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  • For our atheist pagan crew...

    ... of which I am one:

    A community of Naturalistic & Humanistic Pagans
    Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.


  • #2
    Re: For our atheist pagan crew...

    ...its also pretty friendly to panthiests, agnostics, humanists, and some others
    “You have never answered but you did not need to. If I stand at the ocean I can hear you with your thousand voices. Sometimes you shout, hilarious laughter that taunts all questions. Other nights you are silent as death, a mirror in which the stars show themselves. Then I think you want to tell me something, but you never do. Of course I know I have written letters to no-one. But what if I find a trident tomorrow?" ~~Letters to Poseidon, Cees Nooteboom

    “We still carry this primal relationship to the Earth within our consciousness, even if we have long forgotten it. It is a primal recognition of the wonder, beauty, and divine nature of the Earth. It is a felt reverence for all that exists. Once we bring this foundational quality into our consciousness, we will be able to respond to our present man-made crisis from a place of balance, in which our actions will be grounded in an attitude of respect for all of life. This is the nature of real sustainability.”
    ~~Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

    "We are the offspring of history, and must establish our own paths in this most diverse and interesting of conceivable universes--one indifferent to our suffering, and therefore offering us maximal freedom to thrive, or to fail, in our own chosen way."
    ~~Stephen Jay Gould, Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History

    "Humans are not rational creatures. Now, logic and rationality are very helpful tools, but there’s also a place for embracing our subjectivity and thinking symbolically. Sometimes what our so-called higher thinking can’t or won’t see, our older, more primitive intuition will." John Beckett

    Pagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
    sigpic

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: For our atheist pagan crew...

      For those who have questions, and search honestly for answers
      Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: For our atheist pagan crew...

        I'm not atheist but I love that site.
        It made my coffee breaks worthwhile at the graveyard.
        baah.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: For our atheist pagan crew...

          It looks very appealing to me. I feel like I want a deeper connection with the natural world but don't really want to have to take on a load of strange beliefs.
          Once a man, like the sea I raged;
          Once a woman, like the earth I gave;
          And there is in fact more earth than sea.
          Genesis lyric

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: For our atheist pagan crew...

            What would you constitute as atheist pagan? Buddhists? Animists generally?
            I'm not one to ever pray for mercy
            Or to wish on pennies in the fountain or the shrine
            But that day you know I left my money
            And I thought of you only
            All that copper glowing fine

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: For our atheist pagan crew...

              Originally posted by Briton View Post
              What would you constitute as atheist pagan? Buddhists? Animists generally?
              A pagan who lacks the belief in a deity.
              Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: For our atheist pagan crew...

                Originally posted by Briton View Post
                What would you constitute as atheist pagan? Buddhists? Animists generally?
                Atheists don't believe in God(s), but may believe all sorts of other stuff. Buddhism can be viewed as non-theistic or polytheistic, though of course it's very diverse. Animism I'm not that familiar with, but it sounds like a belief.

                Generally I'm not too keen on beliefs these days, they often feel like preconceptions which limit full and open experience, more of a hindrance than a help. Possibilities and assumptions I can live with though.
                Once a man, like the sea I raged;
                Once a woman, like the earth I gave;
                And there is in fact more earth than sea.
                Genesis lyric

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: For our atheist pagan crew...

                  Originally posted by Porpoise View Post
                  Generally I'm not too keen on beliefs these days, they often feel like preconceptions which limit full and open experience, more of a hindrance than a help. Possibilities and assumptions I can live with though.
                  This is much the place I come from. I would rather explore, try, experiment, test, experience - but one can't do that well if one believes. Beliefs tell one in advance what ones experiences are, and what they mean.

                  Or, at least, they prejudice one in certain directions.
                  Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: For our atheist pagan crew...

                    Originally posted by Briton View Post
                    What would you constitute as atheist pagan? Buddhists? Animists generally?
                    naturalistic pantheists, archetypal soft polytheists, straight up dirt worshippers, non-theists, humanists...
                    “You have never answered but you did not need to. If I stand at the ocean I can hear you with your thousand voices. Sometimes you shout, hilarious laughter that taunts all questions. Other nights you are silent as death, a mirror in which the stars show themselves. Then I think you want to tell me something, but you never do. Of course I know I have written letters to no-one. But what if I find a trident tomorrow?" ~~Letters to Poseidon, Cees Nooteboom

                    “We still carry this primal relationship to the Earth within our consciousness, even if we have long forgotten it. It is a primal recognition of the wonder, beauty, and divine nature of the Earth. It is a felt reverence for all that exists. Once we bring this foundational quality into our consciousness, we will be able to respond to our present man-made crisis from a place of balance, in which our actions will be grounded in an attitude of respect for all of life. This is the nature of real sustainability.”
                    ~~Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

                    "We are the offspring of history, and must establish our own paths in this most diverse and interesting of conceivable universes--one indifferent to our suffering, and therefore offering us maximal freedom to thrive, or to fail, in our own chosen way."
                    ~~Stephen Jay Gould, Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History

                    "Humans are not rational creatures. Now, logic and rationality are very helpful tools, but there’s also a place for embracing our subjectivity and thinking symbolically. Sometimes what our so-called higher thinking can’t or won’t see, our older, more primitive intuition will." John Beckett

                    Pagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                    sigpic

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: For our atheist pagan crew...

