"Love God and don't be an asshole" -- Dianne Sylvan
That was the entirety of Dianne's post yesterday, and I love it.
Confession: I read Pagan* blogs. Not just blogs written by people who happen to practice Pagan spirituality, but blogs about Pagan spirituality. Regularly. I have a grand total of 13 in my reader, and I continuously gain beautiful spiritual insight from them.
However, I don't generally interact with them. With two exceptions, they usually don't welcome my presence on their blog once they find out I'm a Christian.
To be honest, it makes me sad. Sad that I wear an identity that has been so warped and twisted; an identity that has been so abusive and hostile toward other religions, Pagan in particular. An identity that, regardless of what I say, just the simple fact of my own faith indicates I am an enemy, or at least up to no good. Unfortunately, it has been common for Christians to bait-and-switch, pretending to be friendly but with the ultimate goal of converting the other person, which only causes people on the receiving end to be suspicious. That is a shameful and manipulative practice, and I condemn it.
Thanfully, there is growing belief among Christians that we might have more to learn from other faiths than we have ever dared to guess. More and more Christians are engaging with people of other belief systems, searching out the commonalities rather than the divisions, possibly even gleaning some knowledge that can help a Christian in their experience of God. Some people call this syncretism, I call it wisdom. Seeing something of value in the belief system of the other,and validating a person's right to choose their path is one small step toward resolving many of the world's disputes. I'm not idealistic about it, I don't believe that wars will end if we simply practice kindness toward other religions. However, I feel quite strongly that we cannot begin to measure the value of it.
However, for much of my conservative evangelical church experience, it has been pounded into me that we must be careful what we read, for putting non-Christian ideas into our heads will only lead down the slippery slope. I believed that simply reading about something would cause irreparable damage to my soul. For awhile, I only read the Bible and Christian fiction, such was the fear that I might cross that line into the "evil" zone.
When I left church, I was a mess. I was so convinced that the evangelical Christianity I knew was the only way to be a Christian, I was certain that if I did not continue to hold to those beliefs, there was no way I could continue to be a Christian. I could not continue in that way; it had no meaning for me anymore. However, I know I'm a spiritual being, so for awhile I thought to myself, "If I'm not Christian, then what am I?" I began reading books about other religions, investigating my options, considering the possibilities.
Interestingly enough, in the end I chose to remain here. Not because I didn't find anything of value in other traditions, but because I did. However, for my own path, those things I found of value only repeatedly and undeniably pointed toward Jesus, and reinforced for me why I follow him. The things I read broadened my awe of him, because I truly found Him to be alive in other places; and I realized I follow one really big God who encompasses all., and this began to grant me permission to know God the way I know him, not in the way someone else tells me I must know him. This is my own personal truth, but I certainly accept that it's not truth for everyone.
For those who might be suspicious of my motives for visiting and commenting on their other-than-Christian blogs, please know this: I am only there to learn; not to challenge, not to attack, not to persuade. Many Christians believe they have a monopoly on truth; I'm decidedly not one of them.
Fear and Honesty: The Pagan Stacks
Fear and Honesty: Connectedness
Fear and Honesty: Diverting from the Norm
Fear and Honesty: You are What You Read
*I use the term "Pagan" loosely. I do not intend to imply that "Pagan" is a single spiritual tradition in and of itself, but rather an adjective describing polytheistic, ancestral, or nature-based spiritual traditions or philosophies (many of which are, or are derived from, ancient spiritual practices), of their many varieties.
That was the entirety of Dianne's post yesterday, and I love it.
Confession: I read Pagan* blogs. Not just blogs written by people who happen to practice Pagan spirituality, but blogs about Pagan spirituality. Regularly. I have a grand total of 13 in my reader, and I continuously gain beautiful spiritual insight from them.
However, I don't generally interact with them. With two exceptions, they usually don't welcome my presence on their blog once they find out I'm a Christian.
To be honest, it makes me sad. Sad that I wear an identity that has been so warped and twisted; an identity that has been so abusive and hostile toward other religions, Pagan in particular. An identity that, regardless of what I say, just the simple fact of my own faith indicates I am an enemy, or at least up to no good. Unfortunately, it has been common for Christians to bait-and-switch, pretending to be friendly but with the ultimate goal of converting the other person, which only causes people on the receiving end to be suspicious. That is a shameful and manipulative practice, and I condemn it.
Thanfully, there is growing belief among Christians that we might have more to learn from other faiths than we have ever dared to guess. More and more Christians are engaging with people of other belief systems, searching out the commonalities rather than the divisions, possibly even gleaning some knowledge that can help a Christian in their experience of God. Some people call this syncretism, I call it wisdom. Seeing something of value in the belief system of the other,and validating a person's right to choose their path is one small step toward resolving many of the world's disputes. I'm not idealistic about it, I don't believe that wars will end if we simply practice kindness toward other religions. However, I feel quite strongly that we cannot begin to measure the value of it.
However, for much of my conservative evangelical church experience, it has been pounded into me that we must be careful what we read, for putting non-Christian ideas into our heads will only lead down the slippery slope. I believed that simply reading about something would cause irreparable damage to my soul. For awhile, I only read the Bible and Christian fiction, such was the fear that I might cross that line into the "evil" zone.
When I left church, I was a mess. I was so convinced that the evangelical Christianity I knew was the only way to be a Christian, I was certain that if I did not continue to hold to those beliefs, there was no way I could continue to be a Christian. I could not continue in that way; it had no meaning for me anymore. However, I know I'm a spiritual being, so for awhile I thought to myself, "If I'm not Christian, then what am I?" I began reading books about other religions, investigating my options, considering the possibilities.
Interestingly enough, in the end I chose to remain here. Not because I didn't find anything of value in other traditions, but because I did. However, for my own path, those things I found of value only repeatedly and undeniably pointed toward Jesus, and reinforced for me why I follow him. The things I read broadened my awe of him, because I truly found Him to be alive in other places; and I realized I follow one really big God who encompasses all., and this began to grant me permission to know God the way I know him, not in the way someone else tells me I must know him. This is my own personal truth, but I certainly accept that it's not truth for everyone.
For those who might be suspicious of my motives for visiting and commenting on their other-than-Christian blogs, please know this: I am only there to learn; not to challenge, not to attack, not to persuade. Many Christians believe they have a monopoly on truth; I'm decidedly not one of them.
Fear and Honesty: The Pagan Stacks
Fear and Honesty: Connectedness
Fear and Honesty: Diverting from the Norm
Fear and Honesty: You are What You Read
*I use the term "Pagan" loosely. I do not intend to imply that "Pagan" is a single spiritual tradition in and of itself, but rather an adjective describing polytheistic, ancestral, or nature-based spiritual traditions or philosophies (many of which are, or are derived from, ancient spiritual practices), of their many varieties.
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