{"id":12260,"date":"2019-11-24T12:57:05","date_gmt":"2019-11-24T20:57:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atheopaganism.wordpress.com\/faq\/"},"modified":"2019-11-24T12:57:05","modified_gmt":"2019-11-24T20:57:05","slug":"faq","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mgreen.atheopaganism.org\/?page_id=12260","title":{"rendered":"FAQ"},"content":{"rendered":"

Q. \u00a0What is Atheopaganism?
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A. Atheopaganism is a particular path within non-theistic, Naturalistic Paganism<\/span>. It includes four Sacred Pillars, a set of thirteen Principles, and a cycle of holiday celebrations around the year, known as “The Wheel of the Year”. The nonprofit Atheopagan Society<\/a> is a federally recognized tax-exempt religious organization which supports and provides resources and events for Atheopagans.
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Q. What is Naturalistic Paganism?<\/em><\/p>\n

A. \u00a0Naturalistic Paganism is the spiritual path which uses Pagan symbols, rituals, and ideas while maintaining a Naturalistic worldview.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q. \u00a0What is \u201cNaturalism\u201d?<\/em><\/p>\n

According to the dictionary:\u00a0Naturalism (noun): The idea that all phenomena in the Universe can be understood in scientific terms without recourse to spiritual or supernatural explanations or supposed divinity.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q. \u00a0What is a \u201cNaturalistic Worldview\u201d (what do Naturalistic Pagans believe)?<\/em><\/p>\n

A. \u00a0It is an approach to existence based on the natural laws found by science, on observable evidence, and on objectively confirmable experiments.\u00a0 Because things like ghosts, gods, magic, souls, divination, and spirits have not been shown to exist, they are generally not included in a naturalistic worldview.\u00a0<\/strong>People with a naturalistic worldview include pantheists, agnostics, non-theists, atheists, freethinkers, humanists, skeptics, Universists, etc.\u00a0 This worldview is often arrived at by the approach of using objective evidence as the only reliable means to determine the truth.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

We don\u2019t require anyone to agree to a rigid doctrine, but instead urge that everyone use reason, logic and evidence to critically test any belief. \u00a0<\/strong>Famous naturalists include many of the US’ founding fathers, such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Ethan Allen, and others such as Charles Darwin, Mark Twain, Bertrand Russell, R. G. Ingersoll, and Carl Sagan. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Q. \u00a0What is \u201cPaganism\u201d?<\/em><\/p>\n

A. \u00a0Paganism is an umbrella term for a large number of spiritual paths, which are commonly Earth or Nature centered, focused on this life or world (as opposed to some “Otherworld” or afterlife), and often polytheistic.\u00a0 In the context used here for \u201cNaturalistic Paganism\u201d, Paganism refers to practices common in Pagan religions such as Wicca, especially the Wheel of the Year.\u00a0 The Wheel of the Year (along with the compass directions) can be used to represent many ideas.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q. \u00a0Do Naturalistic Pagans or Atheopagans make up the majority of Pagans?<\/em><\/p>\n

A. \u00a0No.\u00a0 Most Pagans believe in things that are not part of a naturalistic worldview, such as reincarnation, literal gods, spirits, divination, etc.\u00a0 We don\u2019t have data on the actual number of Naturalistic Pagans, but it appears to be small.\u00a0 That\u2019s OK. \u00a0We generally get along well with other kinds of Pagans.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Q. \u00a0What holidays do you observe?<\/em><\/p>\n

A. \u00a0Many of us celebrate the 8 holidays (Sabbaths) on the Wheel of the Year (the solstices and equinoxes, plus the cross-quarter holidays which are at the midpoints between the solstices and equinoxes). \u00a0Because these are real astronomical events, they feel more like real holidays to us than dates made up by people.\u00a0 We also celebrate rites of passage such as naming or welcoming ceremonies for babies, passages into adulthood, handfastings (weddings), etc. And then there are some fun holidays we celebrate “just because”, like Pi Day (March 14).
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Q. \u00a0How do you celebrate those holidays?<\/em><\/p>\n

A.\u00a0 The more common celebrations involve rituals which follow seasonal, evolutionary, or natural themes.\u00a0 You\u2019ll probably find many of those very familiar, such as the coloring of eggs<\/a> for High Spring or the Maypole<\/a> of May Day.
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Q. \u00a0Why did you call them \u201cSabbaths\u201d instead of\u00a0 Holidays?<\/em><\/p>\n

