Posted on 02/17/2005 3:06:35 PM PST by LurkedLongEnough
After applying and getting denied twice, the Boston University Nemeton Wicca Student Group was approved by the Religious Life Council as a new religious organization on campus Wednesday afternoon at Marsh Chapel.
The RLC denied the group, which applied as a pagan organization the first two times, because paganism is not formally recognized as a religion. But, last semester the organization changed its affiliation to Wicca, which is considered a religion, changing its name to the Wicca Student Group this year.
Nemeton President Aubrey Hooser said renaming the group was not an issue.
"The majority of the group follows Wicca, but the group welcomes anyone who is open-minded," the University Professors Program senior said.
As a unrecognized student group, Nemeton was denied certain privileges extended to religious groups, according to Nemeton Treasurer Jeffrey Barnett.
"In the beginning of the year, all of the religious groups have a table in front of Marsh Chapel," the College of Arts and Sciences senior said. "We would like to be able to represent our religion for the new students, as well. We would also like to be a part of the Interfaith Initiative, where a number of groups from BU get together to discuss their religions. Religious organizations also enjoy several resources the student groups do not have, such as a regular space to meet, protection from the school, the use of religious representations and being listed as a resource for students."
CAS senior Elizabeth Moss stressed the importance of being listed at the Office of the Chaplain.
"We are a very difficult community to find on-campus, even with a lot of initiative," Moss said. "Being associated with the Office of the Chaplain makes it a lot easier for interested people to find us."
Nemeton members said they were thrilled with the RLC's decision.
"I'm very happy about the results," Barnett said. "I'm very enthusiastic about working with the RLC and their resources in the future."
"We're very glad to become a part of the religious community at Boston University," Hooser said.
Moss said although the group's activities will not change, they will have the university privileges available to other religious groups.
"We have to meet with the Associate Dean of Marsh and we are now responsible to Marsh Chapel as well as the Student Activities Office," Moss said.
BU's Nemeton group was founded five years ago to provide an organization for pagans on campus. The group has 10 to 15 regular members and about 80 students on their mailing list.
The group will continue to be active on and off campus, meeting weekly, holding tarot workshops and hosting speakers like local pagan Christopher Penczak, Hooser said.
"We take part in a number of pagan programs, such as Pagan Pride Day, where pagans from all over Massachusetts meet, an annual retreat for the high-holiday Beltaine and open circles for lunar holidays on the BU Beach," she said.
We really do live in a wonderfully open society. However, if this group starts beheading people as part of their rituals, opinion could change.
Now we can start restricting THEIR freedom of religion!
What exactly is a pagan? I'm not trying to be flip, but how would I distinguish a pagan from an atheist?
"What exactly is a pagan? I'm not trying to be flip, but how would I distinguish a pagan from an atheist?"
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Well, pagans make an attempt to adhere to a belief system that is based on old, pre-christian european spirituality. The drawback is most of that information was probaly lost so, without being disrespectful to them, I have to say that they are basically 'winging it'.
A pagan does not believe in no deity or "higher being" as an atheist does; they believe in the deity of all things or the deity of nature. I once knew a wiccan woman who talked about how we are all gods or goddesses and she worshipped the earth. An atheist believes humans are the highest being but not in quite the same way, as I understand it.
And wicca is a religion. Many people consider it a wrong or evil or silly religion, but it is a religion.
Everything old is new again in Beantown.
"What exactly is a pagan? I'm not trying to be flip, but how would I distinguish a pagan from an atheist?"
As a graduate of a nearby university, I can explain.
An atheist wears black, has a pale face, and moans on about the unfairness of life. They are generally very skinny and drink coffee. They seldom have sex.
Pagans, in contrast, wear black, have pale faces with dark make up, and moan on about the unfairness of life to animals. They are generally kind of heavy and drink anything with vodka. They often have sex and then follow the guy around for months.
Now, if they could just get around to recognizing AmishDudeism.
"Interfaith"
So, wicca's a faith now is it? Faith in what? Who? Trees and frogs...?
"A pagan does not believe in no deity or "higher being" as an atheist does; they believe in the deity of all things or the deity of nature. I once knew a wiccan woman who talked about how we are all gods or goddesses and she worshipped the earth. An atheist believes humans are the highest being but not in quite the same way, as I understand it.
And wicca is a religion. Many people consider it a wrong or evil or silly religion, but it is a religion."
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It is interesting to note the fusion of paganism and christianity during the early years of roman catholicism. They did a pretty good job of adapting christianity to suit the belief systems already in place in northern europe. Of course, you do the same thing in the carribean and you get voodoo!
"What exactly is a pagan? I'm not trying to be flip, but how would I distinguish a pagan from an atheist?"
More, atheists don't believe in God. They quote Niche out of context and are proto-communists.
Pagans generally believe in some sort of earth-mother-goddess. This leads them to read Henry David Therough. They also sometimes dabble in lesbianism, but this ends at graduation when they go try to marry someone from Conneticut.
You've got to get into AmishDudeism, man. I mean, the precident of worshipping a jolly fat man with a sense of humor has already been set.
