Are you scared to be Pagan?

[Pandoras]

I don't recall ever being in the broom closet. My family has never been very religious and so my paganism was never a problem. I've never had to hide it at work either. Now, for the first time ever, I'm in the broom closet.

I currently work in a small office with extremely conservative people. They're Christian and Jewish and anti-everything else. They make nasty remarks about gays and lesbians, pagans, liberals, basically anyone that's not like them.

Yesterday, I watched a short documentary on how India has been reverting to Hindu fundamentalism over the last couple of years and the results have been intolerance and violence. We all know what's going on in the Middle East as well as the socio-political atmosphere here at home.

Sometimes, I really worry about the future. It seems like great strides are made for women, minorities, pagans, etc., and then there's this huge backlash.

Sorry, I'm just ranting I guess.

[Asthmorte]

nope, Im not scared at all. Im proud to be pagan. I havent told most of my family, but they havent asked,lol. If they ask Im not gonna lie.

[FlyingBear]

Nope. Already had the police harassment, the death threats, explusion from school, and all the spicy things in life when you're out and proud!

:floating:

[Laurelei]

Nope, nobody seems to mind in my little corner of the world :D.

[Boogins]

Not me! I'm the one that drives around this redneck little town with bumper stickers like, "Witches' Parking Only: All Others Wil Be Toad" and a large witch illustrated riding a broom from Salem, MA.

[Klucky]

Nope. Already had the police harassment, the death threats, explusion from school, and all the spicy things in life when you're out and proud!

:floating:

Hmmm...haven't had the harassment from police yet...:lol:

-Klucky

[Faeawyn]

I'm not afraid. I just don't want to deal with being judged and trying to explain to people who really don't want to understand in the first place.

[soilsigh aingeal]

Never. When I was Athiest in school, I expressed it, I was still made to go to Church more times than I wasn't. THen I decided that we got here 'somehow' and I just didn't know, I expressed that too. Now that I have faith and now that my beliefs fall into People categories (still unsure as far as god/s or goddess/es) I have expressed my beliefs. My mother still refuses to believe me though. She doesn't shun me, just doesn't except it either. My brother used to accept my beliefs but since he's been married and a regular Lutheran, the last discussion we had (about the kids and Christenings), it was "Remember, You are Methodist" Aha! but I am not any specific religion therefor will not Baptize my children, they can choose when they're older.

*edit: work is so distracting sometimes! :lol:
So anyway, If someone asks, I tell them. I have a few friends who are Pagan and I have more friends who are not but it's been accepted more than it hasn't.

[Strega Del Vento]

Never scared. I've always been a Witch, and I fear very little, including the opinions of others regarding my practices. In the whole grand scheme of things, they matter not to me. I am who I am, and I do what I do.

[Sommerfugl]

and trying to explain to people who really don't want to understand in the first place.

My thoughts exactly, I don't bother explaining to people who will ridicule (sp?) something they clearly know nothing about. People like this used to really annoy me but now I just remember that they really ARE the ones missing out here..and they are the ones with the problem. A great lesson in life is tolerance.
But yes I am trailing somewhat from your original post however Pandoras, and I completely agree in the sense that I, too, worry sometimes about the future concerning this subject. If I remember correctly, somebody (sorry, I can't remember whom) recently started a thread called 'will burning times ever fall on us again?', so you might find that interesting :)
Jezxx

[Mithrea]

As to the changes in religion here in the future . . . I say bring it on! I'm not afraid.

[Khuinaset]

I'm not scared to be a Wiccan...I won't hide it or lie about it if somebody asks me, but I'm not going to go about shouting it. All of my close friends and two people who used to be close friends, but aren't now, know.

[Garden of Eden]

Hopefully it will never happen Jezebel... But if it does, we have more ways of defending ourselves than we did before, it won't be such a craze this time because realisitically, our human rights remain in place no matter what religon we are.

I am afraid, up to a point. My parents know, they don't accept. They ridicule it at every possible oppertunity and laugh about the 'phase' that I'm going through (three-year-long-phase-alert!!!). My school would probably expell me if they knew (being a manic-catholic-church-attached kinda place). I wouldn't mind standing up for my faith if my school wasn't one of the best in the country... :( But unfortunately I'd never find a school that would match it if I had to leave. I remain in the broom closet and peer out the key hole in the meantime.

