[binx44]

I myself am wiccan, been practicing for over 10 years. Seriously for the last 8. and I have never heard the term pagan being so "loose" as in tied to greek culture and religion. Could you provide proof of this? IE links, books, articles etc... thank you
Blessed be

[Athos]

I myself am wiccan, been practicing for over 10 years. seriously for the last 8. and i have never heard the term pagan being so "loose" as in tied to greek culture and religion. could you provide proof of this? IE links, books, articles etc... thank you
blessed be

"Pagan" comes from Latin and means a villager, or someone who lives in the countryside. It has a slightly pejorative meaning, so that today we would translate it as "yokel" which is probably closer to the original meaning.

Christianity is a religion that started and grew in the cities of the Roman Empire. Countryfolk were usually the last to embrace Christianity. Hence, "pagan" came to have the new meaning of non-Christian - someone who still worshiped the "old" gods and goddesses.

The word further developed over time to indicate someone who did not believe in one God. Still later, it came to mean those who were not members of the major world religions.

Today, it is in the process of again being redefined and is used to loosely describe New Age religions, including Wicca.

Plenty of information is available by Googling the word.

[binx44]

Ahh yes I know it is easy to Google. But on this site you should always add souces. Following proper forum ettiqute

[Athos]

Ahh yes i know it is easy to google. but on this site you should always add souces. following proper forum ettiqute

Googling will provide you all the sources you require.

[binx44]

You have not been on this site often have you? With all factual information (not advice, personal experiences etc.. ) should come with sources. I will find my post about bacteria to prove this.

Ok edit... adding post information which links to my post about bacteria

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/ecolog...ia-409983.html

They state I had no sources, and if I had taken it from say a book or some legitimate source (just like you are saying there is... sources should be posted)

[inthebox]

In every religion and every belief there is the concept of right and wrong, good and bad. In the majority there is the goal of being good or right. That requires, most often, a sacrifice for the atonement of wrong behavior or sins.

Is this because God created us?

Sure Christmas and Easter have secularized features that have, unfortunantly, overshadowed the true meaning; but at its core is there a religion where the god himself sacrifices himself for the salvation of his creation?


Here is an example

Doesn't the religion of Mithra prove that Christianity is false? | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry



G&P

[Athos]

you have not been on this site often have you? With all factual information (not advice, personal experiences etc..) should come with sources. I will find my post about bacteria to prove this.

Ok edit... adding post information which links to my post about bacteria

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/ecolog...ia-409983.html

they state i had no sources, and if i had taken it from say a book or some legitimate source (just like you are saying there is... sources should be posted)

Thank you for your advice on how to post on this site. May I return the favor?

Get yourself a book on basic grammar and spelling. You won't get far in this life without being able to write a coherent sentence.

[binx44]

OK do you want to know something. There is no need to be IGNORANT. I've been on this site for years and have tons of reputation as being a good poster giving good information. Sometimes when its late at night and I'm sitting typing away in the dark I hit the keys in the wrong order or place a word in where it doesn't exactally belong. . You have no right to treat me so disrespectfully and rudely. No right at all. But hey, I don't need to explain myself to you, someone who's only been on here for a couple years with LESS than half the posts I've got. Grow the heck up and get some manners I was just trying to be helpful. Or leave. You remind me of a troll.. someone who's just here to piss other people off. *sighs* and this is why sometimes I think I should leave this forum. If it was not for the wonderful people on here that I know I wouldn't still be here.

[Athos]

ok do you want to know something. there is no need to be IGNORANT. i've been on this site for years and have tons of reputation as being a good poster giving good information. Sometimes when its late at night and i'm sitting typing away in the dark i hit the keys in the wrong order or place a word in where it doesnt exactally belong. . You have no right to treat me so disrespectfully and rudely. no right at all. But hey, i dont need to explain myself to you, someone whos only been on here for a couple years with LESS than half the posts i've got. Grow the heck up and get some manners i was just trying to be helpful. or leave. You remind me of a troll.. someone whos just here to piss other people off. *sighs* and this is why sometimes i think i should leave this forum. if it was not for the wonderful people on here that i know i wouldnt still be here.

