The politics of Identity
Organisations which describe themselves as folkish believe that people of Northern European genetic heritage are naturally suited to the ancient Germanic religion and that people of other "races" should seek inspiration within the religion of their own ancestors. Most folkish groups (either explicitly or tacitly) do not accept members who are clearly "Non-Germanic" -- in practice this can mean turning away genuine folks based on the colour of their skin or the origin of their surname despite the fact the NO ONE today can claim to be pure anything let alone white? Representatives of folkish groups will state that they are not racist; they believe that people of all races, cultures, and religions are equally worthy of respect. However, they also tend to believe that, like Yahweh, Oðin champions a "chosen people" and that his choice is genetically based. Folkish heathen groups often defend their stance on the "race issue" by comparing themselves with other indigenous tribal religions which shun "outsiders". Mattias Gardell in his disturbing book Gods of the Blood, defines these groups:
1) Radical Racists who claim Asatrú/Odinism is an expression of race soul and exclusively Aryan. This group is usually unapologetic for their racism, even proud of it. Radical racists tend to be open about their agenda, although unlike their Nazi predecessors they tend to be interested in the notion of `white' rather than that of `Aryan'. Usually, it is claimed that these groups are Odinist, although not all use this nomenclature.
2) Ethnic Asatrú who believe Northern European ethnicity is needed to understand Heathenism. Both the radical racist heathens and the ethnic Asatrú see spirituality as biological, with access to, and knowledge of the gods and goddesses somehow transmitted genetically and existing in the `folk soul'.
3) Anti-racists, those people that argue if you are sincerely interested in Heathenism you are welcome to join them, and race is no bar to understanding.

In my opinion based on research and archaeological records such as the clearly mixed burials within the Ridinas Viking Cemeteries on Gotland Island based around the 10th centrry, heathenry per se was not nor ever has been a racist culture. As a matter of record, the genesis of racist pseudo heathenism took place during the dying years of the eighteenth century, within the Sturm and Drang movement. Sturm and Drang expressed a shared German identity of folk songs, customs, literature, and an idealized medieval history. Furthermore, the notion of a shared past was used to support the belief in a spiritual union between German speakers and the urge for German unification. Around this time the concept of the so called "Aryan" developed whilst the idea was founded in the work of Fredrich Schlegel. Schlegel was not an extreme nationalist; he was an academic and diplomat who hypothesised the existence an unnamed civilisation of gifted individuals that he believed moved west from India as far as Scandinavia. Heathenry per se was not nor ever has been a racist culture. However the notion of race is the bug bear and when you consider the vast leaps of education and scholarship since the era of 19th century National Romanticism....I cannot but wonder why racial prejudices/biases remains to this day when it comes to being a "heathen"? There will always be factions as long as human beings remain intransigient to facts and prefer models of 19th Century National Romantic "aryan" fantasies. Until folks start thinking critically rather than based their beliefs because some self proclaimed Asatru "elder" says so, I am afraid your factions will remain. We need more heathen scholars and a whole lot less Asatru "Elders".
A librarian these days is more likely to understand and appreciate the Old Norse Religion than any amount of politically inclined Asatru based group especially their racially inclined radical leaders out there.
Rant over

Best
Rig

There are other conflicts that do not directly relate to human racial politics, and I would also welcome viewpoints to that end as well.

-B

I find this interesting as I just posted to my blog on the consistency of Heathenry, that is that despite there being possibliy a hundred different interpretations, Heathenry seems amazingly consistant in how things are done, beliefs, and traditions. I think Heathenry has factions because they look to the differences which in reality are truly few instead of looking at how groups are similar. I think if folks sought out similarities there would be less division. That is perhaps the best way to bridge the gap between groups.