Paganism Rant

[moon_ferret]

One the message boards I am on is populated by some wild and woolly Pagans. There are a couple in particular that are quite a bit older than me and have been around the Pagan community for thirty plus years. One has the screen name of Daimon and is one of the ones that I always know I want to read his posts. This one was one of my favorites and

Comments

[badcat42077]

Hear hear! Thanks for sharing, Ferret.

[luighseach]

With other people's religion, of course not. But to some people some of these things may have a connection to their own religious belief. However, there is no point in making the impression that all pagans are that way... which some people do FAR too much for my liking.

[moon_ferret]

But to some people some of these things may have a connection to their own religious belief.
I agree. There are some that this is something important to them.

Then you said:
However, there is no point in making the impression that all pagans are that way... which some people do FAR too much for my liking.
...and that is where my problem comes in. I am very tired of having to tell people that I don't want a third person in my marriage. I am Pagan, not polyamourous. No, I don't think it is OK for my husband to sleep with you because you are "A Pagan Too!". *sigh* I just get tired of being painted with the same brush. And what irritates me is that it comes from within the Pagan community here and not from people who know nothing about my religion.

[luighseach]

Yes, that IS weird. Now I happen to be both poly and Pagan, but how on earth is that different from being, say, a democrat and a Lutherian at the same time?

It makes me wonder if it wouldn't be better to be all out, as Pagan religions, not just halfway, as it seems to me that we are now. But then: Most people I know have very weird ideas about Christianity too, and the Christians have been around and visible a lot lately...

[gookachu]

i think that's brilliant. i'd love to repost that into my journal, if i could get the author's permission. how would i go about getting the author's permission?

i think that's why for so long i steered clear of magic. so often, it seemed to me that magic got in the way, or became the core of worship. if your local barnes & noble is any indication, wicca and paganism has degenerated into finding the next best love spell or how to hex your friend cos they stole your boyfriend. it seems that people forget that, as the author so succinctly put it, "makes it about an individual's message or agenda and not about the gods."

[moon_ferret]

Sorry I took so long to respond.

Daimion said that as long as he was credited as the author, it was fine to repost.

[caorunn]

Agree wholeheartedly there.

Especially the bit about thinking that just because you have an alternative lifestyle you are Pagan.

Grrr.

[smilingcheshire]

*APPLAUSE*