Hey, everyone of all faiths. I want to help promote religious tolerance. Do you think I'm doing a good job?

Question

Hi, guys. I didn't mean to bother you or waste your time. But after that rant about christians(and I'm very sorry fot that). When I saw what happened in canada a few weeks ago. I was angry at them. But, I suddenly realize that they are scared of what they don't understand. And I want to HELP them understand. But I'm not sure if I'm doing a good job. But, as a witch you have to support religious tolerance. I had many e-mails sent to me saying how arrogant I was, or go back to your silly faith, stupid fluff. They told me I was only making everything worse. They assume I was intolerant, stupid. And all I'm doing is trying to make peace with other religions starting with Christians.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AskKoNlA3ImXCJ4IqXe7imrsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070922134622AAYQr7G

This is the link to my question. I want your honest opinion, I feel pretty stupid doing this. I got out of my little shell of hatred and intolerance and I really wanna help.

I must warn you. It's very long. So i recommend either skimming through or read it if you have alot of time on your hand.

All the replies from the christians were stuff I got out from research and reading.(It's a hobby) None of it is religious. I read so many books, it's hard to count.

Blessed Be everyone. And please tell me how I can help.

I forgot to mention what happened in Canada. I don't know exactly how it started. But the Christians came up with some kind of organization or a social group called AoC (Army of Christ) were killing witches. It was during a midsummer festival. Apparently someone told this Group that they had a festival or a ritual. Then during the night there were shootings and kidnappings. out of 200 people who attended the festival. 36 people where shot and killed. and 19 women were kidnapped raped THEN killed. there were about 40ish people in AoC. and 12 people were arrested, and the last thing they said was, the devil is among us, The devil is loose in canada. We must destroy the darkness. We must get rid of these witches in the name of jesus.

After that. I was so angry, like I said b4 they don't understand. They are afraid, but that is no excuse to kill.

I feel like a hypocrite.

And Cristians, please if you have somkethign to say about witches, go to the link shown and post there.

Answer 1

Romani

you know i like answering your questions,

but, i don't know what's up with you? what made you tick?

what did people say to you for you to say all that stuff??

Remember there is a difference between religion and spirituality.

I know you are trying to figure out who you are, and what you want to be, it just takes patience, and a lot of education.

good luck,

and to answer your question, you did not promote religious tolerence, if anything you made people become mad at you for ranting. Just because you rant, does n ot mean people are going to believe you more.,

thank you

Answer 2

I think the length and how throrough you were really turned a bunch of people off. Alot of religious people are not tolerant and there is nothing you can do or say that will make them. I know some Wiccans who are just as intolerant as some of the Christians you're talking about. It's sad that "religious" people often forget their religions when confronted with an opposing faith. Just because we believe different things doesn't mean either beliefs are ignorant or blah, blah, blah.....Just do what you do, believe what you believe, and find strength in that. I hope you keep up your tolerance, whatever mean people may say to you. The more tolerance we have in the world, the better. I wish you blessings as well!

Answer 3

Hi Romani,
I'm afraid, if promoting religious tolerance is your goal, you aren't off to a very good start.
You promote religious tolerance by, 1) finding similarities in the faiths you are trying to help gap, and 2) discussing differences in a factual, but non-confrontational manner.
You may not have intended to do so, but you attacked one of the basic tenets of their faith. Christians in general believe the Bible comes from the direct revelation of God himself, and is therefore infallible. If you say anything ill about their holy book, all you will do is incite more hatred and bigotry.
I suggest you read "Pagans & Christians :The Personal Spiritual Experience", by Gus DiZerega.
http://www.amazon.com/Pagans-Christians-Personal-Spiritual-Experience/dp/1567182283
Also, I recently read another of your questions, as to what to do now that you feel let down by Silvver Ravenwolf.
I think you need to take more time to learn and study about your own faith, before you try to get involved with interfaith relations. You're still young, and there will be plenty of time for that later. The more educated you are about your own tradition, the bigger asset you will be in the battle aginst ignorance, and religious intolerance.
Blessed Be!

