Tips for Living Wicca: Put Away the Besom

There isn't a besom big enough for all the sweeping generalizations that get made about other religions. You hop around on different religious forums, read books by religious people, eavesdrop in on different religious groups/organizations, you might be shocked what you hear. 

• Wiccans are all either fat, socially awkward teen girls or middle-aged dumped divorcees who live with a herd of cats.
• Christians are ignorant, obnoxious, discriminating and oppressive.
• Jews are cheap and only look out for themselves.
• Pagans are all degenerates who just don't want to be accountable for their actions. 
• Muslims are women haters (even the women) and they all secretly applaud terrorism.
• Christians all want us to convert and submit to their God, to make all countries theocracies, and to abolish things like science and homosexuality
• Satanists would kill people if they thought they could get away with it.

It's enough to make you want to pull your hair out of your head. The funny thing is, even people who recognize those kinds of unfair judgments against their own religion will turn around and be judgemental about people of other religions. 

My Tip for You Today: Put away the besom... at least the one that makes sweeping generalizations. 

Remember that those broad-brush strokes are never intellectually honest; they are the root of prejudice, fear and hate. 

If you have a problem with this kind of thinking, it doesn't make you a bad person. It's understandable; no one is perfect. We all have those mental filters that shade our thinking and judgements. The trick is, accepting that it's a mistake, and trying to change it.

Don't allow yourself to justify those thoughts by telling yourself, Well, (group X) people have always been mean to me and treated me badly, so all people of (group X) must be mean. 

Imagine if someone said that about your religious group? About Wiccans? What would you tell them? You might say something like, "I'm sorry that Wiccans treated you badly, and that was wrong... but we're not all like that." 

Yes, that's some sound advice... now learn to use it on yourself. Not for the group you dislike, but for yourself, your own peace of mind, to bring yourself some clarity and find peace within your own heart. 

Only then can you find balance.

Are you aware of any mental filters that color your thinking about people of other religions?