meep commented...

9/9/2008 - 16:07

I never told my parents. My mother found a few pagan resources (the only ones the local bookstore had) stashed in my room. We had a good old bookburning first. Then she asked my psychotherapist to deprogram me and, when he refused, she asked my step-dad's pastor to do the same. Much to their credit, no one cooperated with her requests, but I still lost about $70 worth of books and got the message that religion was not a subject my mother was willing to be even slightly flexible on. The subject went completely under the rug until my wife and I got married. I had to tell her why I wouldn't be getting married in a catholic church and why my kids would not be baptized. Since then, we simply don't talk about religion, though I do toss in an occasional barb about how her beliefs resemble paganism.

meep commented...

9/9/2008 - 16:13

Oh, and on a related note, a recent post on a pagan board out had a somewhat disturbing story. A woman had put her child into day care with a licensed individual. The woman did a wonderful job with the young boy until the mother noticed he would occasionally put his hands together as if praying. That didn't worry her too much as praying is not a problem with pagans. But when she asked him about it he told her that the day care provider had been having them pray every day and had told him that witches were evil and going to hell. She posted on the boards asking if there was any way she might be able to approach it without having to find new child care arrangements. Now, I'm not one to stand in the way of someone's religious beliefs. I can't even honestly say that prayer is unacceptable in a child care environment. But to do so without consent of the parents is totally reprehensible. And the specific mention of witches leads me to believe this may have been a targeted and covert attempt at saving this boy's soul. As a father of two I am disturbed.

Farmgirl commented...

9/30/2008 - 13:49

As far as "coming out" I agree. I live in northern wisconsin and have only met a few other Wiccans. One of which has become my best friend and we practice together. My husband knows but as far as family or other friends it is just not a subject I feel needs to be brought up unless they would bring it up. I don't go out of my way to hide my beliefs but I do not broadcast them either. I have come upon my other Wiccan friends by accident and I must say they have all become the only true and honest people I know.