Or would it be the same as participating in the pagan traditions that now exist in Christianity? Who decides, if anyone, which pagan traditions are "good" and ok to follow for Christians and which are "bad"?
2007-11-20 03:25:32 · 14 answers · asked by Kiwi 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Pagans don't have anything to do with Satan...
2007-11-20 03:31:59 · update #1
Before people say that pagan = Satanism, check out the answers to this question. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AsTOZoOcZY4eg_raiiLnF1vty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070330114311AA1RGJU
2007-11-20 03:43:04 · update #2
I imagine if you told ANY of your christian friends you wanted to practice something 'pagan' they would all freak out. Pagan may have come before christianty and have a lot of roots in christainity, but most christians don't know this. And just for your reference, no pagan rituals are 'bad'. That goes to show you that you are not aware of what a pagan really is. I imagine you are thinking it has something to do with bad witches and sacrafices.Real pagans simply desire and believe in a strong connection to the earth, nature, and animals. There is nothing bad there. It sounds like some more research into pagan rites would help you out. Any rituals dealing with love, friendship, life, healing, animals, nature, etc..are not going to go against christianity. I bet you would be hard pressed finding a christian who would agree with you. I would practice them without telling your christian friends, unless they are very open minded and cool with that.
I just saw your 'additional details' about it not having to do with satan. So you know that, and that would mean none of them are 'bad' right? You will probably get a lot of people on here telling you it is 'against God' and evil or you are not really christian. Most chrisitans are way to afraid to look outside their box. I applaud you for at least trying. Good luck honey.
2007-11-20 03:33:23 · answer #1 · answered by aes 2 · 4⤊ 3⤋
The reason "pagan traditions" exist in Christianity is that people who converted to Christianity brought with them the ways that their culture expressed its adoration for spiritual things greater than themselves. The first things that come to most people's minds are Christmas and Easter; but if you are familiar with Latin American culture then you may know that El Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is exactly the same sort of tradition.
What makes this different from a Christian going back to pagan practices not traditionally embraced by Christianity, is the intent--and what that intent might say about a person's Christian faith. When converts bring their tradition with them, they are bringing the best of their traditional life to God and consecrating it for Christian use. But when a Christian goes back to pagan practices that have not been conventionally embraced by Christianity, one needs to ask *why* this is being done. While I'd be perfectly willing to listen to a person's reasoning for doing such a thing, the question in the back of my mind will be whether they really confess the Gospel as wholly sufficient for our reconciliation God, or whether they are seeking to bring other things into the picture.
2007-11-20 04:13:15 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous Lutheran 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Depends on how fundamentalist your church/beliefs are.
There are some Christo-Pagans who have no problem mixing religions. But there are also some rabidly anti-Pagan Christians out there.
Paganism is fairly accepting, so the only real problem with doing rituals or spells would come from the Christian side. The Bible was fairly against any kind of magic that wasn't performed by God.
2007-11-20 03:29:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
Christianity in itself now has become a broad term to include Catholicism, Protestanism, to name a couple. These "religions" are not "Christianity" as im sure you know... Christians believe that Jesus Christ is our savior and that God was his father... The belief that Jesus Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead, is what marks true Christians from Catholics, or any other world religion... Truly any "ritual" so to speak is bad... For example Halloween, the Christmas Tree, things of that nature come from a Pagan background... Just kinda do your research and see what you find...
Do what your spirit tell you to do... That what i do, i always follow my spirit, if something tells me no, then i dont do it... Good luck!
2007-11-20 03:32:40 · answer #4 · answered by soobielover26 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
As a Christian we aren't under law but under grace. So? If the Spirit leads us to celebrate Christ birth at Christmas, do so. But if one tried to practice spells & witchcraft. It isn't the Holy Spirit who is leading a Christian to do this. So? A Christion needs to read the verse. 'Don't you know that you are not your own that you are purchased with a price? You belong to God & your body is the temple of Gods Spirit.' So, if you are a 'child of God' it is impossible to abide in sin (make it a comfortable habit) because of the Holy Seed within. The Holy Spirit will convict us if we even doubt Gods love for us & seek other gods (that is what witchcraft is). So? When we sin, we repent of this sin & He (Jesus) is faithful & just to forgive us this sin & cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And the Holy Spirit cleanses us by bringing the Word of God to mind. We are to choose to trust & obey.
