Happy St Patrick's Day! Since this is a Christian forum, I will talk a little bit about the history and Christian origins of St Patrick's Day.
St Patrick was a 5th-century Romano-British bishop and missionary to the Irish. He was born in Roman Britain and at the age of 16 he was kidnapped by Irish pirates. He lived there for 6 years before escaping and returning home. After becoming a cleric, he would return as a missionary to Ireland and he later became a bishop.
According to some accounts, he attempted to explain the Trinity to the Irish by using a three-leaf clover as a visual aid. This is why three-leaf clovers are associated with St Patrick's Day. He is know as the "Apostle of Ireland" and is the patron saint of the nation. He is also known for writing this prayer (know as "St Patrick's Breastplate"):
Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in
danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

http://www.prayerfoundation.org/st_patricks_breastplate_prayer.htm

God bless him! His faith should be commemorated by all Christians!

6360729
Well, like with a lot of holidays, the Christian origins have largely been forgotten or ignored.

6360712
6360729
If most people know anything about Saint Patrick, it’s that his one claim to fame is that he drove the snakes from Ireland. What most people don’t realize is that the snake is a Pagan symbol, and that the snakes referred to in the Saint Patrick mythos are not meant in the literal sense, but refer to Pagans; i.e., Saint Patrick drove the Pagans (specifically, the Celts) out of Ireland (although it could be said, and has been argued, that much has been done in Saint Patrick’s name, but that the man himself was relatively unimportant). So what is celebrated on Saint Patrick’s Day is the spread of Christianity throughout Ireland and the subjugation and conversion of the Celts.

My recognition of today involves prayer for those whom refused to convert and then were prosecuted and slain; while reminding myself that such acts, regretfully are human nature. For all the good we can do; we are capable of evil in equal measure.

That aside; Happy Saint Patrick's day.
May the Divine bless us all.

6360760
The conversion of the Celts was a good thing. The Druids practiced human sacrifices, that's what things like wicker men were used for: putting people inside and burning them alive. And they would also cut living victims open and they would make predictions of the future based off of things like how their limbs convulsed and how their blood gushed.

6360798
I remember one account was where Patrick was witnessing to the Celts and their chieftain (High King) opposed this. Patrick wore a cloak that the chieftain believed had special powers. The chieftain then challenged Patrick with the trial of fire. Patrick's convert/assistant wore the cloak and passed through the fire unharmed. The chieftain donned the cloak and he died in the fire. Not sure if this is based on some legend or a tv presentation. The part with the shamrock (three leaf clover) was also shown as Patrick attempted to use the clover as a visual aid to demonstrate the superstitious pagan Celts about the Trinity.

6360815

Not sure if this is based on some legend or a tv presentation

It's probably some legend. I'd have to look that up.

6360817
st patrick, an irish legend

it begins with st Patrick saving a young woman about to be sacrificed by the celtic druids and he destroys their idols and altar.

6360825
It looks pretty interesting. I may have to watch the full thing later. Several Christian sites had good reviews for it, and one said some of the narration is from the Confessio of St Patrick.

6360712

Happy St. Patrick's day!

6360843
I always liked the architecture of those old Irish churches and monasteries.

6360798

It is plausible that ancient Druids did perform human sacrifices. All early faiths practiced sacrifices of some sort. I believe the Old Testament has a few outdated rules about animal sacrifices (Moses I think wrote some in the book Leviticus, but I'd have to look it up ); but the stories of giant Wicker Men being used as massive cages to burn sacrifices alive are impractical. Wicker structures can be strong but they very rapidly lose structural integrity when set on fire, and a blazing structure of the sizes proposed would be extremely difficult to contain.
Sadly, all surviving texts about ancient Druids were written by non-druids.
Julius Caesar had a lot to say about the Druids. According to Caesar, those who had been found guilty of theft or other criminal offences were considered preferable for use as sacrificial victims, but when criminals were in short supply, innocents would be acceptable.
He was also claiming these things about Gaulish, not Celtic druids.
I'd very much like to see what sources credit Celtic Druids for such acts when you can spare a moment.
Remembering our history is one of the only constructive ways we can avoid repeating the unfortunate chapters.

And they would also cut living victims open and they would make predictions of the future based off of things like how their limbs convulsed and how their blood gushed.

...I would also very much like to see what source you take this from. All faiths have a rich history of painting other faiths as extreme practitioners of savage barbarism and such. This sounds more like a Norse sort of thing.

