Witchvox Article

Author: Heather Belt
Posted: June 29th. 2008
Times Viewed: 4,882

I am often abused on 'Yahoo Answers' for posting religious questions and/or answering those posed by monotheistic religious followers. I asked a question the other day regarding a movie with a pagan theme that in the end that suggested that maybe the Virgin Mary is a modern day reincarnation of the Goddess. I asked what the other members of the community thought about the possibility that the Mother Goddess has indeed transformed herself in order to stay close to her people. I added that making offerings to the Virgin Mary was a bit like pagan libations.

You should have seen the way I was ripped apart verbally when this question was posted. You would have thought I murdered an animal ritualistically right in front of these people! I was told that my thoughts and ideals were wrong based solely on the fact that their Bible and priest told them so.

These judgments were not based upon some holy grail of factual evidence. There was no higher being, expect the one within, telling them at that moment that I was wrong and they were right. Their gut opinion and slanders were based wholly on the fact that I was saying something different than what they believed to be true in their own lives and experiences.

It got me to thinking about the rules that society has placed on us as pagan worshippers. A lot of the things the Bible presents are mystical and magical in context, and to the average Christian are totally plausible.

A whale eating a man, a burning bush that speaks and a man parting the red sea with a swish of his hands. All these things, as pagans, we acknowledge and for the most part the only problem with has with the Christian religion is the way in which its followers treat us. Not the religion itself.

Why wouldn't a God want you to worship only him and totally disregard the others?

Wouldn't it be funny if we found out in the end that Christianity is nothing more than some pellucid joke a couple of men made up one night in the Middle East while drunk off of wine? A running bet to see who could unify a society and keep people "in-line" with rigid rules that makes the slightest error in judgment inexcusable.

As a pagan, I quite like a lot of things the Bible has to say about how we should treat one another and the morals it presents in the context of right and wrong, action and reaction. I like the fact that Jesus seemed to be a level headed healer who traveled around offering healing and spiritual guidance to the lost.

I find it interesting in the fact that several other religions parallel this message with their own version of �Jesus�. What I don't like are the judgments that are wrongly cast upon my religion and what it stands for.

Ignorance is not only a monster lacking self-control, but a disease that easily convinces its victims that the more they chastise non conforming individuals the closer they are to a seat next to their king! What all this boils down to is the fact that most Christians have a plan laid in their minds of what and whom their maker is and what he expects from them. Their religion is kind of like what Karl Marx was saying about the �God�s in their minds� thing. Man creates these Gods in their minds.

You have one book, a slew of religious leader fanatics (and nuts) that interpret all the things, you as a human, are capable of in a lifetime. And when that lifetime is over, and if you have lived according to the doctrine, you will be rewarded by finally being free of all the modern day burdens living cast upon you. Any slight deviation outside of that plan is considered dangerous.

They believe this to be a truth: �I can accept that fact that in the end times horses, angels and death will ride form the sky above me and cast judgment upon the way I've lived my life on earth". They believe that Jesus turned water into wine and placed a man�s ear back on his head after being shaved with another man�s sword in anger.

They believe the man who hung from a cross, resurrected from a tomb several days later to come in sprit form and chat with his followers before he ascended into heaven.

Then try to explain to them that the world is made up of energy, and that all things possess this energy and the ability to shape it...and well you have just blown their minds! I think that is the thing that bogs me down the most when it comes to explaining my beliefs to others.

You expect me to justify my spiritual choices and rationalize the fact that I believe that there is potential in energy (that is scientifically proven to exist), and yet you don't owe me the same respect when it comes to the radical ideals that your maker and interpreters set forth and encourage you, his followers, to uphold.

As I take all of this in and hold it within myself to be just my interpretation of the way things are, I know that there are some Christians out there capable of religious tolerance and restraint. I know that I am a flawed creation and understand that not everyone will always see things the way I sometimes do.

I understand that all of this is just my opinion and is subject to occasional scrutiny. So as another day passes I come home from work, just another working pagan stiff that had to go to college, suck it up, and get a white collared job. I take off my trouser socks and glance over at my modest altar and I roll my eyes on another day's passing, another day lived as a content pagan.

No I have not melted...or sacrificed any small animals or children...

All I can say is Blessed Be!

Copyright: This work is the property of Heather Douglas 1/22/2008

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Heather Belt

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