NationStates Jolt Archive

Im a Wiccan. How many other people are? Do you have a minority religion like Sikh or shinto?

Do you have a minority religion like Sikh or shinto?
If there are any Shinto people, I'm just going to laugh at them. Though I consider Japan to 0wn every other culture, Shinto is more outdated than Christianity, in my opinion.

I'm leaning towards paganism. I'm thinking about checking out a local event on december 21st. A local Yule fest. Had no idea they did something like that near me.

You all need to accept Jesus as your personal savior. All this wicca stuff is devil worship. ;)

Good thing you had that wink or you would have gotten an angry e-mail.

You all need to accept Jesus as your personal savior. All this wicca stuff is devil worship. ;)
Devil worshipping is cool. You haven't lived untill you have had sex with a chicken.

I find that my beliefs fit in best with those of shamans, although I understand those beliefs to be closely aligned with some wiccan and pagan beliefs.

I'm actually Catholic-Pagan (yes, I know, practically an oxymoron) but I'm considering dropping religion altogether and just being spiritual.

I'm actually Catholic-Pagan (yes, I know, practically an oxymoron) but I'm considering dropping religion altogether and just being spiritual.
Excellent idea! Do consider further!

I'm actually Catholic-Pagan (yes, I know, practically an oxymoron) but I'm considering dropping religion altogether and just being spiritual.
So, like, do you consider Mary to be a goddes then? Perhaps a fertility goddes?

Devil worshipping is cool. You haven't lived untill you have had sex with a chicken.

Note to self; I do not want to live.

Born Again Pagan

Note to self; I do not want to live.
Perhaps we can get you a sheep instead.

I hope you all find God sooner or later.

I hope you all find God sooner or later.
I'm sorry...I didn't mean to lose him...it was just that I wasn't paying enough attention...and his leash... :headbang: Stupid! I should've kept better track of him! :headbang:

I hope you all find atheism now. Especially the guy who posted about finding god.

More or less. Since parting company with the Unitarians many years back, I've been more or less a spiritual 'free agent', with an on-again-off-again relationship with the Church of the Subgenius.

But earlier this year, I had an incredible experience and psychically 'encountered' two different, distinct 'Pagan' entities - Prometheus, the Titan...and Loki, who came to me in the form of a bouncing ball of fire.

My Pagan friends consider me more of a Pagan than I do per se. I do so hate pigeonholing myself...

I hope you all find God sooner or later.
I gave him up for adoption years ago. His file is sealed. No chance of finding him.

I hope you all find atheism now. Especially the guy who posted about finding god.

Snowball's chance, pal.

I gave him up for adoption years ago. His file is sealed. No chance of finding him.
But I kept good track of God...you might've put him up for adoption, but I tried to care of him... He sneaked out of his harness and I just can't find him anywhere!

Snowball's chance, pal.
Well, Keep hope alive.

*Brings in pile of wood and a large wooden stake*

What are you all looking at? Nothing to see here...

Will soon belong to the Cantheist ministry... if i can get my ass in gear.

http://www.cannabis-assembly.co.uk/

love to be a minister :D

I'm spiritual but none of the religions out there really convince me to follow them.

But i do like the idea that in Wiccan you can cast spells and stuff.

:gundge: - me throwing spell stuff at people

Well, Keep hope alive.

Heheh, no.

I'm spiritual but none of the religions out there really convince me to follow them.

But i do like the idea that in Wiccan you can cast spells and stuff.

:gundge: - me throwing spell stuff at people
Yeah, but Rastafarians smoke weed and have cool music.

But I kept good track of God...you might've put him up for adoption, but I tried to care of him... He sneaked out of his harness and I just can't find him anywhere!
Ah well. By now he's probably lying somewhere in the gutter with a needle in his arm and a bottle to keep him warm. *shrugs*

Yeah, but Rastafarians smoke weed and have cool music.

Is rastafarianism a religion?

I hope you all find God sooner or later.

Yeah, that SOB owes me ten bucks...

Heh, I don't know why I waste my time with you guys.

Heh, I don't know why I waste my time with you guys.
Neither do we.

