Christianity’s Pagan Roots: Traditions, Practices and Holidays
Someone wise once said to me, “Christianity IS paganism.” I scoffed at the remark, until I began studying the origins of religion. The roots of Christianity are pagan, and so I beg to differ with those who argue you can’t be Christian and pagan. Read on to learn more about Christianity’s pagan traditions, holidays and practices.
Christianity & Paganism: Statistically Speaking
Most people see Christianity and Paganism as two very separate, different religions. Paganism predates Christianity by hundreds of thousands of years. Christianity is the largest religion in the world today, boasting over 2 billion in 2012, alongside of Islam with over 1 billion followers in 2012. In the past five years, those numbers have surely increased. The third largest religion statistically speaking is listed as “secular/agnostic/atheist”, which could also include pagans; however, Neopaganism ranked as number 18 on the list of largest religions, but followed Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shinto which to some are also a part of the Pagan umbrella.
You Want the Truth About Christianity’s Pagan Roots? Christianity IS Paganism At It’s Core
So what does the world’s largest religion have in common with nearly all of the others, including Paganism? Why is the title of this section Christianity is a lot like Paganism? If we do our research and really dive into the often untold origins of Christianity, we will see that much of the Christian religion is in fact pagan at its roots. Many people will bark at this statement and call it heresy, but in this article I will present the facts and show both Christians and Pagans how alike they actually are. How connected we all are, even if we are told that we are different and divided.
So, First, What is Paganism?
First, we must define Christianity and Paganism. Paganism has different definitions, depending on the person you ask. Some say paganism is any religion that isn’t one of the Abrahamic religions (Islam, Christianity, or Judaism), while others say paganism is a religion that follows a polytheistic view and seeks to revive the old ways of our ancestors. Paganism is an umbrella term, meaning it covers a wide range of religions, including: Wicca, Neo-paganism, Asatru, Celtic reconstructionism, Indigenous traditions, Hellenic paganism, Druidry, witchcraft, and more. Still others say paganism is equivalent to satanism, which is incorrect, but as I said before it all depends on who you ask.
Next, What is Christianity?
Christianity is one of the three major world religions and is one of the Abrahamic religions. Its roots are from the Middle East, and its beginnings reach back to the time of Abraham. This religion is loosely based on the Holy Bible, which is a collection of ancient books selected and compiled by various groups of religious officials since the time of Christ. Christianity is also an umbrella term in that there are hundreds of branches of Christianity, including: Catholicism, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Greek Orthodox, 7th Day Adventist, Episcopal, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon, Pentecostal, and more. Depending on the branch of Christianity, certain books and sections of the Holy Bible are followed devoutly over the others.
What do these two have in common?
The roots of Christianity are interlaced with ancient pagan traditions and elements, mainly because the Church gained power through conversion. In order to convert the people of Europe (and the world) from their pagan beliefs, the Church felt they had to turn them against their beliefs by fear or adopt the pagan beliefs into the Christian religion. Next, we will dive into these traditions.
Questions of Polytheism vs. Monotheism in the Bible
Most people do not realize in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, there are multiple names for “God”. The first name of God in the book of Genesis is “Elohim” and is used the most throughout the Old Testament. Following, God is called “El” which many claim is just a shortened version of Elohim. These are not the only two, as the name YHVH (said to be pronounced Yah-weh) is also found within the pages of the Old Testament.
The Hebrew Nomadic Tribes Were Polytheistic
There are those who claim these are just different names for the same God, but if we look at the Hebrew people who came before Christ, we see they were nomadic, polytheistic tribes. They had multiple gods, though there were some who tried to eradicate the multiples to focus on the one “true god”. For example, Moses presents the Ten Commandments to his Hebrew tribe stating there’s only one true God and that they should have “no other gods before him”. Moses’ tribe was actively worshiping a golden calf (strangely) referred to as “El”. But, to the point, the commandment actually admits there are other “gods.
