Have you "gotten over" your previous religious way of thinking?

[Wynnie]

If you came to Paganism from, specifically Christianity, have you been able to dump thoughts of Heaven and Hell, sin, salvation, etc.? Or do you continue to struggle with the Christian vocabulary?

If you have cleared your mind of old thought patterns, what has been useful in helping you "think like a Pagan?"

Or, if you have been Pagan from the beginning of your religious life, do you have any tips or advice for those who feel trapped by the jargon of their previous religion?

Are there better questions for this discussion?

 

[Sees]

I think those are sufficient questions. You do ideally go through a bit of deprogramming but if you were to truly throw away everything, you will get rid of lots of good stuff. I still think of it as starting at square one for practical reasons. The good stuff and pieces that were "pagan-ish" will subconsciously stick and resonate.

Main switches going on are perception and mindset, it takes time and immersion into said perception and mindset - as far as I know/based on my experience. You basically work on the principles and the applications come naturally.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

If you came to Paganism from, specifically Christianity, have you been able to dump thoughts of Heaven and Hell, sin, salvation, etc.? Or do you continue to struggle with the Christian vocabulary?

If you have cleared your mind of old thought patterns, what has been useful in helping you "think like a Pagan?"

Or, if you have been Pagan from the beginning of your religious life, do you have any tips or advice for those who feel trapped by the jargon of their previous religion?

Are there better questions for this discussion?

Growing up, reading things by Vine Deloria and Black Elk Speaks and similar works by and about animistic people really resonated with me--that is the way I experienced the world. So in a sense I grew up with that...but.... I also grew up in a fairly liberal mainstream Christian denomination, and that directed my beliefs and thinking for quite a while, too. I tried to be agnostic and/or and atheist for awhile, but it seemed to always stay in relation to the Christian monotheism.

Discovering a couple of years ago that there is a modern approach to animism and a number of writers who talk about it, as well as becoming friends with another animist and several other pagans really has allowed me to cut out the monotheistic approach and replace it with full-on animism. At least it seems so to me.

Not sure I have any insights that could help others: I've just managed to kind of shut off the monotheism and slowly develop my own pluralism.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

If you came to Paganism from, specifically Christianity, have you been able to dump thoughts of Heaven and Hell, sin, salvation, etc.? Or do you continue to struggle with the Christian vocabulary?

If you have cleared your mind of old thought patterns, what has been useful in helping you "think like a Pagan?"

Or, if you have been Pagan from the beginning of your religious life, do you have any tips or advice for those who feel trapped by the jargon of their previous religion?

Are there better questions for this discussion?

This is a good thread.

I live around, live with, work with, and influenced by christian societal (in town and outside of town) mind-set. I inhale Jesus when I wake up and release the stress of being crucified every night.

No kidding.

I wasnt raised Christian and only converted for only four years a year ago as an adult. I keep the morals: charity, sacrifice (giving myself up at the expensive of anothers life), physical means of worship, and most definitely prayer.

What I have trouble with is christian related bias, how other people press their beliefs on me, and the general nature of my environment as "belief in god is a default."

Some tips? Well, I tried putting up all my christian relics. When I was confirmed, I received I think five rosaries in a day. People where hugging me. The whole congregations were uplifted more than I was.

I kept the wooden crucifix and some rosaries but maybe throw away things that you arent personally attached to? I gave all my Bibles to GoodWill. I kept the one I got at confirmation. So, instead of three Bibles I have one.

I have at least 7 rosaries. I dont want to throw away the crucifixes, so a good thing one can do is give it away.

Take a break from reading the Bible (and any other religious text) that doesnt relate at all to your path or religion. Really. Its nice to read the Bible for study reasons or inspirational (for others, not for myself), but cleanse or fast from other religions that arent yours.

I think In the Yoruba tradition, when a person is preparing to be a Santera/o, he or she wears all white for a whole year. They strip all other religious relics (all) in their homes. Basically, a spiritual fast. I dont know about the white part for a whole year, but thats an idea.

Define your morals and beliefs. Post them up on your wall or in your journal. Remind yourself (if this is the case)

I were told or read that X is true. If it isnt true, write down that is true to you. Not belief (which is another trip up) but what do you consider as your reality just as the earth revolves around the sun?

For me, Christ dying for all people was not like the earth revolving around the sun. If I took up that belief Id be adopting and trying to change who I am to how others want me to be. However, I KNOW my ancestors exist. I know they are with me. I dont need to be pagan or jehosavaphat to know this. If you can differientate labels and define your facts then the more you go throughout your day and relate what you go through with those facts, those christian beliefs will die off.

Try not to buy a lot of relics of your own religion for a good month or so when you are settled that you no longer claim to be christian anymore. They are expensive and if you use them as objects of worship, make sure you are doing so for your spiritual benefit rather than (in my opinion) trying to convince yourself you believe one thing by outward signs.

Keep a journal. I notice paganism is a lot more flurished than christianity. Throughout the day, watch for things that mirror your gods etc.

