They usually can be found on urban street corners or heard yelling from the TV or radio.\u00a0 Their rhetoric is filled with clich\u00e9s and admonitions about how, if we don\u2019t follow their particular brand of religion, we\u2019ll suffer dire consequences.\u00a0 Religious zealots can be found in every religion.\u00a0 You never have to look too long before you find one.\u00a0 Trying to have a calm conversation with them about what it is they believe is usually a complete waste of time.\u00a0 They think they have the One, True Religion and you don\u2019t unless you\u2019re standing up there with them and screaming exactly the same words.\u00a0 And even then you might not be accepted by them as a True Believer.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s very easy to pass these people by and put them on your list of \u2018Nut Jobs.\u2019 And, in truth, they probably would benefit from some kind of therapy.\u00a0 But they aren\u2019t the only ones to believe in The One True Religion.\u00a0 The fact is\u2026 we ALL do!<\/p>\n
In spite of what many organized religions have tried to create, we all have a different idea of what the Divine is and how we relate to it.\u00a0 Everybody\u2019s is different.\u00a0 And each of us has the One, True Religion\u2026 for us.\u00a0 Even people who claim no religious thoughts whatsoever have their OTR.\u00a0 Whatever they believe about the nature of reality and how they fit into it constitutes their spirituality.\u00a0 They might vehemently deny this makes up a religion because it isn\u2019t something they\u2019ve heard from a preacher or holy man, but it\u2019s just as much a religion as any other.\u00a0 Remember, we each have our own.<\/p>\n
If you ever want to test just how unique each person\u2019s religion really is, try the following:\u00a0 On a piece of paper, put three questions with enough space in between to allow for a brief answer:<\/p>\n
1. What is the nature of The Divine?
\n2. What happens to you when you die?
\n3. What is the best way to worship The Divine?<\/p>\n
This is an especially interesting test when you give it to people who all belong to the same organized religion.\u00a0 Even if they have attended the same place of worship, you\u2019ll get very unique and often even contradictory answers.<\/p>\n
Of course, being Pagans, we\u2019d expect that, right?\u00a0 Not so fast there, partner.\u00a0 In all likelihood, when you discuss what it means to be your brand of Pagan with others who profess to be the same brand, you go on the assumption that they mean the same thing as you do when they use certain words.\u00a0 Words like \u2018the gods\u2019 and \u2018magic\u2019 for example.\u00a0 But write those two words on a piece of paper and see what meanings others put to them; you might be very surprised.<\/p>\n
My point is that we all have extremely different notions about our religious ideas but we usually operate as if everyone else has the same as ours.\u00a0 I\u2019ve long held the belief that religious groups usually provide only two major additions to our personal spirituality.\u00a0 First, they offer an umbrella label that sort-of \/ kind-of gives us a model for our spiritual beliefs.\u00a0 This is handy because it makes the second thing happen more easily.\u00a0 The second thing is it offers a vocabulary by which we can talk about our spiritual thoughts.\u00a0 Even if we have totally different ideas of what \u2018the gods\u2019 may mean, at least we can find some communication about them that has meaning for each of us.\u00a0 Having some kind of model for expressing our religious concepts makes it easier to apply them in our own world.\u00a0 And using a common verbiage helps us discuss our spirituality with others.\u00a0 At the very least, that\u2019s useful.<\/p>\n
Most people in the Pagan scene aren\u2019t too concerned with understanding their religion at a very deep level.\u00a0 Those who have been touched by the gods to become priests and priestesses will often tell you that it\u2019s a cross between a blessing and a curse.\u00a0 One of the most difficult things about it is the fact that you will never stop revising your own spirituality.\u00a0 It will never be \u2018finished.\u2019 You\u2019ll never feel complete in your perception of the divine and you will always long for more knowledge, more understanding, and then even more understanding.\u00a0 If your life flows that way, you will also likely become a minister to those around you, Pagan or otherwise.\u00a0 That job also has its own requirements and you will find yourself up at odd hours helping when nobody else would bother.<\/p>\n
The Pagan priesthood is sometimes a very solitary thing, even in the middle of a crowd.\u00a0 Your mind will focus on something and you\u2019ll have a million unanswerable questions about it as you carry on a second life in the \u2018real\u2019 world.\u00a0 Or you\u2019ll wander aimlessly amid the philosophical possibilities, seeking out the multiplicity of meanings to a single event or sensation.\u00a0 The priesthood will dissect you; your mind will be beyond the clouds, your feet will walk a strange path, and your heart will be stretched across the universe.\u00a0 And the only thing that will hold you together will be the compelling faith that somewhere, somehow there is meaning.<\/p>\n
