HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: lib1p@jane.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: The meaning of Atheist (was Re: the meaning of Pagan)
Date: 29 Dec 1992 13:46 CST
Organization: University of Houston
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: jane.uh.edu
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    

In article <1992Dec29.161531.15956@cas.org>, mlr21@cas.org (Mary Lee) writes...

..stuff deleted....

> 
>I had assumed (like Joel) that an atheist did not believe in a supreme
>being or perhaps that an atheist did not believe in any deity.  
>However, after looking the word "atheist" up in three dictionaries,
>I get varying definitions, and it appears that "atheist" may be limited
>to "one who doesn't believe in the Judaeo-Christian God".
> 
>Given that as a definition, is an animist an atheist?
>Is a pantheist an atheist?
>Can one be both a theist and an atheist as long as one doesn't believe
>in Yahweh?
> 

Let me put on the table what I have always understood things to be.
I'm not saying that these are correct.  I am saying that these are
the definitions as I understood them.

Atheist:

Someone who does not believe in a supreme being, whether it be God, Jesus, 
Allah, Buddah, etc.  They do not believe a supreme being created nor 
controls humankind nor even exists.  They believe that people have
full control of their own destinies.

Humanist:

Not a religion, but a philosophy, which may or may not be held by someone
that follows a religion.  

Deist:

Someone who believes in a Deity or Supreme Being, but does not follow
any particular faith system.  Usually rejects faith systems and is
contented in the knowledge that a deity exists.

Theist:

I have never used this word or heard it used.  Possibly the same as
Deist.  Could be an umbrella word for Mono-, Duo-, Poly-, or Pan-theist.

Monotheist:

Believes in one God.  Generally of the Judeo-Christian-Moslem base, but
not exclusive to it.

Duotheist: 

Believes in two Gods.  Generally a God and a Goddess, but not necessarily.

Polytheist:
Pantheist:

Believes in more than one God.  Usually includes Duotheists.

Animist:

HUH?  I have heard the word but never its definition.


>Anyway, I don't mean to start a long-winded argument, debate, etc., I'm
>just interested in the meanings of words.
> 

That's ok Mary Lee, It's actually a good idea to throw it all out on the
table.  I was out of line with my post and I wish to apologize.


>Thanks
> 
>Mary Lee
> 

Tammy

> 
>
From: hz225wu@unidui.uni-duisburg.de (Micaela Pantke)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: Types of Magic
Followup-To: alt.pagan
Date: 30 Dec 1992 12:45:10 +0100
Organization: University of Duisburg
Reply-To: hz225wu@unidui.UUCP (Micaela "Stayka" Pantke)
NNTP-Posting-Host: unidui.uni-duisburg.de

Hi there - Stayka is here!

drake+@cs.cmu.edu (Drake) writes:
D> But would not life-force to you be someone else's mental energy?

I must agree that would be true. I didn't think about that before, 
honestly. 

D> And you don't necessarily indicate what you think of 'black magick;'
D> do you think it's a "bad" thing, or just a different way to operate
D> that is sometimes required?

As I do believe in the fact that every think you do to others falls 
back on you at least threefold, I cannot say that black magic(k)
would be good for me. I wouldn't like anything or anyone take energies 
from me when I wasn't willing. 

D> So let me see if I understand what you're saying: Your mental energy
D> is your own personal life-force.  Someone else's mental energy can
D> be accessed by you as life-force (kinda like using a pointer?), and
D> someone else can access your own mental energy as life-force.  Is
D> that about it, or am I missing something?

I think that would be correct. Excuse my rather brief answer, but I'm
in a kind of hurry, and that's the last time I have Internet access 
this year (next time I'm online is January, the 4th).

D> I hope to learn from what you have expereienced, as I hope that you 
D> can learn from me.

This is my wish as well. Let us share our thoughts and knowledge so
that everyone can grow. Only shared knowledge can be really fruitful.
(Oh my does that sound dramatical - but I really do mean it!)

D> I think our langauge is an important tool for use in magic.

I agree. Of course you have too choose carefully what to say when you 
are working with magic(k), because words carry ideas, and ideas can
shape our reality (in my opinion).

But I didn't want to limit the idea of magic(k) by trying
to confine it in too narrow a description.

D> Thank you for your input.  I look forward to continuing this 
D> discussion with you.

As I do. I'm looking forward to your next postings!