[Terestai]

Well, I haven't told anyone, but noone's asked. As far as I'm concerned, it's not their business anyway. Not like I try to hide it though... I have two openly Pagan bumper stickers on my car. Guess I take the "don't ask, don't tell" approach. It would probably be a problem with my mother, but not my father (a man who has three pentacles on the wall next to the entrance in his kitchen).

As for the other bit, I certainly hope nothing comes to pass... but this country is headed toward a major divide, both politically and religiously. Things seem to get more and more tense every day.

[Garden of Eden]

Pffttt... you think America is in trouble?! N.Ireland is becoming the modern day equivilent of Nazi Germany! (and the awful thing is, nobody's going to realise it until it's too late...)

I realise this was horribly... :fofftopic (sorry...)

[IvyWitch]

I wouldn't say I am scared to be Pagan. But sometimes I am scared to let people know. Granted there are some situations where it's better left to yourself, but even when it's ok to talk about it I am slightly apprehensive.

BTW, Pandoras, I *love* your avatar. Where is it from?

[Terestai]

Pffttt... you think America is in trouble?! N.Ireland is becoming the modern day equivilent of Nazi Germany! (and the awful thing is, nobody's going to realise it until it's too late...)

I realise this was horribly... :fofftopic (sorry...)

Oh, I know how bad it is there... but I don't know it firsthand. I only know what I read, and I have no clue what the people there are going through. I only know my own reality and the things that I see everyday. That's what I was commenting on.

[blugirrl1]

nope, while i don't run around making a big deal to those that don't know me. everyone who matters knows, and accepts. My MIL have some healthy debates, but over the years she has actually calmed down some and is more accepting.
i know what you mean about the world at large "backsliding" and it just saddens me in this day and age that mind sets such as anti_ anythhing still exist.

[Katya]

i've never been scared to be pagan.. i grew up around a mother that was, and it was a normal thing to me all my life. the only problem was the kids in school calling me a tree-hugging hippie like it was a bad thing. xD

[greenview]

This year is the first time i have called my self wiccan. I grew up catholic but always took accounts that i was always willing to believe there is more than what they would let you believe or live by. My life is more than just black and white. I always felt as though i hid in the grays of life. I wondered in to this new path realizing what i was longing for and what i had been missing. I live in an area that you can still wonder in to a small town and know if you are different or of color you wouldnt be safe there after nightfall. I live in an area that gladly and openly held kkk lifestyles 50 some or less years ago. If you were to much black clothing around here your a satanist. So being wiccan isnt always understood. I have no family but my kids. So my ex and his family need not know nor would they understand my choosen path. My fiance is the only one i discuss it with.

[Blondie]

I've also been through the threats and assault attempts.

But thats behind me now, I'm out and proud. Both as a bisexual and a Pagan. Whoever doesn't like it can kiss my earth-loving ass!

[aluokaloo]

Am I ever scared to be Pagan, no rarely, but I also learned that sometimes around certain people, its better to keep my mouth shut, and step softly.

[aluokaloo]

how is it off topic, it fits the topic. I didn't know N. Ireland was in trouble, even though its well-known that the Irish are a feisty independent lot. Thats off topic.

[LadyTrinity]

I am not scared to be a witch. I just choose to not scream it out to the world. Not everyone is open minded. :rotfl:

[Pandoras]

BTW, Pandoras, I *love* your avatar. Where is it from?

It's the back of a deck called the "Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards."

I guess scared isn't the right word, but I worry, and lately, I feel very oppressed, mostly at work. I've never felt like I had to hide it before. And it can be tough, working 8-9 hours a day, 5 days a week, with people who think the complete opposite of you on pretty much everything. I'm an open and opinionated person and I have to bite my tongue....a lot. And I have no privacy either. There are cameras everywhere and the phones are tapped. So I can't take any withcy books to read on my downtime. I have to be careful when I talk on the phone with my fellow pagan friends. ARG! I can't wait to leave that place.

