Naturalistic Paganism
Now I've read Green's book Atheopaganism: An Earth-Honoring Path Rooted in Science, which stands as one of the most important books I've ever consumed, for life in general and in light of my recent journey into the study of Paganism. It has given me the comfort of knowing that I can be both spiritual and skeptical. That's one of the most beautiful things about Paganism, really. It is tolerant and relentlessly defies rules and religious dogma. Paganism does not create borders like other types of spiritual belief systems.
Reading this book made me feel a sense of belonging--like someone was reassuring me that I'm not alone in my thoughts and feelings. And I cannot stay quiet about this book because a) I'm hoping I can let other people know they aren't alone and b) I'm now certain that this worldview is fundamental to my life's path and the person I want to become.
At the start of his book, Green points out something that, being a staunch atheist for many years, I had often ignored or pushed to the back of mind: "In reaction to the supernaturalistic religions of our time, we sometimes end up throwing out the proverbial baby with the bathwater." In this case, the baby is transformative religious experience, and the bathwater is superstitious beliefs without observable evidence.
Atheopaganism, or Naturalistic Paganism, pairs spirituality with rational naturalism. It combines the energy of ritual, praxis, symbolism, values, etc. with a structure that values the truth. This is more specific than neopaganism in general; Atheopaganism believes that the truth matters--it opposes the weakness of believing things simply because "it would be really cool if it were true." The atheopagan does not avoid thoughtful and informed inquiry, or embrace conspiracy theories and the use of literal supernatural magic.
But hey--can a non-theistic worldview even count as a religion?
Well, the answer is that it depends on your working definition of "religion." If a cosmology (what is believed about the nature of the universe), ideology and practice are the key components of a religion, then the answer is yes. Atheopaganism adheres to the cosmology of the world as understood by generally accepted scientific discovery and analysis, and thus is always subject to change. The ideology and practice of nature-worship follows this seamlessly. Some might disagree with the idea that a religion can exclude the worship of one or more supernatural beings. For me, I'm not too hung up on whether I belong to a religion; it's enough for me to know that I simply belong.
If any of this interests you, read Mark Green's book or check out his website, and perhaps even John Halstead's website and book on Naturalistic Paganism as well.
