One of the most fundamental rights everyone has is the right to believe in something that brings them hope, happiness, and strength.

Such as a deity, a sacred book, a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, or even a favorite pair of lucky socks. Without such beliefs, we would all lead miserable lives with no purpose, no hope, and a closed mind.

I’m fortunate enough to have been raised to believe these three things about people:

1. That everyone is equal
2. That everyone is entitled to their own beliefs
3. That no one has the right to judge another based on their beliefs

Oh, and a fourth thing:

1. A closed mind leads to an open mouth, an open mind leads to a closed mouth

With Samhain, or Halloween, happening next week, I was reminded today of how close-minded some people are in this world. The reminder came in the form of a comment under a short video I had posted on social media for a witchy-themed virtual retreat I’ll be hosting over Halloween week. This event, called Waking The Witch Within, is all about empowering ourselves and learning to tap into the natural magic that is all around us in the Universe so we can wake up our strong inner witchy self.

It was by no means a nasty comment, but it was a comment in which the author clearly stated that they believed such an event was wrong and that when they felt weak, their strength came from the well-known deity, J.C.

Comments like that do bother me. The old adage of ‘if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all’ springs to mind. The other reason it bothers me is that in today’s world, we all crave a sense of belonging and acceptance. If you see or read something on social media that doesn’t align with your beliefs, you have the right to keep on scrolling. But when you choose to engage and make a comment insinuating that your belief is better, all you’re doing is making someone else reading that feel rejected and even defensive.

Samhain is the Witch’s New Year, a time of celebration and gratitude where ancestors and nature are honored. In studies conducted by the Pew Research Center and Trinity College in Connecticut show that the number of witches in the USA has risen to 1 to 1.5 million people from 340,000 in a 2008 poll, as mentioned in Quartzy. Although this data has been linked to the rise in millennials, I prefer to think it is due to religious tolerance becoming a more common practice.

We all have a right to a belief, but we don’t have a right to push our belief in protest of someone else’s belief.

I’m happy for the commenter that they found their strength in their beliefs. They may not be my beliefs, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that they are theirs and that is what makes them feel empowered. And feeling empowered is a right we all have.

So what is the best way to deal with a situation like this? Easy! Simply bless and release, or bless and delete.