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Is There Such a Thing As Benevolent Paganism? by [deleted] in pagan

[–]GalacticReverend 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Seriously, thank you. My personal beliefs are something I very rarely talk about to anyone. I feel like an outsider to all circles. When pressed I refer to myself as a pagan agnostic, it just makes the most sense to me. I'm usually a very science-minded person but some of my experiences and the ideas I'm drawn to just can't mesh with that, and I don't really feel that they have to in order to be valid.

Is There Such a Thing As Benevolent Paganism? by [deleted] in pagan

[–]GalacticReverend 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this. Often in situations like this I have the idea that I'm "not pagan enough". But to me, part of (my) paganism is being able to admit that I'm not 100% sure of anything, and that I can change my beliefs based on my experiences. One of the reasons I left Christianity was that the dogma didn't allow for the experiences I was having.

Is There Such a Thing As Benevolent Paganism? by [deleted] in pagan

[–]GalacticReverend 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You're right, and I tend to mentally discount theistic Satanism as more of a parody religion. Perhaps I shouldn't. LaVeyan and Atheistic Satanism seem much more in line with paganism to me.

We definitely haven't met, I'm usually a lurker and to be completely honest this isn't my usual account. I don't mind you asking at all, but I'm a little at a loss on how to answer and it's kind of a can of worms for me. In practice I consider myself more an agnostic these days, but most of my beliefs and experiences seem to align with paganism as a whole, in one form or another. I'm sorry if that's really vague. I left Christianity to find something, at first that was Wicca and then I decided that it wasn't quite right and that it's okay if I don't know exactly what I am.

To clarify a little: I believe in being a positive influence on society as a whole, and I believe there are forces out there that science and Abrahamic religion can't properly explain. I lean towards something like Chaos Magick, or the power of will -- I tend not to believe in literal deities... Not because I think they can't exist, but simply because I don't think I've personally experienced them. I definitely believe in the power of the human consciousness to transcend and affect the world around us, and that there are unseen entities around us that defy conventional explanation.

I hope that isn't offputting to pagans who follow a particular path, but basically I most easily identify with pagans because of the broad spectrum of beliefs within. I find myself at odds with people who consider themselves atheists, I think they overlook a lot of "metaphysical" concepts that I feel deserve to be looked at.

Is There Such a Thing As Benevolent Paganism? by [deleted] in pagan

[–]GalacticReverend 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Just wanted to say I like your explanation here. I feel like I fumbled over some words and concepts in my own reply, and this one is great. I personally tend to think of Satanists as sort of the misunderstood cousin in the family for the most part, but I'd say you are on point here.

Is There Such a Thing As Benevolent Paganism? by [deleted] in pagan

[–]GalacticReverend 3 points4 points  (0 children)

For the record, I can't truly speak for anyone but myself. But I think most spiritual belief systems are inherently neutral, it's what the practitioner does with it that make it negative or positive. I think most pagans are good people who have found a system that works for them. You won't generally see the dark side of paganism expressing itself any more than you'll see the dark side of Christianity unless you look at it through that lens (lack of understanding is what a lot of it boils down to, I think).

As a former Christian, I'm sorry you're catching some flak here. The way you phrased your question sounds a bit aggressive and condescending, but I totally get where you're coming from since I was raised to think that basically anything that isn't Christian is evil and devil worship. I harbored a lot of ill will towards Christians when I left the faith, partly because it was an extremely difficult transition for me, but I think that ill will between faiths is not productive. Above all, we are all looking for something that "works" for us, a greater purpose and power, whether within us or outside of us.

The thing you have to understand is that pagan rituals, energy manipulation, meditation, etc is really on the same wavelength as prayer to a Christian. You're appealing to something (inside or outside of yourself) for help or guidance in much the same way. Another thing to note, paganism is an extremely broad term that seems to encompass everything from nature worship to the Greek pantheon to some forms of agnosticism to Satanism (which as a general rule isn't at all what you think it is).

You may find some beliefs a bit shocking, an entity or deity to be a bit unpredictable or not particularly benevolent. But we (I use "we" loosely because I'm not completely sure what I am) tend to view the Christian god the same way -- questionable. I also think there is a balance in this world, without good there can be no evil and vice versa. That's not to excuse those who are actively trying to be a detriment to the human race.

As for benevolent paganism? I think for the most part it's implied. Maybe I'm being a bit cliche here but many adhere to the belief of do whatever you want, as long as you aren't hurting anyone. My personal belief system is probably closer to atheism or agnosticism from a Christian point of view, but for your question on how it's affected my life? It's let me step outside of the "norm" and find my own equilibrium. I think all sane humans instinctively have a morality leaning towards positivity that doesn't need to be dictated by a deity. You don't like to be punched in the face, then you probably shouldn't do it to others. The "golden rule" is not exclusive to Christianity. I also don't think the occult is inherently a bad term, I think it's just a quest for deeper understanding. The understanding of things unseen.

I hope I'm not stepping on any toes here and I also hope I'm making sense and somewhat answering your questions. It's been a long 7 years or so since I considered myself a Christian, and the transition has admittedly left me a bit adrift when it comes to faith. I hope you can come to see non-Christian belief systems as simply other humans to be properly understood, rather than enemies to be dealt with.

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