We Are All Pagans Now

The Spectator ^ | December 18, 2004 | Mary Wakefield

[quidnunc]

Paganism is one of our fastest-growing religions. A druid explains why witchcraft appeals to 21st-century Britain

The sky was already murky at 4 p.m. when I locked my bike outside Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street. Inside, it was even murkier: wood-panelled corridors stretched off into the gloom, men in grey suits were wedged together, smoking Bensons and drinking bitter. No one looked even slightly like an Arch Priest of the Council of British Druid Orders. At 4:10 I found a separate little bar near the back of the pub. As I walked in, a big man with round shoulders and grey hair stared at me and I saw the corner of a magazine poking out from inside his coat. As I watched, the whole cover slowly emerged: a yellowy-purple watercolour of a fairy, and the title: The Witchtower. ‘Steve?’ I said. He nodded.

We bought bitter, found somewhere to sit, and began what turned out to be a three-hour crash course in modern paganism, one of the fastest-growing religions in Britain.

-snip-

So, can a modern pagan just pick any god to worship? I asked. Egyptian? Roman? African? Are there any rules? Steve put his hands self-consciously under the table, ‘No rules,’ he said. ‘Being a pagan is about being free from institutional rules. And the gods? Once you start seeking they choose you, really. Everyone has their own path, but we all celebrate the same festivals: the summer and winter solstices, spring and autumn equinoxes and four other festivals: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasad.’

Pagans, I discovered during our second pint, are also united by their sense of the injustices done them by Christians. The last 2,000 years of history is a heart-wrenching tale of innocent occult revivals squashed by ignorant Christians …

-snip-

[stuartcr]

Nothing I have said, infers that I think criminals are cool that get away, that is what you are trying to make it sound like.

What I said was that God creates us all, some good, some bad. If a criminal appears to get away with something here on earth, then, I believe that is the way God wants it, for whatever His reasons are. I do not question God.

[William Terrell]

Well, from my viewpoint, if you question God's law, you question God.

[stuartcr]

As I've noticed, we have different viewpoints.

Merry Christmas and Happy All Holidays

[orionblamblam]

> No finger pointing, but I'd be curious the make up of paganism.

Keep in minde, the definition of "pagan" is basically anyone who is not Christian/Jew/Muslim. That's a number of *billions* of people. Trying to lump Shinto, Asatru, Roman/Greek/Egyptian revivalist, Hindu, Native American, etc. all together is a fools exercise.

I'd say there is a pretty solid percentage of neo-nazis and then a solid percentage of socialist liberal pagans. The minority in this group I am certain are conservative and call themselves pagan.

See here:
http://www.webcom.com/~lstead/wicatru.html
"Thus, Ásatrúar think of Wiccans as communist drug-addicted homosexual nudists on welfare, while Wiccans see Ásatrúar as militaristic drunken gun-crazy gay-bashing nazis."

[Oztrich Boy]

Not seeing how this is a regarding Jesus thread

[unlearner]

"Christians also have a lot in common with pagans and that isn't an accident!"

I think though that there are essential and fundamental differences between the two.

True Christians must base their beliefs and practices on the words of Christ and the teachings of scripture.

There are many extraneous things associated with Christianity that are merely cultural additives: church buildings, steeples, stained glass windows, pulpits and pews; Christmas trees, gift exchanges, choirs and clergymen.

I am not saying all these things are bad, just nonessential.

The problem is that man-made traditions often replace and usurp the most important elements of true Christianity.

[dog breath]

What is very interesting that in many tribal societies ,which practiced no form of Christianity, would execute people accused of witchcraft. The Druids and Wiccans are not usually witches in the traditional sense but are practicing a new religion. Many are very intelligent because these are religions that require you to think. I know that some of you will have trouble believing that. The anti Christian attitude of many is unfortunate since it shows they have not traveled far enough down the path they have chosen. Modern Christians are not a threat to them and the religion of Wicca should teach the acceptance of all religions as expressions of the divine. If any religion poses a threat to them it is Islam which would suppress them with extreme prejudice.

[Hi Heels]

Retrace your steps. You brought it up.

[Taft in '52]

The Christmas tree is a pagan symbol.
Frosty & rudolph have nothing to do with Christmas.

Bah! Humbug!

[FreeHeartAndOpenMind]

There is nothing in pagan settings to do with Frosty and Rudolph either. It is simply a tale for the wee one's to enjoy.

[FreeHeartAndOpenMind]

Very well said.

[FreeHeartAndOpenMind]

Lawyers and judges are more dangerous to our future than warlocks and witches, imho.

They're working together against Christianity.



Not everyone within the pagan community is against the Christian's. Most just ask that rather then attempting to continuously convert us, that you respect our differences and also find it within yourselves to learn our similarities since many of us have been doing the same.

I personally have a problem with only a handful of Christians and those are because I know that they are giving Christian's a bad name, just as I have issues with some people that claim to be pagan, because they also make things more difficult for people to view us in a more positive light.

[FreeHeartAndOpenMind]

Stonehenge, where the demons dwell
Where the banshees live and they do live well

Stonehenge

Where a man is a man and the children dance to

the pipes of pan

Stonehenge

Tis a magic place where the moon doth rise

With a dragon's face

Stonehenge

Where the virgins lie

And the prayer of devils fill the midnight sky

And you my love, won't you take my hand

We'll go back in time to that mystic land

Where the dew drops cry and the cats meow

I will take you there

I will show you how

Tufnel & St. Hubbins c. 1984





The writer in me appreciates that, I'd love to know where it was found. (Will probably do a search later on.)

[GovernmentShrinker]

http://www.lyrics.ly/lyrics.php/Spinal%20Tap/Lyrics/Stonehenge

[HereInTheHeartland]

"Personally, I see all paganism as being evil."

It's pretty sad that most people don't realize that.
It is rooted in evil, the people involved in it deny that of course. This type of stuff usually goes off into some sick stuff if you read any of their stuff.
Anything that seeks to replace Christ with something else is of course against Christ. They certainly have the freedom to make that choice, but the truth is the truth.