Being a Church

     Now  with  the last blog , it seems that  I  have some strong issues with being part of a church. And I  guess you can say  that  I  do have issues with  churches. A church goes against everything that I  believe in. I understand the limited positive applications of having a church, but only as a building. So  why is there such  an issue?

     The Celts didn't believe in building churches or temples, they preferred to  honor the gods and nature by  actually being a part of nature. The Celts  formed Nematons and held all  religious events there.  A nematon is a circular clearing in a forest , usually a forest full of Oak trees. Often a spring or stream is located nearby to  represent the connection to  the three realms. Being that  I  follow  a Celtic path , I  would be following the ways of  early Celts.  A building  is removing oneself from nature, cement is made of natural  materials, but how can you feel the earth with 8 inches of cement separating you from it.

      But  the reality is that  during the coldest winter days, it might be dangerous to  venture out to  the nematon. So  staying inside is best for the well  being of all  the people . Here is where I  see a church as useful. But then  couldn't some other large building work just as well. You can turn any  space into  a sacred space,  why  do you have to  have a specific reserved  building just for that?  I  feel  that I  could use the front room of my  house or the garage for a sacred space.  I  don't need a specific building to  perform rituals in.

     This is also  about  building a community, a church is a fixed point.  What if a member can't make it  to  the ritual?  You  take the ritual to  the person, for  that  you  need flexibility.  With  the open Circle that  I am working on , I  am trying to  find  several locations for the group to  meet at. This way, someone is not always the one that  has to  drive the furthest.

     I  do not like the history of religious leadership in general. Corruption and bickering seem to go hand in hand when there is any  highly structured religious leadership. There needs to  be some form of basic leadership with  any  large group of people, but when ranks and titles get involved, it just makes me sick.  I  would love to  establish a pagan group  that  discussed everything up front and resolved  everything in a democratic manner.  The  concept of one person in control of a group is something that I  would avoid at  all  costs.

     The final issue that I have with  churches is the label issue. I  have seen so many  people  complain about labeling people. And some of these people become members of churches, and adopt a label.  I  do use labels myself , I have no issues with  labels myself.  I  am a pagan and specifically a druid.  Some people get caught up in titles and labels, and it  goes to their head. I  will  never give myself the title "Archdruid of the sacred order of the Oak.",  If I  ever do, I hope everyone would run me out of town and remove me from any  and all  pagan groups. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

    The concept of a church or temple as a building for religious purpose only is not isolated with the Christian churches. I  think  that  there was and is corruption in all church organizations. And this takes away  from the belief system.  When the community is separate from the church , it works against the community. The community shouldn't need a building to  be the focal  point of belief.  The focus of your beliefs should be always around you, and not in a building.  And now I  have to  quote Dr.Who.  I  am confrontation with the church, a lady  told the doctor that  " The Anger of a good man is not a problem, a good man has too  many  rules." In which  the Doctor replied " Good men don't need rules....."  Good Pagans don't need a church  and the baggage that  comes with it. Good pagans don't need any rules and don't need any  building.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5JnqPSzSLo

How quickly we forget......

Tonight I have grown a little more disappointed in my local  fellow pagans.  I have been thinking about ways to  build a pagan community in my area, and being from a rural  small  town area it is quite a challenge.  I  have been part of two  groups so far and I  have tried to use that  experience to make what I  am working on a success.

The first group  was a local  coven that  welcomed me into  the fold. I  was the thinker of the group and I loved the interaction. But work and egos got in the way  and I  left that  group.

The second group  was mostly from Des Moines,  a longer drive, but I  thought it  would be worth it. I  went to  a couple of events and I  liked the group.  I  loved the potluck concepts and the talking to people about topics important to  pagans.

Then the event happened that  changed everything for me.  They  went to  church,  they  set-up a CUUP's chapter.  I  didn't want to  follow what  they  became.  Didn't we leave the church  for certain reasons? And here is a group of pagans running back  to  the church to  form their own organized religious group. How quickly did  they  forget!

It bothers me so much  because they  rejected what  they  were, and became something most pagans  hated. An organized religious group  with  leaders and a hierarchy.  One man  labeled himself as the Coordinating liaison officer for this group.  They  used to  use a facebook  page.. . https://www.facebook.com/sacredpathsdsm.  And if  you scrolled down the timeline you will  discover one thing.  Before they  started this CUUP's  chapter they  took  pictures and posted events for people to  attend. Then that facebook  page went dead.

They  created a new facebook page to  use.  https://www.facebook.com/SacredBridgesCUUPs   People that  didn't fit their grand scheme were not invited.  They  created a facebook  group as well https://www.facebook.com/SacredBridgesCUUPs and again only a select few were told of this change.  Now I  might sound bitter about not being included.  I  wouldn't have joined them if they  invited me because I  will  not step in a church because of what it  represents.

 

 

Don't you remember these  types of images telling about  how pagans are? How  quickly they  forgot how  we honor our beliefs.  How quickly they  turned their back  to  those that didn't quite fit their style.  So  they  can go  sit in the church, they  can forget about other pagans. They  can have their leadership in place to  make themselves look  like an official  religion. I  hope they  are happy living a world that  few pagans want to  be part of.

I  will  continue to  live  by  my standards. I  don't want or need a church. I  can use any  building to  get fellow pagans together  and enjoy each others thoughts and concerns. I  don't need a  coordinating liaison to  organize an event.  I  will  either celebrate it alone or see what  a group wants to  do.   I  won 't forget the past and the reason why  I  don't want to  be a part of an organized religion.

If this is the price for being accepted as a mainstream religion, I  don't want it.  If I  have to  go through the Sunday best clothes to  compete with  the pagans in the next town, forget it.  If I  have to  turn my back on people that  don't fit in, count me out.

I  want an open circle of pagans to  build a pagan community. People are allowed to  enter or leave as they  wish. There is no  set building to  meet in.  Events would be decided by  the group  as a whole.  There would be no  High priest or priestess because everyone helps  teaching everyone. I know that  I  don't know everything and so  someone might be able to  help me out. And that is something that  I  would welcome.