Gaelic Polytheist

[Rhiannon]

So Jesus isn't a constant presence in your life?

Yes He is, the only constant: but that is not a pagan belief is it?  It is for me.

And yet I can see the stars.

[BashfulAnthony]

There are always stars visible from the earth and I anticipate that won't change during my lifetime. Collectively they are constant.

You can get computer programs that can show you - backwards in history, forwards into the future - how the constellations have changed and will change over many hundreds of thousands or millions of years.

Indeed, but that doesn't alter the fact that they are not, in reality, constant; they may appear so, but we know it is not the case:  Nothing in the Universe, in life, is constant

Indeed and nobody is denying this or saying otherwise; but the pace of change is so grindingly slow to the individual observer that they are constant to all appearances.

A million years from now Orion won't look the same as it does now. This of interest to astronomers, but realistically, who else cares?

To me the fact that even the awesome stars are eventually going to die, is not a source of strength,it simply reminds me that we face uncertainty and change, whatever it may be.

[Shaker]

But change is the most basic facet of the universe?

[BashfulAnthony]

But change is the most basic facet of the universe?

It is, that's my point.

[Rhiannon]

Why does change have to be a bad thing?

[Shaker]

Why does change have to be a bad thing?

To be fair it's something that bothers a lot of people - I think for some change represents uncertainty which in itself is based on a lack of or loss of control over circumstances, and for many that's a scary thing.

[Rhiannon]

Why does change have to be a bad thing?

To be fair it's something that bothers a lot of people - I think gor some change represents uncertainty which in itself is based on a lack of or loss of control over circumstances, and for many that's a scary thing.

Yes, but that still doesn't mean it is a bad thing, just that it feels bad.

[BashfulAnthony]

Why does change have to be a bad thing?

To be fair it's something that bothers a lot of people - I think gor some change represents uncertainty which in itself is based on a lack of or loss of control over circumstances, and for many that's a scary thing.

It's a fear of the unknown; though changes may not indeed be bad, but it's the fact that we cannot be sure.

[Owlswing]

Why does change have to be a bad thing?

The only argument is the speed of the change - the stars change over such a period as to be un-noticable oveer a human lifetime.

The christians call their god a constant - he is not - what he was, what he is, what his son was and what his son is, and what they both stand for is being changed year on year as the church finds that more and more people are rejecting the old proscriptions and values like tattoo's, like same-sex relationships, like homosexuality.

The values of christians have changed more in the last ten years than in the prevuous couple of hundred - in that time the stars have changed, to all intents and purposes, not at all.

[Shaker]

No, but if you set yourself up against the most fundamental fact of the cosmos you're going to give yourself a hard time. I used to be that way until I had to accept that it can only be embraced.

[Owlswing]

No, but if you set yourself up against the most fundamental fact of the cosmos you're going to give yourself a hard time. I used to be that way until I had to accept that it can only be embraced.

There is only one greater constant - that you are not going to get out of this world alive.

[Rhiannon]

No, but if you set yourself up against the most fundamental fact of the cosmos you're going to give yourself a hard time. I used to be that way until I had to accept that it can only be embraced.

Exactly. It's fighting with reality. And that's one fight you are sure to lose.

[Owlswing]

No, but if you set yourself up against the most fundamental fact of the cosmos you're going to give yourself a hard time. I used to be that way until I had to accept that it can only be embraced.

Exactly. It's fighting with reality. And that's one fight you are sure to lose.

Reality - a difficult concept if you are trying to promote christianity as a logical set of beliefs.

[BashfulAnthony]

No, but if you set yourself up against the most fundamental fact of the cosmos you're going to give yourself a hard time. I used to be that way until I had to accept that it can only be embraced.

Exactly. It's fighting with reality. And that's one fight you are sure to lose.

Reality - a difficult concept if you are trying to promote christianity as a logical set of beliefs.

And how is belief in the constancy of the stars construed as a belief?

[Rhiannon]

It's not a belief.

[BashfulAnthony]

It's not a belief.

Then I'm not sure what it is to you.

[Rhiannon]

No, probably not.

[Owlswing]

No, probably not.

He has demonstrated his inability to understand even the most basic principles of paganism all too often.

Those principles are based upon personal choice so he, whose religion is based upon having no choice, will never understnad paganism and there is no way that he will, in his eyes, demean himself by trying to learn what we are about.

[BashfulAnthony]

No, probably not.

He has demonstrated his inability to understand even the most basic principles of paganism all too often.

Those principles are based upon personal choice so he, whose religion is based upon having no choice, will never understnad paganism and there is no way that he will, in his eyes, demean himself by trying to learn what we are about.

I wish you'd stop telling me what I do or don't think:  as if you knew, or understood.

[ad_orientem]

Not a theist (neither are scads of pagans, come to that), I'm sympathetic to the concept of a religion which takes as its basis the real and the true - nature - about which I said more in a post or two on the 'Seasons' thread.

Oh yeah, because it makes so much more sense paying homage to gods one doesn't even believe exist in any real sense.

[Rhiannon]

In what way is your god 'real', ad-o?

[Sassy]

http://www.tairis.co.uk

I thought this was an interesting site.

Wondered what others thought.

He describes himself as a "Gaelic Polytheist"

Rose,

Please forgive me but no patience to read such a long site at present.

Why not give us a brief summary of what you thought it is the person is trying to reveal to us in short form.

Thank you

[Owlswing]

http://www.tairis.co.uk

I thought this was an interesting site.

Wondered what others thought.

He describes himself as a "Gaelic Polytheist"

Rose,

Please forgive me but no patience to read such a long site at present.

Why not give us a brief summary of what you thought it is the person is trying to reveal to us in short form.

Thank you

Sassy, you are just too lazy.

Do what anyone else has to do when doing research - read the materials - when you were at college or Uni did you get someone else to do your research for you?

No, of course you didn't - so don't expect Rose or Rhiannon or me or anyone else to do it for you now - why not do what you always do - read your bible, quote-mine it, and tell everyone else that what they are saying is rubbish because of it!

[ad_orientem]

In what way is your god 'real', ad-o?

I would say he is existance itself. He is.

[Rhiannon]

And to a pagan - especially a pantheism such as myself - nature and deity are the same thing.