To the Pagans...Lighten Up a Little

[Hobbit]

Seriously, this is a TERRIBLE movie about the fakest, least sense-making pagan community to ever make it to the silver screen.  I'm a Christian, and after GOOD movies about things like the Inquisition and some of the, shall we say, less flattering parts of the Crusades, Christianity is still practiced by about a third of the planet.  If I were you, I'd be more offended by the emo losers who like to pretend they're pagan just to rebel against their parents.  Up until I was about 3 years into college, I thought all pagans were friendless virgins who played with unpronouncable plants and Ouija boards in their parents' basements until 3 a.m. in the hopes that the Mother Goddess or whatnot would smite their parents for not buying them an Xbox.

[torgosPizza]

I'm a Christian, and after GOOD movies about things like the Inquisition and some of the, shall we say, less flattering parts of the Crusades, Christianity is still practiced by about a third of the planet.

So by your logic, if a bad movie about Christianity were to come out, you think it would stop being practiced? And the same goes for paganism?

They didn't teach logic at your college, did they?

Up until I was about 3 years into college, I thought all pagans were friendless virgins ...

.... And it looks like your opinion of them hasn't changed much. Congrats!

[AmandaGal]

Umm, I think most of the pagans (which would be Randie and I) on this board aren't necessarily unlight about the thing.  I, personally, could care less.  I think Randie was just venting/educating.  So, by that count even at most (and I can't speak for Randie), only 50% of the declared Pagans on this board are upset by the movie.

I can't say I ever thought any religion was full of friendless virgins but actually, Christianity should be full of virgins. We pagans are all about sex and fun and dancing around naked.  As a general rule, most pagans aren't as hung up on sex as YOU GUYS are.   Kinda proven by your "virgin" comment.  I would never judge anyone's sexuality or lack thereof.

On the one hand, you should probably reevaluate your lifestyle if pagans are being better Christians than you are by abstaining, especially if you're judging them as lesser for that.  On the other, who am I to judge?  Oh wait, that's YOU GUYS who shouldn't judge and yet, here you are telling me to lighten up and on Jesus's rebirthday at that. Tsk.

As a pagan, judging is part of my mantra.  Woo!  See, we get the sex, judgement, dancing naked. We rock.  Join us! You get a fancy pin and a wicker doll and all.  Might even cast a magic spell to help you get a Wii.  I mean, like duh, that's how I got mine.  JOIN US!  The pin is a one day only deal.   

[this post is 90% sarcastic, the other 10% is just plain BS]

[RobtheBarbarian]

http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Wicca

[Hobbit]

I'm a Christian, and after GOOD movies about things like the Inquisition and some of the, shall we say, less flattering parts of the Crusades, Christianity is still practiced by about a third of the planet.

So by your logic, if a bad movie about Christianity were to come out, you think it would stop being practiced? And the same goes for paganism?

They didn't teach logic at your college, did they?

Up until I was about 3 years into college, I thought all pagans were friendless virgins ...

.... And it looks like your opinion of them hasn't changed much. Congrats!

Nah, I just saw a few "I'm a pagan and..." and I just felt the need to chime in.  No knock to pagans.  I think  they're a little wierd, but aren't we all?

As far as the first comment, I think you misunderstand.  I was saying that if good movies, even factually correct movies, knocking Christianity didn't hurt it, bad movies without an ounce of credibility knocking paganism are nothing to worry about.

To AmandaGal:

Very witty and, um, interesting.  Maybe I did jump the gun a little, but that 50% was a little vocal, so I thought I'd like to put the fears of the pagan community at rest.  The kooky emo guys hurt your reputation far more that "The Wicker Man."

As for

On the one hand, you should probably reevaluate your lifestyle if pagans are being better Christians than you are by abstaining, especially if you're judging them as lesser for that.  On the other, who am I to judge?  Oh wait, that's YOU GUYS who shouldn't judge and yet, here you are telling me to lighten up and on Jesus's rebirthday at that. Tsk.

Eh, maybe the virgin comment is a little out of line, but I was referring to those who are not virgin by choice.  I'm not trying to judge anybody, and this thread was not meant to be mean-spirited or harsh (stupid tone not translating through the internet), just a little, "Think to yourself, 'It's just a show.  I should really just relax,'" moment, and I do apologize to anyone offended.

As an added note, I'm quite happy with Christianity, Wii or no, but I'd be happy to do a joint faith venture at explaining the differences between paganism and fakotheism to the annoying emo kids.  You bring the bees and the clown hammer, and I'll bring the rack and the thumbscrews.

[Hobbit]

http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Wicca

Great, now there's Coke all over my screen.

[AmandaGal]

Bwhahaha.  I love gifts to give a pagan.

