Because I'm hearing a lot about everybody else's religion, I'm going to start a thread about my own.

Paganism is great.  I love it.  

Here's why.

1.  It's a conscious choice.  In mainstream western society, very very few people will be brought up in a Pagan family.  For most of us, it's a path we chose.  That means we've done our soul searching and worked out what we need in a religion, done our homework about what our particular chosen path actually means before becoming a part of it.   And if it's NOT right for us, we don't join.  So, it means no excuse to whine that "God says this and I don't agree but I have to agree coz God says so therefore I agree even though I don't agree."

Yes, there are the occasional fluffy bunnies who haven't done their homework and jump on whichever new age bandwagon is going past.  But they generally lose interest before they can screw up too badly, or learn enough to start a legitimate spiritual journey.

2.  There's less guilt.  I already have a hell of a lot of legitimate reasons to feel guilty.  I don't need a deity that's going to be cross at me because I got horny or ate meat on the wrong day.

3.  Nine less commandments.  Harm none.  Easier to remember, much easier to understand.  No neccessarily easy to implement.

4.  There's very little in the way of bureaucracy.  I'm a pagan because I self identify as such.  There's no Pagan Council wanting me to jump through some hoops and donate $X per quarter for the right to call myself such.  Nobody's going to look down on me if I'm not seen at Pagan Church on Sunday morning in my best hat, because there's no such thing.  (As the church.  Or the hat.)

5.  The serious pagans I met know a lot more about their religion than the Christians I've met know about theirs.  

6. I am not afraid of my Gods.  

7.  I'm a lot closer to my Gods than I ever was to the Christian god in the years I spent in that religion.  I never felt that god's presence the way I have Sulis' and The Morrighan's.

Love your post Ethel.

Have no time to react. Need to get clothed and have to wake kids for school etc.
I'll be back.

That reminds me - the pagan council wants to have a few words with you about a missed field on form 129(A)... *grins*

I'll always have a soft spot for paganism - when I started developing my own belief system, I went through a period of studying a few forms of pagan ideas.

The thing that always struck me was that most types of paganism emphasised an equal relationship with deities, rather than the usual kind of "teacher-student" relationship - or worse, "master-slave" relationship - that many other religions offer.

The other thing I always loved was the emphasis on aesthetics within the rituals - the actions always emphasised beauty and connection, rather than ritualistic subservience or self-denial...

Speaking of that relationship between Deity and worshipper...

Being my usual contrary self, I follow a branch of Celtic paganism that we don't know a heck of a lot about.  (This happens all the time... the things I persevate on are also usually obscure and/or hard to research.  I can't help it, I don't go out of my way to choose the hard option, it just sort of happens.)  So, I'd done some homework and was sort of fumbling around, wondering if a particular deity even existed, if She'd been absorbed into a later Romanised Goddess or didn't exist in the first place.  Well, she *was* real and when we made contact she was so pleased to have someone take an interest it was almost embarrasing.

Oh, that reminds me,

8.  Can't speak generally but for my own branch, there's no "good" and "evil", there's a very large pantheon of deities that have various attributes but none are entirely clear cut.  A deity who looks after abundance, plenty and feasting is also a bitter man-hater.  The Morrighan deal with death, destruction, revenge and picking over corpses on battlefields, but they're also in charge of conception and rebirth.

May I ask, what is the Holy Purpose found within this religion?

I think that Paganism can be great. I think it depends on the person practicing and their view on it. I would say that with any religion.

You seem to have a pretty good handle on things though and no doubt are a good Pagan.

how do you mean?

there is more than one type of paganism; you have the almost unknown Ásatrú (think Norse), the very well know Wiccans (think Celtic), and all sorts of permutations. its a very individual thing.

with most of them, there is but one rule; Harm None. however, Ásatrú is a bit different; it has 9 rules, or "noble virtues";

   1. Courage
   2. Truth
   3. Honour
   4. Fidelity
   5. Discipline
   6. Hospitality
   7. Self Reliance
   8. Industriousness
   9. Perseverance

Ásatrú is also a polytheism; it has many gods.

also, some of the best mythology evar. I mean, these are proper gods, waxing wrathful with big hammers and lighting

If people want to be pagan, Buddhist, Christians, Muslims, Hindus etc.   I don't have a problem with it.  I do have a problem with them all trying to convert me to their particular sects.  I have even met a few nasty pagans who really offended me -- I guess they didn't know they were harming me.   I will remember to tell them that they are harming me when they start so they don't keep doing it.  

I would like to think that most religions have to goal of helping the believer to become a better person.  Unfortunately it is not true in all cases.  

Something to consider --- I have never heard of any pagan terrorist cells but I have heard about a few cults that were harmful to people.  I have heard about numerous other cults and terrorist cells connected to other religions maybe except atheists and agnostics.

and therein lies the problem with any religion; the whole "holier than thou" attitude.

I'm Pagan as well . What I like most about it is that it's not clear cut, you make your own decisions about what you exactly belief in, there is no 'right' path. And so what I believe in is personal to me. I could meet a Pagan whose belief system is different to mine.

Actaully, my branch doesn't believe in proselytising - it's considered bad form because it interferes with the other party's free will.   But I've yet to actually get the people who knock on my door every month with the latest edition of Watchtower to accept that.  

ah, my Nan loves it when the Jehovahs come round.... you see, she's a Catholic, and she knows the bible better than they do, usually. so, she tears down their arguments and quotes very easily...its funny. they dont even bother with her any more, they just drink tea.

I've stood talking to them before, saying "really? Wow, thats bloody fascinating!", acting really interested, then when they want to enlist me - sorry, save my soul - I start going on about how I'd have to get my Power of Attorney involved etc. If I'm in one of my more creative moods I can usually spin a great yarn to them about exactly why I can't enlist in the god squad. My family banned me from answering the door in the end.

We had these really homophobic dudes come around once - I was still in my realisation/coming out phase where everything gay was like "wooo shiny" to me. That was fun. Not for them, because I wouldn't want a slightly gothy, quite sociopathic 15 year old know it all shooting their gob off at me either.

Nowadays I usually say "thanks but you have your beliefs and I have mine". I'm boring

I personally have nothing against Pagans or Wiccans, true ones that is.

The amount of Emos I have at college come up to me pretending to make it rain, or put curses on me cos I call them ******* when they try to fly or whatnot.



How do you view those? do you see them as real followers of a religion or just alternative noobs?

People who threaten you with harm are definitely not "do no harm"ers.  

People who claim to be Satanists are just about the most ridiculous and maybe the most dangerous.  They are not Wiccans or Pagans then really.  

People making up their own religions/cults can be a problem though.  

Another good things about Pagans/Wiccans -- they are not begging for money from people to build huge temples or missions.  

I don't know if they charge membership fees for covens.  There must be some arguing about what clothing to wear during rituals and whose turn to bring the salt and candles.  Myself, I wouldn't be caught in a room or other place with about a dozen other women.  I suppose that solitary worship is just as acceptable to them or is it necessary to join up with a group?