The Cult of Ashtart
Let us also examine the mention of the goddess Ashtart (Greek name Astarte), who’s mentioned frequently in the Old Testament. A few of the Hebrew Kings, namely Solomon, tried to instill a cult of Ashtart; though many resisted there were some who supported his endeavors. While some Hebrews believed in the one “true god”, there were still many who followed a polytheistic path…or what we refer to today as paganism.
The Holy Trinity = Polytheism
And what about the Holy Trinity? As a child, it never made sense to me that three gods could be one god. I was told it was an abstract concept and I would understand one day when I grew up. Well, I’m an adult and now I see that multiple gods is multiple gods on any level. When the Council of Nicaea convened in AD 325, one of the main issues they were to decide upon was whether Christ was God and how they would instill belief in him as God. After some dispute, they settled on calling Christ the “son of God” and other writers outside of the Holy Bible made mention of the “Holy Trinity” being made up of Father God, the Son of God (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost (Spirit). THREE gods.
Shekinah as the Holy Spirit
In Rabbinic literature, the Holy Spirit was referred to as Shekinah which meant a dwelling or resting place of God (and interestingly was a feminine term). Was the Holy Spirit once a goddess of the Hebrew tribes now absorbed into the “Holy Trinity”?
Christianity’s Pagan Roots in Catholicism: Symbols, Holy Water, Mother Mary
Within the Catholic tradition, one would be remiss to deny the pagan elements of a Catholic mass. The ritual of taking communion, with the round wafer (or bread), is an ancient practice of worshiping sun gods such as Ba’al and Osiris. The round wafer was a representation of the sun itself. When one ate the round bread or wafer, one was taking the sun into oneself. This tradition seemingly carried over into Christianity as the holy communion and taking the “Son” of God into oneself in celebration of him giving his life. Not to mention the “monstrance” used to hold the blessed sacrament is often gold and resembles the sun.
Sun-day the Holy Day
What other symbols are used in mass and in the Catholic church and have pre-Christian ancient origins? The fact that the Catholic mass (as well as other branches of Christianity) call Sunday the holy day almost confirms pre-Christian sun-god worship being a crucial part of Christianity. Why would Sun-day be the holy day? You might say, well the Old Testament says God took that day as his day of rest after creating the world and man, etc. But God isn’t the one who named that day Sun-day…is he?
Holy Water, Baptisms, Etc.
How about Holy Water? Holy Water is water that has been blessed by a priest or official of the Church. Why is water a part of Christian practice, since nature is often condemned by the Church? Water is one of the basic natural elements that was worshiped in pre-Christian pagan times. Pagans believed that water had a “cleansing” power, not just physically but mentally and spiritually. They would “cleanse” themselves in sacred springs, rivers, and wells.
This practice carried through to Christianity in the form of Holy Water, christenings, and baptisms. Otherwise, wouldn’t the presence of the Holy Spirit be enough to cleanse one of his or her sins? An argument to this is “well, the water is symbolic”. And where did that symbolism originate? We were pagan for thousands of years longer than we were Christian, and these practices are too ingrained in our DNA to erase them with new religion or lack thereof.
Mother Mary and Mother Goddesses
To address the concept of Mother Mary, the Holy Mother – most pagan people worshiped a Mother Goddess (or more). As a main example the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis was often depicted with her son Horus. Horus was a child of the Sun-God Osiris, and Horus took over the sun-god position after the death of Osiris (sound familiar?). Isis was worshiped as a Mother Goddess for thousands of years. This is just one of the many Mother Goddesses from pre-Christian cults, but one of which the Mother Mary-Holy Child concept mirrors.
Ancient Pagan Sites Became Churches
Many of the oldest Catholic churches and monasteries were built on top of ancient pagan sites. These were places where pagans worshiped their gods and ancestors, and when the Church took over, they often knocked down the pagan temples and replaced them with Churches. The idea being that it would make it easier for the pagans to convert if they could still worship at their sacred sites. Some of these pagan statues and symbols can still be seen in the oldest of Churches (i.e. Gargoyles, Mermaids, the Green Man, Sheela-na-gig).
