It was ether my friend or my religion...

[JoshPagan]

Well this happened about two years ago near Thanksgiving (but I sure as hell wasn't thankful for what happened!). I am not Christian, I am a Pagan (before anybody on here starts calling me evil, please research before you go making assumptions). So a little bit earlier from that Thanksgiving I told him that I was Pagan. He was silent for a moment but then said it was ok with him, but he had to tell his parents. I was nervous but I didn't mind that he did. So he told and his parents didn't mind as well. I was so relieved. Of course he didn't want me sharing any of my practices with him, I was more then happy to do as he wished (one of the Pagan and Wiccans laws is that we do not pressure our spirituality on someone else, and even if it weren't a rule, I still wouldn't force anything upon anybody).

Ok so now here is where everything goes down hill into a pit of fire! I stayed at his house a lot and he stayed at my house a lot, we did sleepovers a lot because we were really good friends, best friends if you want to put it that way. So anyways, his mother came to pick him up and saw I was wearing my Pentacle (the symbol of my religion). Pentacles are not evil, even the upside down is not evil. Only an upside down Pentacle WITH a goats head in it is Satanism, for which I most certainly do NOT practice!

Anyways so his mother saw that (knowing what is was and knowing that was the symbol of my religion). She said bye as normal and went off back to their home.

I call my friend on the phone just to talk for a little bit, but then he starts saying stuff like "I can't come over anymore, ever again". I'm sitting here like "Huh?". Finally he says it's because of "that" religion I am in. He told me I HAD to become a Christian to remain his friend. But he doesn't understand that my practices and beliefs are important to me.

Finally I chose Paganism over him.

Why did it have to come to this? Why did I even tell him in the first place? I have a few friends who know what I am and they don't judge me, like him and his mother did.

Sometimes I wish I could be his friend again, because we were the best of friends, I mean we both understood each other; I've never had a friend like him, other than one person who I actually care about more than him, and she knows that I am Pagan and knows I am not evil.

Well thanks for reading, that was my friend problem.

[Voodoo]

Well, a lot of Christian families are not comfortable with other religions (my family is Christian) Also the Paganism symbol kinda looks like a pentagram. That is what most likely set off the charge. You did the right thing, never do anything you don't have to. It's one person vs your life.

Also, it shouldn't have ended up like that, I have a good friend who is Muslim, my grandparents don't like him, my mom doesn't just because of his religion, but I'm still friends with him behind their backs. If you're from the United States, remember your rights; Freedom of RELIGION!

[skinny_white_boy]

This is where you will find who isreally your true friends are and who aren't. And if they don't accept you because of what you and your family practice, then say fuck em' and move on. That's sadly the way people ate now a days.

[BFG9001]

I lost a friend when he discovered I'm athiest. "If you want your imaginary friend to choose for you, ok," I said.
Religion sucks imo

[Shred96]

Im athiest in a catholic area, so every time i blaze out my heavy metal rock they ask me if believe in god and i say no, so now most of the school thinks i believe in satan cause i believe religion is the cause of all the wars.

[Jean Poutine]

Im athiest in a catholic area, so every time i blaze out my heavy metal rock they ask me if believe in god and i say no, so now most of the school thinks i believe in satan cause i believe religion is the cause of all the wars.

pretty sure WW1 was about religion

wait...

[FullyAlive]

That's really unfair, I'm sorry he chose to be like that. Although if he were worth your time you would have been able to put your differences aside.
I'm a die hard athiest and have pretty strong opinions on religion but my best friend is catholic, and she too has her only firmly held beliefs. However whilst we might debate religion etc a lot. She's still my best friend no matter what her religion and my own beliefs really don't come into or affect our friendship.
It's a shame not everyone is that way.

And also the Skybar, who said the symbol looks like a pentagram. First i thought it was a pentagram and secondly the pentagram isn't a bad sign in fact its the very opposite. Wicca is a very selfless religion.

[Spook]

I am Christian, I believe in God and Jesus, but I don't judge. I believe that everyone has the right to believe in what they want to believe. You know, I may want to believe that my religion is right, but I will really never know if it is. People aren't just born knowing the TRUTH about things like that. Well, faith, but that's a hard thing to dwell on. I am discusted that so many people who are atheists have been mistaken to be Satanists, worshipping the Devil. It was just a cruel insult for your friend's mother to do that, a mock. Personally, I really don't think your friend was to blame in this situation. It seemed as if his mother was influencing what he said. He was cool with it in the beginning, remember? I just don't understand why he had to tell his parents, and why they had to form a full-on insult to your religion. I just don't understand how humanity can be so damn stupid. Ahh, I am rambling so I guess this post is at an end. :) Good luck, and you made a good choice in choosing your religion over somebody who didn't want you for who you were. :D

PM me if you ever need to talk.

[Syvelocin]

Hey, that's my religious symbol you're talking about (Baphomet)! We are most certainly not evil. :angry:

I'm playing with you.

You definitely chose correctly. If they can't accept it, too bad. Like it's been said, he's not really your friend then.

I refrain from saying anything unless I know the person would be fine with it and genuinely curious. That's pretty much limited to the friends of mine who are quite liberal, the ones that were also accepting of my sexuality. Though I don't have many conservative friends... but the friends I did tell were very supportive. Some really just wanted to know about what I believed, so I informed them of the philosophy and they seemed even more fine with it after that.

[Nihilus]

Pagans aren't evil. Christianity,although many Christians may deny it, borrowed many Pagan traditions and rituals and added them to Christianity. They obviously are totally unaware of this fact. Don't be his friend because of them trying to force their religion onto you.