Be an adult dammit

So social media has rage triggers for me, most of which I am proud to say I can walk away from, or find a way to channel it elsewhere.  Other times…well…not so much. Such as today.

In a pagan group I am a member of, I was reading where someone had had one of “those” type people come to her door with a small child and prompted him to give her one of their religious pamphlets.  She politely tells him “no thank you”   and closes the door.  Others have commented that they would offer pagan literature to said child, although they played it off as a joke.  My question is what pagan literature?  Many things written out there, so what would one offer as truth about an umbrella term that covers lot of traditions and faiths? Others say they would look the child in the eye and tell them “people really hate it when people such as yourself come to the door like this”.  Really?  Give the child a distorted self image of himself at 3?  Seriously..this will happen without your help as he grows into that faith …his brain washing that it is his “duty” to convert and save those who do not believe as he does. It’s what he is taught and the faith he is indoctrinated in.. Others still say they would tell the child “your mother is wrong for making you do this”.  OMDayum people! This is a small child who emulates his parents, loves them and you really want to be the asshat to tell him they are “bad”?  My problem is that some adults are focused on the child, who did nothing more ,after prompting from his mother , than to hand out a damn pamphlet.  I dont agree with the religion or its tenets, but I am almost certainly NOT going to speak to the child and tell him how stupid I find his parent for bringing him to a stranger’s doorstep..that will be reserved for them .  First, it is not their job to “save” me, no matter what lies they have been served.  Second, there is no unseen god that will reach down and protect them from harm should they find themselves on the doorstep of someone in the throes of a manic state, drug induced paranoia or worse yet, some pedophile intent on gaining that child’s trust.  This is not the 40’s..time has move on and people have no respect for one another let alone their fellow man(yes I am a cynic in that belief).  I will simply not allow their crown to gain any pearls from being berated, but simply hand them the brush that hangs by the door to wipe the dust from their feet and trouble themselves not about the condition of my soul. I get a lot of pissed off looks, but its effective.
What bothers me so much is the vitriol directed at the children  that through no fault of their own are born into faiths that require absolute obedience to family, god, cultural doctrines.  And yet other adults feel the need to judge and berate them for doing as they have been trained to do.  In this day and time, I see people who are rude to adults, but what gives one the right to be that way with children?  What gives people the right to teach their children its perfectly ok to speak rudely to their elders?  I know I’m from another time and raised with another set of manners than a lot, but elders are to be respected even if one disagrees and children are to be protected and enjoyed.  Even when they are involved in the ignorant things their parents make them do.

So be the adult.  Save your crap for the ignorant adult at the door, and do so away from the child…they are exposed to enough shit in their lives. Bid them good day and shut the door. Simple concept really, and less damage inflicted by you onto a child.