The Wiccan Rede

An it harm none, do what ye will.

Those eight words seem simple enough, but it was the thing that piqued my interest the most.  I’ve never understood why some people feel like other people’s business is their own.  If someone isn’t harming themselves or anyone or anything else, why do other people care what they’re doing?  I guess what I’ve always just wanted to be left alone and for people to not tell me what to do because my business is mine and not anyone else’s.  I think the first thing my friend told me about Wicca was the Rede and it put into words what my philosophy of life had always been.  I don’t tell other people how to live their life so why are they always trying to tell me how to live mine? 

                Which leads me to this: why are people always coming to my door and trying to convert me to their religion?  Nothing bugs me more than this.  Why can’t they just leave people alone?  I don’t care what religion a person is; if they’re happy then good for them.  I don’t think any religion is more right or wrong than another, but it’s all about what works for the person.  Christianity doesn’t work for me just like Wicca may not work for someone else and that’s perfectly fine.  We’re all different so why would one religion work for everyone?  I hate it when people think that just because someone believes a different way that they are automatically wrong. 

Several times a year we seem to get the Jehovah’s witnesses, Mormons, and Christians coming to our door.  Most of the time I just ignore the door and try to warn my best friend next door not to open her door either or sometimes I’ll be caught off guard and open it.  Usually I get their opening line of “Hi, I’m so and so.  What’s your name?” which is my cue say “no” and close the door.  Like I’m going to tell my name to some stranger that randomly comes up to my door.  I don’t necessarily mean to be rude, but I don’t want to stand there listening to them and I definitely don’t want some pamphlet telling me how their religion is the only correct one.

In several of the books I’ve read, it talks about how Wiccan are not supposed to proselytize and that if you find your way to religion, not because someone convinces you to, but because you find it yourself, that it’s more special and meaningful.  I feel like a lot of people go to a certain religion because everyone else believes it, which just seems empty to me.

I guess it’s just always made me angry when people try to convert people to their religion.  Leave others alone and let them find their own way; if they are meant to find it then they will.