“Moving from Religious Slavery to Rational Freedom” – Odin’s Eye – Deism

May 30, 2019May 30, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Thor’s Day

Discussion:

I remember as a pastor helping people through so-called tests of faith. Now as a more deistic person in search of a rational divinity, I would say that it wasn’t so much a test of faith, but a person running into legitimate problems with their religion and their rational mind trying to get them to see that. A lot of the times this doubt of ones religion is interpreted as doubt in one’s faith and that is only partially correct. Regardless it is not a bad thing, but rather our own mind trying to help us see that we have bought into a pack of lies.

Religion doesn’t seem to have very many positive purposes. It is used to control and manipulates through fear or by creating imaginary concepts that are passed off as read to change people’s thinking and thus their behavior. Occasionally a religion might talk about virtue or character that human beings should have or exercise and in that regard religion might do something positive.

For myself, this transition into being a deistic humanist with pagan tendencies is about firstly a search to see if a rational god can be found. Secondly, I am trying to throw off the trappings of religion to embrace a more spiritual and practical philosophy of living my life. I work to be spiritually attuned to the world around me but rationally grounded. Mostly though I seek to be free of religion’s negative effects and thus freer.

Time to Look Through the Eye:

Faith:

I have faith that there is something beyond ourselves. We talk of romantic love for another person but there is no rational reason to believe it is anything more than hormones being exchanged. Yet, there we are talking and very much believing we fall in love, that making love is more than just hedonistic pleasure for the purpose of procreation, etc. Concepts such as beauty and friendship fall into this category as well, there is more to human senses that the five senses and more to determine what is true and real other than the rational mind. I have faith that this is so still.

Religion:

I avoid religion as much as possible. I find people who are religious to be inherently self-righteous as much of religion centers on “we have found the truth about the divine”. It is this belief that leads people to think they have arrived in some place that is superior to others whether they openly say so or not. They find themselves looking at others either as poor wretches who still need to find ‘the truth’ or ‘sinner in the hands of an angry god’. There are inherent condescension and hubris to any religious belief.

Theology:

My theology as a deist pretty much does not have a divine entity or entities that intervene in human affairs. I won’t say that I don’t believe miracles are possible as even Einstien conceded in his probability based universe, all things are possible no matter how unlikely. I have just seen too much as a Pentecostal believer to believe miracles are as common as they say. I have seen a tremendous amount of con artist fraud and sleight of hand magician’s tricks to buy that it happens. I don’t fall into the deist problem of believing in the larger miracle of creation and not believing smaller things called miracles can’t happen, but I also have found that most miracles have a rational explanation and usually it is some form of deception followed by a large amount of confirmation bias.

Spirituality:

I would consider myself no longer religious but spiritual. My rational mind is part of that spiritually. I just think there is more to mankind that a computer lodged in the head of a biochemical body. If there is any spiritual practice that has changed for me is I don’t spend a lot of time praying, if at all. I realized that people when they get a result they wanted often cite that as proof prayer works. I challenge such people to rationally do an experiment for a bit. Keep a record of everything you pray about and be absolutely honest about how all of the things on that list are ‘answered’ I know when I did this about 20% of the things I was praying for came about. 80% either didn’t happen at all or things went a completely different way from how I was praying.

No, I spend more time thinking and meditating on things to understand them these days rather than praying. I find it leads to far more freedom of thought and a better way to navigate through life’s challenges.

Conclusion:

I became a diest because of ignorance. I think the human race simply does not know enough to dismiss the possibility of the divine. What I also am fairly sure of is that most religions are irrational and are basically attempts to either fool people or control their thoughts and behaviors using appeal to divine authority to do so. I search for a rational divine, not one which is defined by others through religion. It has been a very liberating choice.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Asatru” – Of Wolves and Ravens – The Nine Noble Virtues

May 28, 2019May 28, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Tyr’s Day

Discussion:

I started following the Nine Noble Virtues of Asatru simply because they were a good list of virtues I wanted in my life. In large part, it was my constant meditation on the Virtue of Fidelity that eventually brought me back to my wife. These nine virtues are now a very essential part of my own spiritual practice using my understanding of what it means to be a pagan. What it means to be an honorable human being for that matter.

