Not Everyone Links Us with Evil out of Malice

Written by: Tiernajac

My life has reached a point where religion, belief and worldview have played a large part. Everywhere people seem to be debating mainstream religions and paganism, especially the supposed harm and evil of the latter. For those who do not know, I am very actively involved in parish activities. I no longer work as a youth group leader or teach Sunday school, but I take part in almost everything else.

I attended a lecture about different kinds of learners. The lecturer began very professionally, and the first half was interesting. Then she began discussing the significance of religion and worldview in a student’s life. As a kindly meant example, she brought up Satan worshippers. I soon realised that I, along with everyone who did not follow a mainstream religion, had been lumped in with these “apprentices of the Devil”. As the only person there who followed a different path, I did not quite dare to correct her in public. Instead I took out my notebook and wrote a short piece, which I must admit was neither my best nor my wisest.

I have just reread that piece and realised I fell into exactly the same trap as the lecturer: I grouped every academically educated Christian together. That made me think about how much a person’s worldview influences things. Pagans and followers of smaller religions are regarded differently and spoken to more cautiously. (I hope you will allow me a little generalisation here.)

I have told friends about my worldview, and even in my activities I have begun talking about what I believe. After the lecture, I politely approached the lecturer, asked her to step aside for a moment, explained my situation and clarified some of her larger mistakes. Her eyes widened. She smiled and thanked me, took out a piece of paper and asked me to repeat what I had said. At lunch I joined my own group, who teasingly asked what I thought of the lecture. I said it had been good, useful and interesting, though a little generalising—but are they not all? The whole table went silent. I suppose they expected me to begin a lecture of my own on religious freedom and the wrongness of linking everything unfamiliar with evil.

I do not want to slip into pointless fanaticism or preaching. I hope I can be a quiet teacher and a positive example showing that not everything unfamiliar and new is evil. The lecturer corrected her terminology during the joint feedback session, and I found myself picking up my pen again. This time I wrote more calmly, and much better:

“Not everyone generalises and connects people who walk their own paths with evil on purpose. Some do it because they know no better. You do not change public opinion by preaching, getting angry and demanding change. You do it by setting a positive example and, when needed, offering a friendly explanation. Today I learned this through experience.”

That short thought may be the wisest sentence I have ever written. Because I did not begin preaching in public and demanding attention for my worldview, I managed to change one person’s opinion. Through that person, many others may hear that everything new cannot be dismissed as evil, and that not everyone outside a mainstream religion is an “apprentice of the Devil”.

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