It sounds like we both have had some bad experience with Christians in the past... I certainly had my share as a Pagan...
I guess it's something you don't forget in a hurry...
...Just for the record...
Kelly and I were HPS and HP of a Coven and were handfasted at Beltane several years ago now... but we split up before I became a Christian...
We only live a cpl of blocks away and she's got a new bloke now who is Agnostic but she still runs the remanants of the old Coven - which is now a Women's Only group... like I said we live very close by and there's no real 'bad blood' between us - yeah we've had 'hic-cups' but nothing that wasn't able to be sorted - and the kids pop in every few days or so to bum a lift into town, or show off their latest boyfriend or girlfriend or whatever... or to try and con me to go to the bottleshop for them *larfs* ...neither Kel or I will do that...
I was over at their place earlier today actually to drop off some DVD's of theirs I'd watched over the weekend...
btw... I know of a cpl of 'mixed' Christian/Pagan marriages that have worked where both were Pagan and one partner converted... there's not a lot... I can probably count them on one hand actually - but there are some about...
I guess when you've encountered the 'ratbag element' yourself you are more likely to be at pains to avoid that trap yourself and still be true to your faith... Kinda "Oh Yeah? What would Jesus REALLY do...?"
And I'm glad to be able to say that I am meeting more and more Christians from various non-pagan backgrounds who have a similar attitude...
Just a personal observation (and I know that there will those who disagree with me):
I've found the one's that claim to be ex-pagans, ex-Satanists etc that become 'Christo-fascists' (DEFINITELY for want of a better term - but I'm sure you know the mentality I mean ) when you actually investigate their 'testimony' find it full of 'holes' that (perhaps) only someone who has 'been there' themselves can spot...
I'm of the opinion that there are unfortuneately a few out there that may have 'dabbled' (and a few that just make it ALL up) who in order to 'bolster' their 'standing' with others 'add to' or 'elaborate' on the truth and tell the poor sheep in the pews what they 'expect' to hear... eg 'goats and orgies' and the like... and as a result it becomes a self-perpetuating myth...
Switches from 'observation' to 'rant' mode:
IMHO... such self-proclaimed 'experts' do much more harm than good... It is my sincere prayer that they and all others who promote such teaching (whether wilfully decieving others or because they themselves have been decieved), will turn away trom the falsehoods, deceptions and outright lies that they preach as fact, and which cause suspicion, confusion and fear not only among Christians, but in the wider community at large, and which also serve to harm the innocent, prevent the effective witnessing of other Christians and which - ultimately - only serve to bring dishonour upon Christ....
Rant mode concluded... Normal Transmission will now be Resumed...
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