It is time for another Witches Weekly!
Path, Workplace, and Raising Children
What path of Paganism do you follow? (If you take pieces from several traditions, list all of them and why you follow those as well)
I am an eclectic Wiccan. My practice is somewhat influenced by the Ancient Greek and Egyptian pantheons and practices.
Are you/would you be open about your spirituality in the workplace/school?
Yes and no. My family and friends know about my religion and beliefs, but I don’t advertise my religion. As I mentioned here, I feel that religion is personal, and not something to be shared either to fit in or to look cool. In most cases, religion has no place in the work place, so why share?
If you were in a marriage of separate faiths, how would you raise your children?
quanta is Catholic, so this is something we have been discussing. He wants to send our children (when we have them, that is) to Catholic school because he feels the academic standards are higher. I totally disagree, and I also am very uncomfortable at the thought of our children getting a religious education at school. What I would like to happen is to send the children to public school and/or home school, and to try to teach them about a variety of religions without forcing them into one or the other.
Needleworker, Knitter, Crocheter, Sewist, Cricuteer, and more!
Hmmm. On the one hand, I can understand your reservations. On the other hand – I was raised agnostic by atheist parents and never baptized. And for eighth grade and high school I went to a Catholic school. I’m not sure I’d have wanted to go when I was younger, to get religious education without being already my own person, able to make up my own mind, and not at least a young child. But I must say it was, hands-down, HUGELY superior to public school in terms of academics and of personal safety. Public school was awful for me – Catholic school was fine, and I learned a lot. I liked school better those years than I had for quite some while before.
I wonder if there are other – non-religious – private school options in your area? Or dedicated home schooling can work. My one year of home school was worthless and wasted (to a degree I even saw and hated it then), but mom didn’t really know what she was doing, and one year isn’t enough time to figure it out; I wouldn’t consider another year of it after that experience.
The public schools around here, even a decade and more ago, were already pretty dismal. Nothing I’ve heard or seen suggests they’re getting better. But I hope that they are better in your area.