libertarian Pagan


Not so far removed as you might think
One of the things that I can count on during the holidays is some friend of the family deciding that they will be doing everyone a favor if they can convince me to come back to the "real" religion, the "faith of my fathers," that Jewish heresy, Christianity.

It's one of the reasons why I am not fond of family gatherings.

I like the people (mostly). I like the fellow-feeling and the renewal of shared history. I like not having to cook. I can even stand the little ones in small enough doses (after all, they are going home with someone else and I won't have to deal with the sugar high).

But what I can't stand is the assumption that the only religion worth having is a Christian one.

It annoys me even further when people judge the moral and ethical worth of another religion without knowing very much about it. I'm certainly not the only Pagan who feels that way.

The fact is, just because your version of a sacred book says one thing, that does not make it Absolute Truth. No matter what your beliefs are, I'm pretty sure that you would would object if I said that you did not have the right or ability to choose for yourself.

Without that right to choose, religion loses it's moral worth.

There aren't very many absolutes in Pagan faiths. I don't see that as a weakness.

I see it as a moral challenge.

When it comes to my behavior, I think my gods trust me to do the right thing.

There are times when that scares the daylights out of me. Talk about responsibility. There is no one to blame but myself if I screw up. It's my choice and my responsibility. Not because of a list of "thou shalt nots," but because the Divine expects me to use my reason to find a way.

And just imagine, I am under the same expectations because I am a libertarian.

I am responsible for me, first, last and always.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Mon - November 27, 2006 at 02:49 PM  Tag


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