Who
should be here? Should
you be here? Is this a place that will have what
you are looking for?
To gauge this, first please look to the name of the board:
Rational Pagans. According to
Merriam-Webster Online:
Quote:
Main Entry: ra•tio•nal
Pronunciation: \ˈrash-nəl, ˈra-shə-nəl\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English racional, from Anglo-French racionel, from Latin rationalis, from ration-, ratio
Date: 14th century
1 a: having reason or understanding
b: relating to, based on, or agreeable to reason : reasonable <a rational explanation> <rational behavior>2: involving only multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction and only a finite number of times
3: relating to, consisting of, or being one or more rational numbers <a rational root of an equation>
So first and foremost, the bolded aspect of the definition is the one we aspire to. To be agreeable to the process of discovery through rational discourse. This is accomplished through discussion, debate, presentation of evidence and weighing of all the information gleaned from the above processes.
Quote:
Main Entry: pa•gan
Pronunciation: \ˈpā-gən\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin paganus, from Latin, civilian, country dweller, from pagus country district; akin to Latin pangere to fix — more at pact[/i]
Date: 14th century
1: heathen 1; especially : a follower of a polytheistic religion (as in ancient Rome)
2: one who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual pleasures and material goods : an irreligious or hedonistic person
3: neo-pagan (from 1869)
Now realize that we need not solely have anyone here follow a polytheistic religion, nor do we require that one have little or even no religion, though all of those are welcome. Nor even do we require people to be heathen:
Quote:
Main Entry: hea•then
Pronunciation: \ˈhē-thən\
Etymology: Middle English hethen, from Old English hǣthen; akin to Old High German heidan heathen, and probably to Old English hǣth heath
Date: before 12th century
Function: adjective
1 : of or relating to heathens, their religions, or their customs
2 : strange, uncivilized
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural heathens or heathen
1 : an unconverted member of a people or nation that does not acknowledge the God of the Bible
2 : an uncivilized or irreligious person
One of the things implicit in both pagan and heathen terms is the unorthodoxy that such peoples hold when put up against formal groupings of peoples (In the case of both these definitions, we look at hold-outs of peoples resisting the Catholic church in Europe, which again, one need not be to belong here). We are not looking for rebellion against orthodoxies, or being proponents of upholding orthodoxies, though those who are are just as welcome as those who could care less. Why?
Such people, capable of, and relishing in, differing viewpoints can bring their ideas, creativity and energies here to share, explore and challenge others, so long as it is all done with respect in the right places.
As such, we do not hold that one supernatural worldview is absolutely correct, nor do we categorically deny that others may not be correct. We can even agree that multiple worldviews could, in fact co-exist, or indeed, need be necessary to one's life.
If you feel, regardless of your own beliefs, that you can discuss civilly things you may disagree with, and you want to learn more about what other people believe in and how it affects their lives, then you are welcome here. If you fit in the definitions listed, then consider this your home.
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