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Paganism
There’s as many different kinds of paganism as there are pagans.
What IS it? Well, to ME, it is a religion that is not dependent on the Bible and that is not tied to a monotheistic mindset.
Of course, there are pagans that believe in ONE god, and accept other deities as embodiments of the qualities of that ONE God. This is soft polytheism. Other pagans think that various deities are separate; this is hard polytheism. Still other pagans are quiet animistic.
One thing modern pagans tend to agree on though, is that it is fine that people have separate or different paths. Pagans are very tolerant of other people’s belief systems.
I have known many Christians who wanted to discuss converting to a more pagan path. I think if you can be Christian, it is a good idea to be. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work for some of us.
One question I get asked a lot is “Can a Christian be a pagan?” Well...I think that depends a lot on what sort of Christian one is. If one is hard tied to the monotheistic outlook, then no. BUT, that said, Christianity with it’s triad of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost almost makes the grade. If you think everyone that is not a Christian is going to hell, then no, you probably can’t be both.
BUT, I do think that pagans can be Christian. :) If Christian means Christ Like, then certainly, some of the most loving, compassionate people I’ve ever met were pagan. If it means a belief in the supernatural powers of Christ and reverence for his teachings, then yes, in this way, I think the two coexist fine.
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