Walk in the Light!
                        Stayka deyAvemta

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Micaela "Stayka" Pantke  |               Imagination
Westhoffstrasse 111      |          can take you anywhere
W-4200 Oberhausen 11     |              (C.N. Newton)
Germany                  | 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: wells@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (John Wells)
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 14:56:46 GMT
Subject: Re: CUUP
Organization: Zanzor of the CLOUDS
Newsgroups: alt.pagan

In alt.pagan, knighton@world.std.com (Gwen Knighton) writes:

> 
> I'm interested in finding out more about the Circle of Unitarian Universalist
> Pagans. Any information would be appreciated.
> 
> 

  For information about the Covenent of Unitarian Universalists Pagans just 
                            ^^^^^^^^
contact any nearby Unitarian church and ask... Or if you'd like to call Linda
at CUUPs headquarters (617-547-6465) but you may have to leave a message and
they are rather bogged down in paperwork and such and may not give a quick 
responce.  I don't have a current contact sheet or I'd be glad to tell you
who is who in your area.   Hope that helps a little.

		BB from John
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
From: billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson)
Subject: Re: Space, the final frontier
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 07:22:22 GMT

alizard@pil writes:
: 
: If these alleged rocket scientists have NUMBERS that demostrate that scaling
: railguns up to the 1 metric ton range with output velocities in the 5
: mi/second range are impossible,

There would be little problem, in space. It cannot be done here on Earth,
due to atmospheric drag.

:                                 if they can demonstrate that scaling laser
: technology up to the power ranges (10E9 joule) range for laser catapults, or

They probably generate such power, for microseconds at a time. The problem is
that the power conversion is no 100% efficient. A 99% efficient conversion,
for a 1000 million watt laser, would mean that you had to dissipate about
10 million watts of power. We currently have no way of doing so - for any
reasonable length of time. Unfortunately, the energy conversion does not even
approach 99%.

: they can prove that beamed power in the GWatt range is impossible, I'm

Now, this is possible, given a large enough receiving grid to reduce the
power density to a manageable level.

Note that the problems I listed are due to simple physical laws. It is  
possible that solutions will be found. However, it is going to take a lot
more than simply scaling up our current technology.

Bill
From: cn573@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Ray Henry)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: SEX? Magic??
Date: 3 Jan 1993 05:51:15 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


The subject matter certainly does not sound like any form of
Wicca _I_ have come across, although I suppose it could be. I
really know very little about the Frosts.

I don't see the point of having separate rooms. Sharing a dorm
room with a roommate was far more, ahem, "enlightening" than my
current Work arrangements, although I prefer things the way they
are now.  :)

Anyone else have input?

Love and Light,

Antryg
-- 
"The time has come," the Walrus said,"to talk of many things;
of ships, and shoes, and sealing wax,
of cabbages and kings..."
                              --Lewis Carroll
From: popec@freeside.com (PopeC)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: The Antiquity of "Christmas"
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 92 16:08:24 CST
Organization: Rivendell BBS / Hou, TX. / +1 713 941 2236

lip@s1.gov (Loren I. Petrich) writes:

> 
> 	As many of you net.pagans certainly know by now, the festival
> of Christmas is a ripoff of various pagan festivals at that time of
> year, intended to celebrate the upcoming return of the Sun to high
> elevations in the sky.
> 
> 	There is evidence of great antiquity of such celebrations, in
> the form of various European megalithic monuments. Many of them had
> entrances aligned to the direction of Winter Solstice sunrise, which
> suggests that that time was a very important occasion for the
> structures' builders. [One source: Marija Gimbutas's _The Civilization
> of the Goddess_]
> 
> 	The age of these monuments -- _at least_ 4000-5000 years (I
> don't recall precise figures), typically, which is a lot longer ago
> than when Jesus Christ lived.
> 
> 	So there had never been any "Christ" in "Christmas" for much
> of this holiday's time.
> 
> 	Any good pagan renamings? Yule?
> 
> 	Here in the Bay Area, I guess I'll be having a dank and damp
> Yuletide season, and probably not a "white" one.
> -- 
> /Loren Petrich, the Master Blaster
> /lip@s1.gov


Call it the 'Solstice' and be done with it.  Actually I have seen 
Solctice used more and more.  I have even heard rumors of Solstice Cards 
being available here and there.  This term is more accurate, anyway, of 
this season.  Every ancient civilization seemed to have major festivals, 
or celebrations for the Solstice.  The Xians picked up on it since 
everyone else was celebrating.  Might as well join in, 'eh?
By celebrating Solstice rather than Xmas, we are going back to our roots.
And abandoning the Christ-centric venner laid over the Solstice season.
And good riddance says I.

Happy Solstice, everybody!



