Pagan Values Month 2011

I didn't realize that June is "Pagan Values Month". Apparently bloggers, vloggers, podcasters and the like all write what being pagan means to them.

The dictionary definition of pagan is any religion non-Abrahamic in nature. In other words, Jews, Muslims, Christians and Satanists aren't pagan. However, within the non-Abrahamic communities, things get a little muddled. Not everyone calls themselves pagan. Some identify as witch. Some as reconstructionist. Others say they're heathens, not pagans.

I, personally, say that the Satanists are welcome to call themselves pagan because the other three religions see them as more evil than we are, even though most are not. I'm sure there are a few that commit crimes in the name of Satan, but there are many more that commit crimes in the name of Jesus.

Everyone wants to be accepted into a community. The one they should be part of doesn't want them. Why don't pagans be the better people and accept them as our own?

Now, onto my values as a polydeist pagan.

1) Deities do exist, but they no longer interact with us. That doesn't mean we should not worship them, or do good things in their names. They are still beings with feelings, after all. They can still hear and see us, even though they can no longer be seen or heard by us.

2) We all have the divine spark. We all have the potential to become deities ourselves. But, because we are only mortals, we fall well short of the divine mark. Only a handful have achieved this status in the last three thousand years: Buddha and Jesus are two. It should be noted that neither asked to be worshiped, and in fact discouraged the practice while they were alive.

3) Non-corporeal beings exist, and we all have the potential to interact with them. All it takes is a little faith, trust, and an open mind to see them.

4) All paths lead to the divine. It doesn't matter what you believe, only that you do believe.

5) Diversity is a natural occurrence, and should not be stifled. No two people are exactly alike, or believe exactly the same thing. There is no "one true" anything. To teach another to hate something, or someone, different from themselves is wrong. For a religious leader to do so is even more wrong. Religious leaders should teach tolerance, compassion, and forgiveness.

6) All living things have a right to exist, and to have a home. We do not have the right to continue to plow over forests for our own selfish gain.

7) The planet we live on is alive, and should be treated with reverence. Keep in mind that Gaea is our only home. If we destroy the air and water to the point She can no longer sustain us, or if She decides to get rid of us before that point of no return, where would we go? Our spaceships can only hold six people. If every spaceship we have went into space to escape destruction they're stuck. It would take generations to get to the nearest solar system, and there's no guarantee of a habitable planet or moon upon arrival. Not to mention there would not be enough genetic diversity to survive, even if the ships routinely swapped crew members around. Pass this thought on to those that don't care about saving the Earth.

These are some of my beliefs that I will pass down, should I start a family. If you want to add your values to the list, feel free to comment!