"Weekend Pagans/Heathens"

[Ragnar]

Hi Lucas. Damn, I thought this thread had died ages ago.

Isolationist. Yes, I would put my self in that camp. But I am allways on the look, and listen, out, for opportunitys to put our case foreward. To defend what we believe in. And, more to the point, to defend the freedom of any one of any religion to thier own beliefs and practices. So long as it does not harm, or infringe upon other peoples rights to do like wise

As to "intimidating". Personaly my only "intimidating" (Conscioussly) involves Fundys of ANY religion, and any Government department "official".

It makes for a very confusing mixture for German "officials". They are, by far, still of the Prussian old school of "Officialdom". They find it most perturbing to meet a person that a) knows more about Prussian/German history and law, and basically behaves more Prussian, than they do, BUT

b) has an attitude to "officialdom" like William Wallace, Sitting Bull, or Ned Kelly.

[Kitsune]

You know since Lucas restarted the thread, I thought I'd comment...

Here, when I was learning 10 years ago or so, Wiccan was only used if you were a Witch, there was something called "Circles" which was practiced by a friend of mines family. I can't remember if her explanation of it included the word Pagan, but I do remember that it included the line "It's sort of like Wicca".

If fact, I don't think I remember seeing the word Pagan until I was 20 and found a book from the library that said it was a book for Pagans, a big thing here, as pretty much you were classified as Wiccan if you followed the year calender, however or whatever you actually worshipped, unless you actually had a name (Buddism or such).

Strange how that turns out.

Me, I'm Neo-Pagan, only because I'm not trying to revive an old faith, I'm trying to follow this new path...

[Ragnar]

ä?First off, ?I will apologise. ?My keyboard, apparantly, objests to having 1?/2 ?Liter ?Good ?German ßBee?R spilt over it.

?So ?I will be short.
ä

You know since Lucas restarted the thread, I thought I'd comment.....

?The way i see it, a thread is never dead.

the site is called library. it is allways open to editions and Additions. ?That is what a library is for.

Me, I'm Neo-Pagan, only because I'm not trying to revive an old faith, I'm trying to follow this new path...

?I have allways wondered what ?"?NEO?" means exactly?

?To me, if you are attempting to follow a path, then you are.

what does ?"n?EO actually mean?

[Rain ForestMoon]

neo-
pref.

1. New; recent: neonatal.
2. New and different: Neo-Freudian.
3. New and abnormal: neoplasm.



I think in our case we can assume definition (2) is the operative one.
(Just as in neo-gothic in architecture or neo-conservative in politics.)

I personally have never called myself neo anything, and I don't intend to.


I think anyone belonging to newer forms of paganism (perhaps such as wicca, which, in it's current form is relatively recent, as I understand) might well be regarding themselves as neo-pagans.

I personally do not think that anyone in "reconstructionist" paganism could realle be called "neo".

And, of course, people like Ragnar, who are from a long, unbroken line of pagans, the word "neo" would not even enter one's mind.


Just as an aside: Many people who call themselves christians should actually correctly be called neo-christian..........

[Earth Daughter]

involving killing and eating whole Kindergartens full of babies

But they're just so tasty....
Wow responding to things said way back in February that may be a personal best... probably not though
Also I addopted a term that my father suggested for me, 'ecclectic spirituality', it fits more under it and allows for exploration, however I do like the 'seeker' idea.
Blessed be.

[Willow]

Rainforest moon...you are right again. Neo paganism is a term invented by scholars to separate modern pagans from premodern pagans (think of the enlightement era as a separation between the two). The problem is...ancient paganism is so poorly defined.

Although I think the best thing I ever got by called by a prof was a "post-Christian" read that as you will, I like the term.

[Rain ForestMoon]

...... Neo paganism is a term invented by scholars to separate modern pagans from premodern pagans (think of the enlightement era as a separation between the two).....

I did not know that. Very interesting.
If the same sort of thinking were applied to christianity, protestantism would be classified as neo-christian, I think.
Next time some "missionaries" come knocking at my door I'll try to befuddle them with that.......

Although I think the best thing I ever got by called by a prof was a "post-Christian" read that as you will, I like the term.

I wonder if the "post" in post-christian should be looked at like "post" in post-modern, or more like "post" in post-industrial?

[Willow]

Definitely post modern...it was her way of saying I am all jumbled up I think.

She called herself a nostalgic agnostic (She was raised an Orthodox Jew and nopw teaches about the anthropology of religion). She is very good at naming people religious state.