Any religion which claims to Know All The Answers annoys the hell out of. To me, it is an act of supreme hubris to declare your way to be The Way and your interpretation of our strange strange cosmos to be the only valid interpretation.

Paganism allows one to develop a spiritual concept of Universe without declaring subservience to rote and empty ritual. The fact that debate happens in planning, that variations abound in performance and that a sense of play is always infused into the proceedings is what makes it meaningful. There is a level of engagement which allows for real access to that level of existence which we have no choice at this point but to consider Divine. Science may someday isolate and explain all the strange phenomenon this world has to offer. The mystery of conciousness, which is ultimately the driver of all religion, may someday be solved. Until then, we must ponder the infinite in terms which we understand and Paganism allows for the customization of that meditation, to access the mysteries through the metaphors and pneumonics which work best for us.

Many many faiths are so firmly set in weird rote ritualization that it all becomes meaningless. There is a big difference between Dobsonite "Prayer Warriors" and true people of faith (uncapitalized, because I am not referring to the trademarked demographic group which the Republicans constantly invoke). Peope of faith, are those who give thought to their ritual and ceremony, who truly reflect on the meaning and origins of their belief. They are the people who can add a charge to the air during ritual regardless of which religion they are practicing.

At a good Pagan ceremony, there is a palpable electricity to the air. You can feel it. We call it invoking the Goddess/God. That same charge can be felt at a Seder held by those who understand the encantations and the ceremony, those who are feeling a connection with their conception of G-d. I've occassionally felt it at Christian Mass, though (sadly) it rarely comes from the officient but from those congregents who have developed a real relationship with Universe through the Christ Metaphor. Many Muslims are great at this as well, truly connecting with the higher world through their faith. And a wide variety of Eastern religions imbue their adherents with a sense of tranquility that speaks to a Higher Understanding.

However, each of these religions (Pagansim included) is subject to dull ritualization, rote piety and empty platitudes. It does matter which road you walk or how loudly you proclaim your choice. If you are not connecting to the essence which lies beneath your chosen metaphor, then you are only reciting the words and ideas of long dead philosophers.

You talk to a Pagan about religion, or even science for that matter, and you will (usually) have legitimate give and take. I will gladly admit admiration for Jesus Christ the philosopher. When you start harping on his divinity, sacrifice and resurrection I will point out the universality of this particular tale across myriad cultures predating the birth of Christ by thousands of years. It is usually at this point that a depressing percentage of Christianists will label me an unrescuable infidel and shut down in the exchange even though there is so much more to consider. The reoccurence of this tale throughout history suggests that there is meaning to be found there beyond the name Christ, beyond the image of the cross, but too many fundamentalists (of any stripe) are obsessed only with their religion's chosen words.

I am willing to admit that the concepts of religion, including my own, are cognitive constructs where by mankind imposes order on a seemingly chaotic Universe. The names of the Gods and Goddesses which I invoke are labels applied to forces beyond our understanding. Ritual/Mass, Spellwork/Prayer all religions engage in these things by one name or another, and in any religion they can be meaningful and powerful when proper intent is there.

Indeed, putting together a ritual is like herding cats. It is true that many self-identified Pagans can be annoying flibbertyjibbets. But when you bring the right group together, whether it be 2, 5, 12 or 100 it can be a magical experience. Followers of the more dogmatic religions may be easier to get together, but I have found that divine spark tends to be harder to kindle.

It's not right that this should slip off the top page while the threads begun by snarky adherents of other faiths should still be around.

Really good post. Thanks for sharing!

And this is what I love about any smart spiritual person regardless of flavor.

Thank you

Yes, I've also felt the palpable crackle of energy in the air while in a group setting. I love the self-effacing value of this article.

This is a really excellent post.

Echoing the other respondents: thank you for a thoughtful comment on a lovely column. I know that snark is one of the defining features of message board culture, but it gets wearying at times-- particularly when it reveals a more typical tendency among people to take pleasure in disagreement and misunderstanding.