Pope Charles    Subgenius Pope of Houston.   Slack!
/d

**********************************************************************
* Pope Charles - Subgenius pope Of Houston & The Golden Triangle Area*
*       Laughing at everything in the Universe, including the        *
*       concept of laughing at everything in the Universe.           *
*               rivdell.sccsi.com    Houston, Texas                  *
**********************************************************************
From: holzman@fnalno.fnal.gov (Daniel B. Holzman)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: Nomenclature...i am confused
Date: 29 Dec 92 02:46:48 GMT
Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Lab
NNTP-Posting-Host: fnalno.fnal.gov

In article <BzvsGv.DHu@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, ba@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu 
(B.A. Davis-Howe) writes:

> White magic is the magic performed at full moon, which is often
> a group activity, and it focuses on expansion, fullness, connections, etc. 
> Black magic, on the other hand, is performed during the dark of the moon, is
> always Solitary unless it is an act of sex magic, and is focused on self--ones
> own needs, desires, power.  

For myself, I find that the terms "White Magic" and "Black Magic" are nopt
useful terms, and would not characterize magick as you do above.

Further, my Coven meets on New Moons, as well as Full.

-- 
Daniel B. Holzman                    | Eight Words the Witch's Rede Fufill:
HOLZMAN@FNAL.BITNET                  | An It Harm None, Do What You Will
HOLZMAN@FNALC.FNAL.GOV.INTERNET      |
                                     | All Acts of Love and Pleasure are
Love doesn't subtract,               | Her Rituals
   it multiplies    - Heinlein       |
                                     | Speak the Word.
Disclaimer:  Fermilab's far too large to have an opinion, let alone mine.
From: tweekco!alizard@PacBell.COM (A.Lizard)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: PMRC's Worst Fears...
Date: 2 Jan 1993 15:38:34 -0600
Organization: Tweek-Com Systems BBS, Moraga, CA (510) 631-0615
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu
Keywords: chuckle
From: markl@kong.eng.hou.compaq.com (Mark Lobodzinski)
Newsgroups: rec.humor.funny
Subject: PMRC's Worst Fears...
Keywords: chuckle
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 93 4:30:02 EST

	This came from a friend's _Guns N' Roses_ tape (it's not mine,
really!) and I don't think it's what Tipper had in mind...


	"This album contains language which some listeners may
	find objectionable.  They can F?!* OFF and buy something
	from the New Age section."


- markl
--
Selected by Maddi Hausmann.  MAIL your joke (jokes ONLY) to funny@clarinet.com.
Attribute the joke's source if at all possible.  A Daemon will auto-reply.

Remember: Only ONE joke per submission.  Extra jokes may be rejected.
From: dvg%cresmoon@wolves.durham.nc.us (Dave Gunter)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: Nomenclature./Men are Not witches!
Date: 22 Dec 92 00:39:57 GMT
Organization: None that I'll admit to!

lance@Circle.Raleigh.NC.US (Lance A. Brown) writes:

> tedr@athena.cs.uga.edu (Ted Kalivoda) writes:
> > Okay, let's clear the air on this one.  Since when were men called witches?
> > The correct terminology for a man who endeavors to engage in magical
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ahem.  By who's definition (other than your own) ?
   
> > practices is "Warlock".  The more gender nuetral term would be
> > "Necromancer".  If I practiced magic, I surely wouldn't want to be called a
> > witch.          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

From the context of your statement, I assume that you don't practice magick.
That seems to detract just a bit from your authority to provide us with
the "correct terminology".  And BTW, why wouldn't you want to be called a
witch?  Does it have a female gender connotation that bothers you?  
 
> Respectfully, phooey!
> 
> Each person can call themselves what they like.  I too am a man and very 
> MUCH a witch.

I agree with Lance on this one.  As to the word "warlock", some sources
attribute it to an old Anglo-Saxon word "waerloga" meaning a traitor,
deceiver, or liar.

> Lance
> 
> --
> The Full Circle
>  Domain: lance@circle.raleigh.nc.us (Lance A. Brown)  [ preferred ]
>   Bangs: ...!wolves!circle!lance 

-   Dave

---------------------------------------------+------------------------------
David Gunter - The Crescent Moon, Raleigh NC |  #include<disclaimer.h>
Internet: dvg%cresmoon@wolves.durham.nc.us   |  This space for rent...
UUCP:  ...duke!wolves!cresmoon!dvg           |
---------------------------------------------+------------------------------
From: lib1p@elroy.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: Nomenclature./Men are Not witches!
Date: 24 Dec 1992 01:21 CST
Organization: University of Houston
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: elroy.uh.edu
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    

..stuff deleted...

