I'm a born-again Pagan, ask me anything

[joefree1]

Grew up Protestant. As a youth I was a Jesus Freak (Campus Crusade) for a while until harmones kicked in. I've been a "Eco-Pagan" and a Druid ever since.

"We're earth lovers, we worship the ground you walk on."


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PaganWarrior/

[Martin Eden]

1. Anything besides hormones

Turn you off to the religion of your childhood?

[joefree1]

2. Fear, guilt, and having to wear a shirt and tie to Church

Didn't feel natural.

[flamingyouth]

3. Is ADF (I think that's what it was called) still active?

I think Isaac Bonewits was one of the founders of that Druidic trad. :hi:

[joefree1]

4. Here's their web site

http://www.adf.org/core/

Once I settle my job life again I hope to become more active as a learning Druid.

[flamingyouth]

5. Cool - thanks for that

Glad to hear they're still active. I used to know someone who was involved in a Grove in Olympia. :hi:

[joefree1]

6. Just reading their web page on "Discussing Pagan Theology"

by Ian Corrigan

"I find myself composing answers to Christians and atheists. Skeptics sometimes say that if there was a God it would look the same to everyone. The problem with that, of course, that they are only disbelieving in a monotheistic God. If there were only one god, it might look the same to everyone, but since the Divine doesn't look the same to everyone, it makes sense to assume that there is not just one god. That's the first lesson I draw from Nature as model of the Divine. In nature there is no unique or single thing. Nowhere in nature is there a category of things of which there is only one. Snowflakes are individually unique, but there is never only one snowflake. Things have variations that make each thing individual, but each thing is always part of a category."

http://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/discussing-pagan-theology.html"

on edit: I look to nature for clues about God or Gods. When I in a natural setting I feel the truth of the Universe. When I come back to Civilization I feel everything else is just conjecture.

[flamingyouth]

7. My late husband was a member

But I think he let his membership lapse. This was in the mid-'90s and they had some internal problems. I think I'd like to rejoin, although I identify as a Dianic witch. I respect the Druidic tradition, though.

[joefree1]

9. I'm just a simple tree hugger

But soon I'm gonna starting studying up and spread the good news of Belief without fear.

Bright Blessings :hi:



http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PaganWarrior/

[flamingyouth]

10. Bright blessings to you as well

Thank you for your work.:hi:

[MrScorpio]

8. Is pagan idolatry fun or profitable?

How would it look on my resume to a potential employer?

How much money will I save on clothes?

So many questions, so little time.

[joefree1]

11. Compared to Christian idolatry?

Gifts stores tend to diss us because anyone can find a tree to pray to. We don't really have a symbolic torture device to hang around our necks.

You can turn the Druid tag to some advantage if you get the chance to explain our learning tradition.

Go "sky clad" as much as you can and save big bucks for the water of life.

Death is transitory. All the time you need in this realm and the next.

[MrScorpio]

12. No Argument from me

Just checking my options

[johnnie]

13. Doesn't everyone celebrate at least one Pagan tradition...

....or another? Of course many people don't know they do.

[joefree1]

14. Most holidays are based on old Pagan rituals

Halloween was originally Samhain where Celts burned large bonfires to give warmth to returning spirits. Christmas was originally the celebration of Yule.

Saint Valentine's Day was the feast of Lupercalia, a pagan festival of love and fertility. Yeah baby!

[Southpaw Bookworm]

15. What are you doing for the New Year next weekend?

:hi:

[joefree1]

16. Attending the most pagan event in Los Angeles

Which will be in West Hollywood of course. :evilgrin:

[Southpaw Bookworm]

17. Very cool.

Unfortunately, I'll be recovering after taking the comprehensive exams for my master's degree two days before.