Anyone of you celebrating pagan festivities...

[Phyros]

On original subject...

No, the only things i celebrate are the year day of my first Iron Maiden concert, my own and my friends birthdays and everytime it is weekend.

-phyros (sitting in his flat, all alone, drinking beer)

 

[Morgana]

Birthdays... I keep forget them... basically because I think age is relativ...

 

[FatherVic]

@Allison: yeap, I'm one of those

@Morgana: well as far as I know Celtic roots are no more than St. Patrick mixing catholicism with pagan Irish traditions...as for example the sunwheel was a heathen symbol mixed with the catholic cross...but I might be wrong
and here just in NorthWest there was some kind of Celtic "movement" I live in Barcelona which is NE of Spain, so no Celts here...too many Romans though

 

[Allison]

I believe the sunwheel was in use long before christianity. It is a symbol to represent the solstices and equinoxes and the power of the sun gods.

Tell me Father Vic, how do you feel about catholic beliefs? What's your opinion of that whole scheme? Are you in that belief system by choice or were those beliefs instilled into you as a child?

I ask because I am curious about how christians really see their belief system. I have never really been "in" it to know what it's like.

 

[FatherVic]

well allison, I meant the celt sunwheel, the one in the center of a croos..

and I'm sorry, but experience have taught me not to start talking about religion, therefore I won't do it here. I'm sure I could have a great talk about religion, here ppl are extremely nice here and don't fear anybody could accuse me of killing thousands of nordic people (as sometimes I've been!!!) but well I don't really feel like...
if you want I could do that privately if you are really interested in that!
but as the matter of fact, yeah, it's some sort of heritage, but for long time I just wasn't into it, and one day I found myself asking for some help, and then I started to be "active" (going to mass) by myself...so I suppose the belief is inherited but the feeling is selfmade...

fathervic (not wanting a religion thread, he always is treated like a green dog while he's just a green melon)

 

[Morgana]

we have a religion thread somewhere on the board... I'm open mined about religion, I got christian by the way, but my mum was open mined enough to let us choose if we like to go to church or not... I was only interested in the architecture of the buildings and the artwork... The rest did not bother me much and from inner feelings I did not belong there so I left church. I do respect my mum for her believes and she respect me for mine.

*last post, need my bed - up in 4 hours again*

 

[Allison]

That's cool Father Vic - I can understand and respect that I have also run into the same problem on occasion at other forums.

Morgana, should we search out this topic and make it active again? That way only those who wish to discuss religion have to go there and it won't offend anybody or intrude on another topic.

 

[Morgana]

Yeah I'm going to get it on top again, np...

 

[Morgana]

... little warning... The begin is maybe interesting... the end is just the usual thing we have with most threads.. it's getting out of hand and we just having fun...

 

[Fjelltussa]

I was practically raised in church (my mother worked there as an organist), but I never felt very comfortable there. Guess it has to do with me being the favourite mascot of my mother's choir (it's not hers anymore) from when I was born until I started at school. They used to call me all these different things and laughing at things I said and did. They didn't mean any harm, of course; they just thought I was cute, but I always hated it. They could never take me serious... And when I got mad at them (I've always had bit of a temper), that was just cute, to.

On my mothers side of my family, none of my generation are christians, but we all were raised with christianity. Thatt's a bit weird... None of my parents' generation feel very well about it, but well, they just have to accept it.

 

[Morgana]

Originally posted by Fjelltussa
I was practically raised in church (my mother worked there as an organist), but I never felt very comfortable there.

Well, I had never understand what they wanted from me, I'm glad my mum was open minded enough not making us going to church...

 

[AnsuzAstral]

Well, church's never been a huge subject in my family, I guess... but I went to church several times when I was young (not that I'm old ), and yes, I found it a bit uncomfortable there, too... or better to say: foreign, strange...

My parents never bothered that much with going to church, only years ago, at christmas or so... they're far more concerned with culture nowadays...

 

[Morgana]

I'm only interested in the architecture of older churches mainly early goth style. Basicly you can discover very interesting mathematical occurrences. The hidden sacred geometry...
Not to forget, churches are often build on old sacred heathen places...

 

[AnsuzAstral]

Yes, I've been to that church in Gamla Uppsala... fortunately they didn't level the grave-hills beside it to built a church on it...

