From: lib1p@elroy.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc,alt.pagan
Subject: Re: The meaning of "pagan"
Date: 31 Dec 1992 11:50 CST
Organization: University of Houston
Distribution: world
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In article <1992Dec31.054444.27043@wam.umd.edu>, angelai@wam.umd.edu (Angela I.) writes...
>In article <30DEC199203090145@elroy.uh.edu> lib1p@elroy.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino) writes:
>>
>>That's perfectly fine and I see nothing wrong in it.  If she wants to call
>>herself a pagan/christian thats fine.  However, don't you see that what she
>>is doing is far more pagan than christian?  A pagan can accept this, but a
>>christian never could...not by the definitions of the religion.
> 
>Well, it depends on how you define/interpret the teachings....
>Honestly, is it fair for pagans to impose the definition of what it
>is to be Christian on others?  

I know perfectly well what it is to be Christian.  I was raised in a
Missionary Baptist church....not Southern Baptist, MISSIONARY Baptist...
you know, the guys that make the Southern Baptist look liberal.  While
this probably taints my view some, I still know what it is to be Christian.
Also remember that my family still doesn't know that I am pagan.  What
I just said should tell you why.  Which means that around them I have to
act just a Christian as them...(barf)...but I love them too much.  That
is why I sacrifice myself in the way.

>Wouldn't we be rather incensed if,
>whenever we believed or acted in a way that happens to overlap with
>someone's Christian beliefs, that person said that we were being
>"more Christian than pagan"?  

ok, that's fine.  Let them state their case.....

>Sorry, but that gets into that gray
>area, leading towards "oh, that <ethnic minority member> is okay;
>(s)he acts like <ethnic majority>."  

Sorry but your analogy doesn't hold up.  I am not a bigot.  I don't 
believe in Xtianity because it is not my path.  For those whose path
is Xtianity and they follow it truly, I have a great deal of respect
for.  I know several Christians, devote Christians, who live the
life of a Christian, for whom I have the greatest respect.  It is the
hippocrites that I have a problem with.

I am not talking about approval or disapproval.  I am talking about
philosophies.  The philosophy of the Christian religion does not allow
for any other god than that of God the father, son, and holy spirit.
If you are a Christian this is the philosophy you follow....you cannot fast
on Tuesday and eat on Tuesday...it is physically impossible.

Once again, I say, what you want to CALL yourself is your business.
It is not my place to approve or disapprove....

> 
>Anyway, paganism can't be defined easily because the individual beliefs
>of modern pagans is so incredibly varied...  


That is true because paganism is a blanket term.

>I would argue that
>the same is true for Christianity...  

That is because it is a blanket term as well.


>Instead of trying to enforce
>that which _divides_ pagan and Christian, perhaps we could try to
>look for common ground, so that we can eventually learn to co-exist
>in peace.

I am not dividing....pagans all around are waiting for this....waiting 
for the Xtians to do the same.....

Once again I am discussing philosophies, not trying to divide.  Christians
would call the woman who refers to herself as Pagan/Christian a blasphemer.
She is welcomed among us.

"Love those who scorn you"..... if only they followed their own beliefs as
well as we follow them.....:(


> 
>All I'm saying is that the Christian/pagan Jaguar mentioned is on her own
>Path and it is right for her.  Don't force her into your molds, 
>or you are perpetuating much of what we tend to resist from others...

I am not fucking trying to force her into a path.  NEVER DID I SAY THAT SHE
IS RIGHT OR WRONG NOR DID I EVER TELL HER WHAT OR WHAT SHE SHOULD OR SHOULD
NOT BE DOING.  I MERELY WAS DISCUSSING PHILOSOPHY.  HAVEN'T YOU EVER TAKEN
A PHILOSOPHY CLASS?!!!!!!!

> 
>Blessed be!!
>Angela


Blessing to you Angela....I only hope that you can lift you head up long
enough to notice what I said and not put in words and meanings that I 
never wrote.  Stop preaching and take the time to listen for a change.

BB,
Tammy


Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc