Atheist to pagan

[Xandrew]

I'm an athiest and I'm wanting to become a pagan, Can themes of christianity be incorporated, Can I simply choose a god and a godess, and worship them For instance Tabris (angel of free will) and Hecate (Greek Godess of the Crossroads?)

[ISFP]

hello Xandrew-

well..... i've always been kind of cautious about mixing belief systems like that. mainly because of the possibility of winding up with a shallow bowl of religion gumbo.

there's nothing wrong with exploring different belief systems, or finding inspiration / beauty in others' beliefs or practices.

Can I simply choose a god and a godess, and worship them For instance Tabris (angel of free will) and Hecate (Greek Godess of the Crossroads)?

this question reminds me of a product i saw once called "Ganesha in a Box". it was literally a small statue of the Hindu god Ganesha wrapped in cardboard and plastic, marketed towards non-Hindus seeking a taste of Hinduism, and possibly a nice looking statue to put on their desk at work.

the point is, you can, i suppose, worship whichever diety or spiritual symbol you want. but i suggest a disciplined understanding of one or two belief systems above a general mixing of "pagan, Christian, and ancient Greek" elements.

peace-
ISFP

[brucegdc]

Moved to a more appropriate forum than Belief & Spirituality....

[bgruagach]

I hope no one minds -- I exercised my moderator role and corrected the spelling of the word "atheist" in this thread title.

Regarding the topic at hand, though, there are a huge number of Pagan spiritual paths out there: Druid, Wiccan, non-Wiccan Witchcraft, reconstructionist paths that strive to revive ancient religions, and many many Pagan individuals and groups that invent their own systems. The vast majority are based on ideas or practices that are drawn from other systems although there are also plenty of systems that introduce truly new ideas as well.

There is certainly a lot to be said for developing the personal discipline required to learn and follow a particular established system. On the other hand, each of us are really on our own unique spiritual journeys so we need to balance our own individual needs with the desire to belong to a larger established group. If you are not learning or growing from study within a particular system then perhaps it's not the system for you and you should look elsewhere, or invent your own system.

The idea that there is such a thing as a "One True Way" is largely dismissed by many in the modern Pagan community. What works for one person isn't guaranteed to work for anyone else. We each have the freedom (and responsibility) to think for ourselves and take charge of our own growth. If you find a particular system is helpful then by all means follow it. If you find that no system meets your needs then no one can stop you from taking what does work for you and melding it into your own individual system.

[mahogan]

Can one 'choose' a deity? Surely it is the 'Deity' that comes to the soul as a revaltion? We do tend to associate such concepts with modern religions but I am not aware of Pagans swapping religions on a regular basis. The evidence points to religions remaining fairly constant and even after an invasion from a neighbour, the same gods were worshipped.

Can I go as far as to say that the missionary is a development of the past 2000 years? (I deliberately do not attibute it to Christianity, as I think it is a socio-political rather than religious phenomenon).

[Rakehel]

I considered myself an atheist, then an agnostic. I label myself a Pagan now, studying the Craft and at the same time to become a Wiccan priest. People grow and change. There are elements of my belief set that include some parts of Christianity. Part of that is due to the fact that at one time Paganism and Christianity shared different aspects of each other and it only seems natural. There are way that they still share. One does not have to preclude the other, and I know a few people who label themselves "Christo Pagan," or any number of other combinations of religions.

As for choosing a God/dess or simply just Deity, who, what, or how to worship, or not, is a choice each individual makes. I have learned that one takes what they can use, what might make them happy, fulfilled, or at peace and leaves the rest behind. There are so many paths to follow and many have no name at all.

As has been mentioned, the belief that there is one true way is not shared between many groups of people. The way is what works for you.