagans seek to honor both the individual as an embodiment of the Divine and the healthy interaction of members of the greater society in which we all have a place, we have adopted this set of guidelines on ethical behavior.
The Flinthills Pagans Alliance is a people oriented organization dedicated to fostering deeper understanding and cooperation amongst both the members of the Pagan community and society as a whole. We uphold the civil and religious freedom guaranteed to all citizens in the Constitution and Bill of Rights and will actively resist those who would seek to suppress or restrict these rights.
The Flinthills Pagans is dedicated to:
Truth and Good Will: An individual has the right to live out
a life aligned with his/her personal beliefs. We encourage everyone to decide
to what degree their participation will support the organization. By doing this,
we hope that people will bring real passion into their efforts. Truth is important
for an organization to enable it to have a clear vision statement and to operate
from a firm set of values. Such an organization motivates its members to think
and act as leaders. The leaders "walk their talk" and all are valued
for their contributions. When the organization becomes successful, everyone
knows that they helped to make it so.
Civil Liberty: Civil liberty encompasses the respect for and
the protection of individual rights. While the exercise of these rights are
dictated by the law of the land, in a "open society" it is largely
dependent on what the people determine as valuable to their way of life. Multi-culturalism
has introduced an opportunity to learn new ways of dealing with beliefs different
from our own. Conflicts arise when the aims of the differing parties include
not only the validation of their position but the neutralization or elimination
of their opponent's position. We actively seek to preserve the cultural values
and traditions of each of our unique populations while promoting healthy interaction
within an inclusive organizational structure.
Religious Freedom: We recognize that spiritual belief is a
very personal choice that each person is entitled to make based on what is in
his/her own heart. The spirit is the true essence of who a person is and what
he or she will become. No outside agency has the right to deprive a person from
the free exercise of his/her religious practice or sincerely held belief without
a real and compelling reason. "Compelling" in this country has come
to mean that society at large must be in real danger from the results of the
religious practice for the government to interfere. Anything less than this
"compelling reason" would be a violation of this right to religious
freedom. We uphold religious liberty for all and shall actively resist any infringement
on the right to free exercise of personal spiritual belief.
Integrity: The Flinthills Pagans will always provide as much information as confidentiality or circumstances will allow about any action or decision we make so that our members will be fully informed. We value your trust and we will never ask you to support that which conflicts with your personal sense of integrity. The Flinthills Pagans also expects members to respect the integrity of the organization and support this concept in word and action.
Personal Responsibility: While not all Pagans adhere to the
"Law of Three" as an official tenet of their belief, most do believe
that we should act in a responsible manner in our dealings with each other.
None of us can profess to be perfect all of the time and misunderstandings certainly
can and do occur.
Teamwork requires the proper use of communication, negotiation and the ability to recognize and resolve conflicts as they occur.
In real communication each person is interested not in argument, but in seeking understanding of the others’ point of view. All ideas receive an equal hearing. The real merit of any suggestion is allowed to emerge based on its value to the organization and not only on the passionate presentation of its proponent.
Negotiation is used to change things that are not working. The offering of a well thought out alternative to the situation is a key element in the process. Once again, it is the greater good of the whole team or organization that is the ideal.
Sometimes differences of opinion can become quite heated and the situation evolves into a personal conflict. Recognize that the other person feels as strongly about his/her beliefs as you do about yours. Focusing on the overall mission statement and aligning yourself to the greater goal may be all that is needed to get things back on track. A "cooling off" period may be a time to meditate on a new approach or solution.
To accept responsibility for your part in any situation is a sign of maturity. To say that you were mistaken is not the same as stating that you are a bad person. It is simply acknowledging that you are human.
The paths to truth are indeed many. We at The Flinthills Pagans believe that
this listing is broad enough to encompass everyone and at the same time allow
the freedom for individuals or groups to practice their own moral codes.