7.14.2008
Christians Offended by Proselytizing?
The always-excellent Bartholomew's Notes on Religion reports on a Christian community that is offended and "fearful" about having another faith's beliefs "imposed" on them!
"An English translation of the Quran began appearing two weeks ago on the doorsteps of hundred of homes in the BraesTimbers neighborhood. The books came in plastic bags with a note attached from the ‘Book of Signs Foundation’ asking recipients to accept the Quran as a gift from the Muslim community. But some residents, like Greg and Sue Ann Pieri, said they feared the group is imposing its beliefs on non-Muslims and found the gesture offensive."
Of course when Christians want to distribute Bibles and religious materials at a public school, shout through megaphones at passing Pagans, or mention "Jesus" at the beginning of government meetings, we non-Christians are supposed to acknowledge that these are "loving" actions in step with the rich, wholesome, Judeo-Christian tradition of America. It only becomes an "offensive" imposition or causes fear when it is done in turn to Christians.
I would love to think that this experience has opened their eyes to how proselytizing feels to those on the receiving end, but I'm not the optimist I once was. They most likely don't see the connection between what this Muslim organization did, and what groups like The Gideons do every day.
Labels: Christianity, conversions, Islam, proselytizing, Religion, Religious Freedom
6.24.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
The California Literary Review has published an excerpt from “The Last Pagan: Julian the Apostate and the Death of the Ancient World” by Adrian Murdoch. A sensitive and nuanced portrayal of the man who almost stemmed the tide of Christianity.
"It is unfair that Julian is still known to us primarily for attributed and spurious dying words. That tradition has the wounded and dying emperor filling his hand with blood, flinging it into the air and crying: “Thou hast conquered, O Galilean!” But then the history, as ever, was written by the winning side. Whether the Galilean actually won or not, it is perfectly possible to go beyond an entry in the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations and look not just at Julian’s death but, beyond that, to his life, to see how he was a product of his time. It was a narrow—one might even say lucky—victory for the Galilean, and Julian might just as easily have entered the history books as Julian the Philosopher rather than as Julian the Apostate."
I can only imagine that Julian would take great pleasure in the modern resurgence of Pagan/polytheistic religions (you could argue that he prefigured the modern Pagan faiths by generations), and would no doubt keep a blog in which to publish his criticisms of "the Galileans".
Stefani "Spiral" Barner examines the high-choice ethic of modern Paganism that allows both for a pro-military warrior culture, and pacifistic conscientious objectors.
"...the Pagan community is in a unique position. It is possible to support both the service person and the CO—to honor the sacrifices that either choice demands and to embrace the paradox that comes with loving both. Let us demonstrate to the world that it is possible to be both anti-war and pro-soldier. Let us struggle together for peace, even as we recognize and support those who are sent to war. Let us cherish the wisdom that comes from speaking truth to power, as well as the insight that is gained through willingly enduring fear and pain, sacrifice and strife. Let us hear and share the truths of both soldier and CO."
Barner also references recent court decisions that seem to support granting conscientious objector status within philosophically diverse religious communities. Allowing for CO status in religions that aren't explicitly pacifist. A situation that seems confusing for top-down organizations like the military or some Christian denominations, but one that is completely normal for the average Pagan used to dozens (if not hundreds) of unique (and valid) relationships with the divine.
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has released lots of new data in its groundbreaking U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. Including the political inclinations of Pagans (and the other "others").
You can read my previous examination of the Pew survey data, and what it means to modern Pagans, here. Also of interest might be my examination of the recently released Henry Institute survey.
ReligiousLiberty.TV points to two YouTube videos that examines Christian proselytism in India from the Hindu perspective.
"The video also proposed a “Code of Ethics” for religious conversion which includes language that it should be the result of true spiritual change, not manipulation or coercion. This is likely to increasingly become a larger issue in a global economy and information society. As this issue grows, churches will need re-evaluate their methods of spreading the gospel and seriously consider how they are being perceived in order to avoid sweeping attempts to ban all forms of proselytism."
