Attention Pagens?

Question

What do you find most beautiful about your religion?

In what ways do you think your religion is misrepresented/misunderstood?

What's the most difficult part of standing up for your religion?

Why did you chose to believe in it?

Thanks, I'm looking forward to hearing these answers!

Answer 1

Hi sweetie, for the record it's spelled Pagans...
Most beautiful.. the reverence for nature and our connection to it.

Most misunderstood: We're called fakes, phonies, satan worshippers, human sacrificers, evil, etc..

Most difficult part? I don't think there is one. I personally don't have to stand up for mine. No one can take my experience away from me, and I'm not all that interested in what they think of it.. so, if they don't like what I believe, they can choose not to.

Why did I choose to believe? Hm, interesting.. I think it chose me as much as I chose it.. we made a good match :)

Answer 2

Hi and thank you for asking.

For me it's the fact that I see nature as part of the whole. To acknowledge the cycle of life is something I really enjoy. Being able to see the beauty in all of nature. To be able to feel the energy of all that is around me.

For som eweird reason some people want to insist it's of the devil and that isn't even close. Some people still like to say it's satan worship. Then those lovely people who want to believe that sacrifice (animal or person) is involved in what I do.

For me the most difficult thing is that I really don't want to become like some other Pagans I know who hate christians. Honestly I hate hurting peoples feelings so I will let them say way too much before I try and correct them.

I really was just born this way. I've always held these beliefs but they have become deeper with age.

Answer 3

What do you find most beautiful about your religion?
That it embodies and personifies the Divine in the cycles of the seasons, or life, death, and rebirth, and asks us to live closer to the Earth as our Mother, and to be part of her, not apart from her.....

In what ways do you think your religion is misrepresented/misunderstood?
Well, the most obvious reason is that it is mis-represented as being devil worship or Satan worship. Paganism has had a public relations problem for a long time, the other guys had better spin doctors :)

What's the most difficult part of standing up for your religion?
That you can get killed for it. Yes, I have had someone try, and have also lost a job over it.

Why did you chose to believe in it?
The study of "alternative" ideas, helped me to feel as though I understand things better than when I was Catholic. The way it was presented to me growing up, just never sounded "right" to me, I believed otherwise. I even feel as though I understand the Bible better now, than when I was Catholic, as I have applied certain principles I learned in studying alternative modes of thought to it, I didn't learn these principles in the context of the Christian faith. My comprehension is far different than what I was told it should be, I understand the Bible in a far different way than what I was taught, but I also think I understand it better. In more general terms, the study of Paganism, and other alternative modes offered me more answers than I thought the Christian faith did. I believe that all spiritual paths contain the same truths, but they are presented in different ways. We don't all understand things the same way, and sometimes we need the message presented in a different form in order to understand it, I have nothing against the Christian faiths, it just wasn't the form of teaching that was understandable to me....

Answer 4

1. My connections to my Gods and the feeling of peace I experience when I feel Their presence.


2. I think the most common misunderstood thing about Asatru is that we're all Nazis or racist, or criminals (stemming from Asatru's unfortunate popularity in prisons). It's so sad that so many individuals would use a wonderful spirituality to try to further their agendas by warping and twisting it.

3. I haven't had to do much standing up for it other than the occasional "no, I'm not a Nazi..." and even then it's easier to show them than to tell them.

4. I didn't choose it...it chose me.

Answer 5

Heathen . . .

Our rites are the most beautiful thing about my folkways. People speaking truth from their hearts over a shared horn of mead around a blazing fire . . . moving from tears to reverence to laughter . . . well, it just changes everyone who takes part.

We have an unfortunate association in some people's minds with white supremacists. Partly because the Nazis coopted a number of our most sacred symbols, partly because Christian Identity f'tards did too, partly because one particular heathen, a few decades back, decided to "get back" at a few heathen organizations that had shown him the door by telling the FBI they were secretly NeoNazis . . . and partly because Northern Europeans becoming proud of their heritage just plain scares some people.

As a schoolteacher in the Buybull Belt, I have to sometimes choose how completely I'm willing to answer a direct question from one of my students. Generally, I talk about ancestry, history, and Sagaic lore rather than my Folkway itself.

Let's just say that both my ancestors AND their godhs decided to become very, very real to me, and that I came to accept this as my genetic, ethnic, cultural and ancestral heritage and birthright because of that.

Answer 6

Love, acceptance, and freedom of choice.

People being convinced that we are 'evil'.

Trying to 'prove' we don't worship the devil.

I have always believed in a Goddess and a God, and have always had trouble with the idea that a Christian that has sinned all their life but, asks for forgiveness and accepts J.C. into their life, goes to heaven, over say a Buddhist, that has led a life where 'he' has not hurt anyone or anything, not stolen, respected his fellow man, etc.. but, because he does not accept J.C. he goes to hell. I don't buy it!

)o( Blessed Be!

Answer 7

1) I love the holidays. It makes a very deep kind of psychological sense to celebrate holidays throughout the year by celebrating the corresponding phase of the life cycle. It reinforces cyclical thinking and has a sublime harmony to it. I think this is healthy and it sure is fun.

2) Christians have a tendency to label us as devil-worshippers, but we don't believe in their dark deity at all, but that fact doesn't seem to count with them.

3) Online it's no problem, but I tend to be very discreet about wearing pentacles at work on holidays. I'm afraid of the severe misunderstandings and I don't want to get a bad rep. So I wear a necklace on a long chain so no one can see it, and I wear my hair down over very tiny pentacle earrings. So far no one's noticed.

4) For me it was the celebration of holidays. I'm Taoist in my spiritual philosphy, but pagan in everyday celebration. I love to celebrate life. The two approaches are very compatible, since they both encourage cyclical thinking and balance. Plus, pagan holidays are right in line with common social holidays, so I can celebrate in full and no one's the wiser.

Answer 8

We are tolerant and accept all religions.
We understand that not one religion is right for everyone. Also, it gives me an incredible sense of self with my connection to the earth and allows me to use the power within myself.
I don't have to stand up for it, if you don't agree with me, then you don't have to.
We are NOT devil worshipers.
I believe it chose me.

Blessings.