Paganism reference??!?!?!?! (OT)

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-06-2003
Paganism reference??!?!?!?! (OT)
27
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 4:25pm

I have been curioUs about it for along time..and my cousin is studying it in some special learning thing or another in college..I didnt even know they offered that kind of thing in school?!?!?!(WOULD IT BE CONSIDERED A RELIGION???)


Anyways I was wondering if anyone knows of any good books to introduce it be it fiction or non I am just curious about the whole Pagan culture . TIA and sorry so off topic but I dont know where to look and I am among friends here so...:)

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2004
Fri, 04-23-2004 - 5:34am
Christmas trees are pagan! I am a recovering Catholic and have poked around with different religions and find that Judaism is as close to what I hold for morals and ethics, but I am not a practicing Jew. I practice nothing for that matter, but have gone to Beltane and Samhaim celebrations. My best friend is Jewish and I have gone to Temple with her and her family (her mom is my supervisor at work)for Rosh Hashana and I have been to other people's Seder's.

I find Wicca extremely interesting and have no problem with people who refer to themselves as witches (or warlocks, even though 'warlock' sounds SO silly)as long as they are serious and not 'playing'witch. The Wiccan (white witchcraft) religion is an earth religion and has nothing to do with sacrificing babies or ritual sacrifices and I go bananas when people freak out about witchcraft. I like to ask them, how is it any different than Native American rituals and customs/ceremonies ? Being Scottish AND Chreokee, I like to argue for both sides ;)

I have a few Marilyn Manson Cd's at home because I like a bit of his music. His image is for entertainment, and while I concede that he is a BIT freaky, he doesn't offend me at all. That being said, he loves to get people riled up. I used to work in a bookstore and we had his biography out on display, and some woman just LOST HER $H*T and went on a rant about how he eats fetuses (not true) and performs fellatio on stage (and that makes you a bad person?)and all I said to her when she came fuming up to the counter to complain, is "Your reaction is PRECISELY the reaction he attempts to illicit form people and get their attention and rattle their cage. Now please take your tantrum outside until you can behave like an adult." Hey, everyone is entitled to an opinion and/or a tantrum, but not in public, please.

What REALLY tans my hide are the religous cults that deny medical attention for their children when they are in obvious need and attempt to 'pray' the illness away.

Anyway, I'm gonna shut up before I irritate someone, as this is a weight loss board, and I can take my religious debate somewhere else I suppose !

Bye bye for now...getting sleepy here at work....very slooooow...

AMy

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-2003
Fri, 04-23-2004 - 8:07am
Alot of the traditional "Christian" holidays are patterned after pagan celebrations. Easter was a spring pagan fertility holiday. The colorful Easter eggs that we dye have pagan roots. The eggs being a symbol of fertility. The reason why Christians "made over" pagan holidays? To make the transition for folks converting over from paganism to christianity easier.

LOL! Amy! I too, am a recovering Catholic!

Deb 270/228/145ish  (updated 4/19/04. Next weigh-in: 6/1/04)

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-07-2004
Fri, 04-23-2004 - 8:35am
No need to cover my eyes...I have already decided to stay far away from this thread.

If need be I will state my faith when asked but me staying away from this one.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2003
Fri, 04-23-2004 - 9:16am
Speaking of... My BF is a "recovering Catholic" as well. I don't think he's been to church since his mom gave him a choice in the matter when he was 12 or 13. lol He still calls himself a catholic, though, even though most his values are far more liberal than what I would presume Cathololics' to be. I am trying (one small step at a time) to persuade him to go to church with me. I think he is very much in line with the Unitarian Universalist values, etc. (He currently works on Sunday mornings, or we probably would have tackled this much sooner.)

I, also, am always up for a healthy religious debate, if anyone is ever interested. And hey- I saw someone mention a pagan board here on iV... I saw one on the big list, but it wasn't what I was looking for. And many of the religion boards seem to resemble ghost towns for the most part. If anyone knows of a good forum for religious discussion, I'd be appreciative! :)

Thanks again,

Tina

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Avatar for brens2boys
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Fri, 04-23-2004 - 10:05am
I had thought about looking into going to a Unitarian Universalist church for some time,but there is only one somewhat near me...maybe someday I'll actually do more work into finding where it is and what time I can go =) I've read some info. on it on Beliefnet,and some of the teachings seem to go along with some of my beliefs.

Pagan boards on ivillage I think are listed on ivillage network.Pagan Paths and Wiccan Ways are the two I am familiar with,but I only post on Wiccan Ways since that seems to get a bit more used.

Bren

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 04-23-2004 - 10:22am

Is Paganism and Wiccan the same thing?

  Shawna-- Proud Cl for 100 Pounds or More to Go 

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2003
Fri, 04-23-2004 - 11:22am
I am a firm believer in what you believe is what you believe…. I for one can not stand to hear someone try to preach to another or tell them they are wrong about their religion or beliefs (my MIL does this every time I see her by saying you need to come to church) or I don’t like when someone downs another’s religion either,,,,, I think this whole one nation under god words out of the pledge of allegiance and in god we trust off our money is crap but that’s another debate into which I will not go into here and now…I think the some of the wiccan and paganism culture is very interesting….. But I do not know enough about it to make a firm judgment as I stand yes I believe in “God” my God that is… church is in my head and I do not feel I have to leave my home to go to a building that is called “his house” when his house is my house and I was there to begin with…..(not sure is that makes sense) lol but anyway no religion is better then mine as mine is no better then others….


I think if everyone respected each others beliefs more there wouldn’t be such problems amongst the people that make up this world…..

that’s my thoughts…..

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 04-23-2004 - 1:24pm
Wicca is one "branch" of Paganism. Pagan is a very broad term for earth based religions - Wiccan is specific (kind of like "Cathoic" is one branch of Christianity). I am Wiccan :-) Generally, we believe that "God" is both male and female, that all things are sacred, etc. We also believe in reincarnation and "karma".
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-10-2004
Fri, 04-23-2004 - 2:10pm
Amy,

I have read what I can get my hands on about the jewish faith. Jews have some kick ass views on some things like hell and the devil. Ill chat with you about it at the club.

Yes, all Wiccans are pagan, but not all pagans are wiccan. Just as all baptist are christain but not all christians are baptisit.

Im very suprised about how informed you all are. When my family seen pagan books in my house they went ape sheet. That was around christmas time and they are just now getting around to listening to me explaine about yule, beltane etc and how the chruch adopted the time frames and themes from these holidays. Im not sure if they have accepted it or not, but it seems to make sense to them.

I will be the last person (I hope I know myself that well) to say someone's belief is wrong. I will say it is wrong for me, but I can't tell someone else what to believe. If I do argue a point of religion please keep in mind that Im stating why it is wrong for me, or fact from history that helped to shape the way I believe.

Avatar for brens2boys
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Fri, 04-23-2004 - 2:20pm
Lol,my family would go ape sheet too if they saw my collection of books =)My Mother still freaks out that my kids aren't baptized and every now and then will ask me when I'm taking them to church =/ My husband on the other hand had numerous books that I had never known about(he at one point studied many religions and had contemplated becoming a priest,but decided it wasn't for him.He now remains agnostic and leaves me to believe in what I believe),so I have a small collection,but not near as many as I'd like to have.Kind of hard to ask for pagan/wiccan books as gifts when I know no one would buy them.