Question by In love wtih my Soldier: what do pagans believe in?
i am supposed to be going to this wedding the bride and groom are pagan. what does it really mean to be pagan and what do they believe in?
my bf is a very religious catholic and im not sure we should go now.
Best answer:
Answer by Leanan Sídhe – The Dark Circle
Pagan is a Large group of other religions….
Such as Wicca, Sikh, etc…
Give your answer to this question below!
I’m an atheist but I go to Christian weddings because I want to share the day with the bride and groom. I ignore all the religious stuff about it… can’t you and your bf just do that? If you are close with them I”m sure they’d want you to be there regardless of your religious beliefs.
It depends on the person. If you are concerned, just call your friend up and ask about their beliefs and what is on the venue for the wedding. I’m sure that person won’t mind.
That depends, what tradition are they. Unlike formal religions pagans do not have set dogma and doctrine they must follow. Paganism is just an umbrella term for the many different traditions out there. Some may honor gods and goddesses, or just goddesses, or just gods, or no deities at all. You will have to ask the bride and groom (or someone close to them) what they beleive in.
Whether or not you go is up to you. You would be welcome as for most of us it goes against our traditions to be unkind to anyone. We do not do anything that harms others, much to the chagrin of those who like to tell people we sacrifice animals and babies. You will not have to partake in anything your not comfortable with. You may find that the ceremony is very similar to something you would go through.
**Mignonet proves that people tend to speak without educating themselves. Black clothes…hmm last ritual I did for imbolc no one but me wore black. I was also one of the youngest in the room and I am 33. Oh and that don’t eat meat is hilarious. I am as carnivorous as they come.
I’m sure the wedding will be lovely. Your boyfriend doesn’t need to worry, we stopped eating catholics YEARS ago.
Pagan is a very broad term, but generally modern pagan religions are earth centered and peaceful.
ouija board and black black clothing…oops that’s a friend of mine…
don’t eat meat or dairy products.
Yes you should go.
Pagans have very different beliefs, but there are a few that most branches have in common.
1. They are nature based. That means that in some way they revere nature and that they are probably an animist. (Animism: ” (from Latin anima (soul, life)[1][2]) is a philosophical, religious or spiritual idea that souls or spirits exist in humans, animals, plants or other entities.”
2. They believe in freedom of belief. Which is why it is perfectly safe for you to go to the wedding. You don’t have to do anything you don’t feel comfortable with.
There are many different types of Paganism, why don’t you ask your friend what type of pagan they are. Then you can research that religion. i will leave you with some general sources.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/paganism.htm
The website above has lots of info on Paganism.
Good luck,
Mari
To be polite is not a sin.
To stiff them is.
Pagan describes a lot of different religions, there isn’t one set of beliefs.
If you already RSVP’ed you need to go now. Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean they will be sacrificing a goat instead of exchanging rings. It just won’t be a traditional Christian ceremony that you may be used to.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagan
Pagans don’t follow mainstream religion. Pagans have pantheons which are “denominations”. If they are Pantheists they follow gods and goddesses of several different cultures. There is no Satan in Paganism.
I hope your bf is very open minded. Remember this is someone Else’s wedding, which means its about them…its their happy day. If he can’t appreciate the love there b/c of the religion, he probably shouldn’t go.
A wedding is a celebration of love no matter what religion. Put your definition of god asside and support your friend in her journey into marriage with a person who loves them.
Pagans, as you are referring, typically believe in the earth, the cycles of the earth, and nature. Although, Pagan is a term invented by the early european christians to mean “heathen” and is not the term the non-christians, yet spiritual, called themselves at that time.
There is no reason you should not attend your friends wedding, as typically, today, people who refer to themselves as Pagans, are more accepting of different faiths, more than most, as compared to many Christians, who are horribly self righteous and can’t understand how others may believe differently.
Religion is a personal choice and you should really focus on what it means to you. Be a good person, hang with other good people and stop being so concerned on what others believe spiritually and how that differs from your belief.
That, or only have Christian/Catholic friends and then its never an issue…for you.
Pagans are a very diverse group of people. Basically it means they revere the earth as the highest part of divinity. It is a faith that includes both god and goddess as necessary to balance the universe. There is no heaven or hell, but reincarnation. We believe in the Law of Return, a natural force that gives back what you do – do bad things and bad things will happen to you. Many Pagans do magick, using the preternatural laws of nature to our benefit for the good of all involved. We live by the moral code “If it harms none, do what you want.”
Why should your boyfriend stay away from the wedding just because the bride and groom have a different religion!? Is he going to go to hell for acknowledging that not everyone believes the same thing, or for showing respect to those who don’t believe the same as he does? I assure you that they will not ask you to worship their gods. Pagans are much more accepting of other people’s faith than most, so they will completely respect you. If it helps, you should know that almost all Catholic traditions evolved from Paganism. The ceremonies look very similar. We believe in a goddess who gave birth to the light of the world, a god. That shouldn’t offend a Catholic!
BTW: the meat and dairy thing is bull. Where did that guy get that?!
nature, life, accepting and respecting them
soem beleive in gods and godesses, soem dont believe in any, some beleive their gods and godesses are not real but symbolic
some beleive in magic, some dont
most pagans are very nice, kind, happy,friendly tolerant people (no bias here being that im a pagan atheist ;-D )
its entirely up to you, and your boyf, whether you go or not
but, in truth, there is no reason in the world you shoudlnt, if you hve an open mind, are tolerant and enjoy meeting new and interesting people
then you shoudl go
😉