Although, I don't find that pagans are obese.  I find most fluffy pagans are skinny little pale girls who think eating is depressing.  Maybe the alcohol helps the obesity later in life.   I'm a pagan with a bit of the catholic guilt still stuck in there for good measure.  I don't drink or dance around naked (sorry boys  ) or watch Buffy for that matter.

[MisterRiffley]

http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Wicca

heck, i LIKE wiccans as a general rule and even i found this damned hilarious.

[RobtheBarbarian]

I couldn't decide between the more relevant article or the more callous one, but I chose wicca in the end...

We all know that 95% of the "pagan" community is faking it for attention. To the 5% or so that isn't.... no comment other than this: my desire to be given the freedom to choose my own opinions binds me to the obligation of giving you the same freedom, and I am not bashing or discriminating against your beliefs simply by disagreeing with them. For me to take someone seriously based on their own merit, however, requires that they don't shout "I'm a pagan!" at every opportunity in a transparent ploy to get attention (regardless of the sincerity of their pagan beliefs).

Repeat it with me: I'm different, like everyone else. I'm an individual, like everyone else. I am not special. My beliefs and opinions are a fact of who I am, and displaying them to other people does not make them more valid or important. No one can take away my beliefs or opinions but myself, and those who disagree with them are no threat to me.

Now breathe. Wasn't that fun? 

[AmandaGal]

Nah, I just saw a few "I'm a pagan and..." and I just felt the need to chime in.  No knock to pagans.  I think  they're a little wierd, but aren't we all?

I take offense to that SIR!  I am not just a little weird.  I'm a full blown freak. 

Actually, I've studied lots of religions and they're all kinda weird.  I could never get passed the communion ceremony in Catholicism, for example.  So, I'm supposed to pretend that this is Jesus's body and blood?  No, it is actually his body and blood? Umm...looks like a cracker to me and if it is his REAL body and blood, I don't really want to eat dead Jesus. I'd rather eat a cracker.  Wait, if I don't eat dead Jesus I don't get to heaven? WTF?!  (and yeah, I know that's misrepresenting it a bit but when I was a kid I thought that way and decided it was pretty disgusting and figured my priest was a sicko freak ).  There's other weird traditions too and some weird crap happens in church.  If you've been to a Southern Black Baptist church, you'd never call Pagans weird again.

Christianity is really weird in general.  Have you read the Bible [rhetorical question]?  Some pretty freaky stuff goes on in there.  The weirdest of which is the entire basis of the religion (and today's holiday).  Some dude who claimed to be God's son gets killed and some people claim he rose from the dead? What were those dude's smoking?  That's pretty bizarre if you ask me.

As an added note, I'm quite happy with Christianity, Wii or no, but I'd be happy to do a joint faith venture at explaining the differences between paganism and fakotheism to the annoying emo kids.  You bring the bees and the clown hammer, and I'll bring the rack and the thumbscrews.

Suit yourself.  I guess I won't get that commission check from making you join up. DARN.  Emo kids would find something else if not this.  They're fine.  They'll grow up.  I've been called on by emo kids as a "wise elder witch" (Wise? It's because I do some work with a teen volunteer group and I let it slip that I used to be Wiccan) and I agree, they're a strange bunch.  They certainly don't practice my style of Paganism or what I used to do when I was Wiccan even.  But, they are young and stupid, they can't help it. When I was their age, I was depressive and dark and goth.  They'll grow out of it maybe.  No sense in hammering them down just yet.  At least they're not out stealing cars or something.  Most of them are pretty harmless.

[AmandaGal]

We all know that 95% of the "pagan" community is faking it for attention. To the 5% or so that isn't.... no comment other than this: my desire to be given the freedom to choose my own opinions binds me to the obligation of giving you the same freedom, and I am not bashing or discriminating against your beliefs simply by disagreeing with them. For me to take someone seriously based on their own merit, however, requires that they don't shout "I'm a pagan!" at every opportunity in a transparent ploy to get attention (regardless of the sincerity of their pagan beliefs).

I don't agree with that 100% because it's not really that attention getting these days.  Used to be I'd say I was a witch and everyone would gasp and voices would quiet and people would stare at me like I had the plague.  Today, I say I'm a witch and it's met with "that's cool. My [sister, uncle, lover, best friend] is Wiccan." and I live in the Bible Belt.  I imagine in other places it's even less of a big deal.  It's kinda like saying you're gay.  It used to be a big thing and now it's just "eh" for most people.

