this post was submitted on 29 May 2024
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AskBeehaw
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I learned my religious beliefs (atheist) may be more accurately described as naturalist or naturalistic paganism. But I’m still trying to figure it out.
Is that neo paganism? I've witnessed a pagan marriage once and I also experienced Heilung live.
Have you ever read about how Charles the great forcefully converted many pagans to Christianity?
I've been wanting to visit a local grove.
I’m not sure. I don’t believe in the supernatural. But I do want to celebrate the delicate balance of life on this planet. I think the wheel of the year and 8 Sabbats make sense to me. Many of them are already celebrated very near the date anyway (Halloween, Christmas, . I don’t believe in deities as conscious beings, but I acknowledge the ancient traditions of respecting a personified version of a natural force. Sun, water, biology, earth, air, and moon are the mains elements I would acknowledge. I don’t pray to them and hope for an answer - I respect the role that each of them play in our continued existence on this planet. We exist at the mercy of these elements. A way of expressing gratitude when otherwise they may be taken for granted. A thought exercise that is useful for my own mental health. Kind of like karma - I don’t literally believe that good and bad actions will balance out; I think life is better when you try to lift up those around you.
So, when I close my eyes and feel the warmth of the sun for a moment, it’s as close to praying as I will get. Thankful that solar flares haven’t ended us yet. When I plunge into an icy lake or ocean, it’s as close to praying as I will get. The cold water completely overwhelms the senses and for that moment, I feel I am cold water. And I love water. I will love water even during floods. When I am atop a mountain, I am praying to the earth - thankful that we have not been ended by super volcanos or earthquakes. Similar acknowledgements can be made for wind/air and life/health.
I’m content calling myself an atheist, but that doesn’t say anything, it says not something else. My reasons for wanting a religion are the legal protections that come along with it, and the recruiting power. It could be a tool to convert religious people - instead of feeling exiled from their church community, that they may feel welcomed into a larger community. I don’t mean recruitment like door to door, I mean naturally, somebody looking for guidance or meaning in life without god would find it. The truth of it is self-evident.
Thanks