Pentecostalism: Healing with Hands, Speaking in Tongues, Filled with the Spirit
Christianity’s pagan roots run deep. Growing up in the Pentecostal Church, one hears that any other religion outside of Pentecostalism are made up of people who are going to Hell. At least this is what is taught in many of the Assemblies of God churches. Catholics? Going to Hell. Methodists? Going to Hell. Why is this when Pentecostals are doing the same things and using much of the same symbols as the other branches of Christianity? They don’t realize they too carry on pagan traditions of the past, as well as engage in “occult” or “esoteric” practices of which we will examine here.
Healing by the Laying on of Hands and Reiki
One of the beliefs of the Pentecostal Church is Divine Healing. This is the belief that when one is “saved” or “born again” then they will also be healed by God. When this doesn’t happen automatically, there are questions as to why. In addition to Divine Healing, Pentecostals believe in the “laying on of hands” or healing by using their hands on another person to allow God’s healing power to flow. This practice is reflected in numerous healing traditions outside the Christian tradition dating back thousands of years.
A similar, recent tradition is the Japanese relaxation technique known as Reiki. Reiki is the practice of using one’s hands to allow Divine or Universal energy to flow into another person to aid in relaxation, stress reduction, and to promote healing. Reiki originated in the late 1800’s before Pentecostalism. Other “hand healing” techniques and traditions outside of Christianity include: polarity therapy, massage, Qigong, acupressure, shiatsu, and matrix energetics.
Speaking in Tongues and Channeling
One particular practice of the Pentecostals is called speaking in tongues. While evidence doesn’t show a strong relation to pagan practices of similar kind, new age traditions demonstrate a similar sounding practice called “light language”. The Pentecostals see speaking in tongues as one of the “gifts of the spirit”, which means they believe the Holy Spirit “comes upon” them (enters their bodies) and gives them the gift of speaking in another language or in a heavenly language. The connection between the speaking in tongues and new age “light language” is uncanny. They sound identical and both claim to be channeling higher powers to speak in other languages.
“Filled with the Spirit”, Loa Riding and Invocation
Another strong relation between Pentecostals and what they deem a “pagan” religion is the idea of being “filled with the spirit”. Pentecostals believe the spirit of God descends upon them and fills them with its presence, upon which they may dance, laugh, be “drunk in the spirit”, speak in tongues, jump up and down, etc. If you attend a New Orleans’ voodoo ceremony, you will see practitioners allowing the Loa to “ride them”, meaning they allow spirits to enter their bodies. During which they do similar things to Pentecostals – shake, dance, speak in “other languages”, etc. And we also see this concept in the “invocation” of pagan gods (where one invites a god or goddess energy into oneself) in pagan religions today.
Christianity’s Pagan Roots: Holidays = Pagan Holidays
An entire book could be written on how Christian holidays are based on ancient pagan holidays, so I’ll be brief in this section. Christmas, celebrated on December 25th, has roots in ancient pagan holy-days such as Yule (Germanic), the Winter Solstice (which is celebrated in different ways worldwide), Yalda, and more. To make a clear connection between ancient pagan festivals and Christmas, we visit the ancient cult of Mithraism where the sun-god Mithras was born on December 25th. There is no historical evidence to confirm Jesus’ actual birth in the month of December, and scholars believe it was some time in the summer months rather than the winter.
In addition to the date-match between Mithraism and Christianity for the birth of Christ, numerous pagan traditions were carried over into the Christmas season. This includes evergreens: holly, mistletoe, fir trees, ivy, yew, and poinsettias. Evergreens were brought into the homes by ancient Celts and Greeks (among others) to represent immortality and that Spring was around the corner. The tradition of gift-giving, decorating the tree, feasting, caroling, putting on plays, even Christmas lights are all rooted in pagan traditions from ancient European people and beyond.