But most Pagans are not in the priesthood; most are participants, not practitioners.\u00a0 If you follow that path, it\u2019s likely that you\u2019ll also be interested in the craft portion of most western Pagan traditions.\u00a0 You will be bombarded with information about all kinds of things that are usually not taught in your local school system.\u00a0 Things like herbalism, astrology, meditation, astral projection, auras, tarot reading, crystals and gems, yoga, other religions, oils and incenses, healing arts, mythology, ritual creation, seasonal changes, lunar aspects, psychic arts, familiars, crop cultivation and irrigation, sewing, spinning, kitchen witchery, lions and tigers and dragons \u2013 oh my!\u00a0 The list is seemingly endless.\u00a0 Nearly everything is of interest to those involved in the Craft.\u00a0 Knowledge is a drug to us and you can bet most Pagans have more books in their house than their next ten neighbors combined!\u00a0 And even if they don\u2019t bother to attend any formal rituals, they too have their own One, True Religion.<\/p>\n
One thing all the Pagan religions have in common is they are mystery religions.\u00a0 That is, they expect each person to find their own spiritual meaning to the cosmic events that happen around them all the time.\u00a0 Since no two people will experience anything in exactly the same way, the meaning for each person will be different.\u00a0 Revealed religions, those that have a text that provides a consistent message about the mysteries, give the illusion that all of their members have the same spiritual beliefs.\u00a0 This flies in the face of the evidence to the contrary but that doesn\u2019t seem to bother them.\u00a0 The very fact that there are thousands of Protestant sects who all use the King James Bible but still divide themselves over its interpretation should be convincing enough.\u00a0 But they have a different interpretation of that problem.<\/p>\n
Although we all generally work from the premise that other people think as we do, the truth is that isn\u2019t the case… ever.\u00a0 Everyone has their own interpretation of the universe and how it\u2019s run.\u00a0 And though this will always be so, it\u2019s at least comforting to know that we can usually operate with our mutual delusion in a civil and productive fashion.\u00a0 When faced with what may appear to be a vast difference in beliefs, just remember that the world has been turning a long time with everyone seeing the sunrise at a different place.\u00a0 Our differences are part of the great machinery called humanity.\u00a0 And, in spite of all our differences, we\u2019re all pretty much the same.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s like what the billboard on the side of the road says, \u201cWe\u2019re a lot like you: a little different.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
They usually can be found on urban street corners or heard yelling from the TV or radio.\u00a0 Their rhetoric is filled with clich\u00e9s and admonitions about how, if we don\u2019t follow their particular brand of religion, we\u2019ll suffer dire consequences.\u00a0 Religious zealots can be found in every religion.\u00a0 You never have to look too long before you find one.\u00a0 Trying to have a calm conversation with them about what it is they believe is usually a complete waste of time.\u00a0 They think they have the One, True Religion and you don\u2019t unless you\u2019re standing up there with them and screaming exactly the same words.\u00a0 And even then you might not be accepted by them as a True Believer. It\u2019s very easy to pass these people by and put them on your list of \u2018Nut Jobs.\u2019 And, in truth, they probably would benefit from some kind of therapy.\u00a0 But they aren\u2019t the only ones to believe in The One True Religion.\u00a0 The fact is\u2026 we ALL do! In spite of what many organized religions have tried to create, we all have a different idea of what the Divine is and how we relate to it.\u00a0 Everybody\u2019s is different.\u00a0 And each of us has the One, True Religion\u2026 for us.\u00a0 Even people who claim no religious thoughts whatsoever have their OTR.\u00a0 Whatever they believe about the nature of reality and how they fit into it constitutes their spirituality.\u00a0 They might vehemently deny this makes up a religion because it isn\u2019t something they\u2019ve heard from a preacher or holy man, but it\u2019s just as much a religion as any other.\u00a0 Remember, we each have our own. If you ever want to test just how unique each person\u2019s religion really is, try the following:\u00a0 On a piece of paper, put three questions with enough space in between to allow for a brief answer: 1. What is the nature of The Divine? 2. What happens to you when you die? 3. What is the best way to worship The Divine? This is an especially interesting test when you give it to people who all belong to the same organized religion.\u00a0 Even if they have attended the same place of worship, you\u2019ll get very unique and often even contradictory answers. Of course, being Pagans, we\u2019d expect that, right?\u00a0 Not so fast there, partner.\u00a0 In all likelihood, when you discuss what it means to be your brand of Pagan with others who profess to be the same brand, you go on the assumption that they mean the same thing as you do when they use certain words.\u00a0 Words like \u2018the gods\u2019 and \u2018magic\u2019 for example.