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Try starting a discussion based upon the definition of pagan provided by Father John Hardon S.J in the Modern Catholic Dictionary.
PAGAN, A heathen. In general one who practices idolatry. Formerly used to describe anyone who did not profess monotheism, and still used by Christians, Jews, and Moslems to identify a person who does not believe in one God, Creator of heaven and earth. More properly a pagan is a person who has abandoned all religious belief, i.e., an irreligious person. (Etym. Latin paganus, countryman, villager, civilian: from pagus , district, province, village.)
and
IDOLATRY. Literally, “the worship of idols,” it is giving divine honors to a creature. In the Decalouge (Ten Commandments) it is part of the first commandment of God, in which Yahweh tells the people, “You shall have no gods except me. You shall not make yourself a carved image (Greek eidolon, idol) or any likeness of anything in heaven or on earth or in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow down to tem or serve them” (Exodus 20:4-5).
The early Christians were martyred for refusing to worship idols, even externally, but practical idolatry is a perennial threat to the worship of the one true God. Modern secularism is a form of practical idolatry, which claims to give man “freedom to be an end unto himself, the sole artisan and creator of his own history.” Such freedom, it is said , “cannot be reconciled with affirmation of a Lord who is author and purpose of all thins,” or at least that this freedom “makes such an affirmation altogether superfluous” (Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Church, LG 51).
Idolatry is always gravely sinful. Even under the threat of death and without interiorly believing in the idol, a Christian may not give divine honors to a creature, thereby violating the duty of professing faith in God.
Reference material by Father John A. Hardon, S.J.
Modern Catholic Dictionary ISBN: 0-9672989-1-1
note give outstanding definitions of many terms.
The Catholic Catechism , A Contemporary Catechism of the Teachings of the Catholic Church ISBN: 0-385-08045-X
Note This is an aplogetics oriented catechism, and can be used in conjunction with the CCC or any magisterial document.
Father Hardon wrote a catechism for Blessed Mother Theresa and he was an advisor to Pope Paul VI. Also Father Hardon communicated with many Protestants over the years.
PAGAN, A heathen. In general one who practices idolatry. Formerly used to describe anyone who did not profess monotheism, and still used by Christians, Jews, and Moslems to identify a person who does not believe in one God, Creator of heaven and earth. More properly a pagan is a person who has abandoned all religious belief, i.e., an irreligious person. (Etym. Latin paganus, countryman, villager, civilian: from pagus , district, province, village.)
and
IDOLATRY. Literally, “the worship of idols,” it is giving divine honors to a creature. In the Decalouge (Ten Commandments) it is part of the first commandment of God, in which Yahweh tells the people, “You shall have no gods except me. You shall not make yourself a carved image (Greek eidolon, idol) or any likeness of anything in heaven or on earth or in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow down to tem or serve them” (Exodus 20:4-5).
The early Christians were martyred for refusing to worship idols, even externally, but practical idolatry is a perennial threat to the worship of the one true God. Modern secularism is a form of practical idolatry, which claims to give man “freedom to be an end unto himself, the sole artisan and creator of his own history.” Such freedom, it is said , “cannot be reconciled with affirmation of a Lord who is author and purpose of all thins,” or at least that this freedom “makes such an affirmation altogether superfluous” (Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Church, LG 51).
Idolatry is always gravely sinful. Even under the threat of death and without interiorly believing in the idol, a Christian may not give divine honors to a creature, thereby violating the duty of professing faith in God.
Reference material by Father John A. Hardon, S.J.
Modern Catholic Dictionary ISBN: 0-9672989-1-1
note give outstanding definitions of many terms.
The Catholic Catechism , A Contemporary Catechism of the Teachings of the Catholic Church ISBN: 0-385-08045-X
Note This is an aplogetics oriented catechism, and can be used in conjunction with the CCC or any magisterial document.
Father Hardon wrote a catechism for Blessed Mother Theresa and he was an advisor to Pope Paul VI. Also Father Hardon communicated with many Protestants over the years.
) really getting INTO the faith. Go you!
