Is It Possible To Be Both Christian AND Pagan? [Exploring My Religious Identity]

Albion

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In our world of exaggerated masculinity, Feminine Divine is painfully lacking. So Christianity and Wicca sounds like a great balance. Catholic faith has done it with the introduction of the Holy Mary Mother of God worship.

Well, Catholics (and Orthodox Christians and others) would tell you that they don't worship Mary.

What we've been speaking about here is just a title that goes back to the early days of Christian history when some critics were saying that her baby was a human all right but that Jesus's divine nature wasn't involved in that delivery, meaning that the two natures were his but not simultaneously. The Church rejected that notion.
 
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ISteveB

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Hi everyone, I am J and I am new to the forum.


Hi. Welcome to the forum.

I've decided to make an account and join this community because I have questions that need answers and am hoping to share my story as well as my woes here in confidence without fear of judgement in hopes that the people on this message board would be able to help me find my path, or maybe be able to relate and offer a hand of support?
Cool! This is a good thing.

To begin, I'd like to say that in recent months I've had a resolution of sorts. My entire life I was primarily non-religious, but as of August of this year I had a change of heart. I decided for the first time ever I wanted to give religion a fair chance and ever since converting from a non-religious lifestyle to a newly found religious lifestyle, I can honestly say that my life and perspectives have changed for the better!

Awesome.
So, here's my question.
Do you actually want to know your Creator?

He tells us in Jeremiah 24, vs 7, I will give you a heart to know me.

In joel 2, we read whosoever shall call on his name shall be saved. This is reiterated in Romans 10.

There's one issue though...I'm confused and distressed over my religious identity.

This is actually quite common.
Sin has brought ruin to our lives and Jesus came to save us from our ruined lives.

I'd like to say that I am Christian, but Paganism (specifically Wicca) interests me far too much to simply be Christian. I'd like to incorporate both Christian and Wiccan traditions, rites, sacraments, beliefs, etc into one and have that (although I am not completely sure what "that" is) be my religious identity.

Wiccan and biblical christianity are completely antithetical to each other.


Christian-Pagan? Christian Witch? Pagan with Christian Interests? I'm not sure.
Antithetical ideas.


When trying to express these thoughts and interests to other Christians, I've been scorned, turned away from, and discriminated against. I've been told that what I'm interested in is "ungodly" and "the devil", and I feel like I'll never be accepted by other Christians.

The problem here is that if you're going to cling to your wiccan beliefs, you will find that you cannot follow Jesus.



Is it possible to be both? Does anyone else have this issue? Is anyone else a Christian-Pagan?


No.

Jesus is rather interesting in that the spirits associated with wiccan are absolutely terrified of Jesus.

They simply cannot be in his presence and will flee from him.

 
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James_Lai

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Well, Catholics (and Orthodox Christians and others) would tell you that they don't worship Mary.

What we've been speaking about here is just a title that goes back to the early days of Christian history when some critics were saying that her baby was a human all right but that Jesus's divine nature wasn't involved in that delivery, meaning that the two natures were his but not simultaneously. The Church rejected that notion.

I understand this is how it’s explained, but t’s all word play. In the actual fact, Holy Mary Mother or God is a full-on Feminine Maternal Goddess in theology, ritual practice and imagery. This worship exists for as long as humanity exists and is rooted in the miracle of new life birth and nurturing that only females posess.
 
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James_Lai

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Yes... we could worship the statue of liberty...

She is already there and waiting.

It is all about balance.

NOT...

No, The Libertas/Eleutheria goddess is a whole different idea. Her main role is enlightenment, thus the torch. Similar to Hebrew Wisdom (female deity in Proverbs). Motherly Femininity and Fertility, with the necessary element of childbirth and nurturing is something else
 
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Carl Emerson

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The Holy Spirit does not co-habit with created fallen spiritual entities.

At the Name of Jesus every knee will bow.

Psalm 2:12
Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way, For His wrath may be kindled quickly. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

God is a jealous God and does not tolerate rivals.