Heh, I don't know why I waste my time with you guys.
Stick around. We might be having a "bonfire" soon.

Is rastafarianism a religion?
Sure is. It's based on Judaism and Christianity. Monotheistic, and no less valid than Islam. Much more laid back though.

Is rastafarianism a religion?
Actually, yes. It's kind of odd, though...

The Empire of Presidency is of the Narcissism religon.

Sure is. It's based on Judaism and Christianity. Monotheistic, and no less valid than Islam. Much more laid back though.
Umm...kinda. Because I'm too lazy to formulate my own definition, I'll use Merriam-Webster's.

a religious cult among black Jamaicans that teaches the eventual redemption of blacks and their return to Africa, employs the ritualistic use of marijuana, forbids the cutting of hair, and venerates Haile Selassie as a god

It's named after Ras Tafari, which was a previous name of Haile Selassie. It's kind of changed thouhg, because I found out that there are actually white Rastafarians...so I'm not sure what's up with that. They apparently worship the god "Jaw" or something...

I found out that there are actually white Rastafarians...so I'm not sure what's up with that.
More technically known as white Bob Marley fans.

I always saw Rastafarianism as the Nation of Islam + Pot.

Umm...kinda. Because I'm too lazy to formulate my own definition, I'll use Merriam-Webster's.

a religious cult among black Jamaicans that teaches the eventual redemption of blacks and their return to Africa, employs the ritualistic use of marijuana, forbids the cutting of hair, and venerates Haile Selassie as a god

It's named after Ras Tafari, which was a previous name of Haile Selassie. It's kind of changed thouhg, because I found out that there are actually white Rastafarians...so I'm not sure what's up with that. They apparently worship the god "Jaw" or something...
I had always heard that Ras meant supreme and Tafari meant creator, thus Jah Rastafarai meant God, the supreme (almighty) Creator.

Umm...kinda. Because I'm too lazy to formulate my own definition, I'll use Merriam-Webster's.

a religious cult among black Jamaicans that teaches the eventual redemption of blacks and their return to Africa, employs the ritualistic use of marijuana, forbids the cutting of hair, and venerates Haile Selassie as a god

It's named after Ras Tafari, which was a previous name of Haile Selassie. It's kind of changed thouhg, because I found out that there are actually white Rastafarians...so I'm not sure what's up with that. They apparently worship the god "Jaw" or something...
The Ethiopian emperors were thought to be of divine lineage. Much like the Emperors of Japan and China. They are believed to have drived from an uninterrupted line from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheeba.

I've always wanted to found my own religion, but never bothered since there are so many religions out there already.

I've always wanted to found my own religion, but never bothered since there are so many religions out there already.
The more the merrier. It can be quite profitable. No taxes, free money from the faithfull, quite a nice scam.

The more the merrier. It can be quite profitable. No taxes, free money from the faithfull, quite a nice scam.
And sex with all female members. For the purpose of lifting them up to a higher plane of spiritual awareness of course.

I'm an atheistic agnostic myself (agnostic in that I'm a persistant skeptic), but I've had my share of pagan and wiccan friends (including my best friend - sweetest spellcaster there ever was). I find them MUCH easier to get along with than Christians, since they don't generally follow a deity well-known for mass slaughtering, subjugating women, and deciding that sinners go to hell instead of something more reasonable, like Hades, where you're merely bored as heck.

And Shinto's just fun to read about. I mean come on, Inu Yasha, great stuff.

I have my own eclectic set of beliefs, mostly coming from the study of modern physics (yeah, that stuff can really mess with your brain). I would probably be considered a panentheist depending on the question. The closest I have seen to my peculiar set of beliefs is the religion of the Minbari in the show Babylon 5, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minbari#Religion.

The Minbari religion does not have a central God figure, nor does it have a pantheon of Gods. The Minbari believe that the universe itself is sentient, and that the universe has the ability to break itself into many pieces. They believe that the universe places a piece of itself inside each individual. ... They feel that after an individual has died, the soul of the individual joins with all the other departed Minbari souls. The souls then all meld together becoming one. Then the souls are reborn into the next generation of Minbari.

