Sin – always a popular topic!

Christians have the 10 commandments, and they fear retribution, the fires of hell and eternal damnation. But we Pagans do not believe in ‘the Devil’ and so I hear you ask what do we have as moral guidance.

This is an important topic that needs addressing in the light recent crimes of abuse by religious leaders, the most recent that spring to mind , being a Christian priest and a Druid. However more thorough global enquiry would most assuredly reveal the problem to be found everywhere, for such is the nature of the evil, and all within our communities who hold positions of trust should never be above suspicion.

So why do Pagans not believe in the Devil. Well this is easy, he is an invention that grew out of the earliest Christian conversion teachings; there needed to be a focus for evil. ‘Good’ had as its champion Jesus Christ, so ‘Bad’ needed a champion of opposition. Basic psychology teaches that the mind loves the opposition of counterparts, it enhances clarity of understanding, and the early converts were definitely simple people. Hence for 2,000 years God has been the Super-hero, with Jesus his Side-kick, and special powers ‘the Holy Ghost’ , destined to battle with His arch nemesis, the Devil.

In contrast the beliefs of Paganism are known to start with the Old religion, and can be traced back over 30,000 years; these beliefs are the foundation stone upon which present day Neo-Paganism stands.

Be assured being Pagan does not negate the presence of evil, the absence of the personification of the Devil does not remove wrong from the world, in fact quite the opposite. A Pagan realizes there is always dark for light, and that each individual must daily affirm their choice to walk in the light of goodness and reject the darkness of negativity. If we fail we know it is our own fault, and we blame no-one but ourselves; for us there is no confessional box providing forgiveness, we have no ‘get out of Jail free’ cards.

We know full well that evil exists, and we know that it is the failings and weaknesses of humanity that give it space upon this physical realm, and thus it is us not the Devil who is to blame. Sin exists because humanity succumbs to flaws and weaknesses; these are our own shot comings, requiring us to face them, address and challenge them and thus bring correction.

Eve.