gdp's Comments

The Wild Hunt : A Few Items of Note

Fri, 8 May 2009 02:38:31 +0000

That DHS memo is frightening. Except for the extremist part, I fit into quite a few of their "definitions," including a sympathy for animal rights. The way I read it, they didn't make any effort to differentiate between Asatruar and racists. Unfortunately for Heathens, we are in such a minority and without much understanding from the pagan community, that we could easily be scapegoated, much like "satanists." Bjorn is right to be concerned. There are, if he describes himself accurately, people who would report him as an extremist. I guess the memo was withdrawn, but the source of the memo remains, and those are the people and policies that worry me. Nevertheless, I won't hide Thor's Hammer, and I will always proudly wear Frigga's Key.

The Wild Hunt : Can't Attack Monotheism? There's Always the Pagans.

Tue, 5 May 2009 22:22:20 +0000

I'm just guessing here, but I think confusion between these commenting parties rests in the difference between definitions of paganism and neo-paganism. Bjorn and Apuleius "might" concede a monotheistic "neo-paganism," but are uncomfortable with a claim of monotheism for historical "paganism." The ideas of the exceptional (as in the exception) Akhnaten died with his demise. His was a religion of one (no pun intended), much as Kissa's may be. To this, there is no embarassment, but is an inadequate example of historical monotheistic paganism. Hehe, that might have made Akhnaten the first neo-pagan in history!

The Wild Hunt : Will The National Day of Prayer Be Different This Year?

Tue, 5 May 2009 22:12:31 +0000

Those founding fathers recognized the dangers in "mingling of church and state," and expressly designed a constitution that separated the two. For that, I am thankful.

The Wild Hunt : Can Barna Unite the Tribes in time to save America?

Tue, 5 May 2009 19:38:04 +0000

You leap to false conclusions, Kn. It is "because" of pride and dignity that I am my Dad's caregiver. He suffers from prostate cancer and Parkinson's Disease, and it is I (with pride in my family and out of a strong sense of honor and responsibility) who changes his sheets in the morning, cleans his pissed-on clothes and sets him on a new start each day. I'm the one who wipes his chin and buys his Depends and does the thousand other things required by an old man who is sick and in the abyss of dementia. I claim honor for my actions, eschewing false humility. To whom or what should I be humble? To gods? No; they are gods and goddesses who inspire me. To death? I don't fear death. Eventually, Dad and I will lose our physical battle, but we will have kept our honor, standing shields up against the breath of the dragon. At the end of life, Beowulf had one companion; I am in good company.

The Wild Hunt : Can Barna Unite the Tribes in time to save America?

Tue, 5 May 2009 14:25:07 +0000

"My religion isn't based on faith." Aye, and that's a red flag when looking at this Barna book. Not only is Heathenism, for example, not based on faith, we (Heathens) have profound differences with some of the faith-based religions. I read a comment somewhere recently where a guy said he had all kinds of tolerance for all kinds of religious people as long as they were "peaceful and humble." In short, he would have issues with Heathens, who find no virtue in humility. Dignity, reserve, pride, these might appear as humility to him, but he would be wrong. Utopias are fun to think about, and they make great sci-fi, but then there are real people who so INconveniently break the molds!

The Wild Hunt : A Merry Beltane

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:43:00 +0000

Safe Walpurgisnacht and Happy May Day!

The Wild Hunt : Bring Forth the Pagan Plates!

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:10:13 +0000

We could simplify things and stick to the constitutional separation of church and state. What is this burning need to "decorate" our license plates? Surely we can find a location with more spiritual meaning or even more aesthetically pleasing than the bumper of our cars a couple feet from the exhaust pipe? Surely we can find a more meaningful venue for religious expression.

The Wild Hunt : So Close, Yet So Far

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:45:31 +0000

I'm not a Satanist or Satan expert, but there were a couple errors made in the comments that even I know should be corrected. First, there are groups of people who believe in Yahweh and do not believe Satan is evil. We might all be better instructed if we read up a little on the Gnostics, too. Secondly, the Satanists have a not-so-odd reason for choosing that name for their brand of humanism. Satan, in many ways, personifies the values these people embrace. Throughout history it has been very difficult, in fact, to identify Satan by "his" acts, as they are indistinguishable from any being of power and self-will.

The Wild Hunt : PanGaia Ends, Merges With NewWitch

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:50:42 +0000

"If the metaphysics they discuss is more in-tuned with your path then I suppose you'd want to support it, but a Heathen like myself probably wouldn't get much out of it." Agreed, AT. The Wild Hunt is adequate for a general overview of pagan news, and it's free. I wouldn't pay money for a universalist pagan magazine when I have so damn much still to learn along my own path.

The Wild Hunt : Saint Death, Non-Pagan Easter, and Anti-Witch Hysteria

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:01:08 +0000

Siegfried wrote,"The comparative Indo-European material gives a foundation for the claim." He has a good point.

