Do Pagans believe Jesus ever exsisted?

[Guitar's Cry]

If your searching for intent, I am curious if Jesus name upsets folks and I am starting to believe it is a subject Pagan's avoid.

Not all of us.

 

[Gentoo]

What? I layed my cards on the table and was asked to stay on topic. I have tried real hard to get back on topic. Either you will tell me or you won't. The more I pry, the more I approach the thin line of debating and discussing.

I seriously don't want to debate and I am genuinely interested in what you believe about Jesus. If your searching for intent, I am curious if Jesus name upsets folks and I am starting to believe it is a subject Pagan's avoid. Myself, I never had a problem talking about Jesus even when I was a Pagan.

Hey, I just wanted to know why the deception that you admitted to. After that I had planned on answering.

If not, I'll just take my business elsewhere and let the thread continue.

 

[Booko]

I seriously don't want to debate and I am genuinely interested in what you believe about Jesus. If your searching for intent, I am curious if Jesus name upsets folks and I am starting to believe it is a subject Pagan's avoid.

Funny, pagans have never shown the least reluctance discussing Jesus' name with me.

Perhaps it's because I give them no cause to be suspicious of me and I take pains to give no hint that my purpose is to convert them to anything else. Well, well, that's all speculation of course.

 

[MaddLlama]

I seriously don't want to debate and I am genuinely interested in what you believe about Jesus. If your searching for intent, I am curious if Jesus name upsets folks and I am starting to believe it is a subject Pagan's avoid. Myself, I never had a problem talking about Jesus even when I was a Pagan.

Just because I don't have an opinion doesn't mean I avoid the topic. If it did, then I wouldn't have responded at all, nor would I participate in debates about Christianity here.

Do I have to have an opinion on the subject? To me, not having an opinion means I can have a better conversation with someone on either side, and learn more in the process.

I'm also unsure of how not having an opinion as to the historical existence of Jesus equates to being upset by hearing the name Jesus.

 

[Runt]

What are the tenets of the Pagan faith?

Paganism is really too diverse for there to be any central tenets common to all pagan faiths, except perhaps earth-centered worship.

Did Jesus ever exist on this planet? I realize Pagans don't recognize Jesus as Lord or worship him, but did a man named Jesus walk the earth? Did he perform miracles?

I think each individual pagan would answer this question differently. I can only speak for myself; when I was pagan, I believed Jesus had once existed, but I did not believe he was the Son of God anymore than the rest of us are, and I did not believe he performed miracles.

It is written that he amazed the Rabbi's in the temple when he was 12 years old. Could Jesus have used the Qabalah, (ancient mysticism) to perform these miracles?

Well... the Kabbalistic movement didn't really begin until the 12th to 13th centuries... 70 CE after the destruction of the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem at the very earliest. Before that there were a couple main forms of Jewish mysticism (one centering around Ezekiel's vision of Yahweh on his chariot and the other focusing on cosmology and particularly the sefirot) which are viewed as the precursors of Kabbalah. It is possible Jesus may have focused on one of these two earlier forms of mysticism, but he was too early for Kabbalah itself.

Could modern day people who study the Kabalah and perform magick be using the same techniques that Jesus did when he performed miracles?

The original Kabbalistic practices were mystical rather than magical in nature. They seeked to connect the mystic to Yahweh through meditations upon (and permeations of) the sefirot and the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The ultimate goal was to see Yahweh upon his throne. It was only later that Kabbalistic practices took on a more magickal emphasis. It is possible, I suppose, that miracles akin to those supposedly performed by Jesus could be enacted, but I highly doubt it personally.

 

[Gentoo]

Do Pagans believe that Jesus ever existed?

This Pagan's not sure either way, but I see no real reason to say either way. Whether he existed or not is irrelevant to me, what's relevant is that people have taken the message of peace and love and apply it everyday to their lives. To me, it doesn't matter where that message came from.

 

[spirittalker101]

I am pagan and believe that Jesus exisited and was a wonderful medium. Not the great savior or anything like that. That is just me. I also believe in personal responsibility.

 

[Reverend Rick]

Paganism is really too diverse for there to be any central tenets common to all pagan faiths, except perhaps earth-centered worship.

Thank you. That was the answer I was looking for.

