Truth

[Whitehorse]

Happy Halloween! Happy Reformation Day!

I'm dressing up as Martin Luther.

[Tibby]

You mean Mary Luther, don’t you?

I'm going as Strongbad. Or I will if I can find a luchador mask!

[Malificent]

Well, just to add another view, do remember that Halloween is a PAGAN holiday, and that TRUE PAGANS do NOT believe in Satan. That's right-do not BELIEVE in Satan. It's hard to worship something when you don't believe in it, right? The Christian religion consists (primarily) of God, Jesus the Christ, and Satan. Paganism focuses on the earth and its deities, which definitely do NOT consist of Satan. There is NO such thing as a Satanist Pagan. So please be careful when pointing fingers, guys. Rather than just say it because that's what everyone else says, RESEARCH it first. I was very surprised when I discovered Pagans aren't Satanic!

So in the end, Halloween is fun for everyone. If you feel threatened by it, you don't have to celebrate it. But if you doubt you should because you think it has Satanic roots, fear not! Because Pagans developed the holiday and Pagans aren't Satanic.

Hope this helps a little. Just trying to clear up some mistruths that I've noticed!



love and light

[Tibby]

Modern Pagans are syncretistic. They do worship Satan, if they want. They also worship Jesus, Ala, Buddha, Zeus, and Trogdor the Bruninator, if they so choose.

Satanism is glorified Humanism, what a Judeo-Christian deity for the soul purpose of annoying Christians. I don't think anyone thinks Satanist are Pagan.

[Whitehorse]

You mean Mary Luther, don’t you?

I'm going as Strongbad. Or I will if I can find a luchador mask!

Actually, his wife's name was Katy. An interesting fact about her: she was so upset that Martin continually closed himself in his study all night that when he went to work one day, she actually removed the door to his study!  

[Symphony]

Halloween is the happiest day of the year for me.





   

[Whitehorse]

 

[nChrist]

Paganism focuses on the earth and its deities, which definitely do NOT consist of Satan. There is NO such thing as a Satanist Pagan.

Oklahoma Howdy to Malificent,

You are new here, so I'll try to help you out a little bit. Christianity is a way of life with Almighty God being the Creator and the Lord over all. I'm telling you these things to help you get along with other users, especially considering that you are on a Christian Forum.

Almighty God is ONE GOD in three Holy Deities:  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I know this may be difficult to understand, but Almighty God is the Holy Trinity. The Son of God is also known as Jesus, Jesus Christ, and Christ. There are many other names in the Holy Bible that refer to Almighty God. As an example, Jesus is The Word, The Way, The Truth, The Life, and many other names that are all Holy. You will get along better with Christians here if you always remember that proper respect must be shown to Almighty God whether you believe or don't believe.

You say that you don't believe in satan, but you believe in other earth deities. I hope the following statement helps you understand the basic teachings of the Holy Bible. The worship or recognition of any deity other than Almighty God is of the devil or satan. It really wouldn't matter what you called the deity or what it represents, it would be the devil. If you are really interested in asking questions about Almighty God and Christianity, understanding this basic foundation will help you understand the thoughts and statements of Christians.

Let me give you just a couple more examples to help you understand. This is not to upset you, rather it is to help you get along here if you really want to ask some questions and understand what Christians are telling you. If you recognize or worship Thor or any number of other deities other than Almighty God, you recognize and worship the devil. If a rock is your chosen deity, the rock is the devil.

I hope this helps you out some.

[Malificent]

OK Blackeyed thanks for your insight! That totally clears up a lot of things that have been said to me then. But even though the Pagan religion has historical proven roots that it has been around since BEFORE Christianity, anything that is Pagan is now the devil? Even though it's been around since before the time of the devil?

Do you see where I'm coming from? In my eyes it's almost like Christianity saw someone else's product and slapped their own negative image on it because this "new religion" (at the start of Christianity) made God feel threatened (I guess). If God is so powerful, why does he demand that everyone worship Him? Because they're his creations? Do parents demand that their children respect them? Yes, many do. But when their children (their creations) turn against them, do the parents kill their children or banish them? No way (unless the parents are troubled mentally). And why would God send his own beautiful creations; his children, into hell if they are merely confused and not sure what to believe? It seems as if he is punishing those who are even confused. To be honest, I know of some people that are not Christians because they hear too much hypocricy from Christians (i.e. some Christians think homosexuality is OK, others definitely don't. Some think you can pray without a bible, others say there's no way you can pray without a bible). These are only a few of the things I have heard. So until everyone decides who God really is, only then will we all be able to follow in His footsteps.

