Ask a Pagan

[pensive]

For the history of Wicca, I'd be inclined to recommend Philip Heselton's two books, Wiccan Roots and Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration.

 

[Bookofknowledge]

The reasons are the same as for why your're not Wiccan. The Divine has been presented to me through the path that I follow.



We're both on the path to the Divine, we're just on different paths. Your faith is not "wrong," just as my faith isn't "wrong." As such, I'm perfectly happy saying that to each his own.

Jerusha

hmmm,

The Divine, can you define th word "Divine"?

Please explain your religion and who is your GOD?

 

[morningstar2651]

I suppose I'll ask it ... for those interested in a cultural/social history of paganism and Wicca, is Triumph of the Moon a good book? How about Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon? Are there any other books you'd recommend for a person not at all interested in joining the faith, but curious about its history, origins, and modern practices?

If you're looking for cheap informitive short books, here are some good ones for people interested in learning rather than joining:

When Someone You Love Is Wiccan: A Guide to Witchcraft and Paganism for Concerned Friends, Nervous Parents, and Curious Co-Workers

The Truth About Witchcraft

Drawing Down the Moon is a bit longer than the 2 I listed (608 pages) but is much more thorough. I recommend it if you're willing to spend the money on it...or have a library card.

 

[morningstar2651]

And here is a new book (released 16 days ago) that may be worth looking into.

Witch Hunts: Out of The Broom Closet

If you are a Pagan, this book will show you how to defend yourself from discrimination and harassment. It will give you the information you need to educate your friends, family and co-workers. If you are not a Pagan, this book will tell you what Wicca is and what it is not. I leave you to draw your own conclusions.

Estimates vary widely as to how many Wiccans and other Neo-Pagans there are in North America, the UK and Australia yet one thing is certain: Wicca and other Neo-Pagan faiths are rapidly growing in size in popularity.

Many of the followers of these Neo-Pagan religions would like to tell their family, friends, co-workers or partners about their spirituality. Due to the vast amount of misinformation about the occult in circulation, many are fearful of attempting this. Many are solitaries who have no support network or Pagan friends that they can rely on to help them out if they become the targets of discrimination or harassment. They’d like to "come out of the broom closet", but really don’t know how to go about it. In the two decades that I’ve been involved in anti-defamation work for the Pagan community the most common question that I get from Pagans is: How do I go public? I wrote this book to answer that question in detail.

This book is meant to help you avoid the problems that I encountered when I went public about my Wiccan beliefs. I discovered very quickly that I was the first Wiccan cop to do so. I found out very quickly how little support there was for people like me in the 70s. I learned many lessons about anti-defamation the hard way. I learned of fellow Pagans wrongly accused, their lives ruined, living in fear. I experienced bigotry and harassment of minority religions first hand. I traced the development and use of various urban legends in a modern Witch hunt. I spent the next two decades researching and debunking this collection of urban legends which, gathered together, form a greater myth which I shall call the Satanic Conspiracy myth. These urban legends created an atmosphere of hysteria and rumour, fanaticism and fraud. The misinformation contained in these urban legends resulted in countless fruitless hours of investigation by law enforcement officers. Countless tax dollars have been spent financing unproductive and unnecessary investigations and the training courses offered by self proclaimed "experts" hoping to keep these investigations and the resulting discrimination active. I documented the power of information deliberately misused. This book will summarize the lessons that I learned.

 

[God_of_Mercy]

According to your beliefs the we all have a path in which we reach the divine. These different paths have different ideologies and creation stories. All creation stories cannot be correct, therefore the divine is letting us believe lies.

 

[morningstar2651]

What does it matter how the world was created? Why dwell on the past?

 

[God_of_Mercy]

It does matter, a religion must be accurate in its claims. The acceptance of multiple stories contradict.

 

[Crispie]

morning star, are you admitting that "the divine" leads us to often believe lies, even if they be of our origins or paths of salvation?

(if 2 different religions state that their way is the only way to salvation, and both are right, though both contradict, then there is a paradox, its impossible to happen)

 

[morningstar2651]

Please explain your religion.

That's a bit vague, can you please ask more specific questions?

who is your GOD?

Allah, Jehova, Pan, Zeus, Hermes, Dionysus, Bacchus, etc. are all Gods I believe in.

Aphrodite, Demeter, Athena, Kali, Inanna, Hera, etc. are all Goddesses I believe in.

 

[Crispie]

morningstar, it seems as though you only believe in gods and godesses that win the popularity contest, not the truth contest. If I were to make up a god right now and it gained world wide recognition, would you believe mine too?

 

[Dennis Moore]

If you're looking for cheap informitive short books,

No, actually. I'm most concerned about scholarly integrity, accuracy, and readability. I hve no intention of ever following Wicca, but the mythology/trappings of it fascinates me.

