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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 20080
[Pagan]
Date Posted:
9/27/2008
2:17:58 pm EDT
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Views: 4,047
RSS: 12,644
Comments: 11
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Afterlife? Pagans Believe In The Here And Now
Author: Steven B. Todd Source: Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (IN)
Title: AFTERLIFE? PAGANS BELIEVE IN THE HERE AND NOW
AI read with great interest Paul Greve’s article, “Non-Christians’ salvation is in God’s hands, not book” (Sept. 20). As one of the non-Christians in question, I hope a non-Christian perspective might be welcome.
A little background: I am a Pagan. Paganism is not easily defined: For Pierre Chuvin, Pagans are “people of the place,” practitioners of ethnic religion, and Paganism itself was a “mosaic of established traditions.” Likewise, Ramsay MacMullen refers to the “spongy mass of tolerance and tradition” that was ancient Paganism.
Both statements are accurate when referring to modern Paganism, for these diverse ethnic beliefs remain with us today.
There are not many of us by the standards of the “great” religions, but I like to think that we have some small voice in ideas about what happens to us after death.
Christians focus on the afterlife, while Pagans have had their eyes set on the here and now.
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Community Thoughts: There are 11 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Nice Article But . . . | Sep 30th. at 2:23:56 pm EDT
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Mars (brooklyn, New York) - Email Me
A bit naive in one respect. One can scoff at the belief in a heavenly state of grace (or hellish lack thereof) which Christians as well as many other religions, East and West, hold to (the idea of a sansaric heaven did not originate with Christianity but was more likely something that found its way into Christianity from Persia or India) , but the substitute that this author uses to address the theological problem of injustice in the world-- he says:
"If a person does evil, it will affect him adversely, but on this plane, not another."
is even more naive, because one cannot disprove the existence of an after-life state of grace-- on the other hand, one just has to look around and see that conduct is not justly rewarded or punished on this plane, in even the remotest sense.
This notion of 'justice on this plane' probably stems from Gardiner's rather sophomoric attempt to address the problem of injustice in the world, and to laden wicca with a moral edict, with his 'Wiccan rule of 3'. This even more ludicrous idea, that the evil you do comes back to you triple, and so with the good (although with Gardiner he may have been referring to an afterlife in reincarnation) , is really just a rework of the Christian/Muslim version of heavenly reward or satanic punishment.
Any fool can look around and see multitudes of examples where people without principle, mercy, honor, self-respect or the slightest sense of decency grow rich and become powerful and admired and pass their gains on to their children, and other examples where selfless and caring individuals end up in poverty, isolation, or victimized in some way.
The first witch I ever heard talk about her religion-- she was a guest speaker in a public high school class I took in religious studies-- she said that this life we live in was hell-- just look around you she said. I wouldn't go that far, but at least she wasn't delusional in her naivity of the world and how works of good and evil are treated in this world.
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| Imagine... | Sep 29th. at 7:16:52 pm EDT
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Jenna (Cary, North Carolina) - Email Me
Actually caring about how one treates his/her fellow humans in this life, and not looking for rewards/punishments in the next. Imagine not believing that you know the very mind of the Creator of the Universe, and have all of the answers to the profound questions of existence in a single book. Imagine that you can see beauty in all faiths that tell their fellowers to live well, and be the best, most ethically people that they can be. Imagine.... Modern Paganism.
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| Very Good Article! | Sep 29th. at 6:52:42 pm EDT
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Whitewolf (Schenectady, New York) - Email Me
I think this was a very refreshing and truthful article about the Pagan Path. I too think that we as Pagans should all do what we can to help improve the here and now. If we live by the Rede and remember The Threefold Law, we all should do well. Also, my relationship with the EarthMother is a very kind one. She doesn't expect me to humiliate myself like the Xtian god. In fact, she WANTS me to be proud of myself. Remeber "pride goeth before a fall"? well. I believe, "if your pride goeth, YOU fall...." Maybe some day, the fundies will see this!
