Journeys in Paganistan

The conference room quickly filled. Already the first day of workshops had wrapped up, and a strange combination of giddy anticipation and serious intentionality was in the air. Greetings and hugs were shared; old friends reconnected, and newcomers were welcomed with nods and smiles. People were visibly excited, for the next hour would be the event’s official opening, a highly charged movement to set the tone for the weekend convention.

The room was devoid of chairs, and so the crowd gathered three-and-four deep along the edges, clapping and moving to the sound of inviting rhythms. The center area, however, remained free of attendees, yet it held a focal point: a draped table with seven pillar-candles, a vase, and a large bowl. When things finally settled down, it was explained that what we beheld in the middle was a well, and we were all encouraged to add water to it as we felt lead. This gathering, we were told, was a sacred grove – we were the trees, mystically connected through branches and root. A witch stepped forward, and wand-in-hand she walked around the well, casting a magic circle.

This was not my first time at Paganicon, the regional conference for the homeland of Paganistan, the affectionate name given by local Pagans for the Twin Cities metro-region. In 2017 I attended for research purposes (see chapter 7 in my book, Game of Gods), and now, two years later, returned to keep current with what was happening in the growing Pagan community. Of special interest was the broad acceptance of Satanism.

But hold on, you might be thinking, Satanism and Paganism – isn’t this one and the same? Yes and no.

Yes, in that Christians recognize there is, ultimately, no Biblical difference. The ruler of this world (John:12:31Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
See All...), also known as the deceiver, “that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan” (Revelation:12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
See All...), is the one who tempted in the beginning (Genesis:3:1-5 [1] Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? [2] And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: [3] But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. [4] And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: [5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
See All...). As the father of lies (John:8:44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
See All...) who transforms himself into an “angel of light” (2 Corinthians:11:14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
See All...), Satan is the originator of the first deception, that the creation – Adam and Eve – can be on par with the Creator (Genesis:3:5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
See All...). This ruse is expanded in the book of Romans, that when we exchange the truth of God for the lie, “we worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans:1:25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
See All...). Granting nature a status of Divinity is the heartbeat of Paganism. Indeed, if I’ve heard one thing from the Pagan community, it is this; we are a religion of nature. Such is the core of Oneness – that God, Man and Nature are essentially the same, which is the opposite of the Biblical worldview – that God is creator, and everything else the creation.

No, in that within the Pagan world there are differences in teachings, rituals, and understandings of deities and supernatural entities. For example, when comparing Gardnerian Wicca with Asatru Heathenry, one finds profound distinctions within beliefs and practices. Both are religious movements within the context of neo-Paganism, yet have teachings unique to their own paths. Likewise with Satanism.

This workshop reinforced something I would hear more than once; that many who formerly identified as Christians now follow Pagan paths. For example, during a Saturday panel the question was raised as to which religious affiliations people held before joining the ranks of neo-Pagans: Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, Catholics, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Orthodox, and Missionary. Heads around the room nodded in affirmation. In fact, it was acknowledged that a relatively new movement was being born, Christo-paganism – an intentional cross-pollination of Christian teachings with Pagan practices and beliefs.

But a form of this has already been happening. Today many churches extol God’s goodness, preach a message of peace, and bend to the world in advancing deep-green causes. In the United Church of Canada hymnal, More Voices, there’s a song to the Greek Goddess of Earth, O Beautiful Gaia. In the Mennonite Central Committee’s publication, Earth Trek, there’s an appeal – bold in the original – that reads: “This week, make an offering to the Earth, in the form of a prayer or some other gift.”

Is this not paganism? It certainly fits Romans:1:25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
See All..., “serving the creature rather than the Creator.”

https://midwestoutreach.org/2020/04/23/journeys-in-paganistan-part-1/