I can only speak for myself; when I was pagan, I believed Jesus had once existed, but I did not believe he was the Son of God anymore than the rest of us are, and I did not believe he performed miracles.

I would say you held the majority opinion among Pagans. I can respect that.

Well... the Kabbalistic movement didn't really begin until the 12th to 13th centuries... 70 CE after the destruction of the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem at the very earliest. Before that there were a couple main forms of Jewish mysticism (one centering around Ezekiel's vision of Yahweh on his chariot and the other focusing on cosmology and particularly the sefirot) which are viewed as the precursors of Kabbalah.

Excellent answer. We are on the same page.

It is possible Jesus may have focused on one of these two earlier forms of mysticism, but he was too early for Kabbalah itself.

The original Kabbalistic practices were mystical rather than magical in nature. They seeked to connect the mystic to Yahweh through meditations upon (and permeations of) the sefirot and the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The ultimate goal was to see Yahweh upon his throne. It was only later that Kabbalistic practices took on a more magickal emphasis. It is possible, I suppose, that miracles akin to those supposedly performed by Jesus could be enacted, but I highly doubt it personally.

Balance would be the key. For someone to come down from kether, it would take perfection. I understand your doubt, but really appreciate the time you took to answer my questions. I'm not saying this is what happened either, but find the possibility fascinating.

 

[Zephyr]

As for me, I don't have much of an opinion. I figure he probably existed, and who knows, he could have even been the god of the Jews. Doesn't mean anything to me though.

 

[wednesday]

Jesus is noted in Roman history killed by the last of the 12 great emperors, the one who named his horse a senator lol.
To me Jesus was a carpenter, but of course i dont believe in 'God' so why would i think he was the son of God?

 

[PyroPathos]

I personally (as a Wiccan) do believe that a man named Jesus walked the earth. I have no way of knowing for a fact if he actually performed miracles or not, but honestly that doesn't matter as much to me as the fact that I think he was generally a really awesome guy =) I like Jesus a lot.

No, I don't worship him. And if someone tells me "Jesus walked on water" I'll probably say "okay. Cool." I don't know, I guess I'm just odd. To me Jesus is still a comforting throught even though I'm not Christian. The idea of someone who has the capacity to love everyone, even if he has become very symbolic over the years, is rather nice ^__^

 

[blackout]

Ok, well I get the sense
that I "most resemble" what's under the "paganism" tent these days...
though to be honest I rather prefer the open skies...
but, anyway, I most definately can no longer be considered a christian,
and active majik in sign and symbol is a HUGE part of my reality now.
(so I'll venture an answer)

My three favorite "characters" are Y'shua/Jesus,
Don Juan, and Don Genaro.
(all masters of "the impossible")

My faith is ALL ABOUT experiencing ...
and manifesting... the "improbable possibility"...
so I sit quite comfortably in the "improbable possibility"
that these are lives of GREAT TRUTH...
weather or not they are fictional or historical.

I CHOOSE to believe they were "real" men
who lived so deep in the Spirit
that they trancended the "earth's possibility".
Or MORE PRECISELY....
that they transcended
man' s limited perception of the "earth's possibility".
(or "reality possibility")
(for as Jesus himself said... all things are possible with/in God)

So I emulate them...
or better... aspire to them...
(conceptually anyway)
and I don't worry about it.

If Jesus was in fact "real"...
he would definately have been
the koolest guy to hang around with!

Nothing like the "holy holy" stuff in churches.
But a real, clever and laid back character!

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I do believe a man did walk the earth that inspired the story of Jesus. He wasn't the son of God, the savior of man, but probably was seen as a teacher/wise man, who probably did perform miracles and was also probably enlightened.

 

[Kcnorwood]

Quote by Rick: Pagans and Christians under the same umbrella is one huge umbrella.

I dont think so...

As far as your OP goes I know of no evidence that Jesus walked the earth that doesn't mean he didn't anything is possible. I believe that if he did that he was just a man like Ghandi or Budda who wanted us to be all we can be!

 

[Melissa G]

It's not so much that Jesus is a problem. It's the myths that were written about him two centuries later, and the Council of Nicea which is a problem. Besides, it was the Christians, who largely destroyed paganism, no doubt as a result of still following the OT jealous God, whilst preaching universal love and tolerance. If only they ( The Church) could of resolved their spilt personality.

Melissa G