Jesus said "I am the Way the Truth and the Life - no one comes to the Father but by Me...."
 
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James_Lai

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The Holy Spirit does not co-habit with created fallen spiritual entities.

At the Name of Jesus every knee will bow.

Psalm 2:12
Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way, For His wrath may be kindled quickly. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

God is a jealous God and does not tolerate rivals.

Jesus said "I am the Way the Truth and the Life - no one comes to the Father but by Me...."

At some point in ancient history, some Jews decided to unify their father’s faith with Plato’s phylosophy and Greco-Roman religion (mainly by deifying a created being), thus bringing forth what became to be called Christianity. They basically Europeanized a middle eastern faith. What you said above was and still is the reaction to their revolutionary thinking by those who remained in the traditional Jewish faith. If you doubt me, go to a synagogue and ask them what they think of Yeshua haMashiach and about haNatzrim. So it’s nothing new.
 
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Carl Emerson

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At some point in ancient history, some Jews decided to unify their father’s faith with Plato’s phylosophy and Greco-Roman religion (mainly by deifying a created being), thus bringing forth what became to be called Christianity. They basically Europeanized a middle eastern faith. What you said above was and still is the reaction to their revolutionary thinking by those who remained in the traditional Jewish faith. If you doubt me, go to a synagogue and ask them what they think of Yeshua haMashiach and about haNatzrim. So it’s nothing new.

The theories you postulate pale into insignificance when you personally meet the Risen Jesus.
 
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Daniel Marsh

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Daniel Marsh

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Apply 2 Peter 1 to your life is my advice.

2 Peter 1
Good News Translation
1 From Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ—

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have been given a faith as precious as ours:

2 May grace and peace be yours in full measure through your knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

God's Call and Choice
3 God's divine power has given us everything we need to live a truly religious life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his own[a] glory and goodness. 4 In this way he has given us the very great and precious gifts he promised, so that by means of these gifts you may escape from the destructive lust that is in the world, and may come to share the divine nature. 5 For this very reason do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge; 6 to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add endurance; to your endurance add godliness; 7 to your godliness add Christian affection; and to your Christian affection add love. 8 These are the qualities you need, and if you have them in abundance, they will make you active and effective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if you do not have them, you are so shortsighted that you cannot see and have forgotten that you have been purified from your past sins.

10 So then, my friends, try even harder to make God's call and his choice of you a permanent experience; if you do so, you will never abandon your faith. 11 In this way you will be given the full right to enter the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

12 And so I will always remind you of these matters, even though you already know them and are firmly grounded in the truth you have received. 13 I think it only right for me to stir up your memory of these matters as long as I am still alive.
 
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Psalm 27

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Hi everyone, I am J and I am new to the forum.

I've decided to make an account and join this community because I have questions that need answers and am hoping to share my story as well as my woes here in confidence without fear of judgement in hopes that the people on this message board would be able to help me find my path, or maybe be able to relate and offer a hand of support?

To begin, I'd like to say that in recent months I've had a resolution of sorts. My entire life I was primarily non-religious, but as of August of this year I had a change of heart. I decided for the first time ever I wanted to give religion a fair chance and ever since converting from a non-religious lifestyle to a newly found religious lifestyle, I can honestly say that my life and perspectives have changed for the better!

There's one issue though...I'm confused and distressed over my religious identity.

I'd like to say that I am Christian, but Paganism (specifically Wicca) interests me far too much to simply be Christian. I'd like to incorporate both Christian and Wiccan traditions, rites, sacraments, beliefs, etc into one and have that (although I am not completely sure what "that" is) be my religious identity.

Christian-Pagan? Christian Witch? Pagan with Christian Interests? I'm not sure.

When trying to express these thoughts and interests to other Christians, I've been scorned, turned away from, and discriminated against. I've been told that what I'm interested in is "ungodly" and "the devil", and I feel like I'll never be accepted by other Christians.