\u00a0 But write those two words on a piece of paper and see what meanings others put to them; you might be very surprised. My point is that we all have extremely different notions about our religious ideas but we usually operate as if everyone else has the same as ours.\u00a0 I\u2019ve long held the belief that religious groups usually provide only two major additions to our personal spirituality.\u00a0 First, they offer an umbrella label that sort-of \/ kind-of gives us a model for our spiritual beliefs.\u00a0 This is handy because it makes the second thing happen more easily.\u00a0 The second thing is it offers a vocabulary by which we can talk about our spiritual thoughts.\u00a0 Even if we have totally different ideas of what \u2018the gods\u2019 may mean, at least we can find some communication about them that has meaning for each of us.\u00a0 Having some kind of model for expressing our religious concepts makes it easier to apply them in our own world.\u00a0 And using a common verbiage helps us discuss our spirituality with others.\u00a0 At the very least, that\u2019s useful. Most people in the Pagan scene aren\u2019t too concerned with understanding their religion at a very deep level.\u00a0 Those who have been touched by the gods to become priests and priestesses will often tell you that it\u2019s a cross between a blessing and a curse.\u00a0 One of the most difficult things about it is the fact that you will never stop revising your own spirituality.\u00a0 It will never be \u2018finished.\u2019 You\u2019ll never feel complete in your perception of the divine and you will always long for more knowledge, more understanding, and then even more understanding.\u00a0 If your life flows that way, you will also likely become a minister to those around you, Pagan or otherwise.\u00a0 That job also has its own requirements and you will find yourself up at odd hours helping when nobody else would bother. The Pagan priesthood is sometimes a very solitary thing, even in the middle of a crowd.\u00a0 Your mind will focus on something and you\u2019ll have a million unanswerable questions about it as you carry on a second life in the \u2018real\u2019 world.\u00a0 Or you\u2019ll wander aimlessly amid the philosophical possibilities, seeking out the multiplicity of meanings to a single event or sensation.\u00a0 The priesthood will dissect you; your mind will be beyond the clouds, your feet will walk a strange path, and your heart will be stretched across the universe.\u00a0 And the only thing that will hold you together will be the compelling faith that somewhere, somehow there is meaning. But most Pagans are not in the priesthood; most are participants, not practitioners.\u00a0 If you follow that path, it\u2019s likely that you\u2019ll also be interested in the craft portion of most western Pagan traditions.\u00a0 You will be bombarded with information about all kinds of things that are usually not taught in your local school system.\u00a0 Things like herbalism, astrology, meditation, astral projection, auras, tarot reading, crystals and gems, yoga, other religions, oils and incenses, healing arts, mythology, ritual creation, seasonal changes, lunar aspects, psychic arts, familiars, crop cultivation and irrigation, sewing, spinning, kitchen witchery, lions and tigers and dragons \u2013 oh my!\u00a0 The list is seemingly endless.\u00a0 Nearly everything is of interest to those involved in the Craft.\u00a0 Knowledge is a drug to us and you can bet most Pagans have more books in their house than their next ten neighbors combined!\u00a0 And even if they don\u2019t bother to attend any formal rituals, they too have their own One, True Religion. One thing all the Pagan religions have in common is they are mystery religions.\u00a0 That is, they expect each person to find their own spiritual meaning to the cosmic events that happen around them all the time.\u00a0 Since no two people will experience anything in exactly the same way, the meaning for each person will be different.\u00a0 Revealed religions, those that have a text that provides a consistent message about the mysteries, give the illusion that all of their members have the same spiritual beliefs.\u00a0 This flies in the face of the evidence to the contrary but that doesn\u2019t seem to bother them.\u00a0 The very fact that there are thousands of Protestant sects who all use the King James Bible but still divide themselves over its interpretation should be convincing enough.\u00a0 But they have a different interpretation of that problem. Although we all generally work from the premise that other people think as we do, the truth is that isn\u2019t the case… ever.\u00a0 Everyone has their own interpretation of the universe and how it\u2019s run.\u00a0 And though this will always be so, it\u2019s at least comforting to know that we can usually operate with our mutual delusion in a civil and productive fashion.\u00a0 When faced with what may appear to be a vast difference in beliefs, just remember that the world has been turning a long time with everyone seeing the sunrise at a different place.\u00a0 Our differences are part of the great machinery called humanity.\u00a0 And, in spite of all our differences, we\u2019re all pretty much the same. It\u2019s like what the billboard on the side of the road says, \u201cWe\u2019re a lot like you: a little different.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1986"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1986\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}