Monday, July 10, 2006
In looking for this Koehl person, I ran across this blog entry from three years ago. It's under the Friday, May 23 section.
Sometime correspondent Stuart Koehl, an orthodox Byzantine Catholic, has some keen observations on neo-pagan tomfoolery. The practitioners don't literally believe in the gods and goddesses they worship - they see them as Jungian archetypes of male and female or suchlike (which I'm sure the demons have a good larf about). Neo-paganism, with its sexual overtones, is a modern invention for women - by men! (Wicca was invented by an Englishman in the 1930s - he spelt it Wica - and included nudism, unknown to real European pagans centuries ago.) Stuart points out it's really a sanitized, Christianized set of beliefs ('harm no one', white magic, etc.), created whole cloth by apostate Christians and striking out Christ as the head - real paganism OTOH was/is about bashing in an animal's skull and sacrificing its blood on a rock to put curses on people and to appease gods who are very much believed in.
Maybe there should be a revival of 'pagan fundamentalism' (yea, brother) to give the ex-Christian dabblers a reality check and perhaps teach them a very scary lesson or two.
I found some writing by Stuart Koehl, but there is not enough time in the day for me to go much further in my search, so I'll take Serge's description at face value.
My reaction is simple: I'm so glad Mr. Koehl has gone to such great effort to explain my beliefs to me, and to clarify and help me to focus on the many vague and troubling thoughts I've had about my beliefs. Just like all Christians are, under a thin veneer, ready to take up a new Crusade in a heartbeat, would love to see floggings and burning at the stake returned to regular use, and really do think that they should be the only religion on the earth, all Pagans have no belief in literal deities, are only in it for the sex (I gotta ask: am I in the wrong place?), and can only somewhat favorably (if that) be compared to "real European pagans centuries ago".
Get a grip, my good fellows: we are real people, with real beliefs and with an actual depth to our faith that is not explainable (or to be explained away) with some convenient sound bites.
Sometime correspondent Stuart Koehl, an orthodox Byzantine Catholic, has some keen observations on neo-pagan tomfoolery. The practitioners don't literally believe in the gods and goddesses they worship - they see them as Jungian archetypes of male and female or suchlike (which I'm sure the demons have a good larf about). Neo-paganism, with its sexual overtones, is a modern invention for women - by men! (Wicca was invented by an Englishman in the 1930s - he spelt it Wica - and included nudism, unknown to real European pagans centuries ago.) Stuart points out it's really a sanitized, Christianized set of beliefs ('harm no one', white magic, etc.), created whole cloth by apostate Christians and striking out Christ as the head - real paganism OTOH was/is about bashing in an animal's skull and sacrificing its blood on a rock to put curses on people and to appease gods who are very much believed in.
Maybe there should be a revival of 'pagan fundamentalism' (yea, brother) to give the ex-Christian dabblers a reality check and perhaps teach them a very scary lesson or two.
I found some writing by Stuart Koehl, but there is not enough time in the day for me to go much further in my search, so I'll take Serge's description at face value.
My reaction is simple: I'm so glad Mr. Koehl has gone to such great effort to explain my beliefs to me, and to clarify and help me to focus on the many vague and troubling thoughts I've had about my beliefs. Just like all Christians are, under a thin veneer, ready to take up a new Crusade in a heartbeat, would love to see floggings and burning at the stake returned to regular use, and really do think that they should be the only religion on the earth, all Pagans have no belief in literal deities, are only in it for the sex (I gotta ask: am I in the wrong place?), and can only somewhat favorably (if that) be compared to "real European pagans centuries ago".
Get a grip, my good fellows: we are real people, with real beliefs and with an actual depth to our faith that is not explainable (or to be explained away) with some convenient sound bites.
Comments:
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It never ceases to amaze me, these insights so generously shared with the benighted rabble...
Would that they be that clear-eyed regarding the follies of their OWN beliefs, and as aware of the dangers of their OWN misguided dogmas.
Would that they be that clear-eyed regarding the follies of their OWN beliefs, and as aware of the dangers of their OWN misguided dogmas.
# posted by 
: 1:32 PM
: 1:32 PM
Say it, brother! Testify!
You and I both know, TMO, there's a long way between calling out what you think, through your oh-so-experiential knowledge, is folly in others and recognizing it in yourself. This guy is obviously one of those ilk who hasn't made the journey yet.
Greetings, Belle... I'm another Belle--but Eleisa works just fine. :)
Peace
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You and I both know, TMO, there's a long way between calling out what you think, through your oh-so-experiential knowledge, is folly in others and recognizing it in yourself. This guy is obviously one of those ilk who hasn't made the journey yet.
Greetings, Belle... I'm another Belle--but Eleisa works just fine. :)
Peace
# posted by : 6:54 PM
: 6:54 PM << Home
