Naturalistic Paganism
Naturalism in prehistory?
Were our earliest ancestors naturalistic?
– by B. T. Newberg
Were our earliest human ancestors naturalistic? Some might assume so, reasoning that before the first gods were invented, people must have been naturalistic. But was that really the case?
The column Naturalistic Traditions, hosted by Patheos, is investigating the history of naturalism in an ongoing extended series. After an introduction and examination of naturalism in modern cosmology and evolution, it has investigated early hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists. This post summarizes the findings thus far on prehistory.
Misconceptions of naturalism
There are two key misconceptions that tend to foul up investigations into early naturalism:
- Nature religion does not equal naturalism
- Doubt does not equal naturalism
First, many people assume that if our ancestors revered nature, they were naturalists by default. Unfortunately, that’s incorrect. Naturalism, as we shall see shortly, is a worldview with a particular conception of nature that may or may not overlap with that of various nature religions.
Second, many believe that a lack of belief in gods, spirits, and magic amounts to naturalism. This is fallacious as well. One can lack belief in such things without adopting any particular worldview and conception of nature.
With those two misconceptions out of the way, let’s look more closely at naturalism itself.
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The HPedia: Science
Your help is needed! Please critique this entry from the HPedia: An encyclopedia of key concepts in Naturalistic Paganism. Please leave your constructive criticism in the comments below.
Science, from the Latin scientia, Ancient Greek epistemē, can be described as the systematic pursuit of knowledge of the natural world by the most reliable methods of the day.
Note that “natural world” includes humanity insofar as it too is part of nature.
Mirriam-Webster provides two definitions useful here:
- a department of systematized knowledge as an object of study
- knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws especially as obtained and tested through scientific method
The first definition is broad, encompassing virtually any subject of systematic study, which is more or less what Aristotle meant by “science.” The second is more restricted, associated with a specific method, and more in keeping with what modern scientists mean by “science.”
Many distinguish between science, or the investigation of the natural world, and technology, or the application of knowledge of the natural world.
Historians of science vary on when science began. All cultures of course pursue technology, but it is debated how many pursue science per se. Some scholars consider science to have begun no earlier than the Enlightenment. Others, such as Karl Popper, locate its origins in the Ionian philosophers like Thales and Anaximander. Still others, such as David C. Lindberg, are willing to extend the term “science” to whatever historical period, letting context define the “science” of the day. Thomas Kuhn argues that ancient, discarded beliefs are not therefore unscientific; rather, we must look at the integrity of science in that age.
In Naturalistic Paganism, individuals vary in exactly how they view past periods. As for the current era, “science” almost always connotes the pursuits and findings of the mainstream scientific community, employing scientific method, drawing tentative conclusions based on the current most compelling evidence, and critiqued by a community of peer experts.
On the basic assumptions of science, Wikipedia observes:
Working scientists usually take for granted a set of basic assumptions that are needed to justify the scientific method: (1) that there is an objective reality shared by all rational observers; (2) that this objective reality is governed by natural laws; (3) that these laws can be discovered by means of systematic observation and experimentation.
It seems quite probable that most Naturalistic Pagans would subscribe to these assumptions as well.
Naturalism is often considered fundamental to science, at least as a methodological assumption.
Another fundamental principle of science is that all conclusions are inherently fallible. Every “fact” is liable to being overturned by new discoveries. This is not a weakness, but rather a strength, as it is what leads to progress.
Scholars vary also in the precise details of scientific method. Some demand rigorous adherence to a detailed list of methods, while others are more loose. D. Jason Slone provides a simple, approachable version in four points:
- Research
- Hypothesis
- Experiment
- Peer Review
Some consider the goal of scientific method to be determining the most probable conclusion, while others such as Karl Popper argue one can only hope to falsify some hypotheses. Still others such as Thomas Kuhn take the radical position that progress in science only comes about through shifts in paradigm.
Modern scientific method may be contrasted with ancient Stoic methodology, as presented by Maxwell Stanisforth: 1. impression (sensation in response to stimulus), 2. assent (to whether the impression is a truthful presentation of objective reality), 3. conviction (only upon surviving the scrutiny of reason), 4. knowledge (only upon verification by comparison to past ages and sages). Missing in this Stoic method is empirical experimentation in order to adjudicate assent.
