Christo-Pagans!

[Earthcup]

A lot of people think they're weird but they seem to like their path and now there's a Magical Order for them! Kinda cool!

http://northernway.org/school.html

[Mithrea]

Okay, I don't understand why you called this "christo-pagans."

[Mithrea]

Hahaha. Okay, I looked at the top of the window-duh! I'm not with it tonight. Now I don't understand why they call themselves "christo-pagans."

[Earthcup]

Christo-Pagan is a nickname for people who mix Christianity and Paganism. I tried it but it didn't work for me...

It's an odd mix but it works really well for some people. The Magdalene Order looks interesting...

[Myst]

Yeah I imagine there's a better forum for this, like Theology & Philosophy maybe? What do you think, Earthcup?

I know there's a few similar threads around here somewhere.

[Earthcup]

That's fine with me!

[Myst]

Ok, this is a topic I've always been interested in - I really didn't want it to get lost in the Just Talk foray.

We have a Witch or two here that are also Jewish (Jewitch I think), personally I've always been interested in combining Christianity with Paganism, or Catholicism with Paganism specifically. It puts me in mind of folk witchcraft I've read about where saints were used for magical purposes, along with fairies sometimes. Very interesting stuff!

[Theres]

'smorgasbord theology' is one way i've seen this described.
i've not been able to understand this myself. reminds me of 'Islamic-Jew'.

[Myst]

Well there's several threads on it. I hate to bring it up again, but most useful is http://mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12724&highlight=Christian+Witch , it also links all the other threads on the same topic.

[Mithrea]

I can see how you can mix Christianity with something specific like Wicca (although, I personally think it's a tad nutters), but you can't mix Christianity with Pagan. One of the definitions of Pagan is NOT CHRISTIAN or Jewish or Islamic.

I know what Christo-Pagan means. I just don't see why that site was calling itself that. It seemed to deal with mysteries and the occult but that does not make it "pagan."

It all really doesn't matter because the more I learn about religion, the more I realize they are all basically the same and the difference is in the practice. In fact I think we are all worshiping the same Divine and the way we practice merely reflects a personality difference in the participant not in any difference in deity. But that's just me.

Incidentally, my graduate school is offering a class in New Age Religion and New Religious movements in the Fall. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I'll probalby wish the summer away waiting for it!

[Myst]

Paganism is also a GROUP of religions. So presumably it could mean Christianity mixed with some trad of Paganism. Besides that even to call it Christo Pagan is to call it "Christianity mixed with something that isn't Christianity". Just because they mix some Christian beliefs in there doesn't suddenly negate their Paganism. They can't exactly call themselves Christian, Jewish, or Muslim, can they? It's not like Christian, Jewish, or Muslim beliefs are like a disease that suddenly make you non Pagan.

Also, you go by a dictionary definition of Paganism, whereas a lot of people have their own beliefs as to what it is.

Not that it really matters. I've come to learn that people get so stuck on labels as to forget the point, so perhaps I should avoid that :)

[Earthcup]

I look at it as very Pagan Catholicism. Instead of saints they have a pantheon of Gods.

It's a difficult mix. I tried to make it work a long time ago but it just wouldn't mesh. I was compromising both religons till they no longer held meaning.

Then again many Christians are beginning to see themselves as polytheists, God the Father, God the Mother, Christ and Magdalene. It's an interesting development.

The Esoteric Orders at the site I posted were interesting in the way they did Spiritual Battle. They attempt to fight "evil" in the astral realms. Very Grail-like. I know the Grail Church practices this and I was surprised to learn my mother once did this. It was a spiritual warfare group and from her description it was pretty similar to what these people do. She would never call it psychic warfare though..:D

[Myst]

Interesting. I think someone posted in Just Talk recently to the effect of such warfare. Personally I'm more into balance, so I don't go with "fighting the dark side" etc. *shrugs*

[Earthcup]

I tend to see it as a person boxing their own shadow. Dark things exist for a reason...:)

[Illuminatus]

Originally posted by Earthcup
Christo-Pagan is a nickname for people who mix Christianity and Paganism. I tried it but it didn't work for me...

It's an odd mix but it works really well for some people. The Magdalene Order looks interesting...

Why not just call them "Catholics" ? They've been doing it for centuries.

[Earthcup]

*snickers but doesn't comment*