Why The Fear of Paganism in the Christian Church?

[CrusaderKing]

One of the best things you can do is just get things out in the open right from the get go. You don't have to approve of a person's beliefs or opinions to respect the person. That's icing on the cake. If you get angry just because someone disagrees with you, you'll spend your life being angry.

Do I fear pagans? No. Do I agree with paganism? No. I know people that don't agree with Catholicism, but we still get along. Not everyone is going to agree with my opinions and beliefs and I'm not going to delude myself into thinking that everyone will agree with me.

 

[Dominick]

Maybe you don't give Pagans a second thought but honestly you have to admit a fair number of Christians are afraid of Paganism and certainly have nothing good to say about it.

The term "pagan" was a derogatory term used by early Christians to condemn the Ancient Hellenic religion....it was used in context to mean "simple folk" but is literally translated to mean peasant.

Further, the Christian religion persecuted those who did not convert to Christianity....rape....murder...it was common for the Hellenics. They were forced to denounce their Gods and for years there was fear of a "pagan" resurgence. It really was not until the Renaissance that the great Hellenic thinkers were once again studied and marveled at for their wisdom...by then enough time had passed to where the Hellenic religion was no longer a threat.

My only thought to this is that the history between Christianity and the Hellenic religion plays a role...as does misunderstanding of Hellenic religious practices.

Furthermore, I should point out....wicca and the other neo-pagan religions are not the same as the Ancient Hellenic religions. There is no magic or witchcraft in the beliefs of the Ancient Hellenics, though they are all often lumped together as one religion (which is false).

 

[katautumn]

however, pagan pratctices are condemned in the Bible. and i know, i know, halloween and Christmas.. yeah, yeah... but surprisingly, all these "pagan" holidays have meanings behind it! Christmas = birth of Christ. Halloween = All Saints Day Easter = Crucifixion of Jesus.. so yeah.

Actually, the early Catholic Church stole the days of Pagan celebration and gave them Christian meaning and symbolism in order to bring Pagans into the Church. Christmas (as in December 25th) is not Jesus's birthday. It was the day of the Feast of Saturnalia, a day to honor Mithras. Jesus was supposedly born some time in the spring or fall. Early Christians adopted this same day that Pagans honored Mithras to say this was the day people should celebrate as the day of Christ's birth. We didn't steal the holidays or traditions from Christians. The Christians stole them from us. Jehovah's Witnesses recognize this, hence why they refuse to celebrate Christmas, birthdays or Easter.

For those of you who are Christians and harbor no ill-will toward Pagans, all I can say is I wish you lived in my neck of the woods. Persecution of Pagans from all sects is terrible here in the south. Some prime examples:

1. A woman who owned a Wiccan bookshop in the town north of where I live was stabbed to death in her shop before closing. She had been receiving harassing letters from a local pastor and she had several instances where the local Baptist church had been protesting outside of her shop. They claimed she was allowing Satan to come into the town. They still don't know who murdered her, but there have been several suspicions.

2. One night my husband and I went to Moe's for dinner. I was wearing my pentagram necklace. The cashier made some snide remarks about "you people" and mumbled as he walked away. That same night, a woman approached me in the grocery store and said I shouldn't "wear such things" as she pointed to my necklace. When I asked her why she said, "because it's of the devil!"

3. A local coven used to meet every Saturday afternoon at a public park. They had paid to use a pavilion and they met to have rituals and just make small-talk. A local church used to go to the park when the coven was meeting and would pelt the group with rocks, shout at them and throw Chick Tracts at them with their church's name and phone number stamped on the back. The coven turned the other cheek for about a year. Well, one day when a little girl (the daughter of one of the coven members) got hit with a rock, the coven decided to file a complaint with the courts. The courts ruled in favor of the church and said the coven could no longer meet at the park as they were "disturbing the peace".

 

[peter22]

I think paganism is intellectually bankrupt and devoted to "false and lying gods." (Inferno, Canto I verse 72) That is why I disdain and oppose it in all of its forms.

Tell us what you really think. Your post was too ambiguous.

Oh and, "I don't believe in imaginary things. I believe in God." That from a certain perspective is metaphysically hilarious!

 

[Steezie]

For those of you who are Christians and harbor no ill-will toward Pagans, all I can say is I wish you lived in my neck of the woods. Persecution of Pagans from all sects is terrible here in the south.

To be fair, I dont think its justified to call it persecution. Persecution is people banging on your door at night, dragging you out into the street and shooting you for your faith. We arent exactly persecuted in the US

1. A woman who owned a Wiccan bookshop in the town north of where I live was stabbed to death in her shop before closing. She had been receiving harassing letters from a local pastor and she had several instances where the local Baptist church had been protesting outside of her shop. They claimed she was allowing Satan to come into the town. They still don't know who murdered her, but there have been several suspicions.

Thats certainly a sad situation and I pray that her death is avenged, but because other people had a problem with her doesnt necessarily mean that was a motivation for her death.