The latter neither believe in, nor worship, any higher or supernatural power. The former seem to place an inordinate amount of faith into such things as trees and rocks.
They gotta check out AmishDudeism. I eat rocks for breakfast.
"As a graduate of a nearby university, I can explain.
An atheist wears black, has a pale face, and moans on about the unfairness of life. They are generally very skinny and drink coffee. They seldom have sex.
Pagans, in contrast, wear black, have pale faces with dark make up, and moan on about the unfairness of life to animals. They are generally kind of heavy and drink anything with vodka. They often have sex and then follow the guy around for months."
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Don't forget a link to zoth ommog http://www.zothommog.com/main.htm in their 'my favorites' ie tab.
LOL.... You forgot the "Trekkie" part.... HAHhahaha... That was GREAT.
Wiccans, D&D, and Trekkies kinda hang out together.
Don't worry, Freepers, pagans aren't a threat. I can't think of a single pagan sect that actively proselytizes or recruits. They mostly want to be left alone. I know, because I am one of them.
It is my understanding that Marsch Chapel is an Episcopal (ECUSA -- gag me) Chapel. I crossed the bridge and went there on occassion.
It used to only do various protestant (Methodist, Episcopal, and generic) and Roman Catholic services.
The Hidus, et al, had a seperate chapel.
"The majority of the group follows Wicca, but the group welcomes anyone who..."
...has a hole in his head.
Thanks for the information. However, it is orthodox (small "o") Jewish and Christian teaching that pagans, whether they realize it or not, are dealing with the demonic. (For example, the line in Psalm 96 (95) which states "all the gods of the Gentiles (meaning all the gods that the non-Jews worshipped at the time it was written) are devils." In the Judeo-Christian view, there is only one God, "the God of Abraham." Since most FReepers are Christians, they probably hold this view.
*shrug* I realize that some Christian and Jewish teaching stress that we're deluded and dealing with Satan. And we're pretty much condemned to die by Islam. But that's our choice to make, and we're not hurting you by making it.
An athiest tends not to believe in a deity.
In my experience:
Female pagans tend to believe they have super-powers, while pagan men tend to believe they can score with pagan women.
/Wormwood. (Former pagan, former Christian, present-day smartass).
All of this for just a measly $38,000 per yr! Such a deal!
Well, looking at it from the general religious freedom viewpoint, you aren't hurting us. But looking at it from the general Judeo-Christian viewpoint, the acceptance of paganism creates a unhealthy spiritual climate.
ROTFLMAO!
I suppose when all else fails,
you can try out the- Moonie's.
Welcome to FR. Did you join because of the whole Hannity fiasco?
I am a Wicca and the reason I joined was because the Grand Wicca told me that there hasn't been an Islamofacist Fatwa about separating us from our heads yet. Of course, that could change at any time, in which case I'm going to switch over to something else.
"Don't worry, Freepers, pagans aren't a threat. I can't think of a single pagan sect that actively proselytizes or recruits."
Thanks for the logical information. As you can tell by the responses from several posters, they feel threatened by the unknown. It's easier for them to ridicule than to take the time to learn.
Oh relax. Pagans are funny. So are Christians and Jews. Materialists (like myself) are just as ridiculous and spiritualists, so I'm not even being hypocritical.
"I'm not religious. I'm spiritual" = WILL HAVE SEX ON FIRST DATE
It would be stupid to propose the second. Harassment is punishable by law. Jesus taught Christians to "Render to Caeasar what is Caesar's, and to render to God what is God's." This means, in part, to respect lawful authority. Christians are also supposed to respect the inherent dignity of humans, who have basic rights given to them, since they are "created in the image of God." While accepting this dignity, we are commissioned to condemn the sins of the world and of the flesh through our example, and through preaching. We are supposed to draw people to Christ. Harassment will only drive people away.
LOL! Truth can be humorous, can't it?
He's mentioned in your textbook!? How old is it? You should start a thread describing all the details of it. People should know about that.
Honestly, whether we're deluded and dealing with Satan or not, there are in fact a fair number of Republican pagans. Understandably we tend to keep a low profile. My husband and I are not the stereotypical run-through-the-woods-nekkid weirdos. We're pretty dull, in fact. You could live next door to us and never know we weren't Christian. The majority of pagans are like that and that is part of what I mean by saying "we're not a threat to you."
I never realized before how much Christianity resembles Microsoft.
Seriously, Wicca is 'odd', but is it any odder than, say, Mormonism? How many Freepers would like to contend that all Mormons are hell-bound? I have always taken "in my Father's house are many mansions" to be a statement of great tolerance.
There's a lady Wiccan around San Antonio, Kathryn Graham who runs a PI agency, is an A&P mechanic and teaches that as well, and who also teaches concealed handgun classes. She definitely gets left alone when that is what she wants.
What exactly does it say about Churchill (the freak, not the stateman)?
Kick *ss! ;)
That would depend on the state of the individual Mormon's soul. It is Mormon belief that Jesus is only one of God's many children. That is quite contrary to what Christian Scripture teaches (Jesus as God's "only begotten Son").
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