Wiccanism as a religion [Merged]

Cool. Whatever works for you.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
If you couldn't understand it, it also couldn't be explained to you in any meaningful way.

Originally posted by Scarlet Fox
Pagan. what are you views on the Religion?

Are you one?

Or are you a Christian who believe Pagans are nothing more then Devil Worshipers?

No actually, I am a Judeo-Christian Muslim who issues daily Crusaido-Jihads on people like yourself.

I call upon my Gods to smite your annoying kind.

Originally posted by LDHZenkai
Not really, I didn't understand Cold Fusion before I had to research about it and have it explained to me. Now I understand the basics of it. I'm sure there are some things in the Universe that my limited mind cannot comprehend, but maybe with sufficient enough time and explanation we could.

Not understanding it yet isn't the same as not being able to do so.

Also, you believe in cold fusion?

Originally posted by LDHZenkai
If someone could show me some sort of magic I would believe in that magic. I wouldn't necessarily believe in God or any of that. I would obviously want to make sure that it was actually magic and not something scientific that I just couldn't understand.

anything that "exists" can be put to scientific scrutiny. If magic or god existed, they would be some "scientific" thing you couldn't understand.

Originally posted by Scarlet Fox
Pagan. what are you views on the Religion?

Are you one?

Or are you a Christian who believe Pagans are nothing more then Devil Worshipers?

Pagans are FAR from devil worshipers. We beleive in the Earth. The goddess. Harmony

Yes we practice magic. but nothing as in "Pull a rabbit from a hat".. or.. "let me guess what card you just took from this deck of cards".

So lets hear it. What are your views about this?

Originally posted by Da Pittman
??? How is being a pagan a religion?

Isn't that kind of like asking how being Christian is a religion?

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Isn't that kind of like asking how being Christian is a religion?

while it isnt a specific religion it is way more to it then that. there are lots of religions besides those three that arnt classified as pagan. Hell judiasm isnt even anywhere near as numerous in folowers as some religion that you don't conisder main ones

the classification of "religion" has little to do with the number of its followers

Da Pittman is likely referring to the fact that there are few, if any, common beliefs/rituals/practices between different pagan belief systems and that more specific terms, like Norse, Druid, or Wiccan, more aptly describe those things.

It would be like calling "monotheism" a religion, imho

Pagan really refers to someone that doesn't believe in your religion, but some definitions of pagan most of the time refers to someone that doesn't believe in the god of the "Big 3". So if you are into Wicca then everyone else is a pagan and the reverse is true.

Pagan

"An offensive term that deliberately insults somebody who does not acknowledge the God of the Bible, Torah, or Koran."

Taken from Microsoft Word.

language is alive

look at how previously pejorative terms like black and gay have been used by those communities as a form of self identification.

I imagine something similar with pagan, though I might argue how pejorative the term was, rather than a statement about personal morality. Though, I'm sure that changed as well 🙂

I believe Pagan as a definetion is "country dweller" in some interpertations.
And was considered a rather crude term for a very long time.
It basicly described numerous religous practices.
Most notably one's that honor nature.

In "The Religion Book", Author Jim Willis writes that their is no sinlge Pagan religion,and is the reason for their not being one Pagan calendear.

Originally posted by inimalist
language is alive

look at how previously pejorative terms like black and gay have been used by those communities as a form of self identification.

I imagine something similar with pagan, though I might argue how pejorative the term was, rather than a statement about personal morality. Though, I'm sure that changed as well 🙂

Paganism is definetly being taken back (or at least their trying). I assume most neo-pagans know the name of the local traditions but likely use pagan because it's easier to identify than, say, "Asatru".

Originally posted by mr.smiley
I believe Pagan as a definetion is "country dweller" in some interpertations.

The word literally means something like "of the country" or "from the rural areas", it's the same root as the word peasant.

pagan –noun
1. one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks.
2. a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim.
3. an irreligious or hedonistic person.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Paganism is definetly being taken back (or at least their trying). Most pagans know the name of the local pagan traditions but likely use pagan because it's easier to identify than "Asatru".

really, I'm most familiar with its Victorian usage, which hearkens back to Greek pantheons and uninhibited sexual promiscuity...

then again, the only Victorian literature I'm familiar with is Sacher-Masoch, lol

Originally posted by LDHZenkai
pagan –noun

2. a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim.
.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Paganism is definetly being taken back (or at least their trying). I assume most neo-pagans know the name of the local traditions but likely use pagan because it's easier to identify than, say, "Asatru".

so, in other words, you are reclaiming a previously negative word for self identification so that people in society can get a feel for who you are and what you believe?