If Pagans worship the old gods, and thousands of years later when [insert religion] dies, would you worship...

Question

their gods? im just curious cause i watched taboo yesterday and now im not sure if im truely getting paganism. so if you can, can you get me an informed link or some kind of truthful information from a true pagan, cause im finding the religion interesting. Especially how you guys keep to the True Gods, Zues, Anubis, and others.

umm, guys this was specifically to Pagans, not (no offense) bible thumpin fundies.

Ok seriously, enough with the bible thumping ranting, pagans are a religion too. im sorry but RRll Grrl is the only one whomight get best answer.

Answer 1

Pagans worship the gods that interact with them. We worship them because they are real, not because they are old.

A TV show is never a good resource for religions.

Answer 2

I have no idea what was on the TV show, but it is always a good idea to take whatever is said with a grain of salt. Remember, no matter who speaks they are speaking from their experiences, their point of views, and their belief system and/or religion.

witchvox.com has a lot of information about the various Pagan Traditions, and there are a lot of them.

Personally, I call IT, The Divine, but I work with aspects of The Divine, and those are various gods and goddesses.

With that said, here I go......

I will now quote an unknown author:
"The diamond of Truth is a jewel with many facets, flashing now one colour and now another; but the jewel does not change."

In its own unique way this quote is letting you know that depending upon your current vantage point, based upon your personal experiences, that you see your own version of 'truth' that is but a facet of The Truth. Truth does not change, only one's vantage point, or viewpoint, of the 'truth' changes.

If an individual even slightly shifts their vantage point, or viewpoint, that individual may view another 'truth' or version thereof. Neither 'truth' is better, nor more 'right', than the other one. They are both versions, facets, of The Truth as seen from differing vantage points, or viewpoints, and experiences. They are both valid for the individual experiencing them.

Many people are concerned with the path that is taken to The Divine. By path they mean a specific religion, tradition, or spirituality. They speak as though the path is the most important thing. The path does NOT matter. It is the journey along the path which brings wisdom, knowledge, and lessons that each individual needs to experience within this lifetime that matters. The hope is that journey will help the individual make a connection to The Divine.

The sole purpose of working with The Divine is to become more connected to The Divine, as well as noticing the connections that you already have with The Divine.

The Divine pours through all, and will always do so. It will nurture, replenish, cleanse, and heal you and that which you direct it to. Remain open to The Divine and the gifts IT presents to you. The Divine works through you, just as it works through those you meet along the path you have chosen for this life's journey.

The Divine exists in all things. Everything that exists is sacred and interconnected. It matters not how big, nor small, The Divine is within it all. Therefore, The Divine in you and The Divine in all else can reach out to one another and spread love, caring, peace, and harmony.

Answer 3

I missed the program last night (I got the wrong time zone when I wrote down when it was), but I'm always skeptical about shows about Paganism (or media done by those outside the Pagan community). Really, there are plenty of resources to be found, especially on the internet, but I'd start with witchvox.com. The Witches' Voice offers information on all traditions and all peoples and has great links. Read up on the basics of different paths and then, when you find one that really interests you, focus on it, but never close your mind to other paths. Sometimes it the things you find on another's path that complete your path all the more. Above all, stay open-minded.

I do want to mention, though, that not even Pagans are perfect. You will come across those who think their path is the right path and that if you use their pantheon a different way than they do that you are wrong. Remember to take these people, like fundamentalist Christians, with only a grain of salt. There is never true good without the bad. Don't let those dissuade you, but learn from that - even if it's just how NOT to be. Good luck with your search!

Brightest Blessings!

Answer 4

TV most times is not a good source, especially when it comes to Pagan religions. They tend to sensationalize and leave a lot out, like the fact that Paganism is an umbrella term for a wide variety of religions.

I myself am a Norse Pagan, but there are others out there who worship the Greeks, the Egyptians, and many others.

