Livre d'Or

I'm a believer in keeping conversations alive for longer than the day or so before they float off reading pages

This is a very sensible policy and I wholly approve. Not just because I'm slow at responding to comments or anything.

As to not hearing the standard arguments - yeah, it's a relief for me, cos I *have* heard them before (I used to espouse them, and I get them from my mum anyway), so in that sense having a religious partner is a similarity because there is an acceptance of someone else's faith, but one of the good things about having different religions is that we don't assume we know it all already. A. recently remarked that it's quite possible he and I may be in more accord about how we both approach our faiths than we might be if he had a Christian primary partner (or I a pagan one - very likely there! Poor critical thinking from pagans tends to provoke me somewhat), which he thinks is very much about the way our personalities work together. I don't know if it's transferrable, but perhaps you and Jack work that way too? Or, something like that.

I'm certainly happy to discuss this topic further at some convenient point if that should take your fancy - maybe over a pint?

in theory I'd be interested in alextiefling's non-denominational religious discussion group. I'm a little cautious, though, cos I've done my stints being the token non-Christian to make a bunch of liberal Christians feel good about themselves, and I am not quite at that place in my life right now. If the group happens, can I lurk for a bit and see if it feels comfortable?

Heh, judging by the people we know, I suspect liberal Christians might be in the minority already! Or at least, there'd be plenty of pagans to be the token non-Christians. So I think that's definitely a yes, and also hopefully an "I don't think that's the idea of the group; it'd certainly be good to make sure that doesn't happen". At present, it's only a partially formed idea of something he'd like to do, but I know he wants to make it inclusive. I suggest you approach him directly on the subject! I am certainly happy to be involved with the group, cos I love discussing religion, and I think there's a lot that such an environment could provide for people who may not mesh with more "traditional" religious groups of similar kinds, but I think it'd come down to how we all made it run, and what we wanted to see happen. I'm glad you think it's a potentially interesting project, though, that's a good sign.

That said, I know what you mean - I myself have been wanting to get involved with interfaith work for, ooh, about 12 years now (The Pagan Federation was v big on getting more pagans onto interfaith councils/groups back in the '90s, and still are somewhat), but have simply not found the opportunity to get on with it. Am pondering spiritual stuff at the moment because I think I'm getting a bit less active in that regard (although I don't think my beliefs have changed - I need to think this one out in more depth), but I still regard it as A Good Thing and think it's an ace thing to do, so I say you should go for it!

Would be very interested to hear about how yeshiva goes for you this summer - we were both talking about you last night re: your religious studies, hoping they would be fun & productive, etc, at the end of a conversation about all the fascinating cultural tidbits we'd discovered from Aaron Lansky's "Outwitting History" (A is reading it right now and loving it, and telling me all about it - I am sharing back some of the books I'm currently reading, esp the Natalie Barney & Romaine Brooks one, "Wild Girls"). So, a nice coincidence to see this comment from you tonight :-)