Parents, Pagans, and when they meet.

[silvrsnstr]

I have had a terrible experience with my mom and Paganism, and I was wondering if anyone else has a problem with their parents or relatives. Did you try to show them evidence(of anything), and did it work? Is there anything besides their faith, like what side of the political bus the sit on, that effects this?
Pondering,
Crimson StarRaven

[Yvonne Belisle]

My Mother In Law and I have issues because of it. It's not a pretty issue between us and one we avoid very carefully.

[tigger759]

I havent' told mine yet but i'm sure my mom would ripe out the bible!! She would have a hay day with me!! That is why i haven't told them yet!! someday i just may!!

[silvrsnstr]

Thats what my mom did! And baptised me! Shes a pastor, so... i guess it makes more sense, but shes also liberal, so i don't get it.
Blessings,
Crimson Star Raven
No offence to conservitives intended

[tigger759]

See now i know why i don't want to tell them!! The strict catholics that they are it scares me!! Though i'm sure one day they will find out!

[Myst]

My family is pretty open-minded (pretty good since my mom's side are all Indian and have a background in Shamanism), as is my fiance's. The only uncle I have who might not approve doesn't talk to any of the rest of the family anyway.

[silvrsnstr]

My family is Native American too. And, some of them at least, are not as closed minded and Christian, because when my mom tells them to bow their heads, half don't!
Blessings,
Crimson StarRaven

[Socharis]

No probs here :D

[silvrsnstr]

Good for you. May it be smooth sailing in the future.
Blessings
Crimson StarRaven

[stirata]

My mother and brother know my beliefs and are fine with it. My mom has even borrowed a few books from me to get a little background on paganism and wicca. Now if my grandmother knew she would probably tell me I was going to burn in hell for eternity and never talk to me again. BB. :)

[SnowStar]

My mum is cool with it...I get the feeling that there is some family history in Paganism going way back on her side of the family (I'm talking WAY back when our family was still in Scotland, Scandinavia, and other parts of Europe in the 1500s and 1600s...maybe earlier) that was overtaken eventually by Christianity (Lutheran to be specific) but there are just some things that remain in our family traditions that just give me this feeling. But anyway...I am REALLY wandering on this one. I probably couldn't actually TELL the rest of my mother's family, but my mum's the only one I have to live with. My dad I don't think cares one way or another. The rest of his family however I am not gonna EVEN go there.
What also doesn't help much is the fact that most of my extended family is STAUNCHLY Republican. Egads...no wonder I don't talk politics with them! Just about everything they're against I'm for or indifferent, and everything that they're for, I'm against. Good news is though that most of them think Shrub is an idiot. However most of them voted for him...:rolleyes: I don't get it.
Well, now that I have made no sense, and possibly confused you a little, I'm just going to shut up. I talk too much without much purpose.

[Myst]

I bow my head silvr, I just pray to my own Gods while it is bowed. :)

[SamuraiInBlack]

I thought my parents would've been shunning me senseless since one is Catholic and the other is Piscepalean (sp?)

But when I decided to tell my mom (the more open minded between the two) I found out that neither of them took me to church (like most kids end up doing around here) because they felt that I should make my own choice in a religious path, and they would fully support it. They made that decision before I even came into this world.

In a way I guess I'm lucky like that.

An aunt of mine is a VERY devout Christian. I haven't told her that I myself am Wiccan, but I have a feeling she kinda knows. I love my aunt very much, and so her approval means much to me so I had to tell her about my girlfriend's faith just in case she decided to go and yank her to church on a visit one day.

Well after a long, mature and calm debate on the phone over it, she realized through my points that every religious practice sees the same supreme being in their own way.

That is what I personally believe. Because I feel that if there were truly only 'one way' to believe in Spirit, the Lord and Lady, Jehova, God, etc...

Then there would only be one religion in the world. Only one way to believe.

[silvrsnstr]

Samurai - Good point. I think thats very touching.
Willow - Thanks, I normally do that too, one time i went as far as to go up to a Christian Altar and pray. The energy there was magnificent! I wonder if some of these people knew minor energy manipulation :).

Snow star: same with my dad's side. all white, all republican, all ultra ultra conservative side. Sry its late, and I can't think. I think they are all athiests tho.

Stirata: My grandmother called me the Blair Witch child before she died, so i guess maybe they are just old women set in their ways.

Blessings,
Crimson StarRaven

[reanna]

Speaking of bibles......

Has anyone ever read the chapters in the bible that persecute witches?

We were given an assignment to complete so we would have some knowledge should anyone ever decide to start quoting religious doctrine at us about how we will all go to h*ll for practicing paganism. Some of it is the most ludricrous accusations and it does not fit anywhere with the origianl text. At one point in the assingment, I decided that Saul(he leads an army) is a hypocrite. I just found it very interesting.

After completing the assingment, I have found I have a better understanding why christians and catholics react to us the way they do. They have been told from scripture that we are a terrible lot.
Keeping in mind, this is not meant to offend any of our wonderful family that happen to have christian or catholic beliefs.
I just found that the assignment gave me a better understanding on what people who follow those paths for spirituality have grown up with the understanding and concept of what paganism is about.

Has anyone else been given this assignment before?

[silvrsnstr]

These chapter were modified by King James, actually. Befre they stated poisoner. And most of the Bible condemns poisoning and evil sorcery, not Witchcraft. Their answer is normally all magick is evil, but come on. Healing? Prosperity? I guess they could think of it as taking from someone else, but then wouldn't The same apply for when they pray for those? Hmmmm.

Blessings,
Crimson StarRaven

[BrigitCayenne]

not really sure my sister thinks i should keep it quiet but i think my parents know they haven't said anything

[Armitage]

My parents and sibs don't know yet, but I think my brother suspects. I have no intention of telling my dad anytime soon. He was raised as a hardcore Catholic, and is far less openminded than my mom. My mom'll probably be okay but for two things; the idea of me being persecuted, and whether or not there's any evil spirits involved. She has a bizarre fear of evil, usually associated with Ouija boards...

[DragonMystic]

i dont have any problems, my mom has read one of my books. i guess she is ok with it as long as i dont get hurt.

[silvrsnstr]

The Above^. Was it something decidely fluffy?

[DragonMystic]

i think it is "the learned arts of Witches and Wizards"