Easter’s Pagan Origins
What about Easter? Yes, Easter is also based on an ancient pagan festival celebrating the Spring Equinox. The term Easter was the name of a Spring Germanic goddess – Eostre. The Easter Bunny and Easter eggs are pagan traditions as symbols of fertility (new life/Spring). It is likely that the Church tried to stomp out these ancient traditions but the people felt so strongly about them, they continued to be passed down through the generations. You can take the person out of paganism, but you can’t take paganism out of the person.
Conclusion – This Must Be Said.
By no means am I trying to degrade or insult any religion or belief by writing this article. On the contrary, I seek to demonstrate just how connected we are as human beings on this planet. We have been told for centuries that we are different, separate, and to hold to those differences. But in reality, when we examine our roots, our traditions, our most basic beliefs and morals, we see that we are all connected. Just because I am pointing out the similarities between Christianity and Paganism doesn’t mean I believe one or the other is correct or incorrect. I am simply comparing. Many individuals might take offense, but this is not to offend…it is to enlighten and educate. We are not as different as you may have believed.
38 Comments
Daniel Haydu
December 2, 2023 at 8:49 pmOh boy, so lost in echo chamber of lies. dig deep into history not man mad lies.
Lisa Tyree
February 25, 2023 at 8:52 pmI just wanted to let you know that what you mentioned with how Christianity ✝️ is structured is incorrect. Christianity has 3 branches, the 1st is Eastern Orthodoxy (further sub-divided into Greek & Russian Orthodox), the 2nd is Catholic (further sub-divided into Roman & American Catholicism) the 3rd is Protestant (of which are 2 traditions, that being fundamentalist & evangelical in that chronological order). The first has mainline church denominations such as Baptist, Methodist & Lutheran. The second is seemingly primarily derived from Pentecostalism, such as House of God & Foursquare. The first break with Catholicism is Episcopalianism. The Mormons & Jehovah’s Witnesses are considered cults by Establishment theologians. The 7th Day Adventists are borderline acceptable as far as orthodox theology is concerned.
Anonymous
January 4, 2024 at 5:17 pmWRONG! The Roman Catholic church is the very first Christian Church.
Aisling
January 29, 2023 at 5:45 pmEaster is wholy Christian, the bunny and eggs things are a commercial borrowing of pagan roots, yes, but it’s not pagan. It has more in common with Jewish Passover than any ancient equinox festivals.
kitty fields
February 3, 2023 at 6:47 pmThe name Easter literally comes from a pagan Spring goddess named Eostre.
Mic Drop
February 4, 2023 at 6:11 amNot Wholy at all, Parts are Holy. Just not Wholy 😉
Janet
December 26, 2023 at 1:18 pmHow in the world did you c9ome up with the idea that Easter has more in common with Jewish Passover than any ancient equinox festivals. They have zero, zilch,nada in common.
lmndzbl
October 16, 2022 at 9:08 pmThere’s only one religion that’s Christianity and whatever else people believe worldwide are just cults, and no different than those that worshiped the bull in Moses’s time…
kitty fields
November 17, 2022 at 9:27 amSure. Because Christianity didn’t start out as a cult.
JANET
December 26, 2023 at 1:19 pmSo you are calling Judaism a cult?
Terry
April 2, 2021 at 1:04 am“ Paganism predates Christianity by millions of years.” Homo sapien only emerged about 2.5 million years ago. I don’t think there is any direct evidence that paganism days back “millions” (plural) of years. For sure it is far more ancient than Christianity.
Franco Vivona
October 25, 2020 at 12:37 amOne of the hallmarks of Christianity is the quasi-demonizatiion of the flesh, particularly sex.. Why so?
I don’t deny that the incapabality to control one’s sex drive can verge at times on the pathological, it can disrupt one’s life and even lead to sheer criminality as is the case among others, with rape, etc.
However, Christianity seems to be obsessed with sex beyond reason:
Why the Immaculate Conception, for ex?
