Paganism

Im very glad i joined this website.It is different from other sites i've visited,and the people here are very loyal and honest,i already feel very helped

First I just want to start by saying,I only signed up for this site to post on this topic. I was in bed last night and ran pass this through my cell phone,and it made me very sad! From what I have read here,I see closed minded people not will to understand another person. From many years christians and christianity itself has had its way of forcing their beliefs on others,whether through murder and prosecution or simply exiling and treating those with different beliefs cruelly. It is very sad to think that someone who would see deity in their eyes,as compassionate and all loving...could be call wrong by people who see deity as a cruel man,who makes rules that he cannnot follow! Why would a loving "father" throw his children he loves into horrible pits of hell,and allow creatures HE created to destroy them? This is life not a test! This is another frightening tale that christanity uses to demand the all must follow their ways! As christians,I suggest before ritaculing others for their beliefs,that you research the background on your own!

For starters,I once read a part int he bible where god killed a man for pulling out to come when having sex with a woman..god "Struck him down!" Also,this biblical god has killed many,and much for absurd reasons. A parent,true and loving does not condemn his children...now,deity can be seen in many forms,for example,I call the most high deity,a Goddess,she does not harm her children which come from her...she does not hold us in a pit and allow us to be tortured because of mistakes we made in a lifetime,instead we pass through many life times,we learn more and we actually become wise and grow up! Yes,times are changing,some people are not learning as others are! But the TRUE test,is learning to hold sacred in what you believe in,and to love others no matter how different they are! To say such a things as you are going to hell because blah blah blah,is to fall into another form a mistreating a person. Why can you not say,"This is my belief,and you are my friend,I love you????"

I once had a friend who was Satanic,she was MY VERY BEST FRIEND when I was fourteen,she never pressed her religion on me,and I never pressed mine on her! But we were perfect friends,this did not taint me in any way. Why cant people not see that this is the way to grow,not running around telling others what they should do.

Something else I would like to put some light on,is alot of what you have stated about Pagans here is false,so if you would like to learn more,I think you should study up more. Before you speak out about something,you should know about it. Example,I have read articules saying that Pagans harm animals and sacrific them,and all there awful things,but did you read your own christian bible? Did you not read where god told them to sacrific...I want to say it was a goat,he was telling them what to do with its blood and such! The way i read it...this was a RITUAL,and I have never..ever ever ever..seen anything like this in Pagan texts or tradition,but it is in YOUR own bible. If you do not understand you own book,maybe you should get the version that is more up to date,where god gave Noah the measurements to build the arch!

The bible does not seem to pinpoint on people as a whole,it pinpoints on people of a certain area,child of Abraham and so forth!..sorry to skip,let me go back to this ritual I read in the bible...it was god told them to kill the god and smear its blood upon a alter,he told them to make robes and what color to make these robes,from the order it came in the book,it seemed like the first church like place god had ever told make to construct. This is awful,I want nothing to do with killing animals and smearing their blood on an alter.
(If you do not believe me about this,research it for yourself)

There are many things in the bible that was ok in the beginning in gods eyes,sleeping with servants to have children? He even protected on other these mothers,but then in the later half be makes a huge list of rule right and wrong,this is MAN who has written this book remember that when you speak about it! Men who by all means need control over the people,no womans hand was in the bible,she did not write! Could god have been as sexist as those men at that time?

There are so many christians who say: we do not question god: for this list of reasons...but you are from god right? Even in the bible he portrayed feelings of jealousy,temper.rage...sadness...because we come from supreme deity,we have emotions as well. So why would it be said that we cannot feel them? It i a sin to hate? I can hate all I please,but it is up to ME to learn what will come of it! Where it will get me,and to look within my heart and learn there are other ways. Not the threat that I will be punished or harmed for not learning fast enough!

