Reconciling christianity and paganism.
 

I wasn't sure where else to post this and I would appreciate christian or christo-pagan's opinions. (Yes, I just made up "christo-pagan".) Also, english is 2nd language (y'all have probably heard this one before), so please be patient and try to look past my typos.

I was baptized (lutheran) as a baby as per my grandmother's wishes, raised as an atheist, and I turned out to be(come) a polytheistic pagan.

As of late I've been feeling the pull into the christian church, but every time I try to "open the bible", so to say, I always stop right after I begin because I find a lot of the written word incredibly disagreeable. That, and maybe it's because of how I was raised, but I just don't understand how people function in the modern world under a religion that to me sounds like "living death before you're actually dead".

That, and I feel like my current beliefs are like a family and a home, and if I had to give that up for the One God of christianity, I'd feel like I'd lost a part of my family.

I know christianity is a monotheistic religion and as such, my "gifts" to my pantheon would probably be considered a big sin and breaking the 1st commandment, should I become a christian. But this thing keeps on going through my head, and I'm just wondering... is there a way to reconcile these differences, be a good christian, but not feel like I have to give up a huge part of my life for a book and one god?

I know, in the end, what I would choose, but before I decide to toss my bible in the trash and pawn my cross necklace, I'd like to hear other people's thoughts on this.

Hugs, blessings & a good day to whomever reads this!

christ was an iconoclast. (imo)
much of what people preach to one another amounts to idolatry. (imo)
the worship of the golden calf was seen as a sin.
imo: the "living word of god" exists within [a person], and ought not to
be sought in books or institutions which exist 'outside'.

Well, it is up to you what you want to believe. Organized religions are such a thing...
Personally, I think that many Gods can be seen as several aspects of the same one God.
And that the different religions are different ways to the same "destination".

I have been feeling a strong pull to Christianity myself lately. In my case the "problem" is that I do not like labels and want to remain free when it comes to what I want to believe and what a scripture means to me. That, and that I see all as equal. I have been risen Catholic, but quit. I was in a Wiccan circle for awhile maybe 20 years ago, later tried meditation inspired by Buddhism... well, yeah, another point for me is that I believe in reincarnation. I cannot give that up just to fit in. And I won't.

So we are in a similar situation, in a way...

Today, when attending an open Christian meeting, I saw 1111... and now I wonder what that means.

When I compare certain quotes from the Bible to general spiritual lore, depending on how you read them, they could as well describe what here often is referred to as "enlightenment".
For me, personally, all of this is more about forgiveness, unconditional love, compassion and being non-judgemental than about worship. Being a bit more like Jesus.
Who most likely won't mind how you find God, in yourself, and how you call it.

You could try to look towards Gnosticism :smile:

Hello

I was baptized in the Anglican Church and stayed that course until I was 13 years old and then hit that wall of enough is enough. I was getting no answers there from what I could do that I as told "never to talk about child". So as the Bible had a darker side to it I searched there for answers. Not finding them there either but had some fun lessons along the path.

I now am a child of Metaphysics

met·a·phys·ics

[ˌmedəˈfiziks]

NOUN

the branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space.

abstract theory or talk with no basis in reality:

"his concept of society as an organic entity is, for market liberals, simply metaphysics"

In this all religions are open for discussions and acceptance. There is no one God or Gods there is a Universal harmony I find with it all being a oneness with the Universe and beyond.

I have many Bibles and other religious texts under my roof but none stick to me in a book of truth, they all hold something of value. I too have many a cross that I wear not as a religious symbol but as a symbol of what energy I want with me for the day.

What the Bible can do is quite interesting (but too most books can do the same) is to randomly open it and read what first takes your eye to it. Often there is a message there for you.

We do not have to toss the baby out with the bathwater to find common ground in what we were baptized into in life.

Lynn

First of all, the Old Testament Bible ought to be read
in light of the New Testament.

I started out with the Book of Mathew first in my youth.

Secondly? There is no reconciliation of paganism with Christianity, Lynn. Believe what you want.

St. Paul in the epistles quoted a pagan poet and about an inscription on a pagan statue to,
"The Unknown God".
Quoting the poet who wrote about Him, saying,
"In Whom we live and move and have our being."

Even pantheistic Hindus talk about the One Almighty God, referring to Him as, "The God".

Universal harmony, consciousness, awareness, God... where is the difference?
Isn't it just different names for or different viewpoints of the same?

Hi.

I can understand your thoughts, frustrations on this what you speak.

I'll try and be brief as to my thoughts on this. I do apologize if I do not explain them properly.

You see when I was young I attended church services, first with friends who had asked me to attend with them. My parents had their own beliefs, but told us if we wanted to attend church it was up to us, that was our decision.

I attended Catholic Church with friends. My experience there suffice it to say was unbearable. My first confessional will very well be my last.

Later I attended church with another friend. A Methodist church. I really enjoyed the experiences I had there, and despite often finding myself lost in the church, unable to understand the very adult concepts the church leaders and members attempted to put forth for the most part, I found myself enjoying most of this experience. The Methodist church members were not the same as the previous Catholic Church members. They were not cold, nor calculating, and neither did they ever abuse me.

Later on I did manage to go through confirmation in the Catholic faith to an extent. I tried. But I asked the priest not to slap me, I told him if he did, I would exercise my will and slap him back.

He performed as much of the ceremony as able to and refrained from that act as I had requested.

So, that is the religious side of my story. I consider myself Catholic by choice, although by other Catholics I am sure most would dictate to me otherwise, that confirmation was not fully performed nor properly. And to that I say? To each their own.

Later Wicca became a focus of mine, at first Wicca. I found I resonated only with parts. I did not agree with it all verily as I do not agree with the whole of Christianity or Religion.

Later I learned of Shamanic practices.

Now what am I?

I have a small percent of Native Blood, yet only a fool would consider themselves to be a shaman. Or make such erroneous claims.

Am I Catholic? Wiccan? Native?

I am all three and then some.

I am monotheistic. I worship that is one God as a Catholic.

But I do practice a mild form of what people term Wicca.

It is called by many things.

Pick your label.

Point is in the end it is your decision to make. Do I feel it possible for it to be the other way around? Why yes, I mean sure in theory. A religious person who worships more than one deity? Yes in theory that should be possible to integrate.

You need not throw out your bible to walk but one path of paganism, and neither need to throw out your candles or incense to embark on the other journey.

Ultimately it is up to you how you worship. Should you practice both Wicca and Christianity will fellow Christians come to accept you for it? Quite possibly not.

But why let this knowledge concern you?

I have every faith in time you will figure it out. And come into your own faith all the same, with a deep sense of self and strength.

All my best.

Blessings to you.

Well, the reason it's seen as wrong (even think it might been the wrong word from the beginning) is that source, god, is in and outside all and bigger than anything. And that you then separate yourself from godsource. And go to something seen smaller. As such never reach the ultimate. I bet the gnostic talks about it. Angry god, no just with distortion. And the imbalance that then comes in. Www.phoenixsourcedistributors.com journal 2

Perhaps that pull you feel is from God. Of course your paganism is a sin, but all of us are sinners and need God's forgiveness. How Christians function is something you will never fully understand until you become one of us.

Just what is it you find disagreeable about the Bible? The fact that it seems disagreeable doesn't mean it isn't true.