All Things Pagan Thread

Pepper said:
What if you are a religious person who murders anyway?
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Most of us I assume would not murder, however, just because none of us would murder does not mean people commit murder without thinking anything about it.

this goes back to individual morales, not everyone shares the same set of morales. What is considered right or wrong is individualistic and in reference to society. most people believe murder is wrong because it causes harm or loss to a human being. Murder is considered wrong because there are laws and consequences for committing murder. Other than laws against murder and the value of life, there are no reasons not to committee murder if one might be inclined.
 

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Vida May said:
What if they justify war with the belief God wills them to fight for Him? Billy Graham did a very compelling Christmas program assuring parents God wanted us to send our sons and daughters into the war started by the US invading Iraq. The US proudly called this war our Power and Glory.

I never talked religion because I was taught that is bad manners, but since the invasion of Iraq, I have decided that toleration of all religious beliefs is not the higher morality. You did say religion is okay if it brings people peace, but that is not always what religion does.

A pagan is a spirit having a human experience. The God of Abraham religions declare we are separate from the spirit, not part of it. As Egypt had a trinity of our spirit, religion gave us a trinity of God. Rome made that god our Father and the Greeks gave us an understanding of the trinity of that god. Before Rome accepted the Greek understanding of the trinity, Christians were killing each other over the argument of whether Jesus is God or the Son of God. That was a pretty strong intolerance of differences.
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Hello, @Vida May, and welcome to the thread.

What I said was, "If a person follows a religion and it brings them comfort and peace, helps them answer some questions, I'm happy for them and wish them good things." I think it's a stretch to infer that I meant to say it is okay to harm or attack other people in the name of religion. That's really not the letter or the spirit of what I said.

I am enjoying your posts. :)
 
Pepper said:
What if you are a religious person who murders anyway?
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The punishment is still the same. Religious persons, as we know, can be ignorant also. Example of religious ignorance, a pastor handling poisonous snakes because the bible says they will not be harmed. Believing does not exempt one from ignorance and twisted interpretations of scripture.
 
I don't recall hearing any teaching where God of the Bible wills anyone to fight a war for Him. But to fight off those who would destroy all the good that He has taught for the benefit of those being attacked.
 
What is right or what is wrong? Who decides? the individual or a society that makes laws? Does the Bible decide right and wrong or does the religion or the church?
 
Elsie said:
I don't recall hearing any teaching where God of the Bible wills anyone to fight a war for Him. But to fight off those who would destroy all the good that He has taught for the benefit of those being attacked.
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That’s funny, please explain
 
Mr. Ed said:
What is right or what is wrong? Who decides? the individual or a society that makes laws? Does the Bible decide right and wrong or does the religion or the church?
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Good question. In order to retain cohesiveness in rule following, it seems humans need a leader to make those decisions/rules to follow. God's Word in the Bible (not religion) is,, imo, right, rules without error, however it looks like those with the strongest influence in society decide right from wrong.
 
If I can just slip in here…

Maybe it was naive, but I did not expect this thread to be so polarizing. Of course, I respect that people have opinions to share and where a thread goes can’t really be controlled.

However, my vision for this thread was to share some fun things Pagan or Pagan-adjacent like moon phases, the solstice and equinox celebrations, maybe the occasional fun energy spell, or good book about trees, etc.

And that, while again, I respect everyone’s opinions, is what I’ll be doing. ❤️
 
At times I can be really focused in thought, but at the moment, I'm not quite there, so I might have to be careful...

But anyway, what were we talking about again? Oh yes, now I've got it!... Oh, hang on a minute, that wasn't it, it was something else...? Paganism and such like! I knew it would come back! *sigh*... :)

It sometimes helps me focus if I look at a dictionary or some kind of definition of something. Unlike @Pepper , who at times seems to be a walking dictionary, I don't have that luxury.

So here we go, "Pagan": "...a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main recognised religions". Sometimes we have to think for ourselves, so I’m not entirely sure that definition is right. I don’t think someone from back then would have considered themselves part of a ‘religion’ in the way we think of it today, especially with country to country variations, and even regional differences within a country. Some 'Pagans' believed in many gods, others just one, and some perhaps none at all.

Then there's the Latin “Paganus” and “Pagus”, meaning "of or relating to the countryside" -- which actually feels closer to the mark. This and 'Pagan' was also used as a bit of a derogatory label by one of the main religions, directed at those outside dominant religious influence. In fact, even Romans could have once been considered Pagans at one time in history.

Personally, I’m more drawn to the idea of the Pagans of the countryside, those people who were less affected by the mainstream religions and simply felt a deep connection with their surroundings. And used and saw the things around them, including changes in the things they see, to direct them in life. The cycles of the seasons; sun & moon phases; animals & wildlife; Trees and plants; rivers lakes and springs. Perhaps even weather patterns, and of course sacred sites. None of which I believe have direct influence on me, unless I were to alow it to. But it's nice to feel part of it all the same.
 
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Medusa said:
If I can just slip in here…

Maybe it was naive, but I did not expect this thread to be so polarizing. Of course, I respect that people have opinions to share and where a thread goes can’t really be controlled.

However, my vision for this thread was to share some fun things Pagan or Pagan-adjacent like moon phases, the solstice and equinox celebrations, maybe the occasional fun energy spell, or good book about trees, etc.

And that, while again, I respect everyone’s opinions, is what I’ll be doing. ❤️
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Now we know why at the British Royals religion, diseases and people in general are not to be discussed. All what remains is the weather :ROFLMAO:
 
Elsie said:
And if you've left a harmful wake behind, does knowing this upset you?
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No it would not upset me I would be dead. This line of questioning is irrelevant to my nature, therefore impossible for me to answer. What is a "wake"? I that like a legacy of harm and turmoil? When I am dead I don't think I will worry about my life. IF I did worry that would connate some kind of lasting consciousness which would indicate heaven and hell which I do not b believe in.