Why, when confessing my ” sins” to the priest as a young boy or an adolescent the first question I would be asked was if I had already known certain ” pleasures” ( solitary or “social”) and if so, the penance was always much more severe than if I told him I had beaten up my little brother (* or sister), lied to my parents, etc?,
Why the tetxtbook of a ” Christian morality ” course on the curriculum of an Italian Catholic University in my days had a section illustrating the… anatomy of the woman’s body and its various parts according to their propensity to elicit..sinful thought or ( God forbid!) sinful actions?
I also remember when I was in first grade and I was curious to know why the boys’ toilets were separated from the girls’and I climbed a ladder just to have a look on the other side, to find out …I was caught by the teacher, a puritan, prurient , old-fashion, catholic woman , who, after berating me, ordered me to go to the local church service the day after and publicly confess my”sin”from the pew in he presence of the priest. What can a 6 years old innocent boy do so horrible to deserve all this?
What about Paul, advising people not to get married, unless the desire of the their flesh was really burning?
After him there was Origen, one of the most revered Greek Fathers of the Church, who took Jesus ‘s statement “Blessed the eunuchs because theirs will be the Kingdom of Heaven” a bit too literally in his zeal and castrated himself.
And then there were Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.. The latter wrote in his Summa that the birth of a woman was an “accidens in utero”” , i.e. an unfortunate malformation in her womb, almost like a talidomide baby in the old days..
I can understand the primacy of the Spirit over Matter, a beautiful notion, one of the many which Christianity borrowed from the pagan Greek world with which it competed and in which it eventually it spread, after incorporating pagan notions and symbolisms in order to be more appealing to the intellectually more sophisticated greeks… Plato was the epitome of this pagan”world which Christianity unwittingly absorbed, but why its sickly obsession with the flesh and with sex, which is absent from the Judaic tradition? Isn’t it striking that Christiaanity hasn’t proscribed the Song of Songs of the Ancient Testament, a truly sensual and even erotic poem? Perhaps Judaism was not flawed by the Greek dualistic views and couldn’t condemn the Flesh, just because it is , too a gift of God.. It proscribed only the escesses , as is evidcent in the Sodoma and Gomorra account..
Franco Vivona
Joshua
August 24, 2020 at 8:27 pmA few things:
– Ven. Fulton J. Sheen addressed this kind of stuff decades ago. Watch “How to Compare World Religion” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA6aIhHzXkw
– Also, your article is self- contradictory. In “Next, What is Christianity?” you list Jehovah’s Witnesses as part of Christianity, then later describe how the Trinity is a central teaching in Christianity. Anyone with a basic understanding of the JWs knows that they vehemently reject the teaching of the Trinity. The Mormons, whom you also included, do as well, although their notion of the divine is completely different from traditional Christianity in that Jesus is a creation of God and when one achieves his kind of enlightenment, they will ascend to his level and create worlds of their own.
– “The Hebrew Nomadic Tribes Were Polytheistic” section isn’t much of an argument. Anyone who has read the Bible knows that the Hebrews worshiped multiple gods before moving to monotheism. The Hebrews would continue to struggle with this as pointed out in “The Cult of Ashtart”.
– “The Holy Trinity = Polytheism” is also weak. Genesis 1:26 shows multiple persons but a single God. God is revealed in trinity even back in Genesis 18:1–8. The whole Bible echoes that there is one true God. Trinitarian references are found throughout the New Testament. No one denies that it is a difficult concept to comprehend. That’s part of what makes God Who He is; ultimately beyond human comprehension.
– “Catholicism: Symbols, Holy Water, Mother Mary” the Eucharist is part of the new covenant. In the old, sacrificial animals were offered to God, then eaten. In the new, Christ dies on the cross, resurrects, and ascends, and the believers partake of His life-giving body and blood. It’s an obvious connection.
