Musing – How Should We Deal with Paganism in Christianity?

 

Hebraic Musing – How Should We Deal with Paganism in Christianity?

Where should Christians draw the line? Paganism is a highly controversial subject. Can we use pagan customs in the church of God?  Actually, we already do. Simply because something has a pagan origin does that mean that it is sinful to use it?  Even for a religious use?  For example:

·    Wedding rings were and are a pagan custom, and there is no biblical command for them, but we use them in church-sanctioned ceremonies. 

·    Funerals include pagan customs based on pagan ideas about the afterlife. Scripture says nothing about putting flowers on graves, etc.  Egyptian mythology said that the dead should be embalmed, and Joseph participated in this custom (Gen. 50:2-3) despite its pagan origin.

·    Pagans created statues of animals and people, life-size and miniature. They had statues in their gardens and in their homes which they worshipped as their god.  Statues have lost their "pagan" roots because people do not believe in such gods anymore; but adoration by some does come close to worship!

·    Money has pagan designs on it. Some U.S. coins used to have the goddess "Liberty" on them. Dollar bills have a pyramid, with an eye over it, and human images of men on bills and coins! (No such images of living things can be found on Israeli coins!).

·    Pagans assigned days of the week to different gods, and we still use these names. And many of the names of our days and months refer to gods and Roman Emperors who were revered as gods.

So the question arises, how careful should we be in weeding paganisms out of our lives?  Where do we draw the line?  Different Christians draw the line in different places.  How much diversity should we allow on these issues?  Some conservative churches used to forbid wedding rings. Some forbid celebrating Christmas and Easter based on the historical pagan source of those holidays. Some are so careful to do what God says they exercise extreme care to avoid paganism. Are they so careful that they might err on the side of forbidding too much?  And they might also make commands about things that God doesn't command. That too is a sin – adding to His Word.

Each Christian needs to decide and draw his/her own lines; and be tolerant of those who draw different lines.  Romans 14:5-13 concludes with a difficult commandment about not judging your brother.  “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.  He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. … 10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? …   12  So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.  Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.” NIV   There is a difference between “discerning behavior” and “condemning.”

Conclusion - Paganism is an emotion-laden subject. Various Christian groups have a history of being dogmatic, legalistic and of misusing Scripture when they argue their point.  With that history, of course, it is impossible to discuss this subject without somebody disagreeing.  Each person thinks himself to be properly balanced, but each person's balance point is different.

Points to ponder

It’s about winning souls for the Kingdom; it’s not about winning arguments.

Should the church legislate which practices are Okay and which are not?
(Do we want to get into the Talmud business?)

How are we to view brothers who participate in Christmas or Easter?
Does pointing out the pagan roots uplift our brothers?

♫ Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace. ♫        

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,                                  March 9, 2021

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”  “Biblical Marriage”
“Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”   “Musings v.2 – The Torah and New Testament”
Weekly “Hebraic Musings”      www.InsightsByYosef.com