From: traite@eros.harvard.edu (Shirley Traite)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: Mikey
Date: 19 Nov 92 22:16:01 GMT
Organization: Statistical & Data Analysis Center, Harvard University

In article <BxyuI3.G7I@encore.com> aaldrich@encore.com (Al Aldrich) writes:
>
>I don't know about giving advice. I can tell you what we have done.
>We started by having ritual circles at home with just us and the kids.
>We would get them to gather up symbols for earth/air/fire/water and place
>them in appropriate places in the circle and then invoke `the great spirit'
>thanking hir for our wonderful family and good luck in having each other
>and food and shelter. Then we would each say something we liked about
>one of the natural elements. Then we would just sit quietly holding hands
>for about 2 minutes ( all you can expect from kids 5 and 7 ) and close
>the circle. The kids take turns blowing out the candles.
>We called our ritual `quiet time'.

 >So if they were asked in school about it, or with their friends, they
>would say we `talked to the great spirit' or `we had quiet time'. 
>We had the same concerns about the using the words pagan and wiccan out
>of context and having social services or whoever showing up at our door.
>So we thought, until they get older, we can teach the morals that we
>believe in and involve them in ritual to a certain degree, but until they
>are old enough to speak intelligently about paganism, we felt it would
>be `safer' to use less inflammatory terminology. It's probably a bit of
>a cop out, but the witch hunters are out there and some of them would have
>no qualms at all about hurting or abducting our children if they were to
>talk about who we really are. They have heard us say that we are pagan
>but I don't think they really understand what that means.
>So for now, we sort of lay low about who we are. We do let them know how
>we feel about issues and hate mongers and so they know what we believe
>in. We just try to keep away from encouraging them to put a label on it
>at this point.
>
>Does that help?
>
>Blessings
>al
>
>-- 
>Al Aldrich	inet:aaldrich@encore.com
>"..if you understood everything I said, you'd be me." miles davis
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>MY opinions are not to be construed as those of my employer.


I Think I must be really in the minority on this because I get
lots of raised eyebrows both within and outside the pagan/wiccan
community.  

I have an almost two year old which I plan to *NOT* raise
in any faith, but rather, help her to explore as many faiths
as possible before she chooses or does not choose a particular
path. (I guess this is a by-product of my own Unitarian upbringing. :) )
I found Paganism after a long search.  It's right for
*ME* but is it right for my child?  I don't plan to hide
my beliefs from her but I won't include her in rituals
until she understands to some degree what those rituals are about
and why I am doing them.  

(Al, please don't take this as a criticism of what you are doing.)
 
In some ways I guess I a humanist.  I think that it is possible
to teach moral and ethical behavior /values outside of religion.  That
doesn't mean that I don't think religion is important. I just
think that one should understand what your doing and that includes
studying other religions.  I have a big problem with  the "blind faith" .

That's what I am doing.  I'm sure there are lots of people who
disagree.

Blessings to you!

___
Shirley Traite (traite@sdac.harvard.edu) |I only speak for myself.
Statistical Programmer                   |
SDAC/Biostatistics Dept.                 |
Harvard Sch. of Public Health            |

<> IT IS A VIRTUE TO HAVE AN OPEN AND INQUISITIVE MIND. <>