Growing a Faith

The Asatru movement has a serious problem, and nobody out there seems willing to acknowledge it. That is the problem of growth - for how is our Troth to survive if we do not grow our ranks?

There are only three ways a religion (or any other group) can grow: they can raise their children in their faith, they can advertise or they can recruit. Breeding is a self-evident option, and we do, in point of fact, do that every once in a while. But, for a number of reasons, I don't believe that our birthrate approaches even replacement levels, much less growth.

Advertising means telling others about your group using various media. This must be distinguished from recruiting, which means approaching the potential member one-on-one. Christians would call these approaches evangelization and proselytizing, where the former often includes elements of the latter.

Advertising can take many forms: it can be the hanger on the doorknob, the tract left in public phone booths or the tabloid newspaper left on a porch. It can also be billboards, articles, radio spots, email spam and TV commercials. It can be any means of delivering a message.

Obviously, some of these means are more obnoxious that others, and, very importantly from an Asatru perspective, are wasteful of resources. Some, however, can be very cost effective and resource efficient: they actually return more value than they cost..

What most of us find so offensive is proselytizing: who has not been completely put out by some bozo in the shopping mall or airport shoving a tract in your face while you're otherwise occupied? Who has not been accosted by Mormons and Witnesses on their threshold, blithering their hearts out? How many have been slapped with a rather large book by some bald guy wearing an orange or white sheet in an airport? Hare, hare, rama, rama, ding, ding.

I submit that the root of our failure to grow is our failure to differentiate between evangelization and proselytizing: Asafolks seem to regard them as identical evils, to be avoided at all cost. I have often said that I'll never be caught hanging a flyer on a doorknob that says 'Odin Hung on the World Tree for Your Runes!'. But does that necessarily preclude me from telling others of the blessings of Asgard?

As a firm believer in the Nine Noble Virtues, I cannot do to others what I loath being done to myself. I could not randomly approach people in a shopping mall with a copy of The Raven Banner. But I could arrange for my kindred to have a booth at the community festival, selling crafts and giving various cultural demonstrations.

I can wear my Hammer openly and proudly, and answer the questions of the folk honestly when asked about it. I can write letters to the editor of the local paper giving my views on religious issues. If I stick to a purely cultural context, I can give demonstrations in schools, again answering all questions honestly.

I can make my magazines available for wider circulation. I can run classified ads in other, general, publications. I can hold public blot and sumbel (using non-alcoholic drinks). I can donate subscriptions to general Asatru magazines to local public libraries, nursing homes, et cetera.

These simple steps can be taken by any of us: I have taken them all at one time or another. They cost little or nothing, and most are actually fun. There's no reason we must hide our faith - obviously we believe that it's a good thing for us, therefore we must admit at least the possibility that Asatru could be a good thing for others as well!

It is not necessary for us to organize a marketing campaign, as though Asatru were a brand of soda. Nor is being a pushy, obnoxious imbecile needful to the successful sharing of our beliefs. To share our Troth requires nothing more that honesty and a willingness to stand up and be counted.

What are we waiting for?