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Jason Pitzl-Waters on Mar 24th 2010 at 1:01 pm Paganism,Religion

Quick Note: Should Christians Rent Space to Pagans?

The conservative-minded Anglican site VirtueOnline has got its knickers in a twist over a recent story concerning Spring Equinox celebrations held by the Mother Grove Goddess Temple in North Carolina. Why would the heretic-hunters at VirtueOnline care about what a bunch of Pagans are doing in North Carolina? Because of where they held the ritual.

“Members of Mother Grove Goddess Temple will celebrate at 7 p.m. Saturday with A Breath of Appalachian Spring: A Ritual in Celebration of the Spring Equinox, in the parish hall of the Episcopal Cathedral of All Souls in Biltmore Village.“

Que outrage:

“All Souls’ Cathedral is supposed to be God’s House, and it is disgusting that the Chapter should allow this pagan cult to meet anywhere on the premises! But of course, like all failing Episcopal congregations, they need the money, don’t they?”

It’s true that VirtueOnline is obsessed with heretics and pagans within the global Anglican communion, but this is hardly seems like a new case of “Episcopaganism”. I doubt the parish hall is consecrated ground, and I highly doubt the local clergy participated in anything “pagan”, so no real blasphemy (from a Christian perspective) was committed, and Mother Grove Goddess Temple describes itself as interfaith (united in honoring the divine feminine), so the real problem here is that these Episcopalians dared to tolerate other faiths meeting on/renting their grounds.

So the larger question is should Christian-owned halls and buildings refuse to rent out to non-Christian faiths and events? Should Pagan/Pagan-friendly organizations even approach a Christian hall, lest they cause problems for their hosts? In some towns is it even possible to rent a hall that isn’t owned by the local church? What do you think?

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22 responses so far

  • Stacey

    I've had a look around that church — it *is* quite a beautiful place and building. Glad they're on good terms with you guys.

  • Maeve

    that's the thing….most pagan groups don't have meeting places….

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Teaa Tea

    Pax, That all makes sense. Thanks for clarifying the issue! Now go get some coffee.

  • lonespark

    Wow!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1031325545 Ceara Foley

    wouldn't be very Christian not to help out thy neighbor, right?

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Vermillion Vermillion

    That was very enlightening Apuleius, thanks!

  • http://twitter.com/Oden_son @Oden_son

    It's too bad the few loud Christians ruin the image of the entire faith.

  • Birka

    Those so-called Anglicans at Virtue Online should find a different form of Christianity. Anglicanism is traditionally pretty tolerant.

  • Eran Rathan

    …uh, Oliver Cromwell was pretty tolerant? what?

  • http://www.quirkyknitgirl.com Ivy

    Why hello–fancy seeing you here! Just to add to this, All Souls, from what I remember, has always had a reputation for being a pretty liberal and open parish.

  • http://eclipsology.blogspot.com Robin Edgar

    It's too bad the few loud __________ ruin the image of the entire _________.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Teaa Tea

    Angela, thank you for sharing your insight, and best of luck with the Goddess Temple.

  • http://twitter.com/thelettuceman @thelettuceman

    QFT.

  • Birka

    Oliver Cromwell was a Puritan, not an Anglican.

  • Birka

    Yes because allowing women an equal role in the church and not demonising homosexuals is just driving people away…the intolerant gits! How dare they…

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Teaa Tea

    Thanks so much!

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Crystal7431 Crystal7431

    I was just going to ask if they were the Gallup poll Gallups.

  • http://newoldtraditions.com Onalistus Reveler

    Not to mention, churches are already inherently "pagan spaces." Zing!

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Nick_Ritter Nick_Ritter

    That *is* pretty cool. I'm glad I could help!

  • http://www.facebook.com/ladyjake Jocelyne Berengaria Houghton

    Oliver Cromwell was a Puritan. Hence the English Civil War.

  • Michael Troutt

    Actually its up to the owner/current user of the land, just as a business has a right to refuse service to anyone so does a land owner. I read throught the article and I think I understand that a random 3rd party is in uproar over the user of the land? Or was that website involved in getting the space to the pagan group? Eigher way really the only person that can truely deny Mother Grove Goddess Temple the right is the land owners (or the government if any laws were being broken…) and it seems (from the article) that they did authorize such use, and no laws were broken. This appears to be a case of a minority opinion in a very specific Christian faith group, getting mad at a slightly different Christian faith group allowing non-Christians to use there land. So if RASR (Racers Agaisnt Street Racing) for example would have done the same thing, would the same reaction occur? I realize the situations are not parrallel but it seems a bit silly overall. The Mother Grove Goddess Temple did not force themselves unto the land, they were allowed.

  • norwood1026

    My question excatly not to mention inside a buliding . There are too many nice parks to use someone else's place of worship.