Sunday 26 February 2017

Wicca

Wicca in SM Stirling's Dies The Fire (New York, 2005) could be discussed on the Religion and Philosophy blog on the ground that Wicca is a religion or on the Science Fiction blog on the ground that Stirling is an sf author other than Poul Anderson. However, works by Stirling have been discussed on Poul Anderson Appreciation on the ground that Stirling is a worthy colleague and successor of Anderson. There is thematic continuity.

A convert to Wicca says on p. 340, that she was a Buddhist and already believed in:

karma-dharma;
reincarnation;
multiple spiritual guides -

- and that the difference is more terminological than theological.

Karma is action and its consequences;
dharma is law or teaching;
the Buddhist term and concept is "rebirth" rather than "reincarnation" but personally I accept neither;
I regard gods and Bodhisattvas as personifications and projections, not as literal guides;
I can participate fully in Buddhist or Wiccan ceremonies but not in Christian liturgy because Christians make an issue of belief.

And what does anyone else think?

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I can't help but wonder how TRULY a Buddhist this convert to Wicca had been. She seems to have believed in ideas no strict Buddhist accepts. I think of Buddhism as a philosophy rather than a religion. That Buddha himself was at least agnostic about questions regarding God/gods. Which means ideas about gods/Boddhisatvas among later Buddhists are NON Buddhistic accretions.

And I agree with your attitude as regards the Christian liturgy, Catholic or Protestant. We Catholics insist God and Jesus Christ are real Persons, thus it logically follows that participants cannot honestly take part in these liturgies if they too did not believe.

Sean