What is the closest organised religion to paganism? And info on Quakerism :-)

[starrynight]

Hi all, I know this is a really wierd thing to ask but I did that fab quiz on beliefnet and it said I was a pagan - having looked into it and read up that is definately in tune with my personal beliefs.

However, there don't seem to be any organised community meetings which is something that is very important for me. I want to go with my family to a meeting regularly (weekly would be ideal) and become part of a community.

So...the big question is - are there any organised religions that are similar to paganism that I could attend as a compromise? I have briefly looked at the quakers who don't seem to mind if you don't believe in the whole 'Jesus' thing so any quakers on here who could tell me more would be appreciated too.

Tall order guys I know you can do it!

starrynight - in the same boat as you. ALways 'claimed' to be pagan when younger (felt something with it, not crappy 'Charmed' type pagan!) but when I met dh it went out the window as he is anit-weirdness (his words)

Have felt a need to find something spiritual, had a thread on here bout it not too long ago. did that beliefomatic, came out pagan too!

I'd love to have a community, as I said on my thread it would be the best bit. However I looked on those websites for groups and the only ones near me are 'teen wicca' type which sounds suspicious to me. Plus I'm not a teen

I haven't done much since, I felt rather let down and if there isn't a community I'm not sure puttinga name to my spirituality has helped.

I did not know you are Pagan Christian Ruty

The witch burning I mentioned early - well that was in reference to the fallible human Christians - not the infallible, biblical Jesus Christ. He had died long before the witch trials and burnings.

As I am not involved in any community spiritual group I use this board as my community. You have to take your spiritual interest groups where you can get them when there is no church etc available.!

yeah i know papillon, no witches mentioned in the bible! But i think JC would have stuck up for them if their had been. I am a Pagan Christian in terms of i believe in the divinity of Creation and the different faces of God in different elements of Nature - so hope that makes sense.

let me rephrase that. I think JC would have stuck up for all the innocent wise women who knew about ways to heal etc. Not black magic witches obviously, but that has nothing to do with paganism as far as i know..

Thats interesting Ruty. I think there are a lot of bad things done in the 'name' of religion but it gets up my nose when some people think theirs is Ok and every other religion is terrible - bad things done in the name of religion seem to be carried out about equally in most religions. Obviously not all but a lot of the mainstream ones.

Doesn't mean that the religion itself is bad but is used as an excuse/reason a lot.

Lunavix - its a shame isn't it. I don't know what to do - I don't want to go along to a church just because there is no other option as I just don't believe anything like the same and feel a fraud...which isn't helpful when becoming part of a community is it?!

I am a pagan - i believe this is an accurate dicription but feel free to correct me if im wrong

Paganism and Witchcraft

Some people believe that a pagan is a person without any religion ? a heathen. The word pagan came from the Latin word ?pagus? or countryside, paganus referred to someone who lived in the countryside, heathen originally meant heath dweller, so it is easy to see where the ideas came from.
A pagan believes in one Supreme Being which is alive in us and everything around us. This is a being who gives us the air that we breathe, the sun that warms us, the water that washes and sustains us and the earth that we walk on. This being is made up masculine and feminine elements present in everything and everyone, it is The Mother Earth beneath us and The Father God above us which is why the destruction of Mother Earth is so sad. Pagans spend time cleaning up mess and litter left by others. Paganism is not a religion it is a faith.
Pagans believe in gifts we are given such as healing and in the power of word, deed and action?..magik.
Paganism has existed on many continents and goes back before history. Some are drawn to Egyptian philosophy, Druidism, Anglo Saxon and some to the Native American path. Some are known as Witches and there are many paths in Witchcraft. There are hedge witches and kitchen witches who take their stock from the land or grow their own. There are green witches who focus on the earth and are usually involved in introducing trees, shrubs, wild plants etc back into the countryside to replenish wastelands and where pollution or mans greed has abused or neglected Mother Earth. Relatively new is a Goddess belief system ? Wicca.
Some witches join a coven where a group meet on a regular basis to celebrate The Esbats or Sabats and work magik together. Some witches work solo and work their own magik, make potions and herbal remedies on a much smaller scale.
There are many offshoots and varieties because everyone is different and their needs are different. Paganism and witchcraft is a belief system which you practice in a way which suits you. All witches are pagans but not all pagans are witches.

HTH

Starrynight - There are enough pagans here on MN to make your own online coven!

Yes, I agree Ruty JC would have supported wise women. I bought a book which is not in my company atm which talked about all the magical references in the bible. Amazing the diversity of ways people can look at One book.

This is really interesting. Starrynight - what is that you believe in that you think defines you as a Pagan ?
I ask because most of the time I call myself an atheist but I'm really drawn to the idea of a spirit or a power in things like water, trees, the elements. From what HappyHuggy said I don't think I could could call myself a Pagan because I don't believe in one supreme being and I don't believe in The Creation.

