The Broom Closet!

[Torsgaarden]

How does one go about exiting the 'Closet? Must it be shouted at the top of the nearest Grain Elevator? (We don't have mountains) :nyah:

Do I get a PA system and blast it from my LTD down Main St, tonight? :megaphone

:tv: How 'bout making a commercial on local access? :lookwhats

:chattin: I've already said it online..

I thought I'd mebbe make a sign for the back window of my car with my ever-present-Magnum44-highly toxic-Black-permanent-WARNING - CONTAINS XYLENE! marker.. :collapse:

...that says,
THOR IS MY GOD

:viking: :smash:

[xblue420x]

hmm im my opinion when you tell someone whatever it is youve been in the closet about thats when your out of it.. coming out of the closet doesnt mean you have to tell EVERYBODY...just the people that matter to you. if someone asks you 'hey are you pagan(or whatever religion you are)?' and you say why yes i am-your out =O)

[Mysticism Deity]

hmm im my opinion when you tell someone whatever it is youve been in the closet about thats when your out of it.. coming out of the closet doesnt mean you have to tell EVERYBODY...just the people that matter to you. if someone asks you 'hey are you pagan(or whatever religion you are)?' and you say why yes i am-your out =O)

I agree.

with me I answer anyone who asks. I have never been in the closet for anything. I have nothing to hide. I dont care what others think. I am who I am and I stand by what I blieve in. if they ask you I would answer them straight up. what do you have to lose?

[charmedkisses1]

I AM in the closet. I will never be out to my family, but when I move I sure as heck won't be hiding anything! :jamsessio

[NatureWizard]

telling everybody Your religion can be worst thing you can do.
we may be in the 21st century but there are still a lot of fundamentalists about that will be too happy to bring you harm.
the only people and knows what my religion is is my family and my closest friends.
its best to play safe.

[Arinya]

I only tell those who I feel deserve to know. If some person on the street walks up to me and asks me my religion I will ask them why they need to know so badly, but then that is with any personal information. I am out as in I do not hide things and my partner knows what I am studying but casual friends don't know because I see no reason to tell and they see no reason to ask.

[SylverStar]

I guess I don't even need to tell people. I've been getting "Oh I've known for quite some time now" or my father, "I know, I even tell my friends you're pagan"

So yeah. Um. I quess it's in the walk or something. lol

You can also start by letting a friend know.

[KissMeImIrish!]

Ive been practicing Wicca for about 3, almost 4 years now, and only a few 'select' friends know (i.e. ones who aren't majorly, fanatically christian, or ones who I know will understand and be ok with it.) I'm not really big in the Pagan community (except MW of course!) and you probably wouldn't guess I was pagan because I'm quite boring looking actually (...average...), except if im wearing my silver pentacle (which is small-ish anyway). If someone I don't know personally asks me (like say someone in my university class-which has happend) I will tell them "well, Im Wiccan." and if they want me to explain it, I will. Most people look at me with surprise anyway, I guess because I don't 'look' like a witch (well excuuuse me...so I don't have a radical style, so what?!) :hairred: My method has worked well so far, and the only negative encounter with anyone I have had over my religion is with a christian friend who de-friended me once I 'came out' of the broom closet in grade 10. If someone reacts like that then they aren't good enough to keep around anyway! :lilangel:

[sarah-jane]

Never been in a closet with anything lol, my parents knew I was gay when I was in my early teens, then I was out of the broomcloset as a witch by the time I was 19. It was like hey dad I'm a witch, he was like 'Yeah' laughed and told me it wasn't a surprise. Mum just gave me the same spiel she always gives with the words witch and pagan replacing gay and dirty and a reminder that the bible states all witches should be burned :hehehe:

Way I see it is, its no use hiding who you are, if people think your embarrassed or ashamed they'll think theres something to be embarrassed or ashamed about. Many argue its noone elses business, well, how many straights and christians declare their true nature before the world? I don't feel it necessary to stop and tell people in the street, but if asked or introducing myself to someone who asks if I'm married, have a boyfriend, go to church on a regular basis or similar questions, even if asked on forms, I never lie to them.

