en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/298211 Comments by Medea http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/10/quick-note-why-are-they-leaving-christianity.html#IDComment105812785 I'll just count myself amongst those Gen X'ers who were never Christian in the first place and were not raised within the Abrahamic faiths. To my regret, I did go through an unfortunate phase when I was younger and trying to find myself. I started "experimenting" with Christianity and hanging out with a "bad" crowd. I started thinking that this world was evil and that I needed to hate my mother and father (and my younger brother) in order to receive eternal life. I was judgmental, thought I had all the answers and I even started drinking the transubstantiated 'blood' and eating the flesh of Jesus. It was an ugly time for me and I thank the Gods that I found my way out. :-) Sun, 24 Oct 2010 20:56:50 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/10/quick-note-why-are-they-leaving-christianity.html#IDComment105812785 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/11/whos-responsible-in-sra-hysteria.html#IDComment43481036 Interesting that you would say this. Several days ago, I was talking with my husband about the Mohler case and I came to a similar conclusion. From the news reports I have read, it certainly bears some striking resemblance to SRA cases; recovered memories, molestation, bestiality, forced abortion, murder, etc. There's even the de facto involvement of a sub-altern religious group - an offshoot of the LDS. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:50:42 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/11/whos-responsible-in-sra-hysteria.html#IDComment43481036 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/09/the-theodish-republican-running-in-nyc-district-19.html#IDComment35194747 I am not Theod. Regardless, stop being a nithling who throws down vague accusations because you have an axe to grind. It is easy to be an internet "word warrior" and quite harder to be someone who actually does something, right? Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:44:48 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/09/the-theodish-republican-running-in-nyc-district-19.html#IDComment35194747 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/09/the-theodish-republican-running-in-nyc-district-19.html#IDComment35063915 Mr. Rafferty: Do you use your vast journalistic acumen to "expose" those who believe in talking snakes, zombie saviors, 'prophets' who marry six-year-old girls and/or other embarrassing components of the three "great" monotheistic faiths? I'd certainly be interested in knowing the names of *my* elected officials who actually believe in such malarkey. Please do your due diligence in outing these people in such a cursory, inept and disrespectful fashion. Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:16:06 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/09/the-theodish-republican-running-in-nyc-district-19.html#IDComment35063915 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/09/the-theodish-republican-running-in-nyc-district-19.html#IDComment35063251 This is b.s. and you know it. Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:59:34 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/09/the-theodish-republican-running-in-nyc-district-19.html#IDComment35063251 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/09/avoiding-pagan-dollars.html#IDComment33473498 While I completely disagree with the religious discrimination, I do have to wonder at the "wisdom" of having this festival in this particular town. According to that bastion of accuracy, Wikipedia, Adamstown has a population of 221 people. Perhaps there would have been a less insulated and less homogeneous community that would have welcomed the revenue. Sun, 6 Sep 2009 20:34:03 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/09/avoiding-pagan-dollars.html#IDComment33473498 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/08/folkish-odinists-mistaken-for-nazis-kicked-out-of-park.html#IDComment31254482 Of course, all of these groups could be excused by a rather paternalistic appeal to the evils of post-colonialism, centuries of oppression, ignorance, bias, etc. But to single out European-based cultural religion just because some folks find it threatening is not, in fact, consistent with messages of tolerance in paganism. Instead, it is clear that tolerance is extended to *some* - i.e., we will tolerate your cultural exclusivity *if* you are a member of a historically oppressed group or a group *we* deem to be marginalized. Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:19:11 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/08/folkish-odinists-mistaken-for-nazis-kicked-out-of-park.html#IDComment31254482 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/08/folkish-odinists-mistaken-for-nazis-kicked-out-of-park.html#IDComment31254326 Judaism is an exclusive religion wherein its adherents claim to be a "chosen people." The Hebrew Bible makes clear their case for ethnic superiority (Mal. 2:10-12, Ezra 10:18-44, Ezra 13:23-27, etc.), the Talmud also makes it clear when it problematizes the "goyim"/nations and, in current times, the oppression of the Palestinians by the Jewish State also makes this cultural/ethnic superiority clear. Still, to suggest that Judaism is not an ethnic religion that preaches its own distasteful brand of cultural superiority, genocide, moral superiority for the "chosen" and monotheistc exclusivity is completely at odds with its "revealed holy text" and modern-day ethic as a theocratic state. (Cont.) Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:18:27 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/08/folkish-odinists-mistaken-for-nazis-kicked-out-of-park.html#IDComment31254326 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/08/folkish-odinists-mistaken-for-nazis-kicked-out-of-park.html#IDComment31253896 (As an aside, I really do enjoy argument and debate and my posts are not meant to convey personal disrespect and/or hostility to TWH readers, commenters or Jason. I am a gadfly that likes to challenge the status quo and prevailing thought. I, too find it distasteful that a group would care one iota what consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedroom, whom they associate with, etc. I harbor no illusions - most racially-based groups would want nothing whatsoever to do with me; Jewish ex-husband, practicing witch, registered Democrat, etc.) >> but the whole "other people do it too" argument usually falls flat in the face of the evidence. No, it doesn't. It just doesn't conform to the "we are all one" sensibilities of Neopaganism. Anecdotal evidence is not really evidence, but I will say that every single Santero I have met here in So. Cal. believes emphatically that their religion is exclusive to those of a certain ethnic group and a shared cultural experience in the diaspora. But, again, this is anecdotal evidence and worth probably zero...(Cont.) Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:16:34 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/08/folkish-odinists-mistaken-for-nazis-kicked-out-of-park.html#IDComment31253896 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/08/folkish-odinists-mistaken-for-nazis-kicked-out-of-park.html#IDComment31132889 As a folkish (no need to put it into quotes, thanks!) Asatruar, I wonder if readers of TWH would feign such disapprobation at the "racism" inherent in Judaism, Native American spirituality and some Santeros who dare to suggest that ethnic religions do, in fact, have an ethnic/genetic component. Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:29:05 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/08/folkish-odinists-mistaken-for-nazis-kicked-out-of-park.html#IDComment31132889 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/08/pagan-news-of-note-17.html#IDComment30697491 All sarcasm aside, I suggest that you avail yourself of one of the numerous academically-based books on Alexander and the classical world. (Paul Cartledge is great and Peter Green is also an excellent scholar.) You appear to have a rather myopic and inaccurate view of his motivations for conquest and the process of Hellenization. >As far as the Hebrews are concerned, there were many atrocities committed in the name of Yahweh. Exactly. What I take exception to is your belief that "monotheism possesses an ethical uniqueness." It possesses no uniqueness in its ethics (its "ethics" being common to most ancient Near Eastern tribal societies), no uniqueness in its literature (many books in the Hebrew Bible possess antecedents in older "pagan" texts) and no uniqueness in the function and motivation of its war god. Moreover, one could quite capably argue that the old canard about ancient "Hebrew monotheism" is entirely a myth - a myth propagated by a small class of Hebrew scribes, prophets, etc., who have a disproportionate "voice" in the Biblical text but are not reflective of the majority (read Second Maccabees to see the struggle between Hellenized Jews from Jerusalem and conservative Jews from the rural areas or Jeremiah's polemic against the Queen of Heaven). Even in Christianity, the existence of the Trinity pretty much negates any claims to monotheism and the Coptic magical texts produced in monasteries suggest a less than monotheistic worldview. Graydon Snyder's Ante Pacem does a capable job of analyzing pre-Constantine Christian iconography that illustrates (no pun intended) how Jesus was worshiped right along with Helios, Mithras, etc., by the early Christians. Claudia Rapp's excellent book, Holy Bishops in Late Antiquity, deftly outlines how institutionalized Christianity sought to reign in sub-altern groups in its quest to promote the facade of monotheistic "unity." Heck, David Frankfurter's analysis of the Jewish quarter in Alexandria circa 300 CE has proved that Alexandrian Jews were worshiping "pagan" idols coterminous with worship of Yahweh. So, yeah, count me as one of those who believes that this "uniqueness" inherent in monotheism is a completely modern invention/obsession. Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:33:13 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/08/pagan-news-of-note-17.html#IDComment30697491 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/08/pagan-news-of-note-17.html#IDComment30680640 No, embreis is saying that you are claiming to be "Strider" and "Ben Willman." As to your other contentions/misapprehensions, I'll just ask you to unpack your statement; Please enlighten me, based upon your obvious and extensive knowledge of the classical world and religious studies, on the "atrocities" of Alexander the Great and their equivalency with many of the ardent followers of the Hebrew tribal god. Thanks! Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:54:46 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/08/pagan-news-of-note-17.html#IDComment30680640 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/07/cinefantastique-to-theofantastique-fantastic-cinema-and-interreligious-dialogue.html#IDComment27647530 >>Also, with all due respect, "Pagans" should be capitalized. With all due respect, I disagree. :-) "Neopagan" most accurately describes what most modern folks mean by "pagan." However, "pagan" is a pejorative term that reflects a de facto Western-centric and Abrahamic bias - as such, to use it as some sort of catch-all for indigenous practices, Neopaganism, Wicca, pre-Christian religion, etc., is misleading and sloppy. It obfuscates understanding instead of facilitating it. Sun, 19 Jul 2009 03:43:16 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/07/cinefantastique-to-theofantastique-fantastic-cinema-and-interreligious-dialogue.html#IDComment27647530 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/07/who-are-the-elders.html#IDComment27311430 I completely agree with you. Truth be told, I have been a pagan for over twenty years, but I often hesitate to identify myself as such. I really wish that my embarrassment with regard to my coreligionists was confined to misinformed newbies propagating easily debunked misinformation about paganism. Instead, I find myself often embarrassed by the antics of so-called pagan "Elders" and/or Big Name Pagans. After all, some of the "elders" are the very folks who attempted to create an ignorant, fringe and side-show atmosphere that marginalized paganism. It is only now that paganism is just **beginning** to be taken seriously as a bona fide religious movement. So, no, I just do not automatically respect those who raise "unicorns," those who have attempted to conflate personal proclivities with paganism, those who write about deflowering underage girls in initiations and those who attempt to turn paganism into a sycophantic personality cult. Far too often, pagan "elders" are given a free pass for boorish, arrogant and downright ignorant behavior. I'm not expecting perfection, I am expecting someone who calls him/herself an "elder" or who is called such by the community to act slightly better than your average 13 year-old. Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:46:04 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/07/who-are-the-elders.html#IDComment27311430 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/the-racist-appropriation-of-pagan-and-christian-symbols.html#IDComment24487907 Yes, "Flandria" is Flanders. You know, in Belgium... Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:33:21 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/the-racist-appropriation-of-pagan-and-christian-symbols.html#IDComment24487907 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/talking-about-abortion-again.html#IDComment23167359 >>I don't condone Tiller's murder, but I'm not about to pretend that I'm all that tore up about it. He was in it for the money...What we are dealing with here is the death of a mercenary. Okay. So, anyone who gets paid for work that they do (yourself included, I suppose) is a mercenary. Glad we got that straight. >>there is no way there are that many babies it is necessary to abort in the late stages of a pregnancy. Given that you are well-informed on this issue, how many babies would that be? A million? A hundred? Two? Billions? >He acted innumerable times in violation of Kansas state law, which plainly states a pregnancy can only be terminated late term when- Interesting that the court saw it differently. Also, the information you gave is only half-true. Kansas law makes provisions for late-term abortions when the fetus is not viable in addition to the cases cited by you. >A huge percentage, maybe the majority, of the late-term abortions he conducted did not meet the criterion required Really? And you know this how? I mean, if you were privy to some inside information that the court didn't have, you should feel compelled to bring that evidence forward. >There is some merit to the charge that he beat the rap not due to the lack of evidence, but due to the nature of the emotionally charged, circus atmosphere