What I began to discover is that Asatru is a whole very new and modern form of neo-paganism. It attempts to recapture the pagan root of the Germanic and Scandinavian world before Christianity took over. The video below is a very good overview of what Asatru is as a religion by a man taking a very informative view on it. He recommends a book that is on the way to my house at the time of this writing. I want to learn more out of curiosity sake if nothing else.

My own practice has very little to do with the religious aspects of Asatru. I follow the virtues. I find the stories of Norse Mythology and the various practices of Asatru inspiring and fascinating but ritual and religion are not a central thing to me. My issue is living a good life following after virtue. I must say though if I was ever going to be ‘religious’ again – I would pick this one. More practical than most of them.

I center most of my personal paganism on following a life philosophy that leads to prosperity of life. Whether it is the prosperity is foundational, business or for myself. If there is a god, or gods or whatever, I am fairly sure they expect me to handle my own issues. There is no real wrong or right way to a pagan after all so perhaps my paganism is as much about my philosophy of life as spirituality. This actually fits well with Asatru so there is a lot of common ground between me and those who practice the more religious aspect of Asatru. Both of us find the simplicity and challenge of the Nine Noble Virtues to be central to achieving personal peace and prosperity.

To the Wolves and Ravens:

Needs (Geri):

If you have ever lost your faith in something or left behind an old religion, you will know the need for finding something that grounds you and gives you ethical and moral focus. In my case, I found the Nine Noble Virtues fairly quickly to be a value centering philosophy that didn’t require the religious element. There was a hole in my moral and ethical philosophy, a real need, and the NNV filled it quite nicely.

Wants (Freki):

I wanted something solid and simple as a philosophy to live by. I got sick of the multitude of interpretive points one could give to Christian scripture and you could pretty much make the Bible say whatever you wanted with very few limitations. I also wanted to dump the whole appeal to authority issue and while the NNV are solid virtues, they can not be looked at authority so much as a guide. The only authority I have for my moral philosophy and ethics is myself and so finding something solid to both meditate on and provide a basic framework for that was a big want. The Nine Noble Virtues have performed well in this role.

Reason (Huginn):

The Nine Noble Virtues all have the reason element I was looking for. There are very good solid rational reasons to embrace each virtue. They have good results that lead to peace and prosperity. They are rationally practical That said it still takes a lot of thinking to employ them and implement them. They are not easy always in application but they work.

Wisdom (Muninn):

I come back to the wisdom of this quote by Markus Aurelius all the time. Virtue is its own reward in this life to be sure. It creates solid memories for your loved ones and for yourself leads to prosperity and a good life. The afterlife, if there is one, simply becomes a matter of whether there is a good or evil judge on the throne. The good judge should see ones’ virtue and reward it, the evil judge needs human defiance.

Conclusion:

Over the next nine weeks, I will be returning to the Nine Noble Virtues one at a time. Every time I do this there is a spiritual awakening of a sort. I may not be a religious follower of Asatru, but I respect the virtues that all of those who follow it try to live up to. It is something I will continue for much of the foreseeable future.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Basic Pagan Principles – Responsibility of Belief” – The Pagan Pulpit

May 26, 2019May 26, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / 1 Comment

Happy Sun’s Day

Announcements:

We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods, goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.

We also don’t take an offering here. We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it. Let’s be honest, offerings are not giving to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it. Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never sees a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.

Theme Song: ‘Úlfhéðnar’ – Norse Viking Music

If you want to get the most out of the Pagan Pulpit. Put the theme song on a loop and then read the rest of it. The Ulfhedmar were the wolf warriors of Odin.

Meditation:

It is important to know the difference. One requires sleep and the other requires action.

