Wicca, Witchcraft and New Age religions

[Moonchild]

I have introduced myself to other forums by bringing up this topic. I thought that it was appropriate to do the same here, so...
just wondering what everyone's thoughts are about the resurgence of Earth-based, Goddess-centered religions all over the world? It seems that not only are Paganism and Wicca the fastest growing religions (by percentage) in the world (http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_prac2.htm.
Why do you think this is?

If anyone has any questions about exactly what Wicca or Paganism is, I am sure that someone here will be able to answer. It amazes me that there are so many religions that are discussed here, but these really haven't been one of them, they aren't even available as a user group.

[perfessor]

...just wondering what everyone's thoughts are about the resurgence of Earth-based, Goddess-centered religions all over the world? ... If anyone has any questions about exactly what Wicca or Paganism is, I am sure that someone here will be able to answer.

Hello Moonchild and welcome. My question would be the same as for any other religion: is it reality-based, or is it a metaphor constructed out of our need to perceive order in a chaotic world?

[Moonchild]

I do not know many adherents of a religion that would say that their religion wasn't reality based. So, of course, my answer is yes, Wicca is a reality-based religion.
I think that ther is certain amount of psychology in why people chose the religions that they do, and I do believe that many people choose religions because they make them feel comfortable about the finite life that we are living in relationship to the infinite lifespan of the universe. I am not one of those people. I chose Pagan religions, or they chose me, however you wish to look at it, primarily because it recognizes the connection that science and religion have, it shows respect to other religions as a personal choice, not a statement of right and wrong, and it gives me power over myself, not some judge in the sky.

I don't know if this answered your question, I hope it did, feel free to ask me anything else you wish.

[Piper Plexed]

I would like to know a bit more about the history, if there are delineated sects of paganism and where they originated from. Regards, Pipper

[przemeknowicki]

Hello Moonchild and welcome. My question would be the same as for any other religion: is it reality-based, or is it a metaphor constructed out of our need to perceive order in a chaotic world?

Far from being a pagan myself I am nevertheless very sympathetic to the Earth-based religions. Unfortunately Moonchild is not right believing that hers is the fastest growing religion. The fastest growing are the Mormonism and Islam; but this is a different story.

Perfessor, how do you differentiate between reality-based concepts and the metaphors constructed out of our need to perceive order in a chaotic world?

I would like to point out some interesting facts of which you perhaps are not fully aware. First, one of the greatest metaphors created out of need to perceive order in a chaotic world is Mathematics. Secondly, the great motivation for many of us who keep looking for spiritual fulfillment is the promise of spiritual experience. Well, the reality of the spiritual or mystic experience is hard to deny now when some scientific studies on brain have been conducted and recorded (A. Newberg & E. D'Aquili; Why God won't go away). In the light of experiments described in the book the reality of mystic experience is no less real than the reality of time and space. True, all of those realities are created in the brain but give me an example of only one thing that isn't.

Well, religion is a religion and should be always looked at with suspicion. However, religions such as paganism and its varieties gathered under the umbrella of New Age play a positive role in the ongoing battle of ideas as a healthy counterbalance to fundamentalist systems of believes that are like cancer on humanity. With great pleasure I welcomed the latest best-seller "The Da Vinci code" as a brilliant blow straight in the heart of dogma-based Christianity (which, of course, is only one of many flavors of Christianity).

Anyway, the right approach to the question of religion is to ask whether it is dogma or experience centered. The dogma approach actually freezes the process of constructing metaphors, which with all due respect to your convictions and intellectual skills I must defend as the most precious tool of progress.

Regards,

Thomas Orr

[Moonchild]

Far from being a pagan myself I am nevertheless very sympathetic to the Earth-based religions. Unfortunately Moonchild is not right believing that hers is the fastest growing religion. The fastest growing are the Mormonism and Islam; but this is a different story.

You are right, but only if you are talking about sheer numbers. As you will notice when I made that statement, I was speaking of percentages. Islam is growing the fastest if you look at the amount that converts each year. Wicca and New Age religions are growing the fastest if you look at the percentage increase each year. Which I stated when I stated that fact.

With great pleasure I welcomed the latest best-seller "The Da Vinci code" as a brilliant blow straight in the heart of dogma-based Christianity (which, of course, is only one of many flavors of Christianity).

Except for the fact that it was completely fictional.

I would like to know a bit more about the history, if there are delineated sects of paganism and where they originated from. Regards, Pipper

Wow, the origins of Paganism?

Well, statues of Goddess-deities have been found thousands and thousands of years ago, well before Christianity, or really any other religion.
Contemportary Paganism tries to draw on the concepts of Older Goddess oriented Nature faiths, such as Celtic, Norse, Egyptian, Roman and Greek, just to name a few, with a little contemporary changes.

As far as the different sects of Paganism, that would take forever for me to go into. The different sects of Wicca will be easier for me to manage. There is Garderian, Alexandrian, Correllian, Dianic, well, actually, that would take a long time.

You know, let me consult a few books around the house and I might be able to better answer your question. It is really hard for me to remember all of this stuff, especially because I follow the solitary path.

Blessed Be.

Danielle

[Piper Plexed]

You know, let me consult a few books around the house and I might be able to better answer your question. It is really hard for me to remember all of this stuff, especially because I follow the solitary path.

Seems prudent (lets discuss Wicca), actually now that I think of it, lets put your history in Definitions and Explanations and link to it from here to allow those that are interested (I could bet that there are many) to pop over and learn. This will allow us to continue the discussion of it's impact on society here without me causing a Thread Derailment and placed into the Moderators Hall of Shame Regards, Piper

[przemeknowicki]

Except for the fact that it was completely fictional.

"The Priory of Sion - a European secret society founded in 1099 - is a real organization. In 1975 Paris's Bibliotheque Nationale discovered parchments known as Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying numerous members of the Priory of Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, Boticelli, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo da Vinci."

I have no reason to believe that the statement above printed on the opening page of the book under FACT: is "completely fictional" as you put it.

The (furious) critiques of the book go into lengthy arguments that the history does not support the book in how the Jesus Christ and his teaching are presented. However, they conveniently keep silent about the major point (in my opinion) of the book. The major point being that Newton, Hugo, da Vinci and other giants of intellect and talent our civilization produced were on the side of "Humanity Centered Christianity" and not on the "Dogma Based Christianity".

Regards,

Thomas Orr

[Moonchild]

Not a problem. Sounds like a good idea, acually.
I will start, what will most definitely be a work in progress tonight when I get off of work.

[Karl]

You know, let me consult a few books around the house and I might be able to better answer your question. It is really hard for me to remember all of this stuff, especially because I follow the solitary path.

Seems prudent (lets discuss Wicca), actually now that I think of it, lets put your history in Definitions and Explanations and link to it from here to allow those that are interested (I could bet that there are many) to pop over and learn. This will allow us to continue the discussion of it's impact on society here without me causing a Thread Derailment and placed into the Moderators Hall of Shame Regards, Piper

Piper, I have started that new thread in the Definitions and Explanations forum as per your above request.

The link is: http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... php?t=1180

BB,

K