Love and light

[Whitehorse]

OK Blackeyed thanks for your insight! That totally clears up a lot of things that have been said to me then. But even though the Pagan religion has historical proven roots that it has been around since BEFORE Christianity, anything that is Pagan is now the devil? Even though it's been around since before the time of the devil?

The devil was around before the world was created. satan works through delusions, by twisting things to seem like something else. He will use 99% truth to float one percent lie. Now imagine yourself in a ship, and you're one degree off course. Doesn't seem very significant, does it? Until, of course, you travel 1000 miles. Then you find out that the smallest lie changes absolutely everything.

By worshipping false gods, you are worshipping demons. can you see why that is offensive to God? He didn't make you so you could live the life you want. He created you with much greater purpose than that. He created you to serve Him. Would your parents be upset if you dieowned them and called a stranger mother or father? You wouldn't dream of doing such a thing, even though your parents are not your creator. If you ride a horse, you expect the horse to obey you, even though you didn't create it or maybe even own it. So does God, who created you for His own purposes, not have a right to your submission? Think about who God is. Think about what we peanut human beings are. Who are we to tell Him we're doing what we want with the days He created for us to do His will? And His will always prevents our destruction. We choose our own way-and destruction. satan is a mighty cruel master. He doesn't give you any choice-he'd possess you if he could to force you to do his will. With God it is always by choice, But if you do not choose wisely, you will receive the due for your decision. God has a right to decide who He lets into his house, same as you choose. If you choose your froends, why shouldn't He? After all, He made you and all your friends put together.

In my eyes it's almost like Christianity saw someone else's product and slapped their own negative image on it because this "new religion" (at the start of Christianity) made God feel threatened (I guess).

Made God feel threatened? Do you have any idea who your talking about? Does a finite emperor feel threatened? What about the eternal, all powerful God? If you can go outside and create anything out of nothing, even a dead branch, I'm sure God will consider you a contender.

If God is so powerful, why does he demand that everyone worship Him?

Because that is His due. You'd be angry if you worked for a week and your boss gave your salary to another worker, just because he felt like it. Why? Because that money was your due. God as creator. Meditate on that. Aks God (respectfully, if you're wise) to show you who He is. Believe it, and He will.

Because they're his creations? Do parents demand that their children respect them? Yes, many do. But when their children (their creations) turn against them, do the parents kill their children or banish them? No way (unless the parents are troubled mentally). And why would God send his own beautiful creations; his children, into hell if they are merely confused and not sure what to believe?

Because He made His will known and they rejected it because they thought God should bow to their will, even though man is nothing but a vapor. And no one is His child unless they are under the blood of Jesus Christ. His creation, yes. His children? No. Same as if you disowned your parents and asked to be legally adopted by someone else, which is what you're doing when you refuse to come to the Lord.

The inportant thing is, we;ve sinned. We all deserve hell. We don't make the rules, but we have the gall to live as though we do. That is very worthy of hell. If unrepentant, we make the choice to abandon God, so we can't hold Him responsible for our rebellion. "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime."

It seems as if he is punishing those who are even confused.

God promises to be found by those who diligently seek Him. That puts the ball in our court.

28:9And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

To be honest, I know of some people that are not Christians because they hear too much hypocricy from Christians (i.e. some Christians think homosexuality is OK, others definitely don't. Some think you can pray without a bible, others say there's no way you can pray without a bible). These are only a few of the things I have heard. So until everyone decides who God really is, only then will we all be able to follow in His footsteps.

Love and light

It's dangerous to worry about this, although many people do, because each person is responsible for his/her own decision to seek the Lord. Many people use this as an excuse so they don't have to do what they know they have to do. But it's not wise to make your decision on what others who profess to be Christians do. And in fact, most people who accuse Christians of hypocrisy are far worse than those they condemn. As it is written:

Color=blue]Romans 14:4Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. [/color]

Just learn to love the Lord. That's all that matters, and it will save you a bundle of griefs: aids, liver damage from drinking, premature death from all sorts of lifestyle habits, single parenthood, lots of things that can really ruin your life. But the bottom line is, this life is a flash in the pan. It's the next one that matters. God isn't mean-He took the beatings on His own back for sins He never committed. If anything is unfair, that is. But He didn't grumble. He did it willingly.

[Allinall]

As I said before if this is your belief so be it. Every day is the Lords day and yes each day is to be celebrated as such. I don't believe in putting titles to day to be celebrated and as you said yourself this is a day that the Lord has made and everyday not just one day should be set aside for the fruits of the Spirit to be revealed. This is also a wicked world and there should be some distinction between saints and sinners. As far as not being in the Knowledge of God, let me say this, if you believe that everyday is the Lords then why would it need to be reclaimed. You are not making yourself clear to me. This statement lets me know that you don't believe in the Power of God if you believe it has or can be taken away by the devil. I am not arguing the case of everyday being the day that the Lord has made. I am saying that as Saints(Children of the Most High God) These events on any day should not be celebrated by us.

