A Reasoned Defense of Paganism
There are lots of people who want to convert Pagans, either to fundamentalist Christianity or to atheism. While we have every right to decline the debate, I rather enjoy it. Besides, if you can’t...
View ArticleAtheists’ Ten Commandments
A group of atheists did a nice job of developing their own Ten Commandments, but sometimes what we need isn’t new rules, or fewer Gods, or more Gods. Sometimes what we need is a completely different...
View ArticleKilling Your Inner Fundamentalist
A foundation of evidence and reason are important, but inner fundamentalists and inner atheists cannot be reasoned away. It is in our first-hand experience of the mysteries of the Gods and Nature that...
View ArticleReligion and Smart People – A Reasonable Response to Unreasonable Smugness
Don’t try to tell me I need to abandon a path that’s proved meaningful and helpful just because some people believe some dumb things and some smart people don’t believe anything at all. Religion is...
View ArticleWhat a Polytheist learned from Unitarian Universalists
Although it is safer to be a heretic today than in the past, claiming that identity carries certain obligations: you can’t flaunt your non-conformity while simultaneously demanding conformity from...
View ArticleYou Can’t Practice Paganism While You Look Down Your Nose At It
Paganism can restore our connections with the natural world, rebuild our ties with our communities, deepen our understanding of ourselves, and renew our relationships with the Gods – however we...
View ArticleA Pagan Interviews an Atheist
Too often we stay in our own little silos and don’t notice what’s going on in other communities, or hear how people of other religions are responding to problems in our common society. We miss the...
View ArticleTop 10 Posts of 2015
Thank you for all your support this year. Here are the top ten post of 2015 on Under the Ancient Oaks.
View ArticleAtheists and Christians in Agreement? Look for the Deeper Story
When conservative Christians and atheists are in agreement about religion, you can be sure you’re not getting the whole story. It will come as no surprise that when you dig deeper you discover they’re...
View ArticleStop Looking For Universal Religion
As Pagans and polytheists, we don’t need universal religion. We search for truth in many realms, and our religions are the beliefs and practices that bind us together with each other and with our Gods...
View ArticleThe Presence of the Gods
An atheist blogger says “part of the case against God is the sheer absence of God.” His problem is the assumption that either the Christian God exists or no Gods exist. For those of us who follow one...
View ArticleA Reflection on a Blogger Leaving Paganism for Atheism
Tyson Chase, who blogged as Salt City Pagan on the Patheos Agora blog, has left Paganism for Agnostic-Atheism. If that's where he belongs, I respect his decision and I’m genuinely happy for him. But...
View ArticleAn Atheist Hopes For Reincarnation
An atheist blogger hopes that reincarnation is real. I believe it’s real, but I hold that belief rather loosely. I might be wrong, and even if I’m not I don’t want to get so caught up in the next life...
View ArticleReason and Religion Go Hand in Hand – Especially Paganism
An atheist social scientist found that reason doesn’t lead people to atheism, and he’s honest enough to admit it. In this post I want to explore why religion in general and Paganism in particular are...
View ArticleWearing Pagan Jewelry and Clothing is a Lot More Than Advertising
An atheist asked why religious people “feel the need to advertise their belief?” with jewelry and clothing. There are many reasons – most of which have nothing to do with advertising. And the question...
View ArticleRichard Dawkins Calls Himself a Cultural Christian
New Atheist Richard Dawkins’ work on evolution is excellent. But his writings on religion are shallow and weak, and his identification as a “cultural Christian” flows out of that weakness.
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