It is probably true that not all questions can be decisively addressed by scientific method, or at least not currently. Many issues discussed in Naturalistic Paganism may fall into this category. In these cases, the paucity of scientific evidence is no justification for this or that preferred belief. All one can do is place the question in the category “unknown” and suspend judgment.
Lupa has published an excellent critique of poor attention paid to research methodology in “proving” magic.
See also “Naturalism” and “Scientism.”
Check out other entries in our HPedia.
Am I a Secular Pagan? by Heather Van De Sande
“Secular Pagans are Humanists with flare.”
I was once a very bad witch. When I was trying to be a Wiccan, it was very difficult. I was 19 and the world was still pre-Internet. I knew no other Wiccans nor Witches nor Neo-Pagans. I did a lot of reading from mail order books about magick and the Craft. And while I wore my pentagram proudly, I felt very silly trying to perform spells. So while I was a “white witch”, a “good witch”, I wasn’t a very good at it.
Without a community of other pagans, it was difficult to maintain my beliefs, and so I eventually stopped. I wouldn’t meet an “out” Wiccan until twenty years later when I was well on my leaving-Catholicism-to-becoming-an-Atheist trajectory. I have to admit, I was jealous of Imaari’s coven. They were a very open, friendly group of people. They were all very artistic and creative. Imaari would go join them for weekend retreats and drum circles, though no skyclad events (I was very disappointed to hear). I was invited twice to their Samhain Silent Supper and I found the event very moving from even my secular non-supernatural perspective.
Which got me to wondering, are there secular pagans?
Secular Pagans?
It turns out there are. And like any other group without a dogma or a central church handing down edicts, there is a whole gamut of individuals in the Pagan arena. For some, the rituals and ceremonies are much like LARPing; they don’t actually believe in the supernatural, it’s all just good fun. The gods and goddesses are merely metaphors. For others, it’s more about the respect for the planet and the understanding that we’re just another life form on it.
“Secular Paganism is not a religion; it is an ethical view of the world, based on the belief that Nature is sacred and must be respected and treasured. Secular Pagans hold many of the same views about Nature that religious Pagans and many people of other religions do. Secular Pagans believe that we are a part of Nature, not her master. There are no particular religious views connected with Secular Paganism.” ~ Abby Willowroot
The 15 Guiding Principles of Secular Paganism
- Ethical behavior does not require a religion
- All living things have a unique spirit or soul
- The equality of genders, races, and all humans
- Care must be taken in using Nature’s resources
- All Earth’s life is connected and inter-dependant
- The Gaia Principle is an important, basic, truth
- The cycles of Nature teach us what is important
- Balance must be maintained for all life to flourish
- Our health depends on the The Environment’s health
- Our individual actions can and do have consequences
- Evolution is an ongoing process that occurs in all species
- Birth, living and death are natural cycles shared by all life
- Respect for ourselves requires respect for the Earth
- All human cultures have value and can teach us
- Gods & Goddesses can be seen as metaphors
The 15 Guiding Principles Copyright Abby Willowroot 2009
While I don’t whole-heartedly agree with all 15 points, for example I’d word number two as “All Living things have a unique value,” I can accept most of it in principal. I don’t think they’re all that different from many of the Humanist Statement of Principles: (not all listed)
- We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, and to look outside nature for salvation.
- We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities.
- We are engaged by the arts no less than by the sciences.
- We are citizens of the universe and are excited by discoveries still to be made in the cosmos.
- We believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather than despair, learning in the place of dogma, truth instead of ignorance, joy rather than guilt or sin, tolerance in the place of fear, love instead of hatred, compassion over selfishness, beauty instead of ugliness, and reason rather than blind faith or irrationality.
I’ve read on the atheist blogs about people adopting the Wheel of the Year when celebrating holidays, which is something I’ve started doing as well. Last year, when I was missing my friend’s coven and their Samhain gathering, I put up a Day of the Dead Altar in my cube. I don’t believe the dead really come back to spend time with us, but I do accept the symbolism of having them with me during that time and making sure I remember them.
