I did a most bizarre thing this weekend. I apologized, cosmically, to all the christians I have lumped in with the wacos in that particular religious group.
I want to thank Mark for that. It has been an eye opening experience emailing with him. I have learned a lot about myself and my attitudes by reading and writing with him. I have always just glumped christians together and thought of them all as violent, intolerant bigots and glumped pagans together and thought of them as the exact opposite of that. But Mark has shown me that not all pagans have the same core values or hold the same attitudes about the basic tenents of our faith. And because of him, I realize that there are probably more like him. All the pagans I have come in contact and had discussions with have felt the same as I do about our place in the Circle and our responsibility to the Deity, the Earth and all those we share it with. When I look at the words of the Rede: "As ye harm none, do as ye will" I take that to mean "don't harm anyone" which is one of my strongest supports in my pacifism. As it is for all the pagans I have come in contact with. Until now.
Mark has shown me that someone can take an obvious piece of religious teaching and twist it to suit his own purposes. He still hasn't explained what part of "harm none" DOESN'T mean "don't hurt anyone" but according to him there is some wiggle room in there to shoot people in defense of self or others. He is a member of the NRA *shudder* and calls himself a Wiccan. I don't question his path, because it's not my place. If this works for him, fulfills his soul and brings him closer to deity, then more power to him. But I so object to him calling himself a Wiccan.
So here and now, I formally and publicly apologize to any christians I have glumped together with those who slaughter your faith to suit themselves. I was wrong. I have learned something this weekend. I still find the bible to be a violent, intolerant piece of fiction but I now make room for the possibility that there may be some who sift through the crap to find the wisdom in it, just as there are those who sift through the wisdom and find the crap. I have a lot of processing to do on this. I can't change the attitudes of a lifetime overnight. But now I will think before I make snap judgments on someone who calls themselves christian...or wiccan.
at 1:46 PM :: ~#~
