Pagan Gods automatically = Evil? What?

Question

OK, my EXTREMELY Christian friend hates all holidays except Thanksgiving(That includes Christmas, Easter, Halloween) just because they have pagan backgrounds.(Christmas has a pagan background, WHAT?) He doesn't even like birthdays. He thinks the backgrounds will corrupt children, and I try to explain to him that in today's views, all people care about is the free stuff and days off, but he doesn't listen.

But I digress.

While he was explaining why he hates Easter, he mentioned a fertility goddess, which is when I asked "Why the hell is a fertility goddess evil?". He replied in a very loud yell, "BECAUSE IT'S A PAGAN GODDESS, THAT'S WHY!".

Another thing about him; He hates homosexuals because they "go against God" and that Hurricane Katrina was God's way of punishing New Orleans for the crazy stuff that goes on down there.

And so, here's the main question: Does my friend have a point at all, or is he just a very ignorant, very stubborn, very conservative Christian who probably deserves to have the crap smacked out of him?

Answer 1

I would say this friend has a very closed mind. Even if I didn't believe in that goddess, someone promoting fertility isn't bad in my book. Being ignorant and stubborn can close a persons mind. Although getting the crap smacked out of him would be satisfying, I doubt it would change his beliefs. I personally try to stay out of smacking distance from those kinds of people. In fact, I rarely let those kinds of people become friends with me.

Answer 2

Yes, Easter, Halloween, and even Christmas were taken from pagan backgrounds. Christmas was Yule, and Christians just slapped with a more "Christian" name and said it was their own. Easter is Eostre. Thats why you dye eggs-because Eostre is a time for fertility and the egg was thought to be a symbol for Eostre, the fertility goddess. Halloween is Samhain(pronounced sow-en). On it pagans remember the dead and celebrate the cycle of reincarnation.



But everything depends on what you believe. If you believe in the whole "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" thing, then you are probably a Fundamentalist and should hate all holidays with pagan backgrounds.



But he's got a right to hate whatever he wants.



Does that answer you're question?

Answer 3

Your Christian friend is right about the so-called Christian holidays originating as pagan holidays. However, pagan does not equal evil. The pagans honor gods who give life, who help with the harvest, who heal and inspire, etc.

He sounds very conservative and stubborn and fairly ignorant. But he should have the 'crap smacked out of him'. You might just want to live religious conversations alone with him, however. If you are interested do some research on your own so you can counter his arguments with well-researched information.

I doubt he will change his mind, but you will become more knowledgeable about a spiritual path that is gaining in popularity all over the world, especially in America and Europe.

Answer 4

He is just a very ignorant, very stubborn, very conservative Christian who probably deserves to have the crap smacked out of him? Maybe. Actually I blame the parents - and the so-called Pastors! ;)



Despite what some of your answers have claimed, there is no evidence that Christian holidays were originally pagan. What they are is Catholic ideas and to fundamentalist evangelical protestants that has always been like a red rag to a bull. Early people of this type (Puritans) attacked the Catholic church calling it pagan, "Whore of Babylon", follower of the Anti-christ and so on. Just propaganda but it has persisted for centuries.

Answer 5

Most of the common Christian holidays have Christian roots because the early missionaries could not stop the European converts from keeping their traditional seasonal celebrations. Instead they took the symbols and gave them Christian meanings.



Fertility deities are considered evil because Paul inserted the concept that sex is evil into Christianity. Everything and anything that was pagan or celebrated in its rituals became evil to the church. They condemned it because they could not afford to have people leaving the church once they were converted.



So your friend does have a point or two but he is also over reacting. What you are actually celebrating is what is important, not the fact that the same day and its symbols meant something else to a bunch of people dead for centuries. It's what is in your heart and mind that matters.



As for Katrina his interpretation is just plain stupid. If God actually did wipe out cities for their sinfulness then San Francisco, New York, and Singapore among others somehow got missed. Did I forget to mention DC? There's a whole lot of sinning going on there.



Even when confronted by cold hard facts there are people who just can't bring themselves to reconsider what they believe to be true. They are too emotionally invested in their own world view. Be gentle w/ your friend. Like a intellectually challenged child, he can't help himself.

Answer 6

Your friend is my least favorite kind of person -- judgmental, ignorant, bigoted, and practically living the Dark Ages. I'm glad I don't know him. And yes, I think he deserves to have the crap smacked out of him, preferably by a homosexual pagan from New Orleans.

Answer 7

before you call your close friend something that you may regret, maybe you should take the time to see where he /or she gets their views from. if the person can only say"its a pagan holiday" and not further back up their stance maybe they are reciting something that they heard. maybe your friend has done studies, and has come to a new understanding of things. also in you sitting and asking where they get their views from if the person needs correction, maybe you can offer it in a way in which he or she wont feel like an idiot.

Answer 8

Very ignorant, very stubborn, very conservative Christian who probably deserves to have the crap smacked out of him.

Answer 9

Your friend is what we call a zealot. Not appealing and very ignorant. To bo completely accurate, nowhere in the scripture does it say homosexuality is a sin. While I would not hit him, I would give him a mental hell.

Answer 10

You should ask your friend why the only area in New Orleans left largely unscathed was the gay neighborhood.



You're a saint to maintain friendship with someone so clearly deranged.

Answer 11

he just a very ignorant, very stubborn, very conservative Christian who probably deserves to have the crap smacked out of him.

Answer 12

Smack him.



The Church's desire to control and contain spiritually motivated its persecution of heretics (the word heretic means “choice’), its burning of libraries, the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the witch-hunts. This dark Christianity has left a legacy witch fosters sexism, racism and intolerance.

Answer 13

Very ignorant. It's people like this that are the true danger to society because they WILL act on their beliefs because their beliefs are true and pure and everything else is evil... which is absolutely retarded.

Answer 14

Well he is right in that Christmas is a Pagan holiday: it is based on Yule.



However everything else he is stating is just his own bigoted opinions.

Answer 15

He sounds like a closed minded nut job that should be locked up before he harms someone.

Answer 16

I think your friend should seek out professional help before he turns into the Reverend Phelps.

Answer 17

I hate to break it to you, but your friend is a nut job.



He is not only very ignorant, he is completely ignorant, simple as that.

Answer 18

What you have here is a perfect example of non-judgemental christian love.



It is a truly wonderful thing.





(Sarcasm implied...)

Answer 19

Very ignorant. With these people, anything outside their faith is "evil" or "satanic".

Answer 20

You should read my answers I got for the same question with over 40 answers. https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20091106153108AA1nvRa

Answer 21

veyr evil as crits lord died on tree wiht snake(not nestingbirt :)) for sins of fruit to man. Crits died for yur fruit sin.

Answer 22

Troll (yawn)