Are pagan faiths demonic?

Dec 8, 2011
289
11
Brisbane
✟15,493.00
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Single
Shalom,

Do you consider pagan faiths like hinduism, buddhism etc. to be demonic? Not the people themselves - people may be good - but I am talking about the various pagan religions. Are they all demonic because they deny Christ's divinity?

Discuss without getting overemotional.

Thanks,
Simon

they are not demonic, they lack the fullness of divine revelation in Christ Jesus. but demonic is abit too extreme for me.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Christina C
Upvote 0

ebia

Senior Contributor
Jul 6, 2004
41,711
2,142
A very long way away. Sometimes even further.
✟54,775.00
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
Politics
AU-Greens
simonpeter said:
Shalom,

Do you consider pagan faiths like hinduism, buddhism etc. to be demonic? Not the people themselves - people may be good - but I am talking about the various pagan religions. Are they all demonic because they deny Christ's divinity?

Discuss without getting overemotional.

Thanks,
Simon
Scripture doesn't seem to regard them as demonic, so no.
 
Upvote 0
B

brightmorningstar

Guest
Good question. This is where I see another strength of Anglicanism. In baptism we acknowledge sin, the world and the devil, what is against God's purposes, the human selfish desires, and Satan. When one considers the Samaritans and the Jews Jesus addressed, neither worshipped in the truth and spirit of Christ, yet the Jews did worship God according to what they knew.
Of course the denial of Jesus Christ by treating Him as merely a prophet of a different kind of god, as in Islam, is a demonic manifestation, otherwise with other religions I guess just pagan.
Jesus didnt condemn anyone for not knowing Him, He did warn those to whom He revealed Himself and who argued with Him or rejected Him, but I dont think other religions are inherantly demonic, just pagan.
 
Upvote 0

LewsTherin

High Church Redneck
Nov 5, 2011
176
7
Stumblin' through the parking lot of an invisible
✟15,348.00
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
I don't think pagan religions are demonic. In error certainly. The only 'religion' I would consider demonic would be devil worshipping cults, y'know, scary looking kids that listen to black metal, pretend they're vampires, burn down the occasional church. Only if you consider that sort of thing a religion though.
 
Upvote 0
B

brightmorningstar

Guest
I have alway thought that to suggest that there is only one way to God is a demonstration of both ignorance and arrogance.
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
 
Upvote 0

simonpeter

Newbie
Jan 30, 2010
1,097
71
✟16,735.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Exactly. But I feel Muslims are better because they accept him as a prophet. Other religions don't even do that much.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

elahmine

Senior Member
Jul 1, 2011
632
21
✟15,880.00
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Single
I don't think pagan religions are demonic. In error certainly. The only 'religion' I would consider demonic would be devil worshipping cults, y'know, scary looking kids that listen to black metal, pretend they're vampires, burn down the occasional church. Only if you consider that sort of thing a religion though.
Hey I used be of those scary looking kids that listened to black metal. Pretty sure I wasn't demonic. I mean I don't look scary anymore (not a very good thing if you need job.) Some metal can get a little weird, but they're not all like that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rhamiel
Upvote 0
Dec 8, 2011
289
11
Brisbane
✟15,493.00
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Single
I consider the most demonic among them to be Islam.

can't belive im saying this but I agree with gurneyhalleck. though Im sure our reasons are different.

I would call Islam close to demonic not cause of it's belief about God and Jesus. but by the war-like and genocidal ravings of Mohammed.

the forced conversions, the beheading, the attacking of towns that don't accept his prophet hood. the lack of respect for those followers of polytheistic faiths, the way it treats women, homosexuals, etc.

sadly Christians have done the same thing, the only difference is that Jesus never told us to do it. those things just happened due to our own stupidity and intolerance and our failure to follow Jesus's example and 'turn the other cheek' and to "love one another as I have loved you"

however the koran does promote violence in parts of it. and peace in other parts (mostly peace when Mohammed was getting his own way) thus a muslims who supports peace can be justified in doing what Mohammed said just as those who commit acts of violence can find justification for it in the same book.

but failure to believe Jesus is God doesn't qualify as demonic in my opinion.

Jesus may be the only way to father but if a person is bought up in another faith and doesn't know anything about jesus or has been taught that Christianity is wrong then I cannot imagine Jesus turning that person away as long as he/she was the best human being that person could be!
 
Upvote 0

LewsTherin

High Church Redneck
Nov 5, 2011
176
7
Stumblin' through the parking lot of an invisible
✟15,348.00
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Hey I used be of those scary looking kids that listened to black metal. Pretty sure I wasn't demonic. I mean I don't look scary anymore (not a very good thing if you need job.) Some metal can get a little weird, but they're not all like that.