2. One night my husband and I went to Moe's for dinner. I was wearing my pentagram necklace. The cashier made some snide remarks about "you people" and mumbled as he walked away. That same night, a woman approached me in the grocery store and said I shouldn't "wear such things" as she pointed to my necklace. When I asked her why she said, "because it's of the devil!"

I've recieved my share of un-educated comments. Its sad and its something that needs adressing but not persecution

3. A local coven used to meet every Saturday afternoon at a public park. They had paid to use a pavilion and they met to have rituals and just make small-talk. A local church used to go to the park when the coven was meeting and would pelt the group with rocks, shout at them and throw Chick Tracts at them with their church's name and phone number stamped on the back. The coven turned the other cheek for about a year. Well, one day when a little girl (the daughter of one of the coven members) got hit with a rock, the coven decided to file a complaint with the courts. The courts ruled in favor of the church and said the coven could no longer meet at the park as they were "disturbing the peace".

This sounds like something that should be moved up to a higher court. But....again in all fairness I dont see PERSECUTION as such. I see a generally hostile and negative attitude towards Pagans, but not persecution.

 

[Peach81]

To be fair, I dont think its justified to call it persecution. Persecution is people banging on your door at night, dragging you out into the street and shooting you for your faith. We arent exactly persecuted in the US

She just described Pagans being harrassed, having their rights taken away, and even being murdered for their faith. If that's not persecution, then what is?

Wikipedia:
"Persecution is the perceived systematic mistreatment of an individual/group by another group. The most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms."

 

[Steezie]

She just described Pagans being harrassed, having their rights taken away, and even being murdered for their faith. If that's not persecution, then what is?

Wikipedia:
"Persecution is the perceived systematic mistreatment of an individual/group by another group. The most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms."

She described events that are outrageous and in no way, shape, or form should be tolerated. But I hesitate to call them persecution. In the case of the stabbing, it is very well possible that that was the motive for the killing but it could have been as simple as a botched robbery. I dont believe in leaping to conclusions, especially something as large as persecution

 

[peepnklown]

Why the Fear of Paganism in the Christian Church?

They dread a counter-message.

 

[katautumn]

To be fair, I dont think its justified to call it persecution. Persecution is people banging on your door at night, dragging you out into the street and shooting you for your faith. We arent exactly persecuted in the US

Steezie, I have a ton of respect for you and this is one of the reasons why. You are absolutely correct. After going back and reading my post, I feel like a complete hypocrite. I tend to gripe about Christian claims of persecution when, in reality, in Western culture there is no such thing as true persecution. Persecution would be, for example, the Salem Witch Trials or the Inquisition. I guess a better term that would be applicable would be gross misunderstanding. I have never been discriminated against because of my beliefs; however, I have been on the receiving end of some hurtful and ignorant comments and judgmental stares. People are put off by that which they don't understand. Hollywood has done a wonderful job of demonizing Wicca and other Pagan faiths. The human sacrificing of infants on a altar bearing an inverted pentagram. Sadly, many people cannot get past Hollywood's terrible representation of the symbol and many people are superstitious or even afraid of it.

 

[Steezie]

Steezie, I have a ton of respect for you and this is one of the reasons why. You are absolutely correct. After going back and reading my post, I feel like a complete hypocrite. I tend to gripe about Christian claims of persecution when, in reality, in Western culture there is no such thing as true persecution. Persecution would be, for example, the Salem Witch Trials or the Inquisition. I guess a better term that would be applicable would be gross misunderstanding. I have never been discriminated against because of my beliefs; however, I have been on the receiving end of some hurtful and ignorant comments and judgmental stares. People are put off by that which they don't understand. Hollywood has done a wonderful job of demonizing Wicca and other Pagan faiths. The human sacrificing of infants on a altar bearing an inverted pentagram. Sadly, many people cannot get past Hollywood's terrible representation of the symbol and many people are superstitious or even afraid of it.

Thank you kindly.

Dont sweat too much, it makes people angry when thier faith is singled out by others, especially when those people claim to be kind and benevolent.

I wouldnt say its 100% Hollywood, allthough Hollywood has done its share of slandering (Wicker Man). People simply need to be talked to, educated.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Originally Posted by Steezie
To be fair, I dont think its justified to call it persecution. Persecution is people banging on your door at night, dragging you out into the street and shooting you for your faith. We arent exactly persecuted in the US

It also helps to have 2 large oceans seperating us from the other continents of Asia and Europe. [though that didn't help much on 9/11 ]

Matt 23:34 For this cause, lo! I, send unto you, prophets and wise men and scribes,--some from among them, ye will slay and crucify, And some from among them ye will--scourge in your synagogues, and pursue from city to city:

Matthew 10:22 and Ye shall be hated by all because of My Name, but he who hath endured to an end/teloV <5056>, he shall be saved.