A idea of a mutually-agreed upon code of conduct for religious conversions has been floating around for years now, and is supposed to come to fruition soon. It remains to be seen if such a document would be "toothless", as many groups see conversion as their highest priority, and have no qualms of moving in ethically questionable directions.
In a final note, scientists may have discovered when legendary king and hero Odysseus returned to Ithaca after the Trojan War.
"They say the epic poem appears to confirm that the return of Odysseus to the island of Ithaca coincided with a solar eclipse on April 16, 1178BC. In the Odyssey, the moment when Odysseus kills the suitors who have been courting Penelope, his wife, during his absence after the Trojan War, is marked by the Sun being “blotted from the sky”. "
Of course this calculation rests on Homer being accurate centuries after the fact, and not taking too much poetic license. So take this date with a grain of salt.
That is all I have for now, have a great day!
Labels: conversions, Homer, Julian, Military, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Pew Forum, U.S. Religious Landscape Survey
6.06.2008
Let Us Convert Uncontacted Tribes!
A major news story making the rounds has concerned photos of an "uncontacted" indigenous tribe in Brazil, sparking debate over the treatment and rights of these isolated communities. While some, like Peruvian oil and gas interests, contest that there is no such a thing as an "uncontacted" tribe, others, most notably Survival International and CIPIACI, have urged the Brazilian government to ensure the protection of their territory.
Uncontacted Indians in Brazil, May 2008
© Gleison Miranda/FUNAI
"There are more than one hundred uncontacted tribes worldwide, with more than half living in either Brazil or Peru. All are in grave danger of being forced off their land, killed and decimated by new diseases. Survival has launched an urgent campaign to get their land protected..."
Now a third party, evangelical Christian missionaries, have weighed in on the subject of these tribes. Unsurprisingly, they want to foray in and "contact" them with the love of Christ, damn the consequences (such as decimating them with disease).
"It’s hard to understand how providing medical care and literacy is exploitation, especially among indigenous groups where the life expectancy of men and women is lower than average and suicide rates among youth are alarmingly high, but New Tribes and other mission organizations may face increasing opposition as governments like Venezuela’s and Brazil’s restrict outside access to tribes. In the process, those governments seem to be promoting the ideology of the “noble savage” and assuming it’s in the best interests of indigenous people to have no access to the modern world, or to the gospel."
The article also casts aspersions on Venezeula for kicking them out, despite a long history of missionary groups (particularly New Tribes Mission) committing acts of ethnocide, espionage, and outright insurrection in the country. These Christian missionary groups are also not fond of the recent Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations, which enshrines the right to religious integrity.
"The UN Declaration, adopted in September of 2007, grants broad national rights to natives and contains language that could cause problems for ... missionaries."
What sorts of "care" and "literacy" would groups like New Tribes Mission provide if allowed to evangelize these Indians? Here is a quote from a typical "teaching session" given to a recently contacted tribe.
"As John taught about the Ten Commandments he held up a mirror, showing the Ayores how he could look into it and see himself. Then he took mud and spread it all over his face. The people thought it was hilarious, but John brought out the seriousness of the lesson. He told them how, in the mirror, he could see the dirt all over his face and that God's Law was like a mirror. It showed people how they are dirty (sinful) before God."
You see, indigenous people need to be taught that they are dirty sinners (under constant divine surveillance), and that only conversion will get them "clean". I can't see how we could deny the missionaries this opportunity, after all, according to Pope Benedict they are "silently longing" for it! So remember, according to missionaries, cultural and religious integrity, freedom from diseases they have no immunity to, and land rights come second to the old carrot/stick scenario of "progress" in exchange for your soul.
Labels: Brazil, Christianity, conversions, Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, indigenous, Peru, Venezuela
5.17.2008
Ex-Pagan Conversion Narratives
This past week has seen two very different ex-Pagan conversion narratives appear in the press. The first, from Internet news-provider NewsBlaze, is just what you would imagine. Troubled kid dabbles in the occult, finds Jesus, gets better.
