I Hate People!!!!! Grrr......

[slovene_gds]

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG........I feel so violent. There's a bible club in our school, and I KNOW if someone wanted to start a Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, or whatever religion type club. the school would be okay with it. But, of COARSE(CURSES PROFUSELY OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER) they won't allow a Pagan oriented club. "Blah blah blah, we're Satanists, we're going to brainwash your freakin children and tell them to kill people and spread the blood of the innocent and make them little evil devil-worshippers, blah blah fuc*in blah.....".
Misanthrope. If you don't know what it means, look it up. Hi, that's moi.
Royally fuc*ing pissed of, Blessed Be
Bast LunaMavelle

[Myst]

Is that actually what was said?

oy!

[Chibi-Fallon]

Come now, do you really want a club. Think about what this implies to all the idiots of your school. Do you want to be in a club with the a) preppy idiots who want to learn the *kewl* magic so they can get a boyfriend or b) the people who think it's Satanism. And they want to go sit in a graveyard and bug the dead.
Chances are that's what you would end up with. That and some of the Christian club might start giving you a hard time. A thing with school clubs is a lot of times they have a rule that anyone can join. It might be a better idea to start an out of school one so you could get some people who seriously wanted to learn, and be able to reject whomever you wanted.

[Danustouch]

That really sucks. I suppose if you wanted to make a huge issue of it, you could go to the ACLU. Chances are..they still wouldn't allow your club. But..it might get the Bible club removed. So..I don't know how beneficial it would be overall..

[Mystic Twilight]

school clubs are a joke. We only have a bible club also though. i dont know if anyone has ever tried to add something else but i doubt they would let us have a pagan "club" either.
nazis

[Witchy Cowgirl]

-TWO RULES FOR LIFE
1. Don't tell people everything you know.
2.

[HallsOfAvalon]

I'm going to suggest something that might not sound like a good idea. Maybe you should join the Bibble club. Most pagan's I know, know alot more about the Bibble then most any Christians.

I am not saying this to disrupt there little club. Just if you show them you know your stuff, and still chose to be a pagan. And if you show them that your trully not a bad person. This can help to change the outlook of your school.

And the sad thing is, it might not help you any.... in other words. There outdated views wont be changed just with you, but you could start the ball rolling in the right direction. And make something right for the next person.... or some person down the line.

[SimplyStrange]

What did they say when you asked them if you can have one? Maybe this is one of those times when you just gotta' grin and bear it? as bad as that sounds... I know. ;) But don't worry too much about the Bible club. There' s going to be one just about everywhere you go, and they're not hurting anyone. :) Still, bring up to the school that it's not fair that your club isn't allowed when other religious clubs are. If it means that much to you, don't give up. Show the school it means that much to you. It may not end up good, but hey, it's worth a shot. ;)

[Rada]

Well, I agree completely with what Chibi -Fallon thinks.
Wouldn't say better.
And Halls of Avalon,
Did you yourself try to do what you suggest? As for me -
frankly, that's the last thing I'd ever do

[slovene_gds]

Originally posted by HallsOfAvalon
I'm going to suggest something that might not sound like a good idea. Maybe you should join the Bibble club. Most pagan's I know, know alot more about the Bibble then most any Christians.

I am not saying this to disrupt there little club. Just if you show them you know your stuff, and still chose to be a pagan. And if you show them that your trully not a bad person. This can help to change the outlook of your school.

And the sad thing is, it might not help you any.... in other words. There outdated views wont be changed just with you, but you could start the ball rolling in the right direction. And make something right for the next person.... or some person down the line.

No, no, it's a wonderful suggestion. I'm actually already in the Bible club. I wanted to ask numerous questions, and A LOT of my misconceptions about the Bible have been cleared up and I respect the Christian church and the Bible a lot more now.

[slovene_gds]

Ok......I was speaking to a friend of mine, and she pretty much told me that they can't deny me a Pagan oriented club. But, what I'm afraid of are the "pagans" that are.....sketchy. You know, the kids in high school that wear the pentagram or wear it inverted and claim they're "satanic pagans" and do it all for the magic and not for the religion. The people that take it up as a hobby, not a spirituality(which I could go on forever about, but that's another thread....).
Even thought a Pagan group would be wonderful, I was thinking of doing a religious tolerence group. Especially now with all that 9-11 stuff, religions should be known even if you're not of it.
TURMA= teaching and understanding religious minorities in america
I thought it was a good idea. I'd learn something too, doing all the research on Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, etc. Pretty much every religion you can think of in America, and yes, I know that's a lot. hehe
Well, what do you think? I need feedback, s'il vous plait!
Blessed Be!
Bast LunaMavelle

[HallsOfAvalon]

Originally posted by Rada
And Halls of Avalon,
Did you yourself try to do what you suggest? As for me -
frankly, that's the last thing I'd ever do


Well I went to a catholic High School, and there was no specific club for that, so no I couldn't at that time. Besides at that point, I wasn't very sure what/who I was.

Since High School, I've been to many churches to do the very thing I am talking about. I don't walk in and say, "Hello, my name is Pat....... and I'm a Pagan." I go in and have casual talk with the clergy, and the churches members...... I show them I know what I am talking about. They usualy ask me to join by the end of that day, and that is when I let them know.

