Pagans, what are your views on Christianity?

Answer 1

Usually I prefer not to make generalities, but this question sort of requires one. I prefer to consider *people* on a case by case basis.

I think Christianity, in and of itself, is a nice way of living a life, no better nor worse than most other paths.

I admit I wish that more Christians were actually "Christ-like" in that they could be more peaceful and less judgmental.

And I have problems with bigotry against homosexuals being mandated by a faith.

I also wish some Christians could admit that they believe what they do based on *faith* and not insist it is *fact*.

However, by and large, it's okay with me. Not that my approval matters! : )

Thanks for asking -- think that's the first time I ever saw it asked.

Answer 2

Most of my friends and co-workers identify with Christianity. They are nice people in general and I find the religion mildly interesting but. No better or worse than any other religion. Some of the tenets of the religion are foreign to me and it's not something that I would ever practice. People seem to argue about their sacred text a lot. That is confusing. I don't care for their requirement for proselytizing--I find it is done in a rude way most of the time. Nor do I care for the consensending attitude that "some" Christians have---but I don't know if it's just those people or whether their religion promotes that attitude. I like the charity work that many Christians are involved in---other than missionary works. I like the faith healing that some churches practice. I think that some Catholic services are beautiful and I like the chanting. I respect the modest dress of the women in some Pentecostal denominations.
That's all that I know about Christianity. It is a monotheistic religion.

Answer 3

I'm not sure I could pass judgment on Christianity, as I'm not sure precisely what it is.

Catholics say it's one thing, Baptists say it's something else, the Mormons say it's another, the Jehovah's Witnesses say it's something different from all of those...

Honestly I can't form an opinion about it if I can't even pinpoint what it is.

I do know that some people that claim to follow it (I'd like to know how they figured out what it actually was...) are kind and respectful people. They are generous, thoughtful, unselfish, courteous, forgiving, polite... I've even met many who do not care to share their beliefs with others, and will only do so when specifically prompted.

Then there are others that I have had the misfortune of meeting who also claim to be Christian, but instead are rude and disrespectful. They are greedy, disgraceful, pompous, proud, xenophobic, bigoted... They insist that anyone who doesn’t think and act the way they do are evil, and take every opportunity to preach their hate to anyone within earshot.

I’m really very torn...

Answer 4

I have studied a lot about Christianity to get my L.S. degree in religion, and my husband was a Christian for many years. I have scholastic experience, and first hand experience by attending various church services with others, Bible Study, youth group, reading the text, being called by old church ladies to be told I'm going to Hell, other harassment, and so forth.

I think that in today's society it is easy to be a Christian. It is easy to swallow whatever one was told in Sunday school without further research or question, even though it is possible. Christianity today (especially Protestant Christianity) is very, very different than the original religion, but is still prizes martyrdom and exclusion. The biggest change is the role of salvation, where in early belief it was God's role to choose those for salvation, but in the last 200 years it is now up to the individual to pick Jesus for the Heaven-pass. It's strange how the change occurred. It seems that Christianity only beat out Mithraism because it allowed women to participate, even though Christianity isn't usually nice to women. (Sects that were egalitarian were often labeled heretic!)

Christianity works for some people, but I find it to be exclusive, hypocritical, ignorant (of it's own traditions as well as others), and judgmental. I did a survey once about people's religions and their knowledge, and more non-Christians could list the 10 Commandments than the Christians! Non-Christians also tend to understand the history of their religion better and are more tolerant.

What really irritates me is this false sense of oppression in Christianity. Yes, early Christians were not liked and it was dangerous to be one only because they were intolerant of all of the other religious practices going on at the time. If they wouldn't have separated themselves from the society at the time, they would have gotten along fine. Martyrdom was seen as great, because it was a good way to keep people in the religion when their lives were in danger. However, when Christians got into control and were no longer in danger, they had to find something to replace the oppression. This is when monasticism came into play; monks were seen as second to martyrs. This mentality still reigns, but people don't want to be monks, and they are not in mortal danger, so they make up threats to get people excited. This war-on-Christian-holiday (that-was-originally-a-Pagan-holiday) stuff is ridiculous and must stop.

Answer 5

In my view it is a badly cobbled together religion centered around the promise of a heavenly reward for the price of unflinching obedience.

The Guy who says the Big G told him how it all works is a guy who use to hunt down and persecute Jesus's followers until he had a vision, too bad no one witnessed this supposed conversation, not even one disciple.

I had a hard time swallowing it when I was a child, the older I got the less palatable it became.

All the Holy days had been used by other religions long before, the Madonna and child things even comes straight out of Egyptian Myths.

While Jesus may have had an idea of what he wanted, and I think even Mary was ready to keep to the game plan, but after Saul/Paul it went to hell in a hand basket.

Lets not forget the lack of gender equality either which pretty much says that woman should sit down, shut up and do what they are told to. No, just not my cup of tea at all.

But that just what I think.

Answer 6

All of our views are different.

My personal view?

Christianity is a mix of different Pagan religions, and stolen from Judaism partially. Judaism is based on Kabbalah, which was based on Paganism.

