What is a pagan??

  • Thread starter Thread starter reaganjn
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Looks like paganism varies a bit. But then, I guess it always did. Kind of combining the various versions or emphases, it does appear to me that Tarot is, at least to some, close to divination or foretelling the future, though some may feel it simply focuses their thoughts. Spells, it seems, really do involve the manipulation of the material world or forces or whatever, by invocation of power outside oneself/alternatively by power perceived to be within oneself.
 
Cyberwolf…

I think you are already on the offensive towards me… I am open to learning about others…I know nothing of your beliefs other than what Jharek first explained…so I applaude the humane aspects of your beliefs…and they also concur with mine…in these areas…
 
Jharek True of your observations of Cyberwolf, and thanks for sharing a greater understanding for us.
 
I thought the Catechism’s take on paganism essentially regarding the meaning of perversion as a deviation from how we were naturally created was pretty open and not implying people who weren’t Christians weren’t murderers either.
 
I too dabbled in tarot, astrology and other New Age things when I was younger. Never really considered myself a pagan, though I have always loved nature, (just don’t worship it). Like someone said earlier, we worship the Creator, not his creations, although God is manifest in his creations.

Before coming back to the Catholic church, I thought I could get insight into things in my life by using tarot, I-ching etc., but really those are just random chance activities and show that one is pretty much ruled by the fickle finger of fate.

Who do pagans pray to when they are in need of comfort, full of thanksgiving, or in need of the holy spirit?

Christianity gives you redemption and grace. You don’t have be to prey to Dame Fortune anymore. You know you have the strength and mercy of God watching over you.
 
THANK YOU! 😃 I really appreciate people who agree to disagree. Also, I never understood the whole D&D= Satan thing. I saw the Chick Tract on it, and they didn’t even get the semantics or game play right. :rolleyes: It was pretty bad.
 
CHRISTINE77 said:
I too dabbled in tarot, astrology and other New Age things when I was younger. Never really considered myself a pagan, though I have always loved nature, (just don’t worship it). Like someone said earlier, we worship the Creator, not his creations, although God is manifest in his creations.

Before coming back to the Catholic church, I thought I could get insight into things in my life by using tarot, I-ching etc., but really those are just random chance activities and show that one is pretty much ruled by the fickle finger of fate.

Who do pagans pray to when they are in need of comfort, full of thanksgiving, or in need of the holy spirit?

Christianity gives you redemption and grace. You don’t have be to prey to Dame Fortune anymore. You know you have the strength and mercy of God watching over you.
Click to expand...
I look to my inner strength, and consult my pineal gland and talk to Eris.🙂 I’ve been really happy in my new faith. I’ve been through a lot, and I am happy for the first time in a long time. I believe in fate, but I don’t let it rule my life. I know the strength of my own Goddess, and my own reflections. I’m not saying that the way I do things is for everyone, but I don’t feel as though anything is missing in my life away from the church.
 
I’m aware. They say a lot of nasty stuff about Catholics. I just find them hilarious. 😉
 
Eris,

My son laughs at things I get upset about…and he doesn’t want me in his bedroom for more than 30 seconds…he has 2 pictures of girls on the wall and they are OK…

I will get back to you, reflecting on your comments and I am not sure where some of your inclinations help…have to reread your posts…

Keep up the good attitude…one of things that I reflected on to get back on my feet again was to draw on a joyful attitude every day no matter if it is hard or sad…
 
KathleenGee said:
Eris,

My son laughs at things I get upset about…and he doesn’t want me in his bedroom for more than 30 seconds…he has 2 pictures of girls on the wall and they are OK…

I will get back to you, reflecting on your comments and I am not sure where some of your inclinations help…have to reread your posts…

Keep up the good attitude…one of things that I reflected on to get back on my feet again was to draw on a joyful attitude every day no matter if it is hard or sad…
Click to expand...
You really do sound like my mom. She can always try to see the good in a bad situation. We don’t have it easy, but she’s pretty up-beat. We tend to disagree on things, but like I said, we have a really good relationship. I don’t have kids, but at his age (I am guessing 18?) I was extremely disrespectful, out of control, sullen. I was a mess. I was in a terrible relationship. He was abusive, and I couldn’t see it. After I got away from him, things got a LOT better. Now, I am not saying it’s a similar situation your son is in, but at that age, us kids are really headstrong. It usually evens out. I hope things are going well, and I think everything will be OK. What you’ve said about your son tells me that he does have a good head on his shoulders 🙂
 
Agreed. I love comics. I’m a big nerd. I think some of them are really amazing. Chick’s work looks horrible. I kind of look at it and giggle. Some of it is pretty terrible. No, scratch that, all of it is pretty terrible.
 
