I do wish all commentators would read the book before commenting though. Any comment on the book is fair after you have read it. If you read it and still feel the same way–so be it! I will never begin to be able to read all Pagan books, literature etc but I did spend 4 years trying to make a dent and have a bookshelf full.

It seems like the phrase “dangerous” has been excerpted here. I must say that every Wiccan or Pagan I met told me that Wicca could be dangerous. I spent an evening in the home of Don Frew of Covenant of the Goddess in Berkeley, Calif and he told me that he was worried about younger Wiccans practicing without any guidance. I thought that was interesting. As I am sure you know, COG has been engaged in interfaith dialogue for a number of years.

Most of the people who posted comments made accurate comments about Christians –who are often terrible examples of what Jesus called his followers to. Professing Christians can be the worst advertisement for the gospel. I agree with Yas and would count myself among those whose life falls woefully short at times. Yas is right that the poor are very dear to the heart of God. So often non-Christians give more to the poor than Christians which is a sad commentary on the church.

But much of my book is about this–the flaws of the church and how much of what people see mirrored in the lives of those who profess to be followers of Jesus fall short.

Athana mentions that I hate women–wow! That is quite a charge. She doesn’t even know me! I dare say she should read my book. I have deep empathy for women and what they have experienced in churches and in our culture. It is nothing short of terrible and tragic. The cool thing is that Jesus treated women with respect and was very countercultural for his time.

The truth is that much, but not all, of the Christian church in America is not countercultural at all. I think studies show that divorce rates, giving, attitudes are no different to the general public. But the question I would ask people when they reject the gospel message is –are they rejecting Jesus of Nazareth, a distorted view of his teachings or other reasons altogether?

I am six years older now than I was when I wrote the booklet for Focus. My views have evolved and become more nuanced. In fact now after talking to a lot of Pagans and reading a lot of books, I think many things people seek in Paganism are admirable. I have come to really respect Pagans in so many ways. Part of the book deals with this.

But in the end I am still a believer in the gospel of Jesus and I think it is the best thing going, despite the very messy church. We will have different views on what we worship and in the end might part ways. You might critique Christianity, I critique parts of Paganism–nothing unusual about that. People have religious discussions of this sort all the time.

The thing about the gospel message is that it teaches that yes indeed, we all do fall short (as Yas points out) but that through grace, we are still loved and accepted.

(As an aside: About the term “evangelical”– I grew up in England as an Anglican and found when I moved to the States that I was labeled evangelical…which seems to have all sorts of conotations pertaining to the history of American Christianity, Baptist dualism etc. I am not ashamed of the term because “evangel” simply means the “good news” or the “gospel”, which is what Christians believe, but I am sure that I might part ways with some evangelicals on some issues…) more on that if anyone is interested.