Give back to your religion?

[Sylvan]

I wonder if this has been touched upon before... Figure it's probably something a New Pagan would wonder about, like i have....

I have read books that suggest that before you dedicate yourself to your new Path, that you ought to make lists- one of what you want to get out of your Path, and another of what you plan on giving back to your Path.

I have always gotten stuck there, for while I can pretty much figure out what I want to gain from my Path, I can't figure out what I have to offer. I'm not an author, I'm not an activist, I don't feel I have experience enough to teach...

What are we supposed to give back?

It's easy for christians- just pay tithes... Being solitary, I don't even have a group to help pay for supplies...

Is living a decent life enough of a give-back? Should i be pushing myself to find something to do that "gives back"?

[Aine of the Fae]

Living a decent life is a wonderful way to give back! However before giving up on ways you can give back to your path consider these options:

1. Tolerance - for every time you show tolerance for another faith, you are helping to portray your path in a good light.
2. Care for the Earth - plant trees, recycle, use Earth-friendly products whenever you can
3. Donate to pagan organizations when you can - Witchvox, PAAN (ask Silent-Rayne :D ) and any other pagan groups.
4. Shop at pagan owned stores, both offline and online.

These things, while seemingly small, go along way!

[13thChylde]

I like all of Aine's suggestions. I also volunteer weekly at the Red Cross, just to help people in general. I'm the Garden Mom for my son's 3rd grade class to help teach them about the Earth and caring for plants.

I drive about an hour to shop at a friend's small Pagan shop...I could get the same things from bigger stores in my area, but I like to help her out.

[aftershocked]

Although I don't consider myself an 'activist', I do stand up for people in my environment that are having difficulties with others (not just Pagans, anyone in my community that needs help). I'm part of my school's community service groups, and I try to raise positie energies to help those around me. I think that beautifing a local park, volunteering, or even just trying to be a good person are perfectly fine ways of giving back to everyone, not just pagans. But if you'd like something more religiously oriented, try to shop at local People-owned stores, like was said. Or organize a park cleanup with your town along with another local group, if you're a part of one. Getting others to care about the earth, I think, is a great way to give back to nature.

-[edit]-
Sorry, I was on the other computer where I had to use MW@ Work because of blocking software.. and I had to use 'people' or else the computer throws a fit >.<

[Sylvan]

Wait.. what's "People" again?

(say it enough times and it sounds pretty silly.. People People People People People People People People.... :hehehehe: )

[Heathen Dawn]

Wait.. what's "People" again?

This isn’t the first time I see it on this board: People instead of Pagans. It looks like some sort of bug. I’ve had a private message in which, every time I wrote Pagan in my original, it came back as People in the reply. Weird.

[Aine of the Fae]

I think it's probably censoring software at work. You know the ones that are supposed to block sex sites and stuff like that? They also just happen to block pagan sites since most of that software is manufactured by Christian companies. She's lucky she can even see MW if that software is on her computer.

[13thChylde]

The people = pagan thing is from the MW@work skin....it's to help disguise those of us who should be workin instead of surfin!

[Aine of the Fae]

Oh! That makes sense!!!

[Heathen Dawn]

I think it's probably censoring software at work. You know the ones that are supposed to block sex sites and stuff like that? They also just happen to block pagan sites since most of that software is manufactured by Christian companies. She's lucky she can even see MW if that software is on her computer.

Damn right she is (oh, btw, the word “damned” is censored on Christian Forums (http://www.christianforums.com). You can’t know whether a poster is saved or ******). Two weeks ago I tried accessing MW from computers at college, and I was denied access because “the site belongs to the following categories: Occult”. Botheration!

To the OP: my own idea of giving back is to take what I’m good at and dedicate it to the Gods and the community. Since I’m good at writing things, my dedication is to devise viable pagan philosophy and apologetics.

[Heathen Dawn]

(MW @ Work) Oh. I get it now.

We can now get back on topic...

[Jenett]

One thing to keep in mind is that those lists can include things that you want to do in the future, but aren't ready/skilled enough to do now.