Secular Pagans are Humanists with flare
The reason the big religions all do things like gather regularly, sing, make things, have holidays and rituals, is because it satisfies a need we have as human beings. I’m sure that whatever that need is, it has a non-supernatural explanation. But I don’t think we have to feel that just because we’re atheists that we shouldn’t do anything that’s *like* religion. As more people leave Big Religion behind, there are going to be more secular communities with “religious” aspects.
Whether it’s the Unitarian Universalists, the North Texas Church of Freethought, or The Sunday Assembly, we want to meet, we want to sing, and we want our rituals and ceremonies.
Just beware; I might be doing it skyclad.
This post first appeared at Freethoughtify.
The author
Heather Van De Sande is an ex-Catholic, ex-Wiccan, ex-born-again-Baptist who became an Atheist while trying to recommit to her Catholic roots. She currently lives in Kentucky with her husband and very spoiled dog, works in IT, has a technical focused blog at http://sharepointdiva.wordpress.com and annoys her co-workers by rejecting all blessings on her sneezes. … She can occasionally be found at either The Lexington Atheists Meetup Group or The Louisville Atheists and Freethinkers Meetup Group and has just started the Frankfort Humanists, Skeptics, and Freethinkers FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FrankfortHSF
Recent Work
Conscious or unconscious: Which is the real you? by B. T. Newberg
The view from above: A Stoic meditation, by Donald Robertson
What if the universe doesn’t love you back? by B. T. Newberg
Next Sunday
Were the earliest peoples naturalistic? They must have been naturalistic before they came up with the first deity, right? – nope, and here’s why.
Naturalism in prehistory? by B. T. Newberg
Appearing Sunday, June 30th, 2013
World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day is June 20th (same day as the solstice this year). It is devoted to raising awareness of the situations of refugees across the world.
This year’s theme is “One refugee without hope is too many.”
From Wikipedia:
A refugee is a person who is outside their country of origin or habitual residence because they have suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because they are a member of a persecuted ‘social group’. Such a person may be referred to as an ‘asylum seeker’ until recognized by the state where (s)he makes his(er) claim.
Refugee women and children represent an additional subsection of refugees that need special attention. For the refugee system to work successfully, countries must be prepared to allow Open borders for people fleeing conflict, particularly for countries closest to the conflict. This is a program that has helped many people, but people still believe there are flaws. Getting to a refugee camp is extremely difficult.
As of December 31, 2005, the largest source countries of refugees are Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, and the Palestinian Territories. The country with the largest number of IDPs is South Sudan, with over 5 million. As of 2006, with 800,000 refugees and IDPs, Azerbaijan had the highest per capita IDP population in the world.
June Solstice
The Summer Solstice is known in Contemporary Paganism as Litha or Midsummer, as in Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. Nichols (2009) calls this a time when bonfires are lit, people may leap through the fires, and the young stay up all night. Pagan lore often marks this as the moment the sun god meets hi death, though Nichols reserves that event for the coming cross-quarter.
Glenys Livingstone of PaGaian sees this time as the moment when, metaphorically, “the Goddess and God embrace in a love so complete that all dissolves into the single song of ecstasy that moves the worlds. Our bliss, fully matured, given over, feeds the Universe and turns the wheel. We join the Beloved and Lover in the Great Give-Away of our Creativity, our Fullness of Being.” To symbolize this, her ritual script sees flowers, fruit, and the like distributed to participants, who then give away this bounty by casting it into the central fire.
Jon Cleland Host of the Naturalistic Paganism yahoo group suggests kayaking local rivers or lakes, hiking in the woods, and holding a ritual in the forest. He also takes this as a time to celebrate marriage, as well as to consume mead:
Mead is often consumed – celebrating the honey of our marriage and the season. Mead is honey wine, and the full moon closest to Litha is traditionally called the mead moon or the honey moon (hence the name “honeymoon” for the vacation after a wedding). (see files section of yahoo group)
Meanwhile, those in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate the Winter Solstice with Yule.
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Pagan Coming Out Day – May 2nd
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