Believing... your own way?

We went to church today. We rarely go but it was an important occasion for my partners family, so we went. It was supposed to be a normal mass until the priest announced and welcomed a guest to speak to the crowd. A missionary. Fine, I thought. Maybe he is collecting money for a worthy cause, or he's here to help the poor and less fortunate. The picture in my mind of a missionary is one who helps people. Who has a calling from God or any higher power to help others. To do good things around the world.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

The missionary began to speak. Everyone listened. Ninety per cent of the church was filled with woman over the age of sixty. For these women, church and God is the centre of their lives. People who rarely question what the priest in front of them says. As was the case here.
I believe in a God not an institution. But that's not the issue here. What is the issue is that a man walks up to the microphone whose life is simple, he lives of other people's generosity, travels the world and he has the audacity to tell them that trying to make their life easier is a sin.

Demons. Contraception. Lucifer. Occult. These were words that were frequently used and abused by this missionary, as well as many others. I thought I was taken back to the middle century listening to a guy telling us we're all evil if we don't eat, live and dream Christianity. As this was in a small town outside the city, it was easy for a missionary to be sent to such a church. In the city, I doubt that people would tolerate such an obscene, insulting and brainwashing speech. He was anti New Age perceptions, anti equality, fun and reality. One older woman most probably in her 70's walked out, having heard enough of his vulgarities about demons, other according to him 'false' religions, and over the top lecture which no one asked for.

I don't spend much time going to church other than special occasions like weddings, funerals, christenings and the like. This was something different. It was not a typical mass. It was nothing more than a witch hunt. He wanted to convert those who could be converted and purge what in his view was evil. While he announced that he was well travelled - I'm sure by using all the money innocent and poor people have donated his way - to the crowd, he said that people should be sorry to have departed Poland, to have left their roots, that mothers who worked were sinful, that that was the reason for vandalism, bandits and criminal behaviour in youth. It was insulting. Even more so when he began to scorn other religions, practically laughing when speaking of their beliefs and virtues.

No one has the right to insult another religion. There are more than six billion people on this planet. Everyone believes in something. Even atheists have something to believe in. We all should have the right to choose. What right did this missionary have, or any other priest or religious leader has, to shout out that theirs is the right way, the only way and everything else, who feels differently, is delusive? The last thing most people want is to go to church to pray for a loved one and to listen to such a tirade as we encountered today.