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Love for all
i'd like to say hi to anyone and everyone, and wish all peace. i accidentally stumbled accross this site, and i have to say that i think it's amazing. im about to turn eighteen in a week, and i've been studying buddhism for three years now. just recently i've begun delving much deeper into my spirituality. but i live in a place where alot of people that find out about my religous choices (i make no effort to hide or be ashamed of myself) have reacted negatively (some to the point of violence). although i don't see myself as a martyr of any sort, it's needless to say that i have had almost none of the spiritual guidance that i've needed. i was raised in a typically mexican-american catholic household, and although my mom was very supportive, she could not afford me any advice when my questions came along. i've gone by my research and a book that my aunt just bought me (A Buddhist Bible), and most of all, my own sense of compassion and peacefulness. it's nice to know that i've found a link to people who can help me with my questions and offer some advice on the thing in my life that has truly made me feel like a whole person, and has afforded me a better understanding of my self and the world around me. thank you, all, for unknowingly giving me a way of finding others who believe like myself. it's more than comforting, it's a blessing. and i know that destiny has led me to such a beautiful gathering of information and support. -peace and compassion
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Comments
Welcome to the site. You will find a lot of support and compassion as well as answers to your questions here. I am also the victim of religious persecution as well as my child because I am a Wiccan. I am also a Nichiren Buddhist. I live in Anderson, Indiana and if your are anything other than Christian, well, you might as well forget it. You won't get any help here plus you could even have your children taken from you. This has not happened to me but there were others here that have had this happen to them. They eventually got their children back after a long, drawn-out court battle. It left these people, who I consider friends, with a bad taste in their mouths and they have since moved somewhere else where they could live in peace and not be persecuted anymore because of their beliefs. I have been told that I am "going to go to Hell because I am a Satan worshipper" and other such nonsense. Wiccans do not believe in Hell and we especially don't believe in Satan. We revere Mother Earth and Father Sky. We believe in the Wiccan Rede which is basically "An Ye Harm None, Do As Ye Will." Wiccans are, according to the Rede, not allowed to do anything like manipulation, put hexes on others, or anything that will interfere with the will of another being, either human or animal. We also believe anything negative that we are the cause of will come back to us three-fold. My daughter was once suspended from school because she refused to remove her pentacle necklace (the pentacle is a protection charm according to Wiccans and not a Satanic symbol). She said that why should she have to remove her necklace when certain other students were wearing cross necklaces. My daughter is eight years old, by the way. I took the case to court and the school system here was told that they could not suspend her for refusing to remove her necklace because of her religious beliefs and that if Christian children could wear their cross necklaces then she had just as much right to wear her pentacle necklace. However, as a result, I have had no luck in finding a job. Believe me, I am amply familiar with religious persecution. But you know something? I had always been drawn to Buddhism even though I am Wiccan. What I like is that Buddhism does not demand that you renounce all ties to any religion you may follow in order to practice it. Wiccans, Witches, and Pagans do the same thing---we are believers in the fact that everyone has the right to follow the spiritual path that they so desire; one can be a Wiccan, Witch, or Pagan without renouncing any other spiritual ties that they may have. I also have made friends with some other Nichiren Buddhists here in Anderson and we have no problems at all. They are accepting of the fact that I am a Wiccan and that is such a sense of relief to me after all the religious intolerance that some of the so-called Christians here have shown to me. Please know that I do not put down all Christians or any other religion because I don't. Christians have just as much right to their beliefs as I do to mine. What is so great is that I find that I am becoming less and less stressed out over things and I am learning to ACT instead of REACT. I am becoming more calm and compassionate as a result of my Buddhist practice and I am noticing that people are becoming more polite and friendly to me and my child as well. I think that is a good thing, too. SHEESH! I am sorry! I did not mean to go on and on! Please forgive the length of my post. Please know that you are welcome here and I wish you all the best that life has to offer. I look forward to getting to know you better and I hope you choose to keep coming back here. Take care!
Adiana
That is really messed up. Those people should be ashamed. I am sorry that you have to go through that and I am glad you won the good fight.
It's extraordinary how this board seems to attract such fascinating people of such good heart.
Just wanted you to get a flavour of how cosmopolitan and diverse we are.... well, I am, anyway....!! Nice to meet you and welcome aboard!