Guest guest Posted January 11, 2002 Report Share Posted January 11, 2002 >Well....I was taught at school that the meanng of the word 'religion' >is way of life. And veganism is not just a diet by all means-it is a >way of life. Your thinking changes. Your body changes. Therefore, as >a way of life, surely we could class veganism as a religion? According to that definition, then, yes, veganism would be classified as a religion. But wait a minute...*flipping through a Sociology dict*... " Religion is a set of beliefs, symbols, and practices (for example, rituals), which is based on the idea of the sacred, and which unites believers into a socio-religious community " (Oxford Dictionary of Sociology). Coz if religion were merely a way of life, which is quite broad and vague a definition, tradition on its own would constitute a religion, wouldn't it? >Also...many people are vegan for religious purposes so it has I guess >always been associated. I know, a lot of people change their lifestyle for religious purposes. I don't doubt their connection, just that the vegan part isn't religion. It's just the thought of bringing the term " religion " into the vegan framework is kinda scary, y'know... Honor _______________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2002 Report Share Posted January 12, 2002 Hi, Veganism is very definately part of my religion. I'm Wiccan, and when I initiated I made a vow to eat no animal product ever again. I've since re-affirmed that vow each year. Wiccans believe that it is our responsibility to think for ourselves, and to " Harm None " , not to interfere with the rightsof others, and many Wiccans interpret the " Harm None " belief in terms of vegetarianism and veganism. About 75% of Wiccans are vegan or vegetarian. The thinking for ourselves means that we don't necessarily do what is common in our society. Just because it is standard to eat meat and wear animal products doesn't mean that we will do those things. The women in my coven are some of the strongest, most independent, intellignet women I know! :-) To me, it would be hypocritical to vow to harm none, yet to cause harm daily by what I eat and wear, and many Wiccans feel the same. Of the six of us in my coven, three of us are vegan, two are vegetarian, and one is an almost-vegetarian (eats meat very occasionally, but can't call herself vegetarian). Which are pretty good stats, although I'd be happier if we were all vegan, but it is not up to me to make decisions for others. Daharja XXX charlie_elise wrote: > Well....I was taught at school that the meanng of the word 'religion' > > is way of life. And veganism is not just a diet by all means-it is a > way of life. Your thinking changes. Your body changes. Therefore, as > a way of life, surely we could class veganism as a religion? > > Also...many people are vegan for religious purposes so it has I guess > always been associated. > -- Leanne Daharja Veitch -- http://www.geocities.com/daharja http://www.veganforlife.org http://www.moonspellcoven.com -- " We must be the change we wish to see " - M K Gandhi -- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2002 Report Share Posted January 12, 2002 Thanks for the detail on wiccan, i have recently been trying to establish what exactly the differences are between wiccan and pagan. T- " Leanne Daharja Veitch " <daharja <vegan-network > Saturday, January 12, 2002 12:19 AM Re: [100% veg*n ] Veganism-religion > Hi, > > Veganism is very definately part of my religion. I'm Wiccan, and when I > initiated I made a vow to eat no animal product ever again. I've since > re-affirmed that vow each year. Wiccans believe that it is our > responsibility to think for ourselves, and to " Harm None " , not to > interfere with the rightsof others, and many Wiccans interpret the " Harm > None " belief in terms of vegetarianism and veganism. About 75% of > Wiccans are vegan or vegetarian. The thinking for ourselves means that > we don't necessarily do what is common in our society. Just because it > is standard to eat meat and wear animal products doesn't mean that we > will do those things. The women in my coven are some of the strongest, > most independent, intellignet women I know! :-) > > To me, it would be hypocritical to vow to harm none, yet to cause harm > daily by what I eat and wear, and many Wiccans feel the same. Of the six > of us in my coven, three of us are vegan, two are vegetarian, and one is > an almost-vegetarian (eats meat very occasionally, but can't call > herself vegetarian). Which are pretty good stats, although I'd be > happier if we were all vegan, but it is not up to me to make decisions > for others. > > Daharja XXX > > charlie_elise wrote: > > > Well....I was taught at school that the meanng of the word 'religion' > > > > is way of life. And veganism is not just a diet by all means-it is a > > way of life. Your thinking changes. Your body