DISQUS

joet · 1 year ago

Interesting. Maybe someone could explain the deal with 'ritual nudity' which I've never understood.

Al1 · 1 year ago

Urban Dictionary defines skyclad with the following note:
"Some believe that clothing interferes with the natural energies of magick, and that it brings you closer to the Earth.

source: paganwiccan.about.com "

Kinda makes sense.

Al1 · 1 year ago

Time was, I would have probably preached a 'Come out from among them' message at you, and gone back into my happy holy huddle.
Now, I'm totally blessed that God is helping many of us see the error (and unChrist-likeness) of our preaching at or against everything instead of dialoguing. It's still a struggle for me to keep from spouting off some of the answers I have been taught, but I know my heart is definitely moving in the right direction. I'm much more ready to listen and learn, and it's amazing how that kind of attitude tends to make both parties ready to grow and be friends.
Thanks for going to a place many of us would find an excuse to stay away from, for acting totally like Christ would, and for sharing the results. I'm encouraged to try to do the same.

Phil Wyman · 1 year ago

Preaching is teaching, encouraging, and admonishing without listening - there is a place for it. Dialoguing is teaching, encouraging, and admonishing in the context of listening - it comes with adaptation, learning, and reciprocal acknowledgments of the others' value - whether we agree with them or not.

So it is no wonder that people are willing to listen to the same information in the context of dialogue, when they might have scoffed in the context of being preached at.

It is amazing how much of an adventure dialogue truly becomes, and these places we are afraid to go become the places we love most. So - go for it!

destroyideas · 1 year ago

While I think a lot of Christians would say you shouldn't even visit a pagan festival because you're associating with witchcraft, or clearly placing Christianity at an equivalence with paganism (and I might be one of them), I don't see how it would be any different than serving in politics.

I read about how you helped serve their needs, setting up, etc. How is that different than helping raise the flag of our nation for a fourth of July parade?

Phil Wyman · 1 year ago

Hey destroyer,

I've never understood how visiting some place, or hanging out with certain people places one's views at an equivalence with another religious view. I know that it is a commonly held position, and fosters the "come out from among them" approach to Christian spiritual disciplines, but it does not seem to mirror Christ's identification with humanity.

I'm with you in the connecting to politics - although that seems far more dangerous to me. ;-)

Ben S · 1 year ago

Destoryideas --

"I read about how you helped serve their needs, setting up, etc. How is that different than helping raise the flag of our nation for a fourth of July parade?"

Logically you have a good point and on that level I'm inclined to agree with you. However my gut tells me that there is a significant difference. I think the difference is that Phil and his oddly-monikered henchpeople went into a situation where, assuming they were in fact trying to represent a faithful interpretation of Christianity, they were not going to be confused with the people they were serving. The Pagans at the festival and any "orthodox" Christians who happened to be watching would immediately understand that there was a deep spiritual and ideological difference between Phil and co. and the people they were serving.

On the other hand, if he had gone to a 4th of July celebration and helped raise a flag, those concusions would not have been so apparent. While most of us can discern the difference between Christian "religion" and pagan spirituality, the difference between Christian "religion" and secular "politics" is not widely understood.

So I guess the answer to your question is context. Mixing Paganism and Christianity is universally (apart from some relativists) regarded as syncretism, while mixing American civic religion and Christianity is not. Thus its safer for faithful Christ-followers to serve at a pagan festival than a patriotic celebration.

Also, "raising the flag" is a symbolic gesture loaded with subtext; I'm not sure that setting up tables and helping organize is quite the same thing. Now, if they had stripped off their clothes and started dancing around a pentagram (or whatever...I'm not really familiar with contemporary pagan religious practices), then we might have an issue. In theory, I have no problem with Christians going to a political rally and helpig set up tables and serve food or whatever, except in light of what I wrote above; that is, they're much more liable to be confused with the people they're serving.

Did my point come across through that at all or did I use too many words? Bleh....

Enoch · 1 year ago

changed my mind

shayna · 1 year ago

Wow- what a great story - thank you for sharing!

Phil Wyman · 1 year ago

Thanks Shayna. It was a great experience to be a part of as well.

Patrick · 1 year ago

Anyone that wants to learn more about paganism or wicca at all I would reccomend http://wicca.timerift.net/
It's just a 101 designed for people that really don't know a lot about it. i have a couple pagan friends and when my best friend turned to a celtic tradition this site explained some basics to me so I could at least have something to talk about with him. That was years ago though and now I know much more. Regardless, it's a good resource.