Drawing Down the Moon

is a bit longer than the 2 I listed (608 pages) but is much more thorough. I recommend it if you're willing to spend the money on it...or have a library card.

I listen to Margot Adler on NPR, and I've always been curious about it. But I never get around to buying it ...

 

[Dennis Moore]

Okay, I have to ask this one ... if you believe that all religions are valid paths to the Divine, what's your view of we nontheists who follow no divine path?

 

[morningstar2651]

morning star, are you admitting that "the divine" leads us to often believe lies, even if they be of our origins or paths of salvation?

(if 2 different religions state that their way is the only way to salvation, and both are right, though both contradict, then there is a paradox, its impossible to happen)

Gods can lie (They wouldn't be all powerful if they didn't have that power...would they?)...it is the mortals job to figure out for his or herself wether or not they speak the truth.



Most creation myths have several similarities anyhoo...for example -- Prometheus can be parallelled by the serpent in the garden of Eden.

 

[morningstar2651]

morningstar, it seems as though you only believe in gods and godesses that win the popularity contest, not the truth contest. If I were to make up a god right now and it gained world wide recognition, would you believe mine too?

Err...I wasn't aware that a lot of people worship Pan in this day & age...didn't think he was all that popular

As for your scenario -- I don't know... make up a god that is recognised world wide and I'll let you know.

 

[morningstar2651]

If two religions claim to be the only way, I believe that they are wrong -- they are both a way...but not the only way.

 

[Lokisdottir]

According to your beliefs the we all have a path in which we reach the divine. These different paths have different ideologies and creation stories. All creation stories cannot be correct, therefore the divine is letting us believe lies.

Not so. Many people don't realize that much of what religion teaches is metaphorical. In the end, it doesn't matter whether Adam and Eve or Ask and Embla were the first humans. Those people might never have existed at all. What matters is that you look at the big picture. What is the true meaning of the religion you follow? What messages does it teach?

Think about it. What matters more -- the details of how every animal species in the world managed to fit into one boat, or the message that says to "love thy neighbor as thyself"? It's not about the hows, but rather the whys.

 

[Bookofknowledge]

That's a bit vague, can you please ask more specific questions?

Allah, Jehova, Pan, Zeus, Hermes, Dionysus, Bacchus, etc. are all Gods I believe in.

Aphrodite, Demeter, Athena, Kali, Inanna, Hera, etc. are all Goddesses I believe in.

I kindly request you not to include the name of Allah or GOD of Musa or GOD of Isa while listing other deities because I may ask you specific question which may offend you or make you think...

I don't mind your believe your terminologies but when listing other deities I kindly request you not to include the name "Allah", if you continue to include I hope you have done enough research and you are ready to answer the questions I am going to ask...

accept the challenge of serious debate or stop including the name Allah with other deities.

When you believe in Allah then you have to educate about the commands of Allah - The very first command is taking "Shahada" which is testifying there is one Allah without any partners and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

Once one testify they go further in research and educated with clear intention to bring awareness of what is Right and Wrong, what is acceptable and what is forbidden in this religion. The rules of Islam are very clear in Qur'aan and Ahadith which clearly defines who is a believer and who is a non-believer.

One saying I believe this because I feel its right is unacceptable when it comes to what is clearly defined in Qur'aan and Ahadith.

Those who believe in other gods does not believe in Allah hence can not claim as they also believe in Allah along with other deities.

 

[morningstar2651]

...but I do believe he exists. I believe in Allah, but I do not worship him.

 

[Rae]

Adler's Drawing Down the Moon is still pretty good at showing the diversity of Pagan belief and practice. I'd recommend it to anyone interested. It's just a tiny bit dated IMO, but still a good introduction. FYI some Pagans I know don't like it because they found it too dry and intellectual.

 

[Rae]

if you believe that all religions are valid paths to the Divine, what's your view of we nontheists who follow no divine path?

--You're generally nice people, but none of you have bought me any margaritas yet... ::blinks at you::

I have no problem with you. I think the Gods don't have any problem with you. Why should they? They aren't egomaniacs who need praise from humans in order to feel whole and they'd never punish you with a bad afterlife because you didn't stroke them in this life.

who is your GOD?

--The Gods I personally honor are Isis and Nut of Egypt, a God of the day, and a personal God of humor.

BTW, the Witch Hunts book referenced above by morningstar is by Kerr Cuhulain, an excellent debunker of the scare tactics used by some Christian apologists to tell lies about Paganism and "New Age" religion in general. I'd recommend googling him on the Web as he has some wonderful information out there, especially on the Witches' Voice Web site.