Why does Paganism scare Christians?

[steve_bakr]

It's important to the practitioner at least, but being such a subjective, personal path, it doesn't need to be important to anyone else. Just to clarify a bit, the goal is not to be unique, though it's commonly believed that being an individual is a good thing; not meaning in a rebellious way, just that it's OK to embrace who you are.

Each person needs to follow their conscience in this regard and travel the path that they find to be true. I think that Pope Francis has expressed this. My only problem with paganism is that there seems to be a particularly anti-Christian sentiment; granted that this may have been somewhat provoked or agitated by fundamentalists.

BTW, Some famous pagans would be Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius--a virtual who's-who in Western civilization. The work of Aristotle was used by St. Thomas Aquinas in his systematic masterpiece of the Christian religion, Summa Theologica.

 

[lesliedellow]

What are the perceptions you have on the Neo-Paganism movement?

To the extent that I think about it at all, I see it as a passing fad.

 

[GabrielWithoutWings]

I can't frolick?

Can I tiptoe through the tulips?

Dude, you're Lutheran. You know that.

You can't frolic, tiptoe, laugh, smile, smirk, sashay, enjoy food, a sunny day, and you certainly can't enjoy sex.

 

[GabrielWithoutWings]

True Paganism does not involve magik, witchcraft and paganism are two different things, but for some reason they have been merged. (probably due to the work of Crowley)

Interesting. You might want to tell that Plotinus, Porphyry, and especially Iamblichus. They lived roughly 1800 years before Crowley.

Theurgy

 

[ihavefoundgod951]

Interesting. You might want to tell that Plotinus, Porphyry, and especially Iamblichus. They lived roughly 1800 years before Crowley.

Theurgy

I was talking about British pagans, it is presumed British pagans did not perform magik, paganism and witchcraft are two completely separate sets of traditions. But however in the British revival of paganism the two have been merged IE Wicca

 

[ihavefoundgod951]

Alot of modern paganism is based on the work of Margaret Murray, whos work is widely recognised as false information.

 

[Zoness]

A common impression I get from many Christians concerning Paganism is that us pagans are a sex cult that loves to murder babies. Overall it is fear and confusion as it seems that so many Christians cannot handle the fact that Pagans exist and do not engage in Satanic activities, primarily because Pagans do not believe in Satan.
What are the perceptions you have on the Neo-Paganism movement?

Though I don't formally identify as pagan now its definitely the faith I have the most solidarity with; culturally I feel as if I belong to it much better than Christianity, for example. I have a strong affinity for it.

In my experience it mostly comes down to people buying into Hollywood drivel and whatever their pastor tells them at church. It's interesting how suddenly when paganism comes up, everyone is an expert "they left a cult" or "was a Satanist for a long time" which I immediately doubt the sincerity of. Usually these people cannot describe their faith's basic tenets except when they intend to debase the entire group.

I don't think Christians FEAR pagans so much as hate them. I'm sure some of that is rooted in fear (they will curse you etc.) but man the way I was treated when I "came out of the broom closet" ....so much for Christian charity, let's just say.

 

[elephunky]

If I could have a religion and spiritual practices proven as true, I would want it to be pagan rather than christianity. I find there is more beauty in paganism.

 

[Eyes wide Open]

BTW, I would qualify the view of Hinduism as a polytheism by saying that all its gods are technically merely expressions of Brahman, who is the One Source of all.

I could say you are an expression of Brahman, and that you are a God. Your expression is your ability to create and thus you express what Brahman does (create). What you create is subject to observation etc, but your ability is the expression, and divine.

Brahman is often discribed as God in his pure and Unmanifest state. The saying, "I am Atman. The Atman is Brahman," reflects the view expressed in the Upanishads that every individual bears the spark of Divinity, and that is seen as the only true Reality.

Self realization- where a person realizes their true self as a creative entity. Jesus realized he was the son of Brahman, he was a God, but not 'God', the ultimate creative expression. That said he was the ultimate creative expression in physical form, the God of men, the ultimate creative expression of man. He was obviously critiqued, but only in light of others non acknowledgement of their own divine spark, thus he was rejected, so to many throughout history that expressed themselves in that manner.

Hinduism accepts the possibility of many Incarnations of Divinity, including Jesus Christ. The Bhagavad-Gita says, "In every age I come back to deliver the holy and destroy the sin of the sinner."

I know a Christian woman who started out in a Vedanta group. She was instructed to choose her Guru, and Jesus Christ was one of the choices. I read a very deep and passionate exposition of Jesus Christ by a Vedantist in a book called, Hinduism and Christianity.