A. \u00a0The word \u201cSabbath\u201d means a day of rest.\u00a0 The words \u201cSabbath\u201d and \u201cHoliday\u201d can be used interchangeably.\u00a0 Use whichever term you are most comfortable with.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q. \u00a0But if your Naturalistic worldview doesn\u2019t include literal gods, then are you really Pagan?<\/em><\/p>\n

A.\u00a0 Yes. Paganism is not about orthodoxy, or belief–it is about how we conduct our religious practices. We respect those who see the gods as real, and for the most part we\u2019ve been respected in return. \u00a0Naturalism & Paganism are both focused on this life and this glorious Universe, so for us, they fit together well.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q. \u00a0But how can you take part in Pagan rituals if your worldview doesn\u2019t include gods or magic?<\/em><\/p>\n

A.\u00a0 In the same way we can value both engineering and poetry. If we insisted on only literal truth in everything, our lives wouldn\u2019t be much fun. \u00a0We\u2019ve found the Pagan metaphors and practices add meaning, pleasure and color to our lives.
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Q. \u00a0What political party do Atheopagans belong to?<\/em><\/p>\n

A.\u00a0 Atheopaganism is about being better, happier, freer and kinder people, and so it does<\/em> have a political aspect. We see activism on behalf of the Earth, the oppressed and future generations as inherent in our responsibility as humans. As for what party (of any given country) that might align us with, I imagine you can figure that out for yourself.
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Q. \u00a0Do Atheopagans condemn homosexuality?<\/em><\/p>\n

A.\u00a0 No. We celebrate it, as we celebrate all forms of love. Love is one of our four Sacred Pillars.
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Q. \u00a0Do Atheopagans believe in God, or any gods?<\/em><\/p>\n

A.\u00a0 If you mean a literal personality which is self-aware, intelligent, communicative and able to break or suspend the laws of physics, such as the Hebrew god described in the Bible, then no.\u00a0 We do not see credible evidence for the existence of such beings, and we therefore do not believe in them. However, any of these gods can be seen (and even invoked) as a metaphor for something real, putting a “human face” on such natural phenomena as the ocean (Poseidon), thunderstorms (Thor), etc.
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Q. \u00a0Are you saved?\u00a0 (Have you found Jesus?\u00a0 Do you know the Lord? \u00a0etc. \u2026)<\/em><\/p>\n

A. \u00a0The question is based on an assumption that we don\u2019t share (the assumption that one needs to be \u201csaved\u201d from something).\u00a0 Because a naturalistic worldview doesn\u2019t include anything without testable evidence, most Atheopagans don\u2019t believe in any kind of afterlife.\u00a0 So there\u2019s nothing we need to be saved from.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q. \u00a0What if there really is a hell? Shouldn\u2019t you be Christian just in case?<\/em><\/p>\n

A. \u00a0This reason for being Christian is known as Pascal\u2019s Wager, and has been shown to be an illogical approach for a number of reasons which are too numerous to list here.\u00a0 However, a short and simple reason to reject Pascal’s wager is that of other religions.\u00a0 Islam claims you have to be Muslim to avoid hell, while many Baptist churches claim you must be members of their church to be saved, while the Roman Catholic church asserts that there is no salvation outside their church, etc.\u00a0 You can\u2019t logically be simultaneously a member of each of these while refuting all the others. \u00a0So if hell exists you\u2019re pretty much screwed anyway.
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Q. \u00a0How do you view the Bible?<\/em><\/p>\n

A. \u00a0The same way we view the Qu\u2019ran, the Gita, and other revealed scripture.\u00a0 We see these as works of humans that contain both good and bad.\u00a0 As with any other book, it takes reason and logic to decide what to agree with and what to ignore.\u00a0 Please don\u2019t try to convince us of the inerrancy of the Bible.\u00a0 Some of us may be more knowledgeable than you are concerning the Bible, and the many problems with the Bible have been pointed out for hundreds of years.\u00a0 A good primer on these problems is the classic \u201cThe Age of Reason\u201d by Thomas Paine.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q. \u00a0How can you be moral with a Naturalistic Worldview?<\/em><\/p>\n

