Have you heard of peganism?

[norsenerd]

[RANT]It's a relgion if you diodn;t know.<br><br>I was talkign with soemone last night and the subject of weadings came up. I want to have a norse weading. Surprised? Such a weading requers the bride and groom (and maybe toehrs but I dont' think so) beign painted in sacraficial blood. This perosn say that htis is wierd. She's Catholic so I point out that she drinks blood. I try hard to convincer her that she dirnks wine that has been blesed by a priest so that it's the blood of christ. I then tell her I'm pegan (sorda true, not exacly. I ahve two religpons) and she's never heard of it. I then expalin peganism some (she asked what it was: how do I answer that?) I basicly got into a descusion that most chirstian (and espesaly catholic) traditions are derived from pegan traditions. She ends up saying to meny insulting things and while I'm trying to have a serious meaningfull canvo I block her. She then AIM's me today and we get to talking. She says that what I belive seems not right no her but that I'm not wrong. I'm jsut sruprised at this stupidity. I can see how htose two are ereconsiled but saythign that soemthign seams worng to you tells me that you think I'm wrong. Weather I shoudl infer that or not: I dont' know, but I am anyways.[/RANT]<br><br>This probably belongs in the rant thread but I wanted a poll.<br><br>I've soem across people who havn't heard of peganism before. This dosn't surprise me, it is a ead religon. Most don't insult me about ti though (that's wierd). I said last night in the chat "every religion is wierd, it's jsut that yours is waht you're used to." I bet you she would nto conseder Catholic tradition wierd.<br><br>I'm sorry if I have ofeneded anybody with this. Religon is a touchy subject but diferent ~= wrong. This seems to be the mesage I have goten last night.

[Tavis]

Norsenerd, hearing about the existence of something is not the same as understanding it, so your poll might not answer what you really wanted to ask. I certainly don't actively study or ask people about peganism (which I thought was spelled paganism, by the way), but that doesn't mean I never meet people that do.<br><br>Now, I might consider the use of sacrificial blood in a wedding as somewhat odd.. Communion itself is a sacrifice designed to cleanse sins, and blood is a natural part of it. This is not coming from some pagan ritual, however. It derives from Jewish passover traditions that involve sacrificing an unblemished lamb and spreading its blood so that the angel of death did not steal the lives of their firstborn. For Christians and especially Catholics, the unblemished Lamb of God serves in place of that sacrifice. In the case of a wedding, however, what you have is a promise between two people before God, not a cleansing of sin, so I am unsure what symbolism blood would have in a norse wedding. That is what I would consider odd, but only because you stated the tradition without a purpose.

[Dr. Doog]

paganism, do you mean wicca? wicca is usually referred to as just paganism. it sure got me confused. paganism is officially any religion other than christiantity, judaism, hinduism, and WTH other common religions there are. according to my 18 year old brother, who is 6 whole years older than me, it's a religion that supports multiple gods. of course, a cult and a paganism are VERY different. cults are more fake than real religions.

[Henohenomoheji]

I don't know enough about religion to judge. One of the few times where ignorance is a good thing.

[Dr. Doog]

yeah, weren't we discussing something about this for the world events forum? i guess we can keep it until we start ripping each other's limbs off.

[Caigan]

Paganism and Wicca aren't the same thing. You cannot exchange one for the other, though both are valid religions (Wicca) or a sort of 'grouping' of religions (paganism).<br><br>I've heard from friends that Wicca could be considered Neo-Paganism. I personally have not come across that in my studies (as Wicca is my religion).<br><br>To me, Paganism is more of a 'broad' word then a specific religion, just as Christianity is to me, but that something completely different.<br><br>When you say "it is a ead religon" do you mean : bad, weird, odd, or old? Or something else?<br><br>Paganism, in general, is far far older than Christianity. Just as in Christianity, there are many different 'beleifs' which all tie into a central set of ideaologies (I hope I'm using that right). Some are Monotheistic(beleiving in a single God), others are Polytheistic(beleiving in multiple Gods), and others don't beleive in a God figure, but instead a figure such as Nature in a different sense than a God.<br><br>With any religion, or for that matter tradition, practices may seem 'odd' or 'strange' by those who have never seen them or do not understand the meaning behind them. =)

[Henohenomoheji]

<!--QuoteBegin-Dr. Doog+Mar 11 2004, 11:17 AM--> <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'><b>Quote:</b> (Dr. Doog @ Mar 11 2004, 11:17 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> yeah, weren't we discussing something about this for the world events forum? i guess we can keep it until we start ripping each other's limbs off. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table> <!--QuoteEEnd--><br> don't we already rip each other's limbs off in the thingy thread?<br>it's okay, they respawn!