Text:

The most basic tenant of paganism is that it is your own responsibility, not the responsibility of any government, institution, church or other people, to choose what you believe in regards to spirituality, values, ethics, the nature of Divinity, etc.

Source: http://exotic-pets.yoexpert.com/exotic-pets-general/what-are-some-of-the-basic-principles-of-paganism-2192.html

Sermon:

In Paganism there is no appeal to authority to justify your actions. This would violate the first of the basic tenets which is that each person is responsible for their own beliefs. This is called the Responsibility of Belief.

The first point of this is to accept your responsibility for what you believe. It is yours and no one else to decide what you believe and how you practice your spirituality. It is yours alone and there is no one to blame or praise for where your spirituality is or your conduct regarding it. No blaming God. No “God told me to do this.” You act on your spirituality and take full responsibility for the results – good or bad.

The second point is to emphasize what cannot be used as a scapegoat. The government is not responsible for your spiritual state, nor a religion, institution or community of people. None of these things can be responsible for where you are in regards to the spiritual part of your life. Just you and only you. Your spirituality is the product of your own choices and journey. They should not be dictated to by anything else nor should you blame anything else for them.

The third point is the scope of what we mean when we say ‘spirituality’. It involves all things that touch spiritual life, ethics, morals, values, the nature of Divinity, etc. These are all yours and no one else to take responsibility for. If it can be considered spiritual in some way, then you are responsible for it. This is why I find most things have a spiritual side to them because they involve ethics, morals and simply a spiritual sense to them. There is more to this than pagan rituals and feelings.

There is no “Be patient, God isn’t finished with me yet” in paganism. No “I am waiting on God to make me more patient, loving, etc.” If you feel you lack spirituality, a moral compass or ethical understanding; it is on you and you alone to fix that. That is the essence of Responsibility of Belief.

Parting Thought:

The great face down the struggles of life and use them to become stronger.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Weightlifting with Disturbed” – The Skald’s Lyre

May 25, 2019May 25, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Saturn’s Day

Musical Journal:

My weightlifting routine is filled with music. It is the only complaint I have with my new gym is that their music is less than motivational and inspiring. Maybe it is to those who like soft Christian rock but being a deist/pagan in spiritual orientation and needing something a little more forceful to get me going, I find the need for my own playlist when I hit the weights and true to form it is metal. Heavy Metal.

This last year I discovered Disturbed. Now they have been around for a lot longer than my discovery of them and I have heard their songs several times without knowing who they were. This last year I have listened to them a lot. Mostly in the context of weightlifting as I find their music intense and motivational. The subject matter of some of the songs resonates with some emotional states I have had over the years. I find that their music was one of the go-to choices as I struggled through last year’s crisis and as we have now come full Circle that same time of year, I find myself listening to them again and it is still therapeutic.

Personal Significance:

The Skald’s Lyre is simple in its execution. Journaling the significance of the band in my life overall and then talking about some of the songs as far as their personal significance to me. Then I will give a playlist. Do with that as you will. Mostly I am writing this to myself.

Down with the Sickness is probably the Disturbed signature song and represents their music overall the best. For me, it is the constant call to not be caught up in the sickness of society. It is also a great way to start a weightlifting session.
Stricken is a song that resonates with my hurts and pains about a relationship of a year ago. It reflects the part of my heart that can’t seem to let go of this relationship and I hear it and remind myself of that. I have found a lot of acceptance of part of who I am in this song. A guy who falls in love and never completely gets over it regardless of how long it has been.
Ten Thousand Fists – Great rebellion song. A Good Jam too. For me, it is a solidarity song for all of us that have left the Christian faith.
Voices – I have actually learned to sing the fast-paced lyrics to this song. Combined with the message of the video, I like how even though the voices talk to the guy, he doesn’t act on them ultimately. He just goes to a concert and burns the rage off having a good time. A simple lesson I have had to remind myself of often this last year.
Prayer – Speaking of leaving the faith, this was a theme song for me this last year. “This is how we pray. Living just isn’t hard enough. Burn me alive inside. Living Just isn’t hard enough. Take everything away” How you say that last line makes all the difference. Is it a statement of information or a request?
Sound of Silence – I love Simon and Garfunkel’s version don’t get me wrong but this one is straight up haunting. The vocals are off the chart. The message is something I am familiar with and it will probably start to creep back into my playlist for walking after the second of August as it represents that time very well.

