OT: A POLL How many pagans do we have on this Board?

Cyfiawnder · Post by **Cyfiawnder** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 5:31 am

Oh I forgot to mention I am not a Poly-theist! I'm an Omni-theist get it right

There's a big darn difference there... Now I realy must be going to die the little death.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:20 am

Lorenzo wrote: "This page provides evidence that paganism existed prior to Muslim, Christian, or Jewish religions, and shows biblical texts demostrating how some of the "pagan" practices were likely adopted by the Jews."
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When you think aboout it, it makes sense. At the dawn of humanity, early Man was more concerned about the phases of the moon, seasons, prey/predator movements and so on, rather than whose dogma to follow. Naturally, these phases and movements were very important to early Man's survival, it is no small wonder that they would be worshipped.

IMHO, 'religion' was most likely created (and I believe 'created')as a way to gain power and influence over another person, group or country's belief system. It certainly is still one the biggest excuses to go to war.

Eliot · Post by **Eliot** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:45 am

Ne·o-Pa·gan·ism (n-pg-nzm)
n.
Any of various religious movements arising chiefly in the United Kingdom and the United States in the late 20th century that combine worship of pagan nature deities, particularly of the earth, with benign witchcraft

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Even given this probably more accurate definition of the author's intent, it is worth wondering what this community would have though had the author instead asked how many Jews are on this site, or how many Gay people are on this site. It is just an incredible question to even ask...

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 9:14 am

Quote: "It is just an incredible question to even ask..."
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Hmmm. I quess I can see it that way, but I doubt the author intended it as an insult or a ploy to get folks to proclaim their deep and dark personal sides, in order to be persecuted and 'burned' at a later date.

But if I am wrong, which is always a possibility, I'll have mine with a honey/mustard glaze please....

And what if he had asked for the number of Jews, Catholics, Muslims, Gays or Little Green Men (who look remarkably like a plumber's friend) from Tralfamadore? I would hope that we are all comfortable with who we are, and what we believe or how we choose to lead or lives that it really ought to be a non-issue. But, in this age of political correctness and over sensitivety, I suppose that had the other questions been asked, there would have been quite a few enraged readers. But he didn't and I do not see why there should even be made an issue with that.

...I'll still have mine with the honey/mustard glaze...

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 10:33 am

Cyfiawnder wrote:I'm an Omni-theist get it right

You believe in ALL gods? That's a new one on me...

Cyfiawnder wrote:Now I realy must be going to die the little death.

Like the French do? Too much information, dude.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 11:33 am

fearfaoin wrote:
Cyfiawnder wrote:Now I realy must be going to die the little death.
Like the French do? Too much information, dude.

I was just gonna say.

SMarsalis · Post by **SMarsalis** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 1:51 pm

Cyfiawnder specifically self-identified as pagan, and carefully crafted the poll as intended not to 'out' or judge anyone. The message board is about community, and sometimes one needs to find others with similarities to be comfortable in a community.

As a gay man who loves Irish music and plays whistle and flute, I've often wondered if there are any 'out' Irish musicians, and how I would be accepted in the broader IrTrad community. True, my sexuality has nothing to do with my ability (or lack there of) to play the music, but it's a part of who I am, and I don't want to expend any energy hiding that fact.

I self-identify as a Christian with strong neo-pagan elements aspects of my faith. If I was in a session, and Cyfiawnder was next to me wearing a pentacle or greenman necklace, I might say "neat pendant", as a sign that I'm supportive, and as a way to say "hey, we might have something more than the music in common". We might even head to the park some full moon and play music with others who have similar beliefs.

This thread performs a similar function; thanks Cyfiawnder for starting it.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 2:07 pm

Hey, check out the Google ads on page 10! "eBay: Buddhism Deals". Satori at wholesale prices.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 2:07 pm

SMarsalis wrote: "As a gay man who loves Irish music and plays whistle and flute, I've often wondered if there are any 'out' Irish musicians, and how I would be accepted in the broader IrTrad community. True, my sexuality has nothing to do with my ability (or lack there of) to play the music, but it's a part of who I am, and I don't want to expend any energy hiding that fact. "
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Agreed.