Another thing I think s quite funny,is that christians dont even worship in the fashion it began in,they have made up a new way(if you dont believe this,go read your own bible) in your bible worship to god was done differently,why change it? Because it is so similar to islamic fashion? Another religion you dont agree with? Sitting in church and studying a book written by mean,who teaches you to try and be like god,why can a person not be the best of themselve since we are all so different? Why does that mean living JUST like you? What you do in church is a ritual,that you have changed over time because...for what reason you no longer do things the way the bible spoke of in the beginning? It seems very much this book portrays god in a ruthless manner,creating evil and them forcing you(a weak human) in between to choose in ONE lifetime.????

Another thing I wanted to state is that,you said something about Pagans trying to excape the world ending? NO! Nothing truly ends,even science will state that. The soul is eternal,and as I said before...a true loving god does not cause harm to what they love! The Goddess does not,and if energies,such as damage to the world,or anything outside of this,causes damage to the earth,it will evolve and grow just as anything else. Just as the soul itself.

So I am going to close with this,do some more research on your OWN religion first,before you proceed to another. I ma not trying to force my beliefs on anyone,or say another is right or wrong,I would like to pinpoint that many people I have met who are christians,do not know the history or the come about of their own religion,or even read the bible enough to understand what kind of deity they worship. Reading the scriptures of things god supposedly said is not enough research...you must look at everything he has done in these books. A father does condemn his children,NOT EVER,he loves them not matter what and RAISES them!

I also wanted to touch on the point that you said that your God has been around since forever and our Gods haven't.

If you take a look at William Devers writings I'd say maybe not. Your faith evolved from Judaism which very well may have had a separation from another faith in the middle east(Abraham being the original patriarch and all that) You could try pointing out that the creation of the earth is "proof", but I'll point out that most religions have a creation story that their choice of God created the earth.

It is really hard to speak to people over the net with no knowledge of them or who they truly are. It is hard to know what to say that is consistent with your beliefs and yet does not hurt another person. I am proud to be a Christian and I believe with all my heart but at the same time I do not wish to offend others and degrade them. I do however realize that that is sometimes inevitable. Just realize that what I say I do not say with judgement or condemnation. I say these with the hope that GOD speaks to each of you personally and in different and powerful ways. I pray that He makes himself known to us all.

If you study religions it is absolutely true that you will find numerous similarities in all of them. I myself have taken several classes about various religions and since then continued my knowledge on them. I am a youth pastor at my church so you can be sure that I must stay up to date and very thorough on my knowledge of things I speak of. I can not profess to have a deeply spirtual practicing knowledge of other religions. But I do try to find the most accurate and thorough information through research and observation.

Here is what I have found: (Again try not to be too offended)

I have been on websites and read other materials where people are unrestained and unconcerned in their bashing of my Father and my beliefs and who I am. And I will not lie it both infuriates me and deeply grieves me. But I try and with His help succeed at fighing off both. I am not going to bash anyones religion today hopefuuly. I do not hate differences nor can I say that I am a perfect person without my own flaws. But I can promise you this everyone can not be right! Most religions whether admittingly or not in key aspects  blatently contradict each other. So if one says yes and one says no....They can't both be right. I know that it is very tempting to believe that all is okay as long as....I don't cross this line. That simply can not be true for every belief systems and their very diferent lines. All religions have lines. Every single one. Every person has lines!

Sorry for rambling, back to my original point:

Every relgion(some more than others) have similar points. I do not pretent to know exactly the source and time of the changes and yes confusion but there are definitely points at which some stories and hand-me-down beliefs have been misconstrued. I know that it seems to some awefully presumtious of me to assume that my religion is the one without confusion and that I am right. That is not what I am saying. My religion has it's own very serious warring denominations and very confused and selfish people as well. And I am not standing (well sitting and typing) here today saying that I am 100% right all the time because that would be a lie.But I also can not pretend that I do not believe what I believe and that is it for me.  It is who I am and it is my life. I HAVE seen it and I HAVE experienced it and I HAVE my proof and I KNOW and I just BELIEVE.

