Posted on 02/20/2008 11:03:10 AM PST by NYer
“Paganism” is a term fraught with all sorts of connotations.
It originally meant something like “country dweller,” “rustic” or even “hick.” That’s because (contrary to popular myth) Christianity did not spread among the Hee Haw-watchers of antiquity, but among the city dwellers and urban folk.
The very last people to receive the faith were the rural folk who clung to the worship of the old gods and the customs of their ancestors long after Christianity had become thoroughly established in the cities.
So the term originally referred only to “country folk.”
However, because the country folk were devoted to the various gods of the Gentiles, it came to mean something else: a worshipper of non-Christian deities.
And as those deities receded into the past and became conflated with the demons of both revelation and of the medieval imagination, “pagan” came to take on a much darker significance.
It became fraught with imagery of devils, horned gods, and all manner of wild witchery (which paganism was sometimes, in fact, fraught with). To call somebody a “pagan” in this sense was no longer to describe where they lived, but to say something desperately dark about their soul.
Finally, in these latter days, “pagan” has taken yet another turn and is now used in some circles as a compliment. Among a growing number of people, “pagan” now means “post-Christian religionist who is attempting to rescue reverence for Nature from the hands of evil Judeo-Christian earth rapists.”
The notion behind this version of “pagan” is that there was once a magical far-off time when humans dwelt in harmony with Mother Earth, everybody was comfortable with their various Jungian archetypes, and all was well as we worshipped the “gods” and “goddesses” who both expressed the beauty of Nature and got us in touch with our inmost selves (and lots of libido, to boot).
Who needs all that stuff about sin, dying to self and the need for redemption? The great blunder of the human race was when the old gods were swept away by the evil Judeo-Christian God. We have to return to our natural state of innocence with the gods (and especially the goddesses) of Nature that reigned before God mucked everything up. Then we will find the happiness we are all seeking.
The first thing to note about paganism, is the last thing that I note: It is seeking something. Paganism is, according to G.K. Chesterton, a search. Chesterton had a very high regard for pre-Christian paganism. He famously said that paganism was the attempt to reach God through the imagination. He declared, “Paganism was the largest thing in the world and Christianity was larger; and everything else has been comparatively small.” The thing it is seeking is the thing we all seek: the thing St. Thomas Aquinas says we can’t not seek — happiness.
But that brings us to our second point: namely that paganism takes two basic forms — pre-Christian and post-Christian.
Pre-Christian paganism was, says philosopher Peter Kreeft, a virgin. Post-Christian paganism is, he adds, a divorcee. And that matters enormously because there are two basic reasons people ask questions: to find something out and to keep from finding something out.
Pre-Christian paganism was (for the most part) an attempt to find God. It was (as we shall see in our next discussion) often alloyed with all sorts of error and hampered by original sin. But the fundamental goal was a search for God. As such, it was ordered toward reality, though much hampered in the pursuit by the effects of sin.
Post-Christian paganism is, first and foremost, a search for an escape from God. It is a hunt for the blessings of heaven without the trouble of submitting to heaven. As such, it is ordered toward unreality, though much hampered in the pursuit by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Now it should be noted here that merely living in the 21st century does not automatically make you a post-Christian pagan. It is quite possible for pre-Christian pagans to exist in this day and age. I well remember a woman I worked with who was spurred by Joan Osborne’s song with the refrain “What if God was one of us?” to remark: “Wouldn’t that be a cool idea for a story?”
“What?” I queried.
“Well, suppose God became a human being. Wouldn’t that be a great idea for a story?”
I remarked, “Yeah! You could call it ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’ or something.”
She had no clue that this was what Christianity taught. It was, even at this date, news. And she was amazed.
But others are, in Chesterton’s phrase, “weary of hearing what they have never yet heard.” These divorcee post-Christians are looking, not for God, but for something — anything — else.
Understanding that is the essential first step. Next time, we will discuss the next step.
| "Since Your Majesty and Your Lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer.
Unless I am convinced by Scripture and by plain reason, and not by Popes and councils who have so often contradicted themselves, my conscience is captive to the word of God. To go against conscience is neither right nor safe. I cannot, and I will not recant. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me." |
>>AN UNBROKEN HISTORY<<
Yeah.
From Spurgeon’s sermon, “The Standard Uplifted
in the Face of the Foe” No. 718. Isaiah 59:19.
