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SubinMaine -> RE: BDSM and Pagans (6/28/2007 5:20:51 PM)
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ugh...i almost hate to post because i can just feel the flames coming, but i'm stubborn and it'll just eat away at me...
First off, i agree with Morghan to an extent with the following changes: Wicca is the NEO-Pagan form of Catholicism. Very structured with rules, codes of ethics, ritual. Not a thing wrong with that but in my opinion, it is a very weak starting point for anyone wishing to research Pagan beliefs and history. Pagan history goes back to the Celts, the Norse, the Gaels...Wicca was formed around the basic principles and beliefs but it was tailored to fit the Present Day and has only been around since the mid 1900's. When studying the history of something, general rule of thumb is you start at the beginning, not the middle or the end.
Besides, Gerald Gardiner (Witchcraft Today) and Dr. Margaret Murray were not the sanest (that a word?) people to grace this earth...but i'll give them this: they were smart when it came to their "kink"...what better way to watch nubile young women and men dance skyclad around the balefire and not be called "sick" than to start a new religion with a structure based on old beliefs and then tailor it...it's automatic "old ways". (that last part was tongue-in-cheek, no offense intended to ANY Wiccan's out there).
Pagan religion can be defined as any religion that does not follow a monotheistic structure. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all follow monotheistic structure. Paganism consists of religions that follow a polytheistic belief. To me it's always been quite simple to define the two.
All that blather above being said, i am Pagan. i do not follow a structure nor do i have an icon God/Goddess that i pray to..but i do pray...i'm spiritual without being religious. i'm a believer in something larger, but am not militant. my immersion into BDSM came much later than my spiritual belief system. i do find it odd that there is an obviously higher number of Pagans who live the lifestyle, but i put it down to the fact that Pagans generally don't suffer from the guilt of Dogma and believe if they're not hurting anyone (well, without consent and in a safe sane manner [;)]) there's not a darn thing wrong with it.
*disclaimer*: i do not have ANYTHING against ANYONE that follows ANY religion that does not mirror my own. i can say that honestly because, well, there's no label out there (yet) for my path and spirituality. Whatever you believe in, you believe in, more power to you *smile*
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