I would just like to point out, without siding one way or the other, that if the only difference your God has made in your life is whether or not you celebrate Christmas, Easter, or Halloween, then you could not handle the meat of the word that will make your life different.  It isn't seen in the refraining from nebulous ideas.  "All things are lawful for me...but I will not be brought under the power of any."  Lawful, but not necessarily expedient.  Lawful, but possibly a potential "idol of the heart."

I do not speak in contention or anger sister.  I speak the truth in love.  Jesus didn't die to make Himself evident in matters of law.  He died to conform our lives to His.  It is in this that we are seen differently.  

[nChrist]

OK Blackeyed thanks for your insight! That totally clears up a lot of things that have been said to me then. But even though the Pagan religion has historical proven roots that it has been around since BEFORE Christianity, anything that is Pagan is now the devil? Even though it's been around since before the time of the devil?

Oklahoma Howdy to Malificent,

Almighty God is without beginning or end for infinity. Almighty God and the devil were before man. Pagans or man didn't invent the devil, and Almighty God was being worshiped before there was a hint of anything pagan.

Christianity is called that because of Jesus Christ dying on the cross for the sins of man some two thousand years ago. However, that event was not the start of worshiping Almighty God. Recognition and worship of Almighty God began at the beginning, the Creation of man by Almighty God. Paganism evolved over a period of time after the original sin in the Garden of Eden. I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but the roots of paganism developed in uncivilized people known as heathen. Primarily, they were without Almighty God and worshiped the devil or any number of other entities who were also the devil.  

[Malificent]

OK but Blackeyed, do consider the fact that without the explanation of Satan dished out by christians, these people (Pagans) worshipped, in their eyes, a god or goddess. They knew nothing about Satan because Satan was explained in the bible, which came out long after Pagans were doing their thing. Now you may think that they were worshiping the devil because they were worshiping some deitie(s) that were not the god you speak of, but THEY didn't know any better. They decided a nature goddess was what they wanted to worship and to this day that is what many Pagans do. And to this day, no matter how much you parade the idea that they are worshiping the devil, your threats will be falling on closed ears. Pagans don't listen to christians for the most part for many different reasons. There's not much that can be done about that. I realize that you weren't trying to hurt my feelings, but it just makes no sense to me, no matter how it's explained, that one who doesn't even know the devil exists, is worshiping the devil. I see how in your eyes that makes sense, but since I don't believe in the devil myself, I personally disagree. But you did explain why Christians say that heathens worship the devil, so thank you for that.

As for the other explanations, they were also extremely helpful. Very good scenarios to help me understand.

*sigh*   OK the next issue is this: we are all undoubtedly sinners. Unfortunately this is something that will never change. And why? Because we are all human. Essentially to be 100%sin-free, you must be perfect, like Jesus. Jesus was a deity in a human body during his time on this earth. Are we to make ourselves into deities? This is impossible so why crap a brick when you have sinned? You are a human being! Jesus was sent to Earth to die for out sins. He was perfect because he was a deity supposedly on earth as a human. It's good to try to make yourself like Jesus, but impossible to make yourself exactly like Jesus. It's good to try, but sin is inevitable. And no matter what anyone says to me, I will knowingly sin probably for the rest of my life just because I don't believe, so what is the point of trying to get everyone to stop sinning? You obviously know that not everyone is going to want to. So I guess my question is this: what do you hope to do with us heathens?



love and light

[Whitehorse]

God always had communion with His people. The assumption behind your argument is that there is not a actual, living God at work, since you place the origins of all things, including satan and the truth taught about him, in the realm of mankind. This also discounts the supernatural realm as a whole.

[nChrist]

And to this day, no matter how much you parade the idea that they are worshiping the devil, your threats will be falling on closed ears.

Oklahoma Howdy to Malificent,

I didn't make any threats. I simply stated Biblical truth. You are here for some reason, whatever that is. If you are here with closed ears, what is your purpose?

So I guess my question is this: what do you hope to do with us heathens?

Give you the GOOD NEWS, the Gospel of the Grace of God, and invite you to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. We were all dead in trespasses and sin before we accepted Jesus, so we have all been where you are now, and we didn't like it. The Biblical comparison is between darkness and LIGHT. Peace and joy is just the beginning in LIGHT, and we have no desire to return to darkness.