John Beckett - Page 66 of 145 - Musings of a Druid, Pagan, and Unitarian Universalist.

Jailing Is Not Protecting

February 25, 2014 By John Beckett

It’s one thing to use the power of the law to discourage self-destructive behavior. It’s something very different to spend billions of dollars to throw people in jail because they want to get high. Read more

A Libation Without a Prayer is Just a Spilled Drink

February 23, 2014 By John Beckett

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The Pantheacon panel on Sacrifice and Modern Paganism brought five knowledgeable Pagans together for a discussion of the noble and necessary art of sacrifice. Read more

Temple of the Morrigan

February 20, 2014 By John Beckett

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Have you ever been to a ritual or had a spontaneous religious experience where you’re not quite sure what just happened, but you know it was strong and important and real? The Temple of the Morrigan at Pantheacon was like that. Read more

Pantheacon Recap

February 18, 2014 By John Beckett

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Last year I wrote about my Pantheacon envy. This year I went to Pantheacon. It was a great experience of community and I’m very glad I went. Read more

Why I Am (Still) a Unitarian Universalist

February 16, 2014 By John Beckett

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I’d love to belong to a Pagan organization that does (almost) everything UUs do but also teaches deep Pagan practice. I expect some day we’ll have that, but here in North Texas in 2014, we don’t. Read more

Lessons From the Nye-Ham Debate

February 13, 2014 By John Beckett

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I doubt the Nye-Ham debate changed your mind about evolution. I hope it causes you to ask some hard questions – and to diligently search for answers. Read more

ADF Texas Imbolc Retreat

February 11, 2014 By John Beckett

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I had an great time at the ADF Texas Imbolc Retreat. I thank Chris Godwin and the folks at Hearthstone Grove for their gracious hospitality and for the opportunity to share my thoughts on Druidry. Read more

Thoughts on Death

February 9, 2014 By John Beckett

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Our mainstream culture tells us to ignore death and pretend it will never come, but it always does. The time to contemplate death and how we want to die is now. Read more

The Earth, The Gods and The Soul

February 6, 2014 By John Beckett

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The Earth, The Gods and The Soul by Brendan Myers is the philosophy book I needed to read. It gave me a good introduction to classical philosophy, taught me some key ideas, gave me references to follow for more in-depth reading, and perhaps most importantly, showed me the philosophical heritage of many of the ideas I live by and promote in my own writing. Read more

Why I Am a Devotional Polytheist

February 4, 2014 By John Beckett

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My beliefs about the Gods flow from my experience of the Gods. Of the various conceptions of the Gods currently being discussed and practiced within modern Paganism, devotional polytheism best matches my experiences. Read more