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Post by phoenix on Mar 16, 2006 9:28:04 GMT -5
.................. to create pagan unity?
It worries me that if as pagans we continue to fight and create divides with other pagans that we as pagans will eventually self distruct. We won't need a witchcraft act - we will do it ourselves.
What does it take to create pagan unity or is such a things possible?
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Post by brandra on Mar 16, 2006 10:18:06 GMT -5
The answer to that is not as hard as the practice, Paganism is a path of the self even for those belonging to a tradition much of the journey is individual. Sometimes people travel their paths together as a tradition others alone. All it would take is for each group, tradition, and solitary practice to accept each other. Sounds simple in my dreams.
The problem is that it is not that much different to organized religion to many people wanting to prove that there path is better than the other or the only real path.
The only way I can see unity happening is around a project that all pagans believe in even that will take a lot of diplomacy.
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Post by watershield on Mar 16, 2006 11:34:49 GMT -5
I look at the various sects of the "recognized" religion called Christianity. Consider the divisions. Catholics, Protestant, Anglican, Lutheran, Baptist, Christian Science, Jehovah Witness, and list goes on.
Even though all of these peoples belief is based on the teachings of Jesus, do you think it possible to unite them into one church? They've been around for hundreds of years and all they have done is splinter away into more diverse groups.
Originally, for Christians, it was one group, as they were being taught by the head of their coven, Jesus.
After Jesus was killed the division started as each of the disciples took his role as a coven head.
Now compare that to the Pagan paths. There have been Pagans for hundreds of years (or should I say thousands) as well, practicing in private.
We don't really know if Pagans had come together at any time or if so how as the Romans fairly well decimated the population and history of the past, as did the Christians after them.
In the late 40's or early 50's these Pagans started to come together with Gardner pulling a group together and called it Wicca and established the Gardnerian tradition. Since then even Wicca has splintered into a variety of traditions based on individuals concept of the fundamental teachings.
I agree with Brandra, we may come together for a project, as we may agree on fundamental concepts, but human characteristics will continue to splinter formal groups. Heck, isn't that basically the lesson regarding the Tower of Babble?
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Post by vermindaspirit on Mar 17, 2006 4:02:24 GMT -5
From what i have seen, a bloody miracle....
I agree with the boys, a common project may unite them for a while but even then i think the fighting would seep in....
There are too many 'pagans' out there, that are too concerned about what others are doing instead of concentrating with their own paths.... They all want to be 'top dog' and with an attitude like that, they wonder why they eventually have no respect, either from their 'own kin' or 'outsiders'......
Yes its human nature to fight among ourselves but we have to sit and think, there is so much fighting going on in the world and so much distress, that their petty fighting really has no meaning, just children throwing their dummies out of their prams....
The sooner 'Pagans' realize that Paganism has many threads to it, each one different and unique and we accept this, then maybe, they can all live happy ever after with each other.... Ok now I'm taking my rose tinted glasses off.... ;D
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