In my blog I am very open about my religion, I am a Pagan. I was raised Catholic, went to Catholic church every Sunday, went to Catholic Sunday School (even though it was on Wednesday), read the Catholic newspaper, I even taught 3rd grade Catholic Sunday School, on Wednesday for about 5 years. But, I never considered myself a Catholic. I went to church because as a kid you have no choice, as an adult it pleased my parents that I was there every week and I would have done anything to see the smile I got from my daddy every Sunday when I sat down in our pew. My mom was not a Catholic and she was very vocal about that. She also went to please my daddy.
Around 1996 or so my parents left the Catholic church and converted to Southern Baptist. It was a shock to say the least. The drastic beliefs were very different from the Catholic church. But, they seemed to enjoy it even though it was a bit cultish to me. And as long as there were happy I was fine with it. With this change came a great chance for me. I was able to finally and openly admit to being a Pagan. I was not afraid to tell people about it and really did not care if they were offended by it. That was their choice if they did not want to understand what I believed.
But what does it mean when I say that I am a Pagan? What do I believe in? What do I worship? Am I going to hell for not being a Christian? Well here is my opinions on this subject.
First off Pagans do not in any way shape or form worship Satan. Satan is a christian Deity not a pagan one. Many people think we do worship him because the pagan horned god looks similar. But Satan has his own religious following called Satanism so we don't need to worry about that. Second we never ever ever ever harm any living being as a sacrifice, totem or anything else. That is voo-doo that uses animal blood and parts for its rituals. We do not hex people, cast spells against people or harm people in anyway again there are other religions that have the market on this and it is not Pagans.
Pagans can be best described as nature worshippers. Native Americans are very close to Pagans with their ancestral beliefs. Like the Native Americans Pagans believe that everything has a spirit; that includes animals, people, plants, trees, water, rocks, the earth, the sky and the universe. Everything is a living being and deserves respect for being here. If we take something out of nature we give something back. There are many different forms of Pagans they come in all shapes and sizes and cover the entire Earth. Every country has Pagans some are still hidden because of the hatred that people feel towards something they do not agree with or understand.
Many people believe that because we do not follow the life and teachings of Jesus we are doomed to hell for eternity. I am asked all the time how we feel about Jesus and here is how I answer that question: "Pagans believe in respecting everyone and their beliefs. Many Pagan’s were raised in the Christian faith and therefore they know about Jesus and his stories. I personally find them interesting. But, I have also learned that there were several people at the time of Jesus doing many of the same miracles. But, Christians truly believe in Jesus and for them this is their way of finding salvation and for me that is fine. Jesus was a good teacher and seemed to be an honorable person and for that I hold nothing but respect for him and his followers". If only I could say they felt the same towards me but I can't. I have many Christian friends who are okay with my religion and I know many Christians who tell me everytime I see them that they are praying for me to find my way back to the one true religion. I always answer them with "Don't waste your prayers on me. Use them for someone who will benefit from them." That usually just pisses them off.
So hopefully you will understand what a Pagan is a little bit more than before. I am always open to questions if you have any. I prefer not to be told how much you disagree with my beliefs, how wrong they are and how your religion is so much better than mine. Trust me I have heard it all before many many times.
I get emails from both family and friends who think that because I do not worship God I am once again doomed. Seriously, people at this rate I am doomed for so much longer than eternity it is not even funny. Pagan's do have a God he is the counter to our Goddess. Unlike Christians Pagans believe in duality. In order for there to be a God there has to be a Goddess, in order for there to be light there has to be dark, good/evil, and on and on.
Another confusion about Paganism is that Pagans are Wiccans. In some instances this is true, all Wiccans are considered Pagans but not all Pagans are Wiccans. There are many different versions of Pagans that go back centuries to peoples ancestry. So to call a Pagan a witch without knowing their beliefs could be a rather nasty insult. As for me, I started out as a Wiccan but as I have gotten older I am pretty much dropped the organized religion part and find my path on my own. My favorite question I would get from people when they found out I was a Pagan/Wiccan was "Are you a good witch or bad witch?" First off the only place you will find a witch titled good or bad is on the Wizard of Oz and unless you claim to be the Witch of the North, South, East or West and you are not on television you are considered a good witch. But then think about asking this question to a Catholic, Baptist or Jew. What would they say? Chances are they would be highly offended or insulted and it is the same with Wiccans. We are all good, some just practice the wrong way and they do not put enough consideration into what they are doing. This does not make them bad, just mixed up. All Pagans believe and live by the rule of three. Which simply states that if you do something bad, evil or harmful the universe will return that to you times three. This thought alone pretty much keeps us on the right track.
So now hopefully you know a little bit more about me and my faith. Don't worry about me trying to convert you, unlike other religions we do not send people door to door looking for new members.
Posted by
Cynthia