Paganism 29

(NOTE: Some of the themes of these articles may not be appropriate for young readers. Please keep that in mind when sharing this information).

It is written:

“According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. 4  You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the LORD your God. 5  You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 18:3-5)

Pagans often practice a form of magic that is connected with sex. This is made especially clear in the Book of Leviticus.

In Leviticus 18-22, Moses instructs the people about God’s Laws when they enter into the land of Canaan. Moses is clear that the people must not follow after the rituals of the pagans of the land, and he goes on to enumerate several laws regarding sexual boundaries.

Why?

Because the pagans combine magic with sex.

“What kind of wickedness are we talking about? We’re familiar with the line, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” In the case of the Canaanites, the Canaanites’ moral apples didn’t fall far from the tree of their pantheon of immoral gods and goddesses. So if the Canaanite deities engaged in incest, then it’s not surprising that incest wasn’t treated as a serious moral wrong among the Canaanite people. As we’ve seen, adultery (temple sex), bestiality, homosexual acts (also temple sex), and child sacrifice were also permitted (cf. Lev. 18:20–30). Humans are “imaging” beings, designed to reflect the likeness and glory of their Creator. If we worship the creaturely rather than the Creator, we’ll come to resemble or image the idols of our own devising and that in which we place our security.3 The sexual acts of the gods and goddesses were imitated by the Canaanites as a kind of magical act: the more sex on the Canaanite high places, the more this would stimulate the fertility god Baal to have sex with his consort, Anath, which meant more semen (rain) produced to water the earth.” (Paul Copan, Is God A Moral Monster? Making Sense Of The Old Testament God, 159 (Kindle Edition); Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Books)

Several of the pagans that we have worked with in the Hazard area have explained to us some of the meetings and gatherings they participate in. Sexual rites are common place among them.