6360848
The only people who deny that Old World paganism had barbaric practices like human sacrifice are anti-Christian revisionists and Neo-pagans who want to make Christianity look bad for coming and converting the people and ruining such wonderful customs and practices.

6360850
It seems to me that you are being aggressive because you are interpreting me as being aggressive. Either you are just naturally a confrontational person or I really rubbed you the wrong way. Either way; I have no interest in fighting you. I have no reason to provoke you; and I can't think of a reason why you would want to provoke me.

It is plausible that ancient Druids did perform human sacrifices. All early faiths practiced sacrifices of some sort

I am not denying that religions used sacrifices. I am asking if you are referring to Celtic Druids or Gaulish Druids; because Julius Caesar credited Gaulish Druids for using Wicker Men. I am not aware that Celtic Druids used the same methods.

Modern Christians are a Very different set of cultures than the Christians back then. People looking for reasons to put the two in the same room are just looking for a fight: something that my spiritual beliefs do not permit.
I was not looking to call today's Christians monsters because Christians of a former period in history killed anyone who would not convert. I originally posted to explain that my day involves praying for the souls that were lost.

I apologize if my first post was offensive; but I would like to be told why.

6360868

It seems to me that you are being aggressive because you are interpreting me as being aggressive

I wasn't aware I was coming off as aggressive.

I am asking if you are referring to Celtic Druids or Gaulish Druids

I'm saying that both practiced human sacrifices. Not only were there burnings, there was a method based off of the "threefold deaths" spoken of in Irish legends: they were strangled, hit on the head, and had their throats cut in quick order, then they were usually tossed into a bog. There is also evidence of people being impaled.

6360877

I wasn't aware I was coming off as aggressive.

Well I am sorry if I was mistaken; but you seem very determined to justify the slaying of people whom I prayed for.
I said Druidic Celts were persecuted and killed and left it at that. You detailed brutal methods of ritualistic sacrifice and said that anyone who denies these things have anti-Christian motives when I asked clarification as to whether you were talking about Gaulish Druids or Celtic Druids; since I was aware that the former were credited to the Wicker Man burnings but unsure about the later having done that.
I apologized for any offense that I may have given; and you doubled down on painting the Druids as savage, blood thirsty barbarians.
It feels as though you feel that praying for the souls lost is a waste but don't want to directly say so.

Either you are just very steadfast in your convictions or we just don't know each other all that well (which is very understandable. This is the most we've spoken).
What I do know (or at least I am very certain based on this conversation) is that if I brought up detailed ways that ancient Christians dealt with non-Christians; you would be much, much less civil.

You know what?
This is getting ridiculous. How about we just agree to shake hands before one of us gets the wrong idea and says something that can't be taken back? Is this a middle ground you can meet me halfway on?

May the Divine Spirit bless you. May your life be filled with the grace and glory of our creator. Blessed be.

6360843
When one considers the labor it took to make such a structure; it becomes even more amazing

6360712
Also in some beliefs its said he fought one of the ancient Celtic gods. Oh, and the snakes were the druids, as apparently Ireland has no native snakes

6362492
I would think that the concept of him actually fighting a Celtic Deity would be contradictory to Christianity. The idea only works if one acknowledges that there are actually Gods other than the 'One Christian God'; which I imagine most if not all Christians would take issue with.

6363210
It wouldn't necessarily be contradictory. The Bible says that there is one God, yes, but it does acknowledge that other spirit beings exist. There are also angels and demons, which are lesser, created beings. And the Scriptures teach that all other "gods" are actually demons. Which would mean that, if the legends were true, Patrick would have fought a demon who acted as a "god" to the Celts.

6363245
That actually makes more sense if it is meant to be taken as such.

6363245
Some Christians also attribute gods like say, Odin, to be either clever mortals, or angels or other spirts worshipped as such. There's also a belief, I forget what its called, that even if you worship a deity of religion A or B, you can still accept the others as true, but rather than gods they're just powerful spirits

6363456

There's also a belief, I forget what its called, that even if you worship a deity of religion A or B, you can still accept the others as true, but rather than gods they're just powerful spirits

I think that is called "henotheism". It's worshipping only a certain deity while not denying the existence or potential existence of other deities.

6363478
Thank you, that's it!

6363506
You're welcome.

6363509
I find it a rather fascinating form of belief, and I guess could rationalize accepting the existence of other deities. Like they aren't gods, just spirits, not demons mind you, that people see as gods. I believe Sam, a Muslim character in Magnus Chase mentions something like that