I have reached my breaking point on teenagers and young adults complaining that they are being "persecuted" because they are not allowed to practice Wicca, witchcraft, etc. in their parents' homes.
I sort of understand the teenagers' plights. They're young, they don't quite get it, and until they are 18, they don't have a lot of options. Still, they don't appreciate it when we tell them that really what they need to do is just wait until they become legal adults. They want suggestions either on how to practice without parental detection, or some way of magically convincing their parents to give them permission. All of which is a lovely illustration why many Wiccans don't want anything to do with teen practitioners. Maturity is important, and many of them simply don't yet have it.
The real bug up my butt, however, comes from those who are over 18 but have the same complaint: my parents won't let me do what I want. My parents are taking away my constitutional rights.
Parents are doing no such thing. The Constitution keeps the government from interfering with your religious beliefs. It says nothing about your parents. And your parents can't control your life. They can, however, revoke the free room and board you're currently getting.
"But that's not fair! I should be able to believe what I want!" You can believe all you want. Your parents can't get inside your head and reprogram you. But if you are living with your parents, they can set the rules for what happens under their roof. And there's an amazingly easy solution to get around those rules: Get a job. Move out. Pay your own damn bills. Worship however you please under your own roof.
Really, it's not fair that they save you hundreds of dollars on rent every month? You're an adult now. You need to grow the hell up and start appreciating things when they are given to you. If you think the world and your parents owe you everything you want, then quite frankly you're not mature enough to be making a decision about religious conversion. So maybe your parents had a point after all.
For me, responsibility is one of the biggest lessons of Wicca, and these people appear to have no sense of responsibility at all. If you want something, you don't expect other people to do it for you. You also understand that the more you want, the more you're going to have to give. If you want total freedom, you have to make yourself totally independent. That's how things work.
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You know, you can get that on a t-shirt:
http://www.zazzle.co.uk/teenagers_t_shirt-235351214852443691
I completely agree that these people are completely immature. And spoiled, I think. They have the mentality that everything should go their way, which seems to be a common attitude in my age group. I am 21, but I think I missed the immaturity boat.
I tend to ignore these people. There is no use even explaining to them all the things you brought up. The very fact that they don't naturally understand these things and have to ask shows that they are either not ready or never will be.
I started studying different forms of modern paganism when I was 18. My parents knew I simply could not accept their Christianity, which they were unhappy with but did not press the issue. When I began studying Wicca, my mom was happy that I had at least found something, but my father was disturbed. He is a conservative Christian and made it clear he did not want me studying or practicing in his home. I understood that. It was HIS home, and he had every right to say what happened in it. THis was one of the main reasons I moved out. I knew I had to continue my studies, and I wanted my own life anyway. My father still is uneasy with my religion, but he loves me. We just dont talk about religion.
That is how mature people should behave. Im fairly certain the "It's not fair!" crowd will never understand that.
The only thing I will add is that the "Get a job" part is NOT easy in this economy, even with money spells helping out.
I move out within a few weeks, myself. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to find a job that pays enough to allow this.
As for Paganism...my mom thinks it's a phase, and I never told my dad because I'm terrified of what he might do if I came out to him while living under his roof. I figure it'll be safer to say something when there's no place he can kick me out of in a fit of rage.
I understand that getting a job is not easy in this economy. Both me and my husband have faced multiple job searches over the past several years.
But a tough economy does not excuse rudeness or the general expectation for the world to conform to your wants.
True. And there's certainly no excuse for the whiny kid who doesn't even try to find employment, but just whines, "It's so haaaaaaaaaard!" (I've seen a few of those, to my chagrin. They give the unemployed a bad name.)
Actually I do think it isn't fair. I also think, that parents forcing someone to subscribe to their beliefs is hurting their relationship with their children(grown or not grown).
But yeah, you have a valid point as well.
The problem is if you say "kids don't have to listen to their parents' rules about religion," what other rules don't they have to listen to?
Parents have a right to raise their children as they see fit. They have the right to limit what their child is exposed to, where they go, and who they hang out with. Imagine the hi-jinks if the caveat was added "...unless what the child is doing is religion related."