Any Pagans here?

Lisnaholic · 07-17-2022, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gandhara

Just curious.. I'll describe my beliefs if there are any more here.

As Ayn's answer is the very first reply to a question from 13 years ago, I think we can assume the answer has been "No".

As for "pagan", I think it's a relative term like "foreigner", which is connected to where you are as a person, and is used to describe people in another cultural bubble. I imagine that technically, most of us here on MB could apply it to anyone outside that whole Middle-Eastern religious trilogy: Christian-Jewish-Muslim. But these days it's used as you suggest, TH and Ayn, for people with some minority faith like Druid. My guess is that's because of the word's lingering derogatory meaning, and because we are a little more respectful about the other big religions, preferring to calling Hindus Hindus and Buddhists Buddhists.

In the same way, TH, I would say that yes, an atheist could technically be called a pagan*, but people try to be more polite, more specific, and call us what we are: atheists.

* or perhaps that scathing description, "godless" could be used more widely: AFAIK it only shows up in the rants of TV evangelists in the US at the moment.

gandhara · 07-18-2022, 01:24 PM

13 YEARS ago?! lol I just made this like 2 days ago... where are you getting 13 years!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

As Ayn's answer is the very first reply to a question from 13 years ago, I think we can assume the answer has been "No".

As for "pagan", I think it's a relative term like "foreigner", which is connected to where you are as a person, and is used to describe people in another cultural bubble. I imagine that technically, most of us here on MB could apply it to anyone outside that whole Middle-Eastern religious trilogy: Christian-Jewish-Muslim. But these days it's used as you suggest, TH and Ayn, for people with some minority faith like Druid. My guess is that's because of the word's lingering derogatory meaning, and because we are a little more respectful about the other big religions, preferring to calling Hindus Hindus and Buddhists Buddhists.

In the same way, TH, I would say that yes, an atheist could technically be called a pagan*, but people try to be more polite, more specific, and call us what we are: atheists.

* or perhaps that scathing description, "godless" could be used more widely: AFAIK it only shows up in the rants of TV evangelists in the US at the moment.

Lisnaholic · 07-18-2022, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gandhara

13 YEARS ago?! lol I just made this like 2 days ago... where are you getting 13 years!!!

OOPS! Getting old means making dumb mistakes more often than you would like! I must have confused your join date with your posting date. Sorry about any confusion I've caused in your thread, gandhara.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guybrush

A different flavour of idiocy.

Paganism may seem cute, but if some branch of paganism got super popular and got to make the new world order, it would've been awful, same as the rest of them.

Yep, keeping a good sense of proportion as always, Guybrush. I would "times two" your sentiment.

gandhara · 07-19-2022, 08:46 PM

It's all good, I knew you mixed those up it was just really funny so I went with it!

[QUOTE=Lisnaholic;2211091]

OOPS! Getting old means making dumb mistakes more often than you would like! I must have confused your join date with your posting date. Sorry about any confusion I've caused in your thread, gandhara.

07-19-2022, 08:46 PM	#4 (permalink)
gandhara Hi NRG fanatic Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: West Virginia Posts: 135	It's all good, I knew you mixed those up it was just really funny so I went with it! [QUOTE=Lisnaholic;2211091] OOPS! Getting old means making dumb mistakes more often than you would like! I must have confused your join date with your posting date. Sorry about any confusion I've caused in your thread, gandhara.