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So basically Paganism is just any non-Abrahamic faith? Or is it just western pre-Abrahamic faiths?

(06-02-2013, 06:27 PM)Mr Maps Wrote: [ -> ]So basically Paganism is just any non-Abrahamic faith? Or is it just western pre-Abrahamic faiths?

To be fair, the Abrahamic faiths were pretty much around in their infantile forms around the time most Pagan religions existed. It's just that Christianity didn't exist before approximately 1 AD, and Islam* didn't exist before 600AD. But Judiasm was certainly around for a few thousand years before Christianity.


*Note that Islam uses the same of appeal to Abraham as Christianity does, albeit in a different way. It's not uncommon in Arabic stories after 600AD to refer to Ibrihim (Abraham).

Anyway, just a minor point of correction.

Not just any non-Abrahamic faith. They do happen to be non-Abrahamic, but so is Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Raelism, so on and so forth. I think Paganism often involves a pantheon, animism and worship of nature, but I'm not too educated on the worldview.

Paganism does indeed predate Abraham, and unfortunately Pagans haven't always been treated nicely by Judeo-Christians, with terms such as "Barbarian", "Philistine" and "Heathen" eventually becoming derogatory terms, even though they haven't always been (the Philistines were pagans, and a heathen is, if I'm correct, essentially a Pagan with no specific affiliation to a worldview, a bit like someone who isn't explicitly religious but follows things like astrology and esoterism and what not and is also "open" to the ideas of various religions. Fullmoon, correct me if I'm wrong).

(06-02-2013, 07:25 PM)JoelCarli Wrote: [ -> ]Not just any non-Abrahamic faith. They do happen to be non-Abrahamic, but so is Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Wicca, Raelism, so on and so forth.

I realise, that's why I said 'western'. And when I said 'pre-' I meant before Abrahamic faiths came to the west, not just before Abrahamic faiths in general. That could've been clearer, sorry. And the rest of yours and Sam's posts makes sense. Thanks.

I just noticed I wrote "Wicca", which is a pagan religion. I'm dumb lol

(06-02-2013, 07:46 PM)JoelCarli Wrote: [ -> ]I just noticed I wrote "Wicca", which is a pagan religion. I'm dumb lol

I did notice that, but I assumed you knew what you were talking about.

(06-02-2013, 07:46 PM)JoelCarli Wrote: [ -> ]I just noticed I wrote "Wicca", which is a pagan religion. I'm dumb lol

I did see that also, and I was like, "Huh? Wicca? Well...maybe he knows something about Wicca I don't..." lol.

Buddhism is not necessarily atheistic, as there are a TON of Buddhist who worship The Buddha as a God, and many who believe that there are Gods beyond him (like Mara for example). So pointing to that as a reason for it not being able to coincide with another religion is silly. Also, there are such things and Christian Buddhists and Jewish Buddhists, so combining two of them is not unheard of.

Paganism also has many of the earthy elements of Buddhism. But that chick is probably just being a dummy try-hard.

(06-02-2013, 05:13 PM)BobSacamano Wrote: [ -> ]Does anyone have a good site that can give me good religious knowledge without being too complicated or biased? I know nothing, even about Christianity really and want to learn about all these individual religions but wikipedia is terrible at it.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/

(06-02-2013, 07:52 PM)bbbrad Wrote: [ -> ]Jewish Buddhists

To be fair, if you tell a practicing Jew that you're a "Jewish Buddhist", then they'll think you're a joke. And it's not because they'd be mocking you (although, some of them might; as there's idiots in every group). It's just that practicing Jews take the Torah (basically the 1st 4 books of the Bible) very seriously and aren't really big on bringing in elements of other religions.


It's sort of how most practicing Jews wouldn't take Kaballah seriously, despite Kaballah's origins being somewhat Jewish. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaballah

A practicing Jew only really cares about the Torah and, to a lesser extent, the Talmud (teachings of the rabbis). Some people of Jewish leanings don't even follow the Talmud though. I myself could be described as a Messianic Jew, but I don't follow the Talmud, only the Torah and the teachings of Yeshua (aka Jesus Christ).


All of that said, Jews also aren't the kind of people to sit there and judge you for what you believe. As long as you leave a Jew alone and let them believe what they believe, they'll leave you alone and let you believe what you believe. Jews take the Biblical saying, "Judge not, lest ye be judged" VERY seriously and are more interested in examining themselves introspectively than in trying to get others to be in line with the Jewish beliefs.

(06-02-2013, 10:25 PM)crazysam23 Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-02-2013, 07:52 PM)bbbrad Wrote: [ -> ]Jewish Buddhists

To be fair, if you tell a practicing Jew that you're a "Jewish Buddhist", then they'll think you're a joke. And it's not because they'd be mocking you (although, some of them might; as there's idiots in every group). It's just that practicing Jews take the Torah (basically the 1st 4 books of the Bible) very seriously and aren't really big on bringing in elements of other religions.


It's sort of how most practicing Jews wouldn't take Kaballah seriously, despite Kaballah's origins being somewhat Jewish. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaballah

A practicing Jew only really cares about the Torah and, to a lesser extent, the Talmud (teachings of the rabbis). Some people of Jewish leanings don't even follow the Talmud though. I myself could be described as a Messianic Jew, but I don't follow the Talmud, only the Torah and the teachings of Yeshua (aka Jesus Christ).


All of that said, Jews also aren't the kind of people to sit there and judge you for what you believe. As long as you leave a Jew alone and let them believe what they believe, they'll leave you alone and let you believe what you believe. Jews take the Biblical saying, "Judge not, lest ye be judged" VERY seriously and are more interested in examining themselves introspectively than in trying to get others to be in line with the Jewish beliefs.

Same goes for any other duo-religion like that. Christians would laugh their asses off at a Buddhist Christian too.

Robert Downey Jr claims to be a Jewish Buddhist. Buddhism is such a flexible religion that it can probably coincide with the other religions in some way. I once claimed to be a Catholic-Buddhist. It's just all about what the individual feels like they can give and take from each side, so it's completely understandable that followers of just 1 of the faiths would find that pick-and-choose attitude to be indicative of not a true follower.