When music gets into my life it tends to crop back up at times of memory. Certain times of year reflect certain music. Mostly they are connected to things that have happened to me and the music I was playing at the time. These next few months are going to suck for this, but I feel Disturbed will help me pull through The Grey of it. They were after all pulling me through it at the time. It also doesn’t hurt that they are high energy and get me through a weightlifting session faster than anything.

Playlist:

Down with the Sickness

Stricken

Ten Thousand Fists

Voices

Prayer

Sound of Silence (cover)

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Still Four Objections with No Answers” – Odin’s Eye – My Four Theological Objections to Christianity Revisited

May 23, 2019May 23, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Thor’s Day

Discussion:

I am approaching the date now where I will have been out of the ministry and away from Christianity for a whole year. I have literally not darkened the door of a church in that entire time. I can’t say I miss it. Mostly, it is the simple fact that it no longer makes any sense to me. It is my four objections that I formed that stand stronger than my faith ever was. No one has come forward and no one has offered answers. To review my objections with links provided:

Odin’s Eye -Objections to Christianity – Part 1 – The Bible’s Inspiration by God

Odin’s Eye – Objections to Christianity – Part 2 – Sin: An Imaginary Man-Made Problem

Odin’s Eye – Objections to Christianity – Part 3 – The Cross and Empty Tomb – An Imaginary Solution to an Imaginary Problem.

Odin’s Eye – Objections to Christianity – Part 4 – The Justice of the Biblical God – An Unbalanced Scale

I still stand by them. For the Eye today I am more looking at my feelings about my former faith than anything else.

Time to Look Through the Eye:

Faith:

The most nonsensical statement in Scripture is Hebrews 11:1 – “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” Most Christians think this is deep and profound but what it really is saying is that the only evidence and proof of the things we ask you to believe in is your own choice to believe them. There is no evidence to prove any of our assertions, so the Writer of Hebrews simply asks them to take their own choice to have faith as the substance and evidence that proves it. How would this be any different than simply asking people to believe in Thor or Apollo in the same way? Nothing really. Christian faith certainly isn’t special in that regard.

Religion:

I now look at Christianity even more skeptically than before as a religion. I see how religion can be used to control people and Christianity is a great perpetrator of that. Before as a Christian, I was like George Washington in that I may have been devout but I was skeptical of a lot of things. Now I am just skeptical. I am working on my first non-fiction book that might be considered anti-Christianity, but trust me I have a list I considered on various topics and it is quite possible that this could be a deep well of ideas that could lead to a writing career doing nothing more but being a skeptic. Christianity has a lot of problems particularly in the USA and it could be a gold mine for a writer with my knowledge of it and my current mindset about it.

Theology:

My four objections are theological and they are also hard to break. I know I have tried to break them myself for years. This transition from being a theologian who is an apologist for Christianity to one that is a skeptic of Christianity was personally very difficult. But I refuse to waste my time being an apologist for something I now consider to be as made up as other religions. Christianity is sophisticated makebelieve, but makebelieve nonetheless. It’s my knowledge of theology that tells me that.

Spirituality:

I love it when I tell people I am no longer religious but spiritual. I think they think I am some warlock chanting some magical shit, but nothing could be further from the truth. Mostly I draw my spirituality from experiencing life and all that there is to it. I find myself listening in meditation now almost exclusively, I don’t pray at all. I think not whining to the universe or the Divine and taking personal responsibility for yourself is a good first step in being a mature spiritual adult.