[Skip the Following if You Don't Care for Reading]

As we know, idol worship has been around for quite some time. Idol worship was/is a Pagan practice. This first appeared with Venus of Willendorf, which dates back to anywhere from 20000 BCE or 22000 BCE.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_of_Willendorf

Judaism, though -- one of popular Monotheistic religions -- came around in approximately 1313 BCE. Least to say, a considerable amount of time LATER than Paganism. (For those who don't, with BCE, the smaller the numbers, the more recent they are)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism#Traditional_view_of_the_development_of_Judaism

The Torah was written after the Jews escaped Egypt. HOWEVER... the Egyptians had their own text, known as the Book of the Dead. If you examine both, the similarities are... a few too many. And the Egyptians were around there before the Jews.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_the_dead

In Christianity, Jesus is the main man. However, Dionysus -- who came BEFORE Jesus is the main man. However, Dionysus -- who came BEFORE Jesus -- was born of a mortal woman and a Godly father, returned from the dead, and turned water into wine. Jesus died in about 40 CE, and the Bible was written in 100 CE.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_testament
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_christ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysus

Is it a coincidence that Zoroastrianism (a DUALISTIC religion that came BEFORE Christianity) believed in an all Powerful God and an evil spirit of violence and death, and that Christianity does as well? It's an awfully awkward coincidence.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_in_christianity

The Norse believe that after Ragnorok, there will be two humans remaining... and the Norse religion ALSO predates Christianity! What do you have to say to that, Adam and Eve?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_and_Eve
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnorok

And the Trinity isn't even Christian! It's Pagan and Zoroastrian.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_goddess
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahura
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity

Oh, I forgot Monotheism. Monotheism originated in Egypt during 1300 BCE, by Pharaoh Amenhotep IV (aka Akhenaten). He found the God Aten to be the most powerful and only one worthy of being worshiped. Gee, why's this sound like Monotheism?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atenism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aten
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monotheism

The cross was *not* a Christian creation. Merely a thieving of the Egyptian Ankh, and then they took off the loop on the top.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankh#The_ankh_and_the_cross

[End Skip]

Therefore, Christianity is Pagan, and all Christians who hate Pagans hate themselves.

- 16 yo Pagan

Answer 7

care to give a CHRISTian a chance to get in a word.

I have to agree with all of you. Roman Catholic history is not a very pleasant rosey history. What the religious leaders did at the time to get the crusaders to fight was promise them a place in Heaven, and the people listened, and fought, and died.
Anyone hear of the Catholic Inquisition?

I blame the leaders of that time,and of today for having such a terrible misrepresentation of what CHRISTianity is all about.

Its almost comparable to how IRAQI's are terrorizing in their Jihad, because of the atrocities America has caused against them. Helping then leaving them to die as US switched sides like a teeter totter.

And I cant stand those people that spent their life in prison or on drugs, and then expect everyone to accept the words they are saying because they say them at a particular time, when they had someone tell them something they didnt listen to.
Its a lack of understanding, and tolerance.

People have become too consumed at being the "right' religion they lose the forest for the trees, in that they forget they are preaching about peace and understanding eachother, yet become aggitated and aggressive when you disagree with them.

That said, I see how its difficult for others to want to listen to such people. I blame the leaders of today for caring more about gathering numbers to their congregation then they do the social problems of the people.

I await the day when the religious leaders will all assemble together and prove to everyone that there is in fact NO PROBLEM too great that The Heavenly FATHER they believe in cannot solve.
Afterall, you can move mountains if you hold True Faith in GODs great power right.
So solving a small problem like the homeless problem in America should be an achievable tasks, right?

If the religious leaders did that, then I bet more people would want to take the time to listen to them.

You want to know the funny thing to all this?
Non CHRISTians are more likely to let me finish my statements then catholics and CHRISTians are.
Ive been kicked out of religious organizations for thinking as I do.

Go figure that!

with a really great homeless program ready to be unleashed, the 4th street CHRISTian group refused to support me saying I had tto spend 2 years volunteering and asssociating with them before they would consider supporting my homeless programs.

When kindness to the poor and oppressed is considere an act of worship, and one must put their Faith to work, or else its useless, all the religious groups I went to refused to take part in.

They had their own agenda's, and why offer food to a homeless person when their Soul wont be nurished

so much for treating/loving your neighbor as you love yourself huh?

It broke my heart....to think this is what religion has become

Answer 8

Brava, Chicky!

And yes, it's sexist, and it's exclusive, and it's all too often followed by people who must make others wrong in order to feel that they are right.

~sigh~

it strikes me as something....off, kind of.

It's sublimation, denial, and postponement - I guess what I'm trying to say is that in my view Christians trade in our earthly paradise for an uncertain future reward, not realizing that "Heaven" has been our address all along.

C'mon, dance with us, under the moon, under the stars, in the bright sunlight.

You are.
Life is.
The intoxicating sacred music of aliveness is playing...come join us in the dance!

(or not!)

Answer 9

A middle Eastern religion which was originaly based in peace, love, and pacifism but has subsequently been perverted as tool of war, prejudice, tyranny by people that were really only looking for somethng to use for that purpose. A religion can't be blamed for the actions of its followers, but its leaders can.

Answer 10

The pagans need guidance.

[006:155] And this is a blessed Book (the Qur'ân) which We have sent down, so follow it and fear Allâh (i.e. do not disobey His Orders), that you may receive mercy (i.e. saved from the torment of Hell).

[006:156] Lest you (pagan Arabs) should say: "The Book was sent down only to two sects before us (the Jews and the Christians), and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied."

[006:157] Or lest you (pagan Arabs) should say: "If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would surely have been better guided than they (Jews and Christians)." So, now has come to you a clear proof (the Qur'ân) from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy. Who then does more wrong than one who rejects the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh and turns away therefrom? We shall requite those who turn away from Our Ayât with an evil torment, because of their turning away (from them). (Tafsir At-Tabari)