Question by Ryan B: Pagans, a few questions if you don’t mind?
I’m just curious as to why you chose the religion that you did and how has it affected your life? I’m a UCSB religious studies major and i just want to know this information for a paper i need to write
Best answer:
Answer by bolero of fire
Hahahaha , I love this word “pagan” it’s kinda like Megan lol or whatever…there’s just something funny about the word 😀
I suppose that pagans are the ones who worship statues and idoles , six handed deities…
Crap , does people still do that in 2010 ? xD
Give your answer to this question below!
How about writing about how christianity stole the Pagan holidays of Dec 25th and also what they call now easter. Nice thing that christianity, and why would anyone want to be one of those. That would be a good paper to write. Go to it.
I’m not sure if I qualify as “pagan” but I’m not part of an established religion, I am spiritual, and I do feel…the presence of a higher force…in and around nature.
I’d say it has definitely made me more aware of my place in the world, and how everything interacts. I believe that’s what triggered my interest in psychology and sociology. I also feel that it has increased my empathy toward everyone. It has given me an ability to step back and remind myself that people have an life and various passions and experiences that are always impacting them. It has also given me an awareness of the role animals play in our day to day lives as sort of…co-owners of the earth.
I think my “faith” (if that’s what you want to call it) hasn’t so much had me focused on some divine afterlife or cosmic awareness. I don’t particularly like the idea of living a life in order to achieve a position in an afterlife. Like heaven. It separates people from the earth and it takes an importance away from being present in the world.
Also, in case you’re wondering. When I envision god I see her as female.
Why I chose it that’s kind of hard to explain although it does have a lot to do with finding a religion who’s morals matched my existing ones without having to impose any extra or unnatural rules/laws upon me. Really though it’s much more a case of it choosing me.
How it’s affected my life is that I now have the best idea of who I am as a man than I had ever had before and I’ve been privileged to meet and associate with some of the best people I’ve ever known.
Hope that helps
If you are studying religion at university level, let me put this to you.There are only two kinds of people on this planet, those who think scientifically and those who don’t. Those who think scientifically will always turn to science for answers while those who do not, turn to the sky for answers. Anyone who turns to the sky for answers is a pagan. It doesn’t matter what they call themselves, they’re pagans worshipping the current mythical gods and are no different to the pagans of antiquity who worshipped their ancient mythical gods.
OK. I chose Heathenry after searching many other religions, and finding that none of them were right for me, and for the record, Heathenry makes a hell of a lot more sense to me than any other religion ever did. Heathenry (Germanic paganism) is the religion of my Ancestors, it feels right to worship the Gods that my Ancestors worshiped a thousand + years ago. I hear a lot of people saying this and now I see that it’s true, Blood Calls.
Being a Heathen has affected my life more than even I know, and yet, not much at all. Being a Reconstructionist means that I’m not just a member of an ancinet religion, but a member of an anceint culture, I reconsturct the culture of my Ancestors. I’ve found that the beliefs and values of Heathenry aren’t that much different from the beliefs and values my parents had raised me in, so my spiritual life hasn’t changed much. But, on the other hand, I now find myself cherishing my family more than ever (but that might have something to do with my new nephews ^_^), I respect people more if they have shown me they’re worthy of respect, I’m more opinionated and confidant. So being a Heathen has affected me in many ways, and I suspect I will continue to see changes in myself directly or indirectly caused by my being Heathen.
Hope this helps you with your paper!
If I were you, I’d set this question up via an email correspondence to specific questions, and put a request for people to participate on a specifically pagan forum, you would get much more useful data that way.
Anyway, my two cents worth, regarding Egyptian Recon (Heliopolitan & Royal cults)
“why you chose the religion that you did?”
Because I wished to serve and honour in not only the gods themselves, but in the messages the mythology conveys, and the principles, ethics and values expressed in itself and the culture with which it was entwined. Because it is my obligation to do so. Because the cosmology and worldview made sense. People fear Egyptian religion more than Hellenic or Celtic because it’s “weird” or “oppressive”. It isn’t. I could go into detail on that, but not now, too late here!
“how has it affected your life?”
Again, a long story. But in almost every way, often significantly. If your interested in doing a serious paper on the subject, drop me a message. I’m happy to help provided you give me an idea of the work your hoping to produce and what your aiming for.
I’ve been a pagan since birth, only I never realised it until I was about 18 or so. The day I finally learned that my beliefs had a name and that other people are doing it, too, felt like waking up for me.