You Can't Claim Druid! That's a Title!

I understand to many the title or rather the reference to the idea that you are studying to become a 'Druid' just doesn't work. Because as I've seen people say up and down in conversations about Druidism is that, "Druid is a title, therefore you're just a wannabe or a bréagdraoi, haha". Supposedly coming from someone who is of Celtic decent used the term 'bréagdraoi' when referring to someone who follows the same path as myself. The person stated that the word means 'False Druid'. I have never heard the word before so it is definitely new to me. However these sorts of statements are very insensitive and lead many of us to believe people are just being overly prejudice of us and our beliefs. Who really is the judge or decides who is truly a 'Druid' or who is not? If you ask me it is the 'Lord' and 'Lady', for if they chose you then who can say except your heart and soul. You get this sort of crap though from just about any religion you can study, but the people who call themselves 'Druids' in this day and age as well as Wiccans and Pagans get quite a bit of flack.

So what are we truly suppose to call ourselves? Pagans? But is that truly the correct word to describe us? Wiccan, likewise is that the right term as well? Who knows, but it seems rather clear a different word must be created in order to refer to oneself almost in secret as to what one truly is.

I'm sure we could get away with "unbiased practioners of a popularly considered alternate form of religion that is undefined in it's vast vauge worship"...
Wiccan, Pagan, Druid, Christian; are these not all titles to express a general idea of what your beliefs are? If you feel that you are following the path of the Druid, if you have studied and worked to follow this path with open eyes and heart, and it makes sense to you, calls you, draws you into understanding of self, then I think thats what you are, what you should be. Most people bitching (debate is different) about 'title' vs 'belief' can never really understand. I think that pagan beliefs are so often misunderstood even among it's own followers that you can't rely on someone else to validate your feelings or beliefs.

P.S.- sorry, got a little rant like at the end there....

somber goddess wrote:

Most people bitching (debate is different) about 'title' vs 'belief' can never really understand. I think that pagan beliefs are so often misunderstood even among it's own followers that you can't rely on someone else to validate your feelings or beliefs.

I truly think you're on to something there. I really truly feel that no matter how much some skeptics may wish to understand, if you are not one who believes in / has faith, believe in a higher being other then yourself, and/or know the feeling/experience of what it means to follow something in the manner you described earlier, then how are we to bring them to an understanding? It seems nearly impossible, especially when some of them would like you to cite hard-core evidence to even support your "religion". I was trying to do some research to figure when abouts the first 'Bible' came into existence to try and make a point how, despite the fact we may know very little about say 'The Druids' does that mean we truly know that much about what it truly means to be a Christian? Or anything else? I haven't had much luck but I'll keep looking.