Why does Paganism scare Christians?

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awitch

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re: Pagans eating babies

Nah! That's just Hollywood stuff.

Hollywood stuff is shooting lightning out of our eyes. I think this is more like propaganda spread by other religions.

Here again, I know from experience that the greatest deception of Satan is when you believe you aren't worshiping in his honor, just because you don't believe in him.

Reminds me of that expression about how not collecting stamps is a hobby.

It would seem to me that Jesus said that He is the ONLY WAY. Not there there are many ways, or that the way is love. Also, it would seem that the narrow path is not paved with tolerance for sin.

So what is the scope for the intolerance of sin? How far do you think Christians should go to not be tolerant of sin?
 
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Huntun

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It's one thing when people don't tolerate themselves "sinning" (judge yourself all you want) but when they start being judgmental and intolerant of other people performing victimless, or at most self victimizing or consenting "victimization", "sins" then it starts to be more problematic. In many of the later cases, save maybe in a few unique circumstances involving a parent and their young child, you just have to tell them to mind their own business.
 
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awitch

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It's one thing when people don't tolerate themselves "sinning" (judge yourself all you want) but when they start being judgmental and intolerant of other people performing victimless, or at most self victimizing or consenting "victimization", "sins" then it starts to be more problematic. In many of the later cases, save maybe in a few unique circumstances involving a parent and their young child, you just have to tell them to mind their own business.

Yeah, that's kind of where I'm going with it. How far should Christians go?

"I'm a Christian so I won't attend a Neopagan ritual because it's sinful."
"I'm a Christian so I'll discourage other Christians from attending that ritual."
"I'm a Christian so I'll discourage everyone from attending such ritual"
"I'm a Christian and I will actively prevent such ritual from taking place"
"I'm a Christian and I want to ban all such rituals"
"I'm a Christian and I won't suffer a witch to live as instructed in the Bible"
 
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gord44

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Yeah, that's kind of where I'm going with it. How far should Christians go?

"I'm a Christian so I won't attend a Neopagan ritual because it's sinful."
"I'm a Christian so I'll discourage other Christians from attending that ritual."
"I'm a Christian so I'll discourage everyone from attending such ritual"
"I'm a Christian and I will actively prevent such ritual from taking place"
"I'm a Christian and I want to ban all such rituals"
"I'm a Christian and I won't suffer a witch to live as instructed in the Bible"

A scary progression, but sadly history has proven it is not unheard of.
 
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katautumn

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Yeah, that's kind of where I'm going with it. How far should Christians go?

"I'm a Christian so I won't attend a Neopagan ritual because it's sinful."

That would be sinful, as it's participating in something that the Bible expressly forbids - the practices of divination and/or witchcraft. I had my fair share of playing with crystals and calling the quarters. I have no desire to watch such silliness played out again, even if I didn't think be present for such an event would be sinful.

"I'm a Christian so I'll discourage other Christians from attending that ritual."

The Bible calls us to disciple other Christians, particularly babies in Christ. If we know something is a sin, or could open the Christian up to demonic influence, or create confusion we are to lovingly try and steer them in the right direction. We can't force them from attending, but we should admonish them to reconsider, and leave it at that.

"I'm a Christian so I'll discourage everyone from attending such ritual"

Nope. What non-believers do in private is their business.

"I'm a Christian and I will actively prevent such ritual from taking place"

I have only known, personally, of one incident locally where Pagans were harassed by Christians while trying to hold a ritual at a public park, and it was a group of rowdy teens from the Church of God, and they were arrested. I'm not saying that Christians have never tried to prevent Pagans from freely exercising their religious rights, but I think it's pretty sporadic.

"I'm a Christian and I won't suffer a witch to live as instructed in the Bible"

Old Testament. We don't stone adulterers to death either. I've never known a Christian in my entire life who believed such a thing, nor did I encounter such a mentality in all of the years I practiced the craft. Not even living in the Bible Belt and being "out of the broom closet" to my most fundamentalist Christian family members.
 
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awitch

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That would be sinful, as it's participating in something that the Bible expressly forbids - the practices of divination and/or witchcraft. I had my fair share of playing with crystals and calling the quarters. I have no desire to watch such silliness played out again, even if I didn't think be present for such an event would be sinful.

That's beyond an extremely reductionist description, but OK.

The Bible calls us to disciple other Christians, particularly babies in Christ. If we know something is a sin, or could open the Christian up to demonic influence, or create confusion we are to lovingly try and steer them in the right direction. We can't force them from attending, but we should admonish them to reconsider, and leave it at that.

No problem with that.

Nope. What non-believers do in private is their business.

What about in public? For example, we're legally allowed to pray to various gods as an official part of government meetings. Should we be allowed to express or practice openly in public? Generally speaking, we don't prosyletize, but do you recognize our right to do so?

I have only known, personally, of one incident locally where Pagans were harassed by Christians while trying to hold a ritual at a public park, and it was a group of rowdy teens from the Church of God, and they were arrested. I'm not saying that Christians have never tried to prevent Pagans from freely exercising their religious rights, but I think it's pretty sporadic.

I wasn't accusing Christians of trying to prevent the practice in general; just asking if doing so was in the scope of not tolerating a sin. I suspect you're answer is no, it would not be justified.

Old Testament. We don't stone adulterers to death either. I've never known a Christian in my entire life who believed such a thing, nor did I encounter such a mentality in all of the years I practiced the craft. Not even living in the Bible Belt and being "out of the broom closet" to my most fundamentalist Christian family members.

Also not an accusation and I'm not aware of any instances of stoning Witches in quite some time.

I just wanted to see what encompasses not tolerating sin and how it applies to Christians and non-Christians.
 
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dlamberth

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:confused::confused::confused:

Feeding Christians to lions was done by the Romans while they were still pagan.

