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!

hear hear !! I have to say, and therefore offend people, that I DO think that Catholocism is one of the most damaging branches of the christian chrch. SOOOOO shocking some of the guff that it preaches but even worse is the truths that it tries to oppress.

Happy Lammas to you too HappyHuggy, am new here! would be celebrating it if I was organised but have it in my heart so that'll have to do!!

Where did the contraception thing come from. Can't believe that missionaries are saying that. Thats appalling especially with the AIDS crisis as it stands over there and the fact that some twat said that having sex with a virgin is an AIDS cure??!!! So let me get this straight. Even though the ctholic church and the missionaries know that men are raping babies and children they are still preaching not to wear condoms in an AIDS epidemic ? everything thats wrong with the Catholic church is in that sentence WTF??? I'd like to add that I work in a Cathoilc school and am technically not supposed to give condoms to kids I know that are sexually active and lax on contraception. Coz we all know that having kids is a breeze don't we ladies? specially when you're a teenager and didn't plan it!! OHHHH it makes me sooooo mad!!!! grr

Calming down and geting back to the point.....Church bad faith good. have you seen DOGMA the ben affleck/ matt damon silent bob film. sounds like it would be right up your street. Very funny and raises some very interesting points about humankind's twisting and distorting of faith

ooh missed loads typing long post! sorry!

FWIW I like the idesa of jesus being married......also seems very unlikely that he didn't have brothers or sisters...raised in the film!

oh gosh i don't know how many men in Africa go around raping babies and women. I think it must be a small number. i don't really know. But like everywhere else they have lots of sex and definitely need condoms because of AIDS. I think it is a criminal offence to preach against condoms in such a dangerous situation and the pope should have to answer for it.

i hope there aren't many men doing that anyway, such a terrifying prospect. From what i remember christ did have brothers and sisters, but i'll have to ask my dad.

have seen the film, but it was a long time ago!

have to go but should be back later, need to sort out kitchen and dinner before return of ds1 and how suddenly becomes chaos again!! laters

ooh, i like the Da Vinci Code - just a shame they let the church 'off the hook' in the end. Dogma, was interesting but not my cup of tea. (Alanis Morrissette as god is always good tho)

Ruty, do you go to a church?

Do you have to believe that Christ is your saviour or died for our sins or died so that god could feel what its like to be a human? I don't believe any of those so it takes Christianity out of the equation doesn't it?

starry night i want to do justice to your questions so better answer later. have to go out now with ds. i go to church occasionally, depends where i am - haven't found a decent church where i live right now.

Hmm! Don't think I can really answer the original question. I call myself Pagan but am a solitary believer. I don't attend pagan gatherings on thw whole and don't belong to a coven or anything like that.
I do believe in a higher spiritual power with both male and female aspects representing the whole of creation.
I have a healthy respect for Mother Earth and do not believe that harming anyone else in thought, word or deed is right.
I believe very much that Paganism as we know it now is a new religion of the last 100 years or so and has little in common with paganism as practiced in times past.
Am considering becoming part of the British Druid Order for further study and for contact with others who share my beliefs.

Oh - and I don't sacrifice children (although I am known to cuddle them when given the opportunity - DS loves cuddles)

hi

My friend is a regional coordinator of the Pagan federation, I'm sure he won't mind me giving you his e-mail- please CAT me if you want it.

I got Quaker in the quiz, have found a meeting less than two minutes from me, anyone got any more info on them? I know from past that a lot of their social justice beliefs etc are very akin to my own, so very interested to find out more.

Have quickly flicked through this thread and can't see any replies from Quakers (apologies if I've missed them). My family is Quaker (although not me) and I wouldn't say, from my experience of Quaker meetings, that belief in Jesus as the son of God is optional. Certainly our Sunday schools were very Christianity based and the Bible both Old and New Testaments are widely referred to. However, Quakers are largely very accepting of allcomers and if you don't quite fit in it doesn't seem to matter. But don't expect them to agree with you if you say you don't believe in God as a separate being, etc. etc.