I don't have such an eye for architecture, I think... but what strikes my eye in many churches is the waste of money in form of sacral art everywhere... makes me realize how hypocritical most of those church is in my eyes...

 

[The Nomad]

There are several things that I really appreciate from Christianity. Beautiful cathedrals, especially over in Europe. Most of the ones are the old ones, but the new ones (that adopted the old architecture) are quite nice. I love looking (and listening) to the BIG HONING ORGANS in there. And related to that, they've sponsored some great music. I absolutely love to listen to the Masses written by the masters, especially from the Renaissance.

 

[Allison]

I never gave my parents any trouble at all growing up except when it came to the religion issue. My mother is the religious one, my father I think just nods an smiles to keep peace, but he's got heathen in him I am sure of it.

Anyway, at age 10, I was in this catholic school and knew I didn't belong there. I didn't go there long though - my parents got called in because I was asking awkward questions and was not accepting the "answers" I was given. these nuns got tired of me contradicting them so my parents had to take me out of that school. I had already started into my own independent religious studies and that's the source of my awkward questions. oh well.

My mother would make us go to church and I would sit there totally unresponsive the whole time. I really was not a bad child - I was just very adamant when it came to this kind of stuff. Anyway, at 16 I dedicated myself to the Pagan religion and of course, there was turbulence with mother, and there still was until about a year or so ago, now she just accepts it because she sees I'm serious about it. My son is 12 and has been raised with no religion whatsoever. It's got to be his call what he wants to believe. My mother says I am raising that child as a heathen and
I correct her by saying no, just because he was born of a heathen does not mean he is one. I do not intend to train him unless he asks me to. So right now he's agnostic just like my husband. Tell me, am I wrong for doing this?

It was very very easy for me to let go of any Christian beliefs I might have had because I let go of them before they took hold. That's the biggest downfall of anyone wanting to learn a non-Christian religion, they can't let go of the beliefs that were drilled into them. My reasoning is that if my son has no beliefs then he has nothing to let go of in order to persue his true path. He's clear to proceed in whatever way he sees fit for himself.

 

[Morgana]

I would do it the same way, if I would have any children ...

 

[Fjelltussa]

I think it is a beautiful thing to do to your son! -And I admire you for actually managing it! I don't thinkI would. I would let my children be free to choose whatever path they wanted, but I believe I would have taught them about what I believe in, to. -And other things...

Have you talked to other heathen parents about it? I know my sister in law is. She's a heathen to, and she and my brother will teach their daughter (who's only one year old now) about that, but they will be open to let her choose whatever she wants to. I don't know where she is talking about these things, or if it is in english, but well, it is some kind of a forum, anyway.

 

[Blackspirit]

Originally posted by Allison
It was very very easy for me to let go of any Christian beliefs I might have had because I let go of them before they took hold. That's the biggest downfall of anyone wanting to learn a non-Christian religion, they can't let go of the beliefs that were drilled into them. My reasoning is that if my son has no beliefs then he has nothing to let go of in order to persue his true path. He's clear to proceed in whatever way he sees fit for himself.

Yay! I know!! Even though I don't believe in God,
there's always something about this "God" at the
back of my head. I can say how many reasonable
things to proove that there is no God and that
everything is pure bullshit, but still... it's there... /

I've always wanted to read all the bibles from all
the religions in the world.... And take out what is
positive and use it to progress into something
better ) But no matter how much I don't believe,
this christian thing is still there....

 

[The Nomad]

Originally posted by Allison
My son is 12 and has been raised with no religion whatsoever. It's got to be his call what he wants to believe. My mother says I am raising that child as a heathen and
I correct her by saying no, just because he was born of a heathen does not mean he is one. I do not intend to train him unless he asks me to.

I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you on this one. I don't believe that raising a kid without a religion (or with 2 when the parents are different religions) is a good idea. Between the age of 2 and about 12 or 13, minimum, the child "needs" the structure of religion to build a framework of belief, and they probably can't make an informed, "rational," and spiritual decision until they are well into their teens. This obviously can vary greatly from child to child, but bear with me.

Also, raised without a religion, by the time they chose, they've missed the rites of passage that many religions have. And raised with 2 religions, it is undoubtedly confusing to a 5-10 year old kid.

I know these opinions will come to bite me in the ass when I actually have a kid since odds are I won't marry a Jewish woman. such is life.