so sad, lost a long time friend because of Catholicism

I have spent my life growing up in a Roman Catholic family, going to a catholic school, and therefore 99% of the friends I have are Catholic - or christian at least.

At around 17 or 18 I converted to Wicca because I've been struggling with catholicism for a number of years and just moved away from it, and for the most part, didn't seem to bother anyone.

A good friend of mine, whom I've known since I was 5 (we had been in so many classes together throughout grade/high school) remained very Catholic, even her (at the time) fiance converted to Catholicism for her so they could marry in a catholic church.

Anyway, I had no idea that she had a problem with my not being catholic, in fact religion was rarely a topic of conversation. The last 6 months or so, though, it started coming up in conversation, and kind of out of the blue, a week ago she blew up at me at how furious she was that I abandoned the church and how now I worship satan (according to her, any religion that isn't christian worships satan). This bothered her so much that she gave me an ultimadum between my Wiccan practice and our friendship.

I had told her flat out that she's the only one who has a problem with the religion issue, and I wasn't going to change who I was to please her or anyone, and that whatever issues she has are entirely her own; well, that was the end of that, she said she didn't want me to be anywhere near her any more, and that being my friend was a complete waste of her time.

I'm just so bothered by this, I really hadn't expected this to happen at all. I'm not in the wrong, am I? What was that all about?

 

I would not end a friendship over faith, unless the individual's intention was to try and deter me from it. Not that I would let them, but the blatant lack of respect would be grounds for an end.

Though I do not agree with Wicca, persay, leaving the Catholic church was something that I highly commend you for.

 

odd..because doesn't the bible say love everybody regardless of beliefs, as long as you do not waver from your own because of it? So, unless I'm wrong, she defied her own beliefs. Hypocrisy at its best.

 

Similar things happened to me all the time when I went to a christian school. My closest friends, and their parents (many of whom I considered to be like parents to me) alike would turn on me after hearing a paticular message at church that revived their devotion to their religion. Soon all the things I had shared with them in private would turn into twisted versions of what really happened and become public knoweldge for every other "good christian" to judge me on. This was followed by trips to the principal's office or the pastor's office to hear lectures on what my latest friend had told them about myself. I grew up having no close friends (of the religious nature) because they would constantly make the jump back and forth to being a good devoted christian to being just an average kid that wanted to be my friend. I couldn't trust anyone in the church enough to let them know my real self, my real life and intrests and ideas, because I knew the moment they heard some inspiriational message in church they would turn on me and the rumors about myself would fly. Not the best examples for a religion that pretends to care for unsaved souls, and their influenence on me drove a huge wedge between myself and any form of christianity. I have to make a conscience effort to not think of all christians in the same light, because so many I have come across have shared that light.

But in my own way I thank them, because I abhor the idea that I could have easily grown up to be foolish, unkind, egotistical, and judgemental just like them. Instead their actions, I feel, made me more wise, compassionate, and understanding than any of these so-called christians could ever be.

Still, I do feel your pain and betrayal because I have been there myself. It is good that you understand that it is a problem of theirs, not your own. Unfortunatly that doesn't take any of the sting out of it.

 

got to love them christians...

 

With the cultic nature of the catholic church being what it is, I can appreciate why you left. Just remember, though, most churches who claim to be Christian follow a doctrine that would be considered heretical to the teachings of Jesus. This includes not only the catholic church but also the eastern orthodox movement, most protestant denominations-especially those of a fundamentalist orientation, and the mormon church as well. These institutions were established not by the divine, but by mere mortals like ourselves claiming to act on behalf of the divine. If you reject the dogmatic teachings of these churches, it is not necessarily the teachings of Jesus and of true Christianity that you are rejecting, but the doctrine of a cut-rate compromise that has become the 'christian' church today.

Having said all this, it is important not to 'throw the baby out with the bathwater' and reject Jesus entirely, but to 'take the Church (the real church) back' and to shed light on the shortcomings of the religious 'cultists' and to 'beat them at their own game!' If you truly feel that in your heart the wiccan way is the correct path for you, then by all means follow it! But don't follow it simply because you encountered religious demagogues who altered and perverted true Christian doctrine.

Your friend is confused. She's what I'll call a 'religious elitist' who believes that her beliefs or those beliefs similar to hers are the only ones valid. This attitude is prevalent among many christian fundamentalists as well. If your friend can't accept you for who you are, then she's not worth having. As far as I'm concerned, this is contradictory to what Jesus taught about "loving one's neighbor." Do though, be willing to forgive her if she recants her statement.
http://www.christian-universalism.com/

 

I could not have said that better myself, Thespeez. In regards to the true church...

 

i know what you mean even though im not wiccan,but do consitder myslef pagan,when i tryed to tell my mom about my belives she yelled at me to belive in god or my life would be hell and same after death,every time i try and ask or talk to her about christianity she changes what shes saying or says i dont know what im talking about and im wronge. i hate the fact that i cant even talk to her about anything, i get yelled at for thinking about religion in a different way, and at one time people where hated and treated unfair for being chirstian now that christianity is one of the largest religions in the world when your not christian your showed hate or arnt treated fair,cristianity has been striped of its real teachings and has been warped by man,remeber the bible may have been the word of god but it was writin by man translated by man and tought by man, and man has free will, worshiping the earth is wrong but worshiping a 2000 year old man thats fine...

 

Yeah, shit happens. My friend (was Catholic) shot himself because his parents were sending him to one of those Ex-Gay things.

 

well, that's religion for ya'. And she may be Catholic, but if she discriminated you just for your religion, she was not a Christian.

 

When any person acts in their own right to discover truth or reality in their own chosen way, it tends to shake or at least threaten the foundations of the paradigms upon which the normalized perceptions of reality are based, such as religion.
The likes of great explorers such as Columbus were ridiculed for daring to cross the horizon where they would certainly meet their doom. Columbus shattered the flat-earth paradigm.
Those who live in fear cower in groups so that they feel safer, and threaten those who leave the group because the group will get smaller, increasing their perceived vulnerability.
Those who have faith in themselves and the universe are not afraid, and will explore the gift of life and reality as we know it, knowing that is it's true purpose.
Know the truth and the truth will set you free.
Enjoy.

As for your "friend" ~ your friend was never a friend.
Only people who know Love can be true, and how many people know what Love is? ~ Bugger all!
Love is unconditional, it loves no matter what. It Loves for and of Itself. Such Love will not be found in any religion, for every religion puts conditions on Love's full expression. Especially christianity.
Know the truth and the truth will set you free.
Enjoy.
Love.

 

your friend sounds retarded. i'm christian, my best friend is a wiccan, it shouldn't matter.

 

One would think so... it's part of the reason why I abandoned christianity - the hypocracy that exists bugged the shit out of me, the fact that Church and Faith have grown so far apart in 2000 years was unbelievable.

Couldn't agree with you more. And I agree with the thinking that she really wasn't a friend to begin with - it's just so hard that we've been through so much and known each other for so long, to have that thrown away on a whim and for (truthfully) a very stupid reason, it hurts.

Now that's some scary shit. It's sad that we find such petty things to make our lives so unbelievably complicated.