How is it that some see "paganism" as a prominent aspect of Catholicism?

Question

It's quite shocking to realize how many Christians see Catholicism as a paganist form of worship. The fact that there are so many revered saints and the principle of patronage being so integral in the denomination, not to mention the prominence of statues, leads some to believe it is a pagan form of worship.

But isn't the Catholic (or Orthodox) essence of worship evidently different from paganist practices of ancient and modern times?

For instance, when the Jews made the bull statue and worshiped it while Moses was on the mountain, they were worshipping "a force of nature", and not God, who brought them out of Egypt; whereas in praying before a statue of Jesus or Mary or any other saint, Catholic and Orthodox believers are not worshipping the statue, but the one that the statue represents (of course worship here goes to Jesus, and reverence to Mary and the saints); can one not see the obvious difference here?

Even the scriptural commandments do not apply to this case.

Answer 1

I agree with you, we don't worship statues they are just plaster, marble or wood and that's all they are, but they have a specific purpose. They are there to help us to visualize who they may have been and what they have done for Christianity or the Catholic Church in some special way.

Answer 2

You're quite right in pointing this out! Many non-Catholics DO consider Catholicism "not Christian", whether or not they erroneously label it as pagan. It's a result (mostly) of confusion, born of ignorance, due to the tactics of non-Catholic (esp. fundamentalist) Christians, which have always wanted to distance themselves from "The Domination of Rome" and its supposed "corruption". I'm not saying that much of the Roman Catholic clergy, etc., was NOT corrupt, just that it is a HUGE stretch from that to thinking that Catholics worship idols (statues)!

In Catholic school, we were constantly reminded NOT to pray to the statues, but to that which they represented (Jesus, Mary, etc.). This is distinctively different from the way many (but not all) pagan religions viewed their gods.

Still, if Roman Catholics saw themselves as Pagans, then WHY would they have spent so much energy trying to convert the Pagans, wherever Rome had conquered their societies?

I've tried explaining this to fundamentalists, but unless they're capable of free thought and open-mindedness, it's a HUGE waste of time. I basically gave up (esp. since I'm now an atheist, yet enjoy Pagan rituals and in NO way Catholic!).

P.S.: People like Jill really give Fundies a BAD name; the viciousness of an attack like that, and the obvious LACK of knowledge, show the real reason for their objections to Catholics: Fear & HATRED!

Answer 3

I use to be a catholic. Nowhere in the Bible does it say to
a) pray to Mary or any other saints. They all have their sins and cannot help you.
b) praying to statues is idol worship. Again, forbidden in the Ten Commandments.
c) praying to the dead or for the dead is a form of necromancy. There is no place in the Bible that teaches purgatory. In fact there is no such place.
d) rosary's have a little dead form of Jesus on it (another graven image) and this is not Biblical. Jesus died once for our sins but the catholics celebrate this alot. Also nowhere in the Bible does it say to use a rosary to pray repetitious prayers. The same prayers from a book everyday is not forming a personal relationship with God. This would be as if your child came home from school everyday and you asked how his day was and he read from a paper the same thing every day. This is what catholics do to God when they say the same written down prayers everyday.
Yes, the catholics are a false religion. I hope you don't follow what can send you to hell. This religion would have sent me to hell had some good Christian not witnessed the true Gospel of Jesus Christ to me. I have renounced the catholic religion and am now a born again Christian. Here is a website to tell you alot about the catholics. When you get to it, click on "false religion" and then go from there. Don't get insulted. I just don't want to see anyone else deceived.

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com

Answer 4

I have studied many ancient religions and the first time I entered a Catholic church I was a bit shocked. I was greeted by images (a big no no in the religious background I come from) and these images screamed Isis and Mithra at me with no doubt. As for the Golden Calf, it comes from Ur, the hometown of good old father Abraham. It represented the Son (as in Father, Mother -Holy Ghost these days, and Son). There is not much new in the world, only the names change. The same spirits still rule. I was raised ot bow to no images. As I have matured in the world and my perceptions of it, my condemnation of such acts has lessened because I see the God behind the acts. Sadly, most folks don't have that ability. One hates to admit one is more intelligent than others, but it is the sorry truth. Worship the God(ess) behind the acts, not the image. Never worship a human being. Ever. The dead are in Sheol and know nothing. Paradise awaits us all when we pass on and the world is no longer our concern. Religion is for men, not the gods. Every one of the religions of earth falls short. Live the best life you can and fear no judgement. You are the way you are supposed to be and be proud of your humanity. Never be ashamed. You are living spirit in the Land of Life. We are spirits clothed in bodies made of star dust and our world is made from star dust too. This is a valid and obvious miracle for all to see, but people do not. Magic is so common in our world it seems mundane. The Kingdom of God is all around you. Rejoice!

Answer 5

A lot of this anti-Catholic nonsense comes from Ralph Woodrow's book, "Babylon Mystery Religion". In it he finds similarities between Catholic practice and compares it to Pagan practices. The comparisons are most often very strained and many of his comparisons are just false.
the fact is that similarities does not equate to descended from or some kind of purposeful syncretism.

Thre are so many lies spread by anti-Catholic apologists that it would be impossible to list them all. Here are a few false accusations against Catholics:

1. Catholics worship Mary.
2. Catholics pray to the dead.
3.That Catholics repeat Christ's once for all sacrifice
4. Catholics worship statues

All of these accusations are nonsense and show a profound ignorance and often a hatred for Christ's Church. People simply are creating a straw man to hate instead of the Catholic Church.

In Christ

Answer 6

Well, it's not like Pagans worship physical statues either, but the being that the statue represents. In that case, there's a similarity. Of course, the being in question is different, which is where the similarity stops - Catholics are praying to God (or to an agent thereof), whereas Pagans are praying to one of their deities.

Answer 7

Right, and the Jews were severely punished for worshiping a man-made image, forced to wonder the desert.

Answer 8

of course we see the difference. well, most of us.
i have never thought that being catholic is the same as being pagan.
i'm pagan, my daughter is catholic. two very different things.

the people that believe this do so through ignorance, and most don't want to know any better.

it's like so many other things here, if you do not believe the way i do than you're wrong.

pretty sad really.
eclectic pagan

Answer 9

Christmas

Answer 10

It's total ignorance and illiteracy of those who think of Catholics this way.

The Only Church That Christ Established Is The Catholic Church. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be condemned." [Mark 16:16].