Mandy

Derrida's project seems to be a sort of negative theology, one that definately aligns with the Abrahamic tradition - albeit in a mildly unorthodox way. Deconstructive readings tend to carry an obsessive compulsion for one-ness, for singularity, for implicit monotheism. Perhaps this why I feel that Derrida misreads Plato. Any thoughts?

I personally prefer a sound without vibrato, like Sara Carter's voice. Many of the commerical country singers nowadays sound like they are trying to be R & B crooners, and it sort of sounds foolish. What do you think?

Apparently a court in Italy does. A couple wanted to name their kid Friday, but the court objected and named the child Gregory. I guess many priests take issue with non-Christian names. And "Friday" comes from "Frigg," a very prominant nordic goddess.

Here's the link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071218/od_uk_nm/oukoe...

The Classical Greek pagans, for example, brought us dialectic thinking, new developments in mathematics, the academy, and so on. So, even though Pythagorus developed his mathematics for his religion (a "mystery cult" he belonged to), his ideas have proven to be enormous gifts for all of humanity. What has your religion to offer people who don't share your religious views? What makes your faith, for example, valuable to this world? How do you pull your own weight? Since I am not a Christian and do not believe in the divinity of Christ, do Christians have anything more to offer me than conversion or hell? What about Jewish and Muslim people, what do you bring to the world? How about other pagans on this forum?

Does your god weigh various misdeeds (or sins as you call them) differently or according to some hierarchy? Those of other spiritual persuasions are welcome to reply, too.

I am more or less interested in historical veiwpoints.

Here's one interesting perspective:

http://www.xeper.org/

I simply believe in my pagan religious views, and therefore I don't need faith. I am wondering what other pagans think about that.

I am aware of what the scriptures say, namely, that the scriptures deny the existence of other gods. But this idea is taken much further by practitioners. Not only do they deny polytheism for their followers, but they extend this idea to every human being – even humans who don’t follow the Abrahamic system. It is this latter logic that disturbs me, for it is anathema to my own thinking. So I write in hopes of understanding not the scriptures, for I know what they say. Rather I want to know how those of the Abrahamic god (including atheists who know him by rejecting him) come to terms with a theology of rejection, which amounts to a fiercely dichotomous struggle between atheist and monotheist, between absolute belief and absolute disbelief. I am a Wicca Pagan, and I would never deny that the god of Abraham exists, that he is all-meaningful to Jewish, Christian, and Muslim people. But for some reason foreign to my heart they never return that respect to me.

I remember! I was asking Athena why the Abrahamic god is so darn jealous. You know what she said? Well, she said that because he is deaf, dumb, and blind, he cannot see or sense the other gods; therefore he feels lonely. To insulate himself from the loneliness, then, the crazy old dude demands of his followers absolute submission. Kinky! And she said that he wanders around naked, too! Yuk!