The personal pronoun "I" is always capitalized, as is the beginning of every new sentence.

[binx44]

Grow up.. So what if I don't CAPITALIZE I over and over. Who cares. It doesn't need to be 100% correct for someone to get their point across

[Wondergirl]

Grow up.. So what if I dont CAPITALIZE I over and over. who cares. It doesnt need to be 100% correct for someone to get their point across

So on this site we don't have to write with good grammar, punctuation, and capitalization, but have to be sure to cite sources? By the way, what Athos explained so clearly about the word "pagan" is common knowledge to anyone with a smattering of Latin and/or who reads history and/or who can search in a dictionary. Citing sources is not necessary in that case.

***ADDED***If I told you the side effects of Arimidex or listed Boy Scout rules and regulations, it would be important that I cite sources.

[binx44]

Its just nice to have proof is all. And a lot of people ask for sources. Especially the experts on the site

[Wondergirl]

its just nice to have proof is all. and alot of people ask for sources.

Proof? Or maybe support is the better word? But one doesn't have to cite sources for every post he makes.

Thinking about how pagan beliefs influenced the forming of Christianity reminds me of one of the books I wrote. It told how Catholic missionaries came to Texas to Christianize the Indians there. The missionaries didn't force the Indians to toss out every spiritual or religious belief they already had, but worked with those ideas so that the Christian teachings would be more palatable to the Indians. For instance, when the Franciscans began converting the Jumanos, that tribe told of a vision of "the Woman in Blue" that some had seen briefly. The Franciscans decided and then told the Indians that she must be a Spanish Franciscan nun, María de Jesús de Agreda (whose order wore blue in honor of the Virgin Mary), who apparently appeared through bilocation and never physically left Spain.

[TUT317]

Here is an example

Doesn't the religion of Mithra prove that Christianity is false? | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry



G&P

Hi inthebox,

I found this article interesting, however the question,"Doesn't the religion of Mithra prove that Christianity is false?" This is not really a moot point. Even if Mithra could be shown to be the origin of Christian belief, it is irrelevant. Discovering the source of a religion has nothing to to with the truth of falsity of the religion. Consequently there is nothing to defend in the article.

The other point I would like to make concerning the article centres on this claim:

"Furthermore, those who wrote about Jesus in the New Testament were Jews (or under the instruction of Jews) who were devoted to the legitimacy and inspiration of the Old Testament scriptures and possessed a strong distaste for Pagan religions".

This statement seems to reflect the idea that popular Roman culture was somehow the dominant culture throughout the occupied territories.This was not the case for those who could read and write

The occupied territories of the time were Hellenized long before Roman occupation. For the educated elite the dominant philosophies of the Greco-Roman world would have been Stoicism and Platonism.
Platonism would have been popular with early Christian writers for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons could be outlined at a latter stage.


Tut

[inthebox]

I don't see the comparison between Greek or Roman mythology and the basic tenants of Christianity so I don't see how one "copied" the other. Is their another belief or religion that has a god that sacrifices himself for his creation?

Common things are common, it doesn't mean that they are directly related. Themes of good and bad, right and wrong are universal. It doesn't prove a relation.

What is the archaelogic, the historical, the scholarly proof of these pagan beliefs?



G&P

[Wondergirl]

I don't see the comparison between Greek or Roman mythology and the basic tenants of Christianity so I don't see how one "copied" the other.

Did the array of Catholic saints evolve because of Greek & Roman pantheism? Does the Christmas celebration have roots in Saturnalia?

[TUT317]

Wondergirl and inthebox

Platonism, Stoicism and Epicureanism are NOT in any way related to mythology. They are genuine philosophical positions, recognizable today.
The content of these philosophies would have been known by Christian scholars of the time.

For example, Platonism is the first known attempt at identity theory. Identity theory is of course significant in later Christian theology,i.e.. The Trinity.

[Wondergirl]

wondergirl

Platonism, Stoicism and Epicureanism are NOT in any way related to mythology.

I know. Did I say they were?

[Athos]

Did the array of Catholic saints evolve because of Greek & Roman pantheism? Does the Christmas celebration have roots in Saturnalia?

1- No, they did not.
2- No, but the DATE of the celebration does.