Conclusion:

I think to myself sometimes about the things I have lost by leaving Christianity. Friends, colleagues and a sense of community that were all left behind. However, I have gained an honesty that I find much more satisfying and more appealing to my actual self than ever. I still remain open to someone trying to give me some answers, but so far nothing. In the meantime, I walk the road of life. My eye wide open.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Basic Pagan Principles – An Introduction” – The Pagan Pulpit

May 19, 2019May 19, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Sun’s Day

Announcements:

There is going to be a format change to the Pagan Pulpit. Most notably that I will be removing two songs and the poem out of it. I want to focus on music specifically in The Skald’s Lyre which debuted yesterday. Poetry I am still deciding what to call that but it will also be separate. Any poem I write myself Goes under Skald Poems. This will leave Announcements, Theme Song, Meditation, Text, Sermon and Parting Thought. Hopefully, this will make it both easier to write for me and a little more streamlined for you. I am just trying to provide some spiritual inspiration here, not dominate your Sun’s Day. To the rest of the announcements.

Theme Song: “Odin” – SKALD

Translation of lyrics: https://lyricstranslate.com/en/%C3%B3dinn-odin.html

A band called SKALD and a song about Odin. It fits my Paganism and a great song to start this series with.

Meditation:

With paganism, each person’s path is unique to them. There is no right or wrong path necessarily. Just a journey.

Text:

“Pagans may be trained in particular traditions or they may follow their own inspiration. Paganism is not dogmatic. Pagans pursue their own vision of the Divine as a direct and personal experience.” – Pagan Federation international

Sermon:

The real problem with getting the dictionary definition of pagan or paganism is that the word has had a negative connotation in common use for so long; those definitions are still colored by that negativity. The observation above is made by pagans themselves and when people ask me why I consider myself a pagan is it because of this basic idea of each pagan chooses their own spiritual path. I have had my fill of religions telling me what to believe, I seek it myself.

For the next six weeks including this one, I want to go over the basic five principles that pagans hold in common. Specifics can vary quite widely. The five principles I see most often are:

Responsibility of Belief
Personal Responsibility for Your Actions and Personal Development
Everything is Sacred
Freedom of Choosing Diety
Scope of Consciousness

http://exotic-pets.yoexpert.com/exotic-pets-general/what-are-some-of-the-basic-principles-of-paganism-2192.html

For myself, I have realized for a long time that religions, in general, are simply that someone did the above and then codified it to a point they discarded large chunks of this until you are left with none of it.

The truth is we all choose our faith, and within that faith choose a path. Some of us choose a religion and that religion limits the paths to a certain selection of choices approved by others. Paganism throws all that off. It says that all paths are valid, the real issue is to responsibly walk the one you are on.

Over the next five weeks of the pagan Pulpit, I will be exploring each of the above principles in detail. I hope you enjoy it or at least learn something about the path of the people who identify themselves as pagans.

Parting Thought:

Yep, highly recommended that you do this from time to time. Don’t let anyone else define this for you, do it yourself. This should include your spirituality.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“The Wolf Within” – Odin’s Eye – The Grey Wayfarer’s Spirituality

May 16, 2019May 16, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Thor’s Day

Discussion:

Well, the time has come in the rotation of Odin’s Eye to deal very directly with my own personal spirituality. There is no wrong or right way to practice spirituality as a pagan. One simply looks at life and the universe and seeks to both understand its spiritual nature and develop spiritual strength within through doing so. There are common themes in the spiritual life of pagans to be sure, but the ways of practicing paganism are as individual as the people that do so.

So when a pagan talks spirituality, they use their own metaphors. For me, the concepts of Wolves, Ravens and other Viking metaphorical language are my way of describing abstract concepts. The wolf is symbolic of that part of me that is filled with passion whether that passion is based on need or want. It contrasted with the idea fo the Raven which is the rational and wise part of me. The two work together to pick and follow the best path for me.

