WARNING – Paganism Has Risen!

 

WARNING – Paganism Has Risen

As The

The Renewed & Emergent Religion

Paganism can be equated to hedonism, representing those who are sensual, materialistic, self-indulgent, unconcerned with the future, and uninterested in more mainstream religions.

Hedonist’s, and therefore Pagan’s underlying motivation of all human behavior is to maximize pleasure and avoid pain. As a form of egoism, it suggests that people only help others if they expect a personal benefit. Pleasure is the sole source of intrinsic value. It asserts that other things, like knowledge and money, only have value insofar as they produce pleasure and reduce pain. This view divides into quantitative hedonism, which only considers the intensity and duration of pleasures, and qualitative hedonism, which holds that the value of pleasures also depends on their quality. Pleasure and pain are the only factors of well-being, and that people have a moral obligation to pursue pleasure and avoid pain. The goal is to increase overall happiness for everyone therefore, each person should only pursue their own pleasure. Outside the academic context, hedonism is a pejorative term for an egoistic lifestyle seeking short-term gratification. Pagans are usually described in terms of this worldly stereotype.

Paganism, it could be fairly said, is a form of Gnosticism, i.e., emphasizing personal spiritual knowledge (gnosis) above the orthodox teachings, traditions, and authority of religious institutions. It is a collection of religious ideas and systems that coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects.

This is an accurate and adequate description of what has infected the psyche of a majority of people in American. You can see it being played out in our lives, through our media entertainment, in our medical systems, in our legal systems and government and now, even in our churches.

One of the major ‘tells’ of a Pagan is that if you ask them why they believe certain things, their answer will be without a foundation. They will usually say, “That is just how I feel” or “that is just what I believe.” Indicating that what they believe is based on their feelings, which springs from past or present experiences that were either extremely pleasurable or extremely unpleasant or traumatic. These people can be found to be undependable, unpredictable, and unstable in their ways displaying a narcissistic personality disorder and can be extremely dangerous to those around them.

This behavior, more recently, can be seen on display in the American democrat political party and their adherents. (It is also foundational in Socialist, Communist and Marxist ideologies and practices.)

PAGANISM – IN THE CHURCH

Many of the traits of this ‘new gospel’, which is similar to the Gospel of Jesus found and taught in the Bible, is divergent as it is an individual-centered or self-centered, ‘feelings or emotion-based’. It is a false gospel.

It has been and is being propagated and promoted by several popular non-mainline religious groups, particularly the American Charismatic movement, Pentecostalism and Word of Faith movement. In great part, because their beliefs are emotion-based and are ‘individual-centered’, their doctrines and practices are wildly popular and are attracting many new converts, and are leading many mainline denominations and churches to adopt many of their practices.

It can be found to be subtle in some forms and is brazenly open in other forms. It can be seen to be manifested in people exercising controlling or manipulating behaviors, extreme social competitiveness, people who are arrogant, being aloof demanding others earn your attention or approval, and is particularly demonstrated by the absence of civility, which are all behaviors demonstrated by hedonists, Gnostics, and narcissists.

In the church this kind of behavior can be seen as polite avoidance of those around you, and especially toward newcomers. It is demonstrated as a sense of self-piety, self-importance, a need to be closest to the pastor or leadership of the church, clustering with the more important people and leaving others to ‘their own kind’, to name a few behaviors. And, it is endemic.

So, why does this matter? (I really dislike this question and dislike answering it, even more).

It matters because once a person adopts this type of mindset, even inadvertently, they are in danger of being snared by the grip of a pathological disorder known as narcissism, and it can lead to the deeper problem of a narcissistic personality disorder.

Here are some symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder and how severe they are and how they can vary. People with the disorder, even though they may try to disguise or hide these symptoms, can:

• Have an unreasonably high sense of self-importance and require constant, excessive admiration.
• Feel that they deserve privileges and special treatment.
• Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements.
• Make achievements and talents seem bigger than they are.
• Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate.
• Believe they are superior to others and can only spend time with or be understood by equally special people.
• Be critical of and look down on people they feel are not important.
• Expect special favors and expect other people to do what they want without questioning them.
• Take advantage of others to get what they want.
• Have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others.
• Be envious of others and believe others envy them.
• Behave in an arrogant way, brag a lot and come across as conceited.
• Insist on having the best of everything — for instance, the best car or office.

