Did you ever notice that Paganism today has been diluted, by most in the popular culture, into a rebellious form of Christianity...Kinda like Paganity. The influences are everywhere. I've met with a local group and I get a very repressed and rigid feel, almost like a Christian fundamentalist feel, but with different words. I've met many others out there that were very Pagan, and free, but the people that cling to the edge are MANY. Can a true Pagan live by the edicts of Christian religion unknowingly and convince themselves that they are something else? I believe that the Earth based religions are getting stronger, but still incorporate too much of the Christian dogma. I long to find a true earth based group free from the dogma of Christianity and the concept of sin. Does anyone know what I'm talking about??? Do you see a lot of pretenders out there because the concept of Paganism is cool, but not really heartfelt?
I think a lot of people that were raised in the Christian faith are SCARED whether they admit it (or are even aware of it) or not. the christian faith instills so much fear in people, and fear is a hard thing to release, no matter how much you may be moved by another spiritual path. I would like to see the same things you are talking about, and I would love to see people who are looking for another way get over the fear of going to hell, or the devil, or whatever the fuck they are afraid of. That, I think, is a hard one in this culture...we are so saturated with Christianity whether we believe in it or not. Good luck in your search for a non-fear based group to be a part of...I'm more of a loner at this point, and for some of the same reasons...
Yeah I was one of the people that was raised Christian. I know how it is. Me and my friend passed a church the other day and the sign said "turn or burn". My Girlfriend lives close to a church and it had a sign that said "you cant stop drop and roll in hell". An Earth Magazine had some pictures of Church signs that said,"Earth First! We will pave the other planets later." and another one had a picture of one that said Recycling is Satan. That made me very angry.
But when we left the Christian faith, we left the fear behind, or at least I did. The only regret is the time lost that cannot be regained.
The fear still lingers in me, like it comes and goes, but only because of 15 years of Christianity. I started down the path I'm on today a little less than 3 years ago.
Yeah can see why that would be hard to overcome, it's quite shocking really. To me America is so hypocritical about religion. They claim seperation of church and state; but Christianity has such an accepted stronghold in politics, even more so than countries like Mexico where there are statistically more church goers. Yet in Britian, despite being officially protestan (yeah it's called 'church of England' for a reason) we are definetly more secular and tolerant. Suppose it stems from history, religion has needed to loosen it's strong hold in the face of change and growing diversity of opinion. Last time a leader of ours [Charles I] literaly carried on like he was Gods gift to humanity we decapitated him. (a tradition I am very in favour of reviving) Where as America, as it stands today, was pretty much founded by a group of people who desired the freedom to practise as they wished. Which is a seemingly nice idea, but factor in that they were puritans and your garden variety whack jobs and the rest of history starts to make more sense. As for 'Paganity', hmm actually have another theory based on my own experiences [outside of the USA]. Neopaganism is indeed very new and very unstructured. Which means people are pretty much left to their own deviceses. So they naturally enough work from what they already know, which is usually Christianity as they live in a Christian country. With hindsight I can look back and realise during my early days as a pagan I was pretty much praying to a souped up version of 'new testament God'. Simply because that was the only deity concept I had even an approximation of understanding of at that stage, having absorbed it during my otherwise fairly secular upbringing. Really don't you think this knee jerk 'pagan = good, Christian = evil' is a bit ... immature, short sighted, niave (not sure of the best word there)? Think it is a sign of spiritual maturity to have a true respect for other religions. There is much good in Christianity. It provides comfort, insight, has a solid moral foundation, Jesus was a positive role model etc. There may be seemingly undesirable aspects; but what is abhorent to us may perfectly suit others, they could have come to those ideas because those happen to make sense and do them no real harm. So who are we to blindly judge? So can accept it and see no reason to cast all that aside and regard it with such paranoia and suspicion. It's not the path I walk, but it's a valid one. Am not Christian, but can understand it. By way of considering a parent and child relationship. Am under no illusions that my mother would [metaphorically I assure you] kick my ass if I got out of line. So I behave because there is an instilled knowlege of right & wrong, and an understanding of the concequences either way. Yet I know that she acts out of love, which gives power to her message and an understanding of her reason. So I can love her for all thre positives but never loose sight of the morality. Do not believe it is possible to love someone without respecting them. This scenario, far as I can see, is not limited just to God. Cannot think of a single pagan deity that does embody such duality. There is no utterly loving Goddess*. Sure she'll care for you, but in return demands respect and an understanding that she will not take any crap or you will pay dearly. *Yes there are Goddesses of love, but that is usually just one facet of them (like Freya; Goddess of love and war). Even then they're no pushover.
