Dear Christian Woman, by Linda St.Cyr (Unsent Letters Religion Theme)
Dear Christian Woman,
I’m not even sure where to begin. You are yet another reason I doubt the preachings of your Christian religion. You called a group of fellow writers “heathens”, “evil” and “sent by the devil” all because we were not following your religion. Well, I take offense to that. I may not be Christian, which I readily express, yet neither are you if you go about disrespecting those of us not of your faith.
It is truly offensive that without ever meeting any one of us or learning where we have come from or why we have chosen our religious paths that you would arbitrarily call us names. The worst part was that you didn’t just call us names but you tried to have God on your side by calling us those names in a Prayer.
Well, save your prayers. Pray for the sick, pray for the homeless, pray for the starving, but do not pray for me. I can tend to my own soul with the help of my spiritual guides. I have no need for you, a Christian woman who knows nothing about me, to refer to me and my ways as evil because they are different.
If you had taken the time to get to know me before calling me a heathen and evil you might have discovered I have great respect for people of all religions. You might have then discovered my religion follows one big rule, “Harm ye none”, which means to harm no one either by words or actions. You might have discovered I have friends who are Christian, Jewish, Agnostic and Atheist. You might have discovered I donate clothing, time, money and food to charitable causes no matter what religion asks for them. You might have discovered I went with my son to make Easter baskets for our American troops overseas so they could have a taste of home and feel that someone cares.
You may have found out that if I were your friend, I would defend you and protect you with my life.
But you didn’t discover anything about me. You didn’t find out anything about the others you said were sent by the devil. You didn’t find out anything about them or me. All this hate because our religions differed from yours. That is terribly sad.
I was angered at first but the more I think about it, the more I am sad for you. I am sad you will not open your mind a little wider to find out about the beautiful people around you.
You want to pray for us whom you say are sent by the devil, heathens and evil yet it is you who needs to be prayed for. It is you, Christian Woman, who has a hole in her heart. It is you who spreads the darkness of evil by showing ignorance in the name of prayer. When all you had to do was take a little time to get to know us perhaps you would not have called us the names you did.
May you learn not to judge lest ye be judged yourself.
A Pagan Woman
~~~Linda St.Cyr is a professional freelance writer, artist and poet. She has been published in numerous online publications including Club Mom, Associated Content and outlets of Demand Media. She is currently working on a novel while raising two children in the beautiful Pocono Mountains. To learn more about Linda and her writing, please visit her author’s website at the following link: http://sites.google.com/site/stcyrlinda/
I’m right there beside you Linda. Excellent letter with calmly expressed thoughts.
Oh man. This is exactly what I was referring to in my letter, people who claim to be Christians, better than everyone else because of their religion, yet completely judgmental and hypocritical.
FWIW, I think your soul is in wonderful shape, from the sounds of things.
Very well put as Wiccan I have had to hear such things as well. You have expressed how I feel too without be overly angry about things like I used to be. Though I do find irony in the Christian ads by google to the left of my comment, not so smart ads.
As a Christian, I find this kind of bible thumping very questionable. I have never, nor will I ever.. call anyone names or base my opinions of them because of their religion or lack thereof. I feel I must apologize for them, they make me very uncomfortable. This tactic simply pushes people away. So, I’m sorry and I want you to know we are not all like that. And I too have friends that are wiccan, spiritualists, atheists and agnostics..
If people can’t be nice to others they should not call themselves Christian, because they don’t understand their own religion. I’m not a Christian but I do understand the meaning of love.
Love the letter. You said everything that many Christians need to hear. I certainly have friends of other faiths who are more Christ-like than many Christians.
I never understand this. As Christians, we aren’t supposed to judge others. We don’t know what’s going to happen to anyone’s soul, only God does. I have friends from all kinds of faiths. Half the time I don’t even know what their faith is. It’s not up to me to save everyone. I pray for all my friends, no matter their religious beliefs. I’m sorry she hurt you and others. We can only hope she learns something from the experience that will help her.
People who attack other religions usually do so out of fear. They mix up faith and love with dogma and judgment.
I pity them.
This is a nice letter from Pagan Women [sic]
Wow! Thank you very much! I always wanted to write in my site something like that
I have to agree with Borgieskid. It’s a shame that people who act like this puts a bad spin on every Christian. To me, Christianity isn’t a religion! It’s life. It’s a relationship with God. Please don’t pity me. I am not like those “bible thumpers” you talked about. Yes, the Bible is the truth to me. But I don’t throw it in people’s faces. If they ask, then yes, I tell them. But I feel that witnessing is better by living my life and showing others the love of God.
