"I think I'm Pagan. Where do you sign up?"

[Bouncy Ball]

My ten year old said this today. I told her I don't think there's a central sign-up location, but suggested she check out some books at the library on paganism and maybe learn some more.

We've been going to a UU church and it's really got her thinking she can decide for herself on religious matters and all. ;-) What a cheeky church.

So I got her take on the whole religion thing. She said, yes, she does think there is a "Magical Guy" and what happened was, he was just hanging out in deep cold space and he got bored and said hey, how about some planets? So some were big and some small, some had rings, some were hot, some had a lot of moons, and he put dinosaurs on one of the planets.

"To see how that went." LOL.

Well, this meteor thingie happened and killed all his lovely dinosaurs, except for a few who are now birds.

(Are you with Little Bouncy so far?)

So he decided to start over with monkeys. And those monkeys went and changed into people. (Her words.) Whatdaya know?

So then those people started making up ALL kinds of stuff about the Magical Guy. And sometimes they're good to each other, sometimes they're bad to each other.

Then they die.

The end!

What do you think, should she start her own religion? The "Magical Guy Who Got Bored" religion?

[RevolutionaryActs]

1. LOL! I like little bouncy.

I'll join her religion. :7


Really though, you have a very smart daughter, you should be uber proud, but I bet you are. :)

[Bouncy Ball]

2. Yeah, but this "thinking for herself"

is leading us down some weird paths. Namely skull and crossbones earrings. I had to draw a line and say she couldn't wear them to church today (they aren't small).

[Not_Giving_Up]

3. I think she should meet my son

They sound a lot alike!

[Bouncy Ball]

4. Could you imagine listening in on a conversation

bewteen two kids like that?

Actually I have, and it's fascinating. One time she and a friend who is a lot like her were discussing why cats run so fast and the friend said "I bet they don't run faster than Wilma Rudolph" and my daughter said "I bet they do, because Wilma Rudolph's dead!"

It was SO freaking....absurd.

So yeah, that would be fun! Just tape record it. LOL.

[Not_Giving_Up]

7. My brother once took my Aspie child to Sonic

They had a statue of a rocket out front. My child starts going "Uncle Tim, what if ice cream started shooting out of that, and the whole world was covered in ice cream????" My poor brother was still in high school, kid was only three. He talked about an ice ream covered world for hours. My brother has now decided that he wants NO children because mine are weird.

[Bouncy Ball]

10. LOL!!!!

How funny!!!

[Not_Giving_Up]

14. The eye doctor has decided that he'll be an engineer

Both kids went in for eye exams, and both needed glasses. She said that my daughter is at a negative whatever for her prescription, and he started asking questions. "Why is it negative?" She drew a picture to show him.

[Bouncy Ball]

16. My dentist gave my daughter the mold of my teeth

when I was getting a crown. She was so fascinated by it, he ended up giving her a mold of a whole mouth that he had. They are two of her most treasured possessions.

Aren't kids interesting?

Keep them asking questions, it's VITAL. I am convinced my grandfather lived so long being so healthy because he kept his MIND alive. He never stopped asking questions and he devoured books like they were food.

[Not_Giving_Up]

20. We seriously should get these kids together

Maybe they could win a Nobel Prize!

[mr blur]

29. One of our kids has Aspergers...

and he makes more sense than most people around.

[Maat]

5. She needs to check out:

"The Little Soul and the Sun" by Neil Donald Walshe; it's a book.

That's the author of "Conversations with God." That's Neil's theory - that God was one and bored, and divided itself up. Our role is to experience. I subscribe to that theory.

Check out this book - it is in some UU and CRS (Church of Religious Science) bookstores. It is so cool. It is about a soul going to transition to a new incarnation or new life, who speaks with another soul. These two young souls make a deal about how they are going to help each other learn something in the new life; I read it with my daughter and she loved it!

[Bouncy Ball]

15. I'll look for it, sounds good.

Thanks!

[JohnKleeb]

6. UU is great and good for her

Nice story btw by her too, its cute, ha when she's older, she'll have an explanation to why he was bored, my guess is that he ran out of pot. Glad that your neck of the woods has a UU church, we got one around here too but I dont knwo of anyone who goes to it.

[jdots]

8. as long as you're not Reagan

Join the Diffys nice outfits,exellent secret handshake and no meetings ever.

[intheflow]

9. I like the "Magical Guy Who Got Bored" concept.

Evolution mixed with creation. I think it's brilliant! She'll be welcome in my UU congregation anytime.

[Bouncy Ball]

11. Funny, I didn't realize until you said it that she mixed the two

but she did.

What's funny about that is I have always believed in a mixture of the two. I nearly made a fundie's head explode when I said "Now how do you know God didn't create a little tribe of monkeys and let them loose?"

Wow he was mad.

Thanks! We love UU, only been going for about a month.