"Wanting a religion with fewer rules than the legalistic Christianity she had been exposed to, Samantha discovered Wicca at age 12 when introduced to the religion by a friend ... "I loved it," Samantha says, "When I physically gathered the Elements' energy, I felt powerful and calm." But even with that power she claimed to experience and although she loved being a part of this rule-less religion, Samantha felt alone and unsatisfied. "I just eventually realized that I need rules in my life. I need some sort of structure, some 'being' that I know is always there," she says."
Here, as in other Christian conversion narratives, embracing a non-Christian faith is seen as a gateway into misery and sin. Drugs, rape, and abuse, all because she abandoned the "structure" and "protection" of the church. Accepting Jesus is the only cure. A story that demeans Pagan religion, and often angers the hundreds of thousands of Pagans who have somehow avoided destroying their lives.
"I'm very glad to hear that Samantha found a spiritual path, and that she cleaned herself up. But, she should also accept the fact that Wicca didn't put her through the trials she went through, her poor decision making did."
In contrast, the North Carolina News-Record presents a Pagan-to-Christian conversion narrative that avoids the overly dramatic, and gets closer to what a natural and healthy shift between faiths looks like.
"As with other transitions in my spiritual life the move away from paganism was gradual and relatively peaceful. I have never believed I was "in error" during my pagan years. The saying "God writes straight with crooked lines" is a perfect example of my spiritual development, and everything that has happened in my life has been grace-filled. My desire has always been to pursue as close a relationship as possible with the Divine. For two decades that yearning was satisfied within paganism. When that ceased to be fulfilling I began exploring other avenues."
No demonizing, no blaming Paganism for the problems in her life, just a change of opinion and attitude. Perhaps a story like that won't sell books, or excite those Christians looking for a reinforcement that they made the correct choice, but it sounds far more "true" than the numerous "damaged teen" narratives (many of which are "anonymous" and of dubious origin).
Paganism won't be for everyone, and those who convert shouldn't be used as grist in the ongoing propaganda battle between faiths, lest the small amounts of dialog and trust between our faith communities erode to a point of no return. Lets keep conversion narratives personal, instead of processing them through an idealogical filter designed to glorify the newly-found faith. After all, who knows what their future may hold, or what the next conversion narrative in the press will say.
Labels: Christianity, conversions, journalism, Paganism
8.22.2007
The Noxious Gases of Paganism
Generally speaking I don't seek out anti-Pagan rhetoric from conservative Christians. I know it's out there, and it is easy enough to find if you know where to look, but reporting it does nothing to change their minds or further our causes (which is why I rarely comment on the "news" that emerges from places like WorldNetDaily). But occasionally you come across something that is so explicitly aimed at your community you can't help but comment. Such is the case with the recently released anthology "Only One Way?: Reaffirming the Exclusive Truth Claims of Christianity", in which a group of evangelicals compose an apologetic defending Christianity against "postmodern relativism".
"Each chapter proclaims, defends, and explains the Christian truths that are most directly challenged by postmodern relativism. Our God is the God; Jesus is not merely a savior, but the only Savior; and the truth revealed in the Bible is divine truth. As readers grasp these essential ideas and their implications they will be able to witness powerfully by articulating these claims with clarity, conviction, and love."
Even still, I hardly keep track of the Christian publishing industry, and I wouldn't have noticed this title if it weren't for the fact that they cite one of my favorite books concerning polytheism "The Deities Are Many: A Polytheistic Theology" by York University professor Jordan Paper. Paper's book is referenced in the section "One God" by Peter R. Jones, who is one of the truly rabid anti-Pagan crusaders and who spares no time abandoning reasoned discourse to heap insults on perceptions of the divine outside his rigid boundaries.
"These [pro-polytheistic] trends signify a genuine threat to the world that is presently emerging. These ideas are like noxious gases escaping from the first small crack in the earth's crust before a major volcano breaks open a massive fault line, and the burning lava consumes all around it. In the appearance of this marginal alternate spirituality we are witnessing the first signs of a major religious revolution that threatens to sweep all before it."
