Everything Under the Moon

My mother often asks why I never had my daughters baptised in the Christian church?

She does not follow the Christian way to a t her self in-fact she often strays away to spiritualist church’s. I have no real problem with Christian’s (well I have a few but lets not go there). Anyway the reason I’m bring this up is when I told her I was taking my eldest daughter of 8 to Beltane at Thornborough Henge she said “I don’t like pagans and turned away”.

Does anyone else have this problem with there parents? I don’t live with them I moved out many years ago but It would be nice to let her know thing are going on instead of keeping it all away from her just because of her misunderstanding of paganism!

My Mom knows and we talk about going to services, gatherings and meetings
I do not discuss Content or Intent
Sometimes she asks about gatherings and I answer her questions honestly without making problems for other people or Increasing her fear for me and her Grandchildren.
Sheis actually more worried that some freak has weedled their way into a group and would wish to do one of us harm, rather than a fear for our Immortal Souls.
She has introduced me to Reference materials, and People, and even to Crystals and a NICE Quan Yi statue.

My Grandmother on the other hand, is an Episcapalian, and is worried about my Safety Body and soul everytime she sees me
She does not talk about it much, but it shows in how she interacts with me and my kids. I am not willing to make EVERY family gathering a battle, so keep my Face down.

Hope this helps
ecb

It came as a shock to me because my mothers not really a religious person and to be honest I thought she would be happy I had found a religion I am happy with.

It was the fact that she said she didn’t like pagans when she knows nothing about them nor does she want to. No body else I know seems to have any problems with this but I would feel better about it if she would at least look into it and find out its nothing like what she believes.

But anyway thanks for replying its good to know others have the same issues and its not just me

Stephen

I have this argument with my parents all the time. We're not at the point of discussing my grandchild, their GREAT-grandchild, and the argument has not changed.

Being baptized into a church is an amazingly touchy area for everyone. Some Catholic churches baptize infants at birth, Some religions only baptize children after they go through a confirmation class. Baptist and Evangelical churches believe you are to be baptized only after you accept Christ as your lord and savior, and even if you were baptized as an infant, you must be baptized again to be saved. Wiccan covens say you must be initiated into the coven before you can be called a true wiccan. the list goes on....

So, each person, take your mother for instance, feels the strongest about what they were most impressed with early in life. Even though your mother doesn't go to church on a regular basis, and may jump from church to church, she still has, from somewhere in her past, the mindset that one must be baptized to get into heaven. That same mindset makes her distrust the pagan community, and possibly even leads her to believe that pagans worship a satan that does not exist in their beliefs at all.

I would not suggest you try to argue with her about whether to baptize, or not to baptize, or why you did or did not have the children baptized. I'd recommend sitting down with some non threatening information on your path, show her that your Lords and Ladys are in principle, the same as her God. Maybe if she is not afraid of losing you forever, she might lighten her beliefs on baptism. Then again,, she might not

JMO

I really can’t see my mother sitting down and going over any info about pagans but you never know lol. My sister and me have many years between us and my sis is the oldest by about 12 year or so. She has 3 kids all girls, the first two were baptised, however, before she had the 3rd I had my first and I fully believe its up to the child to decide there religion (if my daughters came to me saying they wanted to be part of any religion I would be happy for them).

Anyway continuing the subject after I told everyone the news (that my daughter is not being baptised into anything until she decides her own path). My sis found out she was also having another child however, like I had decided she has never baptised her youngest, this didn’t go down well with my mum eather and even though she has never said anything about it. I believe she feels this is my influence too (it probably is) but, shouldn’t it be up to the individual to decide there life’s path and not the parent?

After all any religion that makes someone a better person has to be ok (or at least in my view anyway).