Christians and atheists start a calmer dialogue
I've blogged about Phil Wyman before (1,2). I really like his focus on outreach:
..."I've never understood treating a people group as [the enemy] because their belief system is different," says Phil Wyman, pastor of The Gathering, a Salem church that sponsored the conference...
More and more people are seeing the value of a 'can't we all just get along' attitude:
...a few people on both sides are finding calmer ways to engage, seeking to build bridges and even learn from one another...So both are willing to sit down together in different venues, discuss their divergent perspectives, and, in some cases, jointly visit church services across the United States. As a result, they are sparking a growing Christian-atheist dialogue on the Web...At a conference in Salem, Mass., last Saturday, for example, Christians from several states listened to atheists and neopagans talk about who they are, the origin of their ethics and beliefs, and what challenges they encounter in a society that is predominantly Christian...
Showing posts with label outreach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label outreach. Show all posts
Monday, May 14, 2007
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Can't we just all get along
Can Christians be friends with Witches?
I've mentioned The Salem Gathering before. Blogger Pam Hogeweide has written a great article about Pastor Phil Wyman and his continuing work establishing bridges between the Christian, Wiccan, and Pagan communities:
...One of the problems about Christians freaking out when it comes to witches and pagans are the myths we associate with them. Myth number one: They worship satan. “They do not. Most of them don’t even believe in satan,” says Phil. Myth number two: We assume they worship a deity. “Most pagans define themselves as agnostic, or what I call mystical agnostic. Some don’t even practice spells,” continues Phil...Myth number three...Pagans and witches are out to send curses against the church. “There are many of them who really think it would be an unethical thing to do. To some degree most pagans adhere to the Wiccan Rede, ‘And it ‘arm none do what thou wilt’” explains Phil. (Rede: pronounced “reed,” which basically means, Don’t hurt anyone)...
Heh, "mystical agnostic", I like that. This next part is my favorite. I'm sure many Wiccans and Pagans have experienced the wide-eyed confusion I've seen when explaining something of our religion to those who have been fed a diet of propaganda:
I asked Phil for advice in relating to pagans about our faith. “Do not assume they are satanists,” began Phil. “Do not assume they practice some form of malevolent magic. Begin your relationship with someone who is pagan by believing the best about them – love believes all things – and that perhaps their reason for being pagan is noble. Understand that they may have been rejected or mistreated by other Christians,” says Phil. “Be willing to listen to them. Treat them with the simple respect you would desire to receive from them.”
The concluding portion is precious:
Is it kind of weird to think about Christians and witches hanging out with each other? “Everybody is weird. And we are weird and that’s why Jesus came because we’re all weirdoes. I just really love witches and pagans.” Me too, Phil, me too.
Pam blog How God Messed Up My Religion is worth checking out. Her post, Love Thy Pagan Neighbor (My friend is a witch), is a must read for Christians with wiccaphobia. I enjoyed this exchange between her and one of her friends:
...I told Michele that I had been researching paganism/witchcraft and learned that pagans for the most part are peace loving and non-violent. They don't drink blood as Hollywood, or freaked out Christians, would have us believe."No, we don't drink blood - that would be the Catholics," joked Michele...
I've mentioned The Salem Gathering before. Blogger Pam Hogeweide has written a great article about Pastor Phil Wyman and his continuing work establishing bridges between the Christian, Wiccan, and Pagan communities:
...One of the problems about Christians freaking out when it comes to witches and pagans are the myths we associate with them. Myth number one: They worship satan. “They do not. Most of them don’t even believe in satan,” says Phil. Myth number two: We assume they worship a deity. “Most pagans define themselves as agnostic, or what I call mystical agnostic. Some don’t even practice spells,” continues Phil...Myth number three...Pagans and witches are out to send curses against the church. “There are many of them who really think it would be an unethical thing to do. To some degree most pagans adhere to the Wiccan Rede, ‘And it ‘arm none do what thou wilt’” explains Phil. (Rede: pronounced “reed,” which basically means, Don’t hurt anyone)...
Heh, "mystical agnostic", I like that. This next part is my favorite. I'm sure many Wiccans and Pagans have experienced the wide-eyed confusion I've seen when explaining something of our religion to those who have been fed a diet of propaganda:
I asked Phil for advice in relating to pagans about our faith. “Do not assume they are satanists,” began Phil. “Do not assume they practice some form of malevolent magic. Begin your relationship with someone who is pagan by believing the best about them – love believes all things – and that perhaps their reason for being pagan is noble. Understand that they may have been rejected or mistreated by other Christians,” says Phil. “Be willing to listen to them. Treat them with the simple respect you would desire to receive from them.”
The concluding portion is precious:
Is it kind of weird to think about Christians and witches hanging out with each other? “Everybody is weird. And we are weird and that’s why Jesus came because we’re all weirdoes. I just really love witches and pagans.” Me too, Phil, me too.
Pam blog How God Messed Up My Religion is worth checking out. Her post, Love Thy Pagan Neighbor (My friend is a witch), is a must read for Christians with wiccaphobia. I enjoyed this exchange between her and one of her friends:
...I told Michele that I had been researching paganism/witchcraft and learned that pagans for the most part are peace loving and non-violent. They don't drink blood as Hollywood, or freaked out Christians, would have us believe."No, we don't drink blood - that would be the Catholics," joked Michele...
Monday, December 4, 2006
Church severs tie with branch over pagans
The Gathering chastised for getting too close to witches
I guess the Foursquare Evangelical Church thought Paster Phil Wyman's Pagan outreach efforts were a little too much in the 'going native' department:
"...The trouble began two years ago, Wyman said, when he inadvertently posed for a photo on the Essex Street pedestrian mall with a woman calling herself the “Countess Bathoria,” who had stirred up controversy by appearing in a promotional poster for a vampire ball wearing a bikini and covered in blood. She was being paraded around by two local witches that day when Wyman said he went over to greet them and was photographed as he bent down to kiss the woman’s ring...The photo made its way to the Web site of a local pagan event, The Festival of the Dead, and was seen months later by church leaders, Wyman said..."
Thanx to Angeleternyti for this one.
I guess the Foursquare Evangelical Church thought Paster Phil Wyman's Pagan outreach efforts were a little too much in the 'going native' department:
"...The trouble began two years ago, Wyman said, when he inadvertently posed for a photo on the Essex Street pedestrian mall with a woman calling herself the “Countess Bathoria,” who had stirred up controversy by appearing in a promotional poster for a vampire ball wearing a bikini and covered in blood. She was being paraded around by two local witches that day when Wyman said he went over to greet them and was photographed as he bent down to kiss the woman’s ring...The photo made its way to the Web site of a local pagan event, The Festival of the Dead, and was seen months later by church leaders, Wyman said..."
Thanx to Angeleternyti for this one.
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