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Religion/spirituality

Paganism

(170 Posts)
petallus Mon 02-Jun-14 15:46:38

I recently met someone who is a Pagan. I have become quite interested in it. I like the idea of 'worshipping' nature and having rituals which centre on nature.

I wonder if any Gnetters are Pagans.

Anniebach Mon 25-Sept-17 22:21:20

I respect all faiths and would not criticise any belief , excluding the dark arts.

mimiro Mon 25-Sept-17 21:56:02

nothing wrong with celebrating your child of god
i have no problem with others beliefs/philosophy
i do have a problem with people spouting off about things they dont understand
ie;satanism being the same as witchcraft/paganism/budhism etc
wisest words i ever heard"do not decide how to worship until you have studied at least 7 other beliefs/religions.
i am a buddhist pagan and yes you can be both

mimiro Mon 25-Sept-17 21:48:47

then the same holds true for paganism/paganism is the belief in DO NO HARM/live and let live..there are bad people everywhere
pagans don't/ didn't
burn people who don't believe like them.
.and the crusades were just a childs picnic
you are confusing paganism with druidism and witchcraft.

Anniebach Mon 25-Sept-17 21:47:26

Christmas Day celebrates Christ was born, not he was born on 25th December, it means throughout the world christians can celebrate together

mimiro Mon 25-Sept-17 21:42:05

and jesus wasn't born in the winter
even theologians admit it

www.livescience.com/42976-when-was-jesus-born.html

and henry was a serial killer/there was no reason for what he did excpt the freakin monarchy and his need to fuck everything in sight/couldnt stand that a female would be his heir

Anniebach Mon 25-Sept-17 21:40:11

And no Pagan has ever harmed a child? Plus you are wrong, the church is Christ therefore cannot hurt a child, members of a church have just as fathers and grandfathers have and do.

mimiro Mon 25-Sept-17 21:28:24

satanism has nothing to do with paganism or wicca
satanism requires you to believe in the christian god
pagans,wiccans animasts etc do not believe in satan
and pagans are not religious, they honor all living things more like buddism wicca is a whole nother thing and
modern wicca is a mishmash of a bunch of different beliefs not the celtic/gaelic witches.even so do no harm is the golden rule.

ANd the first rule of paganism is do no harm/
christian holidays were co=opted by the church from pagan beliefs and holidays.YULE is pagan
and the church has done and still is doing horrifying things to children

Anniebach Mon 25-Sept-17 21:09:53

They believe in Christ Smileless,

Smileless2012 Mon 25-Sept-17 20:36:47

I'm not sure that Jehovah Witnesses are Christians because they don't believe in the Trinity Anniebach but the others that you've mentioned do.

Anniebach Mon 25-Sept-17 20:32:57

Anglicanism isn't a religion, are you claiming nethodists , baptists, Calvinists, Jehovah Witnesses are not Christian because they were break away churches ? The religion is Cristianity, and the Yorkshire Ripper has the same rights as I to be a Christian,

Smileless2012 Mon 25-Sept-17 20:20:37

Well I very much doubt that just anyone could have started a religion in the 1530's that would still be 'on the go' today paddyann.

There was a lot of disillusion with the Catholic Church at the time so the people had an appetite for change. The Protestant reformation began in 1517 with Martin Luther, Ann Boleyn was herself a protestant but was very subtle in her conversations with Henry about it.

I wouldn't say that Henry V111 was a serial killer, regardless of whether or not he "wielded the axe himself" but his faith appears to have been very important to him as was the way in which he practiced it. Even after the formation of the C of E he celebrated Mass with all the ritual associated with Catholicism.

paddyann Mon 25-Sept-17 20:03:13

although to be fair Henry probably never wielded the axe himself

paddyann Mon 25-Sept-17 20:01:44

so the dubious beginnings dont matter ..anyone can say they've started a religion and as long as they conform to "Jesus is the son of god" they can do whatever they like ...sorry but old Henry didn't appear in the least bit "christian " from where I stand ...lol The fact he's a serial killer shouldn't make any difference should it...or does it only apply to monarchs?So if the yorkshire ripper decides to start his own branch of "christianity" that'll be fine? After all it will still believe Jesus is the son of God!

Smileless2012 Mon 25-Sept-17 19:56:12

Yes of course it does paddyann because the C of E recognises Jesus as the son of God and it's that which differentiates between Christian and non Christian.

I would agree that certain traditions as you've mentioned whitewave have been incorporated into the festival of Christmas, but not all who celebrate Christmas do so because they're Christians, so these things have not necessarily been incorporated into the Christian festival but into the festival of Christmas.

Anniebach Mon 25-Sept-17 17:41:32

It is part of the world wide fellowship of the Anglican Church which is a Christian church

paddyann Mon 25-Sept-17 17:38:07

does the church of england count as a religion seeing it was made simply to validate a king who couldn't keep it in his pants

whitewave Mon 25-Sept-17 17:08:42

Mid winter was chosen/overlaid by Christianity because it has always been a pagan celebration of the return of the sun amongst other stuff. Things like the Yule log, mistletoe etc have all been incorporated into the Christian festival

devongirl Mon 25-Sept-17 17:05:51

In so far as I celebrate Christmas it is mainly because it is thrust upon me!

Anniebach Mon 25-Sept-17 15:00:03

Same for me, the birth of the Christ Child

Smileless2012 Mon 25-Sept-17 13:23:02

I'm not. When I celebrate Christmas I'm celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. I know of people of different faiths who don't celebrate Christmas because they don't recognise Jesus as the Son of God and plenty who celebrate Christmas who don't ascribe to any faith, but I've never met a Christian who doesn't because to do so would be celebrating paganism.

lizzyann Thu 21-Sept-17 17:13:11

if you celebrate Christmas you are celebrating paganism .

lizzyann Thu 21-Sept-17 17:10:17

If you celebrate Christmas music are celebrating paganism

whitewave Sat 10-Oct-15 07:40:19

Um yeshmm and?

aston562 Sat 10-Oct-15 07:36:00

From the Skeptics Dictionary : "The word 'pagan' is derived from the Latin word for country dweller. The pagans were the Greek and Roman polytheists who followed the cults of Mithra, Venus, Apollo, Demeter, etc. Today, however, Christians generally reserve the appellation for those who belong to no religion or who belong to one of the New Age nature religions or anti-Christian cults."

feetlebaum Sat 11-Jul-15 23:21:51

Where do you get the idea that 'Jesus' is going to 'come again'? Even going by the bible, he was supposed to have said he would return during the lifetime of some of those listening to him. Naturally, he didn't, being dead, and anyway it's a bit late now...