Is it possible to be both? Does anyone else have this issue? Is anyone else a Christian-Pagan?

3577848qgd8n4otxg.png
Hi J, Good to hear that you're experiencing a change. We all need to change at some point.

Jesus never actually mentioned anything on pagan practices, but then, He didn't mention plenty of other 'faith issues' either.
He did rebuke the religious leaders, for their hypocrisy, but there's plenty of that still in the church (as you've probably noticed)...
The Old Testament does speak of the issue you've questioned. It's in Deuteronomy 18:10-13 I was involved in pagan practices, before I found Jesus too.
The truth is; Jesus is God. "The image of the invisible God" that's what we're told in The New Testament.
The Bible, New and Old Testaments teach all about Jesus. You'd need to read it (or listen to it) for yourself though. Faith comes by hearing The Word of God.
God bless you :)
 
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bèlla

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The OP is no longer active and posted this statement (#32):

Note: I'm unsure of how to lock threads, but I've found the answers I am looking for and will no longer be responding to comments under this thread. Thank you to everyone who has responded until now, I have considered your thoughts and advice and am going to continue on my own regard now!
 
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BobRyan

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Hi everyone, I am J and I am new to the forum.

I've decided to make an account and join this community because I have questions that need answers and am hoping to share my story as well as my woes here in confidence without fear of judgement in hopes that the people on this message board would be able to help me find my path, or maybe be able to relate and offer a hand of support?

To begin, I'd like to say that in recent months I've had a resolution of sorts. My entire life I was primarily non-religious, but as of August of this year I had a change of heart. I decided for the first time ever I wanted to give religion a fair chance and ever since converting from a non-religious lifestyle to a newly found religious lifestyle, I can honestly say that my life and perspectives have changed for the better!

There's one issue though...I'm confused and distressed over my religious identity.

I'd like to say that I am Christian, but Paganism (specifically Wicca) interests me far too much to simply be Christian. I'd like to incorporate both Christian and Wiccan traditions, rites, sacraments, beliefs, etc into one and have that (although I am not completely sure what "that" is) be my religious identity.

Christian-Pagan? Christian Witch? Pagan with Christian Interests? I'm not sure.

When trying to express these thoughts and interests to other Christians, I've been scorned, turned away from, and discriminated against. I've been told that what I'm interested in is "ungodly" and "the devil", and I feel like I'll never be accepted by other Christians.

Is it possible to be both? Does anyone else have this issue? Is anyone else a Christian-Pagan?

3577848qgd8n4otxg.png

Many things , trinkets, are "interesting" but in reality there are good and also evil spirits - the fact that evil spirits have shiny trinkets does not change that fact.

In the Bible -- 1 Corinthians 10

19 What do I mean then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but I say that things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?

Here is someone who escaped from paganism/witchcraft cult and found Christ

 
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1watchman

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One might talk about 'saved by grace', but have a different idea of what 'grace' is.
The original post herein is speaking about knowing a bit about a god, but rejecting the salvation provided by our Creator-God; which is found ONLY in His "..beloved Son": the Lord Jesus -"the Christ of God".
The basic truth is that religion will save NO man, only God's Son can do that: as John 3; John 14; Romans 8; etc. show us (and all the four Gospel books of the Holy Bible). Trying to be 'religious and pagan' (as the OP suggests) is casting the "gift of God" in the trash, and will end in "everlasting damnation" if continued. One needs to bow to the Word Of God, and be reading the New Testament and the Epistles to see the mind and ways of our God.
 
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In our world of exaggerated masculinity, Feminine Divine is painfully lacking. So Christianity and Wicca sounds like a great balance. Catholic faith has done it with the introduction of the Holy Mary Mother of God worship.
What about the language and imagery in the Bible describing Jesus as the "bride" of his church? That also sounds like a pseudo-homoerotic metaphor. I'm not saying it is about homosexuality or sexuality in general, but this is what the connotation of the imagery could be taken as.
 