>Any one of a number of the "standard" works (Adler, Drawing Down the
>Moon;  Starhawk, The Spiral Dance; etc....) covers the basic vocabulary.
> 
>				Wolfe
>-- 

There's only one problem Wolfe, too many of the so-called "standard texts" 
give faulty info.  Is the info documented?  If so research their sources and 
see if they are reliable.  That isn't always easy, but hey...who said this
was going to be easy?

Tammy 


>G. Wolfe Woodbury @ The Wolves Den, Durham NC	[This site is NOT affiliated  ]
>wolfe@wolves.durham.nc.us			[with Duke University! Idiots!]
>UUCP: ...!duke!wolves!wolfe      <Standard Disclaimers apply>
>    Above All, we celebrate!  --Celebrate the Circle, Statement of Purpose.
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
From: cortese@skid.ps.uci.edu (Janis Maria Cortese)
Subject: Re: Quilts (was: Re: sowing bags)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Organization: University of California, Irvine
Date: 30 Dec 92 23:06:35 GMT

In article <1992Dec30.204735.2100@nntpd.lkg.dec.com> boylan@ljohub.enet.dec.com (Steve Boylan) writes:
>
>In article <lk3h76INNr32@news.bbn.com>, dhardin@bbn.com (Dawn Hardin) writes:
>
>> I was thinking of the different star patterns that can be made with patchwork.
>> Eight and six pointed stars are easy to do (well, you have to sew fairly 
>> well to make an eight pointed star match up in the center, but the basic
>> techniques are easy to do and the patterns are easy to find.)  I still
>> haven't found a five pointed star pattern, and haven't figured out how to
>> draft one.  I once saw something called a Moore-Penrose (?) tiling in a
>> math journal that can make five pointed stars, but they didn't look like
>> pentacles at all.
>> 
>> (For the math nerds reading this, a quilt is nothing more or less than
>> a tesselation of the plane.  I've always wanted to check out the math
>> journals for cool tilings to make quilts from, but the way my life 
>> is going post-baby, I probably won't do it.)
>
>If I may continue the high-falutin' talk, the problem with the five-
>pointed star is that it yields a pentagon as your basic building block,
>and the pentagon won't tesselate the plane.  (For those of you who
>AREN'T math dweebs and don't have a dictionary handy, pentagons won't
>fit together neatly to cover a plane.)
>
>Eight-pointed stars are usually embedded in a square, and six-pointed
>stars in a hexagon.  Both tesselate.
>
>To use five-pointed stars, you'll have to make them part of a design
>that isn't based on the pentagram.  For example, you can put a 
>pentacle inside a square or hexagon.
>
>Or just sew a few pentacles here and there in random locations!

How about using the pentacles as the actual quilting?  Sew together a
bunch of squares without piecing OR applique, and just quilt pentacles
into them.

Someone on the net once suggested doing this with celtic knotwork, and
while again I had to give up quilting for now, this idea is in the back
of my mind.  Don't always think that the fabric/piecing/applique has to
be the main design; the quilt stiching can be a big selling point and
opportunity for expression.

Blessings,
Janis 

Newsgroups: alt.pagan
From: mmelez@vax.clarku.edu
Subject: RE: Cats (was RE: Social inhibitions to environmental change)
Organization: Clark University
Date: 30 DEC 92 00:03:32 GMT

Date sent:  29-DEC-1992 18:53:30 

In a previous article, boylan@sltg04.ljo.dec.com (Steve Boylan) wrote:
> 
>In article <1hbkceINN3u9@leela.CS.ORST.EDU>, casspa@atlantis.CS.ORST.EDU
>(Paul Cass) writes:
> 
>> Can someone kindly tell me why cats insist on standing on the keyboard
>> and presenting their fanny while you are trying to type.  This cat has

    (stuff deleted)

>Uh, Paul . . . that's a female (or one-time female) cat, right?  I hope
>I don't trip over any inter-species phobias, but that's an expression
>of, er, um, interest in, um, YOU know . . . making kittens.

    (more stuff deleted)

I wouldn't be too sure.  My cat used to do this to me and a female friend of 
mine.  In fact it became a ritual that every time my friend came over and 
petted Shana, Shana would provide my friend with a view of her fanny. (Shana is 
an ex-female).