– “Sun-day the Holy Day” makes the assumption that the whole word calls the same day “Sunday”. The Modern Greek word for Sunday, Greek: Κυριακή, is derived from Greek: Κύριος (Kyrios, Lord) also, due to its liturgical significance as the day commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, i.e. The Lord’s Day. In Russian the word for Sunday is Воскресенье (Voskreseniye) meaning “Resurrection”. Of course, both of these nations are heavily Eastern Orthodox, part of the oldest Christian Church.
– “Speaking in Tongues and Channeling” speaking in tongues derives from a faulty interpretation of Acts. Read the book and one will see that “tongues” refer to languages, i.e. “mother tongue”. How the Pentecostals getting this wrong is somehow another nail in Christianity’s coffin is beyond me.
– “Easter’s Pagan Origins” yes, Easter bunny, eggs, etc are a carry-over from paganism. But that is a later addition of the Western church, virtually nonexistent in the historic Christian east unless forced on them by Western influence. Only English and Germanic lands use the term “Easter”. The true term is “Pascha” – a word derived from the Aramaic word for “Passover”. In Albanian, the term is “Pashke”; Spanish is “Pascua de Resurrección”; French is “Pâques”; Norwegian is “påske”; Welsh is “Pasg”, etc.
Christianity, as an institution, has incorporated some aspects of paganism here in there, such as the date for Christmas. But to say that the whole religion is just a rehashing of paganism is just not true. Some of the greatest Christian saints, such as John Chrysostom, studied under the brilliant pagan minds of their day and were still convinced of Christianity. Martyrs like George of Lydda renounced paganism in favor of Christianity at the risk of his life and had nothing to gain by it, except eternal life in Paradise with God. I wonder what convinced these men? More than I could ever write.
Fiona
October 15, 2020 at 9:43 pmI agree and, albeit the work put in is commendable, a more thorough investigation of actual sources could have corrected the errors in the article.
As to Easter being pagan: There’s actually no evidence of historical sources that Eostre was a very popular goddess anywhere and no festivities with her name appear in any documents. Easter has clearly Jewish roots, as it follows their lunar based calendar for holidays. The pagan element of spring and rebirth was added much later, possibly by Anglo-Saxon kings trying to convert the population.
Thank you for pointing out the misconceptions.
admin
October 19, 2020 at 11:56 amEostre is mentioned by Bede as being a popular Germanic goddess.
William
October 17, 2020 at 9:24 amVery well said, there is some commonly known fact regarding the pagan dates being assimilated, but any of the points asserted by the author are paper thin with a few being completely inaccurate.
Bronson
April 3, 2020 at 1:48 pmJust curious as to having any sources for these claims? Also it’s not a secret that Christians adopt pagan traditions and reuse them for Christian purposes. Orthodox bishops and catholic popes openly admit this. I fail to see how this is a gotcha revelation?
Allen
July 8, 2020 at 2:06 pmJesus was Alagorion. Same as the rest
Terry
April 2, 2021 at 1:16 amhttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_religion
The oldest evidence of religion dates about 100,000 years BC. Although one can speculate as to whether pre-homo sapien or even homo sapien practiced paganism, there is no direct evidence to state it dates back “millions” of years.
Tara
October 13, 2020 at 10:22 pmbecause Christians severely condemn paganism and typically refuse to have anything to do with it. It’s hypocritical since they’re pretty much parallel.
Charlotte
March 1, 2020 at 8:56 pmYou are amazingly ignorant of the Jewish Bible, yet paraphrase it as if you understood, even the Ten Commandments. The names of G-d in the Bible are the names for the and only G-d .
You show the same ignorance of Jewish/Hebrews history.
The Hebrews, separated from the Egyptians, were not, like the Egyptians, polytheistic.
The Hebrews were aware of the one Gd, the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was for this reason that Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt. The struggle in the desert was to prepare them for entering to the Land.
You would do better to stick to Christianity as your understanding of Judaism is nonexistent.
admin
March 3, 2020 at 4:50 pmCharlotte – look up the two SEPARATE cults of El and then Yahweh in ancient Israel. Two different gods yet they were conveniently used to name the one “G-d” in the Bible.
