Through discussions with Christian friends I have come to this
question.  Can Pagans and Christians be friends?  What needs to
be talked about?  What ground rules do we need to have frank discussions?

*One rule here!*
No proslytizing!  None at all.  If you think your way is the only way,
that is fine.  Don't try to convert anyone.  If you feel a need to be
converted....take it to private chat and have at it!

142 responses total.

I think that all people of all religions can be friends.  It occurs to
be too late that I should have included all the other faiths such
as Jewish, Buddhist etc.
My ground rules ae that I will listen until somebody feels the need
to *witness* or *testify*!  Then I tune out.  
My views are that we all look at the same tree...we just look at it
from different sides!  

Good point arwen.
Since at least 99 percent of religions teach love, peace and tolleance,
er.. tollerance, it should be possible for people of differing faiths and
practices too get along in peace and harmony.
However, some people are just overwhelmed with lust, greed, or whatever
other vices they suffer from and go out and start wars blaming it on religious
differences.  Other times prejudice is the big problem when people can't put
aside their differences and accept people for what they are and love them
anyways.

ok, i'm out of breath now.

I think that it depends on the Christian.  (I can't speak for
other denominations.)  In general, Episcopalians, Unitarians,
and Unity are tolerant of pagans.  I can't speak for local
Episcopal or Unity groups, but at one point there was (and
perhaps still is) a local Unitarian pagan group.  That's not
to say individual members of the church may not be prejudiced,
just that if they hold true to their creed, they're more likely
to be hospitable.

However, I'm not sure that it's too safe to be friends with
a fundamentalist.  If you accept King James as the gospel
(heh heh), that business about "...thou shalt not suffer a 
witch to live..." would cast a bit of a pall on a friendship:

"Say, Bill (an imaginary fundie), what are you doing with that 
charcoal starter, large pile of wood, and matches?  Going to
have a cookout?"

Well I've thoguht much about stuff like this... I am a christian, yet I have
done many, 'unchristian' things. I have practiced buddhism and such, and I
see many paralles between the two. I am not christian, and yet not pagan, or
anything else. Yet I belive a supernatural being that guides us, and is made
up by us we wouldn't be here without it and it wouldn't be here without us.
It is what links us to the elements and at the same time sets us apart....

Re 3:  My opinion is, though, that you should keep lines open regardless
until they actually whip out the starter and matches.  I've been surprised
by who has been, and who has not been, religiously tolerant.  My father
is a United Methodist minister (the U-M church is fairly liberal, although
I was surprised by some of the stuff in their Book of Shadows, or whatever
it is they call it), and his opinion on my religion was relief:  he'd
thought I was an atheist!  (No offense against atheists -- he just doesn't
understand them, particularly.)  While I seem to remember Jesus suggesting
witnessing here and there (and I may bewrong even about that), I don't 
believe he ever suggested religious intolerance as acceptable.

My own belief is that if Christians would live by the
words *attributed* to Christ.....this would be a better
world.  Many Christians rely too much on the words of
Paul and many non-Christians think everything in the
Bible is the word of God.  I was speaking to someone
who is recently "born-again" (fundamentalist) and 
this person told me that they believed that you should
ask for God's guidance when reading and interpreting the
Bible.  We also had an interesting discussion about
God and what I call  the Divine Spark

It makes me feel GREAT to read this. I hope one day, xtianity and other 
religions can coexist peacfully...(I wish they could exist with each other 
peacefully!!), but I really can't see it coming. Any belief that is so 
bent on the destruction of other beliefs...that can't acceot any theology
beyond it's own... We have way to go. Peace and blessings. We should try to get
some of the followers of Christ to speak up here!!

It is strange that Christianty has caused such a stir, as it wasn't intended
to even be a new reglion.... Christ didn't set out to make a new regligion
he set out to be an example for god's creations....... Weird that it has caused
so many wars......

Canis...yep...I think Christ is probably appalled!  No wonder.
People taking verses out of a book and making entire theologies
out of them......Women should have long hair....men should have facial
hair to denote their manhood.  The word homosexual being under
scrutiny for actual translation.  Wash it homosexual or prostitute of????

Ok.
Just to make some pints before I dissapear.
re #6-  that RECENTLY born again dude is me... and it isn't
recent.
I've been a 
Christian since February 12, 1977.
That's 17 years.
I was saying arwen... that i recently came back and embraced my
faith this past year... and am only now secure in it.

I was going to be a part of this convo... but my 'real' life is
calling me away from Grex for quite some time.
I will join in when I return... it will be a while... but not an eternity.

I'm very much looking forward to your contribution, Gerund.

I'll take a pint :)
<sorrry, couldn't help myself>

<smack Jeff>  Gerund...you did tell me that...I forgot.  Sorry!
Thanks for coming out of the closet!  I will look for you
to come back soon!  

Looking forward to some education Gerund.

I prefer to call it sharing....education sounds like pagans
are ignorant?!?!