Love to all
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| Thank The Goddess | Sep 29th. at 1:17:55 pm EDT
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Ander s. Drake (hays, Kansas) - Email Me
"he “premise that salvation is through Christ alone” is a statement laden with value judgments and rests upon the presupposition that there is but one God and that this one God has a plan for all humankind."
"I can’t speak for all Pagans, obviously, but as a Norse Heathen, I believe that we create our own fate. The actions of my ancestors as well as my own actions direct my steps. If a person does evil, it will affect him adversely, but on this plane, not another."
"Choices have consequence, but there is always chance for improvement. We can better our lot through right action, by living honorable lives and by showing proper devotion to the gods."
I doubt few people could have said it better.
Light and Dark Blessings
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| Bravo! | Sep 29th. at 12:57:10 pm EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
It was a beautiful well written article and actually came much closer to defining things than many others. Not much to add to it.
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| A Pleasant Read.... | Sep 28th. at 12:05:15 am EDT
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Katmandu (elba, Alabama) - Email Me
Well done. I particularly loved the following paragraph:
" Pagans have a different worldview: The gods are many; we live in a world filled with the divine. The gods and spirits are all around us, and they do not wish us ill, in this life or in any other. To ask us to fear our gods, to fret over the state of our immortal souls and about ideas of eternal damnation, is for us, as the emperor Julian said, impiety. The gods should not be libeled."
It encompasses an idea of the sacred surrounding us always. This is an idea that I've held dear since late childhood.....
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| This Was | Sep 27th. at 10:15:09 pm EDT
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Azuris-Raen (Austin, Texas) - Email Me
a well said article about the mindset of Paganism in comparison to Christianity, nothing much else to say except; good job.
2˘
Brightest Blessings and may The Light protect thee!!! ^_^ Azuris-Raen
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| Well Said. | Sep 27th. at 10:03:47 pm EDT
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Batman (Madison, Wisconsin) - Email Me
He truly put it in perspective how I and at least all the Pagans I know feel or simply ARE. I love the part where he says the christian god is a foreign one to us. That he has no more power than the power he has over his followers (or something like that anyway) . Well written article!
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| Accentuate The Positive... | Sep 27th. at 8:25:53 pm EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
I feel, for myself -as I can speak for no others, that an afterlife may exist, but that I won't stay there long. After all, there is a whole Universe out there and endless possibilities and If I dwell in that stopping place at all, it will hopefully be, only to decide where I will go and what I hope to be doing next. After all, I'm still learning and probably always will be. I like to think positive about these things. And it is also my hope to leave a positive mark before I go.
As for here and now, no worries. I'll just try to get along with everyone that I can-- till then.
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| People Always Say | Sep 27th. at 7:04:48 pm EDT
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StarLynn (Palmerton, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
that Christians in particular need to worry less about 'saving' other people and more about their own lives. While I do agree with this, it must also be understood (and accepted, if we wish to remain tolerant) that they are not doing it to be pains-in-the-rear, but because they truly believe its what is right and necessary of them, and that by doing so they are protecting their values and those of humanity as a whole; wishing for open tolerance from such a belief system will most likely remain that - only a wish, with the exception of the less adherent Christians.
That being said, I liked this article for its overall message, however, my views of afterlife (I believe in reincarnation) do influence some of my opinions in this life. For example, I am pro-choice, and a big part of that is because I don't believe that abortion has deprived that particular fetus of life, since I believe that they will have many more. Of course, there are other reasons, such as in life-threatening situations for the mother, etc. My point is that not all Pagans completely disregard views of the afterlife in some of their opinions, which may result in what actions we take in this life.
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| Interesting | Sep 27th. at 6:34:22 pm EDT
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Rowan Foxfyre (Indianapolis, Indiana) - Email Me
It really isn't so much a fact that we don't believe in an afterlife so much as making sure what we do in THIS life leaves it a bit better for the generations to come. Not believing in a "punishment" and "ultimate destruction" or seeing life on earth as "doomed" and "evil" tends to change one's philosophy about what happens while we are here.
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