Religious Intelligence and Eclecticism

כ״ט באב תשע"א
Belz 2

F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Crack-Up", Esquire Magazine (February 1936).:

The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.

Wiki on syncretism:

Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. Religious syncretism exhibits blending of two or more religious belief systems into a new system, or the incorporation into a religious tradition of beliefs from unrelated traditions. Many religions have syncretic elements to their beliefs or history, but some adherents of so-labeled systems often frown on applying the label, especially if that system exhibits an exclusivist approach. Such adherents sometimes see syncretism as a betrayal of their pure truth. By this reasoning, adding an incompatible belief corrupts the original religion, rendering it no longer true.

But, when one understands that "the test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function" as noted in the Fitzgerald quote above, we see that in reality, religious syncretism is a natural result of an evolving, intelligent mind expanding in its awareness to the unity of all things and actively incorporating this broadened vision into a working religious reality.

Eclectic witches are practicing syncretism and first rate intelligence in the practice of combining the seemingly disparate traditions which are nevetheless relevant to us spiritually.

Even the Abrahamic religions exhibit historical syncretic elements though many adherents may deny it. For example, the Genesis story of the Great Deluge was taken from the Gilgamesh Epic of the ancient Sumerians and incorporated into the sacred text and teachings of the ancient Hebrews.