Wiccans, Pagans, how strong are you in your faith?

Question

I must admit I am quite ignorant of the matter. When I think of Wiccans and Pagans I think that your faith is not as strong as other religions. I find you to be more open to other beliefs and also able to change your minds.

Am I wrong on this. Can you explain what you see as a fundamental aspect of your religion that you believe.

Thank you :D

Answer 1

I am committed to my faith in a Supreme Deity that can be worshiped in all HER/HIS glorious aspects. Fundamental aspects that I use to keep me on my path is the Wiccan Rede and the Three-Fold-Law.

Answer 2

Unmoving.

There is not one path of Wicca, or one path of Paganism, there for, there is not fundamental aspect. A primary law that most go by is "Harm none, do as you will".

I am pagan, but have no set religion. What I do believe though, is in the Goddess. I have believed that god was a woman ever since a very early age (5). This did not change as I grew older, I merely discovered that people really did worship the Goddess. That is when I left the Catholic church.

The thing is that Pagans tend to be more open minded, and willing, and wanting, to learn about other religious and spiritual paths. Generally, each sets their own belief. Ask ten wiccans the same question, and you'll get 10 different answers.

Answer 3

Well... To be honest... If you look at the orgins of things, All Christrans are Pegans by nature... As that's where the religion orginally came from, but you won't find that in your sunday school, just the history books.....

Wicans and Pagans as a religion are actually much stronger as a whole in my opinion, though I don't myself pratice it strictly (I have my own set of beliefs that if you e-mail me, I would explain it to you), I do know their values and mindsets and are actually quite well founded and easy to follow. It also has some of the same pricipals of right and wrong as does christianity (of which I think your comparing).

The only thing I can see why you would say that they are more open and able to change their minds is that you probably have seen high school's version of this, which do change their minds alot. Although, as a whole the people that I've met that are followers are more open minded, as they are a minority and do understand ways of nature that most do not, and also do not shun those who have other religions and do offer the ability to figure out what is right and wrong for themselves... With their religion, there are rules that they follow as any does, with theirs being closer to the simplicity as the ten commandments and not the regulations of the pope....

I'd really say that if you wanted to know more about this in depth, you need to A: open your mind and be kind to your neighbors, and B: Look into it more.... I'd say your best learning tool is to go find a good local bead store. I've found that they seem to find good information upon local "new age" religions and healing tequiniques that are actually older than christianity...

Though, strangely most religions change their minds about things... I mean, at one time, the church preached that the earth was flat and all the planets and sun revolved around it... Change is just natural...

Answer 4

I ned to say that I probably don't fit the 'typical' definition of a Pagan. However, by beliefs follow closely with many Pagans, so I answer many times.
I was raised Christian, prayed the prayer, asked to be saved, and believed that I was. But there were a lot of things about Christianity that never made sense to me. My parents are both pastors, so I was never introduced to any other spiritual path (Ok, Judiaism, but it was made clear that they were 'wrong' because they didn't believe in Christ). As an adult, I joined a church I was comfortable with, and never studied anything else for a long time. I left my questions unanswered, 'knowing' that I just couldn't understand the mind of God.
For reasons too long to describe here, I began attending a Unitarian universalist congregation. I then started studying other well-known religions, and identified as Wiccan for a while. Then I met someone who helped me expand my thinking. He gave me books and materials freely, and shared his ideas with passion. I found that what he was telling me 'clicked' in a way nothing else had. I truly believe that the path I am on is the one I was meant for, and that he simply showed me where the path was. My belief is stronger now than it ever could have been in a typical church, or as a Buddhist, or Muslim, or Wiccan. I believe each of us has a spiritual path to follow, and once we find it, our belief will be stronger than the pull of the sun's gravity. I think that Billy Graham found his path in Christianity, which is why he was so effective at showing others the way. I believe Ghandi found his path, and it shows. Belief is strong once you can believe with your heart, and with your mind, and with your soul. If any of these are missing, faith will fail. Mine will not fail now.
"May the God of Your Choice Bless You"

Answer 5

I am very strong in my faith. Thank you for asking. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd put myself at a 9 (and that only because I am agnostic, realizing that I am only human and that I could conceivably be wrong).

One fundamental aspect of my faith is the Wiccan Rede: "If it harm none, do what you will." Other fundamental aspects include:

1) The honoring of the Divine in male/female polarities.
2) Holy days tied to the solar calendar (the sabbats) and the lunar calendar (the esbats).
3) The practice of witchcraft.
4) Belief in the Law of Threefold Return.
5) A specific ritual structure that is distinctly Wiccan.
6) The belief that the universe is the living body of God/dess, and therefore sacred.
7) The absence of a concept of sin (original or otherwise).
8) The fact that it consists entirely of clergy; each Wiccan is considered a functioning priest/ess.
9) The concept of equality between the sexes.
10) A sexual element to the liturgy, specifically in those passages that address the relationship between the Goddess and the God.
11) The concept that joy and pleasure, with harm to none, are valid and potentially sacred.
12) Tolerance for other faiths; often the belief that all religions are potentially valid paths to the Divine; "all religions are correct to their adherents".