Seperate and very different religions have similar stories about birds and names and even certain morals. It is odd how people who kill and hate each other agree on certain things(whether they admit it or not). I find it not so strange at all actually. I find that it actually fits pretty well with daily life and the bible. GOD created Adam and Eve so it was the first religion by my belief (and yes I base my conclusions off of it). So some things just got passed along wrong. Kinda like the kids game of Telephone. Some was probably on accident and some on purpose. satan aka "the devil"(which actually means contrary- that's a surprise right) has I am sure constructed this plan to confuse, desensitize, and just screw up GOD's people and His truth. That's kinda his whole plan. And whether you call it free will or self worship or peace or hapiness, It exists and is obvious.

I challenge you to actually do some research on many religions and see if you don't find very similar stories and names and other things that surprise you. But I also challenge you to think about this question....Does that mean that they are all or some or two right? Or does it mean that One is true and the others are just variations? And I do not say this to mock you or call you stupid. I say this in hopes that you will truly take a step back and see things. I mean really see things. I have evaluated my faith and have been confirmed and proved in my life by GOD over and over again.

Also I admit that there are obviously other "gods". I prefer not to call them that because I have and know only one GOD but the bible says "have no other gods before me". It does not say there are no other gods. It does however say that these "gods" are not GOD nor do they have HIS power nor are they TRUE gods. They are tricks and deceit and lies to confuse and seperate us from each other and GOD. A God is whatever you worship and set in your heart as the most important thing/s.

GOD is everything. He created everything. He knows everything. And He will judge all of our hearts one day. And He does offer salvation to ALL who seek. If we knock the door will be opened and if we wait He will not leave us there alone.

I hope that GOD was able to speak through me in this some way and that He speaks to someone. GOD is, and was, and is forever! To HIM be the Glory forever!

I Found this article interesting and enlightening, It is easy to tell that the author knows their belief system, and how they want to lead their life.

I am a Druid, I will not get into the whole, "yes, my beliefs say this and done this, but look at what yours have done thing.

But the only thing that really stuck me when reading this article in a negative fashion, is the assumptions made of Pagans from a teaching that appears to be taught by a Christian scholar, and not a Pagan scholar. So please allow me to make some basic points, not all just a few.

1. Most Pagans see the earth as Divine, and we try to protect it, but in no time are we actually hurting the earth. The earth was here before man and will be here after man. We see the earth as more of a bringer or sustainer of life and by "protecting the earth" we are protecting our existence on earth.

2. The reason you get so many messages from Pagans about worshiping Satan is because Pagans have never worship Satan, Satan does not exist for us, as Hell does not exist for us. But it is very normal for Wiccans to be associated with the "Witchcraft that is show in movies, fairy tales, etc. of casting evil spells, of worshiping Satan, yada yada yada" And they don't like it because that "kind of Witch" is based on Christianity, not Paganism. The Muslim, Judiasm and Christianity belief system brought the world Satan. Pagans pretty much look at anyone that worships Satan as Christian, and don't group us with that bad part of your belief system. When the Christian belief system took over Western Europe, The Americas, etc. before that if you would have said Satan, or Satan by any other name, you would have gotten a "What? Who? What are you talking about?" A good test would be: Before looking it up, what does the Pentagram mean or stand for? Now look up what it means to a Pagan. Odds are it will surprise you.

3. It would surprise you how many Pagans believe in a "One True God" and our other gods are "Demi-Gods" or what you might call Angles or Saints, some are harsh (such as a war god) most are not (That is a very very simplified explanation).

I really appreciate what you wrote and I do appreciate your efforts that you are putting forth for me. I believe that your efforts are honest and good. I think what you are doing with your time and energy are positive, maybe just put a little more research next time. But in the long run, I think: I will always be a Pagan, you will always be a Christian and there you go.

I will close with a joke, you probably won't appreciate it, but just about all non-christian readers will, I know all my Pagan friends will:

I die and go to "Heaven" and meet "Saint Peter" and I see a huge wall, and I ask Saint Peter. What is that wall for? And Saint Peter says "shhhhhh,,,, those are the Christians and they think they are the only ones up here".

Thanks for letting me rattle, Keep up the Good Work!

Oy