In addition to comparing the growth of Paganism to a deadly volcano that is spewing poisonous gas, Jones also heaps scorn on Bill Clinton, the UN, ancient Pagan cultures, and the practice of preserving pre-Christian ceremony and culture in our modern era. People like Jones represent the "shadow" side of the Christian call to Witness. A "calling" that won't rest in combatting anything outside a "Biblical" world lest the (often invoked) days of a Christian minority under a Roman pagan yoke emerge once more.
"We and our children in the planetary empire of the twenty-first century must be ready, like our faithful Christian forebears, to face a new form of that ancient imperial decadence, similarly clothed in enabling power of occultic pagan spirituality."
One would think Christians like Jones would have bigger worries, but Pagans, Heathens, Witches, and other "heretics" have always been a popular scape-goat for the world's ills in certain Christian communities. Though some Christians, including author and apologist Anthony Horvath feel that better Paganism than the true horrors of secular atheism.
"As I recall, C.S. Lewis was once asked if he feared that Britain was turning to Paganism and responded "If only she were." I might say the same about America. You see, 'pagans' actually believe in something beyond the materialistic world, but it is philosophical naturalism winning today, not paganism. If paganism were the threat du jour, that would actually be an improvement."
While it would be nice to see a day when Christians of Jones' stripe can acknowledge our right to exist and thrive, but I fear the polytheist world view threatens their core belief systems so deeply that we can be nothing other than tools of Satan bent on subjugating the Christian world. When the exclusivity of truth is the cornerstone of your theology, any other claimed truth becomes fair game for demonization and aggressive "mission" efforts to remove the threat. But I suppose it is a step in the right direction that they are reading excellent books on polytheism.
Labels: Anthony Horvath, apologetics, Christianity, conversions, Jordan Paper, Paganism, Peter R. Jones, Polytheism
8.18.2007
New Rules For Conversions?
Evangelical, Orthodox, Catholic, and mainline Protestant Christian leaders are all now at the table discussing a new mutual code of conduct for religious conversions.
"Evangelical groups have joined efforts spearheaded by Roman Catholic, Orthodox and mainstream Protestant churches to create a common code of conduct for religious conversions that would preserve the right of Christians to spread their religion while avoiding conflict among different faiths. The World Council of Churches, which joined the Vatican last year in launching talks on a code, said Wednesday that the process was formally joined by the World Evangelical Alliance at a meeting earlier this month in France. The code aims to ease tensions with Muslims, Hindus and other religious groups that fear losing adherents and resort to punishments as extreme as imprisonment and even death for converts from their faith and foreign missionaries."
This groundbreaking show of unity comes in the face of increasing hostility and tensions in the remaining non-Christian areas of the world (the Middle East, China, India, and parts of Africa) where missionaries not only have to deal with anti-conversion laws and lingering distrust, but increasing competition between Christian sects in areas that have already been "converted".
"It is no secret that the church in Latin America is losing followers and influence, partly because of inroads made by Pentecostal sects and secularization. Brazil remains the most populous Catholic country in the world, with an estimated 140 million baptized Catholics. At the same time, Brazil now claims the largest number of Pentecostals in the world (around 24 million), outstripping even the United States. While noting the "aggressive proselytizing of the sects," the pope also acknowledged the church’s own evangelical and catechetical failures."
The groups will meet in 2008 to draft language for the new guidelines, this will include discussion as to which behaviors will be banned. But some worry that this will be a toothless document since no Church will be forced to accede to these rules.
"The council noted, however, that "none of the partners involved intend - nor have the means - to impose the code of conduct on their constituencies, but they all trust that it will be able to 'impact hearts and minds' and allow for 'moral and peer pressure.'"
That lack of authority could pose a problem since the guidelines (once approved by the 2010 deadline) are to be used to calm skeptical governments considering anti-conversion laws, and to "inspire" other faiths to draw up similar codes of conduct. One also wonders if the guideline will acknowledge that much of the current hostility towards conversion efforts stem from the Christian conversions during the colonial period (and to a certain extent, the cold war era), in which missionaries willingly exploited their economic, militaristic, and social privileges in order to gain converts.
"...when one religion creates an agenda of conversion and mobilizes massive resources to that end, targeting unsuspecting, poor or disorganized groups, it is no longer a free discussion. It is an ideological assault. It is a form of religious violence and intolerance."
