Sometimes when I speak on these things of intolerance (see the previous blog entry I had written), I worry that people assume I’m not taking a look at the other side of the fence. Sadly, I am all too aware that the grass is not all too much greener over here than it is over there. I see it on a regular basis just as much as I see the first side to begin with.
Intolerance goes both ways.
Some Pagans are just as bad as Christians, for example, or any other group of people that hold a single unified belief system who point fingers at the people on the outside. I’ve seen it throughout my life, both as a Pagan and as a Christian (in the times of life where I was one, or the other), and I also have the “mysterious third” perspective to be hated by both groups of people (though obviously one far more than the other). Lucky me! I suppose it just gives me a few more things to right about though, so even that I can find the positive in.
There is, on another forum which I am a part of, a thread called “I don’t hate Christians”. It was made by a Pagan who desperately wanted to convey to others: Not only do I not “hate” Christians, but I don’t understand why any of you do either.
First, I agree. I personally have the outright privilege of knowing some of the most amazing Christians who are an absolute tribute to their faith and to the sheer love of God.
Second, this thread (produced from the above passage) was created, because the most common hatred from Pagans, is toward Christianity. This is typically because of what happened to the word Pagan itself. It’s an unwarranted anger and hatred, however. While it’s true that some Christians are intolerant, this is true of any faith, any path, any creed, any culture. Truthfully, any human being had the potential to become intolerant in life.
If one group is “more” intolerant than the others… does this make them worse? An intolerant group of millions is no worse than one single solitary intolerant soul.
Some Pagans feel undue hatred toward Christianity because they caused the downfall of the term “Pagan” itself, which is not a negative term nor does it dicpict evil or wrongs of any kind. But, how is this different from other words changed to depict negativity? Like “gay”, or “colored”. Who shall we blame in collective for these debacles? Straight people? White people? The fact is that a term does not infuse an objective meaning based on a subjective perspective. Ever! Words are exactly how you interpret them. The meaning has the potential to be contained in your mind, rather than in the mouth of the person who speaks the word itself.
Others dislike, or even hate, Christians because they don’t enjoy being dictated their fate by a religion they are not a part of (You will go to Hell for this/that/the other thing). Still others dislike Christianity because of intolerance toward choices that may be foreign in that particular belief system (Homosexuality, sex before marriage, inter-faith marriage, the choice of abortion, and so on). And continuing on, another popular reason to “hate” Christianity is because they are deemed “hypocrites” (”love of God” translates quickly into “hate of Difference” — or worse, Christians hating their own kind because of inter-faith differences like denomination or variant beliefs of minor value at best).
But who are you (Pagans) to judge them? Why is your horse so high and mighty?
Overall, Pagans as well need to back up the hate-train. It is just as important for those that request tolerance, to show tolerance. Who cares, for instance, if a belief system is rigid? If someone tells you “You will go to Hell”. This only impacts you if you are doubtful of your own path… and if you are doubtful, then keep on searching for the truth. No harm, no foul. But if you have found the path that is yours? The words of others, in any form, have no impact on you, nor should you take action nor speech based upon those words, in any kind of negative fashion.
Words are simply words, and religion is subjective. Rigid beliefs or variant beliefs, it makes no difference. It does not impact your own personal path.
Therefor… live and let live.
Why are we all (all of us: Christians, Pagans, and everyone in between) so freaking negative? Even just the thought of such negativity, is suffocating.
Intolerance goes both ways.
Some Pagans are just as bad as Christians, for example, or any other group of people that hold a single unified belief system who point fingers at the people on the outside. I’ve seen it throughout my life, both as a Pagan and as a Christian (in the times of life where I was one, or the other), and I also have the “mysterious third” perspective to be hated by both groups of people (though obviously one far more than the other). Lucky me! I suppose it just gives me a few more things to right about though, so even that I can find the positive in.
There is, on another forum which I am a part of, a thread called “I don’t hate Christians”. It was made by a Pagan who desperately wanted to convey to others: Not only do I not “hate” Christians, but I don’t understand why any of you do either.
- As a pagan, I’ve found that there is a rather large stigma in the pagan community revolving around christians. More often than not, they are considered the enemy. They are the group we keep our secrets from and try to deceive into believing we are something we are not when they ask too many questions. I’m going to come clean… that this makes me very sad. I don’t believe that there should be so much hatred in our community against a specific group. There are many Christians I know who are very welcoming and accepting of different lifestyles, who aren’t pushy about their path and who simply don’t deserve to be marginalized.
First, I agree. I personally have the outright privilege of knowing some of the most amazing Christians who are an absolute tribute to their faith and to the sheer love of God.
Second, this thread (produced from the above passage) was created, because the most common hatred from Pagans, is toward Christianity. This is typically because of what happened to the word Pagan itself. It’s an unwarranted anger and hatred, however. While it’s true that some Christians are intolerant, this is true of any faith, any path, any creed, any culture. Truthfully, any human being had the potential to become intolerant in life.
If one group is “more” intolerant than the others… does this make them worse? An intolerant group of millions is no worse than one single solitary intolerant soul.
Some Pagans feel undue hatred toward Christianity because they caused the downfall of the term “Pagan” itself, which is not a negative term nor does it dicpict evil or wrongs of any kind. But, how is this different from other words changed to depict negativity? Like “gay”, or “colored”. Who shall we blame in collective for these debacles? Straight people? White people? The fact is that a term does not infuse an objective meaning based on a subjective perspective. Ever! Words are exactly how you interpret them. The meaning has the potential to be contained in your mind, rather than in the mouth of the person who speaks the word itself.
Others dislike, or even hate, Christians because they don’t enjoy being dictated their fate by a religion they are not a part of (You will go to Hell for this/that/the other thing). Still others dislike Christianity because of intolerance toward choices that may be foreign in that particular belief system (Homosexuality, sex before marriage, inter-faith marriage, the choice of abortion, and so on). And continuing on, another popular reason to “hate” Christianity is because they are deemed “hypocrites” (”love of God” translates quickly into “hate of Difference” — or worse, Christians hating their own kind because of inter-faith differences like denomination or variant beliefs of minor value at best).
But who are you (Pagans) to judge them? Why is your horse so high and mighty?
Overall, Pagans as well need to back up the hate-train. It is just as important for those that request tolerance, to show tolerance. Who cares, for instance, if a belief system is rigid? If someone tells you “You will go to Hell”. This only impacts you if you are doubtful of your own path… and if you are doubtful, then keep on searching for the truth. No harm, no foul. But if you have found the path that is yours? The words of others, in any form, have no impact on you, nor should you take action nor speech based upon those words, in any kind of negative fashion.
Words are simply words, and religion is subjective. Rigid beliefs or variant beliefs, it makes no difference. It does not impact your own personal path.
Therefor… live and let live.
Why are we all (all of us: Christians, Pagans, and everyone in between) so freaking negative? Even just the thought of such negativity, is suffocating.
