multi faith gathering

[brian]

I've just read in tonights evening mail ( online )about a multifaith gathering in birmingham tomorrow. it seems Pagans are left out again!
those of you who are clever check icbirmingham website & click on to evening mail & then news.
Ive tried to send the link to Rhiannon to see if she can put it on here.
I've also posted on the papers forums complaining,

[admin]

Hi Brian - I'll be getting in touch with them and saying that we should have been invited. There may only be 7,500 of us in the West Midlands but I think that's enough that we should have some exposure!

bb
Rhiannon

[celticwolf]

Alot of the time "multi faith" doesnt actually mena multi. you look at the prayer rooms in hospitals..............

Celticwolf

[Charlotte]

That's true. Multi faith only tends to cover Christianity (Roman Catholic and Anglican), Islam, Judaism, Sikhism and Rastafarianism, in my experience.

[duane]

but other then paganism those are the main religons anyway. considering paganism to them means none christian. (acording to someone that told me at one of the moots)

[Rie]

Its like everything in this country. PC taken to the extreme. Its just not quaint little old Englnd anymore. Henry VIII would turn in his grave if he knew about all the religions taking over his country now. It will be a Muslim country very soon, and then none of us wil have any freedom.

[ian]

Bloody hell this will be turning into a BNP forum soon

[poshfrock]

Is this meeting today (Sunday)?
Why not just go down to were it is? Do a Banner if you feel like it, saying something like the representatives of Birmingham Pagans.

7,500 pagans in birmingham? Thats interesting new's in itself.
Be interesting to know who the other 7.300 are? maybe we should get a gathering arranged.




Posh x

[Boojum]

rie said:

Its like everything in this country. PC taken to the extreme.

What is this "PC" you speak of? What PC organisations are there? What are the names of it's major thinkers? What books have its proponents written?

Its just not quaint little old Englnd anymore.

I know. Those "No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish" signs were so cute. And hardly anybody dies of dysentry anymore.

Henry VIII would turn in his grave if he knew about all the religions taking over his country now.

You're so right. I excecuted three of my ex girlfriends last week, and the judge looked at me like I was no better then Hitler. What would Henry think?

And Henry was so keen on religion that he even started his own denomination. For THEOLOGICAL REASONS. Anybody who suggests it might have been self-interest is probably a pinko commie liberal. Or a historian. One of the two.

It will be a Muslim country very soon, and then none of us wil have any freedom.

Remember people, real freedom is the freedom to hate anyone who's a bit different then us. We should abolish the government and replace it with the Daily Mail staff.

[moonsmith]

It was either a Cambridge Footlights or an early BTF sketch which included a song with this verse:

Michael Palin and Peter Cook singing:-

To these shores our forebears came,
Romans, Saxons, Normans, Danes,
Every one in deed and name,
A blooooooooooooooooooody immigrant!

If the meeting IS multifaith - then why don't some of us just turn up on an assumption! Have we missed it?

[Boojum]

The other route to try would be to get into contact with one of the religious denominations already involved in this kind of work and see if they can help.

I'm pretty sure the Quakers are involved in multifaith work (I could check with the mother when she gets back from sunning herself in foreign climes, as she is one) and they'd be likely to be supportive- I know they've had positive articles about dialogue with pagans in past issues of The Friend.

If people wanted to try this approach, the other group that spring to mind would be the Unitarian Universalists- I have no idea how large or active they are in Birmingham though.

[ian]

This meeting must have been and gone by now anyway, Brian first posted on 10th Sept, stating that it was 'tomorrow' so it must have been on, on the 11th, so wev'e missed it even if we were invited!!

Cant really say that I am surprised that we didn't get an invitation though, I mean lets face it we cant even decide what the term 'Pagan' Means between us and what with all the stupid in fighting between different groups and different factions of Paganism then it is hardly surprising really, is it?