I do not regret any part of my life now, nor will I regret anything when I die.
 
Elsie said:
Subject adjacent to Christianity, however, Christianity opens your eyes to the cons of paganism.
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Of course, christianity opens your eyes to cons of paganism because christianity is in competition with other religions including paganism
 
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ohioboy said:
The punishment is still the same. Religious persons, as we know, can be ignorant also. Example of religious ignorance, a pastor handling poisonous snakes because the bible says they will not be harmed. Believing does not exempt one from ignorance and twisted interpretations of scripture.
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punishment from god or from society? I don't believe in god nor do I believe people are punished by some celestial court of judgement. I believe in karma though but that is not punishment, it is about balancing the scales to an equilibrium way of life.
 
Medusa said:
I've just learned that my town hosts an annual Pagan Pride Day where there are booths and entertainment and they collect food donations for the local food bank and supply and food donations for the animal shelter. How freaking cool is that? :)
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I notice something similar on Sunday when I did a search for Paganism on Google. Then I did a similar search on YouTube, which came up with the occasional Pagan Pride Day. From what I saw, mostly in Canada.
 
Mr. Ed said:
punishment from god or from society? I don't believe in god nor do I believe people are punished by some celestial court of judgement. I believe in karma though but that is not punishment, it is about balancing the scales to an equilibrium way of life.
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Being a nonbeliever and being evil is quite different from being a non believer and being an earthly good person. By the karma effect, you seem to be the latter. Good.
 
Magna-Carta said:
I notice something similar on Sunday when I did a search for Paganism on Google. Then I did a similar search on YouTube, which came up with the occasional Pagan Pride Day. From what I saw, mostly in Canada.
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I'm so happy to find that we have one here (and apparently have for the last nine years). Excited to go. :)

And I love that they are collecting donations to help out some worthy causes.
 
I have a book, which from memory, I must have bought in 2003 or 2004: The Real Middle Earth, by Brian Bates. At the time of the book he was a Professor at the University of Brighton, and a professor of Psychology at the University of Sussex.

In that book he talks of the Moon, and how the night sky would have seemed large to the people of 'Middle Earth' (Anglo-Saxons?), compared to today. The Moon and stars pouring silvery shadows across the landscape undimmed by the electric glare of cities. And how an unencumbered Moon in a big sky would have inspired people of the time. He goes on to say how Tacitus, referring to the people of Germania, don't reckon the passing of time by days, but by nights -- the counting of the passing of the Moon's. Where have I heard that before?

It seems to me that the Moon, and the night, so prominent in the minds of people of the time, would have had huge significance. In a way alluding to the human propensity to find patterns and associations, even if in reality there might be no pattern?
 
Magna-Carta said:
I have a book, which from memory, I must have bought in 2003 or 2004: The Real Middle Earth, by Brian Bates. At the time of the book he was a Professor at the University of Brighton, and a professor of Psychology at the University of Sussex.

In that book he talks of the Moon, and how the night sky would have seemed large to the people of 'Middle Earth' (Anglo-Saxons?), compared today. The Moon and stars pouring silvery shadows across the landscape undimmed by the electric glare of cities. And how an unencumbered Moon in a big sky would have inspired people of the time. He goes on to say how Tacitus, referring to the people of Germania, don't reckon the passing of time by days, but by nights -- the counting of the passing of the Moon's. Where have I heard that before?

It seems to me that the Moon, and the night, so prominent in the minds of people of the time, would have had huge significance. In a way alluding to the human propensity to find patterns and associations, even if in reality there might be no pattern?
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Yes, I think we have long looked to the skies to explain whatever is unexplainable in our time. Which is not to say there is no meaning in the skies, (e.g., the moon affects the tides) but that it is not uncommon to seek answers there.
 
My cousin, Dave, and I used to own a liquor-convenience store up in Paradise, CA. He's Pagan. There was a sizable community of Pagans up in Paradise.

Out in front of our shop was a row of four young trees. When Dave's wife was gravely ill, he gave "offerings" to one of them by sprinkling 1 or 2 broken-up cookies or crackers around its trunk. And I imagine he said a prayer for his wife.

I never asked Dave much about his Paganism, I only know he's always felt very connected to nature and cares greatly about the earth and the environment. He has an "animal spirit", the sky is his calendar, and he believes in omens. He walked across hot coals a few times, and told me the first time was a life-altering experience.

Dave and his wife sold their home and moved to Mexico just a few months before a huge wildfire destroyed almost all of Paradise, CA (in 2018). They're still living in Mexico, in a city with a lot of other ex-pats; mostly retired Americans. He keeps in touch; sends me lots of photos of native flowers and plants, of his walks through various cemeteries on the Day of the Dead, and Frida Kahlo-style street art, and parades and festivals and stuff.

Mexico's a really good fit for Dave. He's loving it there.
 
MaddHollander said:
Unfortunately many people are intolerant towards beliefs and practices that don’t align with their own and immediately stupidly use descriptions like Pagan. I build a small traditional Jewish sukkah to celebrate exodus and fall harvests in my backyard and one neighbor calls me a Pagan. LOL.
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We are all aware of the cycle of nature and most religious festivals are based on 'Pagan' celebrations.
Therefore we can all regard ourselves as being both Pagan and whatever church we belong to.
Perhaps, Medusa, you are really referring to Wiccans? Also why Medusa? Why not Astarte or Cernunos (male) or Isis?
 

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