Pagan and Witch Panel

Having many questions about why a 5 year old orthodox jewish girl cannot play with her bff since she is catholic? Why don't Dogs go to heaven? Such questions are posed by neo-pagans/witches on the panel and why they rejected the standard Church and questioned God. Also these experiences led the women on the panel to search for connection or pursuit for authenticity in the spiritual realm. That realm is polytheistic where there are multiple deities and they are honored. Honor of a deity or deities is essential to acknowledge our connection to the supernatural

There are many different types of witches/pagans/druids from the Celtic background to the aborigines from the Australian outback. Despite the differences they all are trying to reach the top of the mountain and come to a common ground. Common ground is where Christians and Pagans must come to in order to begin a relational dialogue.

One of the jokes is people believe that people during Halloween, witches will eat children, suck the life force out of people. In the past they were like hookers promoting themselves until they moved inside of their stores. Its a shame that these individual have been misrepresented who are just partaking in their religion which is just a little different.

Neo-Paganism today is a blanket term, we all believe the same thing its just a matter of the practice according to Suzy Wade. Sounds like Christianity, we basically believe the same thing we just come to the goal in different ways.

The Breeze

Like the winds which are blowing through the trees on this beautiful friday afternoon, so is the word of Christ that will be debated and dialogued.

4:10pm: People have had lunch at the Wyman's and they are returning back to the Church. Its less than 3 hrs until the opening of the conference. The Streams Gang as well as us members from the Church are quite excited. In the corner Carly is drawing a mural of a gargoyle, Stephen R and John Smulo are talking on the couches, and Karen Ward and Beth are reading the materials that came with their registration packet. Its quite quiet at the Church, but the voice of the voiceless will be heard soon(Atheists, Pagans, Witches and possible Satanists)

The emergent voices had lunch and realized that they are coming from different parts of the country. Northwest, West-Coast, the South, etc.

Like the song by Dar Williams, the Christians and the Pagans, we are coming to getting wherever there is common ground.

First Day

Hello People,

Today is the opening of the God, For People Who Hate Church Conference at my Church, The Gathering. The gang from Streams have arrived and so have the Olive Branch Booksellers who are setting up. The next 2.5 days will be a opportunity to dialogue with Pagans, Wiccans, Neo-Pagans and others who have felt excluded by the Church for the last eons.

I will be joining with others in blogging live from the conference as well as volunteering in different venues.

Its 12:08pm and Ben Harper is playing in the background and people are settling in.