by professor 38 Replies latest jw friends
How so. Would you actually have something to say about the quote or are you just trying to insult me?
pagan n
1. somebody who does not follow one of the world's main religions, especially somebody who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew, and whose religion is regarded as questionable (sometimes considered offensive)
2. a follower of an ancient polytheistic or pantheistic religion
3. somebody who has no religion (disapproving)
Contagion,
: How so. Would you actually have something to say about the quote or are you just trying to insult me?
:pagann
: 1. somebody who does not follow one of the world's main religions, especially somebody who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew, and whose religion is regarded as questionable (sometimes considered offensive)
No doubt that dictionary was edited by either a Christian, Muslim or Jew.
: 2. a follower of an ancient polytheistic or pantheistic religion
Doesn't apply to Deists.
: 3. somebody who has no religion (disapproving)
That of course depends upon the definition of the world religion. If the writer of this defintion only believes Theism to mean religion, then yes, Deists are pagans by that definition.
Here's what the Cambridge International Dictionary says about the word pagan:
pagan
adjective
belonging to a religion which worshipped many gods and which existed before the main world religions
The Easter egg has both pagan and Christian origins.
Some altars to pagan gods still remain.
The pagan festival of Eostre was converted into the Christian festival of Easter, celebrating Christ's Resurrection.
Doesn't apply to Deists.
pagan
noun [C]
A pagan is a person who has pagan beliefs.
Doh! Use the definition to define the term!
: Pagans thought that eclipses happened when a powerful witch hid the moon in a cave.
Doesn't apply to Deists.
: A pagan is also a person who has no religious beliefs.
Once again, depends upon the meaning of the term religious beliefs.
In general, I find the word "pagan" to almost always be used pejoratively, as you did. I'm sure Muslims consider Christians to be pagans and vice-versa. And I'm absolutely certain that dubs consider the entire planet saved themselves to be pagans.
If you want to consider Deists to be pagans, then so be it. Sit on your smug little judgemental thrown and believe as you will.
Farkel
Edited by - Farkel on 28 June 2002 16:1:28
In general, I find the word "pagan" to almost always be used pejoratively, as you did. I'm sure Muslims consider Christians to be pagans and vice-versa. And I'm absolutely certain that dubs consider the entire planet saved themselves to be pagans.
I really doubt that.
One of the names used for Pantheism is Rational Paganism. I some times call myself a pagan. I am not being pejorative. Wicca is an example of paganism. So are the many polytheistic belief systems that you are talking about, but it is not limited to them. I would guess that you wouldn't consider any native american spiritual systems pagan. However i would. I'm sorry buddy but your attempt to limit "paganism" to mean only and just what you want it to is your own problem not mine.
Farkel
There are many uses of the word pagan. Some people use it as a synonym for polytheistic. Some use it only to mean specific faiths that are normally polytheistic. But if you are Wiccan, what's wrong with calling yourself wiccan, or Druidic if your Druidic? I will continue to use it to mean non-Abramic.
Edited by - TheContagion on 28 June 2002 17:15:3
Contagion.
: I would guess that you wouldn't consider any native american spiritual systems pagan.
No, I wouldn't. But then again, I'm not a Christian and I don't accept Christian definitions for many things.
: However i would.
Well, there you go. We differ on that one.
: I'm sorry buddy but your attempt to limit "paganism" to mean only and just what you want it to is your own problem not mine.
No need to be sorry. I'm a grown-up. I can make any word mean what I want it to mean.
I used to refer to myself as a pagan to shock the sensibilities of judgemental Christian twits. And it worked in spades. If you asked a good sampling of Christians or any other religions for that matter, if they called someone else a "pagan" and if they used that work as 1) a compliment, 2) a neutral observation or 3) a pejorative term, I'd bet you money that "3" would be your most common answer.
That's the problem with relying solely on dictionaries for precision in word nuances. Common usage is what defines a word, not what any dictionary says a word means.
Farkel
Edited by - Farkel on 28 June 2002 19:18:9
I am a deist...I had sex with two gods at once.
I am a deist. There seems to me to be an underlying theme to everything in the universe. And there seems to be some sort of universal energy that exists. What it is we can prove little of, but people have been tapping that energy for thousand of years. I believe that no one religious system has all the answers but in most there is some relation to an energy force though misguided men have misunderstood or misapplied it.
gravedancer,
: I am a deist...I had sex with two gods at once.
That isn't what "deist" means, you moron! When you are having sex with more than one God it is called "bi-lingual."
Geeesh!
(Good to cya around, gd!)
Farkel
"because Deism teaches self-reliance and encourages people to constantly use their reason. Deism teaches to "question authority" no matter what the cost."
Who teaches it? Deism teaches it? Who's deism and who is the spokes person who defined it? Someone must do the teaching to tell you what it teaches.....right?
If it is the common sense of people that many NATURALLY believe out of perseived logic , and someone gave these types of people a title.....then I feel thats cool.
If it is prescribed by someone, and a person follows others who are of the same line of thought to the extent that all conform to fit .....THE GROUP....then you might as well stay a dub.
P.S. Sounds like I'm ....possibly...one also.....for the time being.
Lying eyes: The dubs are one of many Christian groups that could have messed with your head the same way.......probably not as severe.
gumby,
You made a good point. Deism is not organized at all to my knowledge and has no teacher and no leader. Deism isn't "taught" to my knowledge either, so whoever said it was, is likely a DipFuck. It's a philosophy that one is comfortable with or isn't comfortable with. Nothing more.
If it ever gets to the point where someone tries to turn Deism into a prescribed "system", I won't listen to a damn word any "leader" says. I'm tired of other people wanting to do my thinking for me. I had enough of the crap as a dub.
Farkel
Edited by - Farkel on 28 June 2002 19:49:42
