Recognition of Paganism

[Setsuna]

It was quite nice to hear that Pagans at St Andrews will have access to the same facilities as other religious groups.

I read about it in the Times today (although not a regular reader), and the article made me laugh...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 62,00.html

It sounds like it has been written by a miffed Christian.

Also, I love the start of the article... in case you didnt know WHY St Andrews is famous...(!) and the Wicker Man reference at the end.

I am an atheist, but in some ways paganism makes more sense to me than Christianity...

[novium]

why is that?

Quoting Setsuna from 04:12, 19th Jun 2006

I am an atheist, but in some ways paganism makes more sense to me than Christianity...

[hr]

sed tamen ira procul absit, cum qua nihil recte fieri, nihil considerate potest.

[Amorphous]

Bonus points for one of the interviewees actually saying "it's [x] gone mad".

I agree about the style of it though, it's not exactly unbiased!

[Midget]

Quoting novium from 06:43, 19th Jun 2006
why is that?

Quoting Setsuna from 04:12, 19th Jun 2006

I am an atheist, but in some ways paganism makes more sense to me than Christianity...

Novium don't be obtuse, the ancient gods are of course superior.
a) They've been worshipped longer.
b) They fit with the year, the four major festivals make sense, the Christian merely copy them and add some bullshit about someone being born and resurrected.
c) They celebrate sex, there's nothing wrong with sex or nudity, its nothing to be ashamed of.
d) Its happier, look at Howie in the Wicker Man, so dour compsred to the jolly locals he deserves to die.

[hr]

IMAGE:img9.imgspot.com/u/04/241/18/160019.jpg "Little!"
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37100090

[Bitterandtwisted]

The Wicker man was actually filmed around Newton Stewart, my old home. Britt Ekland described is as:
"The most dismal place in creation... one of the bleakest places I've been to in my life".
She has a point.

[hr]

Look at that. Look at that. "Accident Blackspot"? These aren't accidents. They're throwing themselves into the road gladly. Throwing themselves into the road to escape all this hideousness. Throw yourself into the road, darling - you haven't got a chance.

[thePontificator]

Quoting Bitterandtwisted from 12:35, 19th Jun 2006
The Wicker man was actually filmed around Newton Stewart, my old home. Britt Ekland described is as:
"The most dismal place in creation... one of the bleakest places I've been to in my life".
She has a point.

Wasn't that rather the point? The Wicker man wouldn't feel as creepy if it was filmed in Largs.

[exnihilo]

Quoting Bitterandtwisted from 12:35, 19th Jun 2006
The Wicker man was actually filmed around Newton Stewart, my old home.

Small world, I used to live in Newton Stewart as well!

[Bitterandtwisted]

Quoting exnihilo from 15:16, 19th Jun 2006

Quoting Bitterandtwisted from 12:35, 19th Jun 2006
The Wicker man was actually filmed around Newton Stewart, my old home.

Small world, I used to live in Newton Stewart as well!

My condolences. Did you go to the Ewart around '95-'97?

[hr]

Look at that. Look at that. "Accident Blackspot"? These aren't accidents. They're throwing themselves into the road gladly. Throwing themselves into the road to escape all this hideousness. Throw yourself into the road, darling - you haven't got a chance.

[Mehmsy]

Does this mean I'll get cake for waving a branch around?

[hr]

http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37106593

[exnihilo]

Quoting Bitterandtwisted from 15:20, 19th Jun 2006
My condolences. Did you go to the Ewart around '95-'97?

No, I was at St Andrews by then, I only lived in NS for a couple of years as a kid - my parents owned the Glencairn Hotel (which may not even be there now!).

[tintin]

I sha'n't write another "Outraged of Tonbridge Wells" letter to 'Scotland on Sunday' about my alma mater and get it published (the one about wind farms and the lunacy of erecting turbines on the North Haugh) - all I will say is that the University goes from bad to worse, chaque jour. It is supposed to be the centre of Christianity in Scotland and Scotland's First University yet they're perfectly prepared to let random Pagans into their CHAPLAINCY, to worship their Pagan idols. What has gone wrong with this world? Political Correctness? Oh sorry, I'm living in the 21st Century, of course I should be more liberal.

[Rufus]

Quoting tintin from 20:18, 19th Jun 2006
I sha'n't write another "Outraged of Tonbridge Wells" letter to 'Scotland on Sunday' about my alma mater and get it published (the one about wind farms and the lunacy of erecting turbines on the North Haugh) - all I will say is that the University goes from bad to worse, chaque jour. It is supposed to be the centre of Christianity in Scotland and Scotland's First University yet they're perfectly prepared to let random Pagans into their CHAPLAINCY, to worship their Pagan idols. What has gone wrong with this world? Political Correctness? Oh sorry, I'm living in the 21st Century, of course I should be more liberal.

I can't decide if you're being serious or not.

If you are, thank you so very much for masterfully demonstrating the darker side* of some Christians- the inability to recognise other faiths as having just as worthy belief sytems.

*Very bad wording here, I apologise. My brain is too frazzled to remedy it.