I do think there are alot of powers we don't understand in nature but I'm not sure if it's spiritual or just science we haven't found a way to explain yet.

starrynight you also mentioned Quakers and they are a very interesting community to look into. also there is the Iona community, which is very much into the presence of God in Nature. I believe God is both male and female - the Holy Spirit is spoken about in the female gender in the Greek and Hebrew. I wonder what you mean by the whole 'Jesus' thing. I won't bang on about it, but I do believe the church on the whole has given a very wrong representation of Christ. He had female disciples for a start. Anyway, hopeyou find what you are looking for.

Magscat re ...alot of powers we don't understand in nature but I'm not sure if it's spiritual or just science we haven't found a way to explain yet

Perhaps you might like to check out the Orgonomy thread in the spirit board atm... some of the people talked aobut there were scientists, esoteric psychologists who were ground breaking, but unfortunately not well known in aspects of nature and beyond.

Having read the definition by happy huggy i'm not so sure now...

My basic core beliefs are:
We each choose the life we lead and are here to do/learn/teach something
We are reincarnated
When we die we experience everything that other people have experienced because of us (joy/pain/etc) and that is our 'judgement'
'God' is just another name for every one of us - I believe we are all part of a huge 'consciousness' which is constantly growing and gaining wisdom. I don't believe there is a 'superior' or 'fatherlike' being that is 'god'.
I believe this consciousness can be reached through psychics and psychic experiences
I believe that 'angels' (or higher spiritual beings) exist
I believe that we are each at a different level of spiritual 'wisdom'

Those are the main things I can think of which are unshakable truths to me - and various of them normally are at odds with whatever religion.

Ruty - Jesus probably existed but I believe he was just one of us beings and not the son of god IYKWIM.

Hi ya!

I'm a pagan. I have gone down the witch draft route as it works for me. most pagans tend to have individual beliefs as well as sharing common ones like the things mentioned above. Its hard to find regular moots and you have to be invited into a coven but two good sites are

www.newmoonoccultshop.co.uk as they have online info as well as www.childrenofartemis.co.uk which is good and funny as it has fart in the title (sorry I have a 3 yr old) also there is the pagan federation they are good sources of info. I think Paganism is about looking within and not relying on a Church or vicery type person to tell you what to do. which is hard initially if you've been bought up a christian which I was. phew what a mouthful!!! :O

I like being a witch tho. its fun and it scares off the weird religious people who accost you in the street!!

Just did the test and my lowest match was roman catholic which is amusing as I work in a catholic school!! I support it at work obviously just apparently not very well!!

don't want to go on about it but Witchypoo being a christian doesn't mean someone else tells you what to do, it just means you belong to a community of people who have common beliefs and aims. I know this doesn't always happen tho! Starry night, interesting what you say. I don;t know why you can believe in angels and not in God tho! God is both mother and father to me and not a higher authority, just the loving conscious energy infusing all things and from which all things came. and Jesus wasn't very interested in saying he was the son of God, he said he was the son on Man - whatever you believe his teachings still have the potential to turn the world upside down, tho Christians often corrupt his teachings. Right i'll stop!

This is very interesting. Ive just done the test and come out with neo-paganism as my highest (which wasnt too much of a surprise) and RC at 13% so I think Mammy went wrong somewhere in bringing me up . Actually first got interested in paganism through researching our local saint, St Bridgid and then did some reading on many of our local religious customs and found their origins went further back.

so did the test, found some of the multiple choices a bit narrow. Anyway, i am apparently 100% unitarian universalist, 91% Quaker, and 88% Hindu! well there you go.

Don't stop Ruty - I find this very interesting. I do believe in 'god' but not as a mother or father figure - I believe its in and is all of us.

Well, i'm no nearer to knowing where to go am I! But its all interesting and good - keep it up!

Also, Ruty - I came out as 100% Unitarian universalists too - but they are even harder to find than pagans!

Also, Ruty - I came out as 100% Unitarian universalists too - but they are even harder to find than pagans! (in a regular meeting kind of way).

I agree, some of the q's are a bit limiting but on the whole I thought the quiz very well done. (also, it didn't cover some of the things that are important to me and prob. would have made a difference to outcome)

What happened there??

God is omnipresent so She/He is also in everyome one of us and in every living thing.

I'm agree with you ruty. Although but I am very anti oganised religion because of its negative elements and the hypocrasy peddled by some and I stress only some people who subscribe to it. I also beleive in Jesus but feel that an awful lot of what is carried out in his name would horrify him. Also I did quiet a bit of research into christianity before becoming a pagan. I don't think he ever did claim to be the son of God. although don't quote me on that! I feel that he was a very special person who offered a way of life that helped both people living at the troubled times during his life and some are still helping today. Sadly my Nanny still feels that that isn't enough to (to be read in strong irish accent) "SAve you from the eternal fires of Hell!!" heigh ho!

Re Angels... they are the only beings that transcend every religion, pre-dating christianity and alot of pagans and witches work with them. so make of that what you will

interesting witcypoo - but i still don't get if you can believe in angels why believing in God is difficult. I agree most things done in Christ's name would horrify him - but i do believe Christ was God Incarnate. My dad, a priest, had a very strong experience of an angel who saved him from drowning when he was`a child. Your nanny sounds scary tho!