Does neo-paganism have any worth or sprituality to it beyond self-improvement?
I've been thinking about converting to a religion, but neo-paganism which is hip and trendy seems hollow, and some denominations seem to outright reject people who aren't part of the original race (I'm white but I don't like a religion that's based on basic caveman tribalism to where somebody who has a different eye color is not allowed in).
I've come to dislike neo-paganism but I'm wondering why it has gotten a bunch of traction.
Cause it's "cool" people ages 16-25 are kinda rebeling against "society" and whatnot and paganism is this cool nature shit
Grayson Long
> spirituality > beyond self-improvement What does it even mean? Saving your soul? Who the fuck knows. Being able to cast magic spells? Aren't going to work.
Matthew Sanders
Nothing bad for being in religion because it is cool instead of because you *fear* tales about hell. The emotional reason is still emotional reason.
Gabriel Gonzalez
The original pagan religions were characterized by the lack of spirituality. They were basically "you sacrifice to god of grain, you get good harvest" and so on, with the same principle applied to the afterlife.
What we call spirituality came with more modern religions only, like Christianity, Islam, even some "pagan" cults like Sol-worship or Neoplatonism.
So Neo-Pagans aren't actually resurrecting ancient faiths, they are just using principles of other faiths and replacing names of gods.
Connor Murphy
> The original pagan religions were characterized by the lack of spirituality. By lack of what we call spirituality. For example, even simple act of sleep was considered to be a divine influence in Greek tradition. You contacted spiritual beings all the time. It can be argued that more ceremonial religions actually harmed a real human spirituality, shaped it around what allowed to express in their tradition and only that.
Connor Gonzalez
I think pagan priests may have often be spiritual, just like devout monks are. But laypeople weren't expected to be spiritual, just respect the traditions and pay their dues.
Hunter Rodriguez
What it means is, does it describe something at all accurately about the state of the universe and man's role therein? If not it's just LARPing bullshit
Ayden Flores
Is judaism spirtualistic? I've been curious about it and it seems spirtualistic despite it being thousands of years old now
and buddism/hinduism are both spritualistic and they are thousands of years old
Jack Martin
Is there really some kind of "neo-pagan" doctrine of it? Looks like it varies from one to another.
Samuel Foster
>The original pagan religions were characterized by the lack of spirituality.
Stopped reading there.
Hunter Brooks
nobel ansesdors :DD
Easton Martinez
Literally LARPing. Aside of the fact that most reconstructions have absolutely nothing to do with the historical religions. Neo-druidism gets a prize.
The Buddhists say there are many paths, some better than others, but any religion will give what you put into it. A religion is a social institution. We can agree on that, yes? And spirituality consists of the seeking of the divine, that being antithetical to the material world, which is inherently profane. You want brothers and sisters, and you want to see what's outside the proverbial cave. You've ruled out ethnic gods. Even that leaves too many to count.
Real talk. Fat chicks with TV grimoires won't fill the void in your soul unless your name is Ishmael.
Hudson Peterson
>and ye shall be as gods
Brody Clark
I feel like the solution to this crises of spirituality that plagues the west is the intake of medicinal plants for shamanic purposes
Levi White
Nope
Isaac King
Ultimately a religion has to you only what spiritual merit you give it. This is true of even established, mainstream religions.
Joseph Fisher
Just become Mahayana, Vajrayana, or Gelugpa If your looking for self improvement and lots of depth, and since im guessing yoir converting from christianity, you may as well pick the one thing thats tolerable after it.
Ryan Mitchell
No, I'm agnostic, but I've been interested in Christianity and Judaism, but I've seen neo-pagans online and I don't get the mentality beyond basic self improvement. It doesn't seem fufilling to me.
Jose Allen
The goal of historical paganism is the opposite of self-improvement. "The universe, the Northern Path, the true folk religion, is not at all a journey into the "self;" that idea in itself is magical, a reification, and a mere romantic palliative, not a cure. The true "journey" is not into the self at all, but its opposite: community." - Garman Lord
