As you examine this site, you'll see a substantial amount of Christo-Pagan material and a smaller amount of Judeo-Pagan material. But it would be a mistake to assume that these two camps encompassed all of Demipaganism, for reasons that a brief examination of Judeo-Paganism itself, will make clear. Not all Judeo-Pagans will revere the god of the "Old Testament", some, instead worshipping the members of one or another of the pre-Judaic Near Eastern pantheons, bringing Judaic traditions to the worship of these deities. Some ideas are transferable between mythoi.

In the case of a Christian-influenced Paganism, this becomes even clearer. Consider the concept of salvation through good works, a cornerstone of Roman Catholicism. Is it part of the Christian tradition? Certainly. Is it unique to it? Not even close, some would argue. Long before the first missionaries appeared on Greece's shores, the concept that the gods would grow jealous of one's happiness unless one sacrificed a portion of it, was a matter of established tradition. Sometimes, this sacrifice took the form of simple waste, but such sacrifices were not always well received. The case of Polycrates has become proverbial. (The ring he threw into the sea being returned to him in the mouth of a fish caught later). But, the claim has been made, some would sacrifice a portion of that happiness by rededicating some of their wealth (or some of their time and energy) to causes that would be pleasing to the gods appeased. (*) From this point of view, one isn't afraid the god will be acting out of petty spite, but, perhaps, that he will be angered that, having been given so much, one then goes on to give so little. The good fortune might be seen as an investment in that individual by a god who wants to see all of his worshippers helped.

If one feels that the form that the gods' ill will is expressed in is an example of the ruthlessness of the Pagan conception of the Divine, let us note that in Judaism, God is frequently seen as expressing His anger in just this way. But it is correction, not cruelty, and the errant worshipper does have the option of atoning for his failings.

Most of the gods of Olympus were noted for their compassion toward those who faithfully served them. Thus, the concept of good works would not at all be unique to religions of Judeo-Christian derivation, as a Buddhist might point out, with a smile and an indulgent laugh, at the misconceptions of those who thought that Christendom had invented charity, forgiveness and mercy, centuries after Gautama had taught these things to his followers. Indeed, Christendom itself often points to Marcus Aurelius, and the other stoics as men who, however unfamiliar with Christian theology, often exemplified what would later be thought of as the best Christian ideals in attitude and behavior.

Some Christo-Pagans will point to the tragic rashness and harshness of antiquity, both among men and gods, and say that this implied a place in the pantheon that Christ was the ideal deity to fill. Other Hellenic Demipagans may disagree, and say that the old deity already had a god of calm foresight, with altruistic tendencies (Prometheus). Some would argue that the problem in antiquity was not that a god was missing, but that one that needed to be heard from was given inadequate attention, pointing to a well developed philosophical tradition as evidence that the gods had been sharing their wisdom with man for centuries. They would point out that if Israel had its prophets, Greece had its oracles and seers. They might ask, if the teachings of the latter went up in flames because the latter Christian authorities decided to burn them, if it would be sensible to view the comparative poverty in this area that resulted as an argument on behalf of the tradition whose supporters were responsible for it?

Our Non-Judeo-Christian Demipagans might argue that what has characterized the modern Western tradition has been reverence for values, far more than reverence for deities, and point out that while some may find that a Judeo-Christian or theologically mixed path may help some to connect to those values, for them, the worship of a more purely Pagan pantheon did the same for them. For them, what is brought out of the non-pagan core is not the identity of God, but a conception of how one serves the gods and a cultural tradition awaiting a gentle reconstruction. As this segment of our group grows, this thought will be explored. In the meanwhile, let us pause, and remember that this branch of our path does exist, and is followed.

Of course, it is not the one we follow here.

It'll be a while before this section is expanded on. In the meanwhile, let us return.

(*) We should like to see documentation of this, though we will note that the temples of Aesclepius did treat the ill (charity of a sort) and contributions to a gods's temple which came before a personal need arose was considered to be the proper form of the worshipper's considerations under Du et des. Our question is : how much charitable or otherwise socially redeeming work was done by the temples during antiquity.