Earth worship, part 2
Are pagans trying to take over the world? Is the goddess returning? We talked over these questions and more in a recent interview from Humble O Radio’s blog…
CAT: Granted that some Christians are trying to take over the world—are pagans trying to take over the world?
SUSY: Let me answer with a quote from a popular pagan book: “The
Goddess is coming back! She is returning in myriad ways, some subtle,
others less so … Subtly she is returning through myth, magic and
intuition.” The idea of the return of the goddess is a common theme; if
you hang around pagans long enough, you will hear about a long ago
mythical golden age where the goddess reigned and all was peace and
harmony. Pagans are looking to return to that golden age and often
create and participate in rituals with that goal.
Pagans are very much interested in building personal communities and
in self-empowerment, and not so interested in government and policy
building, as far as I have seen. Their influence comes more in the
arena of arts and culture, where they are
very influential. Many
churches, too, are incorporating goddess spirituality into their
beliefs and practices. A few weeks ago I went to a class at a
Franciscan monastery near my house; their bookstore was stocked with
titles on the sacred feminine, the feminine divine, and “sophia,” code
words for pagan goddess worship.
CAT: Every so often at places like WitchVox,
I read of pagan disgust with Christian characterizations of them as
“Satan-worshipers” and so on. Do Christians do a good job of
communicating meaningfully with pagans? Why or why not?
SUSY: I’d have to agree that most Christians are pretty uninformed
about all things pagan. But there’s a good reason for this—it’s a very
recent phenomenon in the U.S. Only in the last decade has goddess
spirituality and wicca begun to take root and flourish here so there
was really no need before to understand or study pagan beliefs. It’s
the same with Islam; when I was in college, it was simply a non-issue
and the only Mohammed we knew was the famous boxer.
But as paganism grows and flourishes, as the numbers indicate may be
happening, it’sessential that we study it. If you have a sister, or a
daughter, or a friend setting up a home altar, choosing a goddess and
dedicating her life to knowing, worshiping and serving that goddess,
you’d better have an understanding of what she believes and practices
if you
want to speak into her life.
The apostle Paul did just this; before he shared the Gospel, he
studied the gods and goddesses of that city. It’s a mark of respect.
Once a pagan realizes that you’ve taken the time to study their
beliefs, and that you want to understand why they believe what they do,
they are much more likely to have a deep, spiritual conversation with
you.
Click here for the rest of the interview, or to follow Cat’s "Monday Hum" column. This girl has a way with words! (Find out more about Cat, also known as Cathi Lyn Dyck, on her personal blog, where she offers wise words for writers.)
COMING SOON: A book review and interview with Lilian Calles Barger, founder of the Damaris Project and author of Chasing Sophia: Reclaiming the Lost Wisdom of Jesus. This book is a new and fresh account of pursuing authentic Christianity in contemporary times.
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SUSY FLORY is a New York Times best selling author, speaker, and journalist who searches out big stories with happy endings. She's I'm always looking for true stories that inspire and challenge her readers to embrace a life of passion, boldness, & adventure. 
So good to see you posting again and know that you are busy informing us of the dangers of the goddess.
Great work!
Sue
Hello! Not sure if you have been nominated before, but I nominated you for an award- I want to share your work with others, so I hope they come check you out!
Sue
Hey, cool! Good to see the article making itself useful!
Cat