John Savage
July 21, 2020 at 7:04 amNONSENSE, Judaism was greatly influenced by Egyptian belief and many pagan religions. No? Then why was Israel named after Isis -Ra- El = IS RA EL. You do not know as much as you think you do about Christianity or Judaism Charlotte. Just a simple Google or Wikipedia search:
What other gods did the Israelites worship? = The Israelites initially worshiped Yahweh alongside a variety of Canaanite gods and goddesses, including El, Ashteroth, and Baal. Astrotheology is also of high influence and the Sun Worship as passed on by the Egyptian Aten cult of Akhenaten. Aten Worship also had a great influence on Christianity. Why do you think The Dead Sea Scrolls are suppressed and not released for all to see? The Essene’s were also known as the Son’s of Light because they were ILLUMINATED as inheritors of the Egyptian Aten Mysteries.
JANET
December 26, 2023 at 1:29 pmIt comes from the Hebrew name יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra’el), which is a combination of two words: “yisra” (to strive, to contend) and “El” (God).
Tara
October 13, 2020 at 10:29 pmnope, actually the original Hebrew words used for god are plural almost all of the times they are used. The literal translation of Genesis 1:1 is “gods created…” You might be the ignorant one sorry to inform you.
dm.olsen
February 28, 2020 at 7:01 pmThe author of this article has incorrectly stated what Christians believe about the Trinity. The Trinity, which means triune (threefold) in unity. The Christian God is triune in nature but not in essence. Christians believes there is only one God who has revealed Himself in three co-eternal different persons. Christians do not worship three different gods.
admin
February 29, 2020 at 3:39 pmAt a fundamental level, that still doesn’t make sense.
John Savage
July 21, 2020 at 7:21 amWhat the followers of Christianity believe is completely separate from the influences upon which the founders incorporated into the religion. The true teachings and those who were the original Christians were completely swept aside and removed from the Roman creation of Christianity.
Christianity’s Pagan Roots: Traditions, Practices and Holidays
https://otherworldlyoracle.com/christianitys-pagan-traditions/
UW Religion Today: How Constantine Created the Christian Church
https://www.uwyo.edu/uw/news/2015/02/uw-religion-today-how-constantine-created-the-christian-church.html
The roots of Christianity are interlaced with ancient pagan traditions and elements, mainly because the Church gained power through conversion. In order to convert the people of Europe (and the world) from their pagan beliefs, the Church felt they had to turn them against their beliefs by fear or adopt the pagan beliefs into the Christian religion. Next, we will dive into these traditions.
Michael Slater
January 28, 2020 at 1:19 amIn High school more years ago than I care to admit, as a Sophmore, I wrote a 30 page typed term paper about Witchcraft. In the last chapter I wrote how modern Christianity was really taken from earlier Pagan beliefs. At the time, I hadn’t seen anything in writing about thatvsubject. My teacher thought it was a very “creative interpretation”. He gave me an A-. And told me I should consider writing for a living. I’m assuming he meant creative fiction lol!…. to you on the great job you did on the article. I’d be interested in knowing when you posted it and how many views you have had?
Kristy
October 9, 2019 at 4:32 pmI just have to point out that the day of rest, the Sabbath, is Saturday, not Sunday. Sunday was chosen as a day of Christian worship to differentiate themselves from the Jewish population. This distinction does not in any way take away the From the point you made about the history of the name.
I also love your point about the holy spirit being female. Have you read about Sophia from the Gnostic tradition at all? I’ve been feeling for a while that the supposed trinity is really God the sexless Creator, Jesus the male and the Spirit as the female aspects of divinity. The spirit is shown as being wisdom (Sophia), the comforter, the giver of truth and wisdom, and if we’re supposed to be as little children that figure is, especially 2000 years ago, your mother, the feminine in your life.