This is ironic and it works: My christian-christian co-worker and I were talking about religion. Christianity of course. I asked her how she confirms what she reads is true. She says every time she is out the house and whatever she does she always confirms it back to the Bible (to god). She always gave him the credit. Afterawhile it became second nature.

Same thing. But in the view of your faith/s and god/s instead, of course, the god of abraham.

Be easy on yourself. Christianity isnt an evil religion. At least not to me.

It just means: Taking out the bad things in your life, replacing them with good, to live a better purpose by helping others, all for a Higher Power. It just means gratitude, charity, sacrifice, and being a disciple nothing more. Find ways to reconcile with the morals of christianity. If you have some of the same morals, dont beat yourself up.

Christianity isnt an alien to other faiths even if followers say they are.

to be continued....

 

[Paleo]

I'd say yes, at least for the most part but that certainly took a while. I was born into Christianity, a Christian family, a extremely Christian town, in the Bible Belt, whole nine yards. I'd be lying if I said I haven't lost some 'friends' throughout my spiritual journey (I mean hanging a pentacle on your door tends to scare away the neighbors sadly) but I'd also be lying if I said I regretted it and that I haven't made many new friends along the way. I'm happy to say that coming to this path connected many dots for me, things finally fell into place when I let go. I learned that the things I experienced as a child (like precognitive dreams) were not these evil, demonic things but were signs of being an Augury (a sort of shamanic witch if you will). Thus I have become a spiritual mentor to some folks (and no, I'm not making any money off this, I'm simply following my heart even if that doesn't always 'pay the bills'), a thing which has brought me much joy.
But I digress.
I do not think I will go to 'Hell', I don't fear the 'wrath of God' for not staying with Jesus however I do sometimes still feel shame for things I shouldn't. I went to a Christian kindergarten when I was a child and one moment sticks with me as very...creepy. A man was preaching how guilt worked to us, saying that it 'felt like bugs in our stomachs when we did something wrong and that's how God keeps us in line' he then walked to each of us holding a pail of dead insects, holding them to our faces to get the point across. As a six year old that was very frightening to me and that fear still sticks with me sometimes. I'm pansexual (or bi if you don't believe in pansexuality), I sometimes do feel shame for that because I remember asking 'God' to make me straight. I know in my heart that my Gods don't care, they love me regardless but you know...having the Bible pounded into your head like that so young. It's complicated.

 

[Aštra’el]

My pagan spiritual-religious system is greatly compatible with Abrahamic culture, and the culture of many other religions. I have no reasons anymore to abandon my connection to the Heavens and Hells, celestial and infernal beings, and God(s)...

​

 

[Jainarayan]

If you came to Paganism from, specifically Christianity, have you been able to dump thoughts of Heaven and Hell, sin, salvation, etc.?

For the most part, yes I have been able to dump Christian baggage. I occasionally have feelings of guilt if I think I haven't given a deity sufficient or proper attention, or if I feel I'm slighting one or another, but I'm very quickly getting over that.

Or do you continue to struggle with the Christian vocabulary?

No. We (Heathens) do not believe in Heaven and Hell, sin, salvation, redemption, condemnation. Contrary to the Christian view we don't believe the gods are omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent... or immortal. They're born, they live, they die ("... give or take 5,000 years"). Therefore they are not hovering over us and watching every move we make. In fact, it takes an effort to get their attention because they have a lot on their plates.

If you have cleared your mind of old thought patterns, what has been useful in helping you "think like a Pagan?"

On internet forums talking to other Pagans and Heathens, and reading Pagan and Heathen books writings (books, blogs, etc.).

 

[GoodbyeDave]

I didn't have much baggage to shed. Anglicans don't talk much about sin, let alone hell.

 

[Wynnie]

Hey everyone, thank you for responding. I enjoyed reading your posts.

 

[sPagan]

I thought about Christian vocabulary a lot, but more with terms like angels, demons, Satan and so on. I have to admit I still have issue with understanding what these words stand for because I reject the idea of Hell & Heaven in general, but there is a place where souls do gather and live (now how they are sorted I can't know) and the specific minor deities as angels & demons don't quite fit my belief but then again if I reject them I have no logical explanation for some parts of magic. But I don't bother at all with the sin, eternal torture and other beliefs given from Christianity, however I do respect them despite being false in my eyes.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

I haven't yet and I've been Pagan for about 4 years now. I still get the impression that if I do a certain thing again I'm going to incur Aphrodite's wrath. Needless to say the goddess has not been forthcoming on said ruthless judgement. I keep ascribing to the gods some notion of high-fallutin' micro-management obsession; that they will be bothered by the minutiae of their worshippers' actions, words & thoughts. Experience has actually shown me that this isn't the case.

Even so, it's a problem I still have - and one I probably won't be rid of any time soon.