Christians preferred to burn heretics at the stake.
It's my understanding that Constantine sent more Christians to the Coliseum for their incorrect Christian beliefs than did all of the Christians martyred before he gained power. Were they fed to the lions? I don't know how those Christians died.

As a historian, is this incorrect?

.
 
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katautumn

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It's my understanding that Constantine sent more Christians to the Coliseum for their incorrect Christian beliefs than did all of the Christians martyred before he gained power. Were they fed to the lions? I don't know how those Christians died.

As a historian, is this incorrect?

.

I believe your understanding might be a bit inaccurate. Constantine was a political tyrant and would fall more in line with christo-pagan spirituality, as historians can't even pinpoint what his official religious affiliation was. He wasn't even baptized until right before his death. It should also be noted that Constantine was instrumental in Christians being allowed to freely worship in the Roman Empire for the first time in history. Nero did persecute the early Christians, however, and even went so far as to blame them on the burning of Rome in 64AD. And the Jews had been sent to the Coliseum countless times.
 
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It would seem to me that Jesus said that He is the ONLY WAY. Not there there are many ways, or that the way is love. Also, it would seem that the narrow path is not paved with tolerance for sin.

That wasn't Jesus of Nazareth speaking.

That was the Word of God and the Spirit of God speaking. That is, the Christ within Jesus.

And indeed there is no way to God except through recognizing that spirit. Something many Christians fail to do (as Matthew 7:22-23 makes clear!)
 
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Supreme

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It's my understanding that Constantine sent more Christians to the Coliseum for their incorrect Christian beliefs than did all of the Christians martyred before he gained power. Were they fed to the lions? I don't know how those Christians died.

As a historian, is this incorrect?

.

I'm afraid to say that this is complete nonsense, although Constantine didn't let his love of Christianity get in the way of his ruthlessness. He murdered quite a few people in his time.

(If you wanna know more, this is the first part of a great BBC docudrama telling the facts of Constantine:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnVTf10YUdY
 
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smaneck

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It's my understanding that Constantine sent more Christians to the Coliseum for their incorrect Christian beliefs than did all of the Christians martyred before he gained power. Were they fed to the lions? I don't know how those Christians died.

As a historian, is this incorrect?

My recollection is that Arius and his followers were exiled not executed. Heretics were prohibited the right to assembly and their property could be confiscated, but they weren't fed to lions. In fact Constantine stops the practice of feeding anyone to lions in 315 and ten years later stops gladiator fights as well.
 
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theophilus777

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Yeah, that's kind of where I'm going with it. How far should Christians go?

"I'm a Christian so I won't attend a Neopagan ritual because it's sinful."
"I'm a Christian so I'll discourage other Christians from attending that ritual."
"I'm a Christian so I'll discourage everyone from attending such ritual"
"I'm a Christian and I will actively prevent such ritual from taking place"
"I'm a Christian and I want to ban all such rituals"
"I'm a Christian and I won't suffer a witch to live as instructed in the Bible"

This is not a logical progression.

There is no Christian teaching to do your last statement.

You really don't have to be a religionist of any stripe to encounter people who have survived abuse and torture at such rituals, and who have watched people die alongside them from the same things they endured. Every year, during the same major holidays you may celebrate, people die. And that death is merciful when contrasted to their "living sacrifices."

Please understand I seriously doubt you or any other practicing pagan posting here is involved in any such criminal activity. My point is that such behavior is exactly that, criminal. Religion need not have anything to do with it.

I would hope that if you and I were walking through the woods together and stumbled upon such a scene, that we would be equally motivated to end that hell on earth?
 
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dcalling

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That wasn't Jesus of Nazareth speaking.

That was the Word of God and the Spirit of God speaking. That is, the Christ within Jesus.

And indeed there is no way to God except through recognizing that spirit. Something many Christians fail to do (as Matthew 7:22-23 makes clear!)

I have very similar thoughts. However since the technical terms became very hard to argue (can't prove it wrong or right), I now focus on the love your neighbor parts more and all the other unprovable parts are not just a by product. God will be able to answer those once we leave this word :)
 
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awitch

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There is no Christian teaching to do your last statement.

Not anymore. At least, not in the US.

Please understand I seriously doubt you or any other practicing pagan posting here is involved in any such criminal activity. My point is that such behavior is exactly that, criminal. Religion need not have anything to do with it.

Indeed, but as we have seen countless times, some members of the religious right who don't want to tolerate sin spend all their time, money and energy in an attempt to make that sin criminal whether you are Christian or not. Purely for religious reasons.
 
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dlamberth

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The two cannot possibly be separated.
One would wish that Christianity and Christ can't be separated. But I can't help but see that IF Christ and Christianity were united as One that today there would be a lot less war, famine, homelessness, people with out medical access, ect, ect.

You are trying to define the word "love" in your own image.
I'm not defining Love at all. I don't even think Love can be defined.

Love is not always tolerance, and vice versa. You clearly have a perception of Jesus Christ.
Yes, I do.

Unless you walked the earth with Him, the only way you could have come up with this perception is through reading the Scriptures.
All I can say is that when I sit in the skin of Christ, what I experience is infinite Love, Compassion and Forgiveness for ALL of humanity and that also stretches out to every single atom seen and unseen in the cosmos and beyond. But, that's my perception of Christ as I experience Him.

.
 
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All I can say is that when I sit in the skin of Christ, what I experience is infinite Love, Compassion and Forgiveness for ALL of humanity and that also stretches out to every single atom seen and unseen in the cosmos and beyond. But, that's my perception of Christ as I experience Him.

.

That sounds like the Christ / Being of Light who appears in the near death experience.

Some want a God who hates and punishes those who they disagree with, and elevates them above all others, making them be considered better than everyone else.
 
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