Good job on this article, I enjoyed it!!!
admin
October 11, 2019 at 2:07 pmKristy – I agree with your Saturday correction; however, most Christian churches call the day of rest Sunday so that’s why I’ve called it such here. But you are absolutely right! I have read a lot about Sophia and have read a few of the Gnostic gospels, which is where I’ve found much inspiration to dive into and write about this subject. Thank you so much for your kind words!
Jackie Sawyer
May 17, 2019 at 11:58 amAs a child I was brought up to believe in the one God who loves us all, I decided to give my life to the church ,as I truly believed everything that I was taught, this pleased my father very much . On my confirmation day as I kneeled at the Bishops feet for my welcome as a child of Christ, he leaned down to me and said that my father had just passed away, I was so devastated. I left that church stunned, I was willing to give my life to God, and yet he had just taken the one thing that I love the most. I went back to that church for his burial service, and never entered an other church for many years until my mother passed away. It seems as though the only time I enter that church is when we have lost someone. I stopped believing in anything for a long long time, until I was out with my youngest child. His love of nature , the elements started me thinking, Mother Nature takes care of us, or tries to these days, so gradually I began to realise that this is what I truely believed in. From there I became aware of the Wiccan beliefs, and I have followed them ever since, I have never joined a coven, I guess because I never knew of any. But I am now nearly 75 and I think that I would like to be with others who believe as I do. I’m sorry this is so long, but I have never explained myself before, and I just felt that I could and that you would understand me
Charlotte
April 4, 2020 at 1:22 amHi Jackie.
It is almost a year since you first posted this, but I wanted to comment. Right now the earth is putting us (the world) through some interesting lessons. I was raised Catholic/Christian, but in my youth found myself transitioning toward Pagan and Wiccan philosophy. I am not part of a coven either, but I practice small things on my own. Thank you for sharing your story with me. I am sorry for your losses in life, and the pain of their timing, but so grateful that you reconnected with something that felt right to you. Blessed Be <3
Sally
April 14, 2024 at 7:13 amThis is so very relatable!
I grew up in England so we had Religeous education throughout school. I was always drawn to Judaism and it’s teachings. I remember being shocked when we were taught about God slaying all the Egyptian children and the practice of animal slaughter! I found the Christian teachings to be so violent and senseless. And throughout my life I found many Christian and Catholics to be so suddenly angry if “their” religion was questioned! They seem to forget that Mary and Joseph were Jewish and so was Jesus. I drifted more towards paganism because it’s such a beautiful and spiritual belief. I believe that all Gods are valid to the person that believes in them. When Christians insist on “having faith” that there is a God they don’t extend that allowance if your “faith” (or gut feeling) is in anything but what they believe. So many wars were started over religion and billions of lives lost purely over it. There is no evidence of pagans slaughtering Christians, but plenty of pagans were slaughtered based on their belief. Pagans were the Native Americans of religion.
Maddy
May 16, 2019 at 3:15 pmI really appreciate this entry im a christian raised in catholic church and methodist and ive felt like i need to be praising the earth and elements instea of an invisible god who controls all of us. I fee hopeful knowing more about paganism
admin
May 16, 2019 at 3:23 pmMaddy – It’s all one in the same, my friend! So follow whatever path you feel drawn to and don’t let others tell you it’s wrong.
Sarah
October 14, 2019 at 4:40 pmThis was so well written. I 100% agree that light language and speaking in tongues is the same thing. I grew up listening to people be “drunk in the spirit” and watching them convulse on the floor. My own father spoke in tongues. The church does have strict rules about this practice outside of the Pentecostal denomination. I also find it so interesting that Moses is trying to persuade the Israelites to follow one god. These people have been in Egypt for generations and have been subject to an Egyptian pantheon as well as their own pantheon of gods. Then 200 years later, Akhenaten attempts to do the same by trying to change the official Egyptian religion to a monotheistic one worshiping only the sun god “Ra”. I feel like there is more here but will have to investigate further. Thank you for this article Nicole!
admin
October 14, 2019 at 8:00 pmSarah – Same here. Dad and much family spoke in tongues. I wonder if they realize how esoteric that practice truly is.