 

[Quintessence]

I suspect I didn't respond to this thread before because I don't consider myself to have a previous religious upbringing. Or rather, it wasn't significant enough for that to be the issue. The issue is that as an American, I am immersed in a classical monotheist culture whether I want to be or not, and it is impossible to have zero exposure to those ideas. While I was "raised" Catholic for maybe four whole years of my life, Americans by and large exist in a cultural morass dominated by classical monotheist ideas and thought. This means you have particular ideas about what "religion" is, and particular ideas about what "theism" and "god" is that are very limited.

The way to fix that is to study comparative religion and comparative theology. It shatters the illusion that all religion looks like the revealed religions of the Abrahamic family, and it destroys the notion that god must be some sort of benevolent, transcendent, omnimax. It also puts the notion of religion being about faith and belief through the shredder, undermines the notion that religion is about dogmas and doctrines, that practices like magic can be meaningfully separated from religions, and on and on.

This sort of upending happens whenever you study any topic in depth, not just religions. A hallmark of a simple education is having a simple conception of the subject that is often rather black-and-white. For example, a novice biologist will have a very black-and-white definition of species, while someone who has learned more about biology will understand that it isn't that simple or straightforward. It's the same with ideas like religion, god, theism, and so on.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Or, if you have been Pagan from the beginning of your religious life, do you have any tips or advice for those who feel trapped by the jargon of their previous religion? Are there better questions for this discussion?

I was a Hindu pagan, I still remain a Hindu. I still love the stories of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. What has changed (completely) is to accept them as deities. From theist Hinduism to atheist Hinduism. It required a giant leap. Should I reject all that I believed about them till that age? Finally I decided, yes, They are not truth. No doubt, it is a catharsis. One has to dare it.

 

[Shiranui117]

I'm curious: For those of you who became pagan from another faith background, what was the hardest thing for you in making that transition--either in becoming pagan or deconverting from your previous faith?

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

for me, becoming a pagan was not much of an effort--it seemed natural. On the other hand, unlearning and disconnecting all the monotheism and lots of WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) thought, and the emotional connections (guilt, superiority, etc) has taken a lot of effort over a period of several decades. Still not done, but working on it.

 

[Quintessence]

I'm curious: For those of you who became pagan from another faith background, what was the hardest thing for you in making that transition--either in becoming pagan or deconverting from your previous faith?

Without a doubt, having very narrow-minded ideas about theism and the word "god." Because of the cultural hegemony monotheism enjoys in Western culture, people who are raised in that culture very nearly can't think about theism any other way. When they try to, they impose classical monotheist assumptions onto other types of theism, which results in a warped understanding of other theisms. It takes something pretty serious to shatter that cage. I was incapable of embracing the idea of gods until that happened. And early on, I refused to use the word "god" at all and always used the word "spirit" because I still had so much mental baggage around the word "god." It took a couple solid years to shake out of that cage. Longer to settle into a more genuinely polytheistic mindset.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I'm curious: For those of you who became pagan from another faith background, what was the hardest thing for you in making that transition--either in becoming pagan or deconverting from your previous faith?

If I wasnt in a Christian environment and never met a Catholic, I would have claimed myself a Witch. (Pagan wasnt in my vocab til RF) 'cause that is how my mother claims herself. Family line. I try to keep family together no matter how mixed our ancestral paths and religions may be.

Instead of becoming Pagan, I just realized that I was covering who I am (as a person) with Christian beliefs or trying to paint a black house white and fustrated with gray. I stripped the colors and started over.

The biggest things I struggle with is: Living my convictions: For example, saying "The spirits or your ancestors are watching over you" as one says god bless you. My personality to do that), looking at the word god in a broader way, and finding that boundry between Catholicism and myself (like you find one with X friend that you wouldnt with Y friend), and accepting who I am as a Person rather than What I was as a Catholic.

 

[Cassandra]

I was a Hindu pagan, I still remain a Hindu. I still love the stories of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. What has changed (completely) is to accept them as deities. From theist Hinduism to atheist Hinduism. It required a giant leap. Should I reject all that I believed about them till that age? Finally I decided, yes, They are not truth. No doubt, it is a catharsis. One has to dare it.

My view:

Faith should not be based on belief, but only true experience, otherwise it is just a lie, and one can better get rid of it. If one can not feel the presence of the Gods or at least one God in one's life, it is indeed better to bring one's beliefs in accordance with reality, which is real experience. Only when living in true honesty one has the right mindset to improve one's consciousness again. Certainly Rama is a personification of true honesty and leads people on the path of honesty.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

I'm curious: For those of you who became pagan from another faith background, what was the hardest thing for you in making that transition--either in becoming pagan or deconverting from your previous faith?

I went from Christian to atheism, then from that to Paganism. So the hardest thing for me was probably my ability to conceive of and relate to multiple deities. I went from one to none, then none to many. It was not easy.

 

[VioletVortex]

I never was a Christian. I've always been very anti-christian (as early as elementary school) despite being exposed to Christianity many times as a young child. I was a Satanist, and by some definitions, I still am. My way of thinking is Satanic, but Pagan would be a better way to describe my religious views as it is silly to use an Abrahamic term, as it expresses that I see the world form a Christian viewpoint, and I don't see it that way.