Quote:
Originally posted by mrnoodle
But do pagans ask for the intervention of their deities in their daily lives, or do they just pay ritual homage to them? That would affect the relationship a great deal. You don't have to fear something that lacks the power to influence you in any meaningful way.
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Yes, pagans do ask for divine intervention in their daily lives. However it's also understood that it is incumbent upon the individual to do the physical work necessary to make the magickal happen. Our gods are not the divine version of Santa Claus that some Christians seems to petition for all good things to fall into their laps without effort. I also realize that not ALL Christians are this way, but there are enough that it's a common perception. "God will provide" does not mean that the lottery will be won or the welfare applied for will go through ... it means that you will bust your ass, fill out applications, go to interviews, and get a job to support yourself.
Quote:
Originally posted by Shattered Soul
[SNIP]
And as before, paganism almost demands that you question. God/dess gave us brains for a reason, and that was so we would be able to reason things out. You'll never catch a pagan sending their paycheck to some shyster who claims God/dess is gonna take him if he doesn't get a million dollars. A pagan would wave and say, "Have fun in the Summerland! See you next time around!"
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Unfortunately, there are a lot of fresh converts ... well meaning, but clueless, happy people who do fall for this kind of crap.
One of the BNPs (Big Name Pagans) recently started this bullshit. Okay, he's not doing the full Oral Roberts "God will call me home if you don't donate" schtick, but it's as close as I've seen ... a LOT of people HAVE donated, as individuals and organizations, to deal with this guy's own financial mismanagement and issues. Two organizations I belong to, one for Pagan Emergency Services (police/fire/ems) Professionals, and another for Pagan Nurses have both have discussions regarding this situation. The Nurses were on the verge of sending money, but luckily a vote of the membership of the organization blocked that, but they did vote for providing information and assistance on how to negotiate the maze of medical assistance applications and such. The emergency services folk didn't buy into the
cyberbegging attempt.
It's embarrasing, frankly.
He even leaves the door open to ANOTHER attempt on this NEXT year: "although the original emergency is over, there is no guarantee that it won’t occur again every winter."