changes. Therefore, as > > a way of life, surely we could class veganism as a religion? > > > > Also...many people are vegan for religious purposes so it has I guess > > always been associated. > > > > -- > Leanne Daharja Veitch > -- > http://www.geocities.com/daharja > http://www.veganforlife.org > http://www.moonspellcoven.com > -- > " We must be the change we wish to see " - M K Gandhi > -- > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 13, 2002 Report Share Posted January 13, 2002 Hannah Beaumont wrote: > Thanks for the detail on wiccan, i have recently been trying to > establish > what exactly the differences are between wiccan and pagan. Hi, Wicca is a Pagan religion, in the same way that Catholicism is a Christian religion. The term Pagan is used to describe pretty well all the earth-based religions, and non-organised religions. Pagan religions generally don't have a paid, ordained clergy, as a rule, and individual practice is common. Wicca is the largest of the Pagan religions, in terms of numbers. There are estimated to be over 400,000 Wiccans in the United States alone. Wicca is also believed to be the fastest-growing religion, on a %age base. If you're curious about the sort of Wicca I practice (Australian eclectic), check out my Coven's website at http://www.moonspellcoven.com Anyway, many Wiccans are vegan because of the respect for life and respect for the earth thing that is central to what we believe. Daharja XXX > > > > T- > " Leanne Daharja Veitch " <daharja > <vegan-network > > Saturday, January 12, 2002 12:19 AM > Re: [100% veg*n ] Veganism-religion > > > > Hi, > > > > Veganism is very definately part of my religion. I'm Wiccan, and > when I > > initiated I made a vow to eat no animal product ever again. I've > since > > re-affirmed that vow each year. Wiccans believe that it is our > > responsibility to think for ourselves, and to " Harm None " , not to > > interfere with the rightsof others, and many Wiccans interpret the > " Harm > > None " belief in terms of vegetarianism and veganism. About 75% of > > Wiccans are vegan or vegetarian. The thinking for ourselves means > that > > we don't necessarily do what is common in our society. Just because > it > > is standard to eat meat and wear animal products doesn't mean that > we > > will do those things. The women in my coven are some of the > strongest, > > most independent, intellignet women I know! :-) > > > > To me, it would be hypocritical to vow to harm none, yet to cause > harm > > daily by what I eat and wear, and many Wiccans feel the same. Of the > six > > of us in my coven, three of us are vegan, two are vegetarian, and > one is > > an almost-vegetarian (eats meat very occasionally, but can't call > > herself vegetarian). Which are pretty good stats, although I'd be > > happier if we were all vegan, but it is not up to me to make > decisions > > for others. > > > > Daharja XXX > > > > charlie_elise wrote: > > > > > Well....I was taught at school that the meanng of the word > 'religion' > > > > > > is way of life. And veganism is not just a diet by all means-it is > a > > > way of life. Your thinking changes. Your body changes. Therefore, > as > > > a way of life, surely we could class veganism as a religion? > > > > > > Also...many people are vegan for religious purposes so it has I > guess > > > always been associated. > > > > > > > -- > > Leanne Daharja Veitch > > -- > > http://www.geocities.com/daharja > > http://www.veganforlife.org > > http://www.moonspellcoven.com > > -- > > " We must be the change we wish to see " - M K Gandhi > > -- > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 13, 2002 Report Share Posted January 13, 2002 Leanne Daharja Veitch wrote: > > Hannah Beaumont wrote: > > > Thanks for the detail on wiccan, i have recently been trying to > > establish > > what exactly the differences are between wiccan and pagan. > > Hi, > > Wicca is a Pagan religion, in the same way that Catholicism is a > Christian religion. The term Pagan is used to describe pretty well all > the earth-based religions, and non-organised religions. Pagan religions > generally don't have a paid, ordained clergy, as a rule, and individual > practice is common. Christianity is a single belief system (although some may argue about the edges of the definition) with a common beginning, whereas paganism is a set of belief systems with some aspects in common (and much fuzzier edges of the definition). A different analogy might be that Wicca is a pagan religion in the same way that Catholicism is an organised monotheism. > Wicca is the largest of the Pagan religions, in terms of numbers. There > are estimated to be over 400,000 Wiccans in the United States alone. > Wicca is also believed to be the fastest-growing religion, on a %age > base. The Ba'hai said that as well . ISTR Wicca began in the 1920s, inspired by the polytheistic faiths of first millennium western