A pagan view of Christianity
I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Mooreheads Musings , and he mentioned an article on the website Witchvox.com by Jedi Gordy titled "The Future of Paganism". He writes in part -
"This article is on something most of us dislike: Christianity. But it is more on how modern Paganism is BECOMING much like Fundamentalist Christianity. We claim to be enlightened (which we should be to become the third degree) . We claim to be tolerant. We claim to be righteous and pure. Then tell me this: Why do I hear so many of us slamming the “big three” (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and calling those who call us out on our hate-speak “Christians” or other names?
I know many people of the “enlightened” path that know not where their religion was founded (for all religions are made by man, this coming from a Pagan) . Example: many people will fight hard and long to prove that Wicca is THE OLDEST religion when there is not a hint of archeological evidence to show that it was around before the mid twentieth century.
Why do we, the “wise” and “enlightened” ones follow propaganda like sheep? Are we not as bad as those we claim to not be? Or are we worse because we are ignoring the log in our eye to point out a splinter in theirs?
Also, some claim Paganism, Wicca or Witchcraft a harder system to get into. Not true, as some places (not most, but a few) will make any idiot a priest or priestess. I know a few idiot priestesses and priests who shouldn’t have even been given a first-degree initiation. So there we make ourselves look like idiots.
Another issue I have against the way some of us are behaving is that we associate ourselves with those whom should not really be given the power of clergy. By that I mean that they are deceitful, backstabbing, and treat others unkindly. Now many of you will say, “They aren’t true Witches/Wiccans”. In that case, how can Christians behaving badly be true Christians? "
I love where he is coming from! It is so refreshing to see that there are those outside of Christianity who see our church like I see our church. It is so disheartening to watch as some "leaders" of Christianity drag Christ's name through the mud and make our job of loving the world so much harder.
Yes, the Christian church has a dark history and there are awful things being done in our God's name, but that is not the core of what many of us are. Jesus came and told us to love on the world, be in the world and take care of the world!
There are a lot of people in our church that could take a lesson from this pagan! Don't look for the bad or stereotypical behavior of a person and judge them before you even know them (or after for that matter!). We are all God's creation and our only responisbility is to show them the love that God commanded us to show. Condemning to hell (not our job!) and turning our back on them (not love!) are not in the list of things Jesus instructed us we were to do.
"This article is on something most of us dislike: Christianity. But it is more on how modern Paganism is BECOMING much like Fundamentalist Christianity. We claim to be enlightened (which we should be to become the third degree) . We claim to be tolerant. We claim to be righteous and pure. Then tell me this: Why do I hear so many of us slamming the “big three” (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and calling those who call us out on our hate-speak “Christians” or other names?
I know many people of the “enlightened” path that know not where their religion was founded (for all religions are made by man, this coming from a Pagan) . Example: many people will fight hard and long to prove that Wicca is THE OLDEST religion when there is not a hint of archeological evidence to show that it was around before the mid twentieth century.
Why do we, the “wise” and “enlightened” ones follow propaganda like sheep? Are we not as bad as those we claim to not be? Or are we worse because we are ignoring the log in our eye to point out a splinter in theirs?
Also, some claim Paganism, Wicca or Witchcraft a harder system to get into. Not true, as some places (not most, but a few) will make any idiot a priest or priestess. I know a few idiot priestesses and priests who shouldn’t have even been given a first-degree initiation. So there we make ourselves look like idiots.
Another issue I have against the way some of us are behaving is that we associate ourselves with those whom should not really be given the power of clergy. By that I mean that they are deceitful, backstabbing, and treat others unkindly. Now many of you will say, “They aren’t true Witches/Wiccans”. In that case, how can Christians behaving badly be true Christians? "
I love where he is coming from! It is so refreshing to see that there are those outside of Christianity who see our church like I see our church. It is so disheartening to watch as some "leaders" of Christianity drag Christ's name through the mud and make our job of loving the world so much harder.
Yes, the Christian church has a dark history and there are awful things being done in our God's name, but that is not the core of what many of us are. Jesus came and told us to love on the world, be in the world and take care of the world!
There are a lot of people in our church that could take a lesson from this pagan! Don't look for the bad or stereotypical behavior of a person and judge them before you even know them (or after for that matter!). We are all God's creation and our only responisbility is to show them the love that God commanded us to show. Condemning to hell (not our job!) and turning our back on them (not love!) are not in the list of things Jesus instructed us we were to do.
names such as idiot, when tossed out in impulsive passionate haste are an unavoidable occurance. using 'idiot' repeatedly and comfortably seems to me arrogant and directly in contradiction to loving no matter the creation myth one is promoting. To give constructive critical guidance is still loving whereas using terms like idiot to describe people does not serve to clarify a problem nor promote solutions.
ReplyDeletePotent reminder of what we are to be in the world. Good job. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteNote: I linked here from another site. WB