Christo-Paganism: Some Answered Questions

[Darkhawk]

I think that Unitarian Universalism hold that title.
I am a Unitarian Universalist Pagan.

I'm pretty sure general consensus is that UUs are no longer Christian, though there are Christian UUs.

Their sibling denomination, the UCC, is one of the most consistently liberal denominations. Certainly far more so than any of the ones who are concerned about pandering to their African (and sometimes South American) extreme conservatives.

[Staff of Sekhmet]

What specific practices do you identify as Christian and which as Pagan?

Well I am not sure where I begin to separate the two, since I practice them together, and I also follow a very liberal form of Christianity more influenced by my Pagan path, which I would definitely call the stronger of my worldviews. That being said, I attend church as a member of the Episcopal Church and receive the sacrament. I worship many other deities, but basically it could be said I believe in something like the Great Spirit, who I identify as the being the spirit the New Testament and Gnostic texts speak of. I am not certain Yahweh and the Father are the same. I have issues with how the Old Testament describes God, obviously.

[veggiewolf]

...That being said, I attend church as a member of the Episcopal Church and receive the sacrament. I worship many other deities, but basically it could be said I believe in something like the Great Spirit, who I identify as the being the spirit the New Testament and Gnostic texts speak of. I am not certain Yahweh and the Father are the same. I have issues with how the Old Testament describes God, obviously.

For anyone's who is interested, especially the OP, here's a link to a breakdown of the beliefs of Episcopalians. St. Mark's in Cheyenne did a really good job summing it up.

As a born and raised but no longer Episcopalian myself, I can say with some authority that your practices are not those of the church as a whole (and, personally, I find the idea that you are taking the sacrament problematic), nor is the Episcopal Church the most liberal sect.

[monsnoleedra]

For anyone's who is interested, especially the OP, here's a link to a breakdown of the beliefs of Episcopalians. St. Mark's in Cheyenne did a really good job summing it up.

As a born and raised but no longer Episcopalian myself, I can say with some authority that your practices are not those of the church as a whole (and, personally, I find the idea that you are taking the sacrament problematic), nor is the Episcopal Church the most liberal sect.

Bolded mine. That was sort of my impression and thoughs also. I might attend a church for weddings or such but I do not partake of the sacrament in any form.

I must admit I equally wondered if the person was open to his church as to his beliefs and if they would then continue to accept him/her? Personaly I'd think not.

But to my perspective the whole Christo-Pagan thing is a matter of not fully embracing one and to fearful to release the other. It gives them a saving throw as they can always claim they never fully left it (ie Christian Church).

Though I admit I do not hold such a view towards Christo-Witchcraft as that to me is a practice incorporated into a religious belief system.

[cigfran]

I am not certain Yahweh and the Father are the same.

That's... odd. Unless you're drifting Gnostic, in which case Episcopalianism is right out.

Let's try this: how do you view Jesus? Do you believe in the resurrection? Do you believe that salvation of a kind is achieved by accepting his crucifixion as a (fill in terminally misunderstood part here which is one reason I can never be a Christian) for your sins?

[Staff of Sekhmet]

I must admit I equally wondered if the person was open to his church as to his beliefs and if they would then continue to accept him/her? Personaly I'd think not.

But to my perspective the whole Christo-Pagan thing is a matter of not fully embracing one and to fearful to release the other. It gives them a saving throw as they can always claim they never fully left it (ie Christian Church).

Well it is true there might be some who wouldn't accept me if they knew, but there are some who do know and accept me, including a few Priests. I always level with the Priest when I move to another parish, and generally I am told the same thing: a layperson does not have to accept all the creeds and such of the church, a Priest or a Bishop does. The position of the church on creeds, etc. is that they show what "the church teaches", not necessarily what a layperson must affirm. That is why the church accepts Unitarian Anglicans and others, even though its official teaching is Trinitarian.

[Chatelaine]

Christianity is now composed of Catholics, and Protestants (which have many different groups).

And Orthodox. It irks me to no end that people who presume to study religions insist on ignoring a branch with over 200 million adherents.

[Staff of Sekhmet]

That's... odd. Unless you're drifting Gnostic, in which case Episcopalianism is right out.

Let's try this: how do you view Jesus? Do you believe in the resurrection? Do you believe that salvation of a kind is achieved by accepting his crucifixion as a (fill in terminally misunderstood part here which is one reason I can never be a Christian) for your sins?

Episcopalianism is not right out for the reason I mentioned in my above post. As for how I view Jesus, I suscribe to Nestorianism, that Jesus was a man who awakened to Christ/God-nature in the universe. This is the same view that Oriental Orthodox and Coptic Christians hold. As for do I believe the crucifixion achieves salvation- no I do not, and neither is that the only view that Christians have held throughout the centuries. That is actually one of five historical views on how Christ reconciles man to the divine. It was popularized by Anselm of Canterbury, but prior to that it wasn't a majority position.

[Staff of Sekhmet]

And Orthodox. It irks me to no end that people who presume to study religions insist on ignoring a branch with over 200 million adherents.

Wouldn't Catholic and Orthodox kinda fall into the same bracket? I think that's how Catholics would see it.

[Chatelaine]

Wouldn't Catholic and Orthodox kinda fall into the same bracket? I think that's how Catholics would see it.

Have they buried the Great Schism? News to me.