zealot - extreme partisan, fanatic
partisan - strong, unreasoning supporter of political or religious doctrine
dogma - 1. principle, tenet or system of belief 2. arrogant declaration of opinion
dogmatic - asserting or imposing personal opinions, intolerantly authoritative, arrogant
In 1983, Quesnel, B.C., there was a group of mental and physical health practitioners, teachers and concerned parents who were attempting to address a growing problem in the community. Quesnel had, at the time, the highest rate of substance abuse, violence and unwanted pregnancy, among its youth population, in all of B.C. These concerned citizens had studied the materials available and prepared a program they thought would deal with the problem.
They dubbed it “Family Life Education”. The program was to teach the students communication and relationship skills and a more modern approach to sexual education.
A public forum was organized to explain the plan and to get feedback from the community. A panel consisting of teaching and health professionals, a minister, a priest and the high school valedictorian was supposed to discuss the proposed material and give their opinions as to its appropriateness. Unfortunately, what happened was something else altogether.
Many of the churches mobilized their congregations to squash any intelligent discussion by stacking the hall so supporters of the program could not get in. They harassed supporters out side and inside the hall. When the valedictorian started to say that there was a shortage of relevant material available and that the proposed program would be of great benefit to the community as a whole, the majority of the audience rose up and shouted her down.
Next, the audience commandeered the microphones to rage something about a plot by “Secular Humanists” to pervert their children and tear apart their families. (That was the first time I heard that expression. I have since been accused of being one, even though I have no idea what it means.)
Emotions reached a fever pitch when a sixteen year old girl, who looked like she had been having a real bad time of her short life, somehow was able to reach a microphone. She pleaded, she begged, she cried to at least have access to the information that was being proposed.
The good “Christians” in the crowd shouted and screamed at her that she was a *****, a consort of Satin. They threw stuff at her. One person rushed her, pushing her down and spit on her. Someone suggested that she be taken outside to have the evil beaten out of her.
In the chaos that followed, I lost track of that poor girl. I tried to reach her but was pushed back. I feared for her life. If she was not physically harmed, she would certainly suffer severe psychological damage. Friends of mine, who were present, feared for their own lives. It was one of the darkest moments of human insanity I have been witness to.
Two years later I was asked to help organize a youth club to try to address some of the old problems of teenage pregnancy and substance abuse. I ended up being the coordinator of club activities. As such, I spent a lot of time advising the executive, who were mostly the best and the brightest of Quesnel’s student body. I also counseled a few dozen troubled youth in the process.
I found that the most common complaints were of parental neglect or abuse, including physical, emotional, verbal and sexual abuse. What did not surprise me, particularly after the Family Life fiasco, was that most of the complaints came from the children of the “Pillars” of the community.
Eventually, the word got out that the children were confiding in me. I began to receive threats of violence. The children were ordered not to participate in the club anymore. Go Figure!!
Don’t get me wrong. My intention is not to tar all Christians with the same brush. I know most religious people are very honourable and devout parents. I am, however, wanting to point out the intolerance and bigotry of zealots who try to force their brand of dogmatic beliefs on everybody else. Anybody who thinks their way is the only way and anybody who disagrees with them is an enemy, is a zealot. Anybody who thinks they can suppress free thought, or tries to impose their will on others is a zealot. We all know who they are and they are right here in our community.
This includes Pro-lifers, White supremists, religious and political fanatics, Law and Order fanatics, environmentalists and industrialists, even some civil rights activists who are trying to impose their agenda on the rest of us.
Those who are driven to impose their beliefs on others do so from a place of neurotic insecurity of their own self worth. Most have tunnel vision which prevents them from seeing beyond their own narrow view of reality. They would deny others their right to free will but insist their actions are based in that tenet.
I am not suggesting we silence them. What I am advocating is that people weigh all the facts pertinent to any issue and decide for themselves if it is valid to their lives or not. The truth is only relevant to the beholder, after all. All else is just opinion. Exercise your right to go to heaven or hell in your own way. That is what free will is all about.