I didn't mean to demonize metal. I'm actually a metalhead! \m/ I just meant the people that take black and death metal way too seriously.
 
Upvote 0
Dec 8, 2011
289
11
Brisbane
✟15,493.00
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Single
I didn't mean to demonize metal. I'm actually a metalhead! \m/ I just meant the people that take black and death metal way too seriously.

Phew!! cause I was abit of a headbanger myself in my teenage years lol but the music never inspired me to sacrifice my next door neighbors cat to Satan lol
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums
B

brightmorningstar

Guest
Exactly. But I feel Muslims are better because they accept him as a prophet. Other religions don't even do that much.
It is not about Muslims, Islam is the faith, anmd the faith is what is being questioned as pagan.
Or alternatively one could say, as the Bible declares such a denial as the spirit of anti-Christ, that no other religion has such demonic pronouncements. ;) what do you think?
:)
 
Upvote 0

PaladinValer

Traditional Orthodox Anglican
Apr 7, 2004
23,582
1,245
42
Myrtle Beach, SC
✟30,305.00
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
Shalom,

Do you consider pagan faiths like hinduism, buddhism etc. to be demonic? Not the people themselves - people may be good - but I am talking about the various pagan religions. Are they all demonic because they deny Christ's divinity?

Discuss without getting overemotional.

Thanks,
Simon

They aren't Pagan religions....those are world religions that still exist and have developed, complex theologies. Paganism is relatively primitive when you compare them to those faiths.

Now, are they demonic? No. They certainly are not salvific and are, over all, false, but I doubt the Devil or his fallen angels have anything to do with them. If anything, they are proof of humanity's yearning for God - our faulty outstretched hands desiring truth and a way to live justly, righteously, and mercifully.

Religions besides Christianity do have elements of truth in them, some more than others (and others barely at all). Instead of screaming "demon!", we should become knowledgeful about these other religions for various reasons:
  1. To better appreciate our own
  2. To understand our world better and use that knowledge to promote peace, kindness, and tolerance
  3. To better spread the Gospel to those of other religions by using commonalities and similarities as springboards of dialogue.
Furthermore, some do not deny Christ's Divinity. "Hinduism" (Sanatana Dharma) has no problem seeing Jesus being Divine and many Hindus see Him as an avatar of their concept of the Divine (called "Brahman"). The Baha'i World Faith religion officially calls Him Divine as well. While not quite the same, Islam, while not seeing Jesus as Divine, does acknowledge Him as not just a Prophet but officially as a Messianic person as well.

So, they are not salvific and they are false, but that is not an excuse nor a valid reason to call them demonic. Thankfully, the Anglican approach to other religions is civilized, positive, and promotes dialogue and understanding at the very least. The fruit of our labors has often been conversion, which is why Anglicanism is found the world over, and we try our best to live with our non-Christian neighbors as benevolently as possible.
 
Upvote 0
B

brightmorningstar

Guest
But I would say when one reads the whole of the Bible that pagan is used to refer to what isnt of God. Not least Leviticus 18. But in fact most of the NT refernces to demons are entities that cause harm to people. I would however class unbelief and deception in that category.

Now the claim that other religions seeing Jesus as divine is a deception, if one doesnt have the Son one doesnt have the Father or the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ is not some sort of concept, He is real.
 
Upvote 0

PaladinValer

Traditional Orthodox Anglican
Apr 7, 2004
23,582
1,245
42
Myrtle Beach, SC
✟30,305.00
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
But I would say when one reads the whole of the Bible that pagan is used to refer to what isnt of God. Not least Leviticus 18. But in fact most of the NT refernces to demons are entities that cause harm to people. I would however class unbelief and deception in that category.

Now the claim that other religions seeing Jesus as divine is a deception, if one doesnt have the Son one doesnt have the Father or the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ is not some sort of concept, He is real.

And you forget the two stories of non-followers of Jesus who invoke Him and drive out demons. When the Apostles see it, they want to chastize them, but Jesus rebukes His followers and allows those who didn't follow Him to continue on.

Non-Christian doesn't automatically mean pure evil. There is no such thing as pure evil; even the Devil is inherently good but has perverted himself.

There is absolutely no room in orthodox Christianity, and thereby Anglicanism, for any sort of dualism. Manicheanism is a heresy, not a right belief. There is no equalent to good other than good. There is no "anti-good" like there are anti-protons, for those are still of substance. Even "dark matter" is matter.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums
Oct 15, 2008
19,375
7,272
Central California
✟274,069.00
Country
United States
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Opportunity for agreement and concord swiftly squashed with a nasty barb...sigh

can't belive im saying this but I agree with gurneyhalleck. though Im sure our reasons are different.
 
Upvote 0