The christmas tree for example, or the painting of easter eggs, the list goes on. Does it annoy you pagans to see your stuff being used in other religions?
2007-07-20 16:36:59 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Hey Gang..
Well lets thank the forefathers. And thank Constantine for the law change. And for him trying to bring the people together.
Ha the trickery.
Many people do not know that Emperor Constantine was a Pagan (he was a sun worshiper) until he was on his death bed. He simply changed the law so that is was no longer illegal to be Christian. Christianity was steadily growing and it might have turned into an ugly rebellion against him. In order to unite the people so he changed dates and named the holidays so they would coincide with the pagans. To bring the people together.
I do know the truth for what it is worth..Thanks for the traditions and thanks for the love. You guys are so wonderful. I love the holidays.
As well as I have told my children the truth in these matters. Just so you know we are not all ignorant in the gifts you have shared so we could have a more meaningful holidays to share with our loved ones. We just march to a different drum but its good to know we all still can love.
~hugs~
2007-07-20 17:04:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Nope -- works for me. After all, the X-tians had no traditions of their own, so they had to build on those of the old religions. In addition, their churches were built on top of our ancestors' holy sites (originally *all* our ancestors were pagan), and they usurped the dates of our own holy days. Why? Because nobody would observe the new religion if they did not. I guess anything with a pagan foundation can't be all bad, hmmm?
It's actually pretty convenient to have so much good pagan merchandise available when the holidays roll around. We can buy all kinds of cool bunny & egg paraphernalia for the Spring Equinox, and fine party stuff for the Winter Solstice/Saturnalia. Wreaths, Yule logs, bells, champagne, egg nog, etc. Yay!
One occasionally hears of some dour fundie condemning the manner of celebrating Easter/Christmas and insisting that they be observed in a somber cheerless manner. Nobody pays attention though, because we're all pagans at heart! I am truly sorry for the sad souls who have been conditioned to believe otherwise.
What me annoyed? No, I love it!
2007-07-21 00:27:18 · answer #2 · answered by sunrat 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. To be annoyed by it would supremely hypocritical.
Throughout history, Pagans have similarly stole most of THEIR traditions from some previously existing Pagan religion. For example, examine the Aphrodite & Adonis myth and the associated rituals as practiced by the Greeks. If you compare them to the myth and ritual cycles of Ishtar, Innana, Astarte, you will find the myths and rituals to be strikingly similar. Yet these near identical myth/ritual cycles all belonged to completely different Pagan religions from completely different cultures.
Stealing from other religions has always been a common practice in world religion. To condemn it means that Pagans must also condemn themselves. This is particularly true for Wicca, which has stolen a great deal from Christian and Jewish mystic traditions!
jw
2007-07-23 19:14:37 · answer #3 · answered by twiceborne 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not anymore, because even a lot of Christians will admit that these are original pagan rites and rituals. It does when they deny it, but usually that is just the fundies, who annoy me no matter what they do.
I have some greeting cards that I ordered from Cafepress.com that has the Wheel of the Year with all the pagan high holidays on it, and when I get a Christmas card, I send the person one of these, or a Happy Winter Solstice card. They know me!
Blessings,
Lady Morgana )0(
2007-07-20 23:46:35 · answer #4 · answered by Lady Morgana 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't annoy me, since many of those traditions were borrowed and passed on through different cultures in the first place. What annoys me is when people who use the Pagan traditions in their own religion or celebration and don't know where it came from, and then they turn around a condemn or insult Pagans. So, sharing culture or heritage doesn't bother me, but the ignorance and bigotry does.
2007-07-20 23:43:35 · answer #5 · answered by Mrs. Pears 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Most things in the churches of organized religions are based upon Paganism. They were spawned from Paganism. Borrowed from Paganism. Not annoyed that it is being used but its the abuse of it that destroys people. Now, that's annoying!
2007-07-21 01:46:12 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't bother me. Religions have been borrowing from each other since the beginning. I don't expect it to stop now.
What matters most is the reasoning for why each religion performs it's traditions. It really is the thought that counts. So even though another religion may do a similar act, their meaning for them doing that act can be quite different from mine. Either way, we are both doing an act that we find meaningful to us. And that's a good thing.
For those who practice a tradition that has no real meaning to them----well, I just don't understand that. But to each their own.
2007-07-21 08:48:05 · answer #7 · answered by Witchy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not at all. Why should I be offended? I recieve Christmas cards from my Christian family and friends and I send THEM Yule cards.In BOTH of our Religions it's a time of Joy, Generosity and LOVE. I'm NOT about to turn it into a Winter time hate fest. I simply keep the spirit of the occasion and express the sentiments of the season in MY way and allow them to express it in theirs. Easter is a time to celebrate the resurection of Jesus, it's also a time to celbrate the resurection of the life that lay dormant over the winter, again our celebrations are similar so I see no problem.
Raji the Green Witch
2007-07-21 00:01:34 · answer #8 · answered by Raji the Green Witch 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Annoyed? Because bits of pagan symbols have survived and been Incorporated into every known religion on earth today. Nope, don't think so. Blessings
2007-07-20 23:45:26 · answer #9 · answered by crittersitterjenna 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The only time it annoys me is around Yule when some Christians get offended when the rest of us say something like "Happy Holidays" to acknowledge that there are some folks out there who DON'T celebrate Christmas, but who DO have holidays that time of year. They try to declare that "Jesus is the reason for the season" like theirs is the only midwinter holiday that exists or matters.
I ask "So tell me - what exactly does a decorated evergreen tree have to do with the birth of Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem?" and that usually stops them.
2007-07-20 23:42:34 · answer #10 · answered by Nandina (Bunny Slipper Goddess) 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