Reply To: Pondering pagans

#23757

K.
Member
Every Pagan has her/his own sets of beliefs and ways of worship. There do seem to be some common threads that unite most Pagans:

1. We are very non-authoritarian. Spirituality is a very personal thing. Everyone relates to God/Goddess/Deity in their own way. No one person can tell another what to believe.

2. We believe in the equal sacredness of men and women. Some Pagans try to balance male/female symbols and energies in their worship, while others focus strictly on the Goddess. Also, we do not believe in a "chosen people." We see all cultures, races and life-affirming religions as having wisdom and value.

3. We believe in the sacredness of the Earth and all living things. We seek to live in harmony and balance with Nature. Our religious holidays center on the seasons, moon cycles, etc. Pagans take the rapidly deteriorating state of our environment very seriously, and many work for environmental couses.

4. Pagans differ on how they view the Gods. Some see the Gods as living, conscious entities, others see them as psychological archetypes such as those Jung talked of. Some see them as "thought-forms" that contain the energies of the generations of peoples who have worshiped them.

5. Pagans do not believe in the Christian Devil or Satan. We do not believe there is an enity "making" people do evil things.

6. Pagans adhere to the sacred law, "An it harm none, do what thou wilt." This means that we must be aware of and responsible for our actions and the effects they have on others. We do not knowingly or willingly harm another physically, emotionally or spiritually. Some Pagans extend this law to animals and the environment as well. On the other hand, many Pagans see "victimless crimes" such as homosexuality as OK, since it is an action performed with the consent of those involved.

7. Many Pagans believe in what non-Pagans would call the "supernatural" or "paranormal," such as divination, psychic ability, multiple planes of existance, etc. Magick is to Pagans as Prayer and miracles are to Christians.

User Detail :  

Name : K., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Pagan, Age : 21, City : College Station, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,