Pagan

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Pagan

In the pagan community everyone uses their own definition of the word ‘pagan’ which in most cases is fine, the disturbing part of this is along with the definition most people bring along their own mold. A lot of people have told me and others on pagan communities that we were not pagan because we didn’t fit into their mold of what makes a pagan ‘pagan.’



This attitude is one of the attitudes that many pagans tend to proclaim to dislike in Christianity. The idea that if you don’t fit in the definition of a Christian you aren’t a good person. Christians have persecuted millions under this belief, yet many carry it over into a pagan religion and expect everyone to conform. The idea can be amusing at times, especially when you realize that pagan is a word that has no definite meaning. Unlike Christianity, Muslim, or even Judaism there is no concise requirements to be pagan other than being a follower of a non-mainstream religion.

The disturbing part of the fact is that in general most pagans profess to have an open mind. Then to turn around and display such a closed minded attitude when what they should be able to do is understand another’s definition and accept it, acceptance is not a concession that you believe it just the willingness to live with the fact that someone else’s definition is different.

While I am on the subject of things that are disturbing about pagans, the other sore point to me is that they hang on to Christian morals and ideals. As life is complicated there is more than one way to coexist with your fellow man, so why is it that the pagan community seems to hang onto Christian values if the follow another path?

Just a few thoughts to consider.

Rogue

War

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War
Throughout history man has waged war with neighboring tribes, states and countries for the sake of expansion, or to settle disputes that were unable to be settled in negotiations. Our history is riddled with war. All through history they have evolved tactically and strategically. However, my disdain of war comes from modern warfare.
In the past war has been horrific and brutal this is what brings the warring factions together to negotiate peace or the surrender of one faction. In modern war people have got civil. Rules of engagement have changed to the point that there is little to no true horrors of war to be spoken of. True people die but the world has come to want it to be civil so that those that die are soldiers. The civilian populist just goes about normal life with their only concern of the war being the sons and daughters who are soldiers. This idea sits wrong with me.
The ideas involved in modern warfare remind me of an old Star Trek show where Captain Kirk and the Enterprise encounter two warring planets that had been at war for centuries. The worlds considered themselves civilized and conducted the war cleanly. All attacks where computer generated and the casualties were lined up before an incinerator where they were expected to just step in and accept they were casualties of war. The Idea sounds ridiculous however that is the direction that modern war is headed.
War was and is meant to be wage against a whole group of people, when you wage war against governments and exclude the people it governs you are looking at waging a never ending war. There was only two reasons that the attacks on 9/11 were taken so harshly by the United States was that it was on U.S. soil and that the attack was so horrific as war is meant to be. The sheltered lives of the United States people could not comprehend or grasp the ideals of open warfare waged by Bin Ladden. It may have been via terrorist acts but it was still that of open war.
War is to be waged on the entirety of the people whom the country region etcetera that war is waged against. The only real exception is civil war and it is still waged against those who support the government. The only difference is that civil war can split communities, and even families, as the support or opposition to a single areas government is of personal opinion.
Until war returns to the state it was intended to be, the world will continue in constant turmoil trying to bring resolution to problems that true war would resolve in a short amount of time.

Morality

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Morality
Morality is what a part of what a tradition is supposed to impart on its practitioners. Yet I have noticed that most traditions seem to copy that of Christianity. I have a problem with this, because if you can sin and ask forgiveness and it is granted for the asking what is the point of the rules to begin with.
The other problem is that if anyone is going to set up a system where any type of leader is to be followed whether it be deity or not the system should be set up so those who follow it can succeed. Every help book on being a leader for just about anything emphasizes that you “Don’t set your followers up for failure”. This is what makes being a good leader hard, not only are you out in front but you are supporting your followers and helping them succeed.
The third problem is a rule should fit all situations and have no exceptions. Thou shall not kill except in time of war or in self defense or in defense of home, possessions and loved ones kinda makes the rule a mute point.
Any system, whether following your own instincts or a higher power or the little tiki statue necklace around your neck, should be set up for balance and success of the followers not made so riddled with rules and moralities that are mute and become a waste of space.
Several of the social moralities are ones of human vanities. The world and nature and most deities could care less if a person ran around nude, after all no one comes into the world fully dressed. This is a confusion of morality and vanity. The issues of morality are forced on us by society but to become an eclectic Christian and claim to have no relationship to the tradition is self denial and untrue.
This brings me to the point of the not lying. To expect a human to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth 100% of the time is a set up for failure. After all in all truth deception is part of human nature and over the life time of any human they have told several lies. The thought may be well intended and socially humans get along better when everyone is telling the truth, however everyone has their own boundary of when it is allowable to lie. To expect anything more is to set the practitioners up for failure.
I make a challenge to all pagan and non Christian followers, list out the morals and rules of your tradition and tell what you think and is it truly obtainable.
One last thought: the theory of peace is a marvelous idea the practice of it makes us all the same.
“The day that the world is completely at peace is the day the human race no longer has individuals”. Unknown
After all conflict comes from disagreeing Peace comes with total unrestrained agreement. If we all think alike, act alike and be alike true peace can be obtained. Personally I enjoy my uniqueness and can survive and be happy even if I never see the sibilance of true peace.