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Should Minors Be Taught About Paganism?
- Thread starter Sunstone
- Start date
OneStraw Revolutionary
Member
Tangnefedd said:
It could help if adults had that knowledge. All I have to go by is what I was taught growing up. My catholic Mom really only cared about God and Jesus, and felt secure enough in their love that she wasn't bound for the bad afterlife. I didn't know a thing about the religion, and the church seemed fine by this. They taught that catholics were christians, and christians were good people. End of story. "Check it out, Jesus was born in a manger after being turned down by a butt load of inns!"
The only other religion I was taught about was Judaism. And by taught, I mean tossed a sentence. "They don't believe in Jesus." Not believe in Jesus? Not believe in God, then. A classmate of mine was jewish, so I asked why she didn't believe in God. Believe it or not, we didn't become best of friends after that.
Despite this lapse of religious education, I grew up and "figured it out" by reading and TV and classmates and other stuff. If I stuck with the Catholic Church long enough, I'm sure they would have gotten into the specifics sooner or later.
Having kids understand other religions than their own is a good idea, but when I was young, I could barely stand to sit through talks about my own. They're kids, afterall, and there is only so much they care about and want to listen too. My church must have realized this, hence their brand of "Catholocism Lite".
Spirituality is another thing. I believed in magic and santa and raindances and souls and other things when I was a kid, totally independent of my religion.
bigvindaloo said:
Yeah, exactly.
I guess, after thinking about it for a while, I'd wait to stress religion until my kid was older. I trust that they'd pick up on what they want to know, anyways. I'll just make sure not to make fun of other faiths TOO much while they're growing up.
I think it's all right to teach children about Paganism and the magickal arts. (I put in the "k" in magic just to make sure)
Just because I don't practice it doesn't make it wrong.
Peace,
Mystic
Just because I don't practice it doesn't make it wrong.
Peace,
Mystic
Smoke
Done here.
I think children should be taught about anything they want to be taught about, and other things besides. 
However, the article was about instructing children who come from non-pagan homes. I don't think it's a good idea to give children any kind of religious instruction that's contrary to the wishes of their parents. If I had children, I'd probably let them visit where they wanted, but forbid them to join any Abrahamic religion -- other than a post-Christian religion like the UUs or the Liberal Quakers -- before the age of 16, and I'd expect other adults to respect my decision. Personally, I'd have fewer objections to paganism, but I still think it's presumptuous for an adult to instruct a Christian child in paganism and magick without the expressed consent of the child's parents.
However, the article was about instructing children who come from non-pagan homes. I don't think it's a good idea to give children any kind of religious instruction that's contrary to the wishes of their parents. If I had children, I'd probably let them visit where they wanted, but forbid them to join any Abrahamic religion -- other than a post-Christian religion like the UUs or the Liberal Quakers -- before the age of 16, and I'd expect other adults to respect my decision. Personally, I'd have fewer objections to paganism, but I still think it's presumptuous for an adult to instruct a Christian child in paganism and magick without the expressed consent of the child's parents.
Vigdisdotter
Member
Sunstone said:
Paganism and magick aren't one and the same. Only a few pagan paths have magick as an integral part. And then it's only so for people practicing the path, not people learning about it.
Dreamwolf
Blissful Insomniac
If you don't think it is healthy to teach kids magic you should probably cancel your subscription to fairy tales. I know two different things but fairy tales teach about imagination and wonder they also do contain magic. Magic does exist what else to you call miracles? Magic is something you see but your rational mind can't explain. Miracles are usually put on a grander scale but its essentially the same thing.
KSojourner
Member
MidnightBlue said:
Nope. The article was about teaching Paganism to kids in general.
I would agree that most of my examples came from the point of view of a non-Pagan upbringing, but it was just to illustrate some of the arguements that are debated.
Shrimpy
Member
If we're talking about teaching your OWN kids your OWN path, then WHY the heck not? Believe me, I will be raising my children along the same path as me, the same as my parents did and theirs did to them, my religion and spirituality are an integral part of who I am and my ethics. To raise my children "properly" I would want them to have the same ethics etc as I do. That is not to say that when they become teens and are interested in other paths I would stop them, far from it; I'd get them someone who knew better than I did and allow them to go experience life, the universe and everything.Sunstone said:
If we're talking religious instruction, I guess it depends. I wouldnt want anyone teaching my children (when I have em) without my consent, so I guess not.
I also believe that if someone (regardless of age) were to ask me about my path, it would be only right to explain it.. mind you, two sentences are often enough...
My nephew (age 6) and I have had many in depth conversations as to WHY I believe differently to him and his mum (both Catholic), but I wouldn't do this without parental consent, just as I would hope others would ask my consent too! I think children are often not given enough credit for what they CAN and DO understand. I think it is perfectly acceptable to teach children about magic, but not the "how" as it were, I think very few children would be capable of controlling and safeguarding themselves.
I think that the child's spiritual journey becomes their own around adolescence, and that like everything else in the child's life, they need guidance in the parent's ways and then to branch out and find their own way. When they begin to questionand want to explore they should be allowed liberty to do so, but it up to the parent to keep them "safe".OneStrawRevolutionary said:
Simon Gnosis
Active Member
Sunstone said:
Actually I don't think children should be taught magic or witchcraft or clairvoyance, period.
It IS dangerous to meddle in such things, especially for young minds.
There are beings out there that are definately not friendly and the practice of magic etc is like a portal to these malign forces and those that practice them a beacon.
I would never recommend anyone practice any kind of magic or clairvoyance without a strong disciplined and above all mature mind.
In fact I dont recommend anyone practice any magic of any kind, its just safer.
Never was magic or witchcraft ever intended to be studied or practiced by children, those who encourage children to do so are in serious error, their karma will punish them, for putting the delicate psyche's (not to mention sanity and physical health) of children into jeopardy.
People should only learn what they are capable (mentally) of handling, too much too soon will end in tears...
Knowledge is power....
Green Gaia
Veteran Member
Who said anything about teaching it in school?Jerrell said:
Draka
Wonder Woman
Simon Gnosis said:
On the flip side, children are more open to those forces naturally. They see things we don't. Communicate with spirits we don't know are there. Their minds are innocent and open to all around them and have not been stunted by "reality" yet. By encouraging them and never trapping them into rejecting what they see and hear, we foster the growth of the natural clairvoyant and supernaturally perceptive mind. Things we have to overcome as we get older. Perhaps, that is why some consider certain things "dangerous" in the first place. As we get older, more things are foriegn to us. We are no longer in the child-like mind to work easily with these phenomena.
Technically, we de-evolve throughout our lives. As children we can see more, imagine more, learn more. We can learn several languages very easily, and really, anything else we put our minds to. As we grow we become more stunted by "reality" and the mundane actions of everyday life. By teaching the basics of what things are and a little about how to do simple basics when dealing with spiritual matters then their spiritual growth will be far beyond what we could imagine. Teaching our ethics and faith right alongside that will teach them how to handle what it is they see and experience and what they do with that.
YamiB.
Active Member
There would be nothing wrong with teaching your children about Paganism and magic. Though I would want to hold off until they are more responsible for actually preforming magic.
Personally I plan to educate my children in as many faiths as possible. I might exlude theistic Satanism and I would definetly leave out Scientology. Otherwise I would try to cover as much as I could.
Personally I plan to educate my children in as many faiths as possible. I might exlude theistic Satanism and I would definetly leave out Scientology. Otherwise I would try to cover as much as I could.
