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<\/a><\/p>\nPaganism isn\u2019t for everyone<\/h1>\n
Christianity and Islam both claim they\u2019re the one true way that everyone should follow. Paganism and the rest of the world\u2019s religions make no such claim. If you feel called to return to Christianity, or perhaps to move on to Buddhism<\/a>, that\u2019s not necessarily wrong.<\/p>\n I hope no one ends up in the fundamentalist versions of Christianity or Islam, and I hope no one changes their religion out of fear or coercion. But if you need a religion with the physical structures of an established church, or you miss the hymns you sang as a kid, or you feel called to follow Jesus, by all means find an inclusive and welcoming Christian church.<\/p>\n Paganism speaks to me, and it speaks to the lived experiences of many people in our contemporary world. But there are many ways to live a good life. If you think you\u2019d be happier going back, then you owe it to yourself to consider going back.<\/p>\n But if you feel a call to the Old Gods, if you find the divine in Nature, or if you have an interest in magic, then Paganism probably is for you.<\/p>\n And sometimes Paganism\u2019s biggest problem is Pagans. We can be as bad as Christians about thinking our way is the only \u201cright\u201d way to be a Pagan. Some think every way is just as good as any other way. Some believe things that are demonstrably false<\/a>. We mix religion and politics in ways some find distasteful and others find inadequate. And like every other religion, we have some with limited social skills and others who are genuinely bad people.<\/p>\n This is one of the reasons Paganism has so many solitary practitioners.<\/p>\n I believe the value of religious communities far exceeds their costs, and I\u2019m doing my best to help make the Pagan organizations I\u2019m part of both welcoming and functional. It\u2019s worth searching for some place you\u2019ll fit in, or if necessary, creating one.<\/p>\n But if some Pagans have annoyed, offended, or even harmed you, I encourage you to direct your anger at them individually (and collectively, where appropriate) and not at the movement as a whole. Paganism has many forms and many expressions. Find the one that\u2019s right for you.<\/p>\n But for most people who consider turning back, the main problem isn\u2019t troublesome practitioners. The main problem is concerns over questions of cosmology, theology, and philosophy \u2013 the foundational assumptions about the nature of the world that most of us take for granted.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve written at length about religion and bad assumptions<\/a>, including a UU Sunday Service by that title. So much we think we know is simply the regurgitation of what we were taught as children.<\/p>\n How many Gods<\/a> are there? What happens after we die<\/a>? Which came first, matter or consciousness<\/a>? Is there such a thing as good and evil<\/a>, or are there only virtues and the lack thereof?<\/p>\n Do you have serious intellectual difficulties with the foundational assumptions of Paganism? Or is some fundamentalist preacher attempting to exploit your childhood fears of an afterlife you don\u2019t really believe exists?<\/p>\n Solving a problem begins with defining the problem. What\u2019s behind your urge to turn back?<\/p>\n There is a whole branch of philosophy called epistemology<\/a> \u2013 how do we know what we know? I lean toward pragmatism<\/a> \u2013 if it works, it\u2019s true. Still, the fact that there are multiple competing theories of knowledge points toward the inherent uncertainty of life. And when you move into the realm of religion, those who are most certain base their claims on fallible sources like sacred texts or cultural traditions.<\/p>\n There is no such thing as religious certainty. And yes, I\u2019m aware of the irony of claiming certainty about uncertainty. Life is complicated \u2013 deal with it.<\/p>\n Embracing uncertainty doesn\u2019t mean letting all reason fly out the window. Some things are clearly not true, and others are so unlikely they don\u2019t deserve our time and trouble. But where there are many possibilities, we are free to explore them in as great a depth as we like, then choose those that seem most likely to us.<\/p>\n Practice long enough and deeply enough and eventually you\u2019ll reach the level where you feel like you know<\/a><\/em>. I\u2019m there with my experiences of the Gods and the Otherworld \u2013 I\u2019ve seen and done too much to turn back. But I recognize that others who haven\u2019t had my experiences are under no obligation to take my word for it. And at the end of the day, I could be wrong.<\/p>\n Whatever you believe, you might be wrong. But the fundamentalists are almost certainly wrong.