Still don't get why non pagans consider pagans to be weird or etc

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[Jessica A]

Be glad i'm not in my birth religion. Take a look. It says aryan. That is right. My birth religion is aryan nazi.

Why do non-pagans consider pagans wierd? It would give an excuse for intolerence.

Shawn,

Thank you for your response.  Somewhat helped.

Others,

What do you mean by all of your replies which I was confused by them.

[catja6]

Though out history and still even, today, in some places.  When we are all perfectly normal.

As has been said before, define "normal."  Define "alternative."  Also, writing students are discouraged from using words like "normal" when what they really mean is "common" or "mainstream" -- "normal" implies a value judgment.

I'm middle class, and live a comfortable life in a house with all the proper bourgeois accoutrements, so my house probably looks very "normal," if bookish, if by normal you mean "recognizable to mainstream middle-class people."  But I read 2-3 books a week at least, which is not "normal," if by "normal" you mean "common among the general population."  However, among people with PhDs. this amount could be called "normal," but having a PhD, which is something like 2% of US citizens, isn't really "normal."  I'm a Hellenic Pagan, and dude, we're only a tiny percentage of *Pagans*, much less the population as a whole, which looks decidedly "not-normal."  But the idea of worshipping the Greek gods is often more familiar or comprehensible to middle-class sorts who received a classics-inflected education than, say Wicca might be, so that can actually sound more "normal" to outsiders.  I'm bisexual, which puts me firmly outside of the heteronormative mainstream, but am married to a man, which *looks* "normal."  I'm a liberal feminist, which may not count as "normal" for the general population, but does count as "common," even "normal," among people with my education level.  And on and on and on.   

[EverFool]

Though out history and still even, today, in some places.  When we are all perfectly normal.

Well, I'm not part of that 'we', but used to be...  And I'd question the veracity of that statement.  'All' is a dangerous thing to claim, when talking about groups of people.

I would argue that many Pagans resemble normality (leaving aside judgements as to whether they ARE, and what normal IS), and many do not.

AS to why I would regard many Pagans as wierd (the bad kind.  Not the kind Im secretly fond of)...  I've encountered Pagans online who thought everything that happened to them was a message from the gods - patterns of rubbish on the street, collections of animals found naturally in the environment, etc.  Some of these people needed an omen before they could make a decision.  There were people who were convinced they'd been cursed, because something bad happened to them.  People who thought they were half demon, or whatever.

And given the slide I've seen these claims and behaviours get at times, yes I do often assume that a Pagan is going to be wierd.  And thats despite having considered myself Pagan in the past.

[Dania]

What do you mean by all of your replies which I was confused by them.

We were just joking around.

[Violet]

Why do non-pagans consider pagans weird? It would give an excuse for intolerance.

Sounds about right to me. Plus i think a lot of people are naturally inclined to fear things they dont understand, this combined with the commons misconceptions floating around (devil-worship etc) makes it easy for people to assume all pagans are crazies without digging any deeper...

[Jessica A]

Sounds about right to me. Plus i think a lot of people are naturally inclined to fear things they dont understand, this combined with the commons misconceptions floating around (devil-worship etc) makes it easy for people to assume all pagans are crazies without digging any deeper...

Violent,

Thank you for more info on this.

[saxnot]

Though out history and still even, today, in some places.  When we are all perfectly normal.

It's not normal. That's all there is to it. Some people have problems with that, tragic as it is.

[Jessica A]

It's not normal. That's all there is to it. Some people have problems with that, tragic as it is.

saxnot,

Sorry, for typo before and you right on this for sure.

[RandallS]

As has been said before, define "normal."  Define "alternative."  Also, writing students are discouraged from using words like "normal" when what they really mean is "common" or "mainstream" -- "normal" implies a value judgment.

::nods:: Of course, I suspect most of the population assumes that the "norm" is the "mainstream" -- which is the way they are living. People who don't live like they do aren't "normal."  Of course, it can be hard to say what is "mainstream" (let alone "normal") in a society as diverse that that of the US.

[RandallS]

Though out history and still even, today, in some places.

You edited this post and changed it in a very significant way hours after you first posted it. This is a major "don't do this" at The Cauldron as it makes debate and discussion almost impossible.  Please CAREFULLY read the Cauldron's rules again.  Thank you.

[Jessica A]

You edited this post and changed it in a very significant way hours after you first posted it. This is a major "don't do this" at The Cauldron as it makes debate and discussion almost impossible.  Please CAREFULLY read the Cauldron's rules again.  Thank you.

Randall,

Was only editing because of saxnot's response on this, but do know I shouldn't edited my intro here no matter what.  Still getting use to this type of forum.

[RandallS]

Was only editing because of saxnot's response on this, but do know I shouldn't edited my intro here no matter what.  Still getting use to this type of forum.

That's exactly why editing like you did is not allowed.  When you say X and someone else points out problems with X if you remove X from your post, it makes the other person sound like they did not read yoyu message correctly to those reading the thread later. Except for typos, don't edit posts.

[Jessica A]

That's exactly why editing like you did is not allowed.  When you say X and someone else points out problems with X if you remove X from your post, it makes the other person sound like they did not read yoyu message correctly to those reading the thread later. Except for typos, don't edit posts.

Randall,

Okay, thank you for clarifying it. I'm going put it back in now.

[RandallS]

Okay, thank you for clarifying it. I'm going put it back in now.

Please don't.  What did I just say about not editing things because it will make posters who replied to things as they were look like an idiot?  DO NOT EDIT POSTS except to correct typos.

[Jessica A]

Please don't.  What did I just say about not editing things because it will make posters who replied to things as they were look like an idiot?  DO NOT EDIT POSTS except to correct typos.

Randall,

Okay and still I'm learning the rules of this forum.

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