jasonwill2
Well-Known Member
If your label starts to define you, get a new label. Don't conform to stereo-types unless it just happens to line up with your nature by pure chance.
A lot of people do not know what a pantheist is, but for those who do? Helps a lot. I think saying "I am a pantheist and a hard polytheist" is a very good way to communicate what I beleive, as I am using the dictionary defintion of those terms. Dropping the "Satanist" label is trickyier, and only really works if they understand my beliefs ahead of time... most of the time anyways.
How do they react? As for when dropping the Satanic label both with or without "pantheism"... it depends on the person. I don't wont to label everyone the same, but I've gotten told once that Satanists kidnap and kill children (including the CoS) to my face, I've had people tell me that they are gonna pray for me, I've had one guy ask why I use that term and what it was about (then they said I define my terms differently), I've had one family member be struck in fear (then later keep her mouth shut about it), had my step-mom tell me that I was gonna go to hell (fundie, real nice of her to say that :sarcastic), I've another family memeber act nice below their ignorance and bigotry, I've had a guy not care, another guy say nothing about it but express with his face mild surprise (maybe cause' it was the guy at the counter of a record store helping me decide between two albums from a Satanic band), I've had someone say "who cares?" (though I knew her in real life it was on facebook), another family member said to read the Screwtape Letters to get an idea of the reverse and that there was spiritual danger to it, and another family member at first act like I was doing it for attention (only to seem okay with it later on), and my grandfather, who thinks poorly of all religion, really didn't care at all but was very careful to not offend me (he's a liberal), and probably a couple more reactions I can't think of.
edit: thought of another one, an old teacher from a christian school that told me I must "indeed been hurt to turn from a religion of love to unlove".
That is probably one of many reasons that I can relate to as a Satanist.
Depends, I use labels to be concise and to name the parts that work in function, not to place more importance on something than is deserved.
Beyond this forum (and other like minded people), In real everyday life, do you find that these labels actually help the people around you to accurately understand what you are about, or what you believe?
What are people's general reactions to your labels when you present them?
Or do the labels serve more to solidify your own perspectives and points of view to yourself?
A lot of people do not know what a pantheist is, but for those who do? Helps a lot. I think saying "I am a pantheist and a hard polytheist" is a very good way to communicate what I beleive, as I am using the dictionary defintion of those terms. Dropping the "Satanist" label is trickyier, and only really works if they understand my beliefs ahead of time... most of the time anyways.
How do they react? As for when dropping the Satanic label both with or without "pantheism"... it depends on the person. I don't wont to label everyone the same, but I've gotten told once that Satanists kidnap and kill children (including the CoS) to my face, I've had people tell me that they are gonna pray for me, I've had one guy ask why I use that term and what it was about (then they said I define my terms differently), I've had one family member be struck in fear (then later keep her mouth shut about it), had my step-mom tell me that I was gonna go to hell (fundie, real nice of her to say that :sarcastic), I've another family memeber act nice below their ignorance and bigotry, I've had a guy not care, another guy say nothing about it but express with his face mild surprise (maybe cause' it was the guy at the counter of a record store helping me decide between two albums from a Satanic band), I've had someone say "who cares?" (though I knew her in real life it was on facebook), another family member said to read the Screwtape Letters to get an idea of the reverse and that there was spiritual danger to it, and another family member at first act like I was doing it for attention (only to seem okay with it later on), and my grandfather, who thinks poorly of all religion, really didn't care at all but was very careful to not offend me (he's a liberal), and probably a couple more reactions I can't think of.
edit: thought of another one, an old teacher from a christian school that told me I must "indeed been hurt to turn from a religion of love to unlove".
A rather obvious thought that had not directly crossed my mind- maybe people find their labels useful in finding other like minded people. Like minded companionship is a generally sought after human experience.
That is probably one of many reasons that I can relate to as a Satanist.
Seems to me that labels serve mainly to feed the elitism in people.
Depends, I use labels to be concise and to name the parts that work in function, not to place more importance on something than is deserved.