Sitting here on the fringe with my kid, looking at the view

[beetiger]

While I was out in Florida taking my kid to Disney World, a totally canonical American family activity, I got email from Marie, the woman who runs the Sampler project I was raving about. She'd been receiving a number of emails, LJ comments in her community, and an anonymous return of one of the pins I sent for the May Sampler, which had this design. I'd cleared them with her before sending, as she does in fact reserve the right to not accept submissions that she thinks might be offensive. She didn't believe they were. However, some people, or maybe someone and zir posse, did. I can't see the comments, as she deleted them, but they were apparently very inflammatory. When she physically got the return, she decided to contact me in case the people had also been contacting me directly. (They hadn't.)

After a friendly if somewhat confused email from me in response, she agreed to let me keep contributing to the Sampler, though she suggested I not preview my items on the LJ community. ("That might not be good.")

She did send me a summary of the complaints, as follows:
1) satanic symbolism
2) items inappropriate for a child
3) their christian ethics being insulted
4) the business name promotes the demonization of children


Usual policy for the Sampler is that if you receive something not to your liking, you should pass it on or trade it. If it's something you really think no one should have, just throw it out and say "Eww" or something.

This is really a trendy arty community, and I really thought hard to figure out what might have a high "cute" factor even if you weren't pagan.

Then I wake up this morning to find my friends' page splattered all over with this case from Indiana where as part of a divorce settlement, the custodial parents of a boy aren't allowed to teach him their Wiccan beliefs -- when this was not otherwise an issue in the divorce settlement, just the judge's personal thing.

I keep trying to get my head around the idea that people think I'm dangerous to kids, just by existing. I start to get worried that I'm setting my little boy up for trouble, as soon as he opens his little mouth to talk about his day to day life. But when he looks down at his shirt and says "Cat! Star!" and laughs a lot, I just can't see any peril there. And the fact that someone can makes me profoundly sad.

Comments

[inaki.livejournal.com]

I think it may actually be more important to raise tolerant children, that are taught to choose their own faith. My 'rents are.. active christians. My dad is a pastor at a local church, both make yearly missionary trips to an orphanage in Zimbabwe, and religion saturates their daily lives, but the one thing I love about my parents, is that the allowed me to choose for myself. They gave me their suggestions, pagan friends gave me their suggestions, but in the end, I was allowed to decide for myself what I felt was the most apropriate interpretation of the metaphysical pertaining to myself.

Religion must be a personal choice. It says so in just about every bible or religious book.

Teach your kids what your way is, but when the time comes, let them choose their own way, and as long as its not hurting anyone, support them whatever it is.

Okay I'll stop rambling ^^

[elven-wolf.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Religion must never be imposed. Example goes a long way, but there must be personal choice allowed.