[Bitterandtwisted]

Remember the moral of Devil's Advocate: If you allow freedom of religion, Satanists will destroy the world.

[hr]

Look at that. Look at that. "Accident Blackspot"? These aren't accidents. They're throwing themselves into the road gladly. Throwing themselves into the road to escape all this hideousness. Throw yourself into the road, darling - you haven't got a chance.

[tintin]

I am being serious - though maybe I'm not eloquent enough to appear so.

I just think it's a complete outrage. If the/you Pagans want to set up your own sort of Caplaincy, then please do so - just don't do it in the Christian Chaplaincy, please. It's enough with Moslems hijacking out place of meeting and worship that we then have to contend with other faiths too...go find your own building. Please don't shove us out of our own place and town that we've been in far longer than you.

Quoting Rufus from 21:01, 19th Jun 2006

Quoting tintin from 20:18, 19th Jun 2006
I sha'n't write another "Outraged of Tonbridge Wells" letter to 'Scotland on Sunday' about my alma mater and get it published (the one about wind farms and the lunacy of erecting turbines on the North Haugh) - all I will say is that the University goes from bad to worse, chaque jour. It is supposed to be the centre of Christianity in Scotland and Scotland's First University yet they're perfectly prepared to let random Pagans into their CHAPLAINCY, to worship their Pagan idols. What has gone wrong with this world? Political Correctness? Oh sorry, I'm living in the 21st Century, of course I should be more liberal.

I can't decide if you're being serious or not.

If you are, thank you so very much for masterfully demonstrating the darker side* of some Christians- the inability to recognise other faiths as having just as worthy belief sytems.

*Very bad wording here, I apologise. My brain is too frazzled to remedy it.

[harmless loony]

The moslems hijacking our place of worship??

*LAUGHS*

It's not officially a chaplaincy for christians - its a communal facility for everyone to use.

[Bitterandtwisted]

Quoting tintin from 21:15, 19th Jun 2006
I am being serious - though maybe I'm not eloquent enough to appear so.

I just think it's a complete outrage. If the/you Pagans want to set up your own sort of Caplaincy, then please do so - just don't do it in the Christian Chaplaincy, please. It's enough with Moslems hijacking out place of meeting and worship that we then have to contend with other faiths too...go find your own building. Please don't shove us out of our own place and town that we've been in far longer than you.

Isn't the Mansfield building used by lots of groups, not just the chaplaincy? It's not like it's a church being forced to allow pagans in.

As for shoving you out of the town... Well, I struggle to communicate how dumb that fear is. There's a Christian church every ten feet in this town and how often was I woken up by the thrice damned Christian shouty people on Market St? The town is overrun by Christians. A little diversity is not going to remove those loonies.

[hr]

Look at that. Look at that. "Accident Blackspot"? These aren't accidents. They're throwing themselves into the road gladly. Throwing themselves into the road to escape all this hideousness. Throw yourself into the road, darling - you haven't got a chance.

[Setsuna]

I think they are using the Mansfield Building.

Anyway, the reason I think it makes more sense is because, from what I gather, their beliefs have their foundations in the natural world. And it is one helluvan old religion.

To me, for some major religions, teachings appear to have become warped to suit the needs of a few individuals, the accuracy of texts are questionable, there is too much reliance on the teachings of what I concieve to be a couple of randoms a in the last 2000 or so years. I am also baffled by the stifling of any references to sexuality, a force that basically keeps most life on this planet going.

There is no real respect for nature, only our needs as humans. I like paganism for being the opposite.

Then again, religion does not figure very much in my life, so dont get upset with my views if you are some kind of religious scholar.

I am one of those evil evolutionary geneticist-type people. In the 90% that is athiest.

[WashingtonIrving]

The beliefs of pagans are perfectly respectable. From what I've read it isn't that far away from Buddhism really. I don't understand in what sense this is political correctness gone mad, or how this is outrageous. As has been pointed out, these beliefs are hardly new, they're ancient and are no more threatening to christianity than any other religion.

[hr]

I bet you don't know how to spell contridiction.

[Al]

" Please don't shove us out of our own place and town that we've been in far longer than you."

Given that most Christian settlements were founded on pagan sites, there is every chance that pagans have been operating in St Andrews far longer than Christians.

[grousefanatic]

Quoting tintin from 20:18, 19th Jun 2006
I sha'n't write another "Outraged of Tonbridge Wells" letter to 'Scotland on Sunday' about my alma mater and get it published (the one about wind farms and the lunacy of erecting turbines on the North Haugh) - all I will say is that the University goes from bad to worse, chaque jour. It is supposed to be the centre of Christianity in Scotland and Scotland's First University yet they're perfectly prepared to let random Pagans into their CHAPLAINCY, to worship their Pagan idols. What has gone wrong with this world? Political Correctness? Oh sorry, I'm living in the 21st Century, of course I should be more liberal.

Next you'll be saying that the LGBT shouldn't be allowed to use the building either ...

[hr]

veni vidi nates calce concidi - i came, i saw, i kicked ass