Ministering to Neo-Pagans #2 - What About Your Words. v.1.0
by Iain Mac an tSaoir

I. Prelude

    This is the second in the series on how to minister to Neo-Pagans. Please notice, I am not using the word "proselytize". I am using the word 'minister". This is because it will not do any good at all to try and proselytize. As we discussed in the first article, the word "proselytize" is one that is charged with the stereotypical behaviors that most people have come to expect from those "proselytizing". As a part of ministering, one has to have a servants heart. It is a matter of serving. And in the course of serving people, those being served will come to realize that there is something different about the servant. And now for the thing a servant does not do. A servant does not put themselves in a position of superiority. They do not even in their heart of hearts even think of themselves as superior. Not in any fashion. The Messiah is superior to all of us, and in every way. Yet, He did not assume that position, or even hint at being in that position. Instead, He served people, to the point of even giving His life so that we would not have to endure hell. He served people. During His service to people He never once proclaimed a place of superiority. And He certainly did not treat people as though He were smarter than they. Instead, He showed them and us love.

II. Pagan People Are Very Smart People

   He are a couple of facts. G-d has blessed me with a very functional brain. I have taken IQ tests twice. Once I scored a 161, and the second time I scored a 165. Those are certified scores that sit way above average. But there are many in the Neo-Pagan world whose intellect blows mine out of the water. And so, as they watch you, when the time comes that they are actually willing to speak with you, what you say better make the grade. If you treat them as though they are stupid you'll lose any chance of further speaking to them. The further problem is, talking to them like they are stupid and giving stupid answers, will only reenforce a stereotype about all Christians. Hence, even people who would talk to them as peers, and with compassion, will likely never be given the chance. Let me give some examples of stupid.

III. Examples

   When I was fourteen years old, I attended a Baptist junior high. We had chapel everyday. Now, the fear which had gotten me involved in religion to begin with had been wearing off. Other than fear there wasn't much else to my being "Christian" except that everyone I knew was, so I was as well. Even though there was no faith. Anyway, on this one particular day Pastor Schroeder was speaking on evolution. In his message, the topic of dinosaur bones came up. His answer to why there were dinosaur bones? Satan had put them there to deceive us. Yes, that was the answer we got back then. I was a pretty smart kid, and that statement coming on the heels of other similar answers, did nothing but cause me (and others) to tune him out for the rest of my time in that school. In my mind his credibility was shot, and I never listened to him again. Chapel became a time when a bunch of us guys would do things like slip around the latest Sports Illustrated swim suit edition. It shames me now, but then, scantilly clad women were exponentially more interesting than some dude trying to feed a me a line I knew was untrue. It wasn't until the last couple of years that I found that there are real scientists trying to bridge what the Bible says to what the archeological record shows. And they are doing so using scientific method. But that statement of his stuck with me for decades as a source of derision for Christianity. And when I'd run into other Pagans who'd heard similar things, the whole Christian faith became a laughing stock. You don't take seriously what you make fun of. And it need not have been that way.

   The second example revolved around those who've been paraded about as former Occultists in the know. There was this guy in the 1970's and 80's, I believe his name was John Todd. He proclaimed himself as a former occultist and member of the "Illuminati". He had some spectacular things to say, things that were designed to scare people witless. Now remember, at that time I was a well studied occultist, witch, and pagan. My cohorts and I would listen to, or read, what this man had to say. And we would howl with laughter! He did not articulate like an educated man. Which he would have been if he were what he had claimed. A lot of what he said about the occult and pagan world was pure hog wash. Then came the time that an associate of mine, a man we called "Slow Foot" picked up on something else. Slow Foot picked up what Mr. Todd had said about much of the materials in the occult having been penned by King Solomon (true in regards to ceremonial magic), then a couple minutes later Mr. Todd stated that those things were 8000 years old. Number crunching time, Solomon lived around 1000 BC. 1000 BC, plus, 1980 AD, is only about 3000 years, not 8000 years; 8000 years to people who hold that the earth is only 6000 years old. Thus Slow Foot's question,'why aren't Christians picking up on the fallacies they should know about their own stuff?" The general consensus amongst occultists and pagans? "Christians are liars who are more interested in the shock value of lies than the truth". In other words, Christianity became discredited.

   The last example I'll give concerns the "fact sheet" that passes around from time to time, usually around Halloween. In it there is the claim that the ancient Celts, and obviously by extension, modern Celts and Neo-Pagans, worship "Samos", the "Celtic god of the dead". Are there things to be worried about regarding Halloween, called Samhain in Gaelic? Sure there are. But you aren't going to get anywhere when the main evidence given is not true.
    Last Samhain, I posted an academic position sheet on Samos, and Samhain on my Myspace page. That posting solicited some of my brothers and sisters in the Faith to respond by again sending to me the very same fact sheet that prompted my post to begin with. So I sat back down and crafted another, very academic and detailed article. Languages and cultures evolve with time. And with that in mind I referred to the scientific facts about the evolution (etymology) of the word 'samos' from *proto*-Celtic, through Continental Celtic culture, up through its derivatives in modern Celtic languages (Irish Gaelic [Gaeilge], Scots Gaelic [Gaidhlig], and the Brythonic languages of Cornwall, Wales, and Brittany). I covered the use of the word in the Coligny Calendar (archeology). I covered the customs past and present surrounding Samhain in these cultures (anthropology). In short I presented the facts that 'samos' is a word related to fire and means 'summer' in that dialect of the Celtic language. I proved how 'samos', evolved into 'Samhain', which in the pre-Gregorian, agrarian based calendar system of the time simply meant 'summer's end'; the end of the growing season and harvest time. And finally I covered how there is an ancient god of the land of the dead, but his name isn't 'samos', and his customs are of a completely different order (Donn as the Dispater figure, Lord of the Otherworld). And how the god Lugh, who is one of the gods associated with Samhain, is the lightening's flash. Lightening. And how in fact, most gods of most pantheons, are associated with some thing in the natural world. They are personified forces of nature.
   Most of those to whom I sent that were thankful for the information. They asked what might be a better approach to take. And I pointed out that the scholar Dr. Jean Markale wrote about the tendency of Celtic peoples to set real persons and occurrences into mythos, and how in Genesis it talks about those who were "the heroes of old, men of renown". Yet to keep it simple at early stages, and to leave it at "like us they were created beings". One person though, a so called 'prophetess' took me to task because I dared to question the contents of the 'fact sheet'. My response to her was thus, "there is no dishonor in not knowing something. There is no dishonor in presenting something one believes to be true as truth. The dishonor comes from presenting something proven to be untrue as truth, at which point it becomes a lie. One cannot serve the G-d of Truth by spreading a lie. All it will do is discredit the Messiah, the Faith, and yourself."

