Ask any Wiccan about how other people react upon learning their choice of religion, and they will likely tell you about the undeservedly negative opinion Paganism has earned itself. Pagans are typecast as evil, Satanists, people who practice grisly rituals such as animal (or sometimes human) sacrifice, etc. In general, there are several incorrect assumptions about them which are still strong in the public eye. Indeed, this may be true. But it seems that nobody talks about the bad rap which Christianity has. But then, why should they? In a sense, Christianity is already the world's leading religion, and it doesn't need to be defended. Right? As a Christian who feels that most people, even professed "Christian"s don't quite understand what the religion is all about, I tend to disagree. Christianity is indeed misunderstood by those who have not taken the time to understand it. It seems odd that something so mainstream and widely-accepted should be misrepresented, but there are those who will say that such is, indeed, the case. How many Christians really understand their own religion? How many have taken the time to read the Bible, supposedly their instruction manual for life, on a regular basis, or even to the point where they understand most of it? How many take their "faith" seriously, to the point where they make it a guiding principle of their life? As you may find if you study the majority of Christians in detail, the answer is rather few. What sets Christianity apart from other religions? Several things. One important aspect is what it demands from its people. A great many religions (including the aforementioned Wicca) revolve around rituals. Their focus is symbols of power (such as the pentagram), incantations of power, or elaborate rituals or spells which bring good fortune upon the people who perform them. Christianity does not. It is, rather, a code of conduct. It is more about who you are inside, than what you do on the outside. It demands that its followers be kind, helpful, honest, gentle, and humble, among other things. In fact, rare is the ceremonial ritual among Christians. There is prayer, but that could hardly be considered a ritual; There is baptism, but that is a one-time act, and not really central to the theme. Too, Christians do not rely on symbols of power. Yes, there is the cross, but it was never meant to be used as some sort of magic wand; Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus tell people to wear crosses around their necks. Rather, humanity, in its love of symbology, has taken it upon itself to brand itself with the form of the cross. Christianity demands integrity. It is about being a good, decent person. It is impossible to be a real Christian if you do not aspire to be a good person as your main goal, no matter what deeds you perform. Few religions focus on the person's character, rather than symbology, in this way. The Oriental religions (such as Buddhism and Taoism, with their concept of "karma", or universal justice) do, but they tend to be the exceptions. And even they are less about your spirit, than what you do. They do not require a good heart, only good deeds. But are there not people who do evil "in the name of God"? Don't people use the name of God as an excuse to discriminate, abuse, or even kill because of their own prejudice? Yes. Yes, of course. Which is exactly why I say that the name of Christianity has been smeared. People seem to have forgotten the most important part of Christianity, the central theme of it all: Love. Rather than a means of spreading love throughout the world, it has become a means of spreading hate and misunderstanding. Add this to the dishonest priests who prey on gullibility as a means of getting lots of money, and it is easy to see why some are disgusted with the whole thing. The people who call themselves Christians have done far more to turn people off Christ than any Atheist or Pagan could ever do: They have made Christianity seem like a spiteful, ugly thing. If more people would take the time to understand, perhaps they could understand a little better. There will always be people who pose as Christians without understanding anything about the very religion they profess to follow, but if more people would try to understand, perhaps people could come to a better understanding of each other. In any case, hate never achieved anything, other than making people stupider.