Date: 01-15-94 18:04
From: Joseph Teller
Subj: ADF NEOPAGAN BELIEF
Connecting to the Cosmos
We believe in the importance of celebrating the solar, lunar and other cycles of our lives. We consciously observe the solstices, equinoxes and the points in between, as well as the phases of the moon. Such “rites of intensification” are human universals, as are the various ceremonies known as “rites of passage” — celebrations of birth, puberty, personal dedication to a given deity or group, marriage, ordination, death, etc. Together these various sorts of observations help us to find ourselves in space and time.
Born Again Paganism
Many of us believe in some sort of afterlife, usually involving rest and recovery in the Otherworld before reincarnating. We have no concept of “eternal” punishment, refusing to worship deities who could be that cruel.
Hope and Action
We believe that people have the ability to solve their current problems, both personal and public, and to create a better world. Our utopian vision, tempered with common sense, leads us to a strong commitment to personal and global growth, evolution and balance.
Mystic Vision
We believe that people can progress far towards achieving personal growth, evolution and balance through the carefully planned alteration of their “normal” states of consciousness. We use both ancient and modern methods of concentration, meditation, reprogramming and ecstasy.
Community Responsibility
We believe that human interdependence implies community service. Some of us are active in political, social, ecological and charitable organizations, while others prefer to work for the public good primarily through spiritual means (and many insist on doing both).
Authenticity
We believe that if we are to achieve any of our goals, we must practice what we preach. neopagan Druidism, like any other religion, should be a way of life, not merely a weekly or monthly social function. So we must always strive to make our lives consistent with our proclaimed beliefs.
Cooperation and Defence
We believe in cooperation and ecumenical activities with those members of other faiths who share all or most of these beliefs. We also believe in resisting efforts by members of dysfunctional religions who seek to persecute us or suppress our human rights.
There’s more to our beliefs than these few details, of course, and a great deal of variation in how these beliefs are extended to cover other topics. Some of our members are pacifists and others are in the military; some are animal rights activists and vegetarians, others are carnivorous hunters; some are committed to conservative and others to alternative life styles. We actively encourage everyone to apply these principles to the practical questions of their daily lives.
