Project

[PegUnicorn]

I am doing a project on paganism and wicca.... I just need a little help on it and I was wondering what is your beliefs on these three controversial beliefs.... This is through your pagan beliefs....

1) Cloning
2) Abortion
3) Satanism

Just your opinions... I put it in just talk cause I could not figure were to put it. I like your opinions as soon as possible. I am in school know working on it.

Thanks!

[Phoenix Blue]

**Nods** Just Talk is as good a place as any, I think.

My religious ethic includes three directives: minimize harm, take care of myself, and help others but allow them to choose their own path. :) I know better than to think I won't cause any harm at all over the course of my life, but if I can limit it. If I don't take care of myself, no one else will. Finally, helping others improves their lives and reduces entropy--but they have to want to be helped. Likewise, the help I provide I try to keep free from attached strings.

Now, how do these impact the three subjects about which you've asked?

1: There are two types of cloning - one which seeks to clone organs, and one which seeks to clone people. I would question the need to clone entire people--I don't think there is one. But neither do I have any strong opposition to it. I think cloning of organs would greatly benefit our quality of life, so I am a proponent of it.

2: I am against abortion at the personal level, though I realize that others will face circumstances in their own way. I believe adoption is a far more humane solution for the biological parents, excepting of course any medical or ethical complications (ie., is the child the product of rape or incest).

3: Satanism is just another religion--and one that is even more misunderstood than Paganism. Actual Satanism doesn't involve bloodletting, sacrifices, or Black Mass. I believe it is entitled the same rights under the Bill of Rights and Federal Law as any other religion, including Paganism or Christianity.

Hope that helps! :)

[Ahautenites]

Disclaimer: I do define myself as Kemetic, but religion, like the government, does not dictate my personal beliefs about important issues. When religion conflicts with personal belief, personal belief ALWAYS wins out.


That being said:

1. Cloning: Uses for food and endangered/extinct species only. Or else cloning of organs, but not if they have to be harvested from a human vegetable's body.

2. Abortion: Pro-Choice.

3. Satanism: Lucifuge and all of the other Satanists I've met seem nice enough. I just disagree with Anton Le Vey's teachings, so it's not for me, but I couldn't care less about who practices that religion as long as they don't lie to me about it. (I once almost got involved with a guy who said he was a druid but was really a Satanist. If he'd told me what he was in the first place, I'd probably still talk to him. **shrugs** I have a thing about people who lie to me.)

[Xander67]

Ahh,

ok,

Cloneing: For Medical and science!

Abortion: Personally, speaking as a would have been father..
NO!
but I do believe it is the woman;s choice


Satanism: as a religion, I can respect it
and I agree with Ses, I have serious issues with anton Le vay;s so called church of satan! but that is a whole new can of beans,

[Seren Mara]

I call myself an 'eclectic pagan':

1. Cloning - I've only really considered human cloning here. I agree with the idea of 'cloning for organs' - so many lives could be saved. I disagree with the idea of cloning for the purposes of designer babies. But really, the whole thing needs to be investigated further to make sure it's all safe. I mean, look at Dolly the sheep - a medical miracle who has early arthritis....

2. Abortion - Every woman should have the right to choose, it's her body, her baby, and nobody else's.

3. Satanism - I don't know much about it, I don't practice it, but all the people I've met online who do seem nice enough.

[Erincelt]

I'm a Wiccan with Mahayana colors. :)

1. Organ cloning: good! People cloning: bad! Cloning of whole animals of any sort: bad! Birth comes from the seed in the womb, not from the test tube.

2. Let me put it this way: if it were up to me, no, never. But its not up to me.

3. I've read LaVey's work, and I've had a number of aquintances that described themselves as Satanist. They were some of the nices people I've ever known too. I agree with some parts of his writings, disagree with others. Simply put: its just another faith, that like any other has some nuggets of wisdom.

[~ Monk ~]

Well:

1) No problem with the cloning of organs, but I think cloning people and animals is an abomination.

2) Pro choice all the way, assuming we're not talking about someone who constantly gets pregnant and uses abortion as a way out. I don't believe "life" begins at the moment of fertilization, and I feel too much emphasis is placed on babies/children.

3) I don't know a whole lot about Satanism, but I think it's generally misunderstood.

[Morrighana]

I'm an eclectic pagan witch-type. My opinions mirror a lot of what has been said already, with the exception of cloning.

1) Cloning~Against it entirely. Even for organs. This is mostly because I think that as a species we are stabbing ourselves in the backs by eliminating the survival of the fittest... cloning will only accentuate the problem. But, I tend to hold controversial opinions about this sort of thing, so take it with a grain of salt, eh? ;) (Oh, and Seren, didn't Dolly die awhile ago?)
2) Abortion~Pro-choice.
3) Satanism~Just another religion. I only have a problem with Satanists who portray themselves as the epitome of Paganism, who are thankfully few and far between.

[PegUnicorn]

Thanks a lot! I really needed some answers because I know there is no set belief in these issues.

Thanks!

[Athena-Nadine]

I still call myself Pagan when anyone asks, though I'm leaning more towards Hellenismos now.

Cloning--I've never been against any type of scientific research, no matter how controversial it may be. As I don't know where this is going to go, if anywhere, I see no reason to get all worked up about it. *...shrugs...*

Abortion--Pro choice. And I don't think fathers should have no say in the decision. Yes, it's the woman's body, but it's not only her child.

Satanism--I know next to nothing about Satanism, but I don't much care about what anyone else believes in anyway. My religious beliefs are the only ones that matter to me. *...smiles...*

[Ben Trismegistus]

1. As this is a medical issue, medical ethics apply. Cloning research has a lot of possible medical benefits, but from a theological standpoint, cloning entire humans is wildly unethical, and from a social standpoint, eugenics (i.e. genetically engineering "perfect" humans free of disability, etc.) is a horror.

2. Obviously, no one is for abortion. The true point of the issue is who has control over a woman's body, and the answer is, without question, that woman. I believe that my theology supports that viewpoint.

3. Good, bad, or indifferent, if we want to be recognized and accepted as a true religion, we need to recognize and accept all other religions, regardless of theological differences, etc.

[AstraSkye]

I'm an Agnostic Pagan with Wiccan influences...


Cloning

I'm against the cloning of people, mainly because it's not necessary. Regarding the cloning of organs, I guess it's OK, as long as they're grown in labs and not in people.


Abortion

I am 100% pro-choice. While I might strongly disapprove of people using it as a contraceptive, and wanting to slap them silly for not learning their lesson, I still don't have the right to butt in because it's HER BODY and HER CHOICE. And in the long run, she will take more damage from "not learning her lesson" than anyone else...


Satanism

Being an ex-satanist myself, I have no problem with it. I agree with what Phoneix_Blue said.

[Siarlas]

Cloning - I'm torn with this. In cloning organs to help people... ok, yeah. I can see this though I still don't like it much, but I far prefer it to cloning people.

Abortion - Personally, I can't stand it, but by the same token, I believe it is up to the woman. If the babe had of been the product of a rape, she won't want a constant reminder of that. If however it's some chick who can't take in the concept of contraceptions and keeps getting pregnant, then that's just ... ugh. From my point of view, if you're not ready to be a parent, adopt the baby out to someone who desperatly wants a child but can't.

Satanism - Each to their own. I have nothing against anyone who would follow this path.