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Post by serpentheart on Jun 16, 2011 23:52:15 GMT -5
I was interested in Paganism for some time. I read quite a number of books on the subject. Mainly Wiccan, but when I read the history of it I was turned off a little. I like that idea that Ancient Gods still existed and of a balanced God and Goddess system.
I also dabbled in LaVeyan Satanism, which is obviously not Pagan, but now I've decided I am Atheist.
I want to believe but I just don't... and I haven't found believing in any Gods to be beneficial in my life. I just find it all fascinating and love reading Pagan books.
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Post by Dodger Thirteen on Jun 17, 2011 2:02:13 GMT -5
I was interested in Paganism for some time. I read quite a number of books on the subject. Mainly Wiccan, but when I read the history of it I was turned off a little. I like that idea that Ancient Gods still existed and of a balanced God and Goddess system. I also dabbled in LaVeyan Satanism, which is obviously not Pagan, but now I've decided I am Atheist. I want to believe but I just don't... and I haven't found believing in any Gods to be beneficial in my life. I just find it all fascinating and love reading Pagan books. There's something I've run into that's called "spiritual atheism". It's quite fascinating. The way I've heard it described/how I conceptualize it is that basically, you believe that there's a spiritual underlayer to the Universe, but not in a divine aspect, or that there's a spiritual connection in the Universe, but not the divine. Basically, Paganism without gods/goddesses. |
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Post by KatjevanLoon on Jun 17, 2011 16:32:07 GMT -5
Sure. To me, at least, a Witch follows most closely Wiccan teachings (which can be kind of loose depending on what kind of witch you are but generally incorporate belief in the Goddess and the God (note the 'the')) while a pagan just has non-Abrahamic beliefs. A witch is a pagan, but a pagan isn't necessarily a witch. If that helps/makes sense. I don't follow any Wiccan teachings. At all. And I'm a Witch. Witchcraft = the practice of the craft, whether religious or not. This includes "high" magic (more ritualistic) and "low" magic (hearthwitchery, kitchen witchery, folk magic). Wicca = a religion that includes religious witchcraft. (Sorry, that's just a huge pet peeve with me.) |
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Umbvix
Young Armadillo
SCHLURP :B
Posts: 64
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Post by Umbvix on Jun 18, 2011 10:10:52 GMT -5
Maybe that's closer to what I am than actual Pagan. I have a lot of paganistic beliefs, but I don't sincerely believe in gods and goddesses. If I talk about them, it's usually on about the level it would be if I reminded someone of the Bible or something. I don't believe in it, but I know they do, so they know what I'm talking about. xD Still, I find it easier to just claim pagan. Once it gets too in-depth, people stop caring anyway. It gets to being like having someone say they're Christian. Really, that's all I need, you don't have to talk about your denomination and the differences between other denominations, it's cool, bro...
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Post by inarikins on Jun 18, 2011 19:54:29 GMT -5
Sure. To me, at least, a Witch follows most closely Wiccan teachings (which can be kind of loose depending on what kind of witch you are but generally incorporate belief in the Goddess and the God (note the 'the')) while a pagan just has non-Abrahamic beliefs. A witch is a pagan, but a pagan isn't necessarily a witch. If that helps/makes sense. I don't follow any Wiccan teachings. At all. And I'm a Witch. Witchcraft = the practice of the craft, whether religious or not. This includes "high" magic (more ritualistic) and "low" magic (hearthwitchery, kitchen witchery, folk magic). Wicca = a religion that includes religious witchcraft. (Sorry, that's just a huge pet peeve with me.) Note that 'to me'. The great thing about paganism is that everybody practices differently and believes different things. You're right, though. Just like Wicca and Pagan aren't all-inclusive of each other, 'Witch' and 'Wiccan' aren't synonymous. |
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Post by onlyaworkingtitle on Jun 19, 2011 3:17:36 GMT -5
I suppose I'd fall under "spiritual agnosticism," then? There's a mouthful for ya.
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WhatIf
Armadillo Pup
Posts: 40
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Post by WhatIf on Jun 24, 2011 13:26:37 GMT -5
I currently don't belong to any religion, but I'm leaning towards pagan. Graeco-Egyptian/Kemetic to be more precise. When I start practicing religion that is where I'm going to start my journey from.
I'm also not an English major (yet), so I suppose I don't exactly fit into the group of Pagan English Majors.
Oh well.
