Honorary Druid?
Now this is worrying: Rowan Williams, the next Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Anglican communion, is to be appointed an honorary druid at the next Welsh National Eisteddfod (See news items in the Observer and icWales). The news stories go to some effort to point out that he’s not really going pagan, pointing out that “the Gorsedd is not full-blooded paganism”.
Lets see if I get this right, not full blooded implies a partial dose; “not full-blooded paganism” implies it’s still paganism, just diluted.
The Rev. David Philips, general secretary of The Church Society (an independent evangelical group within the Anglican Church), is quoted as saying
“His decision to take part in a pagan druidic festival, with prayers to pagan deities, calls into question his commitment to the exclusive truth of the Christian faith”
This isnt the first time that Anglican clerics have climbed into bed with pagans, specifically druids. The “Spirit of the Land 2000” conference in July 1st of 2000 was described as “a Christian-Druid dialogue and reconciliation meeting for the new Millennium”. Some saw it as an attempt to put people into seats of virtually empty church buildings. How wrong headed can you get?
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial [the devil]? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
Suppose I offered you a cup saying, “it’s not full-blooded poison”, would you drink it?