of the court, This is your opinion and not a statement of fact. >so-called cause of women's reproductive rights. Hate to break it to you, but women do have reproductive rights. Sorry if this is comes as a surprise to you. Wed, 3 Jun 2009 04:34:03 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/talking-about-abortion-again.html#IDComment23167359 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/talking-about-abortion-again.html#IDComment23137458 Javi: Bottom line; you appear to not know what you are talking about and, to cover for your ignorance, are substituting visceral reactions for objective facts. However, since you began your diatribe with an allusion to the Bible, let me treat you to this one, "Happy is He who repays you for what you have done to us. He who seizes your infants and dashes them on the rocks." Ps. 137:8-9. There's also an interesting tidbit from 2 Kings 2:23-24. The logical inconsistency from pro-lifers is that they care *so very much* for fetuses and their feverish imaginings of poor little babies being torn to shreds by Dr. Evil. However, they apparently care very little for their fellow man/woman - once they aren't some abstract idea of a fetus or baby. Once those "poor, innocent, fetuses" grow up, become adults and disagree, they are apparently safe to murder, neglect and insult, right? They don't care for Dr. Tiller or his family. They don't care for little Iraqi's "torn to shreds." They don't care for the life of the mother, the non-life of a non-viable fetus, ad infinitum. Javi, remove the beam from your own eye before you start calling people "hypocrites" and "selfish." Tue, 2 Jun 2009 23:04:54 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/talking-about-abortion-again.html#IDComment23137458 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/talking-about-abortion-again.html#IDComment23130489 I am currently five months pregnant. I had my first child nearly a year ago and I am completing my doctorate. Honestly, when I found out about my current pregnancy, I was not thrilled, elated or any of the other "joyous" emotions women are expected to feel. My husband and I were having marital problems and I just wanted to bask in the overwhelming joy of raising my son. Another child this soon was not planned. Abortion was definitely an option that I considered and agonized over. Although I decided to have another child, I remain staunchly pro-choice and am disgusted/angered/sickened by the murder of Dr. Tiller and the ignorance surrounding late-term abortion. My pregnancy means all the more to me **because** I had sovereignty. I thought about my options and made a choice that was right for me. I would hate to now be in a position where I felt that the choice was made for me by a religious, political and moral philosophy that I do not embrace and/or reject as untenable. Tue, 2 Jun 2009 22:41:48 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/talking-about-abortion-again.html#IDComment23130489 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/01/update-outgrowing-paganism.html#IDComment13746491 Greetings Jamie: As one of the "academics" on this thread, I just had to throw in my two cents. I absolutely *do not* believe that only academics have something of value to contribute. As the first person in my family to graduate from college, my family helps to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground. In fact, some of the most insipid and downright stupid folks that I know have a bunch of letters after their name. Truth be told, being in "the academy" has only destroyed the naive notions I once held about the necessity for higher education. Most of it is very calculated, knowing the right people and schmoozing. I harbor no illusions about the "illustrious" path I have chosen. :-) I'll lay it on the line; I think that someone who claims they left paganism *solely* because it wasn't intellectual enough or philosophically dense enough is being dishonest with themselves. I think it provides an "out" for what they were inclined to do anyway. For instance, I have many critiques against Christianity, but I would never assert that there are not some great Christian thinkers and/or that Christianity is a philosophically "simple" religion. Asserting that would only display my lack of insight, knowledge and understanding of Christian thought. Like you, I tend to approach my religion on a gut level. Those gut feelings are sometimes informed by academic study and sometimes not. In a perfect world, I would like to see paganism strike a balance between both approaches. When I was younger, I practiced alchemy. A famous alchemical dictum is; Ora et Labora (pray and work). I asked my teacher which was more important and which one I should spend more time upon. He told me, "Pray and work. With both hands." I think paganism needs to use both hands, intuition/unsubstantiated personal gnosis *and* study/experience. Fri, 9 Jan 2009 03:39:21 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/01/update-outgrowing-paganism.html#IDComment13746491