Naturalistic Paganism
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Do Trees Have Rights? (the short version), by John Halstead
General acceptance of the phrase, “the rights of nature”, could trigger a paradigm shift in Western consciousness, a shift from viewing nature instrumentally–as having value only for humans–to viewing nature as inherently valuable–as having value in its own right. And that could have profound consequences for human behavior and our impact on the more-than-human world.
Read MoreFive Mistakes We Make When Criticizing Other Religions
Religion is far more than a set of propositions to which we intellectually assent or dissent. Religion is inextricably intertwined with our social networks and our cultural context. And religious behavior, including religious speech, is far more than an expression of belief; it is a performance which binds us to our religious communities. When secularists, atheists, and religious naturalists attack a religion on the basis of the demonstrable falsity of the beliefs of its adherents, we reveal our own ignorance of the complexity of this thing we call religion.
Read MorePantheaCon Raises Questions About the Future of Non-Theistic Paganism
I am left wondering about what the future holds for the non-theist Pagan community. We began to coalesce under the pressure of extinction from an external force: evangelical polytheism. But now that open hostilities have ceased, will the non-theistic Pagan community thrive in this newly accommodating environment?
Read MoreThe Draft Pagan Community Statement on the Environment is available for public comment
LATEST UPDATE In honor of Earth Day, the statement has been published at ecopagan.com where you can add your signature on Earth Day or any time after. The statement represents the beginning of a conversation, not the final word. Join us in…
Read MoreMusings of a Pagan Mythicist, by Maggie Jay Lee: “Circle Around: Individuality, Community and Creating Religion”
To me, collective religious ceremony and shared devotional practice is not something peripheral, but is the very center of religion. It is the core that holds everything together. I believe without such shared practices, religious community will fall apart, but there are still enormous challenges to developing religion centered on communal ceremony.
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Pagan Coming Out Day – May 2nd
Naturalistic Paganism 