Ashena,

That is beautiful and very profound. I will remember that while i am on my journey of discover! Blessings[smile]

You will find that there will be people on both the Christian and Pagan sides that scoff at the idea that one can be both. I'm not sure how to look at it, honestly, I can see both sides. If by "be Christian" you mean following the words and deeds of Jesus, then I'd say you can do both. Jesus was a healer, a loving being, and he sounds an awful lot like a Pagan! Christianity has not been kind to Pagans, and is still not. Most religions, when you boil them down, come to have very similar themes about being a good person, etc etc. The problem is when people interpret the Bible, Gospels, etc to fit their often twisted logic. I can name more than one passage in the Bible smiting Witches, sorcery and Paganism. Remember that the Bible was written by Man..it may have been God inspired, but it still filtered through a human and male brain. And, it has been translated thousands of times by hundreds of people. It's like playing a game of telephone, you never get the same exact message at the end. Much of the ritual and holidays in Christianity are Pagan in origin. You can blend both traditions as long as you keep in mind the core essence of each faith. I am Wiccan now, but I was raised as a Catholic. I still believe that Jesus existed, and was a great prophet and spirit. You don't have to throw out the baby with the bathwater so to speak. Ask 100 Pagans and 100 Christians to speak of their faith, and you will get 400 answers, each person has at least 2 ideas! Keep educating yourself, there is no end of learning when it comes to the knowledge of your spirit.

I'm new to this myself, and was also raised Christian (one parent's Catholic, the other Protestant). After doing a lot of reading, I've come to find peace by looking at the connections between Christian beliefs/ practices & Pagan/Wiccan ones. For example, both faiths believe that "3" is sacred. The Holy Trinity is very much the 3 phases of the Pagan God. The Virgin Mary can certainly be viewed as an embodiment of the image of the Goddess. The Saints are similar to (and sometimes the same as) many of the other dieties -Pagan or Christian they are the protectors of the same things. Basically, I see the Christian figures, dieties, & (many) beliefs as one set/type of manifestations of the Pagan ones. There are too many religions in the world for there to be only 1 "right" one - and the more research I do, the more similarities I find in faiths. Sooo... my personal feelings are that each separate religion is just a unique interpretation and manifestation of the same Dieties and Spirits that guide us all, no matter what we call them or how we worship them. And my own spirituality encompasses the beliefs from many, many walks of life, while I am most comfortable worshipping in Wiccan and Protestant styles. I know many may disagree with me, but I don't feel that a person's religion necessarily has to be limited by one set of standards or one name- after all, the Spirits are everywhere & in everything.

I wasn't going to say anything to this post because I'm in accord with the majority of the opinions already, and believe you can do both without confusion and with equal spiritual growth.

But, I really wanted to add a few things, that haven't been mentioned: almost all religions were based in Pagan beliefs and evolved into the religions we follow today.

I could go into centuries of historical data, starting with the hunter/gathers to the conquering hordes and the want for land and money. All, changed the face and depth of religion to what it is today. Each evolution was made due to an idea or a need for change. Today's compassionate church is nothing like the strict Medieval church due to this evolution, but they are/were both steeped in the pagan religion of the region.

It's very hard to leave the structure and fellowship of organized religion to following solitary pagan spirituality. The compassion of the group and care of the individual are both very compelling. Being on your own is never easy, starting over and learning new ways, new ideas and whole new philosophys at times tends to confuse and divert us from our paths. I can't think of one Pagan practioner that I know, who has not at one time, felt the need to lay aside his path for a time. As the commercial says "they were just gell'n". In almost all instances they returned, more dedicated and willing to put the time and effort into their chosen path.

The key words in that last sentence "their chosen path". This is the answer to your question from my perspective. As others have said, you make your own path, you chose the way you believe and worship. It is your spirituality that makes you whole. How you chose to do that is your decision. There is no right or wrong way to come to God/dess. Anyone that says you have to give up this to have that is, I don't what to say wrong, but misguided.

Our wish and need to follow a nature based path is very powerful; most specially in today's mechnized, steril, keeping-up-with-the-Jone's world. But, you DO NOT have to give up the teachings of your family and youth; you can instead incorporate them into your new spirituality. Remember, you too are just evolving.

Lexie Marie

Thank you PRYNCSS and very well put Lexiemarie. You are a woman of Wisdom, indeed.

~Ashena~