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Monday, March 22, 2010

What is the best form of religion?

Pagan Magic said (in 2009):
Earlier this year the city of Canterbury in the UK was host to the Goddess Festival and Parade.  During the course of the celebrations a Canterbury Cathedral spokesperson commented that 'Christianity is the best form of religion'. 

So this weeks question is - what is the best form, does the church format have advantages? What are your feelings on this attitude - should people still even be making claims over who has the best religion, in this day and age.  Are you religious - or do you follow your own path?  Have you had a profound religious experience that you would like to share?


I said:
   
I agree with others here who say it's a matter of what's best for you.

I also agree in disliking evangelism. One of the many things I like about Wicca is that it's not an evangelical religion, and has no attachment to being the one right path for everyone.

I followed my own path for a long time, and even as a Wiccan I'm what's known as contemporary eclectic - I don't see what little tradition we can point to as being in any way "gospel" - though it's nice in creating a sense of ceremony and continuity, and the deeper meanings of those practices are things I can relate to. (But then, as a youngster, I adored midnight mass on xmas eve when my Catholic cousins took me along - and did not on that account think I had to embrace the whole belief system.)

For a long time I distinguished between religion and spirituality and felt I was on a spiritual path but was not religious. I love that Wicca is a religion without dogma, so am now happy to find spirituality and religion united – which is no doubt how sincere adherents of other religions feel too.

I understand the wish of many Pagans to have their path accepted as a valid religion with equal status to others, nevertheless I am uneasy about attempts to create anything resembling churches. I dislike hierarchy and loathe institutionalism. Ours is a free and down-to-earth religion; let's keep it that way. Once you institutionalise something, I think it's a short step to creating rules, regulations ... dogma. And once you've got dogma, it's dangerously easy to start thinking there is only one right Way.

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