BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Wicca In the News 5/16

Nice to see the NYT mentioning Wicdans specifically. does anyone else think that people just need to get a grip on their *fear* of us? Geez I am more afraid of someone's mental state than how they choose to celebrate spirituality.


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hm for me, I would rather have my friends family and neighbor tell me thay are Wiccan, Pagan or whatever... It makes me uneazy when people hide things like that! I would rather some one say Im a Wiccan and explain what they believe or dont believe rather then I find out by surprise!!!

I think I am pretty tolorent and understanding of others! but I can see why some would hide!!!

and yes I think people need to get a grip on there fears!!! I think if more people realized taht Wicca and Pagans dont do the door to door God calling like some or most Christians, they would not fear ya'll as much! then again, they would wake you up at 6am on saturday to invite you to church!!!! lol

It's not so much that it's a secret (or a fear of others knowing), but rather that it's none of the other person's business. They have their own path and the Wiccan or Pagan has theirs. To interfere with another's path by telling them something they may not want to know is contrary to Wiccan and Pagan beliefs. (Although, reading more of that article - maybe it's an American thing? "The auditor said that by �coming out of the broom closet,� he risked ostracism at work and perhaps being pushed into early retirement, which would affect his pension." Wow.)

Actually, this is an interesting topic - how far do you take the "No prosetylising" guideline? If someone asks about your beliefs, does that mean the topic is open for discussion, or do you still feel reticent about saying too much too soon?

I think that should be a T-shirt, a bumper sticker and a plaque outside my front door:

No Prosetylising

Because really that is the crux of problems with most discussions on religion that I have in real life. I dont ask how or if you worship in order to have a conversation with you. If you ask me where I worship, I dont feel that is a ticket to introduce you to Wicca. I think what makes religion special is the sense that it *is* private.

This is probably why I am a solitary.

Amelia

mmm sad Im a christian and feel the need to have that No Prosetylising on my door every sat. morning!!! lol

I dont they they would know what it meant tho...

I ask people what church they go to so I can avoid saying something hurtful or start an agrument!

If some one ask what I believe I tell them what i personaly believe not what the bible says or the church says. that is not what they asked!

If they ask what does the Bible say about... then I show them the verus if I can find it! lol and let them make up there own mind about it because not everyone reads it the same way and thats ok!

If they ask me what the church says...then I tell What the church believe but make a statment that that may or may not be the view of all churches...

so it is kind of an open door on that topic but not to prosetylise them!!!

I think God is personal and that My God is big enough to find His own people! If the person wants to be Saved them I am just there to support and guide when asked...

Does that explain or make any kind of since? lol

Ok Freebubbles, since you opened the door, I have to ask-- What church do you go to??? You are so much more open minded than most Christians I know.

Well I was raised in a Nazarine church and was a missionary in AZ in a bording school. I was there almost a year and I think I posted the story in the research topic in the Wicca forum here at bella. so to summit up I leaved that horrable place and came back to my home church where I had went to EVERY TIME the door was open 7 days a week and 365 days a year and this lady who I had never met came up to me and said " Oh I am SO glad you are Back and FINALY RIGHT with GOD!!! Now all you have to do is give up the mEn you are sleeping with and your drugs and alchol!!!" and to top it off this was said infront of my paster of 13 yrs my closes SO CALLED friends and no one said a word to this woman on my behalf!!! I was a a virgin never went on a date in my life never been kissed the only drug i took was insulin and my dr. is addimint that i stay addicted to it for the REST of my life!!!!!
and everyone KNEW IT!!! I was still Raw from what had happened at the school so I turned around and told this AH AH B!TC# " Oh I am SOOOOOOOOOOO happy to be back here and I will be SURE to give up ALL of those thing as soon as YOU (and about that time a few of my SO CALLED FRIENDS realized what was going to happen but not to the controled degree i took it to) Give up YOUR gossuping, blant self rightous condesending additude and get off YOUR high house!!! I dont even know you so I would throw stones at a person who cant see for the 2by 4 in her own eye!" then I calmly turned around and look all of my BEST FRIENDS and FAMILY in the eye and said Gee I guess you were all right that being a missionary to those Different from me would open my eyes and it did!!!!!!!! It Really did more then you will EVER KNOW!!! Thanks for the lesson in never turning your back on a person who calms to be a "CHRISTIAN"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had not turned away from God and I thing if God had not been there for me I would have gone insane as it was I tried to commit suicide and after that I wore black got my tongue pieced and low and be hold I went back to that same church about a yr later and I wasnt expecting anyone to talk to me or to have every one do an exercism on me (No Catholic but hey just for good show and all why not?) tring to save my soul from hell and bring me back into the fold. well most ignored me I could walk right up to my good old friend and start talking and God forbid i touch them they were scared of me!!! now i had not realy changed that much my close and my blonde died black hair yes but I was still just the same person smileing and "happy as always" a few tried to guild me into REPENTING MY EVIL WAYS!!! and fewer still walked right up to me and ask me how i was and said its good to see you hows your mom whats the deal with your hair and tongue? blah blah blah just like always!! They suprized me the most!!! and they gave me the hope that i needed to move on with my life!!!

I dont go to church anywhere anymore I have tried many MANY MANY different churches but they are all the same to me the sermon is on Tithing and how the church needs to get bigger better whatevers because such and such church did. and YOUR GOING TO HELL if you dont give til it hurts because GOD loves a CHREEFUL GIVER and God has Done GREAT things and You OWN it to God. then they start in with the Heathens and Pagans and how they dont tith and There going to hell and how WE should not be like them and by this time i am setting there (only because i was raised that you dont walk out of church unless you are going to die and it would disruped the serves!)thinking mmm if I was a Pagan and A heathen I could tell you where to get off and go eat my pagan hamburger and not be setting here getting filled full of $#!T!!!

This is not to say that All churches are BAD EVIL or going to Hell but it does not work for me because I walk in and set down and I start looking for and praying for God, Jesus and or the HolySpirit to tear down the church if only so i can leave!!!!

I dont feel like churches today are what God intended churches to be. todays churches dont allow for questions, study outside on that Churches dogma and there are a Billion Dollar indistry!!!! If Jesus came back and went to my old church He would be shuned just the way I was but He would have also had a few like i did that came up and started talking like they were old friends too!!!

So to get to the point of this very shortened version of the worst time in my life!!!

I am a Christian/researcher... I respect all relegions I dont agree with some but thats ok because some dont agree with me either!!!! lol I have been studing Wicca for a feww years because I find the consepts interesting and execpt for the pick you own gods and goddesses most of the princalpals I find I a gree with and they are not far from my christians beliefs as far as morals and eithics go... I am hopeing to learn more about Buddist and Hundus but I trip up on the books with the great big farin names and Gods Goddess and places and people!! so....

wow this is going to be one loOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG post and I am sorry for that but I did open the undoor and and you did open it!!! lol

Have you checked out the LDS--Mormon church? Not judgmental, pushy or Hellfire & Brimstone. Looking for love in a Christian setting then it's where you want to be. Not that I advertise that I am also Wiccan there, as most here believe, that's not any of their business, but as a church we also believe in a Heavenly Mother as well as Heavenly Father so... I don't believe the dual faiths to be exclusive either.

Well there is a LDS church here but it is very small and click- ish so... I stay home and worship my way with my husband and mom!! But I do find the LDS interesting as well as Catholic and Jehovah Witness