FernWise

Let me start by saying that no one can keep anyone from the Gods. That's not what I'm talking about.

As some of us have discussed in previous questions, there are idiots out there who demand to be considered part of the Pagan community. I'll be gentle, for me, and say there we were talking about the folks who can't tell sacred stories of history from actual history, can't tell metaphor from measurements. But I could just as well be discussing folks who have histories of child abuse, fraud, other criminal activities.

Covens HISTORICALLY have been very choosy about who they let in. Some still are - the one I'm in (wiccan - Assembly of the Sacred Wheel tradition) has folks attend outer court rituals for months, then write a letter of intent, then a formal interview, then vigorous debate, then voting on if the petitioner gets in. And we've turned folks away. And when I was on the MotherGrove of Ar nDraiocht Fein, we kicked out a member when he was convicted of child molesting - and ADF wants to be clergy and provide public open rituals to the entire Pagan population of the world!

Back in the day - the paleopagan day - specifically the Celtic Paleopagan day - the Druids weren't just ritual leaders, but they were the judges. Yes, the people had their own contact with the Divine, but as for COMMUNITY, the Druids could and would refuse to serve them. From fasting (even as far as fasting to death) on the doorstep of the High King to putting folks beyond the 9th wave - not everyone was accepted as part of the community.

How do we protect our community, our members, our children, from 'representatives' who claim to speak for us but have no training and spew nonsense, let alone from those who would prey on us and other like that plastic shaman whose sweat lodge killed so many in Sedona?

Where and how do we draw the line between acknowledging that while everyone communes with the God/dess/es in their own way, building a community is likely a different thing, with different standards?

For many questions asked in R&S the proper answer really is "JFGI". Now, I'm sure that the actual phrase would offend the folks here at Yahoo, but .... would they be more offended by the G-word or the F-word? They aren't actually in DIRECT competition with copulation let alone copulation-as-an-adverb, but Yahoo! IS in direct competition with the G-word/verb.

Is there any info on what Moses was named by his parents? The name Moses is 'generic Egyptian royal' name, as is used for the various pharohs like Rameses (Ra-Moses), Tuthmosis (Thoth-Moses), etc, rather than a Hebrew name.

Is it Twitter's "Fail Whale" when their system is messed up, or Y!A's "We're sorry, there's nothing here right now. Why don't you become the first to ask a question instead?"

If any US city was cut off from food coming in (blizzard, gas shortage, mutant zombie bikers, whatever reason), would the city fall into anarchy when 50% of the people went a day without meals?

Would folks raid their neighbors, storm warehouses, etc? Or do you think that people would pull together, ration food to make sure everyone gets some, etc?

Around Christmas there are always those who say that Christians shouldn't have Christmas trees, because they originated in Pagan customs. So if you're into that, shouldn't you reject ALL things that Pagans did first in their religions? Like - the incarnate God thing. It's pretty clear that the God of the Old Testament doesn't DO incarnations (Numbers 23:19) but incarnate Pagan Gods are a dime a dozen. For that matter, the whole "Christos" concept of a sacrificial God was standard in for southern European cultures.

How about giving up soap (from the Celts) who used it to wash before rituals? How about written language, brought to us by the Sumerians and used to record hymns and sacred stories?