At the same time, people with narcissistic personality disorder have trouble handling anything they view as criticism. They can:

• Become impatient or angry when they don’t receive special recognition or treatment.
• Have major problems interacting with others and easily feel slighted.
• React with rage or contempt and try to belittle other people to make themselves appear superior.
• Have difficulty managing their emotions and behavior.
• Experience major problems dealing with stress and adapting to change.
• Withdraw from or avoid situations in which they might fail.
• Feel depressed and moody because they fall short of perfection.
• Have secret feelings of insecurity, shame, humiliation and fear of being exposed as a failure.

It matters because it shows that we have veered from our historical and traditional beliefs and behaviors, established in and guided by Judeo-Christian moral and ethical standards. The very foundations that established this once great nation and provided a safer and more prosperous world are being eroded and replaced with a religious fervor by a pagan mindset and hedonistic attitudes and practices, dividing people, setting them at odds and creating a more hostile world.

If you will be honest with yourself, you can probably say you have seen these behaviors in our society, among some of your friends or acquaintances, in the media, in political circles, in our government, in our educational systems and sadly, in many of our churches. And, if you are old enough, you may have the benefit of the perspective afforded by hindsight – and able to see the contrast of the way things used to be.

Hedonism, Gnosticism, and Narcissism are the roots. Paganism is the tree bearing the bad fruit of incivility, possessing the seeds of uncontrolled anger, hatreds, murders, wars, sexual perversions, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drug and alcohol abuse and addiction and more. (see Galatians 5:19-21).

Paganism is an opposition to The Good News of Jesus Christ and by its very nature destroys everything good that it touches, or perhaps I should say it is infecting everyone it touches and they are destroying everything good that they touch!

 JOIN THE REMEDY – BE THE REMEDY

Jesus is the Remedy and He is inviting you to join Him. And He is saying to you as He has said to Peter, “upon this massive rock” of many believers, I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you know as true from my Words, you will bind or restrict on earth as it shall have been restricted in heaven, and whatever you permit and call as completed on earth, shall have been permitted and competed in heaven, where all things originate and find their beginnings. (see Matthew 16:18).

Remember,  our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

You are to know what this means: Stand firm having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of evil. Wear fast the helmet of salvation and raise the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (see Ephesians 6:10-17).

Listen friends, the old ways would say that if someone gouges you in the eye, they must pay with their own eye. If a tooth gets knocked out, knock out the tooth of the one who did it.’ But I am saying to you, do not entangle yourself in violence! If you are slapped on one cheek, turn the other cheek, too. And if you are ordered to court, and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat too. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.

There is a tradition that instructs you to love your friends and hate your enemies. But I am saying to you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!  In this way you will be acting as true sons and daughters of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust too. But you are to be perfect and spiritually mature, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. (see Matthew 5:38-48).

You know that you are to continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of through the teachings and the example of Jesus, knowing from whom you have learned them,and since that time of your conversion to Christ you have come to know the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

You know that all the Scripture is inspired, and is literally breathed out by God, and is beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work. (see 2 Timothy 3:14-17).

You are to walk by the Spirit so your life will bear the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..Those who belong to Christ Jesus will have ‘crucified the flesh’ with its passions and desires. And, if we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well. Let’s not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. (see Galatians 5:16-26).

So, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters,

whatever is true,

whatever is honorable,

whatever is right,

whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely,

whatever is commendable,

if there is any excellence and

if anything worthy of praise,

think about these things.

As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.(see Philippians 4:6-10).

The time is now that each of us get back on course, and closely follow Jesus. Follow Him in all that He has said and continues to say; in all that He has done and continue to do; and all that He Is.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young