‘The wolf within’ is the concept of that part of me which is wolf itself. As a Christian is used to deny and try to subjugate to slavery this wolf. Now I let him roam free. That wolf is the sum of all I want and need. The hunger and fury of being a man in this world. If there is anything that I recognize now, it is my wolf within is not inherently sinful or evil and I let him live free and roam free. Funny thing is, he is not all bad. Like anything else in human nature, I have found him to be the motivating force of my life and the one that is truly strong when I need strength.

This is an important spiritual concept for me right now. That if there is a wild and untamed side to me, that is a good thing. It is just a question of how to best utilize it.

Time to Look Through the Eye:

Faith:

I have always felt that if there is something to have faith in, it is my own passions. Passion drives us, but it can be a double-edged sword. That said, I have found that my intuition is something more right than wrong. That intuition didn’t come from my reason or wisdom; although they certainly chimed in, it came from the gut level uneasiness that the prowler of the wolf within creates. It is this sense of danger that comes from the wolf, not the clear seeing raven of reason. When it comes to the danger these days, particularly with regard to danger in relationships, I find the wolf is far more my friend and something I place my faith in to be both wary and watchful.

Religion:

Religion always has a moral code based on whatever the founder of the religion says is right or wrong. Sexual desire becomes lust. Industry becomes greed. There is no end to this and it is more often this notion that so-called ‘baser’ instincts are labeled as sinful or evil than other things. Fulfilling needs and wants becoming bad or evil. This notion of higher desires and lower ones is inherently religious. I don’t find any desire sinful anymore, just a question of whether is it is wise to engage it. I can understand all virtues engage all desires at some point and thus engage them all in their proper time and place. In pursuing virtue rather than religion, I can find the profitable in any need or want, even the base power of rage or hunger. I don’t have two natures to feed one and starve the other. I have a single nature that at times resembles a wolf and at other times a raven and sometimes both at the same time.

Theology:

I view mankind theologically as what they are. Every part of us has a purpose in that, and what others consider sinful, I see as human. That is not to say there is no morals or ethics, but I can draw as much spirituality from passionate sex as I can from reading a book on logic. All things that a human being wants or needs can be the door to spiritual strength and enlightenment. All desires, needs, thoughts, and experiences are righteous to me. Ethics and morals for me is something that involves it all, not simply what supposed revealed religions says those morals and ethics should be. All parts of what it means to be human have the potential to lead to spirituality. We are not divided in nature as human beings; it is all the same human nature and no part of it is inherently good or evil.

Spirituality:

So here is the central path for me right now. Learning how each feeling, desire, need, thought and experience can lead me to greater growth of my spirituality. To do this doesn’t just mean I embrace the raven but also the wolf that is inside myself. To feel is just as spiritual as to think, and I have found this transition enlightening. I grow spiritually when I hold my grandson; when I lift weights; when I make love to my wife; when I hang with friends; when I work. When I am doing anything really there is a potential to see something with my spiritual eyes and grow and gain the strength of spirit I need for each day. That includes when I let the wolf out to hunt and play.

Conclusion:

The image remains for me of myself as a Grey Pilgrim. Part of what it means for me to be grey is not to label any part of my nature as dark or light. It is just at times I am a pilgrim that is following his wolf’s heart and not just his raven mind. There is no difference between the two of them when it comes to who will give me the greater potential for spiritual understanding and growth. The wolves and ravens don’t just walk with me, they are inside me and I embrace them. They are what help me find my path and passionately pursue it.

Continuing to Walk that Path,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Refusing to Accept Society’s Chains” – Of Wolves and Ravens – Libertarianism

May 14, 2019May 14, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Tyr’s Day

Discussion:

We are born free. For libertarians like myself, this is a simple and true statement. It is after the moment of birth that people begin to try to place shackles on us. They do this with a lot of good intentions, but the best of intentions cause a great amount of harm the majority of the time and one of the casualties of these chains is our freedom. To be ‘woke’ in the libertarian sense is to recognize the chains that are imposed on us by others and then break them. Whether those chains come from religion, society or government.