The Wild Hunt : Update: The Theological Necessity of Goats

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 00:28:40 +0000

Hail to the folk! Clint wrote, "However I will agree with you, definitely, that sacrifice isn't about an ascetic self-denial, but rather about maintaining a relationship." Relationship is the heart of the Heathen ritual. The word "fain" emphasizes exchange of gifts. A Heathen may offer something valuable and lose nothing from it. We all know that giving invariably enriches the giver. In the sagas, it is commonplace for men to strengthen their relationships with the exchange of gifts. Had this giving been burdened (as giving often is today) with gross expectation of material gain, the social effect would have been marred. Very rightly you point out that the Heathen's fain is not related to "ascetic self-denial," but the word sacrifice may imply that. By using the appropriate word, fain, I remind myself of the true meaning of my actions and focus on the sacred intent, relationship with my god/esses, the wights and ancestors. Again, Swain's essay at http://swainblog.englatheod.org/?p=78 is a thought-provoker and inspiration for anyone contemplating the Heathen Fain.

The Wild Hunt : Pondering Post-Christian America

Tue, 7 Apr 2009 23:57:12 +0000

Matt, Bjorn's question seems genuine and relevant, and the word Missional oozes preconception in its base. err...so what are these streams you speak of?

The Wild Hunt : Quick Note: Those Mystic Pyramids

Tue, 7 Apr 2009 20:47:32 +0000

Leonna wrote, "Kind of ironic how many holy sites are in places of civil unrest." Actually, considering the volatility of religious feeling, it's to be expected that holy sites are regions of contention.

The Wild Hunt : Update: The Theological Necessity of Goats

Tue, 7 Apr 2009 20:42:06 +0000

Hrm...at some point Hylomorphic made an interesting comment about the original and subsequent meanings of the word "sacrifice." In time, it was after the post I made about preferring the use of the word "fain" to describe the Heathen ritual involving animal slaughter. I tried to find it again, but among all these posts...failed. I will try to follow-up from memory. Hylo- noted that sacrifice originally meant something like "to set aside as sacred," and only later came to mean "to give something up." I only wanted to clarify my original comment in light of Hylo's. It seems to me that the Heathen's intentions in the fain are more akin to the ancient meaning of "sacrifice" than to the modern one and that by using the term "sacrifice" we present a rather false picture to modern listeners. Certainly, the madness of this string of comments reflects that confusion about the desire for our Heathen ritual.

The Wild Hunt : More ARIS Reaction

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:53:00 +0000

"as well as live entirely by cell phones and thus often miss landline-based surveys" I haven't read the particular methods used by this survey, but I have noticed a few recently that state that cell phone users were included. Perhaps the pollsters are keeping up with these changes? Good points, all, nonetheless. It's always good to question and ponder the methods used by these folks.

The Wild Hunt : Palo or Satanism?

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:49:50 +0000

"While that's true, I think this is why it's important to remind reporters of such prejudice and encourage them to minimize how they get expressed in their reporting. " Which was, if I'm not mistaken, the point of Jason's post.

The Wild Hunt : Palo or Satanism?

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 19:51:18 +0000

I can't speak for Bjorn, but I believe he was countering Alex's comment that "they obviously believe in the Abrahamic God's nemesis and quite openly promote the dark side of that equation." The point of the matter is that we can't lump all Satanists into this mix. There are COS Satanists, as you rightly point out, and, as Bjorn rightly points out, they are humanists and materialists. There may be other groups who claim the Satanist label, who may or may not believe in or worship the Abrahamic God's nemesis, etc., groups even smaller than COS, but none are properly identified within a stereotype. And they are, as Jason points out, not Palo Mayombe.

The Wild Hunt : Palo or Satanism?

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 18:12:42 +0000

I don't think anyone is worrying specifically about Satanists. By the look of it, they're pretty capable of taking care of themselves and don't give a d*mn whether we or the mainstream media like them. What we are concerned about is the ignorance and desire for sensationalism that leads to false reporting. This affects all of us who have chosen to live under religious labels lumped in the polls as "Other." Also, while it may appear that most of the commentary at The Wild Hunt is Wiccan (or New Age), there are a good number of us Heathens around, and I can't even begin to guess at the whole diversity represented here. As I said above, Heathens have a particular interest in debunking negative stereotypes due to our own experience with it.

The Wild Hunt : Palo or Satanism?

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 18:02:32 +0000

Bjorn is correct, though, in saying that Satanists do not believe in the "Abrahamic God's Nemesis," but are actually "materialists and humanists." Their ideologies are available on the internet if one cares; some are followers of LaVey's work, some are spin-offs, but their ideas don't fit the media-mainstream stereotype of "Satanist." This ground has already been covered at The Wild Hunt, and a representative of a Satanic Church provided links that, if read, did much to dispell these false stereotypes (as Bjorn also attempted above.) Heathens suffer from a similar "lumping" with neo-Nazis and the like.

The Wild Hunt : Dogs and Cats Living Together ... Mass Hysteria!

Sat, 7 Mar 2009 17:34:57 +0000

If pot was the gateway to paganism, wouldn't paganism be currently the majority religion?