by Hayley Addis

Created on: May 24, 2007

First point; I do not hate Christians. Now that is clear we can get on with the topic.

'New Age' is a phrase that can refer to many different things. It seems that in these articles people are equating it with Paganism (of which Wicca is a branch, not the other way around) which I have found is not always the case in pagan groups. In Britain 'New Age' generally refers to practices that involve focusing on 'the light', using tools like crystals for healing and generally trying to make the place happy and fluffy, which is fine. As Paganism has been focused on, however, I'll concentrate on that.

I know people who quite happily marry Paganism and Christianity, to most Pagans Christianity is another path to the same place, we are all part of 'God', by whatever name we call The Divine, whether we see it as male, female, the Earth or a host of wonderful beings, The Divine, Spirit, it is in all the universe. Christians claim that God is Love. I'd agree, and go one step further, The Divine is Love, it loves all of us, and accepts all of us as ourselves. We are all part of The Divine. And so it confuses me when some Christians claim that the only path to God, to Love, to The Divine, is their path. How can that be? Jesus was a part of The Divine, JUST AS WE ARE. Jesus carved a path to The Divine that certain people needed, for Christians maybe there is no other path they could reach 'God'. But for the rest of us, 'God' knows we are all different, we are a part of 'God' and each need our own paths to The Divine.

There is a general consensus that every action has consequences, and you must live with the consequences of your life, but that is just common sense really. Try and not hurt people, try to do your best, mess up occasionally but keep going and you'll get there.

Most Pagan paths honour the Earth as a physical part/manifestation of The Divine, and Paganism was, as a whole, around before Christianity so Paganism, honouring the Earth and The Divine within ourselves as we are all a part of 'God', is a very old path to follow. That in itself doesn't make it better than Christianity, as there are plenty of other religions older than Christianity, and younger ones, all equally valid paths to The Divine. In fact, the variations of Paganism now practiced in America and Europe are new manifestations of older ideals. Paganism in its oldest form would have very little relevance to our modern society, but because it is alive it grows with the people who follow it, and evolves to be relevant and useful.

Christianity is not suitable for everyone, just as Paganism is not suitable for everyone, this is why there are so many religions, so many paths to the Divine, including the Atheist paths, the paths that decide there is no Divine, or that all there is is the material. Some people are better people, happier people believing that. Perhaps they are right, although I personally don't believe that and I don't mind if you disagree with me, you have your own path, all I hope is that it makes you happy and avoids harming others.

No path is better than any other, its just that one may be better for you. No God of Love would hurt you for following the best path for you, thats why those paths are there; the Divine made them for us, we, as part of the Divine, made those paths with the Divine.

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