Sunday, July 05, 2009

Labels: Don't Know

I think there must be a streak of masochism in me. I took an on-line test on religious beliefs some time ago, lots of searching questions were posed. Conclusion from my results: "secular humanist". I promptly forgot all about it, but the memory re-surfaced the other day and I started researching secular humanism.

That test has been inaccurate in my case. Secular humanists reject astrology as vehemently as Richard Dawkins does. In fact, from a list of "celeb" secular humanists I note his name is among them. Well now, to paraphrase Groucho Marx - I wouldn't join any club who would have him as a member!

New cults of unreason as well as bizarre paranormal and occult beliefs, such as belief in astrology, reincarnation, and the mysterious power of alleged psychics, are growing in many Western societies. These disturbing developments follow in the wake of the emergence in the earlier part of the twentieth century of intolerant messianic and totalitarian quasi religious movements, such as fascism and communism. These religious activists not only are responsible for much of the terror and violence in the world today but stand in the way of solutions to the world's most serious problems. (From A Secular Humanist Declaration).
Elsewhere it is stated:
"We are always open to the discovery of new possibilities and phenomena in nature"
Huh? Not from where I'm standing! That's just plain laughable!

I wandered on through Google inputting humanism/atheism/astrology and found myself on some very antagonistic ground. Atheists don't give astrology even a smidgin of credence, in fact they seem to be saying it's not possible (or very difficult) to be both atheist and astrologer. A couple of message boards underlined the fact that I'm quickly becoming an outcast of society because I believe there is value in (some parts of) astrology, though its source is still to be discovered. (See this discussion)

So, am I a pagan or neo-pagan then? No, not really. I don't believe in the traditional God but neither do I believe in other deities. I believe that ancient deities were a way to explain the inexplicable to The Great Unwashed of the past. I believe man is simply a force of Nature, along with his fellow creatures of Earth. If there is a God or god, it's Nature itself - the mathematics and physics of Nature. I don't think that's paganism.

What am I?
Don't know.
Does it matter?
Don't know.
Do I need a label?
Don't know.
Perhaps "Outcast" would fit the bill though!

10 comments:

Wisewebwoman said...

I'm with you on all this T (oh it's so nice to agree!) and as to astrology, it may be my belief only but I link it all to the stardust we come from and the powerful influence of it all.
XO
WWW

Shawn Carson said...

troubles are many
they're as deep as a well
i could swear there ain't no heaven
and i pray there aint no hell

but I'll never know by livin'
only my dyin' will tell

And when i die
and when i'm gone
there'll be one child born
in this world to carry on

Twilight, you always manage to put a song in my heart, Thankyou!

Twilight said...

WWW ~~~ Yes, I'm glad we are on the same page! :-)

Stardust, yes.

As Carl Sagan said in "COSMOS"

"We are star stuff harvesting star light. Our lives, our past and our future are tied to the sun, the moon and the stars. [We are]...star stuff contemplating the stars, organized collections of ten billion, billion, billion atoms, contemplating the evolution of nature, tracing that long path by which it arrived at consciousness here on the planet earth, and perhaps throughout the cosmos."

(Even his brief quotes still give me goosebunmps!)

Twilight said...

Shawn ~~~ Ah - well you introduced me to a new song! I looked up the lyrics then found it on YouTube, by Blood Sweat & Tears (also Laura Nyro). Good song - I like the New Orleans funeral procession kind of feel to it - don't know how else to describe it, but it leaves you feeling happy, not sad! :-) Liked it.Thanks for the introduction !

Jared said...

Twilight,
I'm highly curious as to where you took your test. I just took one recently on belief.net and I ended up as Neo-Pagan. No issue with astrology there, lol. Still, I have beef with any organized religion, but according to my beliefs, they jibe most harmoniously with the Neo-Pagans. I can't say I was surprised. I think it's fascinating that you were classified as a secular humanist. Secular humanism showed up 8th on my list of religions, matching at 69%. Religion can be so fascinating at times, no?

anthonynorth said...

No labels ever fitted me, so I devised my own. I think the best knowledge comes from a non-specialist overview of the patterns of reality, taking everything into account. So I'm a Patternologist.

Twilight said...

Jared ~~~ It's a while ago, but I think I got the link from your blog (Sign in Ink). It was called Belief-o-Matic - so we probably took the same test. :-)

My next 3 high scores after secular humanism (which was 100%) were Unitarian humanism (97%)
Liberal Quakers (88%) and Neo-Pagan 82%.

I shall stick to being a "Don't Know" for now ;-)

Twilight said...

AN ~~~ Oh, good thinking Batman!!
:-)

Shawn Carson said...

Glad you liked that song, Twilight! Yes, that band had a very eclectic kind of sound. You would also enjoy their song, Spinning Wheel which always makes me think of horoscopes, particularly these lyrics which fill me with joy.
Did you find a directing sign
on the straight and narrow highway?
Would you mind a reflecting time?
Just let it shine within your mind
and show you the colors that are real

Twilight said...

Shawn ~~~ Oh yes - I know that one.
I didn't connect it with Blood Sweat and Tears though - or, come to think of it, with astrology. But now you mention it, yes there can be a connection! :-)