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A_Norseman
No worries, you sounded much more coherent than I ever do when it's really late. I very much agree with what you said about paganism, Protestantism, etc. However, when reading about Wicca I found that many Wiccans agree to disagree on the definition of "pagan". Some would not say that pagan means the absence of Christianity. Some would say it refers to one of a wide variety of spiritual paths that are Earth centered. So I guess we can't really settle in on a single definition.
I was not aware of Asatru, and I am very sure there is a great wealth of history to be found in the ancient religion. One thing I ask of you, however, is to re-read the post and see that I didn't say the religion wasn't "real". I had heard a lot of complaints from Wiccans that no one took them seriously, and so I made my point to express why so many people have trouble taking them seriously. I also expressed my distaste with their pleasure-based free sex explorations, and said how that makes me not want to take them very seriously, but not that it made me think their religion isn't "real". Just wanted to set that straight. =)
posted by
Unidentified_Hacker
on May 6, 2005 at 8:24 AM
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Un. Hack..
Pardon the abbreviation of your name, but it is getting late.
Paganism is to Christianity what Gentile is to Jew, what Protestant is to Catholic. Is gentile a religion? No, it is the lack of being Jewish. Is protestant a religion? some people would say so nowadays but it started out as not being catholic, by "protesting" the church state. I don't believe protestant is a religion in itself because it has no organization, no doctrine, other than not being catholic.
Paganism therefore in my opinion is not a religion, it has no doctrine other than not being christian. there are however pagan religions. Just as there are protestant religions.
A couple pagan religions are wicca, and Asatru. They are true religions in that people practice them religiously, they have doctrines and covenants, organization, and a governing structure. And they are both older by far than christianity is. Not that being old makes you right, but it is a bit arrogant to suggest that they are not "real." Asatru is the old religion of the Vikings. Much history of it was lost when Christianity invaded Scandinavia and forced itself upon the population. It is being revived slowly but surely, one fragment at a time. I am glad, because with its extermination much rich history was lost. I'm on a little tangent here , sorry. I told you it was late. Good night.
posted by
A_Norseman
on May 5, 2005 at 11:05 PM
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Unidentified Hacker,
I agree: anything that glorifies anonymous sex is just flaky. That and the hubris of tampering with the mystery of the spiritual realm, as if it were something that cared about our personal little whims, without serious consequence, is well, hubris.
posted by
Blanche.
on May 5, 2005 at 4:10 PM
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back to witchcraft
i commented in Ariala's blog.
might not have been clear
but the subject matter is, well, rather nebulous.
a great unknown.
the best we can do is experience it. I have experienced things that lead me to believe that there is a realm beyond what we can perceive and that the world which we perceive can be acted upon by that realm.
but then again, it is an individual experience. And, like any reality, it is individually experienced so that another person will not experience the same thing. And many will not experience it all, or not recognize it. so that we have it called withcraft -- or the paranormal -- or other things.
and those who call themselves wiccans? . . . what do they experience?
it's all in a name -- in what it's called.
like a rose by any other name.
posted by
Xeno-x
on May 5, 2005 at 2:50 PM
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empty_hand
I thank Ariala for more than just that, don't you worry =)
posted by
Unidentified_Hacker
on May 5, 2005 at 2:36 PM
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It's Christians who
make pagans
pagans wouldn't be pagans without christians
and it's Christians who are responsible for devil worship.
because it's Christianity that created the devil in the first place.
you can't worship something that doesn't exist.
you gotta thank Ariala for my reading you.
posted by
Xeno-x
on May 5, 2005 at 2:33 PM
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Too funny. After rituals, you are invited to stay for coffee and a free HIV test.
But then, the Christians have the Church of the Immaculate Conception...sort of the opposite extreme
ooh, and I remember seeing Our Lady of the Mount and thinking that waas an interesting sort of name too.
posted by
FactorFiction
on May 5, 2005 at 10:01 AM
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Sounds crazy to me
posted by
Runs_at_dawn
on May 5, 2005 at 9:57 AM
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