This is the tenth of a 13-part series on the Atheopagan Principles as I described them in my essay, “How I Became an Atheopagan”. To read the whole series, click on “Atheopagan Principles” in the tag cloud to the right. The tenth Atheopagan Principle is the first that comes with fine print. It reads, “I celebrate pleasure as inherently good…so long as others are not harmed in its pursuit and the Four Pillars (Life, Love, Beauty and Truth) are respected.” This Principle confronts a core dilemma of our nature as complex animals with sometimes-conflicting drives. Because let’s face it: We are built to seek pleasure. That’s why it’s pleasurable. Our…

This is the ninth of a 13-part series on the Atheopagan Principles as I described them in my essay, “How I Became an Atheopagan”. To read the whole series, click on “Atheopagan Principles” in the tag cloud to the right. The ninth Atheopagan Principle is “I acknowledge that freedom is tempered by responsibility.” It means that we are not merely responsible to ourselves; we have responsibilities to others around us and to our society as a whole, and these form legitimate limits to our liberty. We are not the only humans on Earth, nor are humans the only species. Principle 9 reminds us that we are, to some extent, our brothers’ and…

This is the eighth of a 13-part series on the Atheopagan Principles as I described them in my essay, “How I Became an Atheopagan”. To read the whole series, click on “Atheopagan Principles” in the tag cloud to the right. The eighth Atheopagan Principle is, “I recognize and embrace my responsibility to the young and future generations.” We’re only here for a short time. In the context of the Universe, we are here for so short a time that you need a microscope to view the lifespan of the entirety of the human species. And so our time is precious—and our responsibility to those who come after us is absolute. Children…

This is an entry which is part of a series on the Atheopagan Principles as I described them in my essay, “How I Became an Atheopagan”. To read the whole series, click on “Atheopagan Principles” in the tag cloud to the right. This post is an “intermission” of sorts, halfway through the 13 Principles, to address the “meta” of the Principles and solicit input from the community on anything I may have missed. First, what does it mean that Atheopaganism has Principles? Well, let me start with what it doesn’t mean: it doesn’t mean that if you’re an atheist Pagan, I’m telling you you “have to” or “should” believe these Principles. The…

This post is part of a series exploring the Atheopagan Principles  proposed in my essay, “How I Became an Atheopagan.” To see the whole series, click on “Atheopagan Principles” in the tag cloud to the right. Principle 7 is inclusiveness. It reads, “I celebrate diversity and am respectful of difference.” Sounds simple, right? Don’t be a bigot, and you’re good. Not so fast, friend. From the time we are newborns, we learn to differentiate Our People from the Others. At first, it’s because they don’t sound the same, don’t smell the same…and then when our eyes begin to focus, it’s because Others don’t look the same as our parents and any other close…