@Kathleen. Also, I know a lot about different faiths, and if you have any questions about them just let me know. I know you mentioned he has researched nihilism, and it’s often a very misunderstood philosophy. I know a decent amount, having a friend who is nihilist and I know a good deal about Buddhism as well. If you have any questions about other faiths, or even reasons why one would leave the church, you can feel free to PM me, or ask me here. I thought a lot about your situation last night, and if you need any help or have any questions, just ask. 🙂
 
ok, going back to the OP. who said her acquaintance has “become pagan”
obviously she was talking about her religion, and not “being a perversion” or whatever people keep trying to throw at it …
sigh
as a catholic CONVERT from paganism, i will state that “pagan” is a generically broad label that can mean a wide range of things
it can mean “Wiccan”, Asatru" “eclectic” “new age” or even “i dont have time or energy to explain it to you”

in fact, when speaking to an adult… it very OFTEN means either “i dont have any way to explain it to you” or “i am still exploring precisely what my religion is, but generally in the pagan category…”

in the broadest sense pagan has been used to mean anything that is not Jewish/Christian/Islam (since no member of any of these three would call themselves pagan!, no matter what anyone else calls them)

likely she worships a male principle and a female principle… who may or may not be expressly named. she MAY worship pre Christian Gods, like Bast, Athena, Diana, Isis etc, or she may worship a general concept of make and female and “nature”

she may, in fact. not really WORSHIP these per se, but revere the principles. and be closer to an eclectic Shinto

if you want to understand what she actually believes, then you will have to acknowledge that “pagan” is a label like “Christian” that can be used by a WIDE variety of groups, including groups that would argue about the other group being Christian…
(as an example, we could get a real argument going over whether LDS is “Christian” but the fact is they use that term for themselves… so you dont know if the “Christian” you are talking to is Baptist, Catholic, LDS, or a member of one of the new cults…)

pagan is too broad a term to mean ANYTHING other than “not one of the Abrahamic faiths”

the polite question is 'what kind of pagan?" if you actually want to know.
and for the record, Wiccan is a pretty broad term, often mis used, also…
 
On a lighter note, has anyone seen the movie Wickerman? It was made in the 1970’s, it’s about a Scottish (Anglican) cop that goes to investigate a child’s disappearance on an island off Scotland where all the people lliving there are pagans. They have fertility rites, maypole dances, sacrifices to the gods of nature, etc. (The ending is awesome.)
 
Who do pagans pray to when they are in need of comfort, full of thanksgiving, or in need of the holy spirit?

I’ve been Pagan for over 30 years, and find that my Gods and ways answer all my spiritual needs. Do I need love and comfort? Brigid the Hearth Mother is there. When I am full of thankgiving it’s usually to myself and my network of friends. I don’t assume that the Gods make all good things happen - many of them happen because of my own efforts. If one of the Gods aids me well, I am always offering to them anyway at our group worship and at my home shrine - it isn’t hard to make a special offering of thanks and joy. In need of the Holy Spirit? I don’t know exactly what that means since there is no such thing in my system, but I assume you mean some kind of guiding and directing wisdom. The divine lives in me (and you) through our personal spirit, so I turn inward, to seek the divine wisdom, love and power in my own soul, as well as opening to the other persons of the divine.

I don’t believe in a divine mind that operates the universe, so Dame Fortuna or her parallel are still important. Each of us is on our own, and must make our way as best we can. I call that freedom, and delight.
Ian
 
I am of Irish Welsh roots, and would be interested, Jharek, in learning more about the Druids…
 
I don’t find them “naughty” just irreligious. I don’t really think there is such a thing as a modern pagan. It seems very contrived to me, since almost all “civilized” cultures have been exposed to Christianity (or Islam or Judaism). The closest you could come to modern pagans would be the Asians, (Shintoism, Taoism) since they in some ways do seem to worship nature, although personally I think they just have great reverence and appreciation for it. Never heard about any animal sacrifices in their culture.
 
CHRISTINE77 said:
I don’t find them “naughty” just irreligious. I don’t really think there is such a thing as a modern pagan. It seems very contrived to me, since almost all “civilized” cultures have been exposed to Christianity (or Islam or Judaism). The closest you could come to modern pagans would be the Asians, (Shintoism, Taoism) since they in some ways do seem to worship nature, although personally I think they just have great reverence and appreciation for it. Never heard about any animal sacrifices in their culture.
Click to expand...
ALL religions are contrived in the sense that they are humanity’s attempts to explain and commune with divinity. That creation may have its roots in divine inspiration, well-meaning inference or deliberate fraud, but it’s still manmade. Christianity did not take shape until decades after Christ’s death, and the RCC as an institution not until centuries after. There are millions of us “modern pagans” who clearly exist. Most of us don’t pretend to have direct ties to ancient unbroken traditions, although some can make a decent case for that - various indigenous peoples, parts of the Baltic where Christianity never fully took over. Now, it’s fair game to point out that Catholicism may consider us to be badly “in error.” I realize and respect that, although I don’t lose any sleep over it. The idea is to be able to disagree without being dismissive of others. Our religions are as real and meaningful to us as yours is to you.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top