One should also consider the fact that a growing number of Christian groups are discussing (and implementing) a "re-evangelization" of Europe and America. This isn't merely a struggle against secularism, but against modern Paganism and other new religious movements. Will these guidelines apply to those in the West as well as the East?
Personally, I consider acts to eliminate another faith, a spiritual and cultural violence. This isn't to say I don't appreciate and applaud the efforts of some Christians to enter into a mutual and respectful dialog with other faiths, but I will always decry the compulsive need to ensure we are all worshiping the same God and bowing to the same savior. The polytheist ethic is one where the multiplicity of belief is not only respected, but acknowledged as the natural state of things. One could hope that these in-progress guidelines are a step towards a realization that other faiths not only have the right to exist, but the right to thrive and grow, but then I have always been something of an optimist.
Labels: Catholicism, Christianity, conversions, evangelism
4.06.2007
Religious Disarmament
The issue of religious identity in India has always been complex. When the colonial powers entered India it didn't take long before "Christianization" tactics became common (most notably under British rule, where they manipulated education, conversions, and the caste system to effect "de-Indianization").
"It is my own belief that if our plans of education are followed up, there will not be a single idolater among the respectable classes in Bengal thirty years hence." - Major B.D.Basu, "Rise of Christian Power in India"
The after-effects of these anti-Hindu policies would help foster a Hindu nationalist (or Hindutva "Hinduness") movement that sought to reverse the cultural damage done by Christian colonialism. After India won independence, political parties sympathetic to Hindutva like Bharatiya Janata Party slowly came to prominence thanks to polarizing events like the mis-use of social service funds by Christian groups for proslytization efforts, and governmental corruption and authoritarianism during the mid-1970s.
Once in power
Now Jesuit sociologist Rudolf C. Heredia, in a new book entitled "Changing Gods: Rethinking Conversion in India", is calling for a "religious disarmament" regarding conversions in India.
"In today's pluri-religious society, change of faith can precipitate religious antagonism - or it can facilitate social diversity and tolerance. While religious commitment is essentially a matter of personal conscience and choice, it inevitably impacts other levels of individual and social life ... Challenging the traditional orthodoxies which promote or oppose religious conversions, the author sees no religious merit in political posturing or conversion for socio-economic gain. Instead, to defuse tensions, he advocates rethinking religious conversion in India with a determined religious disarmament, discarding aggression."
In the book Heredia, who studies marginalized peoples in India, claims that conversion efforts by Christians in India often backfire and help fuel further violence and mistrust.
"In most cases, he says, conversion fails to alter their devotion to the pagan gods and goddesses but involves them instead in the 'politics of hate'."
Heredia seems to be calling for a withdrawal from typical conversion efforts and towards a new dialog based within mutual respect. That such a move is the only way to diffuse religious enmity and mistrust between Hindus and Christians. But it remains to be seen how successful such a effort can be when evangelical culture seems obsessed with pushing forward missions in India. So any religious cease-fire may be long in coming, or it may never come if some analysts are correct.
"Keeping in view the confrontational stand of the Hindu Nationalists and Christian management discussed above, the possibility of a resolution of the on going Hindu- Christian confrontation for the last 500 years is very remote."
This is an issue that modern Pagans should be kept aware of. Hinduism has long fascinated modern Pagans in the West (just look at the popularity of some Hindu deities and practices amongst some modern Pagan practitioners), and could be a natural ally in religious struggles both abroad and at home. The seeds of this have already been planted in legal cases involving Pagans were Hindu groups have filed amicus curiae in support, and amongst Pagan and Hindu commentators who have worked to foster closer relations between the two religious groupings. Some Wiccans have even headed to India in an effort to curb witchcraft slayings. A logical next step is to become more educated in Christian evangelistic efforts to places like India where pre-Christian tradition remains healthy and vital.
* While a center-left coalition has recently regained national power in India, Hindu nationalism is still a dominant force through many parts of India, and the BJP remains the dominant opposition party.
Labels: Christianity, conversions, Hinduism, India, Paganism