Please don’t think that all of us are like that! Don’t group ALL Christians within a small category of the religious “bible thumpers” that are mean. That is not what Christianity is about.
It saddens me when Christians end up painted with so broad a brush, because it truly is an unfair characterization. It is not what we are called to be, and any Christian who speaks to anyone the way you were spoken to is doing wrong, plainly and simply. Jesus spoke gently and kindly to people who were, at the time, considered by the religious people of the time to be the worst of sinners. I may not believe as you do, but I respect your humanity and your spirituality, and I love you as Christ did. I apologize on behalf of false Christians who have hurt you.
Many people use religion as an excuse to look down on others while feeling better about their own silly lives.
I always thought Christianity was suppose to open up your heart and your mind to all. Just because someone believes, it doesn’t give them exclusive rights to judge others, especially when it’s unfair and cruel. Some so called Christians really need to take a good look in the mirror and look inside themselves before going on a rampage against those who have different religions or none at all.
Well put, Linda. I agree with everything you said.
As a Pagan myself and having lost my job because of my religion and the harm done me by the Christians at my work who were apparently afraid of me, I wonder why it is so hard for Christian’s like those you speak of cannot see they are not truly following the path their God and his son Jesus set forth for them to follow.
I have had many dealings with the Christians you speak of and agree with your letter with all my heart. I believe fully in the live and let live aspect of life. The Rede is clear, Harm None, period this is also in the words of their religion not just mine. Life is difficult enough without making it worse for others by harmful words and actions.
Bless you Pagan Woman for saying what so many Christians need to hear.
I have always thought that God is up there watching humans battling over semantics and religions and shaking his head (or hers if you prefer) at our childishness every time a religion is used as an excuse for nasty or cruel behaviour saying, “You are all missing the point.” I am a Christian. I am glad to be one. But if nothing else I have learned from all my travels that there is wealth of spirit of one kind or another in every culture and all peoples. The gift is to reach out and to learn from each other. Whether we choose to receive that gift or not either enriches or diminishes our lives. I would rather be enriched.
As a Jew, I get this all the time. We are supposedly going to Hell because we “reject” their Lord and Savior. Well nuts to them. I agree with my pagan.atheistic, agnostic friends who posted comments here. I can be more of a “Christian” then they are because I accept all faiths and I uphold everyone’s rights to whatever faith they espouse. Great Letter, Linda
Thank you Linda for expressing it all so eloquently! As a pagan woman who knows people from many different faiths, I have little tolerance for anyone who claims they’re Christian and then says stuff like that, or someone from any other faith for that matter. I feel lucky the instances of being judged like this have been few and far between in my life. I’ve had some very interesting conversations because people decided to ask me questions instead of judging me. One such conversation I’ll never forget happened because a woman mistook my pentacle for a Star of David. She listened intently and asked questions and walked away smiling having learned something new that day. Bless everyone who has an open mind and love in their heart.
Linda- This letter clearly expresses your hurt and frustration at being attacked. While I may not agree with everyone’s beliefs and choices in life in lifestyle, religious beliefs or sexual preferences, I still respect and love the individuals for their love, generosity,caring and respect they share with the world and others in it.
As for those who lash out in fear and anger at those ‘different’ in any way. Clearly they are the ones who are to be pitied and lifted in prayer. As is often they case they live very diminished lives boxed in by hate, fear and intolerance.
I noticed and appreciated you addressed you letter to the Christian Woman ..not Christian Women ..so I do believe you understand the actions of this ONE INDIVIDUAL does not speak for an entire sect …
Peace and Undering is indeeded a huge need in our world today …be blessed.
Such a wonderful letter. I have been through this many times with my Christian family constantly refering to my religious beliefs as “foolishness” or a phase when I have been practicing for over 10 years now. My dad even tried to guilt trip me into changing religions when my grandfather was dying. I only wish I could express my thoughts and feelings half as eloquently (and calmly as you have).
This was very well put! & kudos for being nicer & calmer than I would have been – which I myself am working on, lol. While there are many TRUE Chritains, there are many that think that they can show up to a building called a church & that that makes them a Christian. They forget that being IN a church doen’t make you a Christian any more than being in a garage makes you a car. You have to both walk the walk & talk the talk – the talk that comes from God & your heart not from your holier than thou pride.