[intheflow]

22. Well, Darwin was a Unitarian.

And the Universalists considered themselves Christian up until the merger in 1961. It sounds like solid UU theology to me. A blending of reason and spirit.

I'm glad your family has found us! :hi:

[lenidog]

12. There is actually no place to sign up

Your suggestion to go to the library and look up some books on Wicca is a good idea but I think knowing the state of a lot of public libraries you wont find much. Borders and Barnes and Nobles usually have decent sections to start with. Your best bet depending on where you live is to head to your local New Age bookstore if you have one. There you will find many more books on Wicca and maybe be able to get in touch with some practicing Wiccans. Also you are more than likely to find a couple of the books that help you practice Wicca solo. I wish I could help you more but I have never really run into anyone of your childs age who showed a interest in Wicca who wasn't raised in it. So I don't really know how to get you started except for these few suggestions. Another thing I can add is that their is as many forms of Wicca as there are ancient religions. Since Wicca was brought back from the dead there is not set rules. I have known many who have practiced various forms Celtic, Gardnerian, Native American, etc. My one girlfriend was a Gardnerian, while my current practices Celtic.

[Bouncy Ball]

13. Hey, thanks!

:hi:

The bookstore probably is a better bet.

[lenidog]

17. No problem

Like I said there are books out there for doing it solo and I know there are ones out there also specifically for teens. I know she is not a teen but as far as I know that is as close as we can get to her age.

[Solon]

18. Another thing...

There maybe some UU pagans at the Church, so ask around, and see who's there, maybe another child your daughter's age, they can hang out and stuff, who knows what will happen. BTW: I love her theory, makes sense to me. :)

[Bouncy Ball]

19. Now that I think about it, there's a whole family who is.

And their daughters are my daughter's age and have become instant friends.

Heyyyy, I think I know where the idea for looking into this came from now.....

Her theory made sense to me, too!

[Solon]

23. Influences are everywhere...

I've been Wiccan for about 7 years, and just a couple of weeks ago, I visited my parents for their anniversary, and low and behold, my sister has "Book of Shadows: A Modern Woman's Journey into the Wisdom of Witchcraft and the Magic of the Goddess" by Phyllis Curott. I never discussed my religion with the family that much, its not like they are worried for my soul or anything, for all of us its a private affair, even within family. Two cousins are Atheists, that I know of, Mom's a lapsed Catholic, as is Dad, and apparently my sister is at least interested in Wicca. I find that odd, she got the book from a friend, I didn't know she had any Pagan friends to speak of, different circles I guess.

The only thing I remember about my sisters religious proclavities is one time a long time ago, we rented the movie, "What Dreams are Made of" with Robin William(I think that was the title). She refused to watch it, because, as she put it, "I don't believe in hell." That was it. To us, religion has never been a big deal, Mother refused to go to church for a myriad of reasons, the biggest was the hypocrisy of "Brotherhood" within church, and the Pope, whom she hates. Dad was Baptist, converted for himself, I went to PSR(Catholic Sunday School) only to appease my Grandmother, my sister was able to skip out on it!!! I was so mad. :grr:

[lenidog]

21. Good idea

for a place to find some children her daughters age thats parents are pagans

[Solon]

27. Hey wait a second....

I thought you get a Microwave oven for signing up a new pagan!!!! Where's my Microwave!!! At least that's better prize than converting to homosexuality. :evilgrin:

[autorank]

24. See "Dragnet, the Movie" with Ackroyd and Hanks

This a good introduction to paganism. The pagans are led by Christopher Plummer. They even use at as an acronym, People Against Goodness And Niceness ... or something. If you like it, you can just move to LA.

[Dragon Turtle]

25. I think it was,

People Against Goodness And Normalcy

[autorank]

26. You're right! What a great place DU is. Now I don't have to watch it

again. :hi: Thanks!

[Behind the Aegis]

28. Too funny!

This made me giggle. But, here is a thought...why not have her write down her story, illustrate it, and sell it as a "Child's view of Religion?" Add some other things to it, like child psychology, religious studies, and modern cultural events. Maybe she won't start her own religion, but it could be a great child's book about understanding religion from a child's perspective. :)

[Bouncy Ball]

30. I've always thought it'd be great to collect

a lot of these from kids and publish them together. I bet someone already has, but I suspect they were all from a Christian point of view. It'd be nice if there were a book out there with the views of kids who think and see outside of that prism, wouldn't it?

Thanks! :thumbsup:

[Bridget Burke]

31. Encourage her to read about myth & legend.

And learn what the Old Tyme Pagans actualy believed. Look for young people's books on the Greeks & Romans, Egypt, the Germanic/Scandinavian thing & "The Celts."

China & India also have wonderful ancient tales, befitting their ancient civilizations. And don't forget Native American & African stories.

[MountainLaurel]

32. Booklists from Amazon

Pagan-Friendly Children's books

If you're interested in becoming involved, be sure to look at Circle Round