Question by The Passenger: Pagans, do your religious beliefs affect your political views?
Did your political views change at all after you became Pagan? Did anything in your religion change your mind about certain issues or policies or do the ethics and morals in support your political beliefs?
Or are the two unrelated?
Best answer:
Answer by ~Heathen Princess~
Not really. My views have gotten much more conservative as I have gotten older but I don’t think that has much to do with being Heathen.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Well some what. I tend to think more on a religious tolerant policies and John McCains running mate scares me.
I became Wiccan because it supported what I already believed, not the reverse.
I can’t answer that. I’ve always been pagan.
I was brought up to believe that laws and rules of the society I live in were there for a reason. Mostly to protect individual rights. I was raised in a single parent home and my mom….as odd as she was….had her own views. She never shared her views on drugs, but she never allowed alochol in the house. I chalk that up to her small town farm community education. As strict as she was about alcohol, she was very adimant that women should have the right to protect themselves, physically, mentally and emotionally…..add spiritually to that if you must, but she never expressed it. Abortion was always discussed in certain conversations and she was never against it. I am certain I picked up certain phrases and terms of explanation from her about it all.
ethics and morals do support my political beliefs…but I was not taught ethics and morals from my religions. I was educated on E&M from life and how to make socialization easier since I was an austracized child growing up.
I believe my religious beliefs are seperate from my political beliefs. But often the two share the same outcome of simular topics.
Palin scares me, but in general, I try to vote for the person who will be best for the country in general. Religion doesn’t usually come into play. This year is slightly different because Sarah Palin needs to be stopped. I don’t know if that is even because of religion, I think she wants to put a stopper in religious freedom.
I pulled away from the mundane once I became Pagan. I am much more open minded about things. I can also see things for what they are. I ask myself this, “Are we trading one lair for another”? I can say this time around I will vote. I wasnt going to until recently I changed my mind.
I don’t have much of a political view to begin with. Watching politicians is like watching a bunch of 3 year olds run a country.
The two are very related for me. I don’t mean that I would only vote for a candidate who’s Pagan…I would vote for a candidate who’s an Atheist but that person would have to feel good to me. If I look into that person’s eyes and I wouldn’t care to meet them in any way shape or form or if my stomach flip flops…then I don’t really care what they say they stand for, I wouldn’t vote for them.
When we meet people, we get a certain feel for them. I think that people should pay attention to the gut reactions they get.
As far as other issues…I have always loved the forests, animals etc. Even as a child I felt very strongly about the mistreatment of animals…I later attributed those feelings to being intuitively Pagan, I just didn’t know it back then.
So when I found out Palin is pro-arial wolf hunting…she lost my vote and my respect.
My religious beliefs are closed tied to my beliefs regarding the environment, social issues etc, so I would vote for the person who had the strongest policies in those areas I was passionate about.
But I think even if I wasn’t pagan, the environment, homelessness, health issues would still be important to me, and I would still vote the same.
Most people I know who become Thelemites become more Conservative, but for me, it’s been a journey just the opposite direction. As I unravel the importance and meaning of ‘True Will,’ I more and more see the biggest danger to the individual being the Corporate structures that are worshiped above the individual in the American Right. Government is sometimes a pain in the butt, yes, (paperwork) but it also allows the individual time (through welfare, food stamps, etc) to find their true will through their own dark night of the soul. Corporations however (as opposed to family owned companies, I’m speaking protected corporate structures defined by the law as “persons”), are perverse cartels who should be harnessed to serve individuals (consumers) rather than vice versa.
I reserve the right to change my views as I explore my interior castle more though. So, my religion (in a personal way) has moved me further to the Left.
Some great answers but I see alot of “oh, I am so scared.whoooo..the boogie man. If MCain wins we pagans are so screwed” type of answers. Man, you guys are scared of everything.”Boo!” Did I make you pee your pants?
I became more liberal when I became Pagan…and became Democrat. 🙂