Young Writers Society

Recently a friend and I told our parents (both sets are Christian) that we are Wiccan. The results weren't so great. My parents told me that, "Wicca is of the devil because we don't believe in God." And hers simply said, "If you're going to worship the devil then consider yourself out of this family." Now both of our parents are going around our church telling everyone what "we've become" as they're calling it and our whole town now knows about it. (We live in an extremely small town.) Wherever we go people point to us and whisper about how creepy we are. But, what they don't get, is that it doesn't matter what religion we are. They don't understand that we're the same people we've always been.
Do you guys think that this form of religious persecution is right? Personally I think they've all watched too many movies on the subject but...I could be wrong.

I'm Wiccan too, and I have heard plenty of people tell me that I am going to hell. It gets pretty easy to ignore after a while. My parents aren't super keen on my religion either, but as the years have gone on they've started getting over it. I was also raised Christian, and converted later in life.

What you're going through is a form of religious persecution but unfortunately there isn't a whole lot one can do about it unless they start all out insulting you for it. I think the key is to just ignore it, survive it, and when given the chance, fight it.

I once wore a pentagram to school and was asked to remove it during one of my classes, which was one thing that I could do something about. I asked that if I were to remove it anyone wearing a crucifix or cross would remove theirs as well. That shut some people up But other than that, you just have to learn to ignore the whispers and be proud of your beliefs regardless of how people react to them.

I suggest you and your friend consider finding a coven in your area. Finding like minded people is really freeing, and if they are anything like my old coven, they'll become a sort of extended family.

Always remember... "We are not evil. We don't harm or seduce people. We are not dangerous. We are ordinary people like you. We have families, jobs, hopes, and dreams. We are not a cult. This religion is not a joke. We are not what you think we are from looking at T.V. We are real. We laugh, we cry. We are serious. We have a sense of humor. You don't have to be afraid of us. We don't want to convert you. And please don't try to convert us. Just give us the same right we give you--to live in peace. We are much more similar to you than you think." Margot Adler

Blessed Be,
OverEasy

Rubbish. As long as you believe in helping people, being the best person you can be and not wanting to break any laws ( or anything considered "bad" really, anything that doesn't help society) I think you're fine, no matter what religion you are. Just as long as you want to be a good person.

Being an agnostic with atheistic tendencies, I can point to your case and say that this is why I'm against religion. You're free to believe what you believe, practice what you practice. But when you try to shove your beliefs and practices down other people's throats it becomes wrong. What they've done to you and your friend is absolutely wrong, Alienating people because they aren't the same as you is the real sin. If I started a religion based around some ideas or beliefs, I wouldn't try to shove this upon people, I would say "This is what we believe, you are free to join us" and move on.

Religious Prosecution, honestly it angers me to no earths end.

When people tell me I "don't believe in God", I give them funny looks and say "What are you talking about? I have TONS of gods!"

Religious persecution is never acceptable behavior on any level. What your families are doing to you and your friend is upsetting, but not an uncommon reaction for parents when their beloved children "come out of the broom closet", as we like to say, especially if those parents are very Christian. Most people are very, very misinformed about Wicca and paganism in general and it seems like that may be part of the problem in your situation. Like you said, they get their "information" from Hollywood movies and shows like Charmed, neither of which are an accurate representation. Most people don't realize that it isn't all about spells and doing magic.

If you go on acting like you always have, eventually some people may start to realize that just because you've chosen to live your life in a different way, you're still good people. A lot of parents also tend to think that Wicca is just a rebellious phase that will pass. For some people it is, but for others it sticks and becomes a lifestyle. Your parents' reactions are unacceptable, but they are reacting that way out of caring or fear for you based on the misinformation they have about your religion. They've been told it's something dangerous, and so you have to show them that it isn't. It won't work right away, it may not work at all, and it's going to be very hard.

I second OverEasy on trying to find a coven or a group. Groups can be hard to find though, especially in small towns. There are no Heathen groups where I am, so I do a lot of internet networking. http://www.ecauldron.net/index.php is a great site for support and learning. They have a teen specific board on their forum, too, and there are several threads about dealing with parents.