Half a million Pagans in the Country.

Widdershins · 12-10-2017 04:53PM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Why do non Pagans and non Christians celebrate Christmas?

Cheers them up in the depths of Winter?

sbsquarepants · 12-10-2017 04:56PM

drake70 wrote: »

Pagan:

noun

1. (no longer in technical use) one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks.
2. a member of a religious, spiritual, or cultural community based on the worship of nature or the earth; a neopagan.
3. Disparaging and Offensive.
a. (in historical contexts) a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim; a heathen.
b. an irreligious or hedonistic person.
c. an uncivilised or unenlightened person.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/pagan

Well will you look at that, turns out I'm a pagan:D

make that half a million and 1 OP

Berserker · 12-10-2017 05:03PM

murpho999 wrote: »

who turned up at a wedding in Galaliee and looked after the booze and food.

I think you are confusing Roman Catholicism with Christianity.

murpho999 wrote: »

Out of that 78%, I'd say an awful just go to churches for funerals, weddings, christenings and christmas.

Funerals, weddings and christenings, where applicable, are important days in most peoples lives. If people chose to celebrate those events in a church then the church must be of some value to them. It'd be inaccurate not to tick the box in the census in that case.

Ipso wrote: »

Or a protestant.

Not all, some use the term 'non-believer'.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 12-10-2017 05:31PM

Funerals, weddings and christenings, where applicable, are important days in most peoples lives. If people chose to celebrate those events in a church then the church must be of some value to them. It'd be inaccurate not to tick the box in the census in that case.

Except they dont show up because it's some value. They do it to support family members (who in turn do it to keep other family members quiet).

If they did it because it was value to them, then they'd do it a bit more often, obviously.

beefburrito · 12-10-2017 05:36PM

Pagan myself,and I think we're cooler and more creative and earthy than those Atheists.

Fck Atheism and abrahamic religion's they have the same origins....

Pagan all the way....

12-10-2017 05:38PM

Berserker wrote: »

I think you are confusing Roman Catholicism with Christianity.

I think you're mixing up the wedding at Cana (John 2:9) with transubstantiation.

The wedding at Cana constitutes part of the Christian teaching on the life of Jesus, it isn't simply a Roman Catholic teaching.

diomed · 12-10-2017 06:16PM

Baron de Charlus wrote: »

Pagan/Pantheist was actually listed as a religion. 2,565 people ticked it.

I didn't have permission to access that page, probably because I'm not a pagan.

suicide_circus · 12-10-2017 06:18PM

I prefer the term Heretic

Atoms for Peace · 12-10-2017 06:59PM

I'm more of a heathen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07deilweYQE

Sue Pa Key Pa · 12-10-2017 07:09PM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote:

Why do non Pagans and non Christians celebrate Christmas?

So they can do the 12 pubs.

Sonics2k · 12-10-2017 07:14PM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Why do non Pagans and non Christians celebrate Christmas?

Probably because the Christians took the festival from the Pagans.

Also food.

Creative83 · 12-10-2017 07:15PM

Hopefully the Muslim rise evens out. We have had enough trouble in this country with the Catholic Church for it to be replaced by other headbangers

Zebra3 · 12-10-2017 07:16PM

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I think you're mixing up the wedding at Cana (John 2:9) with transubstantiation.

The wedding at Cana constitutes part of the Christian teaching on the life of Jesus, it isn't simply a Roman Catholic teaching.

You mean the “myth of the wedding at Cana”.

RasTa · 12-10-2017 07:16PM

I got asked my religion when going into hospital. A+E check in. Ended up staying in for 10 days and there was a a random women going around offering communion daily. Not a nun or priest.

murpho999 · 12-10-2017 07:19PM

Berserker wrote: »

I think you are confusing Roman Catholicism with Christianity.

No, as all Catholics are Christians so they believe in the stuff I mentioned

Funerals, weddings and christenings, where applicable, are important days in most peoples lives. If people chose to celebrate those events in a church then the church must be of some value to them. It'd be inaccurate not to tick the box in the census in that case.

Many people in Ireland have weddings and funerals in churches due to social conditioning and cultural norms.

I had two colleagues who married in the last month. Both are not religious, never go to church but insisted on getting married in the church as it's the thing to do and nicer than a registry office.

It makes zero sense to me. Both couples did their utmost to get out of the compulsary 'Pre Marriage course' as they deemed it ridiculous and a waste of time.
It's like the church is just really in the venue rental business.
Couples end up with an impersonal ceremony dominated by the priest talking rubbish and nothing about the couple themselves.

I was recently at a family wedding and it was a humanist ceremony in the hotel venue. It was much more meaningful, with the ceremony being much more personal and designed by the couple and seemed much more sincere.

Christenings are also often due to social conditioning or the need to get the child a school place in the future.

Huexotzingo · 12-10-2017 07:19PM

I was born a snake handler and I'll die aÂ snake handler.

TresGats · 12-10-2017 07:24PM

Hatchings, matchings and dispatchings are the only reason the vast majority of the population attend mass at all.

Anesthetize · 12-10-2017 07:25PM

Sonics2k wrote: »

Probably because the Christians took the festival from the Pagans.

Also food.

I too celebrate Yule every year.

Akrasia · 12-10-2017 07:29PM

Every time I've ever gone up to a couple after they got married in a church and said 'It was a beautiful ceremony, very moving' I was lying.

Church wedding ceremonies are unbelievably dull, you can try and liven it up with a nice song or two, but they're all basically the same.

On the other hand, I've been to a few non religious weddings in hotels and they've been way way better. Simply because there is a proper sense of humour, the friends of the couple have more space to get involved and do little unexpected things, they can incorporate videos and recordings and the songs and poems they use are chosen because they fit the couple, not because they're acceptable to the church.

Anesthetize · 12-10-2017 07:33PM

Been to any pagan weddings performed by a druid where they jump over a broomstick?

Ulysses Gaze · 12-10-2017 07:37PM

George Carlin had it right. Worship the Sun. That has been around a hell of lot longer than we have and certainly around a hell of a lot longer than any made-up-religion (i.e. all).

But forget praying to the sun. There is only one deity you should pray to.