Time To Panic

[Stormy]

I live on a dead end street - there is a big turn around at the end, just a few houses away from me. We just moved in August/September 2003. They were having a "block party light up night" near Xmas last year, at one of the houses down in the turn around. Of course, we were invited, as it is a "James Street" party. We managed to get out of it by having plans to see a movie premier.

No such luck this year. It is being held at the house directly across from us - a young single fella named Jason who is fairly nice. (The super fundie cop and his wife live next to him with their yard full of religious statues.) He already told me a few weeks ago "no excuses this year". The party is on Dec. 11 from 6 pm till ? - he even printed up little flyers and put them in each door. Of course, the flyers state that you can RSVP to him OR the cop's wife (he and she have their hands in everything that goes on here).

I am really worried about this because there are a large number of super fundies on this street - there are more religious statues in yards here than I've ever seen, some people even have big shrines to the Virgin Mary and/or Saints. Only my one neighbor/friend knows I am Pagan. Since Ken and I have avoided the cop and his wife at all costs, mainly because they ask lots of questions and want to know EVERYTHING about EVERYONE, I just KNOW that we will get cornered there and drilled for info...

"So, what church do you go to?"
"Why do you always keep your blinds closed?"
"What are you doing when I see you going outside at all hours of the night?"

...this could be disastrous! I feel like a rat caught in the middle of the floor when you turn on the kitchen light. Any advice on this will be REALLY appreciated!

Stormy

[Lotus]

There are two options that I see but, both include going to the party:

1) Go to the party and religion *might* not come up at all because people are being festive and all. You could usually ascew a few questions away...ie: give the cliche "I'dont discuss religion, politics, or sports" with a cheerful bubbly demeanor.

2) Go to the party and it *does* come up....I tell people that I'm hindu, buddhist, non-denominational, or whatever else cause it is better than saying "wicca or pagan" cause people will accept the other organized religions before "wicca or pagan" (depending upon how "open" they are of course). Seriously, they will accept an atheist before a "wiccan or pagan"
This is of course from my own experience.
Supprisingly enough they are more likely to leave the atheist alone too. ::Shrugs:: I don't get it but, it always works out.

Sorry, you cannot avoid the party without opening yourself up to be torn down.

BB
Lotus

[Firelord]

tell them you don't believe in organized religion and leave it at that. They won't question it but should still assume that you are christian, just don't believe in church...

outside... you do your best work at night and you think better with a touch of fresh air and the chill of night. That one is actually true for me....

[Stormy]

Humm, I like the whole "I don't discuss religion and politics " thing - that could work. And I do need something that works, because you are right Lotus, we are going to HAVE to go, like it or not.
I've actually been considering a similar response to being out at night as yours Firelord - "Since I work from home on the computer, I'm up at all hours and it helps clear my head to get some fresh air."
I wish I could count on it "not coming up" but you just don't know these two - the whole block bows to them because he is a cop AND they are both very arrogant, pushy and overbearing - they don't like Ken and I because we avoid them and don't kiss their butts at every opportunity. I swear his wife keeps a notebook of everyone's activities. My one neighbor (the good friend who knows I am Pagan and has no problem with it) tried the "let's be nice to them" approach and she regrets it. Everytime that the wife has the opportunity to speak with her it's either questions like "I saw you leave at 10 last night - did you have to work?" or a run down of what she did for the week "Oh, I see that you must of worked 6 days this week, and I saw your brother come to visit on Wednesday and your new stove delivered on Friday." The woman seriously gets into people's business and acts like she is "owed" answers The religious questions are the one's that most concern me, but rest assured that Ken and I will also be hit with a barrage of other questions about "why don't you have kids?" and "where are you parents?" and "do you have other family/where are they?" and "how often do you have a bowel movement " (that last is, I hope, pure sarcasm). The plan is though, that we are going to try to avoid answering as many questions as possible, in as civil a way as possible, because it isn't ANY OF THEIR BUSINESS - cop or not.

