Christianity vs Paganism (Jesus, mystic, beliefs, doctrine, church)

[Reverend Rick]

Originally Posted by Quoth The Raven

When really all it is, is a place you go to hang out with some weird looking Norse chick and a bunch of dead people.

In my dreams, Norse chick's are hottie's!

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by Reverend Rick

I think what enrages many of you that I am a traitor to the Pagan faith. Being an evangelist does not help either.

That's not what gets me. What gets to me is when someone, ANYONE starts to belittle my beliefs, and I feel that's what was done by:

Originally Posted by Reverend Rick

Now a slick way to try and convert a Pagan, (I am laying my cards on the table) is to let them live their life as they please, do not judge them, inform them that most Pagans convert to Christianity on their death bed and you are fine with that either way. Be their friend and be there for them regardless of their decisions.

See, I plant the seed. That is all I am suppose to do. I am a fisher of men and women and have learned that a tight fishing line is not always the best way to catch a fish. The best fish need to be given a little slack on the line.

and

Originally Posted by Reverend Rick

It is easy to say you would never convert back from Paganism,(I doubt many here are born to the faith), when you are young strong and healthy. When people get diagnosed with terminal cancer and have a month to live, they think about the afterlife a little more seriously.

When I read things like this, I can't help but be offended, even if it was not the intent.

[Reverend Rick]

Gentoo, If I have offended you, I sincerely apologise.

[Quoth The Raven]

Originally Posted by Reverend Rick

In my dreams, Norse chick's are hottie's!

I don't know what you know of Hel, but she's not generally described as an exceptionally fetching lass, what with that whole weird half dead-half alive/parti coloured skin thing she had going on.

[Muffled]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

What? Where on earth did you come up with that, Muffled? Nobody except God has the authority to condemn someone to hell.

As they said about Jesus " how can He forgive sins, only God can forgive sins." The Paraclete is God working in us and having the authority to condemn a person to hell. It isn't soething that I personally ascribe to in the flesh and all too often Christians live in the flesh instead of in the spirit.

gnostic - For not converting. Condemned me to hell

I suspect that isn't the full story. Although not converting doesn't sound so bad the reality is that you are in rebellion against God. Since He is all powerful He can send you wherever He wishes and your rebellion gives Him the justification (not that He needs any).

Laterus - I think he means that our choices determine whether we achieve salvation or not.

I usually mean what I say. However the Christian view is that a pagan needs to be saved as much as anyone else but it is not achieved, it is received.

beckysoup61 - No, I don't, but then again, I don't believe in the traditional Heaven and Hell. Just because you screwed around your whole life, doesn't mean you can make it all better by saying "Oh, I believe" (even if you don't) just too cover your bases.

The question is whether you believe in God's view of heaven and hell because that is often quite different from the traditions of men. There is a parable about this: the one about the workers getting paid the same for different number of hours worked and the Parable of the prodigal son addresses the subject as well. The way God sees this is that a Pagan who decides to "come home" to God is welcome whenever he decides to come. As for unresolved Karma look at the disparity in the deaths of the apostles.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by Muffled

The way God sees this is that a Pagan who decides to "come home" to God is welcome whenever he decides to come. As for unresolved Karma look at the disparity in the deaths of the apostles.

Why is it always assumed that Pagans and Christians (or anyone) worships different gods? Why can't it be the same god but through a different stand point? A different lens, as it were?

[UnTheist]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

Why is it always assumed that Pagans and Christians (or anyone) worships different gods? Why can't it be the same god but through a different stand point? A different lens, as it were?

Because many think their God is the 'right' God, and your God is the 'wrong' God. I never liked the 'holier than thou' attitude towards other peoples' religions.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by L a t e r a l u s

Because many think their God is the 'right' God, and your God is the 'wrong' God. I never liked the 'holier than thou' attitude towards other peoples' religions.

Then really, those that do should expect som friction with such a narrow-minded viewpoint of god.

[Feathers in Hair]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

Why is it always assumed that Pagans and Christians (or anyone) worships different gods? Why can't it be the same god but through a different stand point? A different lens, as it were?

That's true- one of my primary gods is still Jesus, for example. I grew up with him, and simply because I've switched my viewpoint doesn't mean he didn't help me any more during my early years.

[Muffled]

Originally Posted by Feathers in Hair

That's true- one of my primary gods is still Jesus, for example. I grew up with him, and simply because I've switched my viewpoint doesn't mean he didn't help me any more during my early years.

If you have other gods, you are settling for something short of the goodness of God. There is no doubt that Jesus will help you avoid sin and be a defense against those who would do you harm whether you have received Him as savior or not.

A belief in the sme God is not the same thing as having received Jesus as Lord and Savior.