I intensely dislike dogmatic religions. I think some of the more paradoxical, experiential (as opposed to revealed) religious traditions like Sufi and Zen have a few things worth looking at, and some of the Pagan/Wicca pantheon and mythos is also cool, however most self-described Wiccans take themselves far, far too seriously.

The more the merrier. It can be quite profitable. No taxes, free money from the faithfull, quite a nice scam.

I've often considered that. It would be nice to be able to get out of going to high school.

raised Catholic, couldn't stand it and it drove me nuts, so wandered into Atheism.

recently worked up my own little combination of Santeria and Wicca...it works for what i need.

I only define myself as a polytheist, and also accecpt the term Keingir (the name of me religion). But I keep getting bunched together with the pagans, which I don't like because new-age stuff, and "magic" is not something I believe in, or accecpt as more then a scam anyway.
Oh, and I'm what you'd call semi-practising, just think of me as the polythestic version of someone who only goes to church every sunday, and enjoys the holliday beinfiets, nothing more then that.

Oh, and Ereshkigal welecomes those who try to convert me. BWAHAHAHAHAHA *Cough*

Snowball's chance, pal.
Well, considering Luci is supposedly trapped under a lake of ice, snow would survive quite well.

Does creating your own religion count as being pagan?

Yeah, that SOB owes me ten bucks...

She owes me a soul

Does creating your own religion count as being pagan?

No.

however most self-described Wiccans take themselves far, far too seriously.

I know someone who recently converted to Paganism from Wicca because of that, after being involved with it for several years.

No.
Shit :(

And I oh so wanted to be one.

I had always heard that Ras meant supreme and Tafari meant creator, thus Jah Rastafarai meant God, the supreme (almighty) Creator.
Ahh, that would explain it. It must've been "Jah", not "Jaw" who the Rastafarians worshipped.

The Ethiopian emperors were thought to be of divine lineage. Much like the Emperors of Japan and China. They are believed to have drived from an uninterrupted line from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheeba.
This explains a lot. It apparently is a Judeo-Christian religion as well, since the supreme being "Jah" is a shortened form of "Jehova". And the people must've been pronouncing their own deity's name wrong, since it's pronounced "Yah". Thank you very much.

On a related note, I also found out that "Hallelujah" means "Praise Jah".

And Shinto's just fun to read about. I mean come on, Inu Yasha, great stuff.
There's actually very little Shinto in Inu-Yasha...hate to burst your bubble, but...

I know someone who recently converted to Paganism from Wicca because of that, after being involved with it for several years.
But Wicca is a pagan religion...

I guess the closest label would be a Discordian pantheist. Which means I tend to be irreverently spiritual.

They apparently worship the god "Jaw" or something...

I always saw Rastafarianism as the Nation of Islam + Pot.

Jah. As in Jehovah. They worship the same God as Christians. They don't have anything to do with NOI.

Does creating your own religion count as being pagan?

No.

That's rather absolute, isn't it? Are you the official arbiter of things Pagan? Crabcake, I say it counts.

But what either NG or I think doesn't matter anyway. It's what you think that matters.

More or less. Since parting company with the Unitarians many years back, I've been more or less a spiritual 'free agent', with an on-again-off-again relationship with the Church of the Subgenius.

But earlier this year, I had an incredible experience and psychically 'encountered' two different, distinct 'Pagan' entities - Prometheus, the Titan...and Loki, who came to me in the form of a bouncing ball of fire.

My Pagan friends consider me more of a Pagan than I do per se. I do so hate pigeonholing myself...

Hey Dobbs, I've been looking into Unitarianism, just as a place to gather with lots of people from diverse religious backgrounds.
Would I be likely to find that, or just a lot of Christians without the antihomo stance?

Jah. As in Jehovah. They worship the same God as Christians. They don't have anything to do with NOI.
Yes, I did some research on it and see now where I erred. They are a Judeo-Christian religion as well, so they are certainly not Islamic. But their "Trinity" is Melchizedek, Christ, and Haile Selassie. They believe each of them are the saviours. So Jah, while related to the Christian God, is not the same.