[Rie]

OOpps i really put the cat amongst the pigeons!!! All I was trying to say was that the Oldest religion didnt get an invite...but lots of other faiths did. So why is that I wonder!!!! Is it because governments and councils feel they have to pussyfoot around the "multifaiths" so they dont get upset.

I certainly wasnt agreeing with Henry just pointing out how many faiths and religions there are in this county now as oppossed to his day when the Catholics and Protestants were burning each other at the stake. I have read recently that by 2025 (not too many years away) there will be more Muslims in this county than any other religion.

Dysentry...no MRSA is getting everyone these days...in our oh so clean hospitals.

Oh and yes Boojum I have 2 dogs and believe me there are PLENTY of "NO DOGS" signs still around. I remember the days when dogs were allowed in pubs..not anymore. I think Im giving my age away a bit there!!! XxX

[Boojum]

rie said:

OOpps i really put the cat amongst the pigeons!!!

Yeah, surprisingly enough, some of us don't feel that letting paganism get a reputation as a haven for bigots is a great idea.

All I was trying to say was

That's not all you said. Your intention is neither here nor there.

that the Oldest religion didnt get an invite...but lots of other faiths did.

That's because cavemen aren't able to read the invites. They just eat them and stuff.

I'm fascinated to hear what ancient tradition you think you're following, and what your basis for the idea it's historically accurate is, mind you.

So why is that I wonder!!!! Is it because governments and councils feel they have to pussyfoot around the "multifaiths" so they dont get upset.

No. It's because paganism is still seen by most people as a 'fringe' faith. I'd guess the Bahai weren't invited either. And the way to deal with it is to raise our profile (like Rhiannon has done), not get caught up in the swamp of silly conspiracy theories.

Or to follow the excellent example followed by the original poster from this thread- forums.icbirmingham.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=4903 (who I'm guessing was Brian). He calmly explained why he was annoyed by this, without attacking other religions. And he got unanimous support from everyone on that thread. Including a Muslim who said:

I agree with the comments in this discussion that religious groups should welcome all regardless of having faith or no faith. As I am not familiar with pagan beliefs I would be interested to hear their message. Some of the interests cited by Martin1 are not exclusive to pagan beliefs and are a shared concern of people of all faiths. So certainly we can learn from one another.

In Islam the Holy Prophet is reported to have said that.... 'Every good deed is the lost property of a Muslim, wherever you find it, take it'..... This means that whatever of the good practices or actions or knowledge we observe in the world we should embrace it as if it were a religious duty. This is only possible if we are prepared to listen to all and share our ideas. So I would welcome all.

Now, I'm prepared to go out on a limb here and say that I doubt very much that support would have been gained if we'd gone with your approach of anti-Muslim sub-BNP codswollop.

I certainly wasnt agreeing with Henry just pointing out how many faiths and religions there are in this county now as oppossed to his day when the Catholics and Protestants were burning each other at the stake.

You said that he'd be "turning in his grave". That suggests that we should care what Henry would have thought.

And I'm not sure your clarification helps matters. While I agree totally that pagans should have been invited to this event, and hope that the good work done by the previously mentioned people in this area pays off (On general principles. While public acceptance/respectability isn't relevant to me from a purely personal perspective, I recognise that it is an issue for many pagans, so support it out of solidarity), I'm afraid I don't think that going back to a situation where we had various Christian denominations killing each other would be preferable.

I have read recently that by 2025 (not too many years away) there will be more Muslims in this county than any other religion.

Read where? And where did you extrapolate the idea that meant Muslims were taking over from? Remember, being a pagan isn't actually synonymous with poor scholarship, despite the impression a minority like to give across.

Dysentry...no MRSA is getting everyone these days...in our oh so clean hospitals.

Oh and yes Boojum I have 2 dogs and believe me there are PLENTY of "NO DOGS" signs still around. I remember the days when dogs were allowed in pubs..not anymore. I think Im giving my age away a bit there!!! XxX

WHOOSH........

(That was the sound of my points going entirely over your head).

[duane]

all of this is going waaaayyy over my head .