Christian Worries....

[luana]

I go to a christian based school, where they say prayers every morning make you go to church the whole thing and lately it has been worrying me. I have only recently converted to the wiccan religion and i am now seeing how politically incorrect it is. (The reason i left is i didn't feel right being in that religion, it just didn't fit right with me). They make us take R.E classes twice a week and my class usually gets in to debates about several topics one of which was witch craft, my teacher was going on about how evil and wrong it was to do witch craft etc. And i totally felt helpless to stand up in what i believed. I have "stepped out of the broom closet" yet and i dont intend to because i would be ridiculed and all that some people at my school are of the budism (spelling?) religion and i know how the act throw food at them stick disgusting things in their lockers etc. And the teachers are even worse.....
The only reason i go to this school is for the education when you go to my school you are almost guarnteed a place in uni... (its one of thoose snotty schools :( )
I don't know what to do being in the class is degrading and i can't stand up for what i believe in...
Any suggestions of what i could do?

[Socharis]

If it means you get a better education in the future then BLUFF it.

[Persephone]

Taking a stand is not always the right thing to do. Too often people are closed-minded and can't get past their own beliefs to hear what you are saying, and you aren't under any obligation to convince them of anything. Just continue to believe in your beliefs and accept the good that comes from the school. And there is a lot of good in Christianity, once you get past what people do with it.

I encounter the same kind of thing at work, where some of my Christian coworkers believe that pagans and wiccans hate god & worship the devil. So I keep my mouth shut, live my own life, and let them live theirs.

[Artemis84]

I know how you feel! I don't go to a private school but a public one, but it has it's fair share of Christians. It's very hard when you have to hide your religion. Aside from my pentacle necklace (hardly anyone knows what it is) I'm afraid to say anything. I figure you have to choices:

1. Tough it out. Highschool only lasts 4 years anyway. The summers aren't school oriented (unless you have year round school). Once you get out and go to college, there will be a huge variety of people for you to meet.

2. Talk to your parents about switching schools. This is only if you can't stand it anymore and you are very firm in your beliefs. You wouldn't be ridiculed as much, but the discrimination will still be there in a public school.

Try going to witchvox.com and looking up teen pagans in the area. It's a great site for finding friends. Good luck on your path, and have faith!:)

Bright Blessings!

[quixote]

MM,
I agree with Persephone. A couple of years ago I did some work doing some painting and odd jobs to get a house ready a couple, who were both Penticostal ministers. the first time I met them they tried to coerce me to be born again. I told them I was not ready to do that.after that it was relitively smooth sailing (they did include religeous tracts in with my pay checks, just in case I needed something to read). If I had have given them any indication that I was Wiccan I would have been kicked off the property. In their limited way they thought they had ultimate truth, and all others needed to hear it. My point is sometimes you have to deal with people like that. Maybe you could consider this as an opportunity to learn how to deal with such people.
good luck and Blessed Be
quixote

[luana]

Thank you all for your advice
I figure i will just stay in the sisuation i am in at the moment. If i decided to leave then they win, and say that i dont have right to believe in what i believe in.
Blessed be
Luna

[MistOfTheSea86]

Be strong! YOu will pass this. I had my fair share of christians and they believe me evil, but as everyone else said. Just believe what you believe, they can't stop you. They can only stress themselves over it!

[Dellit Tandannon]

i come from an irish catholic family. i was forced to attend their mass every sunday for years. i'm 19 now and they still try to make me go. i told my parents i was pagan when i was a freshman in high school. the next year i was transferred to a catholic hs. i guess they figured if i got beat over the head with it enough i'd give in.

by attending this high school and going to their masses, i've noticed a lot corruption. the priests of the hs's church each drove a lexus, they had gold goblets, gold cases, etc. all really expensive stuff.

by going to church with my family, i noticed that 98% of the people there were more disinterested then i was! and this is their religion! they would follow along with the stand, sit, kneel, pray, stand, sing, sit, pray stuff and not even know what they were saying or doing! the priests' sermons consisted of the installation of fear into every poor, mindless sap that would be frightened enough to believe that god would hate them if they didn't come to church and give it money.

whoa, i'm ranting now...... anyway, that was my....... something. right. i'm done now.

[Persephone]

I know what you mean about corruption. My mother is Jewish, my father raised Catholic, my childhood very metaphysical (for lack of a better description), and they both felt that I should be free to explore different beliefs. So I went to various Christian churches and with the exception of one denominational church they were all very hypocritical. The focus was on who was there, who was wearing what, and just shut up and believe what is being preached because I say so. The nondenominational church was great, their focus was being a good person & living that way.

I've avoided getting back in touch with the Jewish faith because I would be crushed to see those same bad things happening there. Unfortunately, since the vast majority of my experiences with Christians have been negative, I have trouble being open-minded with them.