I was once screamed at in early December because, after helping an older, physically challenged woman with her groceries, I had the nerve to wish her a Merry Christmas. She was greatly offended & while screaming, showed me her Star of David (that had been covered by her clothing) as if I was a vampire she was trying to ward off by brandishing her religious talisman. I told her that I was truly sorry that I had offended her & then started to walk off. Then I turned back around & asked her rather calmly why people like her couldn’t just take something like what I’d said in the spirit it was intended. I told her that if she had wished me a Happy Hanikka (sp?!) or shoot, even a Happy Easter or Halloween dispite it being December, I would have simply said something like, oh, I don’t know, “Thank you!” She really didn’t know what to say. I then wished her a Safe & Happy H (not wishing to butcher the holiday name again – lol). Then I got in my car.
Thank you so much for sharing this…I’ve spent the majority of my life being told that I’m going to hell for my religion, my lifestyle, my sexuality, etc…being judged is highly frustrating and usually results in anger or tears…thank you expressing the frustration, rage, and sadness that so many of us feel so rationally…Blessed Be
Boy, does this speak to me! A few years back I got a long, mean, hateful private message from an online friend–one who I’d shared a really wonderful relationship with for a number of years. She told me that she could no longer be my friend because I’d stated somewhere that while I have a deep belief in God, I am not a Christian.
She called me a liar. She said that I had purposefully deceived my readers because I presented myself as a “good, Christian woman” because I’d talked about how I loved and have always been faithful to my husband, adored my children, doted on my grandchildren, and felt blessed to have dear friends who are as close as family. In her view, these behaviors are the sole property of Christianity.
Though I’ve never proclaimed myself to be a Christian (not at any time in my adult life), she emphatically insisted that by writing about the virtues of honesty, integrity, honor, faithfulness, dedication, etc., I was purposefully sending the message that I was a Christian. She finished off her tirade by not only damning me to hell, but by stating that she saw no use in continuing a friendship with me here on earth since she knew that we would not end up in the same place after our time here was done.
As a Christian woman, I take offense to the salutation in your letter. As you progress, it’s obvious that a certain Christian woman or women prompted this, but it would have been nice if you had made that distinction from the onset.
Marie Anne- Just wanted to say that I apologize to you and any other woman of the Christian faith that I may have offended. The salutation was meant for one particular “Christian Woman” not the entire pool of Christian women out there. There are some very lovely, wonderful Christian women out there who have open minds and open hearts to those of any and all faiths. It was not to them that this letter was addressed. My apologies if that was misrepresented. With Love & Light, Linda
Thanks, Linda. As I mentioned to you already, I figured it wasn’t directed at all, but your choice of salutations threw me for a minute until I read more of the letter. Especially since I know you, I didn’t expect that you were judging all Christian women by the deeds of some, as that would paint you in the same light as those you mention.
Others that don’t know you might have been taken aback at the salutation and made their own conclusions without reading further. Just playing devil’s advocate here (snicker).
Hm. Well, as a Unitarian Universalist I have knowledge and experience with Christianity, and mainly druidry. I’ve learned some about Wicca and Buddhism and a teeny bit about Judaism but my main message about Judaism is still the typical Christian: Jesus Christ was a Jew and its best to remember this. We tend to not think of him that way, but that’s really what it is.
I have seen judgmental people on both sides of the fence: meaning limited judgmental Christians but I have also seen many pagans being pretty anti-Christian without really knowing Jesus Christ or his teachings very well at all. What they heard was ‘Bill the narrow minded geezer with the shot gun on a bad day’ and concluded ‘well, that’s Christians’. Having some awareness of other deities out there, Jesus Christ – the benevolent, loving and forgiving god is one of the best going, no offense.
Finally, in truth there are points about which we really do disagree passionately. There’s nothing we can do about that, except try to limit what we do to ourselves and each other about it. This is true within Christianity and within Wicca – “Yeah, then I had to leave because the high priestess was a control freak”, for example. So, all I can really tell you is to heed the wisdom of the bumper sticker prayer, “God, protect me from your other followers.” and go from there.
I consider myself a Christian woman, but would never disrespect others for their choices in this world. My mother is a devout Christian woman, but my aunt is a pagan who believes in both gods and goddesses. I love them both and don’t condemn my aunt for her beliefs. The same goes for my fellow writers. If we all wrote from the same perspective, the world of books would suck. We need writers from every aspect of life in order to understand the way other cultures/religions/humans think about the world around them.
And to the lady who wrote the letter above, thank you for sharing your thoughts without grouping all Christian women into the same pool. We don’t all think the same as the woman this letter was about.
This was a lovely piece. I am not a religious person but find that people who sit in judgement of others because of their religion probably have more skeletons in their closet than one could count.
Best wishes to you and much success in your endeavors.