Yes folks, as I was sitting here at my desk, i had a few thoughts, thanks to a very close and dear friend of mine who is suffering asses and hypocrites. If she reads this, know that I love you to death my dear ^_^ and thanks for this piece of inspiration to write. So then, the focus of my rant.. Let me "Take you to Church" so to speak. lol, oh the irony. It's come to my attention that people are willing to kill, ostracize, and persecute in the name of a faith they don't have a full grasp of. I'm not signalling out any one religion, at least not yet. I'm talking about the entire world. Each little section has their own idea.. their idea alone is the right one, and damned be everyone else that doesn't follow it. A little egotistical don't you think? There may be a Truth, but there isn't a single religion that has it down yet. And the way human nature is, I doubt any one religion will grasp it. Ironic that the group that's the closest happens to be the group that most religions--especially the Christians--seem to have it out for. I've been in many religious debates and canonly sit back and wonder if these people actually know what they're talking about. Christians--and if any of you reading this are one, no offense to you personally--i have noticed, don't use their religious text in its entirety. Usually a certain segment or piece is pulled to prove their point, and the other parts that may contradict their tunnel-visioned point are disregarded. Perfect example: someone being told "thou shall not suffer a witch to live".. Old Testament.. ok. Based from the Jewish texts of religion (i.e the Torah), without giving consideration to any New Testament content talking about "love thy neighbor as thyself", and references that point out that unconditional love regardless of differences is the way to salvation. Ok, so we're going to just say that the New Testament doesn't exist, and the "holy Spirit" is incapable of granting special gifts to a select few (see Corinthians--Gifts of the Spirit). If that's the case.. then does that mean that the Jews are right in what was written in the Old Testament? And if the Jews are right.. then doesn't that make Christianity invalid? Just a thought. So then.. does anyone else notice how god changes between Old and New Testament? from a "kill everything that doesn't obey me" to a more "love everyone without prejudice and I will welcome you".. and yet people still seem to listen more to the "kill everyone not like me" idea. Hell, the greatest serial killers of our time were professed Catholics and Christians. Have you ever really heard of a Pagan Serial Killer? i didn't think so. Now mind you, this isn't the ranting of an Eclectic Neo-Pagan/Wiccan.. this stems from 10 years of Private Catholic school, coming from a 1/2 Catholic, 1/2 Baptist family, and having an uncle--Bishop Robert Edward Lee Dorn--who heads his own church in Florida... so I've done my homework more times over than I can count. Personally, I don't see how Christians--and yes, now I am focusing on one "group" to use the term loosely--can even begin to think they're better than every other religion when they can't even get along with themselves. They say Paganism is disorganized.. ah-huh. At least we all have the same basic concept: LOVE and ACCEPT EVERYONE. If Christianity were so organized, then why are there so many sects that can't get along if you were to put them into the same room and locked the door? Baptist, Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Lutherans, Methodists, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, Quakers, and whoever else is claiming the kingdom of god..I've heard all of them say at least one thing about the others.. and all based from a religion that is SUPPOSEDLY unified.. how very united of them don't you think? Makes you wonder if they even READ the Bible that they're trying to shove down your throat. and Please.. for the love of the Goddess.. if you're going to preach your ideals to someone.. at least KNOW some history about it. This whole portrayal of witches and witchcraft in the medieval times and dark ages... actually NEVER happened. Thank the research of a close friend of mine for that little tidbit of information, and for anyone who wants to contradict that one with a verse or biblical reference.. know 1st that she's a Religious Studies and History Major.. and working on her MASTERS. She reads thesis books for amusement and fun. Any more arguments? Oh yeah, she's Pagan too, how about that?

In a world that already has enough intolerance and hate as it is, don't you think it's time everyone follows the example of the one group that never went out for anyone else.. the one group that was persecuted, ridiculed, shunned, and hunted in unimagineable ways and still made efforts to accept everyone's views? Hmm.. sounds almost Christlike doesn't it.. maybe we Pagans have the right idea afterall.