For example, two things I knew from the beginning I really was interested in were teaching and priestessing duties - both obviously involve skill and a situation in which to do it. That meant that when I started looking at my options, I knew it was important for those long-term goals to try and find a group where those things would eventually be options. But I also knew I wasn't going to be doing it *yet*.

(These days, I'm doing some teaching, under supervision, and learning how to do the other stuff, and I also give back to the group I work with in other ways - I answer the group email, help with setup and cleanup for ritual, and so on.)

But if you don't want to go down that particular path, there are lots of options, already mentioned.

What I'd suggest is figuring out some aspects of your religion that are particularly important to you, and find some volunteering options that focus on that.

So, if you thought knowledge was particularly important, you might volunteer at your local library. If you thought preserving the earth was, you might look for volunteer options at your local zoo or conservatory gardens. If animals are, then maybe the humane society. If the next generations are, maybe a mentoring program with children. If wisdom of those who have gone before us is, maybe seeing if there's something you could do at a nursing home or senior center. A friend volunteers doing demonstrations of science-related stuff at the Science museum (obviously, she has relevant degrees).

The actual stuff you do may not be the most fascinating thing in the world, but these days *lots* of non-profit groups are really getting hurt by economic factors, and they're often extremely grateful for help.

(You can also, once you show commitment, often get some pleasant perks: I did paperwork and filing and envelope stuffing for my local zoo two summers ago, and ended up with a pass for free entry for the next 9 months, plus some other nice bonuses. Besides doing something that really needed doing, I also got to hear some fascinating stories about behind-the-scenes stuff. If I'd had time to do the training program, I'd have been able to go out and help visitors with information about different animals.)

Depending on where you live, there may also be options for your Pagan community - people here often do river cleannups and some other general things, as well as fundraisers for various Pagan groups in town, or helping with public rituals.

Obviously, for some kinds of volunteering, you need specific kinds of skills, or to demonstrate that you're trustworthy, or whatever. But honestly, there's lots of options out there, and for me, the 'is this giving back to my religion' is often as much internal as something obvious.

These days, besides the group stuff I do, my major volunteer thing is that I volunteer for the LiveJournal Abuse Team. I've been doing it for just over a year. It's not Pagan-specific, but supporting a place where free speech is valued, we have an *amazing* range of different topics being discussed, and some really interesting communities, does tie directly into a number of my religious values.

[alexx]

All great suggestions so I don't have a lot to add. I'd agree that "giving back" should be something you want to do for something you feel important and doesn't have to be overtly pagan or "activist" unless that is the path you want to take!
I try and do something additional each year if I can; last year I worked on self-improvement and becoming a better person, allowing me to be a better friend; this year I am going more external so am concentrating on choosing products I buy to have minimal environmental impact and I am going to go and help our local animal shelter at weekends "cat socialising". The fact you have considered this "responsibility" of faith shows you are already a good person; do what you feel is right and good luck!

[Aine of the Fae]

depends what your giving back to
community = volunteer
nature = be environmentally friendly
your path = teach it
your gods = make offerings (dead children, small animals etc.)
dont worry if atm you have no experience or arent an activist. often enough you'll get your run, and then pay for it later. sounds sinister eh :D

My Gods don't require dead children or small animals :hairraise

[~ Monk ~]

Among other things, I volunteer for a forest preserve clean-up each April. It's dirty and often disgusting work, but it makes you feel good at the end of the day. Perhaps something like that would work for you?

[MoonChild78]

My suggestion is to start small and possible as you can do more later as you get more into activism or voluentaring or whatever you choose to do. But whatever you do, have it be something that is meaningful to you!! good luck

[kblackthorne]

The first thing I gave for my new path was my heart and life to my Gods.

All else has followed from that.

So much for starting small...

[Caliburn]

To tell you the truth, when I die I kinda want to be eaten by an animal..like make up for all the meat I ate, I don't mean like the worms in the ground, but maybe a wolf or something, hope no one thinks thats weird. When you think about it, we all give back to the earth eventually..unless we have space burials...

[MoonChild78]

To tell you the truth, when I die I kinda want to be eaten by an animal..like make up for all the meat I ate.
THat's ummm, interesting, though I'm not sure how it makes me feel, ummmm, yeah... see that's why i don't eat meat!