[norsenerd]

Okay I shall expalin more:<br><br>1) It has been popinted out to me that I've been mispeling paganism for a long time. I've alwyas though it was "peganism" (soudning like the e in "Ben", my name but it was poitned out to me that because of the one consanite between the vowls that it would be e ans in "bean") but the corect spellign is "paganism." This makes me embarased muchly.<br><br>2) Wicca and paganism are two very diferent htings. Mostly when soemone refers to paganism they refer to an acient Indo-Eorupean religion (e.g. ancient Greek, Roman, Celtic, Norse...). I am (sorda, but more on that later) Norse paganism. The beliefs are those of the ancient Norse (until trasplanted by christianaity aorund the turn of the last milenium). Not much is known so it's mostly guessing and two people who clame to intamitly know Norse paganism will have two diferent versions of the religion. I am not Wiccan. I don't knwo much about it but enough to know that it's not what I believe. I have been invited to Wicca gatherings but I have tuned them down. My beliefs are what I think the ancients of Scandinavia would believe which is very diferent then the neo-paganinsm.<br><br>3) Paganism is a dead religion. Wicca may be a type of revival of it but in the form that people used to believe in it is long gone, never to be recovered. I'm just one man trying to peice together waht was believed form un-relaiable sourses. Paganism died a long time ago most often transpanted by some type of christianity. <br><br>4) Sacrafices are used in Norse wedings I belive. There should be ritual (? as to how) sacrafices of boars/pigs, sheep, and cows to gain favor of the gods. The beasts that were slaughtered should be cooked and eaten at the function (why waste a dead animal). The bload should be used to paint the temple the weading takes place at as well as painting the bride and groom. This is all done to gain the favor of the gods. This practice has died out and has not been adopted by christianity, probably because of their rejection of animal sacrafices. The spraying of holy water on people by palms on palm Sunday and posably at other times probably has it's routes in similar rituals where people would get painted with sacraficial blood.<br><br>5) All Indo-Eourpiean religions (including Budhism, Hindoism, and what I refer to as the diferent types of paganism) have a comon bleief structure as their ansitor. Very little is known about this comon ansitrial religion. Language studies have dteremned that the cheif god's name was draw-patter (if I remember corectly and am speling it right (ha)) adn that there were multiple gods. They have alsoe determined that achint Indo-Eourpean socioty relived a lot on gift giving to help distribute wealth throught the comunity. I don't know much more then this. Semetic religons (including Chirstianity, Islam, Judaism, and Zoror-astersism). The anchient Semetic religions believed in meny vengefull gods but almost all "sophisticated" decendants of it were monotheistic. There are a lot of other religions in the world other then Indo-Eourpean and Semetic but I knwo little about them. I know that the achient Chinese belived that the unoverse hatched form an egg laid by a giant chicken and di in fact use religion to justify their early govenment (too meny people have said since a lot of eastern religions don't belive in any god this is not true). The first emporors used what they called the "mandate form the hevans" to rule and when one person chalanged the dynisty they usualy said that they have lsot this mandate and the somehting (god's heavans) wants them to rule.<br><br>6) I was raised Catholic. I have renounced that religion because I don't belive in a lot of it. I instead have two competing religions. One is norse paganism while the other is unique. I believe that everybody should find out what they personaly think is true. If they do this through soem other religion or through something individual it dosn;t mater as long as they find out for themselvs what makes sence and don;t blindly folow anything. Evry orgonized relgiosn is used and has been used to brainwash people into doing some type of bidding. That I think is a perversion of the relgion. I have formed my own beliefs of waht I think are the least incorect (I actuly think that no beilf system that humans have can be right. I believe that my beliefs are wrong. I use doublethink, but that's a diferent topic) that I have considered. They are odd given what most religions I've hearda bout are. Perhaps I will reviel soem of the eliefs if people are interested.

[Zylo]

I'm not extremely religious, but I know Wicca and Peganism are 2 different religions. This is my simple philisophy on religion: if you can go to bed each night and know in your heart that you made something better for someone else, you're doing fine, no matter what you religion is. All religions are the same at heart: be a better person, help each other out, and don't try to harm others. I believe in the lessons each religion teaches, and I also believe that all religions, to a certain extent, do have some lies in them, too. I guess that makes me agnostic: I believe in a God and helping my fellow man, but I don't agree with the structure and ceremony of most churches.

[hdofu]

I was a Roman Catholic and I consder the religion weird. I left it in favor of a stricter study of the Bible<br><br>Granted I have some personal issues with them.

[Dr. Doog]

i'm an agnostic who has his own religion... it's true. homework assignment.

[ShadOtterdan]

I know a bit about paganism, I know that early celtic druids celebrated it and the pagan holiday of yule had many of it's traditions put into Christmas. As for what religion I follow as everyone else here seems to be talking about, I was a lutheran when I finally settled down into religion. The strange thing though is that at my church, we focus more on the good aspects of forgiveness and love then condemning anyone, not to mention a general light hearted feel to religion, not all preachy like other pastors. Partly because this attitude makes me less likely to be branded a heretic, I have the belief that most other religions were caused by a touch with the divine, but messing a couple things up in their interpretation.

[Henohenomoheji]

I thought you said penguinism.<br><br>this random meaningless thought brought to you by iyestorm.

[Burning Sheep Productions]

Aww, I said no but after I read that it was accuarly paganism I would've said yes.<br>Isn't it to do with magick and stuff?<br>Help me out here.<br><br>Oh yeah, I'm not religious, but I do believe in paranormal stuff.

[erikbarrett]

No, paganism is not about magic and stuff. It's an old religion.<br>For some reason, my memory of the various names of religions is shot today. Maybe it'll come back to me later.<br><br>To the other matter, it seems to me that the painting of blood during a wedding is meant as a sacrifice, perhaps for the newlyweds to give thanks for finding each other, or to symbolize the couple's devotion to each other, or a blessing from the gods. As such, it isn't any stranger than exchanging vows or rings at a christian wedding; it means the same thing.<br><br>Though, unless it's necessary, Norse might want to use something other than blood, such as the (symbolically christian) wine. Someone might wonder if you're painting the wedding hall in blood. 'Course, I'm sure Norse has this worked out, right? <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... s/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->