While Wiccans are more open to other beliefs, that does not make our faith any less; in fact, I think that our openness to other lines of thinking indicates how very strong our faith is, because it is not threatened by diversity.

Answer 6

Of course our faith is strong. Paganism isn't just a culture, it IS a group of religions. Wicca specifically, as far as fundamental aspects... well obviously one needs either a polytheistic or pantheistic belief in both male and female deities (which is why I have a problem with Dianics calling themselves Wiccan), and an understanding of the Rede and Law of Three would be good too.

Answer 7

My belief is strong enough that I worship my gods with confidence. My belief is not so strong that it becomes rigid and my world would shatter if I discovered that what I believed in was not true.

Some religious groups hold up unbending, rock-hard faith as a virtue. Accepting that I have limited understanding in this world is a virtue in my book. Besides, my religion places more emphasis on actions rather than beliefs. (For example, you won't find that all of my fellow practitioners believe the same thing when it comes to the nature of the gods or the afterlife. We probably all practice in similar fashions though.)

Answer 8

We believe that there is no wrong faith except when someone uses his or her faith to promote hate and negativity. We believe that all gods are the same and it doesn't matter how you see the divine. Think of the divine as a many faceted gem. You can never see a gem in exactly the same light twice and so no two people can see the exact same path as being right to them. We each see one face of the infinitely faceted divine. We also believe that each has the right to one's own opinions, and so we do not try to force our religion down other people's throat. My faith is just as strong, maybe stronger, than it was when I was a Christian. We're just as strong and passionate about our beliefs as any other religion, we just believe different things.

Answer 9

I'm pagan, and am very strong in my belief systems.

I cannot speak for everyone, but I can speak for myself.

I am open to other lines of thinking, and I do change my beliefs accordingly. It doesn't mean I lack faith: it means I recognize the authority of logic and reason. When logic/reason come into conflict with my beliefs, I sit and meditate on the matter for a good, long time. Sometimes hours, days, or even months. I come to my conclusions, and move on.

Usually, though, I don't "change" my mind, but instead redefine a pre-existing concept to accomodate another concept, or make small amendments to incorperate other ideas.

I don't have a firm belief that my opinion of God, for instance, is correct, as much as I have a firm belief that I am following him/her. I may have the name wrong, which I could care less about, or other minor details wrong, but the heart of my beliefs are rock solid.

In essense, I simply don't believe I've arrived at ultimate truth. I am still searching, still learning, still gaining skill. As I learn, my understandings and beliefs change: not to come in conflict with what I knew, but to enhance it. Like as a child, you know the sky is blue because God made it that way (I was raised Christian) and later I learned that the sky is blue because of oxygen content. It doesn't impede the faiths of Christians to learn that's why the sky is blue, it simply adds to their understanding.

The fundamental aspect of my belief is this: we are all living spirits within bodies. There is/are God(ess)(s) that exist in unknown relationship to the universe (my current thought is that the universe is the physical manifistation of God), that God is good, loving, merciful and kind (thus not the Christian God :P), and that nature is of critical importance (Vague, I know, but the long version is really long).

I think that about covers it. In short: my faith is not weak because of my willingness to accept new facts. Truthfully, I find my faith to be stronger for it.

Answer 10

I am unshakeable in my faith.
It's not that we "change our minds" as much as we feel we are on a "path" that may or may not end in destination. I see every change in the my religous journey as a stepping stone to get me where I am right now. When you have reached your "end" you know. It's undeniable and indescribeable. When I look back on my life, I see so many approaches I took to life that match up with my current beliefs far before I heard the gods call me.
Many of us are "open" to other faiths because we don't doubt that other gods exist. I have no doubt Zeus is around. He simply isn't MY heritage or MY religion therefore I respect him a great deal, but I don't honor him in my daily faith. The same goes for Jehova. I understand he wants to save us all and I appreciate the invitation and all, but I'm not Hebrew. I have no desire to embrace the Hebrew worldview or religion. It does't work for me and it doesn't speak to me in the way that my gods do. All though Jehova's followers are THE most disprespectful followers I have EVER met, more power to thier beliefs. Just don't think that *I* will ever follow them again.
There is no "fundamental" belief really. They are all intertwined. We believe the gods are all seperate beging, individual in themselves as our decendants and Elder Kin. They are our ancestors as our ancestors are. Our blood lines make us who we are, and it defines where we go and how and we live.
Hail the Gods!

Answer 11

I consider myself a Celtic Pagan. I follow the gods that my ancestors followed I respect my ancestors and I live a happy fulfilled life. I truly believe that it is our ability as Pagans to accept and move with change that makes us so strong. It took me four years to find the path that I am on now. Like many I started out Wiccan and learned much in that journey. But as I grew and changed I discovered my Celtic heritage,( my ancestors hail from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales) and began learning the spirituality, the myths and the ultimate beauty of the Celtic culture. I have learned much in four years,yet I accept that I will never stop learning. Life is everchanging, and everflowing,and this is what makes me so strong in my faith.