Image courtesy of Reddit
WARNING: This post is me venting about how insensitive some people can be to Wicca and other religions in general. I may say things that are offensive to some, and I apologize beforehand. Read at your own risk.
Contrary to what some people may say, the United States of America is NOT a Christian nation. Most of its population is Christian, but that doesn't make it a Christian nation. While many of the founding fathers identified themselves as Christians (or Deists but that's a technicality), the First Amendment of the Constitution separates church from state, saying that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."
What does this mean? It means that everyone is free to practice their religion in peace. Let's not forget that the Puritans, some of the first people to colonize America, were Christians seeking religious freedom. I'm not saying all Christians are hypocrites, I'm just saying some people should take the log out of their own eye before they pick out the splinter in someone else's.
As someone who is hiding their religion from as many people as possible (including my family), I feel a little out of place when attending church and other Christian events. But that doesn't mean I won't respect others who are practicing their religion; I don't bother them, which is what I'd like them to do to me if they knew I was Wiccan. At times I've felt singled out, as if they've already judged me for being Wiccan. Sometimes my stomach flip-flops and I sweat a little, for fear that I'll lose all self-control and shout my secret in the middle of a sermon. It would be embarassing and send my family into an uproar if I did this, but I imagine it would be liberating to get that weight off my chest.
Just to clarify, I know that not all Christians are bad people; even though Christians throughout history have persecuted Pagans, I don't think a few bad apples should spoil the bunch. I just want non-Pagans to treat Pagans with the respect they deserve.
Contrary to what some people may say, the United States of America is NOT a Christian nation. Most of its population is Christian, but that doesn't make it a Christian nation. While many of the founding fathers identified themselves as Christians (or Deists but that's a technicality), the First Amendment of the Constitution separates church from state, saying that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."
What does this mean? It means that everyone is free to practice their religion in peace. Let's not forget that the Puritans, some of the first people to colonize America, were Christians seeking religious freedom. I'm not saying all Christians are hypocrites, I'm just saying some people should take the log out of their own eye before they pick out the splinter in someone else's.
As someone who is hiding their religion from as many people as possible (including my family), I feel a little out of place when attending church and other Christian events. But that doesn't mean I won't respect others who are practicing their religion; I don't bother them, which is what I'd like them to do to me if they knew I was Wiccan. At times I've felt singled out, as if they've already judged me for being Wiccan. Sometimes my stomach flip-flops and I sweat a little, for fear that I'll lose all self-control and shout my secret in the middle of a sermon. It would be embarassing and send my family into an uproar if I did this, but I imagine it would be liberating to get that weight off my chest.
Just to clarify, I know that not all Christians are bad people; even though Christians throughout history have persecuted Pagans, I don't think a few bad apples should spoil the bunch. I just want non-Pagans to treat Pagans with the respect they deserve.
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