Stormy

I am having wayyyy too much fun with the new smileys

[Wbdsgnr1]

i say go, have tons of fun and crash their party.
I know its hard to be open about your religeon but I would so tell them I was pagan, I mean what are they going to do, spank you and take away your birthday? Its your religeon and everyone knows that nobody can take that from you.....

But i know not everyone is as open as I am so do what your comfortable with and i wish you the best of luck.

blessed be

[FyreGarnet]

Man, that's not fun. I'd say to go, and maybe avoid the people that would bother you the most. Separate and mingle with people you like, but keep an eye on each other, and if there is a please help me look on one of your faces the other comes over and asks you to follow for some reason or another. I want you to taste this food, I want you to talk to this person... blah..blah..blah. If you do that, you won't have to spend so much time deflecting questions, or trying to say something in round about terms.

FyreGarnet

[melina]

You should go. You never know how good it could turn out. I use the "I don't discuss religion and politics" things all the time, because I don't discuss religion and politics. If you don't use that, be an enigma. Answer witty and sarcastically, leave them guessing, and just walk off with a huge air of confidence.

[Maelroth]

I say go, have fun and don't tell'em a darn thing ain't none of their biz.


my first answer would be "NUNYA", if they persist then go from there.

[scoia]

nothing worse than fundamentalist pigs intimidating others....

Although this sounds a bit aggressive, I've been in exactly the same situation so many times that I now answer honestly to any questions in regards to religion. I don't want to offend anyone else's beliefs, and my relationship with the goddess is entirely private, but I hate feeling like I should hide, or be ashamed. Yes, I'm wearing a pentagram. Yes, I'm fine with that.

Kinda like Crowley's thing of "social and moral integrity", but with less knocking on tables....no mention of the great beast either...lol

[Fairydust]

Im open about EVERYTHING and goth does it get me into alot of crap. But the town cant kick you out for being Pagan. I say tell them and make that quiver. Make them scared lol. But seriously..Id just tell cause thats me. Shucks..now I wish i could go.

[Raven]

now, what i would do was get up on a table, scream to everyone at the party that your pagan, then place a 20 foot wide pentagram in your yard and wait for everyone to move, or come knocking on your door with pitchforks and a battering ram

just kidding about all of that, actually

what i would REALLY do is, if the topic is brought up, be honost, dont be ashamed or scared because of your religeon, tell them outright what you are. Next, just be an all-round good neighbor/person. If they think your evil, but you show them that your not at all, then maybe they'll come around. If they dont, then they're not really good neighbors themselves. Somehow everybody on my couldesac knows im Pagan (and yet my dad is still clueless...) and they dont care because im a good kid, i dont host wild parties (or any for that matter <(--)> ) Sure, i get some strange looks sometimes, and some of the more fundamentalist ones are a little cold around me, but all in all nobody really minds.

[morgana]

You should go and invite them to join your skyclad Beltaine ritual where there will be a huge bonfire and people taking part in the Great Rite all over your lawn, lol!! Just kidding...maybe, lol.

[Stormy]

Heh heh heh - unfortunately, there is NO BURNING in Allegheny county without a permit - no bonfires, no burn barrels, nada, zip...

...it's so very very sad.

Fire, heh heh, Fire...

Stormy

[morgana]

Aww, that sucks, but hey there's always candles! ::wanders off to stare into a candleflame for a while::

[Guest]

Go ahead and go. Enjoy yourself, talk, laugh and most of all, clean out those butterfly nests. They're a health hazzard. And quit being a hermit, instead try and be as friendly as possible. What I mean by that is, instead of answering questions, ask them. Try and find out as much about them as possible, be that overbearing wife. (only nicer) The guests will have so much fun answering your questions that they'll forget what they were going to ask you about. And if they try to ask you a question about your religion, take a bite of whatever's in your hands and ask for the recipie. Know what I'm getting at? Yes kiddies! it's that old, Kill-them-with-kindness creed. Have fun girl!