sapphoq wishes to thank the fine folks at Religious Tolerance of Ontario for the succinct wisdom contained in their article:
WHY RELIGIONS SOMETIMES PROMOTE HATRED, VIOLENCE, AND GENOCIDE .
I was in attendance at a somewhat public meeting this weekend where it came to pass that some of the folks in attendance were speaking about their monotheistic male christian god in rather lofty and glowing terms, additionally claiming that they "knew" or were seeking to know said god's will for their individual lives. When it came my turn to speak, I advised that I was "sitting in a room of mystics." I asked who this god was and how do we know his will? I went on briefly to mention that people are killing each other in the Middle East right now believing that it is their god's will for them to do so [a mild simplification and thus an under-truth I know]. I also brought up the idea that here in our own country some of us g.l.b.t.i.q. folks are being denied the same basic civil rights that other American citizens take for granted. The denial of our basic civil rights is based partly on what some folks perceive is their god's will for all of us. Thus, I have a problem with this whole mystic experience thing. I shut-up then and the get-together ran its course. My friends are a varied bunch of folks and I love them. My good-natured questioning is nothing new to their ears. The event ended on a rather difficult note. One woman in attendance [an acquaintance rather than a friend] made last second comments about someone violating our cohesiveness as an organization which mystified me.
This evening I had occasion to run into the woman who grandstanded the gathering over the weekend. I asked her to explain what she was talking about. She said, "I was talking about you." I suggested that it might be better for us to sit down and communicate directly with each other about this. She said she thought that the group needed to know. I told her that grandstanding does nothing to improve communication between us but sitting down and talking about our differences might. She had forgotten the word I had called them [mystics] and didn't know what grandstanding was. I told her, adding that I also had my own experience with grandstanding and that is why I recognize it. She bristled then. I tried to explain the difference between unity and uniformity-- I was guessing that her real objection to my opinion lay more in that area. She informed me that I "shouldn't share" my personal struggle. I asked her where that was in the by-laws of said club. She stuttered a bit and finally said, "You make some people feel insulted" or something along those lines indicating that her feelings were my responsibility somehow. At last, the crux of the matter. I told her that is the risk we all take in communication. [I chose not to address the idea that I could make anyone feel anything.] She turned away then, and I left as I had other matters to attend to before sleeping.
I am aware that monotheists certainly do not have the monopoly on intolerance. We Pagans, Witches, Heathens, Druids can also lay vigorous claim to that turf. Anyone who has been involved in a Witch War knows this. And yes, some of us refer to Christians as x-tians. And a few of us boycott certain businesses run by Christians just as some Christians boycott pagan-friendly or glbtiq-friendly businesses. Everyone is guilty of intolerance. No one escapes with innocence in this life.
It is mental masturbation to presume that I know the whys and wherefores of any other human being's actions. I do not totally understand how it is that what I say can provoke such a strong reaction in one individual. I do not have to know.
What I do know is that in a casual circle of human beings, I have as much of a right to put forth my doubts about what others are talking about as much as everyone else there has to speak about their monotheistic male christian god in rather lofty and glowing terms. I endeavor to accord basic human respect to the human beings that I come into contact with in my daily life. In the course of average human relations with other adults, I expect the same basic human respect. I don't care if people respect my spiritual path. And I certainly am not asking for anyone's approval. What I want is to exercise my freedom of self-expression. And I want others to exercise their freedom of self-expression too. A difference of opinion is not something that violates any principle of an honest healthy relationship between two or more human beings.
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