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Saijen SilverWolf
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Registered: 10-2004
Location: Upper North East Tennessee
Posts: 3871
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Re: Out?
de Corbin wrote:
but a person wants to talk to other people just the same. So here I am!
And we are SOOO glad that...'HERE YOU ARE!'!!!
--- Blessed Be,
~*~ Saijen ~*~
~~*~~ .~~*~~ |
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10/18/2008, 8:13 pm
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MagiCat
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Re: Out?
I am not "out" where I live -- except with people I trust. I live in a pretty conservative place. But I've always been of the mind that spirituality is a private and personal matter.
I think it'd be really neat to have a generations-old tradition of Paganism in your family -- think of all the traditions passed down. That would be exciting. I think I've heard this referred to as hereditary witchcraft (??) in some traditions.
Cat
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10/21/2008, 12:56 pm
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muladzh
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Registered: 10-2008
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Re: Out?
I know my Path as hereditary - I count myself as very fortunate, that I got into this family.
---
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10/22/2008, 12:41 am
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Lindafisk
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Registered: 11-2008
Posts: 53
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Re: Out?
Hey, this is my first real post- other than the intro.
I am out,but I don't really know or see many people anymore. Mostly it has been negative.
Here are a couple of examples I think are interesting...
My mother swears I am still Christian!
But she is 79 and even tho she SAYS she is Christian-she has never read the Bible and when a friend asked her what it says in the Bible to be saved-she has no idea...so how can that really be Christian anyway? How can you believe in a religion and not understand or know it? Eh, she has done plenty of mean spirited, un-Christian things anyway.
When we moved to this house, we had what we thought were close friends that lived behind us at the old house. The wife and I were doing a Bible study because she knew I was floundering and searching and not really believing anymore. I finally quit and told her I didn't think I could be Christian anymore. We never really said anything else. She helped us pack and my mother gave her tons of beautiful things that we really didn't have room for. Guess what? I invited her and her family time and time again after we moved. Our kids had known each other for years and played every day. But she would not come and visit us at all. Told her kids gas was too expensive. She never even emailed me or called me except to say they were busy.
The latest was the cute couple across the street here at the new house...they are at least 15 years younger than dh and I. Very Christian. And when they found out I wasn't- he kept asking me why, and could he answer any questions about religion. I nicely told him no, and I'm sure he is knowledgable and sincere, but it hurt my feelings because I have read and thought and talked and read till I am blue in the face and I sure don't have any questions that he can answer! I have answered them myself. His wife is sweet and she was not raised Christian and I think we could get along but he is so pushy that I hate to see her for fear he will show up! LOL
Sorry this is so long. I just wonder to myself alot if it is worth telling people. I want to be upfront and honest but geez it's hard!
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11/1/2008, 7:58 am
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TexasMadness
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Location: Austin, Texas
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Re: Out?
Feel free to make long posts - seems like we usually post on the long side on this board. Which is GOOD! We have real discussions and conversations.
Being Christian is sometimes a cultural thing. That has become accepted in the Jewish faith - some folks are Jews simply because of their genetics and might not even believe in God but are still called Jews. I think in this country that is becoming more common among Christians. Church is a social ordeal and doesn't always need any faith, just attendance.
It can be painful when people aren't accepting of your choices in life. We seem to be more sensitive about religion than most other choices too. I have found that I'm "weird" enough and young enough (I'm 28) that most people don't really care since I must just be exploring. I live in a neighborhood of mostly retired folks that are kind but nosy (well, there are a few very unkind ones...) and I've been invited to church after church after church. But after the first invitation, the same person usually doesn't ask again. I have to remember that they are just being friendly!
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11/1/2008, 1:09 pm
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Lindafisk
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Registered: 11-2008
Posts: 53
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Re: Out?
You are very right, people want to be friendly and here church is such a large part of people's lives. There are more churches than people, I think!
