Can't be a Pagan... (beliefs, atheist, worship, Abraham, Christianity)

[Kcnorwood]

Late last night I was told that I can not be a Pagan because it requires going back to an older, more primitive style of consciousness...social as well as individual...it requires monotheism to be unlearned. But no matter what I believe I will can not unlearn monotheist. Furthermore all religion is a way of knowing the truth...without having to comprehend the truth.

[Tau]

Do you see what I was getting at before kcnorwood more clearly now?

Times change man.

I would be a druid with you truth be known...if it were possible.

[Kcnorwood]

You seem to be assuming that because everyone else believes in one God so should I.

I do not believe that there is anything to be saved from nor do I believe in the concept of absolute good and evil. I do believe in more then one God.
I do not believe in the Judeo-Christian God as a whole.

[stephenw]

Originally Posted by Kcnorwood

Late last night I was told that I can not be a Pagan because it requires going back to an older, more primitive style of consciousness...social as well as individual...it requires monotheism to be unlearned. But no matter what I believe I will can not unlearn monotheist. Furthermore all religion is a way of knowing the truth...without having to comprehend the truth.

You can be whatever you want.

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by Kcnorwood

Late last night I was told that I can not be a Pagan because it requires going back to an older, more primitive style of consciousness...social as well as individual...it requires monotheism to be unlearned. But no matter what I believe I will can not unlearn monotheist. Furthermore all religion is a way of knowing the truth...without having to comprehend the truth.

Meh, I would agree that you can't be the SAME kind of Pagan as before, not just because of an awareness of monotheism but also greater knowledge of science and multiculturalism. But then Jews aren't the same kind of Jews as in the past, Hindus can't be the same kind of Hindus as in the past, Christians can't be the same kind of Christians as in the past,etc. The only constant is that things change.

[Riverwolf]

Originally Posted by Kcnorwood

Late last night I was told that I can not be a Pagan because it requires going back to an older, more primitive style of consciousness...social as well as individual...it requires monotheism to be unlearned. But no matter what I believe I will can not unlearn monotheist. Furthermore all religion is a way of knowing the truth...without having to comprehend the truth.

The word "Pagan" originally implied someone who wasn't a Christian. It didn't have anything to do with the specifics of what someone believed. It became known to some as a word that meant a devil-worshiper or someone who hasn't yet been "enlightened" by Christ. Today, it simply means someone who "worships" the powers of nature, often in a polytheistic way. "Pagan" is just a word that doesn't adequately describe someone's beliefs, but rather a lack in belief in the Abrahamic God Elohim, the same way the word "atheist" describes someone who doesn't believe in a divine power.

[Smoke]

When I was 21, my cousin told me I could never be a Buddhist because I would always be a Christian culturally. Turns out that in the long run I couldn't stay a Christian. I shouldn't have listened to him.

Sure, everybody is carrying around a lot of baggage from the way we were brought up, but to say it's not possible to unlearn monotheism is simply wrong. Sometimes it's beyond "possible;" sometimes it's unavoidable.

Originally Posted by lilithu

Meh, I would agree that you can't be the SAME kind of Pagan as before, not just because of an awareness of monotheism but also greater knowledge of science and multiculturalism. But then Jews aren't the same kind of Jews as in the past, Hindus can't be the same kind of Hindus as in the past, Christians can't be the same kind of Christians as in the past,etc. The only constant is that things change.

Quoted for truth.

[Quagmire]

Maybe you can start a modernized version and call it Pa-again-ism (?)

[Smoke]

Originally Posted by Riverwolf

The word "Pagan" originally implied someone who wasn't a Christian. It didn't have anything to do with the specifics of what someone believed.

Originally, it meant somebody from the countryside, and was applied as kind of an insult to people who continued to practice the indigenous religions of Europe instead of converting to Christianity. It was as if we were to refer to all Christians as hillbillies because they haven't caught up with cultural progress.

Of course, when people do use the word hillbilly as an insult, it bespeaks their own bigotry and ignorance, and the same is true of pagan. There's nothing wrong with being a hillbilly, and nothing wrong with being a paganus, so if I were a pagan I'd embrace that label.

[Riverwolf]

Originally Posted by MidnightBlue

Originally, it meant somebody from the countryside, and was applied as kind of an insult to people who continued to practice the indigenous religions of Europe instead of converting to Christianity. It was as if we were to refer to all Christians as hillbillies because they haven't caught up with cultural progress.

Of course, when people do use the word hillbilly as an insult, it bespeaks their own bigotry and ignorance, and the same is true of pagan. There's nothing wrong with being a hillbilly, and nothing wrong with being a paganus, so if I were a pagan I'd embrace that label.

Thanks. I stand corrected.