Is it possible to be a Pagan but also Christian? Advice needed please

[interflora]

I just need some advice please as quite confused.

Is it possible or 'alright' for someone to be a Pagan/Witch and celebrate all Pagan Yearly Celebrations etc. but also celebrates Christmas, Easter etc. as a Christian?

Do some people believe in the God of Christianity but also believe in Gods and Goddesses?? Can you combine two religions?

This has been discussed by my friend and we are still uncertain?

Advice greatfully received, TIA

A Christian believes Jesus is the only way to God (and as part of the holy trinity, IS God) so you can't really be a pagan Christian.

i consider myself more pagan than anything. i have an alter and try adn celebrate the sabbats. i do chrsitmas but encorporate some pagan stuff, like a branch in the house, yule log etc and i go to church and sing a carol. i love singing you see and figure if i have got it all wrong i am hedging my bets we did not do easter in the house but i bought eggs for others and the kids got loads from everyone.

I know some Quakers who are also Pagans. They attend weekly meetings but alkso celebrate equinoxes. They tell me they believe Quakerism is more about the God Within (or even the Good Within) rather than joining an orchestrated, organised religion.

Ionanan Christians come pretty close.

Hi and thankyou for your advice Jacob and Rearinganuglyhead.

I am like you rearinganuglyhead, I have altars, celebrate sabbats, spells etc., so on the one hand I'm a Pagan/White Witch (only work for the good of everyone, never anything to harm or go against the wiccan rede,) but on the other hand I can't wait til Christmas! We exchange gifts and cards at 'christmas'! Do you celebrate 'Yule' and if so, how do you go about that please, especially those who have children.

My friend told me she once read that if you believe in any other Gods/Goddesss/other Deities etc. that you are not believing in the God of Christianity, and will therefore burn in hell upon death, and will not be able to be with loved ones on the other side??

That is what I fear most, as my dp and kids are all christians - will they go one way and I the other? Sorry silly question I know, but since hearing that I am so worried.

I can't help wondering if we all end up in the same place on death, ie 'heaven' or whatever other faiths call their 'heaven' such as Summerland etc., but still fearful iyswim.

I was brought up in a devoutly Christian household and loved some aspects of it but somehow never felt fulfilled by the church.

Many years ago I discovered real fulfillment in pagan belief - it is personal to me -

We celebrate Easter, Christmas, plus all the pagan festivals. We discuss other religions too as it is important to let our children appreciate different beliefs.

At night I do two lots of prayers - a prayer to God and a pagan blessing.

Same here, GO.

I'm guessing you could believe in the One Creator who sent messengers such as Jesus but you could still venerate 'aspects' of creation such as nature and personaify them as deities. But deities that were aspects of the one God who is too beyond our minds to know.

Thankyou all, I feel much better for your advice, thankyou loads.

Rev, that is where confusion sets in - I believe in the God of Christianity, but also believe in other Gods/Goddesses iyswim?

Most major christian festivals took over Pagan ones anyway,

(Christmas;winter solstace
Harvest Fest:
All saints day; Halloween (originally from the Celtic festival of Samhain)

but that obviously isn't answering your question... I think it depends on how strict you are in any religion,

some christians would be shocked at doing anything at Halloween (such as dressing up)or letting their child dance around a maypole

whereas others would participate in these without a qualm,

but to believe in the two religions simulatenously would be very difficult as they are so different in their fundamental beliefs. For example Pan is viewed by some pagan's as the god of viritity,nature and sexuality whereas he is commonly believed to be where the image of the devil as clove hoofed is believed to have come from

I guess on a cultural level you can participate in onewhilst activiely believing in the other.

Christianity (as normally defined!) is a monotheistic religion. If you take part in services where they say the Creed then you would be saying "I believe in one God..." Although the Trinity makes it a lot more complex, Christians (by the usual definition) believe that these are three aspects of the same single God.

So, it would be tricky to believe that, and at the same time believe in other gods and goddesses.

On the other hand, I'm generally of the opinion that all "good belief" comes from us all searching after an underlying truth, and if you see aspects of that in both Christianity and Paganism, then that's where your search for truth is leading you and I don't think that there is anything wrong or sinful in following your own path.

I don't believe that, whether you are right or wrong, anyone will burn in hell for eternity, or have to suffer by being separated from their family. I think that whatever is after this life, there's only one of it, but I don't know who will be in it and who wont, but it will be a place of happiness not punishment.

this and this might be of interest.