Okay from a neo-pagans p.o.v. what do you think....

Are some of the cons (downsides) to modern day paganism? As far as the whole community goes, belief systems, etc?

Too much eclecticism. Needs a little more uniformity or coherence in beliefs.

In fighting between groups and a lack of acceptance that people are ok to follow their own paths.

Other than that, I don't think there are any down-sides.

Originally Posted by Skins_Princess

Are some of the cons (downsides) to modern day paganism? As far as the whole community goes, belief systems, etc?

What *kind* of neo-paganism?

You got your Heathens, Hellenics, Wiccans, Feri, Druid, etc. ad nauseum, lol.

It's difficult (or impossible some might say )to define any pros or cons about modern neo-pagan movements, because it's really a group of distinct and sometimes very different, religions.

It seems in my mind that in popular culture paganism is basically eclectic neo-Wicca - which isn't true. Wicca is the more... Er. Popular tradition within neo-paganism, mostly because it's the most well=known.

Blah I think I might being cryptic. Point I am trying to, well point at, is that there's so much diversity that there is really no Neo-Pagan (tm) one can look up and get the low-down on.

[norseman]

I am not going to point the finger at anyone.
For a pagan p o v, you need to look at countries which have a pagan heritage, and the countries which do NOT.
That's all I intend to say

Honestly, I don't think there are many cons in general. It depends on which specific religion one is in, or if they're eclectic or whatever. Personally it annoys me when people think witchcraft involves superpowers. xD

Originally Posted by Animus27

What *kind* of neo-paganism?

You got your Heathens, Hellenics, Wiccans, Feri, Druid, etc. ad nauseum, lol.

It's difficult (or impossible some might say )to define any pros or cons about modern neo-pagan movements, because it's really a group of distinct and sometimes very different, religions.

It seems in my mind that in popular culture paganism is basically eclectic neo-Wicca - which isn't true. Wicca is the more... Er. Popular tradition within neo-paganism, mostly because it's the most well=known.

Blah I think I might being cryptic. Point I am trying to, well point at, is that there's so much diversity that there is really no Neo-Pagan (tm) one can look up and get the low-down on.

Why do you think eclectic neo-Wicca is so popular?

Originally Posted by Skins_Princess

Why do you think eclectic neo-Wicca is so popular?

I think Wicca in general is popular because it was the first "pagan" religion to really reach a wide audience, especially in the USA. So Wicca really launched the Neo-pagan movement in a lot of places. And once you get into the late 70's and 80's the market was flooded with witchcraft and Wicca books, that usually emphasized a personal, usually solitary approach. Through such publications the neo-Wicca version of Wicca (which is unlike the British Traditional Wicca because it's not a mystery fertility cult and has been stripped of it's more, unseemly aspects, such as sexual rites (I'm using cult in the anthropological sense) N-W is not a bad thing and a lot of people have find spiritual fulfillment in it. But due to it's popularity, and at being at the front line of "pagan" religions it's associated in many minds with other pagan religious movements.

Such popular notions of Wicca = all pagan religions, or paganism = Wicca is exasperating for some other pagans because as mostly minority religions that are gravely misunderstood by the wider populace, and I for one, think it's good to realize that paganism can't be defined by what it is, but by what it isn't (which technically would be that it's not an Abrahamic religion).

/rant

Originally Posted by Skins_Princess

Why do you think eclectic neo-Wicca is so popular?

Many women embraced it because they got tired of being ignored by the very religion they were raised in.
That's what started me on my path. I was 14, and could see nothing but hypocrisy towards women in the Catholic Church. So I started on my spiritual quest.

A lot of people get interested in Wicca and/or witchcraft because of Harry Potter, Charmed, Bewitched, Practical Magic and Hocus Pocus. It's so "cool."
As they delve further into it, they see either it's not for them, or they feel as though they were "coming home" to their true path.

Originally Posted by Animus27

Through such publications the neo-Wicca version of Wicca (which is unlike the British Traditional Wicca because it's not a mystery fertility cult and has been stripped of it's more, unseemly aspects, such as sexual rites (I'm using cult in the anthropological sense)

*splutter cough* I beg your pardon! Run that by me again? What is British Traditional Wicca??