I think if Christians don't want us proclaiming our religion (which I don't generally), they shouldn't force theirs on us.  You want me to tell you how many Christian's have knocked on my door to save me this month?  This is a big month for you guys I guess so I can understand the increase (and the nice weather helps, if you've got to witness, it might as well be warm out).  And no, I don't have a huge pentagram on my door or tattooed on my forehead. Most people don't know what religion I am because I don't go around passing out Pagan business cards and saying, "For all your spellcasting needs..." or casting circles and doing seances wherever I go.  How would YOU like it if I came to your door to spread my pagan beliefs?  You wouldn't.  It takes some awful nerve to not only come to my door but demand I take your pamphlet and the last lady said, as I told her I wasn't interested because I already had a church (I'm generally nice), "Are you ready to die?"  I'm like, "Is that a threat?" Then I got rude with her, I admit.  I mean, what kind of moron comes to someone's home and asks if they're ready to die?!

You get Christians pushing their religion EVERYWHERE you go, at least here. I get asked what church I go to by almost everyone I meet and when I say I don't regularly go, they give me directions and an invitation to theirs and tell me how great their pastor/priest/reverand/monk whatever is.  They invite me to midnight mass.  They put calenders up with Psalms on them.  They have the Virgin Mary on their keychain.  Christian bumper stickers, Jesus tshirts...I mean, I would bet Jesus is one of the biggest money makers in the US.

You can't tell me that Christians aren't blatantly promoting their religion way more than pagans.

[RobtheBarbarian]

I don't agree with that 100% because it's not really that attention getting these days.  Used to be I'd say I was a witch and everyone would gasp and voices would quiet and people would stare at me like I had the plague.  Today, I say I'm a witch and it's met with "that's cool. My [sister, uncle, lover, best friend] is Wiccan." and I live in the Bible Belt.  I imagine in other places it's even less of a big deal.  It's kinda like saying you're gay.  It used to be a big thing and now it's just "eh" for most people.

Well, I can honestly say that I've only ever met self-proclaimed pagans who use their religion exclusively to get attention and pad their malformed egos. I can't deny that an honest kind of pagan exists, but the dishonest kind certainly does as well, and my problem is with the latter.

You can't tell me that Christians aren't blatantly promoting their religion way more than pagans.

My problem was never with the people who honestly held paganism as a religious belief; it was with the attention whores who use it to shock and awe people. I don't like evangelists either and resent their attitude toward conversion, but the faults of one religion don't justify or excuse the faults of another. I lose respect for anyone who touts their religion to me regardless of what it is. Religion, for me, has very little effect on my opinion of people - it is how a person acts and what a person does in the name of their religion that matters. Someone can worship large mouth bass for all I care and as long as he's a good person I will treat him with respect and consideration. On the other hand, if he's a putrid, pretentious fool I won't give him the time of day no matter what he believes. It's the person, not the religion - and in the case of neopagans, it's the person I usually dislike.

If you're worried about this being in any way personal, it isn't. When I think of the two open pagans I've interacted with on this board, I don't think "pagan", I think "Oh, that guy/girl's funny/smart/friendly". Honestly. I don't care if either of you worship flowers or rocks or John Madden because I know both of you are pleasures to converse with.

I WOULD, however, care if either of your religions involved puppy sacrificing, because that's just wrong.

[Sharktopus]

Let's see... My best friend is Shaman, and close friends with a gay Wiccan massage therapist, my girlfriend practices Reiki, and her mom's an ordained minister in the Church of Light, so I can say on good authority that pagans are good people. It's the "mainstream" religions that need to lighten up. Y'know, the ones that keep starting wars and stuff?

And me? I'm a Pastafarian.

[AmandaGal]

I wasn't taking it personally, I was just talking (well, typing I guess).  I agree that a person's religion doesn't matter to me. What happens to their soul is their problem.  That's why I find it weird when people tell me what church they go to within 10 minutes of meeting them and then inquire about mine.  Is it really that big of a deal? To me, my religion is personal and I'll talk about it if someone asks or mentions it but I don't wear it like a badge of honor like some do.  To me, it seems like they have to prove they're a good [whatever] to me and I really could care less. It's not me who needs to know these things.  I guess it's nice they want to share this thing they think is great and they want my soul to be saved and happy but it is kind of annoying.

I'm trained in Reiki too...but don't tell the folks at the hospital I work at.  They don't believe in that crap    Me, I don't really believe in magic energy that flows from some dead guy to some other guy to me (gross oversimplification, again) but I've seen it work.  I think the power of belief and faith is the real "magick."  Your mind can do almost anything if you believe it can (within reason, I don't mean people can fly or change their hair color without Clariol or some other means, etc).

[Sharktopus]

I saw the best Easter card, but I had no one to give it to. On the front it had a friendly looking minister at the pulpit saying "Today's Easter sermon will be about..."

And inside: "Where the hell have you all been since Christmas?"

I didst larf.