                      I think the problem comes with beliefs as statements of fact, then it becomes an issue of pride. Nobody likes to admit they wrong about something after stating it with certainty. But if you are clear that you are not and cannot be certain, not only is this a get out clause but it also makes you obviously reasonable and you have already clarified a possible admittance of being wrong from the outset.

                      I see nothing fixed in beliefs and they needn't be any more corrupting of reason than assumptions, which cause people to try and fit evidence to ideas too.

                      I guess I am atheist pagan, then, since I think we were not created by an actual being with intent. Though I do believe in more than reductionism.
                      I'm not one to ever pray for mercy
                      Or to wish on pennies in the fountain or the shrine
                      But that day you know I left my money
                      And I thought of you only
                      All that copper glowing fine

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: For our atheist pagan crew...

                        Originally posted by Briton View Post
                        I think the problem comes with beliefs as statements of fact, then it becomes an issue of pride. Nobody likes to admit they wrong about something after stating it with certainty. But if you are clear that you are not and cannot be certain, not only is this a get out clause but it also makes you obviously reasonable and you have already clarified a possible admittance of being wrong from the outset.
                        Yup - this is where the prejudice comes from. but, also, once one has decided that a thing is true (God made man in his own image, for example) one has a tenancy to stop thinking.
                        Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: For our atheist pagan crew...

                          Originally posted by thalassa View Post
                          naturalistic pantheists, archetypal soft polytheists, straight up dirt worshippers, non-theists, humanists...
                          Good list, but I'm a little confused by "naturalistic pantheist" which looks like an oxymoron.

                          - - - Updated - - -

                          Originally posted by Briton View Post
                          I see nothing fixed in beliefs and they needn't be any more corrupting of reason than assumptions, which cause people to try and fit evidence to ideas too.
                          It does seem that tightly held beliefs inevitably lead to confirmation bias.
                          Once a man, like the sea I raged;
                          Once a woman, like the earth I gave;
                          And there is in fact more earth than sea.
                          Genesis lyric

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: For our atheist pagan crew...

                            Originally posted by Porpoise View Post
                            Good list, but I'm a little confused by "naturalistic pantheist" which looks like an oxymoron.
                            a naturalistic pantheist reveres the Universe as being the sum existence of existence, but not as a supernatural entity (more info), as opposed to the regular pantheist who generally considers the Universe to be the literal body of "god" (and vice versa) or a panentheist that considers god to be the entire Universe+the consciousness of god
                            “You have never answered but you did not need to. If I stand at the ocean I can hear you with your thousand voices. Sometimes you shout, hilarious laughter that taunts all questions. Other nights you are silent as death, a mirror in which the stars show themselves. Then I think you want to tell me something, but you never do. Of course I know I have written letters to no-one. But what if I find a trident tomorrow?" ~~Letters to Poseidon, Cees Nooteboom

                            “We still carry this primal relationship to the Earth within our consciousness, even if we have long forgotten it. It is a primal recognition of the wonder, beauty, and divine nature of the Earth. It is a felt reverence for all that exists. Once we bring this foundational quality into our consciousness, we will be able to respond to our present man-made crisis from a place of balance, in which our actions will be grounded in an attitude of respect for all of life. This is the nature of real sustainability.”
                            ~~Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

                            "We are the offspring of history, and must establish our own paths in this most diverse and interesting of conceivable universes--one indifferent to our suffering, and therefore offering us maximal freedom to thrive, or to fail, in our own chosen way."
                            ~~Stephen Jay Gould, Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History

                            "Humans are not rational creatures. Now, logic and rationality are very helpful tools, but there’s also a place for embracing our subjectivity and thinking symbolically. Sometimes what our so-called higher thinking can’t or won’t see, our older, more primitive intuition will." John Beckett

                            Pagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                            sigpic

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: For our atheist pagan crew...

                              I'm generally pretty sceptical, but I've also found that relentless rationality is limiting and rather boring, and I can see that imagination has a role to play, which I think is why I am interesting in exploring some pagan ideas and practices. So for me it's about being open to possibilities, but not feeling I have to take on a load of beliefs.
                              Once a man, like the sea I raged;
                              Once a woman, like the earth I gave;
                              And there is in fact more earth than sea.
                              Genesis lyric

                              Comment

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