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James_Lai

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What about the language and imagery in the Bible describing Jesus as the "bride" of his church? That also sounds like a pseudo-homoerotic metaphor. I'm not saying it is about homosexuality or sexuality in general, but this is what the connotation of the imagery could be taken as.

Jesus is the bridegroom, and the church is the bride… I hate this imagery, being a male and potentially as part of a bride :)
 
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renniks

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Hi everyone, I am J and I am new to the forum.

I've decided to make an account and join this community because I have questions that need answers and am hoping to share my story as well as my woes here in confidence without fear of judgement in hopes that the people on this message board would be able to help me find my path, or maybe be able to relate and offer a hand of support?

To begin, I'd like to say that in recent months I've had a resolution of sorts. My entire life I was primarily non-religious, but as of August of this year I had a change of heart. I decided for the first time ever I wanted to give religion a fair chance and ever since converting from a non-religious lifestyle to a newly found religious lifestyle, I can honestly say that my life and perspectives have changed for the better!

There's one issue though...I'm confused and distressed over my religious identity.

I'd like to say that I am Christian, but Paganism (specifically Wicca) interests me far too much to simply be Christian. I'd like to incorporate both Christian and Wiccan traditions, rites, sacraments, beliefs, etc into one and have that (although I am not completely sure what "that" is) be my religious identity.

Christian-Pagan? Christian Witch? Pagan with Christian Interests? I'm not sure.

When trying to express these thoughts and interests to other Christians, I've been scorned, turned away from, and discriminated against. I've been told that what I'm interested in is "ungodly" and "the devil", and I feel like I'll never be accepted by other Christians.

Is it possible to be both? Does anyone else have this issue? Is anyone else a Christian-Pagan?

3577848qgd8n4otxg.png
No. What fellowship have light and darkness?
 
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Looks like most people have give adequate answers already and the OP has most likely left.

But others may be reading this thread who may have a similar outlook or question.


I think it's important, not only to know the commands of Christ, as outlined in scripture (which directly and unambiguously forbid pagan practices, such as wicca, witchcraft, fortune telling, etc), but knowing "why" is important.

None of God's commands are arbitrary, but have purpose.

To the uninitiated, these things seem like arbitrary limitations, because they have no knowledge of the "Christian/Biblical paradigm".

To pagans and other religious groups, many believe it permissible to mix and match faith, religion, mysticism, etc, and this was common in the ancient world too, you had many polytheists and so on.

However, from a Christian point of view, there are only "two sources of power" in the universe, God, or Satan.

Anything that is "magical", "spiritual", or provides some kind of "immaterial power", or "supernaturalism" either has to be divine, or... not divine. The divine power, being from God through means of his Holy Spirit (that in itself being another topic, as there are different views of just what the "spirit" is, but I digress), whilst the alternative would be getting power from the Devil (or the demons who work with him).

There is no "middle ground" or "neutral source of power" in the scriptural view. It's either coming from a holy source, or from elsewhere. If God has not authorised it, or granted it, then the power is coming from somewhere Satanic.

This is why these practices are forbidden scripturally, because it's not just "calling upon some power" that's in the universe, but rather, it is attaching one's self to evil forces. When we are in Christ, God's spirit is within us, and it "seals us" in the promised salvation, but we can "grieve it" with unholy conduct.

If we practice things which are Satanic in nature (again, this is the Christian paradigm), then we are having that "evil power" or spirit come upon us and within us, and that invokes death and destruction. And is it something which God finds foul. His Spirit and the spirit of evil cannot coincide.

As scripture says "you cannot sit at the table of the Lord and the table of Demons".


It is both a matter of God's sovereignty, as well as a matter of real spiritual forces in conflict of one another.

It may seem very "black and white", but the Bible's view of supernatural/spiritual forces in itself, is a black and white paradigm. Therefore, one cannot be Christian, whilst calling upon the powers of what Christian scripture would define by nature as the powers of Satan.
 
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