Welcome to Gaia! ::

I really don't know....probably explode in their face, but I try to keep my beliefs to myself

im 35 and work in a hospital so i see and deal with all types. but the most difficult is my family. my brother is shaman and i am wiccan but everyone (and i do mean everyone) else in my family is christian. my life choice breaks my grams heart and i love her dearly and do not wish to break her heart so we do our best to avoid the subject. as for friends and strangers i mearly say to them "do not judge me if you do not know what you are judging me for. i have plenty of books for you to read if you are interested if you are not then lets just accept each others differences and move on." and believe it or not it has worked every time. my best friend is also christian and goes to church every sunday and although i know she prays that i am "saved" she also accepts who i am. she does not believe what i believe but she understands and accepts why i have chosen this life. and that my friends is all that i ask for accept my choice and i will accept yours.

i will admitt that i have joked with a few threatening to go voodoo on thier a** but i am peaceful and truly believe in harm none. (although its hard to follow sometimes)

blessed be to all

One of two reactions. Say nothing and walk away. Or get rather worked up and start ranting. Actually, even the first one usually ends with me ranting to a friend later. It depends on just how the situation feels. Some people won't change their minds about us no matter what we say so it's not worth talking to them. Otheres are just ignorant or, in an odd way, trying to help. The ranting works for me though because I can keep it to a conversational, if excited, tone, and I love to argue with people. Some of my best thoelogical discussions start this way.

As to family, I'm pretty lucky there. My parent's aren't religious at all and so don't care about my own religious leanings so long as I don't act like I'm joining a cult. My mom believes in a nonspecific "Higher Power" and wants her kids to be themselves. Making prosthelatisers (those who preach at you with the intention of converting you) question their own beliefs is a hobby of my dad's and he likes to say he believes in Mother Nature, and joke about starting a church of him. My grandam though, is very much Christian and I think it would break her heart if I told her about my paganism so I just don't bring it up to her.

I also have to deal with crap for other reasons. I'm a Heathen and that's a path that attracts a lot of racist idiots. White supremicist like the idea of an "aryan religion" and what's more aryan then a big, blond, Viking? Because of this, I have to fight against the idea that Heathenism itself is somehow racist. And this comes from a lot of people withing the Pagan community. There are also those who believe my path is evil because it doesn't include the "an it harm none" bit. I won't deny that there's room for harm in this path but Heathenism itself is not evil. That comes with the practitioner. As with pretty much anything else, if there is evei lto be had, you bring it with you.