IV. So What Do You Do?

   The first thing is to put it firmly in your mind that none of us have all the answers. Be honest, give truthful answers! It is honorable to state, "I don't know". But take it a step further and also say to the unbeliever, "but lets find out together". Then look for the answers together. Bear in mind that they probably don't believe the Bible. So don't resort to beating them upside their head with yours. If you do your homework you can find secular sources to answer questions - together. At the very least you can present enough to get them to realize that their position isn't as unassailable as they might think. At that point its up to the Holy Spirit. Regardless, this puts you working together in dialogue with each other, no longer at odds but on the same side seeking Truth. Even though you are coming from opposite ends of the spectrum. This helps their walls come down. Using the dinosaur bones topic for example, you can point to articles in secular academics, such as the National Geographic, where bones have been found in which is still pliable soft tissues and even marrow with blood cells. And how science is having to reevaluate how fossils were formed. Then ask the question, "pliable tissues, blood vessels, and blood cells holding on for 70 million years?" That says all that needs be said. Let is rest there for now. This is a relationship, and it isn't about you. Its about the glorifying of G-d, and the Holy Spirit moving in that precious person's life. That might take a while. But its a worthy investment.

   Working together, analyze the old tales from their religion. You'll see instance after instance of old deities, the heroes of old, men of renown, being born, living, then dying. The celtophile, Dr. Jean Markale, wrote in "Celtic Civilization", that Celts like other Indo-European cultures took real people and real historical happenings, and based their mythologies on those. Logic dictates that these are created beings. Even if one then comes to see those beings as manifesting as forces of nature such as lightning or the scorching summer sun, then they are still created beings. Let those facts rest on their own merits. At some point, they will come to compare what the created has done for them in contrast to what the Creator has done in you. That is, if you are emulating the life of Christ.

   Remember, you are simply the messenger. You aren't going to save them. That is the work of the Holy Spirit to move them to salvation. Nor are you going to argue them into the Kingdom. Trying to argue them into the Kingdom is only your own ego coming into play. And often times our egos will shout louder than the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit. Love them, and let the Holy Spirit do His work. Its that easy. Pastor Chris Hill, is one of only three ministers I have thus far come to know and trust implicitly. Pastor Chris put it to me this way, its about "'dialog' which comes from two Greek words dia=through and logos=word or 'meaning'. The idea is that dialog is "meaning passing or moving through you". Why is this so critical? I've yet to meet anyone who has been "argued" into the Kingdom. Rather it is through the honest give-and-take of relationship." He is right, its about relationship, and dialoguing with unbelievers in a spirit of compassion. Not bashing someone for believing other than you.
    The greatest part of delivering your message about the Messiah is in how you live your life. Once an unbeliever comes to trust you, something that will be enhanced by working with you toward finding answers, then they will eventually ask what your Bible says. Only then can you hope that they will hear you when you point out scriptures. Perhaps it may be Genesis 6:3-5 as the answer to the question not even the likes of Dr. Jean Markale or Dr. Bruce Lincoln could answer. Maybe it will be some other topic. But only then, with their acceptance of you as a compassionate and truthful messenger, can you then ask them to reflect on what they are venerating, and on their community, as you ask them if they see Romans 1:24-32 at work. And only then do you have the chance to explain the Messiah and salvation, and how you have been transformed by the work of the Messiah.

   How you live is important. What you say is important. How you say it is important. Yes, the shock value in parading lies may keep some of church's congregants scared enough to toe some party line. But other congregants will be well reread, and will know the facts. And positing garbage as truth will cause them to rethink their faith in you, and perhaps their faith in Christ. I'm a poster child of that. And the unsaved, those who are Neo-Pagans or involved in the Occult? As people of extremely high intellect, garbage and scare tactics will only drive them from the Truth. There is plenty of power in the Truth to persuade. But for a Christian to resort to something less than truth, or something less than compassion, will cause the unbeliever to erect walls where should not be walls. And if you are guilty of this then you will give an account before G-d for why your way of living drove another into making the choice for hell.

   Its how you live your life that will make the distinction between where they are and what G-d wants for us all. Can you be there to help them when they need help, to use the resources G-d has entrusted into your stewardship to bring better to the lives of those who need? You, yes, you, may be the only real representative of Christ they will ever meet. Does your life emulate the life of Christ? There is your real message right there. If your life emulates Christ then they will want what you have. Can you join with them in truthful yet compassionate dialogue? Do you have the time, and love for your fellow human, to make the relationship with them? Those are the only ways to be not only a good ambassador of Christ, but also an effective witness of His life transforming power and salvation. Your only power of persuasion is in living a life that emulates Christ.

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