Post by Kirree on Jul 24, 2005 14:21:06 GMT -5
Something neat I found in one of my reference books here at home. ^^
** Keep in mind that a pagan doesn't need to have all of these qualities to be pagan.
Dogma: refers to beliefs or opinions held as truth simply because some authority said so. Most religious group have dogmas that shape what their members are expected to believe. While there's nothing wrong with an organization having rules or regulations, many people chafe against religious dogma because it can be based on superstition or outmoded theories or, worse yet, can be used to control people's thoughts and behaviors
Ritual: originally meant simply a religious rite, but it can have a much broader meaning, including any behavior or action performed in a customary or ceremonial way with some sort of spiritual meaning. Lighting a candle to meditate can be a very simple, beautiful ritual, as can an elaborate and complex ceremony performed by Buddhist monks, complete with chanting, incense, and bells.
- Most pagans love nature, whether that means a city park or a remote wilderness area. Weather permitting, that average pagan would much rather be outdoors.
- Pagans tend to be open-minded and curious people. They are not necessarily anti-religious, although many tend to find that traditional religions leave them cold. Before they discover paganism, many will say, "I'm spiritual, but I'm not religious." Heck, they might say that even after embracing paganism because many pagans do not consider the pagan path to be a "religion" but simply a way of life.
- Pagans come in all political shapes and stripes, but most have a basic sense of fairness and justice. For this reason, pagans generally think that the traditional idea of God as father - without a corresponding concept of Goddess as mother - is, well, out of balance and probably deeply unfair to women.
- Pagans prefer thinking for themselves to being told what to think. They love to ask questions, and they believe it is a good thing to question authority and challenge dogma. The average pagan would much rather learn by experience than simply accept something on faith.
- Pagans love life! They don't consider life on Earth to be some sort of painful trek through a vale of tears; rather, they have an honest and realistic assessment of life as containing both pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, happiness and disappointment. To pagans, the point of spirituality is not to escape life but to learn ways to maximize its joy and minimize its sorrow.
- Many pagans get a kick out of studying ancient mythology and learning about Gods, Goddesses, and spiritual practices of long ago. For some pagans, this is a way of connecting with their ancestors, but for many others, it's simply for the joy of it.
- Pagans often have some sort of natural bent toward spirituality and mysticism. Gazing into the night sky will fill many a pagan with a sense of wonder and awe, while other simply approach spirituality out of a belief that there are latent power in the human mind and body that can be used to make life better. For lack of a better word, these powers may be called "magic."
- Pagans like to use ritual to mark the passage of time, whether that means the normal progression of months and years (as seen in the movement of the moon around the earth of the earth around the sun) or the significant transitions in life, including birth, coming of age, marriage, entry into old age, and death. What these rituals are like - whether simple or elaborate, whether done in solitude or in a large group - varies from pagan to pagan.
- Nearly all pagans have strong ethical and moral beliefs. Many believe in such principles as freedom and love. Some insist that "harming none" is an important moral concept, while others adopt traditional values like honor and hospitality. Given their love for nature, many pagans are strong environmentalists. Although there are as many different kinds of pagan ethical codes as there are types of paganism, there all share in common a belief that ethical codes are important and are meant to be taken seriously.
** Keep in mind that a pagan doesn't need to have all of these qualities to be pagan.
Dogma: refers to beliefs or opinions held as truth simply because some authority said so. Most religious group have dogmas that shape what their members are expected to believe. While there's nothing wrong with an organization having rules or regulations, many people chafe against religious dogma because it can be based on superstition or outmoded theories or, worse yet, can be used to control people's thoughts and behaviors
Ritual: originally meant simply a religious rite, but it can have a much broader meaning, including any behavior or action performed in a customary or ceremonial way with some sort of spiritual meaning. Lighting a candle to meditate can be a very simple, beautiful ritual, as can an elaborate and complex ceremony performed by Buddhist monks, complete with chanting, incense, and bells.