Hey Dobbs, I've been looking into Unitarianism, just as a place to gather with lots of people from diverse religious backgrounds.
Would I be likely to find that, or just a lot of Christians without the antihomo stance?

Depends entirely on the congregation. I was raised Unitarian (which in itself is a bit rare, I'll explain in a second) at a particularly liberal Unitarian church. There were people from diverse countries and ethnic backgrounds, as well as religious backgrounds. A number of people came originally from various Christian sects, but far less so than in some of the Unitarian churches I encountered in parts of the US.

Our church was very casual, and the services were dressed-down affairs. We didn't have pews, but comfy chairs which we'd usually set up in a big circle. I said before that being raised Unitarian was a bit rare (maybe less so now, I understand membership is up both in US and Canada) - here's why: most people gravitate towards UUism later in life, usually as a way of re-connecting spiritually, especially after some prior upset with their own religious background or upbringing.

A large number of new Unitarians are from fundamentalist backgrounds, of no one particular 'Faith group'or another. One of the attractors is the direct involvement of members - our own church had no minister, which meant that the membership led it's own services, on a rotating basis. There wasn't a new member I didn't meet who was on the steering committee within six months of joining. The trouble with basing your church's expansion on attracting people from without is that, however much some of these former fundies may feel 'at home' with the liberalism, or feel 'impactful' by sitting on committees, in the end, they'll always try, sometimes even subconsciously, to make this groovy religion somewhat more uptight, because deep down inside, they miss the fuddyduddiness of their old life.

I've seen it happen before. More than once. The grooviness is a major attractor, but the more burned-out button-down refugees from 'The Big Three' religions are absorbed, the less groovy it becomes. Until you find yourself with pews instead of comfy chairs, and some dude monopolizing the podium week after week.

Most of the Unitarians I knew who were raised Unitarian are now no longer practicing Unitarians. A number of them have become Wiccan/Pagan, Secular Humanists, or Subgenii. One or two plan to return to provide their children with solid instruction in comparative theology, but when we've compared notes, we've come to find the current brand of Unitarianism is just far too square and nothing like the liberal experience we enjoyed growing up Unitarian.

Not much help, eh? I know. Sorry 'bout that. I ultimately parted ways for a variety of reasons, but one of the things that got under my skin was that as tolerant as I was raised to be, I just couldn't tolerate intolerance and stupidity on the part of others. My upbringing taught me many ways to be inclusive, to respect other's opinions and feelings, their differing beliefs - but I just wasn't able to rationalize respecting someone's opinion or beliefs while their opinion or beliefs elevated themselves above the people around them, or conversely reduced the status of those around them to sub- or non-humans.
Why should I tolerate that kind of chauvinistic bullshit? And so I left, and thanks to the program on 'building your own theology' they gave me as part of my RE, I've been happily plugging along my own path for fifteen years now.

Whew! That was longer than I expected. I guess you'll just have to try auditing some services at hopefully a few different Unitarian churches. Well, of course, you might want to look up the Universalists - some UU congregations were, of course, originally Universalist congregations before the two churches merged - and I do recall they seemed somewhat more hip than their nearest Unitarian neighbours. The people I'm thinking of still used the 'Tree of Life' as their religious symbol instead of the 'Flaming Chalice'. If you want my advice, avoid the places with ministers. Or pews. And if anyone shows up in a suit and tie, run for the door.

I ultimately parted ways for a variety of reasons, but one of the things that got under my skin was that as tolerant as I was raised to be, I just couldn't tolerate intolerance and stupidity on the part of others.
That is a problem I have. I realise when I'm frustrated with people like that that I am, myself, being intolerant. If I was more lucid and less inflammatory, which is not intentional, perhaps I could actually provoke people into thinking.

That is a problem I have. I realise when I'm frustrated with people like that that I am, myself, being intolerant. If I was more lucid and less inflammatory, which is not intentional, perhaps I could actually provoke people into thinking.

Well, the other thing is that I thrive on conflict (from a big family, see). A roomful of people in constant agreement makes for no fun dialogue. I'm frequently more lucid, especially in person, and I've had the pleasure of provoking many people into thinking.

