Nanci and Thomas Kuykendall

>Pagan is a blanket term, for many different religions, or spiritual paths. .....There are many sites on the internet, but you will find soo many different takes on Pagan, there are so many Earth Centered ways of practicing your religion, so I would start just by asking your friend what it is he personally believes. Michelle*

I believe the original poster said that their friend was Wiccan, which is one particular belief and worship system (although details can vary about specifics of worship, like many Christian denominations.) However, the basics of Wiccan worship are similar enough for the posters intended purposes of understanding what it is their friend believes. Details, like whether they associate the Northern cardinal point with the color brown to represent it's earth element, or green, (one debated point) hardly matters.

Wiccans are, in fact, the largest and fastest growing pagan group worldwide (if you do not count the majority of the world who practice Buddhist beliefs as being pagan by virtue of their non judeo-christian nature.) :-)

Nanci K.

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D Klement

Nanci and Thomas Kuykendall wrote:
> Wiccans are, in fact, the largest and fastest growing pagan group worldwide (if you do not count the majority of the world who practice Buddhist beliefs as being pagan by virtue of their non judeo-christian nature.) :-)
>
> Nanci K.

Many Buddhists would be considered Pagan as well. The belief that gods
are beings of another level of incarnation (gods realm), and the fact
that some Buddhists still embrace cultural gods and goddesses would put
them in the Pagan camp.
Some Buddhists are philosophic Buddhists. Buddhism in the strictest
sense is a philosophy of the way the universe is (works), and will
always be.

Buzz the Buddhist
--
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Nanci and Thomas Kuykendall

>> Wiccans are, in fact, the largest and fastest growing pagan group worldwide (if you do not count the majority of the world who practice Buddhist beliefs as being pagan by virtue of their non judeo-christian nature.) :-)
>>
>> Nanci K.
>
>Many Buddhists would be considered Pagan as well.
>Buzz the Buddhist

I know. :-) That was why I satirically said that Wiccans were the fastest growing worldwide pagan group IF you don't count Buddhism, which is (if I am not mistaken) the majority religion in the world.

Nanci K.

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[email protected]

"Nanci and Thomas Kuykendall" <tn-k4of5@...> wrote:

> I know. :-) That was why I satirically said that Wiccans were the fastest
> growing worldwide pagan group IF you don't count Buddhism, which is (if I am
> not mistaken) the majority religion in the world.

There's no conflict between Buddhism being the largest Pagan denomination and
Wicca being the fastest growing. It's even likely; it's easier to grow fast
(percentagewise) when you're small. (Although Buddhism probably adds more
people a year due to population growth, where it helps to be large.)

However, a bit of math thought, the sort of which I hope y'all are encouraging
in your children, suggests that Buddhism could not possibly be the majority
religion. There are 6 billion people, so a majority religion would have to
have over 3 billion. If we to begin with allocate a billion people to
Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism then we've already used up 4
billion without touching African animism or Chinese Confucianism.

This page (found by websearch of 'world religions')
http://www.webstationone.com/fecha/religion.htm
claims I was too generous all around, actually, except to Christianity; 980
million for Catholicism alone, 840 million for Islam, only 307 million for
Buddhism, 648 million for Hinduism.

Of course, the accuracy of those trailing '7' and '8' is doubtful.

-xx- Damien X-)

Lynda

About a month ago I posted the numbers on these and Christianity is the
largest organized religion. Here they are again (in millions):

Christianity - 1758.8
Moslem - 935
Non-religious - 866
Hindu - 705
Buddhist - 303
Atheist - 233
Other (includes Pagen/Wiccan, etc.) - 219.3
Chinese (Folk reglion) - 180
Tribal - 92
Jewish - 17.4

Lynda

----------
> From: phoenix@...
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Pagan friend
> Date: Monday, August 21, 2000 10:17 AM
>
> "Nanci and Thomas Kuykendall" <tn-k4of5@...> wrote:
>
> > I know. :-) That was why I satirically said that Wiccans were the
fastest
> > growing worldwide pagan group IF you don't count Buddhism, which is (if
I am
> > not mistaken) the majority religion in the world.
>
> There's no conflict between Buddhism being the largest Pagan denomination
and
> Wicca being the fastest growing. It's even likely; it's easier to grow
fast
> (percentagewise) when you're small. (Although Buddhism probably adds
more
> people a year due to population growth, where it helps to be large.)
>
> However, a bit of math thought, the sort of which I hope y'all are
encouraging
> in your children, suggests that Buddhism could not possibly be the
majority
> religion. There are 6 billion people, so a majority religion would have
to
> have over 3 billion. If we to begin with allocate a billion people to
> Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism then we've already used up 4
> billion without touching African animism or Chinese Confucianism.
>
> This page (found by websearch of 'world religions')
> http://www.webstationone.com/fecha/religion.htm
> claims I was too generous all around, actually, except to Christianity;
980
> million for Catholicism alone, 840 million for Islam, only 307 million
for
> Buddhism, 648 million for Hinduism.
>
> Of course, the accuracy of those trailing '7' and '8' is doubtful.
>
> -xx- Damien X-)
>
>
>
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Nanci and Thomas Kuykendall

>There's no conflict between Buddhism being the largest Pagan denomination and Wicca being the fastest growing.

Correct, good point. :-)

Buddhism could not possibly be the majority religion. There are 6 billion people, so a majority religion would have to have over 3 billion. If we to begin with allocate a billion people to
>Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism then we've already used up 4
>billion without touching African animism or Chinese Confucianism.

Alright than, how about the religion with the largest following? That would be more than likely I think.

Nanci K.

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