<\/p>\n Whatever you believe or think you believe or think you might want to think about believing, someone has been there before you<\/a>. Pagans invented Western Philosophy: Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato belong to us. Read \u2013 and then think deeply about what you read.<\/p>\n I hear too many Pagans who say \u201cthis is what I believe and you can\u2019t tell me I\u2019m wrong!\u201d This is a lazy approach. Even if you have no interest in debating fundamentalists and atheists (something I got tired of doing<\/a> last month) you need to convince yourself that what you\u2019re doing is as close to correct as you can get.<\/p>\n There is scientific evidence for the reality of magic<\/a>. There is evidence that polytheism is humanity\u2019s default setting<\/a>. Animism<\/a> is a valid philosophical approach, and from my perspective is more reasonable than materialism<\/a>.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to become a professional philosopher or theologian. You just need to build an intellectual foundation for your religious beliefs and practices.<\/p>\n Building an intellectual foundation is important, but we have a heart as well as a head. We have a left brain and a right brain. We have reason and we have intuition. Use both.<\/p>\n By all rights I should be an atheist. I have an affinity for math and science. I found the claims of fundamentalist Christianity to be based on false assumptions. But even as I rejected that religion, something deep inside kept whispering \u201cthere\u2019s more.\u201d<\/p>\n I kept looking for a God \u2013 I found many Gods. I kept looking for magic even though I was sure it was nothing more than pleasant fantasy \u2013 eventually I found it.<\/p>\n What calls to you? Who calls to you? Listen.<\/p>\n If we work diligently, our intellect and our intuition can take us far. But neither approach can make a religious decision for us. Eventually we have to make a choice.<\/p>\n People can and will combine lots of things that don\u2019t go well together, but you cannot logically be a polytheist and a monotheist. You cannot be a polytheist and an atheist. These positions are mutually incompatible.<\/p>\n There is a time for exploration. You don\u2019t have to commit right away. When you\u2019re starting out, it\u2019s perfectly appropriate to try things on and see how they fit. It\u2019s OK to go the Full Moon Circle on Saturday and then go to church on Sunday. For a while.<\/p>\n But sooner or later you have to choose: do you want to be a Pagan or do you want to be a Christian? Or do you want to be an atheist?<\/p>\n I can\u2019t tell you how to make that decision. I can\u2019t tell you the proper mixture of reason and intuition \u2013 that\u2019s different for everyone. But I can tell you that until you do make a decision, you\u2019ll never get very deep into any religion, whether it\u2019s Paganism, Christianity, or anything else.<\/p>\n Move forward boldly. Or turn back. But choose.<\/p>\n It\u2019s one thing to read Pagan books, attend Pagan rituals, and even to worship Pagan Gods. It\u2019s another thing to stand in the presence of the Gods and declare \u201cI will follow you.\u201d Taking an oath<\/a> is a serious and permanent matter.<\/p>\n Take the oath in the context of a transformative initiation<\/a> and its impact will be even stronger.<\/p>\n Some witchcraft traditions require a transgressive act: renouncing your baptism or reciting the Lord\u2019s Prayer backwards. Once you do that you pretty much can\u2019t go back. That makes sense in a world where Christianity is the only acceptable option. But in a world where all the religions of the world are possibilities, rejecting one \u2013 even the one you grew up with \u2013 still leaves you with more options than you can manage.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not enough to reject your old religion \u2013 you need to commit yourself to your new religion.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve talked a lot about belief in this post. Beliefs are important, because our beliefs influence our actions. Beliefs are what cause some of us to want to revert to our old religion. But ultimately what we believe is less important than what we do.<\/p>\n Read and study. Build a devotional practice<\/a>. Spend time in Nature. Celebrate the seasons. Work magic. Whether you do it alone or in a group, nothing will build a strong commitment to Paganism like actually practicing Paganism.<\/p>\nDon\u2019t let Pagans ruin Paganism for you<\/h1>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nFind the source of your discomfort<\/h1>\n
Embrace uncertainty<\/h1>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nBuild an intellectual foundation<\/h1>\n
Listen to your heart<\/h1>\n
Make a choice<\/h1>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThere is value in crossing a line<\/h1>\n
Practice<\/h1>\n