When I was initiated into Kriya Yoga by a Hindu Swami the small group I was amongst were each individually asked who their God was. I was caught off guard and said I didn't know, and he said fine. Most in the group said Jesus. He was getting each to focus on their representation of God in physical reality, their Guru (as best they could) and that they shouldn't detract from that, as that was their spiritual identity. I've come to identify with many Guru's over time, they are not God (the ultimate creative entity/force) but they are reflections of this creative force, and they are examples of what it is to create effectively. Of course we are all creative, thus, we are Gods, but most (including myself at time) are less effective in their expression, and so the realization is less apparent.

 

[awitch]

Alot of modern paganism is based on the work of Margaret Murray, whos work is widely recognised as false information.

Murray's work has been known to be questionable for a long time. As I mentioned before, experience is the primary factor when carving a path.

 

[Eyes wide Open]

Apologies on the thread derailment,. I'm not scared of pagans, and can identify with a lot of ideas and outlooks.

 

[MehGuy]

When I was a Christian my attitude about paganism wasn't very negative. I just thought it was a faith for people who were too happy and frolic. People like me, needed more negative and inclusive religions like Christianity, lol.

Although admittedly paganism has always confused me. I don't really know what it is.. I just go by what self admitted pagans say and act..

I was told by my pastor they were evil, but I could just never really see it that way.

 

[smaneck]

Did that video have no impact on you at all? When you do magik you are calling upon demonic forces. If you do some research you will see gardeners connection to Alistair Crowley, it is said Crowley wrote Wiccas book of shadows.

Then it said wrong. Gerald Gardner wrote that book.

 

[dlamberth]

I'm not a Pagan. But I honor them and their spiritual awareness of the Divine. Humanity needs the addition of their type of spiritual awareness that they bring into the over all scope of things.

.

 

[LoAmmi]

fake / western pagans are mostly people who really, really like dungeons and dragons and decided to play a druid IRL.

Which edition of D&D we talking about here?

 

[seashale76]

I don't think Christians FEAR pagans so much as hate them. I'm sure some of that is rooted in fear (they will curse you etc.) but man the way I was treated when I "came out of the broom closet" ....so much for Christian charity, let's just say.

I don't hate or fear pagans. There was a lot of 'fear mongering' stuff when I was Pentecostal regarding it though. I have never understood why some churches focus on other beliefs when they should be spending their time focusing on their own faith.

Speaking of curses though: I had a lot of friends that were pagan back when I was in high school. There was a local tea house (at the time) that had a pagan gift shop attached- and I was invited there once by some friends during some sort of holiday. Anyway, it was crowded with pagans of all sorts that evening. There was this one guy around who gave off negative vibes even to other pagans (I recall one older guy trying to talk to him who didn't like the answers he was getting). I'm not much on superstition, but he had some seriously dark vibes going on. He sat in a corner, refused to socialize with anyone, and he concerned himself with focusing on glaring at me the entire evening. I was wearing a cross and I got the impression he had some hang-ups with Christians- so I became the target of his ire. It was literally one of those- 'I want to kill you and/or wish you great harm' continual intense glaring things ALL evening. That bad vibe feeling didn't go away until I left. So, looking back I wonder if he was trying to do the 'evil eye' thing.

 

[LoAmmi]

So, looking back I wonder if he was trying to do the 'evil eye' thing.

Might've just been a jerk. Never overlook the obvious.

 

[seashale76]

Might've just been a jerk. Never overlook the obvious.

You may have made an unintentional pun there, as overlooking is another term for the evil eye. He had issues, that was for sure.

(I'm a dork- yes.)

 

[smaneck]

real/ historical pagans are barbaric and supersitious cults, who universally practiced some form of human sacrifice. Modern examples of this are things like Sante Muerta, or some of the african death cults.

No, not all or even most pagans (polytheists) practiced human sacrifice. Hinduism never did. Sante Muerta is not associated with human sacrifice either. The religion of the West African peoples might sacrifice goats or chickens, but not people. In fact most human sacrifice in history had little do with sacrificing to the gods, it was usually to provide retainers to elite people in the afterlife. Human sacrifice was largely abandoned among pagans of the Mediterranean world by classical antiquity. The Phoenicians were probably among the last to give it up.

Most of the current 'human sacrifices' today take place in Africa by evangelical preachers who claim that their victims are witches.

fake / western pagans are mostly people who really, really like dungeons and dragons and decided to play a druid IRL.

Naah, they are mostly into vortexes, crystals and what not.

 

[smaneck]

Might've just been a jerk. Never overlook the obvious.

I think it is also the case that sometimes mentally unstable people become attracted to paganism.