In 325, Emperor Constantine, for reasons of state
craft and subtle policy, made Christianity the national
religion, and thus struck the most fearful blow at
the vitals of Christianity. The union of church and
state is a fatal blow to true religion. The king’s
hand wherever it falls upon the church of Christ
brings the king’s evil with it. There never was a
church whose spirituality survived it yet, and there
never will be.
Christ’s kingdom is not of this world, and if we
try to marry the church of Christ to a worldly
kingdom, we engender innumerable mischiefs.
So it happened that when the church became
outwardly glorious she became spiritually debased.
Her communion table glittered with gold and silver plate,
but her communion with Christ was not so golden as
before. Her ministers were enriched, but their doctrine
was impoverished. For every ounce of outward gold which
she gained, she lost a treasure of grace. Her bishops
became lords, and her flocks were famished. Her humble
meeting-places were exchanged for grand basilicas, but
the true glory was departed.
She became like the heathen around her, and began
to set up the images of her saints, until at last, after
years of gradual declension, the Church of Rome
ceased to be the church of Christ, and that which
was once nominally the church of Christ actually
became the Antichrist.
Black darkness covered the lands, and the dark ages set
in. Instead of pardon bought with the blood of Jesus, false
priests made merchandise of souls, and pardons were
hawked in the streets. Instead of deacons and elders
adorned with holiness and purity; monks, and nuns, and
priests, and even popes became monsters of filthiness.
Instead of justification by faith, men proclaimed justification
by pilgrimages and by penances. The crucifix took the place
of Christ Jesus, and a piece of bread was lifted up as a god,
and men bowed before it, and said, “These be your gods, O
Israel, that redeemed you from the wrath to come.”
The "Constantine imposed erroneous doctrines on the Church" canard can be easily refuted by a cursory examination of the early Church Fathers. All the "errors" supposedly introduced by Constantine may be found in the patristic writings long before Constantine was born, let alone exercising his supposedly sinister statecraft.
The 17th century, just for example, was far more brutal, benighted, and violent than the "dark ages".
“The one thing you fail to understand is that your own religion may not be the correct one.”
And what you fail to understand is that, notwithstanding as many “mays” as you wish to conjure up, the fact is that Christianity is true.
Selah.
“From Spurgeon’s sermon”
I hadn’t seen that before. I begin to understand where people get those whacked out ideas.
Not exactly because as your logic dictates... your ancient ancestors lived by the sword, you die by the sword.
That is an opinion not a fact.
Christians apparently do not believe that sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
And now their descendants are finding a new way.
All fine and dandy for you for others who expect concrete answers, "trust the invisible man who lives in the sky," is insufficient to their needs.
CzarNicky apparently believes that the son is guilty for the sins of the father and that two wrongs make a right. Christianity is not for you.
No it isn't, I put away childish things a long time ago.
Your hatred for Christians is now fully exposed.
Other than gloating about your perception of Christians being persecuted and exposing your contempt for them (which is actually against FR posting rules, you may want to look into that), Uhm... what was your purpose of posting in this thread?
Hatred is a strong motivator eh?
revel in your persecution complex all you wish. I do not hate groups merely individuals.
Other than gloating about your perception of Christians being persecuted and exposing your contempt for them (which is actually against FR posting rules, you may want to look into that), Uhm... what was your purpose of posting in this thread?
My purpose was that I noticed the irony of a religion that displaced practitioners of other faiths, very much likely to their dismay, is now whining about being similarly displaced in the here and now. As for any violation of posting rules there is an abuse button you can select if your feelings are hurt.
Hatred is a strong motivator eh?
I guess having an opinion different from someone else counts as hatred now. Of course not voting for Obama counts a racism so I don't put much credence in words bandied about by someone in a rage.
Which is totally silly. Why translate part of the word into Latin and part into English? Does someone think we don't know Ares is the Greek god of war? (We watched "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys," after all ... :-).
It's like "Oedipus Rex."
It means the Greek Supreme Court.
In modern Greece?
Not all who wander are lost, but in this case they are.
Straw man. Or, in this case, straw god.
Deriding a religious belief suitable for a child of 6 proves nothing with respect to mature Christian faith.
The whole point of Christianity is that God is no longer invisible. He humbled himself to become man and suffered and died for our salvation - mine, and yours too. That is the concrete answer.
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