[Merrie]

Sympathies!!!!
((HUGS))
I go to a catholic private school, mass at least once a month,Religion class every day, every semester, every year. One of my friends is hindu, not catholic, and she has to pay extra tuition. I'm lucky enough to have many a free minded classmate and a few seekers who argue against the religion teacher with me.:) But all in fun. If he can't give us straight answers, and we don't agree anyway, why shouldn't we argue? Besides, it's entertaining. We had a whole section once on the sins of divination, spellwork, superstition etc. He actually mentioned wicca, and I could tell by the things he said that he really knew absolutely nothing about it.I was loosing my temper with his small mindedness,and if he called me and my friends an abomination before god one more time...
*sigh* I guess it's not thier fault, they just don't know. Stick it out, be strong in yourself, respect other's beliefs and eventually (hopefully) they'll learn to repect yours. Good luck!!!! :D

[EasternPriest]

Originally posted by Merrie
Sympathies!!!!
((HUGS))
I was loosing my temper with his small mindedness,and if he called me and my friends an abomination before god one more time...
*sigh* I guess it's not thier fault, they just don't know. Stick it out, be strong in yourself, respect other's beliefs and eventually (hopefully) they'll learn to repect yours. Good luck!!!! :D

Not to pick, but it seems that calling someone small minded for their beliefs and repecting others beliefs don't mix?

[ladyrowan]

Try going into it with the attitude that it's just another lesson you're not interested in but unfortunatey have to put up with (we've all been there!)
You could use the time to meditate; i was being told off for 'day-dreaming' all the time at school! haha
They can't make you believe what they're teaching, you've got your own mind. You could try looking at it as practice for what you'll come up against time and time again in the future.
It sounds like that in other respects it's a good school, don't jeopardize your future education for the sake of something you don't believe in.
And try not to worry about it too much - believe me, school days don't last forever!

[Merrie]

Originally posted by EasternPriest


Not to pick, but it seems that calliing soneome small minded for their beliefs and repecting others beliefs don't mix?

Hmmm. Maybe you're right, EasternPriest. This individual just grated on my nerves, he couldn't listen to our ideas or opinions. He was right and we were wrong, because he said so. Even if he couldn't tell us why. I've been trying to be patient and consider other beliefs more- maybe I have to try harder. :)

[Dellit Tandannon]

i appologize, ep, if i went a little too far in my rant. being raised irish catholic, i couldn't stop respecting catholicism on some level even if i tried hehe :p

[Alex]

Boy... Christians sure are jerks, as a general rule, aren't they...

Probably the best move for you is to do your best to ignore them for the time being. Remember, by believing in their dichotomized religion, they are the ones risking the wrath of the bloodthirsty "god" they worshop, not those of us with the common sense to follow other paths.

It's their God, and their rules, and their hell, let them stew in it.

Once you get to uni, then you can be more open and free.

B*B*

ALex

[ladyrowan]

Originally posted by Alex
Boy... Christians sure are jerks, as a general rule, aren't they..............
Remember, by believing in their dichotomized religion, they are the ones risking the wrath of the bloodthirsty "god" they worshop, not those of us with the common sense to follow other paths.
ALex

Alex, don't you think you're being a bit prejudiced yourself there? Live and let live.

BB

[Alex]

Predjudiced? Moi... no not predjudiced.
For me, by the way, that was very tame.

I am not predjudiced, I am fed up.

Alex X

Nation of Wicca

(note semi sarcasm...)

[Kaylara]

Your post has crossed the line. There will be NO Bashing of anothers path in this community.

*End Moderator Mode*

Kaylara

[eaglewolf]

Originally posted by EasternPriest


...it seems that calliing soneome small minded for their beliefs and respecting others beliefs don't mix...

Kinda makes you wonder... doesn't it?

~ew

[Yvonne Belisle]

I have found some wonderfull friends through the years and many of them are christian. You will find that the ones that really care about you won't care if you are different. My best friend out here is very christian and very religious. I wouldn't give her up for the world and although we differ in our religious views we do not see the other as being less because of it. There are some great christians here I know I've met them personally and to be honest it is the attitude that any one group is better than another that makes the individual less in my book. These people are equals and although you will find that repulsive attitude of we are better you are scum in every group you will also find true friends if you leave your heart and your mind open. Enjoy what you can of high school and take from it the education you need to succeed. Work on changing attitudes not by shouting what you are but by dignity and example show them when people ask you why you are different then tell them if they look at you as if you are repulsive ask them if you are any different than you were before they learned. Make friends with others who are different people tend to stop tossing stuff when you face them with a quiet dignity and gently say that you are sorry that they are so afraid of themselves that they must attack others to feel good. You may be surprised at the results.

[mol]

Originally posted by Alex


*SNIP*

B*B*

ALex

SITE GODE MODE

I cut all the useless information out of your post here in my response.

This is the last time you will EVER be warned in this Community again. I have went thorugh all 5 of your posts here and 4 out of 5 are in some way bashing Christianity. The other one was just plain obnoxious. SO! You have your opinions, but if your opinions have to do with breaking the rules here. Then dont give them.

[bluecat]

See what happens when I'm not around? Thank You, Kaylara & mol.

Blue :cool:

[Mooncrow]

If it gets you into the university, FAKE IT, remember Wicca means to bend, just make sure you have friends you can talk to so you don't break.


BB

Mooncrow

[mark krauss]

I've known all kinds of Christians. A few are actually decent and fair people. Isn't anyone with authority in the faculty who would stop the harassment of minority student's whose parents also pay tuition? This sort of thing always angers me. I won't reiterate what everyone else has said. May you have the strength to persevere in whatever you decide to do.
BB