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Post by hitzelc on Jun 28, 2011 7:59:54 GMT -5
Labels bother me a bit, as it is not always easy to conform, but by definition I am an atheist as I do not believe in any gods at all. I strongly dislike the idea of gods (outside of literature, that is). I also have a firm hated of organized religion. I do, however, believe that everyone is entitled to their beliefs, which goes back to my hatred of organized religion.
I am not what I would call spiritual either, though I do believe there is a profound beauty in the fact that the universe as it exists is one large, complex system and we are one small part (a part of the universe able to contemplate the universe). Thinking about that is certainly a "spiritual" experience for me.
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Post by Dodger Thirteen on Sept 21, 2011 22:01:01 GMT -5
We've gotten some new people, so I'm bumping this topic to query my fellow Armadillos.
Also, do any non-Pagans have questions for us Pagans? I know it's a pretty nebulous topic that non-Pagans are usually unaware of. I'm sure myself and my fellow Pagan Armadillos are willing/able to answer questions y'all have.
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Post by inarikins on Sept 22, 2011 0:14:13 GMT -5
And depending on the person who answers, every question could get a dozen different answers. (I think that's one of the things that is hard for non-practitioners to realize - even though those that follow major religions (either Abrahamic or non-Abrahamic) may differ in beliefs, they all have the same general ideals under every branch of religion when a pagan can worship (or not worship) anything and everything they desire and believe in anything and everything they want.)
Holy crap, that was quite the parenthetical.
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Post by PZ OConnor on Nov 11, 2011 16:57:41 GMT -5
Questions (:
1. What is the history of Paganism?
2. Do people judge you poorly for being Pagan?
3. How much does the earth have to do with it?
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Post by KatjevanLoon on Nov 14, 2011 12:49:26 GMT -5
1. Neo-Paganism as a movement began in the last century, based on various Romantic ideas and a hazy understanding of ancient pagan roots in many societies. Old paganism included cultures such as the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Celts, and a bunch of other ancient peeps. Usually polytheistic, but not always -- see Akhenaten who tried to bring monotheistic or henotheistic religion to Egypt. (Monotheism and henotheism are not the same, but I don't think we're exactly sure which one was practiced in regards to worshiping Aten.) Nowadays Pagan is an umbrella term that basically includes anyone who is *not* a member of any of the JCI religions and self-identifies as pagan. That last bit is really important, because there will be Witches who don't identify as pagan and Hindus who do, and vice versa. Applying pagan willy-nilly to anyone you think may fit it is, well, rude, and denies people the chance to ID themselves as pagan. So, the history of paganism is the history of humankind. There's just a long bit of non-paganism in the middle. 2. Speaking personally: yes. 3. There's a spectrum: everything ---------------------------------------------- nothing Some pagan religions fall on the far end of the spectrum, others on the nearer end. It depends on the religion and practitioner. |
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Post by Dodger Thirteen on Nov 26, 2011 2:52:00 GMT -5
1. What is the history of Paganism? That is a complicated question. If you're talking Neopaganism, aka Paganism that's practiced today, then it started up in the 1940s/1950s with Wicca a la Gerald Gardner. It is much more complicated than that, so I recommend looking into it yourself. Also, as Katje said, there is ancient Paganism. The word "pagan" derives from the Latin paganus which basically means "country dweller." It comes from the time that Christianity started to come about and was used to differentiate the urban Christians from their "pagan" countryfolk who still practiced older customs. Basically, the ancient Greeks, Romans, Celts, Guals, Egyptians, etc. are all considered "pagan." Today, the word has various meanings. 2. Do people judge you poorly for being Pagan? I have been lucky enough that I am not "judged poorly" for being Pagan. My parents are accepting or indifferent and my siblings don't particularly care. The Boyfriend is accepting and encourages me to go along with it, even attending Pagan Spirit Gathering with me this last summer. I run a Pagan student group at my campus and our community is either accepting or indifferent. I've been very lucky to basically stumble into everything that I need/want for my Pagan path, including two very intelligent advisers. My group has strong ties to Circle Sanctuary up in Wisconsin as well. 3. How much does the earth have to do with it? In a word: everything. Most Pagans may define the word as an earth-based spirituality. Depending on the path, Pagans will incorporate a large amount of nature symbolism, meaning, and power (a la magic(k)). I think that answers it, and gives a little bit more than what Katje stated. Any other questions, please feel free to share. |
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