>				- - Steve

                                       - Myk.

mmelez@vax.clarku.edu
From: sle@cray.com (Stan L. Eads)
Subject: Re: Truth
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 22 Dec 92 13:32:28 CST

In article <1992Dec18.151131.15117@porthos.cc.bellcore.com> rmy@pyuxf.uucp (Robert Yaeger) writes:
>I think the fundemantal truth is that we don't know and no one, not the
>president, our parents, the pope, not kings and queens, knows what a
>single thing Is, we know a lot of details about all kinds of things, but
>what it Is, remains a mystery and always will.

Of course I do!  I may not know what everything is, but I know that
you don't know what in the world you're talking about!  

Please explain yourself.  Have you really just exposed all of us here
to THE "fundemantal" truth? Is there a chance that the more perceptive
or advanced among us will recognize the wisdom here and start off on
the road to enlightenment?  Are we missing our chance?

>Enjoy the spirit of love and giving of this wonderful season as we celebrate
>the return of the Light.

May your holiday mela be a blessed one as well.

>Yours in the Great Mystery,
> 
>Jaya Gurudev!
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
And what is this supposed to mean?


>Bob Yaeger

Stan
From: tempest@cibbs.UUCP
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: Nomenclature./Men are Not witches!
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 92 20:17:25 EST
Organization: DataSoft Consulting (Toronto, Ont. Canada)

alizard@pil writes:

> Do you post about the flat earth to sci.physics as well? You don't know
> what you are talking about. If you have nothing but ignorance to bring to
> this newsgroup, I suggest you shut up and learn something. Or you can try
> alt.magick, where people have even less patience with the stupid. 

People have a part of them which causes them to act in certain ways.  This part
can have an extremely negative effect on our beings.  It can take what we wish
to do or convey to others and twist it into something else.  It creates
illusions around us which have no basis in truth (and I mean TRUTH as in
ultimate truth which we ALL know the meaning of intuitively so let's cut the
nomenclature crap).  This piece of our being is called ego.  We're all familiar
with it and what it can do.  

It makes us speak volumes on topics of which we know nothing, (if we let it.)
Those that know, know there is a difference between a 'witch' a 'worlock' and a
'necromancer' for that matter.  Of course there are people who don't know, and
through there ego's they say things that make them look foolish.

There is a saying, "Always remember where you came from.. and where you are
going."  Once upon a time we were all ignorant.  (And remember that we always
will be..)  

I know you were offended by the comments made but consider this.. the
negativity you transmit in anger will do no good.  At best this new-comer will
simply stop reading this sub.  Is that what we want?  We do want to spread the
truth, and knowledge and wisdom don't we?

This is not meant as an attack, just a reminder..

"Always remember where you came from..."

Peace to all.


TEMPEST!!!                                                  tempest@cibbs.uucp
                          - "Love and Kindness"          uunorth!cibbs!tempest
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
From: billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson)
Subject: Re: The Antiquity of "Christmas"
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 20:27:42 GMT

tratclif@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu (Tracy Ratcliff) writes:
: In article <1992Dec23.084010.3782@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com> billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson) writes:
: >lip@s1.gov (Loren I. Petrich) writes:
: >: 
: >: 	The age of these monuments -- _at least_ 4000-5000 years (I
: >: don't recall precise figures), typically, which is a lot longer ago
: >: than when Jesus Christ lived.
: >
: >If I recall correctly, the structures (such as Stonehenge) were started
: >about 1000 BCE - maybe a bit earlier.
: >
: I _could_ make a quick dash to the bedroom to get the actual references, but, 
: naaah, I'll be like most everyone on the net and just pop off...
: 
: From memory, Stonehenge was a later structure (ca. 1500 BCE?) but many 
: megalithic structures in Western Europe predate the pyramids, 3000 BCE give
: or take a few centuries.

I believe the comment was in reference to structures with polar alignments.
To the best of my recollection - 1000 to 1500 BCE was the earliest for these.

Such things as cromlechs preceeded this period - but none of them had any
real alignment.

Bill
From: amanda@intercon.com (Amanda Walker)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: Documented Evidence
Date: Sun,  3 Jan 1993 20:57:49 -0500
Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation
Distribution: world
Reply-To: amanda@intercon.com (Amanda Walker)
NNTP-Posting-Host: chaos.intercon.com
X-Newsreader: InterCon TCP/Connect II 1.1b31

rjb@carson.u.washington.edu (LeGrand Cinq-Mars) writes:
> Sometimes it's hard to believe that *anyone* was "orthodox". 

Shhh... you'll give it away :)...



Amanda Walker
InterCon Systems Corporation


Newsgroups: alt.pagan