Sometimes they don't like the thoughts I provoke, but I'm not usually one to pull my punches. Most people don't assume a liberal-minded guy can stick up for himself, because amongst other things, they equate physical strength and the potential for violence with power. I beleive, as the late Dr. Asimov wrote, that 'violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'. Come to think of it, I just recalled three seperate occasions where under threat of being beaten up, I managed to reduce my would-be assailants to tears by a combination of doggedly pointing this out to them, berating them for their incompetence, while steadfastly refusing to fight, and fully admitting that I was whatever expression of insult (pussy, faggot, etc.) they cared to use to describe me.

What do I care about insults? I'd openly agree I was a wuss, and (in some combination) I'd tell them straight out, 'You say I'm a wuss? Fine, then. I'm a wuss. I'm whatever you want me to be. Sure thing. But no, I'm not going to fight over it. Look, sure, you could beat the crap out of me. But all that'll happen is you'll win, 'cause I won't fight, and in the end, you'll be the one up on charges. And I won't be. 'Cause you'll have bruised knuckles, and I'll have black eyes. Think about it.'

I'm writing this out and it doesn't really seem credible even to me. How did I make them cry? I can't remember, over time, all the negative stuff fades from memory - I mostly remember the good stuff. I remember that after I'd rendered the violent alternative unpalatable, I actually went on the attack, verbally, anyway. I relied on my wit, timing and delivery, and got the crowd (or the other people on scene, anyway) on side with me. I'd berate them for their behaviour, lecture them on tolerance, anything. Any tool to keep a dialogue going instead of reverting to the cro-magnon antics typical of a confrontational exchange.

Anyway...I feel like I got a case of the blahblahblahs here...

There's actually very little Shinto in Inu-Yasha...hate to burst your bubble, but...


Shinto includes the folklore creatures (yes, I know they toned them down a great deal, can't really port over scrotum-warping tanuki characters to the US), like the cutesy little kitsune kid. They're minor references, but they're still pleasant. If they had it -real- Shinto, full blown, it would be NC-17. Considering one of the most well-known creatures, the kappa, is a -BUTT VAMPIRE-. Seriously.


But Wicca is a pagan religion...

Yes. She stopped being Wiccan. Just like you can be stop being a Catholic and remain a Christian.

I beleive, as the late Dr. Asimov wrote, that 'violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'.
I fully agree with that. In fact, and I know this is pretty twisted, I sometimes provoke people into acts of physical violence against me. Then I laugh at them for having to resort to such a brutal form of expression. Then they either hurt me again or get frustrated and angry and storm off fuming. Looking back, I'd wager I do it just to boost my ego. Nothing serious has happened yet, but I swear, my insolent attitude when threatened is going to get me in trouble one day...

What do I care about insults? I'd openly agree I was a wuss, and (in some combination) I'd tell them straight out, 'You say I'm a wuss? Fine, then. I'm a wuss. I'm whatever you want me to be. Sure thing. But no, I'm not going to fight over it. Look, sure, you could beat the crap out of me. But all that'll happen is you'll win, 'cause I won't fight, and in the end, you'll be the one up on charges. And I won't be. 'Cause you'll have bruised knuckles, and I'll have black eyes. Think about it.'
I do precisely the same thing. Just probably a little more mockingly. I have a problem with that, sometimes, when I encounter people acting in an imbecilic way. Still hasn't helped me to cause anyone to actually think over their values, as far as I can tell, which is my goal with close-minded people.

Stick around. We might be having a "bonfire" soon.
And speaking of bon fires, howcome it is that the Greeks in the movie Troy were able to make funeral pyres on the beach every night for *all* their dead when there were no trees around for miles? Did they cut up a few ships, or what?

And speaking of bon fires, howcome it is that the Greeks in the movie Troy were able to make funeral pyres on the beach every night for *all* their dead when there were no trees around for miles? Did they cut up a few ships, or what?
Enough people died that they could scavenge from their ships?

Jah. As in Jehovah. They worship the same God as Christians. They don't have anything to do with NOI.
I know that, but I always saw them as being a bit similar

This thread should be titled 'How many people are stupid hippies'.