Connotations, darling.  "Ignorant" literally means "lacking information."
If we already knew everything everyone else knew, there'd be no point in
talking, ergo, everyone is ignorant of something.

Usage,dear!  To me it means dumb!  (Ignorant that is....cunning linguist, go
away!)  smile

Didn't mean to use it in a derogatory way Arwen, I am ignorant, but not
stupid. Stupidity asks to remain ignorant by not asking:)
There's a quote somewhere in here by Lazerus Long...hmmmmmm. Later.

Of course it's usually used to mean dumb.  No arguments here.  I was 
merely commenting on its etymology.
(dumb, meanwhile, originally meant mute, unable to talk; only stupid
has always meant stupid).

Phaedrus and Brigh...'kay!  I will accept that.

(stup- btw roughly means dazed or mentally unaware, both in stupid and in
stupefy)

Well... I'm back... not much in the way of a long goodbye.


what I have to say:

Misunderstanding misunderstanding Misunderstanding.
For the most part that describes it all.

I don't think it means I can't be friends with you, since for the most
part pagans are TRUE searchers... they never HAVE embraced one thing
but have searched out many things and embraced what lines up with
their experiences.  At least that's how most pagans have come across
to me.  I've ALWAYS started with the assumption that God needs to get US
to HIM and that if we start by looking for the truth... and i mean THE TRUTH
not some convienient religious mumbo jumbo... then God will guide us
into knowledge of HIm.  I use Him because he's reached me this way....
Who am I to say you've not been reached another way... That's between you and
'God'.

hey!  there're supposed poly/pan-theists who should be so accepting of other
people's views...  Thanks as usual, Gerund.  Although, recently I have met
some strict (?) polytheist who adamantly refute the notion that "all gods are
one god".  Whatever, who am I to say.

simple: I worship my diet(y/ies), you worship your dieti(y/ies)
you don't try and convert/kill/maim me, I don't try to conver/kill/maim
you...we're all happy, no?

Yes, we're all happy.
But, as is being discussed elsewhere, what is converting and what is 
merely sharing?

I think here we're sharing. What many xhristians do is an attempt at
converting. Part of the theology is to "save" the heathens. If that's being
saved, let me sit sit on a bag of briquets folks, I'm going staight to HELL!!
All the coolest people people will be there anyway...

You might be suprised at what heaven is.

RE whatever number it was that mentioned following Jesus instead of Paul:
I agree.  However, it was Jesus that advocated conversion.  "Go therefore,
and make deciples of all men, baptising them in the name of the Father and
the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them everything I have commanded
you."  Still, I doubt he meant against their will or by the sword.  As to
christians and pagans being friends, my girlfriend is a pagan, and my best
friend is a Catholic, and I'm somewhere inbetween, and we're all great
friends.  I say we do as fireball suggested.  Yes, I agree that this is
sharing.  Personally, I love it. (Did I miss anything?)  :)

sound goood to me, mon :)

Dang dangit, now I have "Fishers of Men" stuck in my head:
"I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men"
(complete with fishing motion... egad!)

/grin at brighn

I heard one person once say, 'But Lord, this lake is dirty...
Surely you don't want toxic fish....'
Missed the whole point I guess.

I wish Lousisiana were not so scarily Christian and conservative.
I actually tore my "Born Again Pagan" bumper sticker off of my
car for fear of retribiution. sigh

that's okay...at lunch one day (I eat in a group of 8-12) we were
discussing religion (what with the High Holidays and all) and
we decided to find out who was what.  When I told the table that I was
pagan half the people becavme very interested in what that meant to me
(I explained at fairly great length...one of the more interesting
conversations I've had) and the other half had NO CLUE what 'pagan'
even MEANT much less what the H*LL it IS!!

Never, ever, be afraid to be yourself.
If others don't like it, then to hell with them.

Arwen I understand your fear. 
Jeffrey there are times to avoid a fight. That may well be one. I live to be 
myself, but if my family's lives and my own are at risk, I'll tear a bumper
sticker off in a heart beat. I rather like the African way of keeping your
religion!!!

Ah Jeff...it is Terrie's job we worry about the most.  She is having
real problems about a forced prayer meeting complete with required
attendance during school hours.  When she asked the princ. he said
"We are trying to get prayer vback in the schools where it belongs"
Very scary and we have called the ACLU!  But thanks for your vote of
confidence.  Phaedrus...what is the African way of keeping your
religion?

Mandatory prayer? tsk...tsk...tsk
Forced religion is definatly not the way to go.

it shouldn't be legal either.  Isn't that whas freedome of religion is all 
about?
Back to the item header- I have to say yes, and my thought was reaffirmed
Friday night.  Eye of the Spiral had a Fall Equinox ritual and afterwards I
got to talking to this guy, and it turned out that he was Catholic, and wanted
to see what pagan really were.  We had a rather legnthy conversation, and now
I would definitely call him a good friend of mine.

- Backtalk version 1.3.30 - Copyright 1996-2006, Jan Wolter and Steve Weiss