It does not matter who or what we are, it matters that we stick together and support each other.

My wife is Christian, I am a witch. I could get all upset and emphatically protest the fact that I cannot go anywhere, read anything without Christianity being fed to me without my consent... but I don't, because it just isn't a big deal, and as a witch I am bound to respect all life and all walks of life.

Cyfiawnder simply put up a poll seeking out people of the same spiritual cloth as himself (... or this is what I'm assuming), and we are answering...Christian, Gay, Jew, Muslim, Pagan...and so on an so forth.

All of this still does not change the fact that I want honey/mustard on my longpork...

j dasinger · Post by **j dasinger** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 11:28 pm

If you would like to do more reading on the Picts and other early tribes of Britain in mind-numbing detail, might I suggest John Morris' "The Age of Arthur: A History of the British Isles from 350 to 650." Even though I was interested in the subject, I never was able to actually get to the Arthur parts because the book is about 600 pages of crushing historical detail. But the beginning parts of the book talk about roman, pre-celtic, celtic and germanic migrations in and around england. He specifically addresses the Picts.
jd

toughknot · Post by **toughknot** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 11:36 pm

Three. What do I win?

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 7:29 am

toughknot wrote:Three. What do I win?

A site map?
Slan,
D.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 12:27 pm

fearfaoin wrote:
Cyfiawnder wrote:I'm an Omni-theist get it right
You believe in ALL gods? That's a new one on me...

I've been thinking that maybe Cyf meant animist, where all things are divine or are infused with the divine. This isn't different from myself, a quasi-mystical sort when I'm not being crabbily realist. I see what is all around me as the Face of God, which is a tenet of Islam, too, if I recall correctly. I just find it a logical outcome of considering creation even from a Christian background. Interesting to me that on my Belief-o-Matic results, Islam and Eastern Orthodox Chritianity, a more mystical tradition and that of my father's side, scored so low. But I'm sure that the reasons for that were more about dogma and issues like assigned sex roles and the like.

Oh, well. If being a Christian Animist makes me a heretic, get that honey-mustard glaze going, Joseph!

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 1:58 pm

Eliot wrote:A pagan is anyone who is a non-Christian, Muslim or Jew, that is the definition, it has nothing to do with any other specific religion.

Here is the definition from dictionary.com:

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=pagan

I am an athiest, and therefore a Pagan.

I believe that is what "pagan" *came to be known* as, while in reality, it was an actual religion, and fell victim to another effort on the part of "The Church" to denigrate the 'heathen' religions... deny them any validity at all by turning the term into something really unpallatable for the people who wanted to survive.. um... I mean who joinded the "real" religion... rather like turning the village "wise woman", who was usually the midwife and herbalist/natural healer, and called a "witch", which *meant* "wise woman", into a *witch* with all the ugly and unholy connotations.. pretty effective propaganda actually... and very unfortunate.

edited for spelling... sigh

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 5:24 pm

I took that Belief-o-Matic thing. It seems sort of ludicrous to me. I came up with a 100% match with Unitarian-Universalist, and 99% match with "Secular Humanist" which isn't really a religion but is instead a perjorative straw man of the far right.

Not surprisingly the match was less than 10% with the Roman Catholicism of my childhood.

What I think is ridiculous about the thing is that it doesn't offer the option of "None". Not 'none of the above', simply "None". It assumes, wrongly, that everyone wants or needs some religion - a point I heartily dispute. I think I do just fine without any, thanks.

Chiff and Fipple Forums

OT: A POLL How many pagans do we have on this Board?

The answer: the thread originator meant "neo-pagan"

Re: I am a Pagan