a few things that i feel make me pagan: reverence of the natural world, imminence of divinity within said natural world, reverence of the spiritual world, transcendence of divinity within said spiritual world, importance of self-priesthood, importance of self-determination, rejection of the possibility for eternal damnation, rejection of the personification of evil, belief that i am empowered to and possess the ability to influence my environment, belief that all actions carry a moral weight and incur moral consequence.

a few things that support me in being pagan, but aren’t really pagan in and of themselves: belief that individuals are not objects, belief in sexual and reproductive freedom, belief that the default and desirable state of being is one of happiness and freedom from suffering, belief that life has inherent value, that one form of life does not trump another, and that individuals – while being possessed of different gifts and talents to different degrees – are spiritually equal.

and the clincher that usually gets me in trouble (that and my big, fat mouth)… i believe that i have the right and the ability to judge situations, other individuals, environmental factors, and events and to place either positive or negative value on them as i see fit in accordance with my world-view. i acknowledge that others also possess this right.

i do not, however, ‘litmus test’ other pagans with the qualifications that i foster in myself… though i do tend to hold those who self-identify as wiccan to higher standards of livelihood then the general populace, and concurrently will have less patience with members of my own faith when they raise my ire.

so what makes you pagan?  leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.

-justin