On talking with a pagan
Dan Carey, the author of this piece, is not a member of the Celtic Catholic Church, but graciously allowed us to publish his thoughts on our web site. He begins by hearing the frustration of a hypothetical Christian who has been conversing with Pagans and Wiccans, no doubt hoping to invite them to a consideration of the glorious and gentle Gospel. But how to get past the initial defenses and misconceptions?
"I have been in dialogue often recently with Pagans and Wiccans who bring up the accusation that Christianity was imposed on the people of the British Isles in a coercive fashion that involved appropriating and distorting, suppressing, or demonizing, pagan beliefs and traditions. I am never quite sure how to respond to this."
First thing is to have them get a scholarly book on British (and Irish) history, because so many people only know history through the movies and what "everyone knows". And I emphasize scholarly (e.g. a college textbook such as Warren Hollister's The Making of England) as distinct from some of the revisionist history being published these days. Let them note that, although, Christianity did come to Britain with the Roman army, the Romans began leaving before Christianity was made the official religion of the Empire. And the Romans never had any sort of presence, military or political, in Ireland. Furthermore, by the time the Saxon kingdoms were firmly established in England, the Roman empire in the West was no more.
So, when St. Pádraig and his missionaries went to Ireland, they had no way to coerce anyone into accepting Christ. Yet shortly after his death, nearly the whole of the island was converted to embrace the White Hero. When the Irish sent missionaries to Pictland, they had no way to coerce anyone into accepting Christ. In fact, they were viewed with suspicion because the Irish who were colonizing the western coasts were Christians and were therefore associated with the enemy. Yet they still won souls for the meek Lamb. When the Irish/Scots sent missionaries into Northumbria to preach to the Saxons, they had the backing of some particular kings. But politics were slippery and thrones changed hands often. A prudent man would keep his head down and make little or no commitment. Yet by the late 7th century, the Saxon kingdoms were converted. And when the Roman Church sent missionaries to the Saxons, they represented only the Roman See. There was no Roman army in the West. No soldiers accompanied the missionaries. They had no leverage except the love of God.
And what did they offer to the pagans they encountered? A God who loved them so much he gave up his own Son to death in order to destroy Death. He gave them simple rules around which to order their lives, with the promise that if they tried their best to follow the rules He would love them even more. The missionaries held out the promise of hope for life everlasting, where sorrow and sighing would flee away.
And what did the pagans lose in exchange? Whimsical, harsh gods who demanded animal and human sacrifices. Gods whose ultimate purpose was beyond the ken of the average man and who refused to declare once and for all what they required. You had to take your chances that what sacrifice you offered was propitiation enough.
One thing to ask those you're talking to is, "Tell me about the Christian God you reject." Chances are, the God they describe you would reject, too. So the key is to find out what each individual does believe, what objections he has to Christianity. Do not presume you know what any particular individual believes before he/she has told you clearly and in detail what they believe. Then, and only then, try to correct mistaken impressions about Christian beliefs. Try to draw parallels between the Christian worldview and the pagan worldview. This is what the Russian Orthodox missionaries to Alaska did, and they led many Aleuts and other tribes to the Light without bullying the natives into rejecting the whole of their culture.
If you don't know some fine point about Christian doctrine, admit it. Tell your acquaintance that you will try to find the answer and get back with them. Be prepared to point to your sources. By the same token, ask your acquaintance for sources backing up their claims (particularly the factual, historical ones). Do not be belligerent about it, but just appeal for some intellectual honesty. Trying to get answers about pagan theology frequently leads to claims of secret, oral tradition. Do not belittle the claim, as this will almost certainly cause your acquaintance to become more defensive and dialogue will break down. Never shout.
In summary,
- be sure your acquaintance knows the historical facts and not Hollywood stories;
- do not presume to know what a pagan believes until they tell you;
- be humble but firm in requiring intellectual honesty and cool heads on both sides of the discussion.
But above all: love the person to whom you are talking. After all, God does.
