Why do Christians associate Satan with paganism when the devil is an invention of Christianity, not pagans?

Question

As a pagan, I get so tired of people associating the devil with my beliefs. I wear my pentacle with as much pride and inner peace as I'm sure many Christians wear their crosses. It has nothing to do with satanism or evil.

Answer 1

They like to toss out that whole "if it's not of God, it's of Satan" routine. Frankly, if that is the case, then Twinkies must be Satanic too, because they don't include Bible verses on the wrappers. ::snorts::

The folks who say that are trapped in a binary mindset - if something doesn't meet their narrow interpretation of "good and godly", then it's "Eeeeeevil!!!" They completely deny the possibility that there's other choices.

Answer 2

Christianity, as we know it today, was simply a theft of virtually all of the Pagan beliefs that were prevalent at the time. Christmas, and the birth of Christ, are actually stolen from the Pagan celebration of Winter Night......the winter solstice. There are many other examples, but that one really stands out.

You see, Paganism was far larger than Christianity up until the 300 CE era, which is when Constantine (a devout Paganist), in trying to make peace with the rising Christians, decreed that Christianity would be the "new" religion (basically, he backed the winning horse, even though it was against his own personal beliefs).

Satan, and the subsequent association with the devil and Paganism, is a direct result from Constantine's decision. The Christian's wanted to end paganism, and therefore created the most powerful association they could to deter people from following it......that it was inherently evil, and was ruled by some horrifying demonic creature known as Satan. If you followed Pagan ritual, you were considered evil by association.

This training has lasted through the centuries, and despite repeated efforts by true Pagans to oust it, it remains firmly implanted in the Christian mind.

Friend, you won't end it........I won't end it.......and the next one to come along won't end it. We must simply endure.

Answer 3

Because people are ignorant as ****! and because Christianity tried to wipe out Paganism (a religion that cant control people due to the fact that it pretty much just says do what you think is right). So in order to wipe it out, it stole stuff from Paganism and made it into bad things.. like the devil. So anyone who practiced Paganism could be killed and it would be "justified" because they were considered a devil worshiper. After getting all the free thinkers out of the way, Christianity could step in and control people. Religion is nothing more than a tool. And that is the root of whats wrong with this country. Intolerance.

Answer 4

It is fear based. When the Catholic church was coming about, they had to coerce pagans to join with them. This involved destroying Pagan worships places and building Catholic churches there (the idea was because the people were already used to going to that spot, they would keep going there for their spiritual practices). It also involved killing and lying to people, IE the witch hunts. The Christian Churches became so powerful that most people just forgot about the old days, to speak of it could mean your death. Luckily though, there were a few who kept it alive underground and now its coming back, full steam!
So to clearly answer your question, those people are still in the VERY old school of thinking - If you aren't a Christian (one of us) then you MUST be a tool of Satan (our made up story of Yin and Yang)

Wow, after reading the other comments have to add this too: Paganism has been around A LOT longer then Christianity!!! Jesus Christ was a great guy, also the son of god, just like all of us, but did he not say something to the tune of not making a church (or religion?) after him?

Answer 5

Sorry chica cause this answer never makes people happy but the honest answer here is b/c They won't open their eyes!

In order to have good, you have to have bad. yin with yang. light with dark. In order to feel special about being in the christianity cult, you have to make others aware of the fact that are not in the cool crowd. You have to make them feel bad to make yourself feel good.

Pagans are really easy to describe as evil b/c there are so many types of pagans and so many different stories/myths/gods and goddess that you just can't quickly find out what exactly they believe in. And besides, it's much easier to say that What you believe in isn't what I believe in so you must be wrong.

To put it simply, they associate Satan with paganism as a way to attempt to put you down. They don't see it as ignorance b/c they are ignorant. The dumbest criminals would be shocked to find themselves on "Dumbest criminals" b/c they don't see themselves as dumb. They have no intent to become educated about your beliefs and learn that you aren't a devil worshipper b/c what does it matter if you worship the devil, zeus or a tree--whatever you worship isn't their god and you are wrong! Clearly, they think, it must be the work of the devil that blinded you into realizing you are wrong.

(my sarcasm and disdain are running rampant. better stop and go back to the drinking game)

Sometimes my pagan friend you just have to realize that they are ignorant b/c they don't want to be educated. They are blind b/c they refuse to open their eyes.

Answer 6

Because a lot of Christians have been trying to demonize Pagan beliefs for as long as the Christians started to gain power. This is why the original image of their anti-God was loosely based off of Cernunnos.

Bright Blessings )O(

Answer 7

To throw the light off the fact that the bible, and the start of mainstream christianity, was by a pagan roman emperor, Constantine! Making the pagan religion a bad thing and casting shadows on it and forbidding their followers to study and understand it, they can keep them in dark about it!

Answer 8

Actually the idea of the devil or satan is older than christianity. I think hollywood had something to do with people identifying the pentacle with satanism. I've known some pagans....nice people...if a little misguided, in my christian opinion ; )

Answer 9

that's a blend. yet to assert there have been no compelled conversions? Come on. what proportion Inquisitions have been there? The Inquisitions have been set as much as detect "Heretics".... A heretic throughout that factor replaced into all and sundry who wasn't element of "the church". So with that, i might say many human beings converted only out of worry of being extra in via the Inquisitors and, as history exhibits, be tortured to dying or left in a cellular to starve to dying. In some areas the conversion replaced into user-friendly, and likely the pagans converted willingly and used their own cultural ideals alongside with it. In different cases the close by lord converted after which enforced that conversion onto the folk on his lands. Early Christianity replaced into specifically in Rome and different places in Italy. It replaced into because of commerce that the Roman Empire had with something of the worldwide that we detect the cultures being blended. Christianity wasn't in different areas of worldwide at that factor. It wasn't till later, after the autumn of the Roman Empire and the "church" picked up the products and used it for his or her own benefit. yet once you want evidence of compelled conversion, all you are able to desire to do is check out American history and how the Europeans who settled here replaced the Natives here. whilst natives have been thrown onto the reservations, they have been compelled to end talking their own language, the had to decrease their hair and that they had to attend church. in the event that they did not settle for the church, they have been thrown off the reservation.

Answer 10

Because if you are not Christian, you must be a devil worshiper. Most Christians don't understand other religions. They are taught not to learn about any other religion or belief unless it is their own. It's easier to pass judgments and say untruths then finding out what is really going on.