There are many viewpoints regarding whether or not Asatru is under attack, with varying degrees of validity. my view is, in a general sense that there is a growing movement within fundamentalist belief that feels that their religious views are the only truth, and should be the law, that we, as "non-believers," are part of what they target.
The question is, how do we protect our rights in the face of those who would deny that our religion is even a valid religious expression?
I think that networking with others of a similar viewpoint is a good start, but it isn't enough. We need to gain respectability within mainstream society, we need to be seen as "normal." I say tis because of what history has to teach about how discrimination works. In every case where a minority segment of a population has been mistreated, the excuse that allows the mistreatment has universally been "but they are different." This is why otherwise decent germans allowed the persecution of Jews, Rom, The handicapped, Homosexuals, dissidents, and german heathens. This is why Jim Crow laws were tolerated, because Blacks were "different." The list of examples goes on, and can fill up many books.
I think that there are many ways we can achieve this goal of being viewed as normal. We can: start a volunteer orginisation similar to the red cross, where we aid our communities in time of disaster; get involved in local politics; or otherwise get involved in the community. We can also make sure to respond to news reporting that paints us in an unfavorable light, especially if the reporting is biased.
By establishing that Asatruar are normal, productive members of society, it will make it much harder for the hatemongers to convince society as a whole that we are 'different,' and therefore acceptable to abuse.
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