[jess]

I've never been scared, really. Alone is more the right word for me. I don't know anyone who has the same beliefs as I do. Everyone around me is strictly Christian or Catholic, and if they even knew they would jump down my throat about "worshiping the devil", which has nothing to do with anything.
I kinda find it funny in a way because it seem like I'm the only one in this little town that doesn't cheat, steal, and lie. :bouncysmi
Strange. No??

[morrigen]

Sociologists have noted a worldwide trend towards conservative fundamentalism.

I will freely admit that it worries me. Free thinkers of any kind are always first against the wall.

I hav never been afraid to be openly pagan...but I can see that perhaps that time is coming.

[fireswimmer]

I am not afarid. I talk about paganism when it comes up naturally in conversation or when I am describing something I did. I do not throw it in people's faces and I have rarely had anyone take issue with it. My husband's Aunt has a hard time with it, but she has seen me reading material in my home. We have different tv tastes. She will sit and watch a program while I will sit and read through it.

Once she figured out that I was not going to go to church with her on a regular basis we were okay. It simply took a lot of polite "no thank-you" statements. She argued with my husband that he was not Pagan but the topic has pretty much dropped. I do not rub my faith in her nose and we are happy. I love and respect her so I smile a lot when she talks about her faith and tells me her view of the world.

[Tullip Troll]

Not scared at all...but then other then people thinking it's just a fad I've never been given a hard time. In fact there's a huge interest.

MheraPai

Though I am thnkful everyday I do not live in the middle east...I am not able to understand the mentality of what they do to women.

[sweet nothings]

I am not pagan but when I was in my "i need to find what's right for me" stage I looked into everything, and if today i stood here as a pagan I would only be afraid to tell my best frend's mom cause she scares me :)

[Agayvli Wahya]

Nope, I'm never afraid because of my religion, and never will be. Whenever folks try to convince me it's evil, that I shouldn't do it etc, I always point out that I could've been like the rest of the men in my family. Drunk, druggie, abusive, thief, murderer.

If they're a bit open minded I'll loan them books so they can see what its really like.

[SacredWithin]

I don't recall ever being in the broom closet. My family has never been very religious and so my paganism was never a problem. I've never had to hide it at work either. Now, for the first time ever, I'm in the broom closet.

I currently work in a small office with extremely conservative people. They're Christian and Jewish and anti-everything else. They make nasty remarks about gays and lesbians, pagans, liberals, basically anyone that's not like them.

Yesterday, I watched a short documentary on how India has been reverting to Hindu fundamentalism over the last couple of years and the results have been intolerance and violence. We all know what's going on in the Middle East as well as the socio-political atmosphere here at home.

Sometimes, I really worry about the future. It seems like great strides are made for women, minorities, pagans, etc., and then there's this huge backlash.

Sorry, I'm just ranting I guess.

I'm not a Pagan, but a Spiritualist. However, I do wear the pentacle, ankh and my Scorpio symbol. Sometimes I hide it but whenever I don't, I realize half the people don't even know what the damn things mean or they are nice enough to say nothing or they're tolerant.

If anyone bugs you about it (in case you ever do seem to have your symbols show if you wear them) remind them of their past. The pentacle was a symbol that showed up in so many faiths, not just the Pagans. It was once a Christian symbol representing the five wounds of Christ (crown, hands, feet). The same goes for the ankh, when the Coptic churches took over the Pagan temples in Egypt, they used a lot of the imagery that were in the temples.

In an essence, we are all connected somehow, but many folks don't like to be reminded of their duty to be kind to one another. I believe you are there to teach those something and they are there to teach you something. (perhaps courage to those who oppose you?)

Much luck! :thumbsup:

[Kelley]

I'm not afraid to be who I am. I have always felt and thought the way I do right now. I don't go around screaming that I'm a witch or anything like that around here though because I know the kind of backlash it would cause.

I choose to let my actions, or inactions, speak for me.

I am surrounded by Southern Baptist, AME, and Muslum religions, none of which are very accepting of the ways I choose to live. I've overheard several conversations that I choose not to be the topic of.