A lot of pagan traditions are really copy cats of Gods gifts for us in the first place. People leave God & go after other gods who are usurping Gods identity.
Who decides what pagan traditions are good & Ok? The Holy Spirit. We are to die to the lust of the flesh (not reacting by cussing, yelling, etc...) but to make the soul choice to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit (faith, hope, love, joy, peace, patience, truth, honesty, etc...) We are not under the letter of the law. Because situations are always different. There is no ritual that will be the right thing to do all the time.
So? I am not intimidated if some cults of the past celebrated December25 for evil purposes. I will celebrate Gods gift for mankind. "God so loved us that He sent us His Only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him will have eternal life.". So? No one or religion will take that away from me. But I also give gifts to others out of love. There is no law against loving God & loving others & giving gifts (As long as the gifts are good & not destructive.). Every good & perfect gift comes from the father of lights & in Him is no darkness.
2007-11-20 04:15:03 · answer #5 · answered by LottaLou 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
That is the Jehovah's Witness contention, and you gotta give it to them, they are trying to remain pure.
I always wondered how God felt about his children dragging living trees indoors and surrounding them with gifts, just like the pagans did as a form or nature worship.
2007-11-20 03:29:15 · answer #6 · answered by ɹɐǝɟsuɐs Blessed Cheese Maker 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Very well put! Christians would be surprised how many Pagan rituals are practiced inside their own churches. (Not only during the holidays)
Brightest Blessings
[edit] aeshlea is absolutely right! I could not agree more!
2007-11-20 03:30:44 · answer #7 · answered by Celestian Vega 6 · 6⤊ 1⤋
WWJD?
Attend synagogue on Shabbat.
Read and teach from Torah.
Celebrate Hanukkah, not xmas.
Celebrate Passover, not easter.
Come on Christians!! Reject the traditions of your disobedient, anti-Semitic forefathers and step into the beauty of the Feasts of Yahweh (Lev. 23).
Shalom.
2007-11-20 03:34:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Pagan Traditions are pollution to the spirit of man and violate the first two of the ten commandments in Exodus 20:4-7 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."
God has already decided in His Word that we should repent of such stuff but silly women and silly men equate religious sentiment for tradition as being equal to or greater than FAITH in the LORD Jesus Christ. The very first foundation principal is repentance from dead works but silly folk refuse to repent of dead works. Modern day Church is very much influenced by pagan Rome and the Roman Catholic Church. Traditions of men make the Word of God of no effect and the traditions of Rome are very pagan indeed. We are not to pray to any other than the one true and only wise God, the LORD Jesus Christ but evil seducers wax worse from generation to generation and they have much of the Church world praying to Roman Catholic Patron Saints. America is very much polluted in raising children to pray to the RCC Patron Saint Nickolaus. We are taught that in order to have a blessed relationship with a sweetheart or blessed marriage we must seek a blessing from Saint Valentine. These are all dead catholic priest that the RCC promotes their version of New Age Ascended Masters. There is no difference between King Saul seeking a spirit guide from the Witch of Endor and our seeking a blessing from one of these self made gods of the RCC. It is all cursed of God. When we attribute the Glory of Jesus name and His anointing to a kingdom He says come out of we are taking His name in vain. Halloween is a very satanic holiday and sad to say even our church had silly folks bringing their children to church dressed as devils. Some people never learn but we are to continue to pray for them as we refuse to participate in pagan pollutions that are still killing the faith that was once delivered to the Apostles. "The just shall live by faith," NOT TRADITIONS.
Revelation 18:4-5 "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."
I have much more about this on my yahoo 360 blog.
2007-11-20 04:15:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
You follow whatever you want
All religion is Paganism
2007-11-20 03:29:29 · answer #10 · answered by AwesomeJoeKnows 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