I met a pagan woman today!!!

There really are great people everywhere. I’m glad you found another friend.

I’m skeptical of the whole pagan thing. Why?

Paganism was never a religion. It was just a tag Christians gave to *any* non-Christians/Jews/Muslims. I don’t know why anyone would want to call themselves by a name like that. It’s like knowing yourself as an infidel, heathen or unbeliever (atheist comes close I suppose)

Modern paganism has little or nothing to do with ancient religions. It’s a po-mo hodgepodge of ideas taken from all over the world and cobbled together. With modern sensibilities added.

That said, I suppose people can get something of it spiritually, but for the reasons I say above, I think it’s not quite what it says it is on the tin. Particularly the Celtic and native American varieties.

Pagan is really a very wide umbrella term that can mean different things to different people. Christian is the same. She used the term, so that is why I did. I am sure she is of a neopagan spiritual path.

I don’t believe something needs to be ancient to be true. Actually, there are dozens of things about ancient religions that would be wrong today. I am so loving the idea of a new spirituality. I think Joseph Smith did a great thing when he pulled together what he felt were truths from wherever he found them. Some of those things could be viewed as pagan. I think that we should be doing the same thing today and discard everything that no longer holds true or meaningful. For me that would be patriarchy among other things.

I’m not looking for a new religion. I am looking to fill my spiritual needs as a human being. I see truth at the base of every religion and spiritual path. Spending time with other women who emphisis the feminine Divine would be a great experience, I think.

Ray, yes it is nice to find more friends. Most of my friends for my entire life have been from church. It is wonderful to find people I can relate to out of my normal circle!!! It is something I never felt comfortable doing previously.

swim, I was thinking about taking the religion test again. I took it again a couple months ago and it was totally different from the first time I took it! LOL I think it is fun. On the test, I think you can click on each religion and it will tell you more about it. Pretty neat.

SamBee, sometimes people embrace words that were assigned them, even derogatory ones. Like “Mormon.” Some of us here even embrace the word “heretic” or “athiest” or “agnostic.” Personally, I am “just me” but I can see how it is easier and faster to relate with people when you use pre-determined names.

My SIL is Pagan. BIL understands it and supports her but doesn’t really want to be a part of any belief..(he was raised LDS)

Sadly MIL (TBM) talked bad about her religion or way of life, that her house had an “evil” feeling and that she had an altar and did spellls..so much that I was nervous to get close to her for awhile. After getting to know her turns out she is pretty awesome!

MIL thinks Pagans are evil .. My Pagan SIL thinks MIL is in a cult. – Hopefully they will realize some day that they are both ridiculous.

You’ll find tons of amazing loving people that aren’t LDS … It’s great when people step outside comfort zones and get to know people that might think differently than them .. makes the world go round – on your end and on the other womans end, it is a two way street.

Modern paganism . . . (is) a po-mo hodgepodge of ideas taken from all over the world and cobbled together. With modern sensibilities added.

Sounds like how Joseph Smith and Gordon B. Hinckley described Mormonism.

😆 😆 Love it!

Well, just saying that while I don’t doubt some people get something out of paganism, they’ve got to be more honest about the modern origins of a lot of it. I suppose i do have issues with some cultural appropriation as well…

Even Mormonism says that Joseph Smith got/revealed etc whatever in the year 18..

She even invited me to join her and her pagan friends for ritual or “girl’s night.” That is something I have really been wanting to experience so I will be calling her to get together sometime.

Interesting! Wonder if they do Wiccan-type stuff like going sky-clad…

HiJolly

I’m not sure! She told me she was not fundamentalist and her group is only into positive things. She does have friends who are Wiccan. I’m not sure if they do things together or seperate, though.