Hi starrynight. Have just had time to quickly skim so apologize if I'm repeating anything.
I am a Pagan. I have a group that I meet with once a month on the full moon - there are 5 of us which I guess is my version of organized religion. In lieu of something like that, what about a Unitarian Church? I know they have a class called Cakes for the Queen of Heaven which is rather pagan.

starrynight I believe Christ is the saviour of humankind, but that the church have made rather sure that he doesn't look that way. Christ's teachings, if followed and incorporated into govts and society, [i'm not talking about the corruption of christianity by blair and bush] would turn the world upside down - create a world of equality, justice and peace. I also believe Christ died so that God shared in our suffering, and to show us how limitless Love can be. If you do't believe that, fair enough, but as robinia said, the Quakers accept people searching for answers with open minds, so maybe give them a go. Best of luck

yep. killed it.

Just another note re Quakers - again, I'm not one, but a very good friend for the last 30 years is. She calls herself a pagan Quaker, or a Universalist Quaker, in that the quote from Sir George Penn, the founder, means a lot to her - 'there is that of God in every man' - and she benefits immensely from going to Meeting for Worship every week, but she sees 'God' as the life force in the earth - she is a forester/conservationist by trade. She would be the first to admit that she is not in the mainstream of the Quakers, but would also say that there is a definite grouping of universalist Quakers out there.

Going along to a silent Meeting for Worship is an amazing experience and something I think everyone should do. They also make the best funerals IMO. It's v informal and welcoming in my experience. Very likely to be a meeting house near you, although they do vary like all churches etc. Quakers divide into Attenders, who are not actual members of the Society, and Members. Some people go for decades without ever joining.

Sir George Penn??? not at all sure that's right

sounds v interesting acnebride.

William Penn?

Thanks for all the info everyone and Robinia as my children would be going so its important to me what they would be 'taught' too.

Could someone tell me more about Unitarian Churches then? (I want it all, I want it now )

starrynight, haven;t had time to read all of thread, sorry if you've heard this already.

i'm a quaker (by convincement - that is not born to a quaker family). I'm also agnostic. the best thing to do to understand the quakers is to go to a couple of meetings for worship and have a read of quaker 'faith and practice' which outlines the approach to thought which is their essence in my opinion.
xx

I do know where the local meeting house is and have visited an picked up information too but that link is very comprehensive - I will read through it later. Thanks.

I have just been reading about the unitarian church too which is very interesting. There is one where I live that I may visit to find out how 'traditional' it is.

I have bookmarked the Quaker site, thank you also, it looks vey inteesting.

I have a question: until recently I was a member of a C of E Church back home, which I attended monthly. The Vicar was very liberal and believed like me that Jesus taught love and compassion, and that He would be very disappointed with the judgemental attitude of the Church on things like Homosexuality (ie, i couldn't give a toss what someone gets up in the name of love, as lond as it is between consenting adults!). She though was too scared to make her views known, and that made me very sad.

The parting of the ways came when I announced I was doing a degree in world religion and philosophy, as I want to tach children that ll religions have a validity and all Humans deserve respect and understanding.

I haven't really been welcome since- as BIL says'I don't think Christian children should learn about false religion'. Hmmm.

Am I to understand then that The Quakes would accept this liberal side of my beliefs? It would seem so, from what I have read. This non-judgemental attitude is very important to me (even though I am a long way from perfecting it in myself). I have found a meetingr eally near me, and am quite keen to go along. I have been looking for a group that fits my belief system for a long time, and have often been drawn to Quakerism, but am very shy.

peacyclair the answer is yes, the Quakers would accept you with these beliefs, as would many christians. My dad, a priest, told me when i was young that all faiths are like different paths up the same mountain - they all lead to God.

Your Dad sounds like a wise man.