Pagans, are you motivated by a combination of greed for wealth, power and societal influence?

Question

Do you attempt to force others into believing the "weird stuff" you believe?
Or, is it more likely that you honor the earth, all living things, your ancestors and accept all positive paths as valid for the adherent?
Is it also more likely that you don't proselytize as you know this path isn't right for everyone?
Just curious.

Stephen H, option 3: I AM one of you.

Answer 1

I don't believe that my beliefs are weird, though others may think so. ;)

My motives are more towards love and positive energy than towards the negative energies.
However, I also can see where wealth, power, and societal influence can be used for good things and therefore I do not view that as bad.

I honor the Earth and all living things.

I make it a practice to find one reason why a person is a blessing. If I can't, I always fall back on: "His/Her breath feeds the plants and trees." Because that is noble and a thing to be thankful of and bless.

I honor my ancestors for without them I could not be the me that I am at this time.

All paths are valid. They are just not valid for all. ;)

I may state my beliefs, but I don't ask anyone else to believe them.

Answer 2

Prosyletizing just isn't the pagan way, so "attempting to force others into believing the "weird stuff" you believe" doesn't happen. To each their own, so long as we each allow the other their way, it is all good. If someone asks serious questions about beliefs, those questions are answered, there is no better cure for hatred, distrust, and the spreading of disinformation than honest answers. The "honor the earth, all living things, your ancestors and accept all positive paths as valid for the adherent" sounds pretty valid a general description. Congratulations, you've either been talking to some of us, or doing some reading.

Answer 3

"Pagans, are you motivated by a combination of greed for wealth, power and societal influence?"
Most of us prefer jobs that make us happy instead of jobs that only make us money. (I have never heard of a rich Pagan, personally.)

"Do you attempt to force others into believing the "weird stuff" you believe?"
It's nice when people don't assume we're crazy, but few will try to force anything down your throat.

"Or, is it more likely that you honor the earth, all living things, your ancestors and accept all positive paths as valid for the adherent?"
Ding! Exactly!

"Is it also more likely that you don't proselytize as you know this path isn't right for everyone?"
Dingding! (Though anyone of any religion is going to be happy when they add to their ranks.)

Answer 4

I don't find what I believe weird at all. I studied hard to find a belief system right for me. My Gods called me before I even knew the word "pagan." I remember as a child reading grade school history and always wanting to know where those Gods went. Wanting to know more about them. I felt so much closer to them than I did with Jesus and I wondered why. But, I want everyone to be happy. My way is not all ways and I would never be so arrogant. I want people to be happy in whatever path they choose, but to allow others the same.

Answer 5

I rarely discuss everything I believe or experience anyway. I give the basics to those who ask about it, but that's pretty much it. I would rather honor my Gods and my path and not worry about advertising my beliefs to the world. I don't worry about what is right for other people, as far as religion is concerned. I'm not their mother and don't feel the need to push any beliefs on anyone, including my own kid. Besides, proselytize sounds like VD.

Answer 6

I'm a pagan. I generally don't try to force my beliefs on others.

But then again, neither do all Christians.

There are good people and bad people in all religions. I've seen some pretty nasty dogma coming out of paganism, and some really amazing acts of kindness out of Christianity.

Of course, it's easier to take pot shots at The Other People than to actually do something worthwhile in this world. And that goes for the hypocrites in all religions--pagans certainly aren't immune to small-mindedness, stereotyping, and other stupid human tricks.

Answer 7

I'm a pagan (specifically, Wiccan) because I honor and revere Nature, and because I love and adore and worship the Gods with all my heart. (Especially the Moon Goddess and the Horned God of Wicca; but there are other pagan deities that I also love and honor.) My religion is what gives meaning and purpose to my life, and helps to guide me along a path of spiritual growth. And that, really, is the foundation of all human happiness: the feeling that we are connected to the larger cosmos, that we are in touch with something deep and sacred and primal.

Magic? Yeah, there's that too. And I have seen plenty of evidence of magic working in my life, just as I have seen plenty of evidence that the Gods are very real. But magic is not the main thing, at all. The main thing is that it's a path with a heart.

And no, we don't proselytize. We figure it's up to each person to find his or her own path, and to relate to the Gods in their own way. But if someone belongs to a religion that is so narrow-minded and intolerant that they feel they have to preach it at me, then I'm likely to try and talk them out of belonging to such a dumb religion. But I would not try to tell them which religion they should follow, only to avoid the intolerant ones.

As for "weird beliefs": pagan religions are experiential; we take our beliefs from our own experiences, not from a book or what somebody else tells us we should think. I'm Wiccan because I love the Gods of Wicca, period. So our "weird beliefs" come from what we have experienced for ourselves. How weird is that?

Answer 8

Yup, as your ironic post suggests, I am motivated as a Wiccan by a reverence for the Earth and all in Earth's Household. Since the other paths of spirit are also true, I have no interest in proselytizing.

Answer 9

no one is forced to believe into "wierd" stuff. And since there are many types of paganism it is different but it's all based on the earth and sprirtual energy. Of course being human everyone makes mistakes and in no way do we try to justify violence like other religions. We allow anyone to believe what they want and in no way force anyone anything because as i said its based on spiritualism and your own beliefs. It's not a strict religion

Answer 10

There's no force, no greed, no "power over" in the Craft. We don't recruit - you're a Witch or you're not, you can't convert and you can't renounce. We do try to educate about our faith because we've got 6,000 years of bad press to counter and people have a lot of incorrect ideas about us.

We honor the sacred connection of all Life and know that separation is an illusion.