They act very strange at first, until I answer the usual questions, and fend of the "Your gonna burn" things....... But I think they learn something about me, my religion, and themselves, and there religion by the end of the day. So all is good.

I never do it to hurt people, I respect everyone's religion. I am very respectful when I do this. I am there to study there religion, and I do not recieve any of the sacraments...... as this could be seen in a negative light.

[Myst]

Originally posted by Rada
And Halls of Avalon,
Did you yourself try to do what you suggest? As for me -
frankly, that's the last thing I'd ever do

I would've in a hot second, but they didn't exist at my schools. Even in college I think we have a Muslim club but not a set Bible one (tho they do have "Christian Lunches" regularly)

[Lavender]

Originally posted by slovene_gds
...Even thought a Pagan group would be wonderful, I was thinking of doing a religious tolerence group. Especially now with all that 9-11 stuff, religions should be known even if you're not of it.
TURMA= teaching and understanding religious minorities in america
I thought it was a good idea. I'd learn something too, doing all the research on Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, etc. Pretty much every religion you can think of in America, and yes, I know that's a lot. hehe
Well, what do you think? I need feedback, s'il vous plait!
Blessed Be!
Bast LunaMavelle

I think that's a great idea! Not just to focus on one religion but a diversity. What about contacting local churches or religious leaders of the different religion for ideas or as guest speakers?

[Illuminatus]

There is no benefit to organizing formally, only drawbacks. OK, sure, if you organize formally, then you get to use a classroom to have your meetings. Woo. Now consider the drawbacks: The school assigns an advisor to run the club. They have the authority to dictate what you can and cannot do. They have the name and personal information of every person in the club.

Better to just meet informally, that way everybody wins. The school dodges liability (this is their first priority, educating youngsters comes in a close fifth), and you can still meet at other places and talk about stuff under a veil of privacy. Put up posters all over the school, and have inquiries forwarded to an anonymous webmail account, or an untracable voice mail box, so you can get the word out to the students witout going through a bullheaded bureaucracy.

Bureaucrats only have as much power as you let them.
Circumvention is your friend.

- Ill

[slovene_gds]

uh.......im not meanign to be pissy, but i didnt ask you to judge me
secondly, the student advisor can't participate, they just watch over because of the whole church/state thing. so......yah, guess thats it
(why do i walways cause some kind of controversy when i start a thread......roar)

[Chibi-Fallon]

Originally posted by slovene_gds

(why do i walways cause some kind of controversy when i start a thread......roar)
There's a thingy, on the back of your neck. You can't see it but the rest of us can it tells what to do. ;) Right now it's telling us to start controversy amongst ourselves.
I amuse myself. :D

[Myst]

Because people like discussing and debating things and sharing their opinions on an online forum? Because this is a hot topic? Personally I'm not sure where you see people judging you, but I do see people offering suggestions and opinions. Seriously, this kind of thing happens when you've got over 2000+ members puttering about.

[Witchy Cowgirl]

TURMA sound like a good idea to me as well. And yes if the club is a "school" club they probably will assign an advisor....but the school is just trying to protect itself....and don't we all protect ourselves?

I'm also glad to see that you are in the Bible club. You know I never wanted to join the Bible club....or even read the Bible at home when I was young. I've learned so much about the Bible since I have discovered my new path and it's all thanks to ya'll.

[mol]

Originally posted by slovene_gds
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG........I feel so violent. There's a bible club in our school, and I KNOW if someone wanted to start a Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, or whatever religion type club. the school *snip*
Bast LunaMavelle

Most of the advice given here in this thread is right on key.

I will add that, in my opinion, school clubs are bad news at least when it deals with religion. I am a firm believer of seperating the 'Church and the State'. By church, I dont mean just Christian beliefs. I mean all of them. When you are in school, you need to focus on learning the curriculum presented. There is plenty of time for learning about your spirituality after school.

[mol]

Originally posted by slovene_gds
...yah, guess thats it
(why do i walways cause some kind of controversy when i start a thread......roar)

*sigh*

Its not controversy. Its discussion.

Its a post. Not Watergate.

[HallsOfAvalon]

slovene_gds, that's why people join a messageboard like this. A chance to discuss, and learn from one another. No harm is being caused. Nobody is judging you, at all. It's an Online Community. If you had a community of Pagans around where you live, and you mentioned this to them........ they would do the very same thing.


Sorry if anything I have said has offeneded you, or made you feel judged. Not my intentions at all.

[slovene_gds]

sorry......meh. my brain interprets things differently than others'........i literally have mental disorders. im just in a horrid mood lately, sorry to take it out on anyone.

[HallsOfAvalon]

I am sorry your in a horrid mood lately. If there is anything I can do to help, feel free to let me know.

[Sequoia]

whoaaah . . where'd someone judge you? o.O; did I miss something? Like a deleted post?

other than that, I think it's a pretty kewl idea. Although what Mol says is pretty on - it's only gonna muck up things to have religion mixed with school. Why not do an after-school type thing? when I was little I had ENS - Earth, Nature, and Science club. It was something I did with the kids in the neighbourhood. We'd read books, or go on hikes, or catch butterflies, or stuff like that. We didn't have leaders or anything. . . just a good time. :) Sometimes you really don't need organization.

LOL although what 'lumie said sounds a bit paranoid, it's probably a good idea.