The distinction is understanding that voluntary consent is the great difference maker in relationships. It is what makes sex not rape; a job not slavery; and a transaction of value not robbery. If there is NOT consent in these things they become rape, slavery, and robbery. When you are forced to do something against your wishes, that is being chained. It’s coercion and it is wrong.

This is why most libertarians find most of what the government does to be illegitimate. Some of us see government in the way the Founding Fathers of the United States saw it – ‘a necessary evil’ and others see it as completely illegitimate. The one thing we all agree on is much of what the government does is force compliances to its wishes with force, the threat of force (coercion) or fraud. Because none of this involves consent; they are no better than kidnappers, extortionists, and thieves for the most part, except what they do has been deemed legal by society.

As a classical liberal, I accept that some government is necessary, but not because I think society wouldn’t do well without it. I rather accept the fact that most people will not accept the idea of anarchy. No matter how much you educate people on this, they want some central authority to appeal to if things go to shit.

So I accept that the government might be a necessary evil but I want it to have very specific and limited uses. 1) Protect my rights – make sure I am accorded my life, liberty, property, and ability to pursue my own happiness. As long as I am not harming anyone else’s rights, I should be allowed to exercise my own and the government should protect that. 2) Provide a court system to settle disputes but also don’t forbid or regulate private arbitration. This court system should also provide just punishment for those who violate other people’s rights including when agents of the government do it. 3) Provide a means of education for the purpose of people learning their rights, but also have no say in private education that wishes to exist. I see a government that should be involved in defense, public safety, justice, and education. Everything else, they should butt out as it is not really their business.

To the Wolves and Ravens:

Needs (Geri):

The one thing that is hard for people to accept because they have gotten so used to their chains is a simple fact that society advances far better when people are free and voluntarily doing the things they love to do. I have never found self-fulfillment in complying with the wishes of others and I would say that it creates a mental state that doesn’t help anyone around me either. WE NEED LIBERTY to be better people and thus have a better society of people who work together freely.

Wants (Freki):

I find myself these days attracted to those who are deemed criminals. Mostly because I don’t see a crime unless there is a victim. If you can’t show me a victim to the crime where they were forced, coerced or fraudulently treated then I say there is no crime. So when the government passes laws where there is no victim but something is declared a criminal activity, I applaud the criminal element for taking that nonsense on. They are real patriots at that point in my book. I want to live in a society free from these moralistic chains that criminalize people who have victimized no one.

Reason (Huginn):

That said I am no fool. I kick in The Book of Rabyd 2:2 at this point. I also engage in the 11th commandment – ‘Don’t Get Caught” and part of not getting caught is tolerating the law, even when it is stupid, to avoid incarceration. To work to change the law and get rid of laws that create crimes out of the air that have no victims. At the same time, the government has the real potential to go too far. Revolution and disobedience are options for me. I refuse to accept any of society’s chains on me. I tolerate the annoying, but I will gladly revolt against the tyrannical.

Wisdom (Muninn):

Mostly I simply work to live as freely as possible. To avoid the nonsense and yet at the same time pursue freedom and liberty, because it is those things that allow me to improve myself and my situation. Wisdom says I need the liberty to pursue a better life for myself, but society will also try to put its chains on me and I need to know what to do to avoid that as well.

Conclusion:

If my paganism keeps me free from the chains of religion in regards to spirituality, my libertarianism does the same when it comes to the forces of society and government. Shackles are impositions, we are not born with them and we should do everything in our power to maintain our birthright of being free.

You are born free; learn to stay free.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

The Pagan Pulpit – The Book of Rabyd 3:2 – “There is Never Time to Do It Right, but There is Always Time to Do It Over.”

May 12, 2019May 12, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Sun’s Day

Announcements:

We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods, and goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.

Opening Song: “Hammer to Fall” – Queen

I consider this one of the lesser known but better songs of Queen. It also deals with today’s subject – time.

Poem: ‘Priceless Words’ by LK Pilgrim

LK Pilgrim has some good stuff for poems and seeing I am not inspired for my own poetry right now, enjoy.

Meditation:

Definitely yours for wasting time on them. Time to find someone better.

