The Pagan Next Door

[Tasogare]

Eris as a "Goddess of chaos" is a very recent concept: she is actually the Goddess of Strife, and was called "the abhorred daughter of Nix" by Hesiod.

That's only one version of Eris. You seem familiar with Hesiod, so you should be familiar with the fact that he differentiated quite clearly between the "hated" Eris, and the daughter of Nix who is anything but abhorred, at least in Works and Days. Why he changed his tune in Theogony is beyond me, but I don't necessarily agree with it entirely.

Either way, I don't think Eris as a personification of Chaos is especially modern. She's always sown seeds of discord and chaos, nearly every time she shows up. xD

[technomage]

That's only one version of Eris. You seem familiar with Hesiod, so you should be familiar with the fact that he differentiated quite clearly between the "hated" Eris, and the daughter of Nix who is anything but abhorred, at least in Works and Days. Why he changed his tune in Theogony is beyond me, but I don't necessarily agree with it entirely.

Oh, I don't necessarily agree with it either--and indeed, I did not mean it as any form of critique of the theology. Call it pedantry on my part--I'm guilty of that once in a while.

Ok ... maybe more than "once in a while.:

[Seri]

This seems very true. While I don't believe simply in one god or one goddess, Eris' calling was definitely much like that. I'd been seeing her name popping up here and there for years before I finally gave in and opened myself to the idea of polytheism. Every time I saw it it always stood out to me very heavily, and had me compelled to know more about her. If that wasn't a calling I don't know what is. (Why a goddess of chaos would be calling people, though, is beyond me!)

To clarify my position, when I say the Goddess and the God, I mean for two very distinct ideas to go along with the conception: first, that all goddesses are Goddess and all gods are God and, second, that the Goddess and the God are thoughtforms. My conception of cosmology is pantheistic and non-personal, but extremely complex. When I read that Eris called you, I take it to mean that the conception of traits associated with the name Eris (strife, discord, chaos, etc.) and an interpretation of those traits personified from the raw substance of existence more easily identified with you than other traits and personifications. More simply, we use personifications as interpretive tools, sort of the fulcrum and lever by which to move the universe. The concept here being that we cannot properly interact with that which we do not have a means of understanding.

A useful comparison is to a car. A mechanic, an interior decorator, a race driver, and the car's designer all have different interpretive tools by which they judge the car based on their individual preferences and values. I claim that the thoughtforms behind Goddess and God are interpretive tools by which to interpret the whole of existence.

As I've said elsewhere (including in-person discussions of such topics), I'm roughly 3 metaphysical steps from atheism. I just posit more extra-material forces than the average atheist.

[Tasogare]

When I read that Eris called you, I take it to mean that the conception of traits associated with the name Eris (strife, discord, chaos, etc.) and an interpretation of those traits personified from the raw substance of existence more easily identified with you than other traits and personifications.

No, not at all. I'm very much a "pan-polytheist." While I do believe that certain gods are the same simply given different names depending on the culture, I also believe in many, many different deities. The way I see it is they simply have their own jurisdiction, as it were. Thus why there can be various gods of the same "domain," depending on where one is in the world.

I admit this makes my thoughts on creation a bit vague, and I'm certainly still trying to figure out many things. I'm by no means completely settled in my beliefs. I've only been finding polytheism agreeable for the past three to four years, so there's still very much to learn!

[Seri]

No, not at all. I'm very much a "pan-polytheist." While I do believe that certain gods are the same simply given different names depending on the culture, I also believe in many, many different deities. The way I see it is they simply have their own jurisdiction, as it were. Thus why there can be various gods of the same "domain," depending on where one is in the world.

I admit this makes my thoughts on creation a bit vague, and I'm certainly still trying to figure out many things. I'm by no means completely settled in my beliefs. I've only been finding polytheism agreeable for the past three to four years, so there's still very much to learn!

What I meant when I said that is that I interpret such a statement in that way. Sorry if I was unclear.

[Lepidopteryx]

well, it certainly would be somewhat distracting if I were to knock at your place and you answered the door completely starkers. But then OTOH, I doubt I would be holding a bible out in plain view, even if I was for some reason witnessing door-to-door (and in your country, at that).

Ah - a stealth evangelist. I can always identify the Mormons because they travel in pairs on bicycles, always dress in whie shirts, balck slacks and a tie, and they have those little name tags pinned to their shirts. The JW's (at least the ones I've encountered) also travel in pairs and always carry a satchel full of copies of The Watchtower.

But then, people I know have told me that they answer questions about their religious beliefs with "oh, I'm a satanist", just to shock the people doorknocking... ... so I don't tend to get surprised by much any more. The worst I might do is raise an eyebrow at you.

A reasonable response. Once, they offered to wait until I got dressed, I told them I had no plans to get dressed until I had to go to work in two days.

(Oh, and I don't think it's terribly rude to go around to people's places asking if they want you to explain your beliefs to them... what IS rude is if you don't go away when they say they aren't interested...)

If I wanted to be Christian, there are three Christian churches literally walking distance from my house - two on opposite sides of the street leading into one entrance to the subdivision, and one across the street from the other entrance to the subdivision. There is also a megachurch less than 5 miles up the road.
Maybe it's just me, but I would never dream of presenting myself at a stranger's home in order to check and make sure they're worshipping in the way I think is best.

[tmancour]

Now you've added a new word to your nasties: phony. I recall, Justin, that I'm the one who is still here posting away, combating heresy. Maybe not perfectly, but consistently. You can call me ignorant, dumb, unsaved, or what have you..............but phony, I'm not. You don't know me, my personal life, or what I do and do not do. You only know that I challenge your belief system, speaking truth to error. Sorry, Justin, but that is my ministry. You may hate and despise me, Justin, but I still will pray for your salvation, and hope that one day soon I can call you brother. I don't hate you at all Justin, "I just want to see you there."

This is a new song for you, Justin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exQAD...eature=related

Point of clarification: if you are posting on this particular board, then you are not combatting heresy, because heresy refers to a willfull distortion of a particular creed. Since we do not adopt your creed, we are not heretics: we are heathens, and fiercly proud of it. We are not heretics. (some of us might be apostates, but that's between them and their former religion).

Thanks, keep up the infighting, it's entertaining.

Arion the Blue

[Lili]

Wiccans/Witches are always coming to Christian sites - I suppose they want to proselytize people to their gods and ghouls. Who knows. But, I'm not proselytizing, I'm combating the darkness occultism brings with it, and the dangers.

I have read posts by many Wiccans here and on other boards and I have never seen one proselytize, so you are mistaken. In fact, it is rare for pagans of any faith to proselytize; it makes no sense in the context of the majority of most polytheistic faiths. They don't believe that there is only one true God or one path to the divine.

[technomage]

I have read posts by many Wiccans here and on other boards and I have never seen one proselytize, so you are mistaken. In fact, it is rare for pagans of any faith to proselytize; it makes no sense in the context of the majority of most polytheistic faiths. They don't believe that there is only one true God or one path to the divine.

Krusader is not interested in dialogue--her usual pattern is disruption, accusation, and acrimony. Nor does she quibble about honesty in such attacks.

Note to the mods: if needed, verification of my assertion that Krusader is less than completely honest has already been provided in this thread.