Answer 4

1. If people don't ask to understand it's probably because they don't perceive understanding as a desireable trait or quality.
2.Sounds like you're feeling guilty for coming across as intolerant and that didn't fit with your self-image. Learn the lesson and go on. Don't try to balance it out by becoming a self-appointed messiah. Your're forgiven. We all say and do things that conflict with our ego-constructs. That's called becoming self-aware. May the process never stop - even though it hurts a bit.
3. Remember everyone else has just as much right to be wrong as you do. It's not your job to "save" them from their intolerance.
4. When the student is ready the teacher will appear. Teacher who go looking for students (under the auspices of "helping them understand") create counterproductive resistance to the learning process (refer to #1)

Answer 5

What you posted in that other post was a rant, pure and simple. It wasn't building bridges. To me, it doesn't even appear to be trying to build bridges. You say you aren't trying to bash, yet you demand Christians explain the basis of their beliefs to you and then inform them that the very foundation of their faith, the Bible, doesn't count. That was very intolerant and downright rude. You don't believe that the Bible is truth (and neither do I), but they do. I find it extremely offensive when Christians expect me to justify my Wiccan beliefs in terms of the Bible, and you did the exact same thing in reverse.

Your very long list of additional comments reads like someone looking for a fight and wanting to prove herself right...which rather goes against the claim of trying to understand what other people believe.

I suggest that you list out what it is you want to accomplish and then what would be good ways of going about it. it might help you focus. If you truly want to learn about other people's beliefs, you need to listen and not judge. If you want to encourage tolerance in others, you have to display it in yourself.

And when jerks post stupid stuff like they regularly do here, you need to ignore them or at least carefully choose your battles. If you react against every "Wicca is stupid. Pray to Jesus" post, you will get dragged down to their level, you will validate their outlooks, you may say something hateful about Christianity in return, and in general it will just make the situation worse. You're not going to change those people, so focus your energy elsewhere.

I do hope you're honest in your desire to help. You do appear to be very angry at the moment. But this isn't even the first time you've done this. Last week you had a question entitled "There are so many reasons why I hate Christians. Why are they so concieted[sic]?" http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkEVJ3fR0MLN7bUQuYjEyPLty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070915135957AAbjlUO

That's not being helpful either.

I hope you find peace in your path. You appear to be on kind of a destructive bent at the moment.

Answer 6

Christians are very tolerant. You should really get to know one rather than believe all the generalizations that you hear about Christians.

We just have one area that is off limits to tolerance, and that is tolerating sin, Just can't give you our blessings on sin. Sorry.

But our God of love can be so tolerant and willing to forgive the most heinous of sins that humankind can commit. We just cannot and will not compromise God's righteousness or holiness for the sake of unity.

Answer 7

I think I remember reading your original post and figuring you had just been attacked by someone or something.

I'm glad that you recognized your error and are now going to promote tolerance. I wish that my Christian brethren were more tolerant as well. Some can be extremely nasty and I know I have said things that I had to rethink and apologize for.

I wish you well on your turn of heart and hope you continue to try to encourage tolerance here at YA R&S. I think that if we continue to actually dialog, instead of getting into name-calling and making snide remarks, we can actually learn something about each other and grow.

Answer 8

In order to promote "religious tolerance" you would have to change the whole concept of religion. Religions are not designed to be tolerant of other religions because each and every religion is the "one true religion". All the others are there to temp your faith. What a joke. Religious people suffer from psychological delusion. They need medical help. Unless you are a doctor, I don't think you can help them.

Answer 9

Jesus said "I haven't come to bring peace, but a sword." He never said to "tolerate" someone else's god.
We are not called to "tolerate" another's religion. We are called to tell them the TRUTH, so they do not perish. That's the problem with "tolerant" "Christians" they do things according to the world, and not according to God. We, as Christians are not suppose to promote one big happy "religion" God, the One True God, is only interested in a personal relationship. We aren't suppose to accept other's religions as the truth, or tell people they are the truth. That would be going AGAINST God. It doesn't matter what you are trying to promote to me, anyway, you are a witch, by admission. I'm suppose to have nothing to do with you, either.

Answer 10

religious tolerance is impossible. Now that probably sounds like im a raving stuck up moron but hear me out. Since were talking about religon we all belive in a god figure right? so why would said god figure go to one set of people and say, that faith gets them to heaven and not works, and then go to someone else and say that works actually does get them to heaven. Hed have to be insane. As stated, many religons would contradict each other if mixed by religous tolerance, itd be like oil and water. Im not condemning you for trying, but what you are trying to do is impossible.