I have asked this before... The pagan gods

[aquinasg]

The Greek idea of the Logos was seen as a sort of "seed of the Spirit" by early Christians. But how is this different Vatican II's statement that non-Christian religions "nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men"?

[LoneWolfRadTrad]

Worship of ancestors and early monarchs was another factor in paganism. 

[kingtheoden]

The theory of ancestor worship seems like a fair possibility.

Keeping in mind that as Man increasingly scattered in the generations after the Fall, there was (and is today) a tendancy to slide down and away from God.  As a result, the ideas and notions of theological truth became corrupted.  Probably, this accelerated in the post-Flood era and left people even more confused or open to demonic influence.

But beyond corrupted memories and theological understanding, it seems fair to believe that many deities of various peoples are based on fallen angels.  A quick look at some Hindu deities would cause most grounded Catholics to rightly conclude significant demonic influence.

Perhaps more upsetting than seeing paganism is to see Vatican II pseudo converts attack and promote a false Church.  Truth is Truth and the declared pastoral Vatican II Council should be safely ignored by Catholics who truly believe in God, and not in man.

Please, don't take Ray's comment and twist it into Neocon Modernist idiocy.  It is clear what Ray writes and he is correct; Greek and Roman civilization were perfect vessels for the Faith and the Faith, at least for a time, transformed their foundations so as to Christen these cutlures so much so that the Faith and these cultures became almost completely melded.

[Ray M Facere]

But how is this different Vatican II's statement that non-Christian religions "nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men"?

Think of it like assembling a puzzle. After you've completed just the edges you might think there is nothing there of real beauty. As some of the middle starts to come in you might remark that you can see the total beauty of the picture emerging, while recognizing it is still deficient in many respects. Then the puzzle is assembled and you see the full picture. You remark on its beauty and see what was there all along that you began to see emerging. After the puzzle is assembled though, you can't take out a piece here or there (or even enough pieces to be back to the state of when you recognized the emerging beauty) and it be BETTER than the fully assembled puzzle, nor would you particularly say it has any beauty only deficiencies compared to the fully assembled puzzle you had already seen.

[Vetus Ordo]

The pagan gods are demons, figments of men's imagination or both.

Scripture has already infallibly answered that question. Check Psalm 95:5 and Wisdom 15:15-19.

[aquinasg]

Psalm 95:5 For the sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.



Wisdom 15  They thought that all their pagan idols were gods, even though idols cannot see with their eyes, cannot breathe through their nose, cannot hear with their ears, cannot feel with their fingers, and cannot walk on their legs.16 Someone whose spirit is only borrowed made them. No one can ever make a god that is equal to a human being.

Wisdom is speaking of the worship of material objects. Not all paganism consisted in this. If a pagan is innocently ignorant about the truth, his prayers to his false spiritual gods could still be heard by the One True God, who looks at the heart despite the confusion of his mind.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10006a.htm
The physical character of the Mass
"[F]irst, because among all the sacrifices of the past and future the Sacrifice on the Cross alone stands without any relation to, and absolutely independent of, any other sacrifice, a complete totality and unity in itself; second because every grace, means of grace and sacrifice, whether belonging to the Jewish, Christian or pagan economy, derive their whole undivided strength, value, and efficiency singly and alone from this absolute sacrifice on the Cross."

[Parmandur]

Psalm 95:5 For the sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.

You're looking at the wrong Psalm 95:5.  According to the Hebrew numbering, it would be 96:5.  In the Septuagint numbering, used in the Vulgate and Latin-derived versions, it is 95:5.  Per the Douay-Rheims: "For all the gods of the Gentiles are devils: but the Lord made the heavens."

[aquinasg]

That verse was addressed to the Jews. For David and the Jews, those "gods out there" were devils, because they knew the truth of the One True God. Not all pagans worship demons however. If they intend no evil by their prayers, than such is impossible. God hears the sincere prays of everyone