By no means am I a
scholar or a teacher of religions. So, please do not take my view of them as
absolute. My goal has always been to show that all religions, deep down
within, are saying the same thing. Religion is not the cause of wars,
corruption and fear. It’s the people who manipulate religions for their own
purposes who create the wars, corruption and fears.
Religions provide a
set of principles to follow that, when followed, help you become a better
person in your daily life and have a closer and meaningful relationship with
Deity of that religion.
Growing
up in the time and faith I was raised in, Paganism was made to sound like a bad
thing, which does happen in some religions.
I was
taught that Paganism was about witchcraft and sorcery, which it is in some
sense…but it is much more.
There
are so many forms of Paganism: Contemporary Paganism; Modern Paganism; Neo-Paganism;
and more. Volumes of books have been written about it.
One of
the most interesting features about all the different paths of Paganism is that
they all share a common belief in something called the “Unity of Diversity.”
And in most paths of Paganism this will include others’ beliefs in their own
religions.
There
are many wonderful aspects of Paganism and its respect for all life. There are
so many links between Paganism and Pantheism, such as respect for nature and
the animal kingdom…or between Paganism and Polytheistic beliefs, with each
believing in a God of their understanding being represented in the different
forces of life…and even in Christianity and Paganism, there are similarities such
as the ritual of Baptism and the Last Supper (the breaking of bread and
drinking of wine) and many more symbolic acts.
So
while Paganism might not have the Ten Commandments or Yama Niyama to outline
the Do’s and Don’ts, it does have its own core of beliefs and rituals, which is
Masculine. Paganism is a way that, when followed, does respect others, community
and the God of each individuals understanding.
I
believe we all have a little Paganism in us and show it as we appreciate and
honor nature, others and so many other ways.
Namaste,
Michael
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