Europe, " rediscovered " by Gardiner rather like the Welsh Druids a couple of centuries earlier. Fair summary, Leanne? > Anyway, many Wiccans are vegan because of the respect for life and > respect for the earth thing that is central to what we believe. > > Daharja XXX My GF's a Kemetic Reconstructionist. (That is, she worships the gods of ancient Egypt, in broadly the way they were worshipped thousands of years ago.) Occasionally, we have a meal for one of her festivals, which is entirely raw food. -- Ian McDonald http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~type40/alternative.html http://travel.to/startrekcolony - Star Trek: Colony site & .mov http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~type40/who-rpg.html - Dr. Who RPGs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 13, 2002 Report Share Posted January 13, 2002 Dr Ian McDonald wrote: > > > Leanne Daharja Veitch wrote: > > > Wicca began in the 1920s, inspired by the polytheistic faiths of > first millennium western Europe, " rediscovered " by Gardiner rather > like > the Welsh Druids a couple of centuries earlier. Fair summary, Leanne? A little bit later than the 1920s, but yes, a fair summary. Some Wiccans believe that Wicca has been a continuous line and can genuinely date back to prehistoric times, but I think the term " reconstruction " is closer to the truth. Gardner claimed to have been initited by a woman who was a member of a traditional coven that could trace its lineage back centuries, but his claim was never substantiated. Personally, I think that Gardner had an overly fertile imagination. My grandmother, a Romany gypsy, was living in the New Forest in England at the time that all Gardner's story was meant to have happened, and she reckoned it was bosh. Also, the influence of the masons, the New Dawn movement etc are all very evident. I think Gardner probably did a fair bit of research, and made the rest up. Saying this, I don't believe that because a religion is " new " or " recreated " it is any less valid than one that has been around for centuries. Wicca is my chosen path for a number of reasons (not the least being my grandma, who encouraged me to delve into the old ways, and learn about my ancestry). The religion has a LOT going for it. Tolerance of others, respect for the environment and all creatures and people, the belief that ours is not the " only way " or the " one true religion " . And magic does work - it really does! However, I believe that magic works because we will it to, as much as anything. But my husband, who is an atheist, says that Wicca is the only religion he's come across that actually makes sense :-) Daharja XXX > > Anyway, many Wiccans are vegan because of the respect for life and > > respect for the earth thing that is central to what we believe. > > > > Daharja XXX > > My GF's a Kemetic Reconstructionist. (That is, she worships the gods > of > ancient Egypt, in broadly the way they were worshipped thousands of > years ago.) Occasionally, we have a meal for one of her festivals, > which > is entirely raw food. > > -- > Ian McDonald > > http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~type40/alternative.html > http://travel.to/startrekcolony - Star Trek: Colony site & .mov > http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~type40/who-rpg.html - Dr. Who RPGs > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 13, 2002 Report Share Posted January 13, 2002 >If you're curious about the sort of Wicca I practice (Australian >eclectic), check out my Coven's website at >http://www.moonspellcoven.com That was very helpful! I've heard very little about Wiccan practice, especially here in Southeast Asia. My family is Buddhist but I tend to see merits in all the religions I know (there are a lot that I don't know of, though), so I'm not attached to any in particular. But Wicca sounds very appealing...I'll definitely surf the net for more info! You know if it's practiced in the Southeast Asian region? *wonders* Honor _______________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2002 Report Share Posted January 14, 2002 Honor Chan wrote: > > >If you're curious about the sort of Wicca I practice (Australian > >eclectic), check out my Coven's website at > >http://www.moonspellcoven.com > > You know if it's > practiced in the Southeast Asian region? *wonders* It's practiced worldwide, but more commonly in Western Europe, North America and Australia. A good place to look for links (if you're interested in at http://www.witchvox.net - they have aworldwide listing of groups and individuals, based on location. Daharja XXX > > > Honor -- Leanne Daharja Veitch -- http://www.geocities.com/daharja http://www.veganforlife.org http://www.moonspellcoven.com -- " We must be the change we wish to see " - M K Gandhi -- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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