calls to prayer...

[Squirrel Nutkin]

i keep hearing this pagan term thrown around here on the boards....what is up with that, the dictionary definition must not be what you guys and gals are talking about....anyone wanna clarify?

Sure thing, Al! Check out this snippet from an Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance article about the Family Research Council:

Paganism: The most common definition on the Internet is: Wicca or other Neopagan religion. The first 14 hits on the Google search engine all returned this meaning: Wicca is a recently created religion based, in part, on the religious deities, symbols, seasonal days of celebration, etc. of the ancient Celts. A Wiccan is a follower of Wicca. Neopaganism is a family of modern faith traditions, each of which has been recently reconstructed from beliefs, deities, symbols, practices and other elements of an ancient religion. Followers of a Neopagan religion often refer to themselves as Pagans or Neopagans.

The most common definition used by conservative Christian is: an ancient, defunct polytheistic religion, such as faiths once followed by the ancient Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, etc. Five of the first six hits on the Goshen search engine returned this meaning.

The meaning that is presumably used in the FRC essay is: a non-Abramic religion. That is, one that does not recognize Abraham as a patriarch. It is other than Christianity, Islam and Judaism. This definition of "Paganism" includes Agnosticism, Atheism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Humanism, Taoism, etc. About 45% of the people of the world are Pagans, by this definition.

The term is sometimes used in other contexts, such as:
a religion which is other than Christianity and Judaism.
a general-purpose religious snarl word used to refer to any religion which is to be ridiculed or hated.
a religion followed by modern-day primitive societies.

 

[Darraketh]

It's probably mocking -- but it may just be a silly way of saying, "I really don't care WHAT you believe in, no way, no how, as long as you don't talk to me about it." I"ve said similar things in other contexts --

Like D&D?

i generally appreciate the calls to prayer, although I respond to them by saying, "you're in my thoughts," or something like that. I'm not religious, but the sentiment behind them is very positive, I think.

Daniel

I agree. I ignore the prayer request but I often take a moment to hope and wish, although that is of little use either. Basically I just stop to consider my life and how it impacts the people I come in contact with and then go on and try to make the most of the time I have left here for whatever reason that may be.

 

[Darraketh]

Or your inability to read- note the "them". I am not religous.

Be that as it may you apparently give "their" belief system added weight as evidence by your view that I was mocking.

A better list of currently worshipped beings or ideas?

Ah... no. To put it more concisely, false beings that you were taught to believe in, whether you worshipped them or not.

Yes, I can. You could have done so as well.

FD

Sorry, but that's all I was brought up to believe in.

As for god, I was raised that there is only one true god and if you don't believe in him, you and all the other sinners and worshippers of false gods are going to be cast into a lake of fire and burn for eternity and there was no leeway for muslims, catholics, jews, buddists, mormons, presbyterians or any others.

What amazes me to this day is, we were still allowed/encouraged to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.

 

[Henry]

Having been a Christian in the "bible belt" for many years, I can say that the predominant buzzword in the Christian community is "misguided." Many christian church bodies believe themselves the holder of the one true way, and those not in their purview are misguided in some fashion.

In other words, while the sentiment would be considered a good thing, it would still be akin to them as Hitler taking a moment of silence to grieve for people who were unjustly assaulted.

Quite frankly, as everything else in life, you don't let the negativists get you down, and you keep on striving to do the right thing.

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Be that as it may you apparently give "there" belief system added weight as evidence by your view that I was mocking.

I respect "their" belief system because it is a religion. The belief in the tooth fairy and its other cohorts is not.

What amazes me to this day is, we were still allowed/encouraged to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.

*shrug* I agree that the perpetuation of telling children (religous or not) about the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus is silly.

But, then, I think most holidays and such things are silly and a waste of time.

FD

 

[Desdichado]

Y'know, to come on a thread that rather obliquely references Christianity (as if Christians were the only ones who prayed) and compare their belief system to Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny is as fast a way as I can think of to get the thread shut down.

 

[Darraketh]

Quite frankly, as everything else in life, you don't let the negativists get you down, and you keep on striving to do the right thing.

Hear, hear! With that said I concede Furn's right to view whatever I post in anyway he sees fit.

Peace to all!

 

[Darraketh]

Y'know, to come on a thread that rather obliquely references Christianity (as if Christians were the only ones who prayed) and compare their belief system to Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny is as fast a way as I can think of to get the thread shut down.

Perhaps it should be.

 

[Desdichado]

Well, there wasn't any reason to do so until you posted.

 

[Darraketh]

Well, there wasn't any reason to do so until you posted.

Sorry. With most of the posters airing religious views I made the mistake of thinking I could do likewise.

Now what was this thread about?