Gay, Pagan and Proud :megaphone :fpompoms

[rhinoa]

I don't hide my beliefs, but I don't go around telling everyone either. If it *happens* to come up in conversation with a friend or someone who is interested I will tell them (if it is appropriate). Otherwise why feel the need to shout about it? Its personal to me, but I will share my ideas with those close to me.

[Njorun Alma]

I told my class up front after I had practiced it for a while.
the reason I did that was so that they would understand that I do not have the same basic believes as many of them because our school is a very discussion oriented one, and in order for discussions to work well, you have to trust each other.
I did it so that there wouldn't be any future misunderstandings.
And it worked well.
All my friends know about my religious and spiritual path, and in a way I think it makes it easier for them to accept some of the different opinions I have.
Not that they write all of my opinions off as "ah, it's her pagan crazy stuff again" but more like "she doesn't have the same view of the world as we do, and that's cool."
My parents also know.
My mother disapproves and my father doesn't really care all that much.

To me, I had no choice but to tell my friends and class mates, it is something I don't regret doing either.

[Torsgaarden]

I guess my wife had a dream.. about asking "God", in the sense that she was throwing out a prayer to whomever would listen.. and she saw a whole pantheon (Is that the right word?) of Gods.. Thor, Isis, Ra, Zeus, Buddah, etc.. Kind of like the "Gang's all here!"

It may have been not a dream, but one of those "awake sightings"...Who can tell the difference, anyways?

The other day, while at work, I was thinking... (My job is so mundane, that if I don't think, I sing. If you've heard me sing.. be glad I think more often!) [:·D]...ALL religions are Pagan..not in the definitive sense.. but in a more "off-center" look at it. Christians are also polytheistic.. They worship(not all, but some here, some there): God, Jesus, The Pope, Father ________, a Cross, beads, "holy" water, and Bones of Saints?(Idolitry)...

I dunno. I think sometimes the Cathaholic race is very weird.. I don't damn them for it.. but then again, don't try to make me kiss no dead dudes bones, neither!

As for annoncing my religious preference to the world.. I do it here. I do only believe in one God... Some groups must think he's Schizophrenic, or something; taking on multiple personalities.. I do believe God is all. Good AND evil, because as I've stated before, there is no light without darkness.. no warmth without the cold. There IS no church in the world that sees it my way.. the RIGHT way. Some pray here.. some there.. I don't pray, unless I'm desperate.. Since God is ALL, he already knows. I pray because it's a "Cry for help". We all do it. Some call it whining..

So. I'moutta da closet. ..well, At least I just let the people who give a S#1T about me know..

I can't find the smiley -putter-inner.. so I'll just adda big
<GRIN!>

-Tor

[beldam]

*phew* well i sure already know things will be nice lol. i have always had a hard time discussing it with my parents ever since my mom new i held "the seventh sense" when i was young and i just happened to bring it up that it was what i wanted to do, yah my mom brought that up to that it states in the bible that all withches are to be burned at the stake. but i guess us witches have to stick together then eh?;)

[HorseCrow]

I have never been in the closet as sush, but I also have never shouted it at the top of my lungs or shoved it in anyones face. I don't hide it and I don't really flaunt it too aggressively.
If someone asks me what I believe in, how I lead my life or something like that, then I will tell them, but otherwise not really.
And there are times and places where I might choose not to use the term witch, nor pagan, because I know that not all people know how to handle it, and then I see no point in causing a scene or provoking people. I will however, always defend my faith, if I hear someone speak rude about paganism or crack a sick joke about witches.

I think, that once you rest within yourself and feel safe in your beliefs, then the need to blurt it out or declare it bended in neon, subsides.

[samiaminsane]

If you're just starting to tell people, ease into it. Everyone who's close to me knows. The hardest person for me to tell was Angel (who is now my greatest confidante in the world about everything and anything). Angel's got a picture of Jesus or a cross in every room of her house, and so it took me about a few months before I really told her. I wasn't sure how she would see my way of life. I'm so glad I did, because we have completely different religions, but can discuss our spirituality freely and have never argued about it or tried to change each others views.