Pathwalkers herb gardens - Gypsey Website

PathWalkers.Net Interactive :: Helping you along your path
going on, so I decided to put my thoughts on the web as a way of possibly helping us all.
In the first place, those who have come out of the broom closet and made their names
public on the net and within their communities are, for the most part, people who share
one common desire. No matter what race, age, or nationality, these pagans want to help
bring our religions to the world's attention. They want to help, in some small way, to
make people understand that pagans are people just like everyone else. There are good
and bad among us. We are doctors and lawyers, ditch diggers and sanitation workers,
housewives and grocery baggers. We come from all walks of life. We are just like the
people who worship one of the recognized 'majority' religions.
For the most part, these 'pagan religious freedom fighters' are in it for one reason
only...to help the pagan community. End of story. To accomplish this, they put their jobs,
education, even marriages or relationships on the line. They are harrassed, ridiculed,
ostrasized, and sometimes physically attacked for their beliefs. But still they fight the
good fight. Of course, there are some who do this simply for attention. These are the
people who gather together and pat each other on the back and brag about how they 'give
all their time' etc, etc, ad nauseum, to help blah, blah, blah.. You get my drift.
But the vast majority do it for the simple pleasure of knowing that they are contributing
something positive and constructive to a world religious community that is dominated by
narrow-minded, bigoted, so-called eclesiastic headmen. So, when I read a mail or
newsgroup message where some self-appointed high-and-mighty ass starts griping
people out because of their openess, I tend to get a bit hostile. My message to all of you
who fit the above catagory..... climb back into your barrel, put your blinders back on, and
shut the hell up. Go back into hiding. No one is asking or forcing you to be open with
your religious practices. Do what you want, but do not presume to criticise those who
choose to be vocal and public. There is a big difference between voicing your viewpoints
on the pros and cons of a situation or action, and criticising a person for their actions or
viewpoints.
In the second place, it is not my, or anyone else's place to criticise another's religion. I
personally have no great love for Christian's as a whole, especially Southern Baptists.
Being raised in the South and around them for most of my life, I have found them to be,
on the average, a very closed minded group. But I DO NOT deny them the right to
worship however they want in peace. I will fight just as hard to defend the Baptist
church's right to religious freedom as I will to defend my own right to follow Wicca. I
don't care if you worship a paper bag full of rocks, I would still fight for your right to
worship that bag of rocks. It is your religion and you have a right to worship as you
please as long as it doesn't hurt someone. Is that so hard?
But everyday I see email messages from people bashing Christians, Jews, Muslims, and
other's from single-god religions, as well as bickering within the pagan community. Is it
that, by bashing others, you feel important? Maybe you assuage your own insecurities by
focusing on other's? Do you ever stop and see that you are emulating what you profess to
detest? You claim injury and opression by the Burning Times, yet you will condemn
others? You will complain about not being able to openly worship, yet you will harass
another for doing just that? If this is how you feel, I suggest that you re-examine your
beliefs. I mean take your soul out and take a long, hard look at it. Because, my brothers
and sisters, you are not practicing Paganism. You are practising hypocrisy.
http://www.pathwalkers.net/interactive/modules....ame=News&file=index&catid=1&topic=&allstories=1 (221 of 236) [12/25/2005 12:17:44 AM]