Song of Preparation: “Wasted Years” – Iron Maiden

I think we could all sing this song about someone or something. The point is to learn and head a different direction.

Text:

“There is Never Time to Do It Right, but There is Always Time to Do It Over.” – The Book of Rabyd 3:2

Sermon:

I don’t know actually where this expression originated in our family but I do know it was a favorite with my Father. He was a big one for doing things right the first time. He hated coming back to do something again if it could have been avoided by simply doing things right the first time. He also felt by doing it right the first time and taking a little extra time to do it that way saved time in the long run. He was most definitely right.

It is when we get sloppy that we find ourselves doing things again and wasting time. It is interesting that the one thing humans take so seriously is time, but that we waste so much of it doing a sloppy job is also true. Sure the sand of time is ticking, but does doing things quickly really save time? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting things to get better with each repeat or doing things right the first time and have time to reach other goals? I prefer the later and have to conclude that my dad, wherever he got the saying, was right.

Time is the most important commodity anyone has. You don’t even really know how much you have so it is important to get things right the first time so you don’t waste time doing things over and over again. That goes for relationships too.

At this point, we will leave the Book of Rabyd for a bit. I will come back to it whenever I add another verse or modify an existing verse. Next up is a series on universal religious concepts. I also may from time to time go truly pagan on the Pagan Pulpit.

Closing Song: “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” – Freddie Fender

I honor of my father who has provided two verses of The Book of Rabyd, I leave you with a country song and this was one of his favorites. It also has a message I need to remember for myself.

Parting Thought:

Ain’t that the truth.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

The Pagan Pulpit – The Book of Rabyd 3:1 – “You Need to Use Your Head for Something Besides a Hat Rack”

May 5, 2019May 5, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Sun’s Day

Announcements:

Opening Song: ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ – The Neptunes Remix

I suppose it wouldn’t be a playlist for the pagan pulpit without some reference to something controversial – like having sympathy for the devil.

Poem:

This is hard for me. The truth of this little poem; as much as it hurts, is still the truth.

Meditation:

Song of Preparation: “Safety Dance” – Men Without Hats

Hats and a maypole for Beltane. Easy call here.

Text:

“You Need to Use Your Head for Something Besides a Hat Rack” – The Book of Rabyd 3:1

Sermon:

Chapter three of the Book of Rabyd represents some of the sayings and ‘-isms’ that have dominated the Raby Family for years. They are not necessarily principles or wisdom but just stuff that is around our family that we just say as part of our particular family collective. This one is from my father and I have no idea how many times he said it to me. “You Need to Use Your Head for Something Besides a Hat Rack” was on his lips every single time I did something stupid. It was a polite way of him telling me I should use my head to think rather than just have it occupy space and hold up my hat.

My father was not an educated man. He was dyslexic or at least we think so. He was a blue-collar man who had a gift for manufacturing. He learned machinery and grinding early in his factory work days and knew math very well. He just could never read very well. These days, he might have been diagnosed early and he might have learned to read much better. He was, however, a math genius in his own way and he believed highly in learning and common sense.

I don’t actually use this expression of his much myself. I, however, hear it all the time in my head. I always hear it when I am about to do something stupid or have not thought things through before I am about to act on them. Most people don’t wear hats these days so I wonder if somebody would get it, but I certainly do.

This expression being 3:1 in the Book of Rabyd is more about my love for my Father than anything else. I want the expression preserved for my kids and grandkids and all the rest. I think it is a very polite and creative way to tell someone to start thinking and using your head. I know he was proud of me when I graduated college but he did not live to see me get my master’s but I could not have made either without this expression rolling around in my head. Thanks, Dad, I still miss you.

Closing Song: “Walpurgisnacht” – FAUN

English lyrics version:

In honor of this past week being Beltane, I include this song. The song is definitely a Celtic flavor I love. Included the English translation version second if you are interested in the words. Truly pagan for the pagan pulpit on this one.

Parting Thought:

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

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