Pagan groups at universities across the country are practicing their faith, but some of the campus organizations say they’ve faced discrimination.

A decision by the Religious Council, which monitors religious organizations at Boston University, to not endorse campuswide neopagan organization Nemeton upset pagans.

Seamus McKeon, a religious studies junior and president of Nemeton, said the decision prevents her group from participating in council events and receiving funding from Boston University for religious books and ritual tools.

McKeon said the decision was based on stereotypes.

“They believe we are tools of their idea of a Christian devil,” he said. “We believe in no such being, nor do we seek to serve or worship it.”

Many neopagan groups at universities provide a format for pagans to meet. The groups, which aim to dispel myths and educate people about pagan religions, say they are sometimes harassed for their beliefs, making it difficult to practice their faith.

Peter Wood, associate provost at Boston University and a member of the Religious Council, said his vote against endorsing Nemeton was not out of intolerance of pagan religions.

And he said the decision wasn’t based on policies at other colleges either.

“We were willing to be nonconformist because so many universities have recognized and endorsed neopaganistic groups,” Wood said. “It is on the fringe and that’s where we want to keep it.”

Wood said Nemeton’s members were ignorant of what they stood for.

“They didn’t know the history of their ideas and were tongue-tied when I asked basic questions about their religion,” Wood said.

Sarah Kate Van Auker, a member of Green Spiral: MSU’s Eclectic Pagan Network which was organized in 1997, said MSU’s administration accepts the group.

“The campus provides an open forum to practice our faith,” Van Auker said. “Other university groups are not as lucky.”

Green Spiral is a registered student organization and provides a place for student and nonstudent pagans to meet. The group hosts weekly discussions and organizes workshops and events.

Sarah Beth Gordon, a family community service junior, said the group practices the Wiccan faith openly.

Gordon was a member of the Open Grove Society, a neopagan organization at Central Michigan University, before transferring to MSU. Gordon said the group received hate letters and messages were written on members’ doors.

“They’re scared to be out because the college is dominated by Christians,” Gordon said.

Tiffany Davidson, a religion and women’s studies senior at CMU, said the university has done nothing to prevent the harassment.

“We’re not considered a part of the minority student services,” said Davidson, president of Open Grove Society. “It makes me feel uneasy because Central has a really large pagan community and for that many students to not have that much say is horrible. It doesn’t say much for diversity on this campus.”

Davidson said resident assistants and minority aides in residence halls are working with the group to dispel myths through open religious forums.

“Some people want to learn about other religions and get rid of ignorance,” she said.