I think that you have hit the nail on the head there oonaghsidhe. I can see from your perspective when you explain the situation around yourself and your relationship with people of other faiths.. and yes I think some of the rest of us are reacting to bad experiences we have had with the moral crusaders.
Personally I was verbally attacked several times by a co-worker from the last company I worked for which came to a head when she introduced me to a new employee as "the satanist" and so I suppose intollerance bred intollerance. This has been compounded at the present company I work for as I have been told by my direct boss and personal friend to keep my mouth shut because one of the managers is a practising Catholic and even though I am protected by law as a pagan this would not stop him making my life a misery. Therefore I am afraid I do become defensive in the face of ignorance and intollerance and react accordingly.

Waes Hael

Im glad there is at least one portion of society where people just get along.

wow...how very sheltered i am.
i am so very sorry for what you have had to endure. i hope that someday we can all play nicely together.

Here, Here, Oona! Let's all play nicely together. Wouldn't that be a beautiful world. *Sigh* Oh, well, I can dream the good dream...

I live in an atmosphere of intolerance in a small midwestern city. I am firmly in the broom closet, even my husband threatened to try and take my kids away if I didn't mend my ways and "behave". So I know about intolerance. I agree with standing up for one's self and the right to religious freedom. Having said that, I do personally have a bad taste for anyone, including pagans, who bait others for sport. I will defend myself, but I hate it when I see people do with with glee. I must be just as tolerant and respectful of others as I want them to be of me. Words really can't hurt me unless I let them. Unless someone physically attacks me (and they have, much to their dismay when I smacked back!), the rest is just so much noise. The only way someone can hurt or distress me is if their opinion actually means something to me.

I will admit, that is the best case scenario. I do have my pissy days when I sass back, but I am invariably ashamed of myself when I do. I strive to conduct myself with dignity. This is a lesson I teach to my children: You can't control what anyone else does, only what you do. If you do want to change someone and their actions for the better, model what you would have them do.

Okay, on to the next soapbox....

willow, you are amazing (in my very humble opinion =o)

Christians offered our people a religion based on Peace and Love;
(Peace and Love! Isn’t that a Grand Idea? )
What they actually Gave us was the Inquisition, Witch Trials and Burnings.
I am afraid to accept anything else from them……

Hmmmm Christians gave me....guilt, mental blocks, brainwash, self pity, Â*low esteem, sadness, shame, hate, empty pockets, BUT!! Â*I took all that anger & turned it into a new found energy of Â* myself of what I have to offer & not what someone wants to dictate to me that I should do, or I will go to the so-called Christian HELL! Â*All I can say is BLESSED BE for PAGANS!!![wink]

My philosophy is; "Don't start no $hit, and there wont be no $hit." That being said, I know I am a very opinionated person and try to keep them to myself, but if pushed I have no problem unloading both barrels.
I had a co-worker at my last job who was a Jesus freak. Nothing wrong with that at all but he made it known if he thought you were a sinner. I didn't avoid him but I didn't talk religion or politcis with him.
At my current job, theirs a guy who is very "fundamentalist" (key word being mental). I think he's searching for what works for him, he seems to have tried Islam but has gone back to Christianity. He's so fundy, he wont celebrate many of the major holidays because of there Pagan roots. So me and that guy don't discuss religion or politics.
I usually wont answer the door when people knock if I dont know them. But sometimes get caught while doing yard work. All I can say is Gods help them if they knock on my door to preach and the waterhose is close by....

My thoughts...are that people get behind a religion so they can use it to be angry and belittle others! Righteousness ~ eeeeeekkkkk! Are their lives so empty that they neeeeeeeed to do this? Maybe a sense of *Humor* might help? [lol][lol][lol][lol][lol]

It certainly could not Hurt!![lol][lol]

Last word on the missionaries. They were in the office for a long time, so I thought it went well, although the marketing director did have a look on his face as if to say "Get me the H, E, double hockey sticks out of here!"

I asked him recently how it went with them. He said that they liked the product, but they made a big deal about how ours was the most expensive package they looked at. The best part came when they proposed paying us based on how much they receive in donations. Wouldn't you just love to go to a car dealership and say "Hey, about the car payments, can I just send in whatever I can afford based on how much money I have at the time?" Good luck!