Answer 5

i am a solitary practioner, and while this idea may seem a bit unorthodox or even sacriligous to some wiccians/ pagans, i dont think it matters at all what you call the "gods/goddess". the bottom line is that they are not a parent figure like in many monothiestic religions, they are nature. they are in everything, including us. everything in this world is inherently divine thus worshipping a god like anubis or something is only giving yourself a solid physical/ ideological representation of what is all around and in us.

as far as pagans worshipping the "true" gods, i think it is a little silly. i think that there is no "true" god, because names etc are all made up by humans to make it easier for us to conceptualize the divine. to me, the greatest thing about being a pagan (whatever you want to call it) is that i dont have to be bound by names or representations. i could worship in a temple to zeus or in a temple to odin and feel the presence of the divine equally in both places because the names etc are purley human creations.

furthermore, the idea that we worship the "true gods" is a very dangerous and destructive attitude. case in point, all the major monothiestic religions. they all have that idea, and look at all the pain, destruction, and devestation they have caused through out the years of their existance. we need to respect all people's interpretations of the divine (christians etc included) because when it comes down to it, we are all worshipping the same thing.

you might want to check out the book: wicca: a guide for the solitary practioner by scott cunningham. while this book is specifically wiccian, there are some interesting ideas through out the book that you may find very helpful.

Answer 6

Acutally, the term Pagan is so broad that it's really hard to pin down the shared beliefs. There are all sorts of Pagans believing in all sorts of gods. Some will worship Egyptian gods, some Celtic, some Norse. Others will believe in one god and one goddess, or just the goddess. Some will combine different gods and goddesses. It depends on what they follow- Wicca, Shamanism, etc. I'd suggest focusing on one and working from there. It's far less confusing that way. I'd suggest books, mostly, but it depends on which specific religion you choose to study.

I know someone who is beginning to follow Wicca, and she devotes herself to the Goddess. However, she doesn't believe that the Goddess is an acutal separate being (like the Christian God)- she believes she is everything- the wind, the rocks, the oceans, the planets, etc.

Answer 7

There's a lot of info out there. It depends on which path you wish to take or if you wish to go with Wicca (which is more of a modern, generalized form of Paganism). There are many different paths. Egyptian is Kemetic... Greek is Hellenism.... Norse/Germanic is Asatru... you also have the Celtic Recons (all of the above are Reconstruction paths). There are also paths within Wicca... Gardnerian, Dianic, Alexandrian. Or you could go solo/solitary. It depends on what calls to you or what you find the most interesting.

www.witchvox.com is a forum that has many articles and links to different websites. It's a good idea, though, that no matter which path you do choose, to check the history and references for any author you read. We have plenty of Fluffies that will publish damn near anything that sounds good to them... things which may not be truthful to history or how our ancestors worshipped.

Heathen/Asatru

Answer 8

Don't count on TV to give you a good description of Paganism. Go to www.witchvox.com for a clearer picture of what it's all about. There are 32,000 pages on that site. Another really good site is www.greyschool.com. Check it out.

You will find, as you search for information, that Paganism is a collection of many religions that don't always agree on the basics. The one thing most all do agree on is that there is no one true religion nor one true set of Gods and Goddesses. They are all valid to those who believe in them.

Good luck on you quest for meaningful spirituality.

El Bee

Answer 9

I have two "patron" dieties. Lilith and Thor. Now some will immediately take issue about pantheons and that is fine. These 2 have been a part of my lfe whether I realized it or not for my whole life. I feel them everyday. It doesn;e matter to me where they came from.

For those of you who don't recognize Lilith, she was Adam's first wife who refused to lay under him and wanted equality.

Paganism is a faith. The different practices within that umbrella are the religion. All science is based on the observable World. Faith deals with the unobserved.

Answer 10

Steph has very good suggestions. I would start with some books on the subject. There are many ranging from specific beliefs and rituals to summaries of Paganism thoughout history.