As a Witch, one of the questions I often hear is about why I'm hanging around on a Christian forum. I think I can understand the suspicion so I figured I'd answer the question here and refer to it the next time someone asks.
A few years ago, I was a moderator for a few forums at Beliefnet, but after a management and rules change, those forums fell dormant as members left to find new websites. ChristianForums was recommended to me as an alternative, so I checked it out and I've been around since.
I'm not here to proselytize. Pagans generally tend to frown on the proselytizing and it makes no sense for us to do it anyway. Being a Pagan is a very subjective and experiential path that most of us walk solitary. It's not meant for everyone so it makes no difference to me if you are one or not.
I'm not here to promote my religion either. My path is based on my personal beliefs. If I do explain what my beliefs (within the C&WR forum rules) it's really just to explain my point of view. I can't honestly say that what I believe is an accurate description of reality and everyone who thinks differently is wrong.
I also feel a need to mention that I do not hate Christians, or Jesus, or Christianity. I may often disagree with theology and political ideology, but that's not the same as being anti-Christian. When Christians do make declarative statements about their faith, I do like to explore them by asking more questions and I hope that doesn't come across as an attack.
So why am I here?
I live in the US where the population (and government) is primarily Christian, so I think it's important for me to understand my fellow Christian citizens and their beliefs. The C&WR forum has the added benefit that I can get responses from various other faith systems as well, all in the same place instead of having to ask in a forum dedicated to a particular religion like so many other religious forum sites are set up. I can then compare and contrast these views with my own path and challenge my own beliefs.
The C&WR forum has a core group of regulars who come across as very intelligent, entertaining, and fun. Compared to any other website, I'd say the spam and contention between members is minimal. There's also just the right amount of traffic; not so many people participating that you get drowned out of a conversation, but not so quiet that it takes days before one or two responses come in.
Probably the biggest reason I like to participate here is that people have MANY misconceptions about what modern day Witches are like. What I like to do is try to correct some of those misconceptions. I think it's a desire for people to understand me just as much as I want to understand others and how their religions apply to daily life.
That's pretty much it. Hope that's not scary. And if you have questions, feel free to message me.
A few years ago, I was a moderator for a few forums at Beliefnet, but after a management and rules change, those forums fell dormant as members left to find new websites. ChristianForums was recommended to me as an alternative, so I checked it out and I've been around since.
I'm not here to proselytize. Pagans generally tend to frown on the proselytizing and it makes no sense for us to do it anyway. Being a Pagan is a very subjective and experiential path that most of us walk solitary. It's not meant for everyone so it makes no difference to me if you are one or not.
I'm not here to promote my religion either. My path is based on my personal beliefs. If I do explain what my beliefs (within the C&WR forum rules) it's really just to explain my point of view. I can't honestly say that what I believe is an accurate description of reality and everyone who thinks differently is wrong.
I also feel a need to mention that I do not hate Christians, or Jesus, or Christianity. I may often disagree with theology and political ideology, but that's not the same as being anti-Christian. When Christians do make declarative statements about their faith, I do like to explore them by asking more questions and I hope that doesn't come across as an attack.
So why am I here?
I live in the US where the population (and government) is primarily Christian, so I think it's important for me to understand my fellow Christian citizens and their beliefs. The C&WR forum has the added benefit that I can get responses from various other faith systems as well, all in the same place instead of having to ask in a forum dedicated to a particular religion like so many other religious forum sites are set up. I can then compare and contrast these views with my own path and challenge my own beliefs.
The C&WR forum has a core group of regulars who come across as very intelligent, entertaining, and fun. Compared to any other website, I'd say the spam and contention between members is minimal. There's also just the right amount of traffic; not so many people participating that you get drowned out of a conversation, but not so quiet that it takes days before one or two responses come in.
Probably the biggest reason I like to participate here is that people have MANY misconceptions about what modern day Witches are like. What I like to do is try to correct some of those misconceptions. I think it's a desire for people to understand me just as much as I want to understand others and how their religions apply to daily life.
That's pretty much it. Hope that's not scary. And if you have questions, feel free to message me.
