Just Talk or....

I don't get the impression that Teo Bishop's HuffPo piece is really about "How Do We Talk About Paganism." Reading it actually irritated me a little bit. He seems like a meddlesome self-absorbed asshole. I could be wrong and would like to think I am. However, his approach to wanting to talk about his religious beliefs seems rather forced. It does not sound like anyone in his family is belittling his views or holding them against him. In some ways it seems to be the reverse.

     "This is not the first time that I've felt slighted by one of my parent's lack of interest in the mystical. I may be the only member of my family who would rather talk about religion than football."

Teo seems to think that his family's lack of interest is a negative attribute. Why? If people don't want to talk with you about a particular topic then leave them the fuck alone. There are other people in the world. Find like-minded people or even just those who are interested in similar topics. Talk to them. It sounds like what he really wants is external validation of what he wants to believe. He needs to get over himself. Believe what you want and feel free to talk about with those who choose to engage with you but leave everyone else alone.

A little further into the piece he references a few incidents where members of his extended family say some terrible things. That is different. If they have no reservations about expressing and applying their religious views then Teo is perfectly justified in engaging with them. This still seems more of a side-note than the basis of the piece. The second to last paragraph is a jumbled confusing mess. He seems to be all over the place.

     "When you take on a new religious tradition, a new spiritual name, a new title, or when you develop a new set of ritual practices, how do you go about communicating that to the people who knew you as something different? How do you open up a dialogue about transition and change with someone who finds it more comfortable to remain where they are, where they have always been? How do you testify about your own, individual truth, and can you do so without making your loved ones feel inferior, or judged?"

He seems to be mixing together a number of different ideas and approaches. There is nothing wrong with telling those around you about changes in what you believe. Once they acknowledge and accept the change it should not matter if they want to talk about it further. If they are not using your beliefs against you or belittling you there is no reason to force the conversation. If they want to "remain where they have always been" let them. Again, if their beliefs and attitude are not harming anyone then you should respect their right to think (or not to think) the way they choose. As for "testify", why? A simple way to not make others feel "inferior" is to not act like an arrogant self-absorbed prick. Basically, Teo needs to back off. If they don't want to share your interests leave them be.