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Coming out of the Broom Closet

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    Re: Coming out of the Broom Closet

    I told my mom a week before Christmas, and my dad on Christmas morning. They told me they would support me in anything I wanted to do, and that they love me no matter what, but since then they have not treated me the same way- Dad frowns when I bring up my religion, and Mom keeps subtly trying to get me to convert back to Christianity. Once, in an attempt to understand what it was that I believed, Mom said "I don't really care who your gods are, there are multiple paths to salvation... but you don't actually worship Thor, do you? Because you know he is a fictional character right?" So I don't know what to do about that.
    I came out to my friends and the rest of campus a few months later, and for the most part they have been really supportive, so I am very glad of that. Now I am open to anyone, I don't even care what they think of me. The one exception to this is my extended family. Especially my grandma, and my oldest aunt and uncle (Dad's family). I still am not sure if I'll ever tell them.

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      Re: Were you ever a pagan "in the closet"?

      Originally posted by Malflick View Post
      I have heard the song "the Christians and the Pagans" and it can be like that ! But sadly, some people just wont open their hearts up to accepting people who are different from themselves. I'm sorry you're afraid to tell your parents, and sadly you probably have good reason to be ....

      I hope you can be open about it to other people in your life....
      I totally agree. Some people just won't be accepting.
      Anubisa

      Dedicated and devoted to Lord Anubis and Lady Bast. A follower of the path of Egyptian Wicca.

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        Re: Coming out of the Broom Closet

        a way back

        Rowanwood posted
        I think maybe I understand the desire to get it out there; to tell people, but I really never thought my spirituality was up for debate, so I saw no point in discussing it with people who might not be appreciative.
        i have to agree with that one...

        what I am I am...it matters to me and no-one else....it rarely comes up in conversation but when it does I will not shrink back and stay quiet or go with the flow

        if others have issue it's their problem, not mine

        be true to yourself

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          Re: Coming out of the Broom Closet

          in my experience, one gains nothing telling anyone. it was bad enough telling them in gay and dont worship their god. it's been like, 3 years? since and nothings changed. my family were always the badgering type, and if anything theyre more badgering now. i'd take it back if i could.

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            Re: Coming out of the Broom Closet

            Originally posted by Hoho View Post
            my family were always the badgering type, and if anything theyre more badgering now. i'd take it back if i could.
            I can't say I blame you there. For years I used to brush it off as a kind of "I know I know" kind of answer, or "we'll see" sort of thing but finally I got fed up of hiding everything and started hoping they (my mothers side really) would just respect my wishes and choices to which they took it as an excuse to just redouble their efforts to the point of sending me pamphlets about how I needed to accept Jesus or I was going to hell on a monthly to weekly basis until I told them "stop, or I'm effectively disowning you and never speaking to any of you again" (which is a lot more of a threat considering I'm my mothers only daughter and she passed away-but that just brings up a whole other new set of issues with that side of the family)
            Always taking art commissions, especially for fantasy and pagan related artwork
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              Re: Coming out of the Broom Closet

              Perhaps it depends on the people one is revealing his being pagan to. Sometimes a bad outcome is predictable and sometimes it's worth to try.
              I am still in the process of determination. Last time I weared one of my Kemetic necklaces (of Anubis) is public, everything was pretty good.
              "Fair means that everybody gets what they need. And the only way to get that is to make it happen yourself."



              Since I adore cats, I might write something strange or unusual in my comment.Cats are awesome!!! ^_^

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                Re: Coming out of the Broom Closet

                With my family, I dislike whenever religion pops up in discussion. But I know one day it will come out eventually to at least my parents and sibling. My closest friends know the path I walk, and they're totally fine with it.

                My dad used to not like church very much, but as of 6 years ago (conveniently the time I lost faith in Christianity), he started going to service and participating in small group discussions and activities. I like that it gave him more of a social life, but he's really "gung-ho about God" now. I don't think he'd accept it at all if I told him my beliefs. He already hates that I play metal music and moving to Europe. Telling him I'm pagan completes his Trifecta of Doom. My mom is uber-Christian and doesn't understand anything other than her own religion. My sister recently got a cross tattooed on her permanently, so you can guess her beliefs. The uncle on my mom's side is probably the closest to me in terms of "let's just not talk about religion." He's the only one I could probably safely reveal my beliefs to AND be accepting of them.

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                  Re: Coming out of the Broom Closet

                  I have told two of my closest friends about my paganism, and I was not expecting them to be so open to it. Both are Christians and neither had any issue with my beliefs, and don't treat me any different from before. In fact they have been quite supportive of me.

                  Most of my immediate family only knows that I am no longer a Christian, and that I was looking at everything including Eastern polytheistic religions, but I have not really told any of my family that I am a pagan. Outside of my immediate family they don't even know that I am no longer a Christian let alone a pagan, and I do not think that changing this perception would be beneficial to myself, as they would more than likely equate paganism with being 'demonic'.

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                    Re: Coming out of the Broom Closet

                    Yesterday I was talking with my father about my being Kemetic. He wanted to know more about it. Despite the fact that he is sincerely loyal to Judaism and has the "there is only 1 god" thing, he accepted it as it is. Of course he probably wasn't happy too much about it, but left it to me to decide. I really appreciate it.
                    "Fair means that everybody gets what they need. And the only way to get that is to make it happen yourself."



                    Since I adore cats, I might write something strange or unusual in my comment.Cats are awesome!!! ^_^

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                      Re: Coming out of the Broom Closet

                      My father still does not believe I am not a Christian at all. He has repeatedly said "you're a Christian, you just don't know it" or "this kind of silly questioning is common of people your age". Holy fuck this irritates me so much.

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                        Re: Coming out of the Broom Closet

                        I hate the phase argument.

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                          Re: Coming out of the Broom Closet

                          I hate that argument too. Its up their with the 'you're too young to understand politics or economics' that I got from a lot of people. One of my parents was like that in saying that 'I was simply seeking, and that I would properly find God again later', in learning I had become agnostic.

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                            Re: Coming out of the Broom Closet

                            At work, or in public when the topic comes up (usually in reference to holiday plans), I usually say "We're not Christian". Sometimes people ask, in which case I explain that we are Pagan. I work with fairly progressive and intelligent people, so its usally not a big deal there. Even at the kid's schools, being in an urban area with decent diversity, most people that I encounter just don't care. Also, it probably helps that we aren't anti-Christian.
                            A human being is part of the whole, called by us 'Universe,' limited in time and space. He experiences himself...as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a prison for us... Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the of whole nature in its beauty...
                            --Albert Einstein

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                              Re: Coming out of the Broom Closet

                              I've been hearing all the time that my blend of syncretic soft polytheistic pantheism is not a real religion and I have made it up. I literally want to punch faces when people say this, but I try to stay calm.

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                                Re: Coming out of the Broom Closet

                                Originally posted by Ektor View Post
                                I've been hearing all the time that my blend of syncretic soft polytheistic pantheism is not a real religion and I have made it up. I literally want to punch faces when people say this, but I try to stay calm.
                                I am so familiar with this situation....
                                "Fair means that everybody gets what they need. And the only way to get that is to make it happen yourself."



                                Since I adore cats, I might write something strange or unusual in my comment.Cats are awesome!!! ^_^

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