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Can't be a pagan.

Kcnorwood

Kcnorwood

Well-Known Member
I posted this in general debate but I thought it might go over better here.




Late last night I was told that I can not be a Pagan because it requires going back to an older, more primitive style of consciousness...social as well as individual...it requires monotheism to be unlearned. But no matter what I believe I will can not unlearn monotheist. Furthermore all religion is a way of knowing the truth...without having to comprehend the truth.
 
Willamena

Willamena

Just me
Premium Member
Kcnorwood said:
Late last night I was told that I can not be a Pagan because it requires going back to an older, more primitive style of consciousness...social as well as individual...it requires monotheism to be unlearned. But no matter what I believe I will can not unlearn monotheist. Furthermore all religion is a way of knowing the truth...without having to comprehend the truth.
Click to expand...
Just since coming to RF, I have managed to disentangle myself from primarily dualistic thinking, which is at the heart of popular monotheism, and learned to engage monism. I seriously don't think there is anyone who can't.

So you go tell those people, from me, that you can learn it.
 
Charity

Charity

Let's go racing boys !
Kcnorwood said:
I posted this in general debate but I thought it might go over better here.




Late last night I was told that I can not be a Pagan because it requires going back to an older, more primitive style of consciousness...social as well as individual...it requires monotheism to be unlearned. But no matter what I believe I will can not unlearn monotheist. Furthermore all religion is a way of knowing the truth...without having to comprehend the truth.
Click to expand...
I believe you can be whatever you want to be ;) How can anyone say you aren't the one that is right?
 
C

cheddarsox

Member
Willamena said:
Just since coming to RF, I have managed to disentangle myself from primarily dualistic thinking, which is at the heart of popular monotheism, and learned to engage monism. I seriously don't think there is anyone who can't.

So you go tell those people, from me, that you can learn it.
Click to expand...

I agree. I tried a new way of thinking on for size...and never took it off, just left the old on in a heap on the fitting room floor, wasn't even worth donating to charity.

And the world is different to me now, so much BIGGER...so many more facets of things to appreciate.

I lost god and gained the Universe.
 
Dunemeister

Dunemeister

Well-Known Member
It's hard for me to imagine how a strictly interpreted monotheist could count himself as pagan. So if you're a monotheist, I'd be interested to know in what sense you take yourself to be a monotheist and in what sense you take yourself to be a pagan.
 
Breathe

Breathe

Hostis humani generis
I've got to say, though I'm fascinated with the ways of Paganism, I too have been told the same thing, by various people. "You can't be a Pagan and a monotheist!". Last time I checked, there wasn't a set theology for Paganism. If it makes you happy to be a Pagan and a monotheist (which is something I like the sound of to be honest), then, go for it! :)

Apologies about how late my response is in light of the original posting and the last message besides mine.
 
C

cheddarsox

Member
Yey! a resurrected thread!

I find many people these days using the term "Paganism" to define some amorphous set of beliefs that they feel is a religion, rather than using the term as an umbrella term for many hundreds of faiths from various cultures around the globe.

This use of the term "Paganism", is oddly dogmatic, in spite of the fact that most of it's adherents seem to also trumpet " no rules, just right" when it comes to their version of eclecticism.

So, they get to tell YOU, that YOUR beliefs aren't pagan enough (even though they stem from a faith that has been recognized as pagan for many centuries) but their mix of this, that, and a few other things IS what Paganism is all about.

I am a long time participating member of several pagan communities, both online and in real time, but I also get told I'm not really pagan by those who follow this amorphous religion with a capital P. They can't exactly define it, but they know who ISN'T pagan when they meet one.

Since the globe doesn't have an official word police team to keep people from using words as they see fit, the debate will continue.

The way I look at it is that Paganism has about 200 characteristics, and if you can identify with at least 75 of them...you're in. It's a pretty forgiving system, and leaves lots of ways to connect to pagan community, without being too narrow.

Now, I have not taken the time to identify the 200 characteristics of pagans, maybe this would be a fun group activity! Remember, the characteristic doesn't have to describe all or even most pagans...just be fairly common among those who self identify as pagans...

Anyone want to begin?
 
Breathe

Breathe

Hostis humani generis
This use of the term "Paganism", is oddly dogmatic, in spite of the fact that most of it's adherents seem to also trumpet " no rules, just right" when it comes to their version of eclecticism.

So, they get to tell YOU, that YOUR beliefs aren't pagan enough (even though they stem from a faith that has been recognized as pagan for many centuries) but their mix of this, that, and a few other things IS what Paganism is all about.
Click to expand...
I'm getting flashbacks of my old friends, haha. :D
 
Halcyon

Halcyon

Lord of the Badgers
cheddarsox said:
Now, I have not taken the time to identify the 200 characteristics of pagans, maybe this would be a fun group activity! Remember, the characteristic doesn't have to describe all or even most pagans...just be fairly common among those who self identify as pagans...

Anyone want to begin?
Click to expand...
I thought a pagan was someone who wasn't a Jew or a Christian? And I suppose we should add Muslim too, although I think historically even they were seen as pagans.
 
Worshipper

Worshipper

Active Member
Halcyon said:
Yeah, I understand how neo-pagans use it, I was thinking more historically. I think pagan just means "dweller of the countryside" or something like that, so it's all pretty vague and subjective either way.
Click to expand...
You know you're in the Neopagan > Paganism DIR forum, right?
 
Halcyon

Halcyon

Lord of the Badgers
Worshipper said:
You know you're in the Neopagan > Paganism DIR forum, right?
Click to expand...
Yep.

Cheddersox asked what characteristics define a pagan, I just added that historically a pagan was a non-Christian or Jew - perhaps all the new criteria that certain traditions suggest are necessary aren't actually anything to do with being pagan or not, but rather their type of pagan...
 
AstralAkasha

AstralAkasha

Member
Hi, I believe you can be a Pagan if you are monotheist. I explain it like this.
Life is complete energy, which we term as Spirit, the All, the One that is, God, the Force, etc.
We know that there is something that is within and without.
However, within Paganism AND monotheism, the beauty of that knowledge is that you can relate to different aspects (or faces) of that one Spirit through the many different Gods and Goddesses. Or the one or two that you most like to walk with.
Also, next time someone tells you that you cannot be Pagan and monotheist, remind them of the story of the Hindu man who wanted to find out how many Gods within Hinduism there were.
He collected information from village to village, asking them if they knew how many Gods were worshipped within Hinduism, he built up quite a collection!
Then one day, he came across a woman who said to him "Visit the wise man at the top of the mountain, he will tell you how many Gods there are".
So he struggled up the mountain, reached the top, and went to see the wise man.
He asked him, "I have been told that you know how many Gods there are in Hinduism, is this correct?"
The wise old man said "Yes, I know how many Gods are worshipped in Hinduism".
The man waited for his answer. "Well?" he said, impatiently.
The wise old man smiled. "There is only one."
"ONE?!?!" cried the man. "Well which one?!" he asked, throwing his lists and collection of names of Gods on the floor.
"All of them" replied the wise old man.
 
Darkwater

Darkwater

Well-Known Member
*Dances nakkid around fire*

Meh,relifion has not changed one single bit for 50,000 years,just the labels.:)

The more things change,the more they stay the same.

mono,duality,plurality........back to mono........then duality.....then plurality.............back to

*dancing nakkid around fire*

Wheeeeeeeeeee

keep your soul up to date(souls(duality) souls(plurality) ) )(

wheeeee
 
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