I'm beginning Paganism. Will someone else help me tell my family, and friends?

There is a reason that Pagans, Witches, and Wiccans have traditionally kept vows of secrecy for their religions. We have been persecuted for our beliefs. You know your family better than anyone. If you feel that your beliefs will cause harm in your family, there is no reason that you must announce your beliefs to them. Your religion and your spiritual beliefs are no one's business and there is no reason for you to bring it up, unless you wish to.

Keeping your Pagan beliefs a secret has nothing to do with being ashamed of them. It is simply doing what is best for your family situation under your own personal circumstances. Some families will just never understand, no matter how much you educate them. It is a very sad truth that many devout Christian families just cannot accept it.

Blessed Be,

Wiccan

why not try reality and know one can complain

Well then you should know that they are pagans too. Christianity Does not follow the commandments of God and does not follow what Yeshua or any of the apostles did so therefore it qualifies according to the biblical definition as paganism. Just let them know you'll be right there with them in the lake of fire after the second resurrection when God judges you all.

My answer is to start with something subtle and then work your self into a religious frenzy,

"Mom, Dad, Uncles, Aunties, dear little cousin.... I got something that I just got to say................................................................

SOMEBODY PRAY FOR ME!!!!! SOS!!!! SOS!!!! SWEET JESUS SAVE ME FROM MYSELF.... I HAVE GONE OVER TO THE DARK SIDE.... MY LIGHT SABER HAS CHANGED COLOR.... I'M GOING DOWN FOR THE COUNT IF I DON"T FIND MY MIRACLE REAL QUICK.... I LOVE YOU ALL... BUT I JUST DON"T WANT TO BE LIKE YOU... NOT EVEN ON MY WORSE HAIR DAY.... DUNK ME IN THE WATER BEFORE I BURN.... SOMETHING..."

I hope this has helped.

Ok let's think about this.

The consequences for telling them will be severe punihsments, restrictions, possible visits to see a shrink including medications, grounding, no social life allowed, no phone calls, your books (if you have any) thrown out, your room searched, yeslling ans screaming on a constant basis, TOTAL mistrust on their part for you which will mean a lot of restrictions for you, etc. etc. etc.

Your spirituality is really your business - at least you sound like you're old enough for it to be. I'd just quietly explore it on your own, keeping it to yourself.

It really is nobody else's business but yours. It's YOUR soul, not anyone else's.

You really need to weigh the consequences of what telling them would do to your life while you are under their roof, and then decide.

P.S. I am a parent of teens, and I totally allow them to find their own spiritual paths. I feel that is something too personal for me to even begin to think about dictating to them.

P.S. It is also people with your family's type of thinking that used to murder people they considered witches, and justify it by the bible. Think about that for a bit.

Uh, why do you think you have to tell them?

I mean, they will freak and try to "correct" you. Heck, I have had strangers on the bus threaten to have me abducted just because I told them the Bible contains some plagiarized material from older faiths!

No - just believe what you want. You can even go to church just to keep peace in the family. I am not living at home, so I do not go, but now and then my mother pleads so I go along, but I look around while the other people have their heads bowed in prayer and almost 10% of the other people in there are doing the same thing - some of them wink and smile, too! Hilarious!

Anyway, it would be easier to pretend for now - no reason to make them try and hold an intervention or kick you out of the house or possibly force you into some kind of brain-washing program (if you are under 18.) I'm serious - if you are living in their house and especially if you are not over 18, they can cause a lot of trouble if this bothers them and it sounds like it would. You can tell them you are "New Age" and use that to cover some observances, but basically they can make you go to church - but they cannot make you believe, eh?

When you are 18 or older and moved out on your own - just stop going to church and tell them you do not want to talk about religion and say "whatever" when they try and make you agree about how sweet Jesus is, etc. They will get the hint soon enough. Easier to play Agnostic or Atheist than get into some major discussion where they will gang up on you and try to make you stay in the house while they call the minister or bring the minister over and try to make you let them in - it can get really scary when they are excited and devout.

Did you know that there is a place called Heaven. Heaven is a perfect place.

The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. -Revelation

In order to get into Heaven you must believe in God and obey God. The only way to get to God is by Jesus. This is because God came to this world in human form as Jesus to die as an ultimate sacrifice for our wrong doings to save you and I from going to Hell. Yes, God came as Jesus into the world to save you and I. He allows this salvation to all who believe and obey Him.

(To be saved speak in your head, or out loud where you are):

Admit to Jesus that you have done wrong and that you want to change and do right.

Believe Jesus is God and receive Jesus as your savior.

Commit to and follow Jesus.

If you do not believe me, ask God to reveal Himself to you tonight in your dream and ask Him if He is real; or ask God to speak to you and ask Him if He is real. Wait and see or hear what He reveals to you.

Just because they are involved in church does not mean a thing. You can go to church everyday till the day you die but you can still just as easily end up in "hell" More than likely they do not fully understand what they are studying or preaching. Im not insulting your family but im more of a atheist than a christian.

Let them judge you on how you live your life, not what deity you believe in.

Tell them. A good starting point, instead of, "I'm going Pagan." is "I just don't believe Jesus Christ is my savior."

Once the sputtering from that dies down, then you can go on about what you think. If they ask.

Otherwise it's really better for them to just shun you in secret and let them pray that their God will eat your soul and make you lose IQ points.

Though they don't like when you point it out that way either.