ignorance

topic posted Mon, October 8, 2007 - 10:10 AM by  pamela
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Hello everyone. I was just skimming throuth Tribe a nd came upon this really cool group of people. As of today I am a member.
Here is my topic and give me some input...
We are tranplants from Az and are living in NC (which I absolutely love) which is considered the bible belt.
I have a sticker on my truck that says "pagan special forces from above and below" .
My neighbors kid asked my daughter if we were devil woshippers. Now, in my opinion, the devil has nothing to do with paganism because I think it is a christian "deity". How do explain to some really ignorant people that so much of the holidays and beieifs that they value are taken from a pagan calendar and pagan followings?
Do you just bite your tongue and vent to yourself?
I jsut told my daughter tell her no, we are not devil worshipers and basically ignore her because when people show their ignorance like that, they most likely won't have an open mind to listen to what you have to say.
What do you think?
posted by:
pamela
North Carolina
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  • Re: ignorance

    Mon, October 8, 2007 - 10:45 AM
    The kid was probably just repeating something from an adult. It is basic to Christian "theology" that ALL religions other than Christianity amount to devil worship. Of course that is especially true of Pagans!

    A question like that - whether from an adult or a child, doesn't necessarily represent any kind of hostility. It does represent real ignorance - but it could also be a sign of genuine curiosity.

    It would be a really good idea to find other Pagans in your new home and talk to them about how they deal with their neighbors. In some cases (and I am mostly joking) it might be advisable for people to think that you DO worship the devil and practice human sacrifice. Fear is the only thing some people understand or respect.

    I grew up in Indiana (and lived there for almost three decades). In a hostile environment sometimes you have to pick your battles.
  • Unsu...
     

    Re: ignorance

    Sat, October 20, 2007 - 11:44 PM
    When I was a kid my friend told me I'd go to hell if I didn't believe in Jesus Christ. She was just repeating stuff she'd heard at church, and nowadays couldn't be classified as a Christian. Anyway, my mom and I were Buddhist -- and I just was cause it was what mom did -- and so I asked her "Do you think Buddha would mind if I believed in Jesus for a while?"

    Goddess bless her, she kept a straight face. XP

    As said, it's probably just a kid repeating something she doesn't really believe in or know anything about. I'd say have your daughter say "No, we don't worship the devil," and then add a sentence or two explaining what you do believe. It could be the start of a great friendship for your daughter and this child -- oftentimes people from opposing viewpoints or places in life make the best of friends (Legolas and Gimli, as a literary example, or my friend Robert and me are literally two sides of one coin, and we get along great).

    Maybe also invite the parents over for dinner or tea or something, to show them that you are completely normal, and engage them in polite, lighthearted conversations about belief. You'll soon find out which group of ignorance they belong to: the close-minded or the open-minded. Not all people who are ignorant are close-minded -- they just have honestly not had a chance to learn. If they are open-minded, then there is room there for education, and the flowering of good relationships. As well to make friends with non-Pagans in a bible belt area will be strengthening yourself quite a bit.

    Just some thoughts. I hope all goes well for you!

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