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11/3/2008, 7:01 am
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Saijen SilverWolf
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Registered: 10-2004
Location: Upper North East Tennessee
Posts: 3871
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Re: Out?
We have a fairly new Mormon church not too far from our house, and on occassion, I get the 'Elders' that come out to tell you about Mormonism and Joses Smith, and all that. The last ones, I told them I was a Pagan, and the response was..."That's OK, we'd like to talk with you anyway". I then told them I was home alone and was not comfortable letting someone I did not know into my home. THAT is what finally did the trick.
When I first moved to this house, DH and I were checking out area churches. Nothing we came across suited either of us. He's very much into small country type churches, I wasn't. I grew up in a large church with a lot to do. I sang in the choir, I started puppet ministries in several churches, including some I was not a member of. The Pastor of a new Assembly of God church and his wife had heard about my puppeteering, and hunted me up. I went to their church, joined and started a ministry there for them. That was the last church I went to....the Pastor was a hoarder...he hoarded the jobs for himself, and tried to tell me how and when to do mine. I let him have it with both barrels, and told him I quit, he could have it. I don't regret it in the least.
We've been invited several times to other churches, and my response is, "you'll never know where I may turn up, and leave it at that."
I think my Mother has an inkling what I'm doing, but she's never said anything, or asked point blank. If she did, I'd answer her honestly. My sister knows...she's not overly happy about it, but we just leave it be, and worry about worrysome things going on. It's difficult at times not to be able to tell my family some of the neat things I do, but then, I've been telling them of some of the things and getting responses I sure wasn't expecting....in a good way. So, in a very tiny measure, I am out to some family. Eventually, I'm sure the whole family will know, but till then, I'll keep on doing what I'm doing about it.
muladzh, I think it would be so incredibly wonderful to come from a long line of Pagans. As, I think it was Cat that mentioned it....all of the traditions that are passed down. How awesome that must be for you!!
--- Blessed Be,
~*~ Saijen ~*~
~~*~~ .~~*~~ |
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11/10/2008, 9:47 pm
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raptorsidhe
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Registered: 11-2008
Location: Great Plains
Posts: 22
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Re: Out?
Saijen SilverWolf wrote:
I know what you mean about it being hard to meet people. I have lived in this small town now for almost 11 years, and I literally have no friends here. I have acquaintances, but not friends. And, the only real friends, outside of family, that I have are at least an hour away in one direction or another. Being in this part of the country (part of the Bible Belt) it's very hard to meet like minded people. I would love to feel like I could be more 'out' simply so I could find others to come and visit me and maybe do some rituals together....amongst other things. Maybe one day I'll get brave enough.
*nodding in a big way*
11 yrs in a small town, too! I have a very busy pagan friend 3 miles away, and that's it. I'm not in the Bible belt, but it's very suppressive here.
I am not getting "brave enough" until I have less to lose in life.
---
running around like a crazy person in the great plains
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11/17/2008, 3:55 am
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TexasMadness
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Location: Austin, Texas
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Re: Out?
I had an interesting experience this weekend. When we go out to Sandholler Farm, I usually bring a book with me to peruse during downtimes. Well, right now I'm reading a book on how to be a godly wife (I'm helping someone get a Christian forum book club started) and I thought about bringing it. Well, I knew my family and several friends would be out there and might see the book. I hesitated and grabbed a book on herbal rituals instead!  I just didn't want to deal with all the questions and suspicions if people saw me with a Christian study book like that!
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11/17/2008, 3:19 pm
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de Corbin
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Registered: 09-2008
Posts: 580
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Re: Out?
That's kind of funny - you didn't want people to think you were a closet Christian.
I'm laughing - I read such a bizzare variety of things that nobaody who knows me pays any attention to what I'm reading. All it tells them is what I'm curious about right now.
And since I often "meta-read" (read to find out how the writing works), it doesn't always even tell them that...
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11/19/2008, 1:19 am
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