Good Evening my Magickal Witchy Readers,
Unfortunately, I do realize that those individuals who really need to read this discussion, wouldn't be caught dead reading the words of a witch. At least not to learn anything new or to open their minds. For those new to the magickal path, you might not have encountered any covert hostility, or openly hostile people. But stay on this path long enough and you will, especially if you let others know of your beliefs. Many of you know very well what I am talking about. Extremist Fundamentalist Christians who feel compelled to change your mind about your beliefs and to try to save your soul.
Yes, you and I both know the basics of our beliefs. How we do not worship or even acknowledge the Judeo-Christian created Satan or devil. How we do not do any harmful magick or direct any harmful energies towards anyone. How we try to care for the Earth, animals, people and our community.
Yet, there are those in our community that secretly hate us. They despise everything about us. They are filled with hatred, fear, ignorance and would hurt us if they could. It sounds scary and it is. Occasionally I will receive a letter or someone will call on the store phone and try to convince us of the errors of our ways and how evil the path we tread really is. Many of these encounters are reported to the local police department.
I do find it interesting that these individuals, who on one hand feel so strongly about 'saving our souls' and teaching us the righteous Godly way to live, and they beg us to give up our 'evil ways' and are so earnest and sincere and seem to truly believe what they are saying . . . but they never sign their names to the letters and the phone numbers are always blocked. Hmmmmm?
One would think, if they truly felt as they preach, inside of their hearts, they would want to shout it from the roof tops, and be proud of trying to bring us into the 'light'. But in truth their actions, sending anonymous letters, blocking their names and number on the phone, show that they do know that what they are doing and saying crosses a boundary and violates a person's right to religious freedom.
I personally know many wonderful Christians who have only love and acceptance in their hearts, even if the other person's beliefs differs from theirs. They know a few secret things, that fundamentalist Christians, those 'pushy' people don't. They know that God/Goddess created . . . everyone. They know, as Pagans do, that humans were created thousands of years before modern religions. And they know that once we pass from this world, that heaven, or the summer land (as pagans call it) or the temple of the God/Goddess, or whatever you call it, has no religion. There is only love on the other side.
For those who somehow find themselves reading this and they feel that they fall into the fundamentalist Christian beliefs, where they believe that everyone that believes differently from them are evil or destined for Hell, that they are required to convert everyone who doesn't believe as they do, we ask that they simply leave us alone. We are good with our understanding of the world and our place in it. We are happy with our Gods and Goddess' and we are not in need of being saved as we are not in danger.
Also, please, do not try to convince us of the wrongdoing (in your eyes) of our ways, by cherry picking passages from the Old Testament, which by the way, the commonly chosen texts, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Numbers from the first five books of the bible were written by Moses 1400 years before Jesus walked the Earth. Many Christians are not even aware that these first five books are also known as the Jewish Torah. Yes, the old testament is not by definition, Christian at all. They are books which happen to have pretty brutal, extremist views of how people should live and how they should be punished if they break laws forbidding many things.
Yes, forbidden things like wearing two different types of fabrics, eating pork, eating fat, eating blood (which along with fat leaves out steak or hamburger) drinking alcohol in holy places (this includes wine in a church or temple) getting divorced, going to church within 33 days of giving birth to a boy, going to church within 66 days of giving birth to a girl, stealing, lying, holding back the wages of an employee overnight (yes, you should be paid daily according to the old testament) trimming your beard, cutting your hair or getting tattoos, reaping to the very edges of your field (which means mowing your grass to the very edges of your property!! Uh, Oh! Also standing in the presence of the elderly, or working on the Sabbath and selling any land you own permanently and other outdated Jewish laws that are no longer practical in today's world. Of course, doing any magicks, divination or magickal healing were also forbidden. Yes, laying on of hands and healing the sick, the blind were considered magickal acts, not miracles back then in Jesus's time. He was considered by his actions, a magician.
Check it out for yourself, there are over 70 such forbidden laws and many are punishable by death! DEATH! For trimming your beard? Yet, some would hold these pages as sacred and point to them saying, see, . . . see it says so in the bible and you should take Jesus as your savior. Even though Jesus would have been guilty of some of these himself, as would his apostles and disciples. Why? Simply because they had become outdated 1400 plus years later when Jesus was born.
Firstly, one is not allowed (according to the early books of the bible) to pick and choose which part you wish to follow. But I have no issue with that, because as far as I am concerned and as it is with most witches and pagans, we don't care what you choose to do. That is a personal choice and it's totally up to you. We simply ask the same level of respect, to let us choose our ways.
Secondly, the bible is not one of our holy books. I wouldn't go to a Christian and expect them to follow the Qua' an, or the Vedas or Bhagavad Gita or the Sutras. Why would they? It is not their religion, nor their beliefs or followings. So why try to convince us, to 'save our souls' and accept Jesus? Yes, your religion may be interpreted by some to feel you must, you are compelled to go out and convert others or risk being considered unacceptable to your religion and your God. I am sorry for that, but you do not have the right to push your beliefs on anyone. And deep inside you know this, because if you didn't believe this, you would have signed your name and have been proud of it.
I personally, much rather enjoy discussing religion and philosophy and difference of opinions with those who can think independently and have no need to grab an outdated passage to try to force their belief on another.
Just sitting back and observing the world today, in 2016, and seeing how many people are being killed every day around the world, all because of outdated religious beliefs and philosophies which allow no personal choice. The extremist beliefs that feel, if you do not believe as I do, you must die. This has become understood to be a form of insanity and has no place in our world today. We are civilized, educated, no longer fearful of superstitions and loving and accepting of others. At least some of us are, and for those who feel differently we ask . . . please leave us along. Blessed Be
Peace and Happiness!!
© 2010-2016 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.
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