A Christian Looks at Paganism

There is an old joke that goes like this: A man was sitting in the park playing his guitar one day. He sat and strummed the same chord over and over again. Another man passed by and asked "Why do you play just one chord? You know, why don't your hands move up and down the neck like other players?" The first man replied "Those other players are still looking for it, but I flat got it!"

Pagans look like that to Christians. Pagans are looking for it. Christians have it. Any religion, when distilled down to its simple elements, will seek to both ask and answer questions like "Who am I?" and "Why am I here?" Some religions are more comfortable with the questions. They will tell you they are seekers, explorers, the curious on a journey trying to find their place in this world. Some will say they are not humans on a spiritual journey, but have discovered they are spirits on a human journey. Other religions are more comfortable with the answers. "We are here to spread the gospel." "We are here to serve God." And even "We are here to learn, and if we do not, we will return again and again until we do!"

To ancient Christians, Pagans appeared as primitive (pre-Christian) heathen unbelievers. They believed in casting spells, conjuring spirits or evil deities, and sacrificing animals or humans in their secret sex-rites. How accurate this perception was is questionable. Modern Christians, while sometimes blithely tossing around the term, have rarely stopped to accurately define the word.

So, Christians and Pagan differ on even the definition of the word pagan. While some fundamentalist groups see them simply as "hell-bound-heathens"--just another group of unbelievers headed for eternal damnation,-- modern Christians tend to see Pagans as the aforementioned seekers, spiritual children, misguided individuals who have ignored or discarded the established religions of humanity in favor of a religion of nature, or "earth-based" spirituality. One Pagan source, however, http://ladywinterwolf.fcpages.com , describes as Pagan any religious path that is not based in the Judeo-Christian-Muslim belief systems, such as Native American paths, Wicca, Hellenics, Druids, and Asatru.

Christianity and Paganism also differ in respect to the concept of a founder. While Christianity has a founder, a namesake if you will, an article at http://www.bloomington.in.us/~pen/mpagan.html states that Paganism has no charismatic guru or spokesperson to follow. They deny the clearly male image of the ancient Hebrew Yahwehst god in favor of a more feminine persona or even an impersonal force or source. For the Christian, the final criteria for branding a belief as Pagan is this: if it touts itself as a religion, but omits the Christ of Christianity. (Some fundamentalists even view things like "New Thought," or "Human Potential" as Pagan, and even topics like the Law of Attraction are suspect.)

Christianity and Paganism differ also in the objects of their worship. Christians worship a knowable creator, a knowable entity, a personal savior who, while available individually, is best worshipped corporately at a church or temple. Most Christians believe Pagans worship nature, trees, rocks, animals, or spirits (some Christians even confuse Paganism with Satanism or Witchcraft.) Pagans are more likely to worship outdoors. They are more likely to seek out the spiritual side of the earth and nature.

Further, Christians and Pagans differ on the idea of source materials. Christians believe religion should be a civilized, practiced ritual, performed within an established denomination, using The Bible as a guide, while seeking the will and pleasure of the creator, whom they call God, Jehovah, Lord, Father. Pagans are more likely to exhibit freedom in their rituals and less likely to have a single "book" to go by, or from which to receive instruction. They are more likely to seek spiritual wisdom from several sources or writings.

On one final item, believe it or not, Christians and Pagans agree. It is that true religion cannot be restricted or contained to a place and time and method. True religion informs the believer's daily life and affects everything from their world-view to their choice of vocation. Belief, if it is real, is not just taken out on a Sunday (or any other) morning simply to be stored away the next day.

Naturally, anyone encountering a belief sufficiently different from their own can label it Pagan. One website, www.religioustolerance.org, states: There is no generally accepted, single, current definition for the word "Pagan." But at some level, and at some time in our lives, we must all admit to being seekers, and hence, maybe even a little Pagan.