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Johann von Metten writes:
 First, I apologize for taking this off topic and if anyone wants to 
continue a 'NON-Flaming' discussion of various religious anthropological 
topics, please respond privately. 

  By education and profession I'm a anthropologist and a Church 
historian. (I hold a Masters in both) 
  There is often a lot of confusion regarding 'pagan' god(esses) being 
'made' into christian saints. In the case of not only Brigid, but also 
Thor, Frieda and Lugh, there are several saints called by these 
undeniable pre-christian names!! How? Why? The average person without 
study, may indeed simply ascribe this to " the church is simply taking 
over old practices".  Well, humans being who and  what they are 
(regardless of what we may think they are the same the world around) 
We name our children after our ancestors and/or heroes, all of the above 
names were common roots and elements of human names.
  As Christianity came into contact with other cultures the new converts 
brought their own names into the new Chistian context. Remember, all 
'christian names' were of another culture at one point, Greek, Roman, 
Celtic, etc..., the only culture this is not true of is possibly Jewish 
from which Christianity sprung to begin with. 
  Now I grant you that there IS some coincedence between one of the 
three Saint Brigids and the pagan goddess/heroine. However, we do have a 
goodly amount of documentation around the one's life and death, enough 
to separate the two images.  That they should share the same 'miracles'
should really mean nothing as saints do often perform miracles, the 
difference being concerning the how and whys of the miracles. Even if 
the common people blend the two observances, should not impune that  
"the Church" does.
  Contrary to popular belief the Church has never been a truly 
monolithic structure, as much as we would want it to be for various 
reasons. The Church may strive for unity, but achieving it has always 
evaded us, human unity and divine unity being two different things?
For a seemingly male dominated organization it is a common saying that 
the real power in the church are the 'blue-hairs', old women who have no 
fear of bishops or priests, but merely 'handle' them to achieve what 
must be done!!
  Pope St. Gregaory the Great was the first to approve that 'those 
customs to which the people were attached before coming to the true 
faith may be continued if they are wholesome and may be seen in the 
light of the gospel'. Thus approving such non-mediterranean ideas as All 
Saints Day/Samhain and quaterly rogation days. 
  It cannot be emphasized enough that 'Christianity' itself has no 
culture, it is like salt or yeast, an ingredient which transforms those 
dishes, cultures, it comes in contact with.