A. \u00a0Before answering, let me ask that same question of you.\u00a0 Why are you moral?\u00a0 Is it because your parents or a teacher told you to be moral?\u00a0 I hope not, since blindly following someone means that our morality could be wrong. \u00a0(Imagine following the morality of, say, Stalin.) \u00a0Is it because you are afraid of some divine punishment or seek some divine reward?\u00a0 If so, then does that mean that you are actually immoral, but are afraid to do what you want?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Atheopagans hold four Sacred Pillars–Life, Truth, Beauty and Love–and live by thirteen Principles which are kind, moral and progressive. We do so because we genuinely want the world to be a better place for all of us.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q. \u00a0Is Atheopaganism some new crackpot religion?<\/em><\/p>\n

A. \u00a0You can decide that for yourself.\u00a0 While Atheopaganism itself is both new and forward-looking (rather than looking backward to some imagined “golden age”), many of the ideas in Atheopaganism have been around for millennia.\u00a0 For instance, many Pagan practices, such as celebrating the Solstices and Equinoxes, date back at least 7,000 years, and possibly many times that.\u00a0 Naturalistic views bloomed into their modern form three centuries ago during the Enlightenment, and early forms of Naturalism are found in Greek philosophy, over 2,500 years old.\u00a0 Our ancient Pagan ancestors (such as those who built Stonehenge) celebrated our Universe using the most advanced knowledge they had available at the time.\u00a0 We do the same, and now the most advanced knowledge we have is that of science.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q. \u00a0Are Atheopagans weird?<\/em><\/p>\n

A. \u00a0Well, one can decide for oneself what \u201cweird\u201d means.\u00a0 We are normal people like you meet every day.\u00a0 We come from many walks of life.\u00a0 We are fathers, mothers, students, wives, husbands, scientists, computer programmers, laborers, office workers, sisters, brothers and neighbors, and we’re all over the world.\u00a0 We feel a deep connection to our Earth, indeed to the Universe, and we celebrate that connection through our religion.
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Q. \u00a0What about spells and magic(k)?<\/em><\/p>\n

A. \u00a0A Naturalistic worldview means that only things with verifiable, testable evidence are believed in, and that generally eliminates a belief in magic.\u00a0 However, magic spells do serve to make a desired outcome more real in one\u2019s own mind.\u00a0 For instance, before a track meet, a Naturalistic Pagan may conduct a ritual spell to help them focus their intent \u2014 rather like wearing a “lucky” shirt.\u00a0 To Atheopagans, spells are not understood to cause a real change in the world other than in the mind of the participant.\u00a0 This view of spells is different from that of many other Pagans.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q. \u00a0Is there a local Atheopagan circle or coven I can join?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

A: In 2022, we have begun to form smaller “affinity groups” organized around geographical areas or topics of interest. A directory of these may be found at <\/strong>https:\/\/theapsociety.org\/community<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, many Pagans are accepting of various types of Pagans, including Atheopagans.  Eclectic Pagan communities are often welcoming of Atheopagans, such as CUUPS (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans) groups at Unitarian Universalist fellowships.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, there is a large and thriving online community<\/a> of Atheopagans on Facebook and a smaller one on Discord<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

Q. What is that symbol?<\/em><\/p>\n

A. The Atheopagan symbol, the Suntree<\/em>, was designed and selected by the community in 2018. It has many symbolic meanings.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Q.  I\u2019d like to learn more about Atheopaganism.  Where should I start?<\/em><\/p>\n

A.  Buy the book! Click here<\/a> to order a copy. There is also a great survey anthology called Godless Paganism<\/a><\/span> which contains information about many nontheist Pagan paths, including Atheopaganism. For a less detailed explanation of Atheopaganism, where it comes from and the science behind it, you can also download this essay.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks to Jon Cleland Host of Naturalistic Paganism<\/a><\/strong> from whose site FAQ this was adapted.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Q. \u00a0What is Atheopaganism? A. Atheopaganism is a particular path within non-theistic, Naturalistic Paganism. It includes four Sacred Pillars, a set of thirteen Principles, and a cycle of holiday celebrations around the year, known as “The Wheel of the Year”. Q. What is Naturalistic Paganism? A. \u00a0Naturalistic Paganism is the spiritual path which uses Pagan … Continue reading FAQ<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14580,"parent":2016,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-12260","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgreen.atheopaganism.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgreen.atheopaganism.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgreen.atheopaganism.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgreen.atheopaganism.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgreen.atheopaganism.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12260"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mgreen.atheopaganism.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12260\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgreen.atheopaganism.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgreen.atheopaganism.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}