My parents don't want me to continue being Wiccan and practicing spells, even though I love it. The say it's "For the Devil." I don't know what to do! Help!
Well.. Neither I or anyone else besides ur parents can tell you what to do. I think you do have to figure it by yourself. They are your family, and no other person can tell you what to do towards that..
It really all depends on your age and your parents.
If you are very young (13) then they really do have complete control over your religion (by law). As you get older you may be allowed some leeway by your parents but no matter what, you cannot become overly frustrated.
Personally I would try to talk to them about it, explain that the Wiccan religion has nothing to do with the Devil and that in most cases the craft of Witchcraft doesn't either.
They will still have full control over your religion till you are an adult, but you can at least try to make them understand, till they do, or till you can choose for yourself then maybe putting it on the back burner, or being far more subtle is the option.
Your parents have technical control over the religion you practice until you are 18. But, in the meantime, you can try to have them understand what you want to believe in, study other thing (like herbs, crystals, meditation, etc.), or you can wait.
There are people who choose to practice in private as well, without letting their family know about it. But this is tricky business and can lead to you getting in a lot of trouble if caught.
Technically, your parents cannot prevent you from upholding certain beliefs if you are a citizen of the United States. This is because of the first amendment which does apply to both children and adults. The popular belief is that they can prevent you and they can. The most common argument for this is that (lets say you are 13) is that you're a minor which means that you are too young and are not mature enough to understand these different religions (ironically for this situation). The only issue is that since you are a minor (which I am assuming you are) is that you have to obey your parents because it is their household and take on the punishments if you do not listen to them (like going to church). You might be protected by the first amendment, but the government will not intervene in the consequences established by a parent or legal guardian as long as it remains legal. This means that as long as a child is getting the basic necessities for life then the government will not get involved especially with cases involving clashing beliefs of a parent vs. their child. The only time when this does not imply is when people use religion as an excuse for not doing certain things required by law (read up on Lundman vs. McKnown in Minnesota). So yes, a parent does have the authority to regulate religion and what is practiced in their household.
The best you can do is sit down with your parents and talk about it while discussing what you believe & how it is no for the devil in your eyes. It is even handy to get some friends from school or your neighborhood who uphold different beliefs than their families and have the same struggles. Maybe you can speak to a friend's parents who also do not follow the same beliefs.
As it's been said, parents do have some control over their child's religion until you're 18, but they can't control what you believe in. That's you're own personal responsibility and choice. There's a lot of people that have faced and continue to face these sorts of situations and sometimes in time your parents and family might understand or at least keep their thoughts to themselves, but other times you can't do anything about it.
You can keep up appearances and hide your craft until you move out, as many people in this type of situation have done, or you can even just quietly study until you're of age. It might actually give you a head start when you begin practicing if you study often, frequently, and indepth, but if you're getting books, trust me don't put them under the bed, they look their first. ;)
You might have to ride it out for a few years, but it might make practicing that much more meaningful to you.
You are responsible for your actions. In many areas of religion and the craft being respectful of others is an important part of the practice.
I would suggest, that as long as you live in your parent's house, they pay your bills, feed and cloth you, and are responsible for what happens to you, you should respect their wishes until you can move out and take care of yourself.
Try going in depth about what you do, explain that you don't worship the devil. In cases you aren't in control of your religion, If your a minor its your parents decision. Now, when you get older, I think its around (18), you can decide what religion you want. You can keep practicing in secret, thats what I did before telling my parents. They accept what I do. If you have a near by park with nature, I'd suggest using nature in your spells. You can call upon the sun. Or at night do moon spells. Here is a forum made by a moderator that you can show your parents, I'm not sure if your Wiccan/Pagan. But, this is a wiccan forum, http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=637268. I hope this helps, good luck! Blessed be )0(
Legally, in the United States, parents have legal control over the religious beliefs of a minor child until said child reaches the age of concent for your state, or is emancipated. Check your local laws for what that age is and the laws on emancipation.
Now, as a parent, I will also say that with my children (who are now grown) I would not have wanted my child to practice something or do things that I had expressly forbidden. Even if you are of legal age, if you are still living in their house it still thier rules. Ideally, parents would be understanding of a childs beliefs. But, it is not a perfect world. You can not be concerned about what your parents choose to allow. That is on them. But, even if they do not respect your decision or beliefs, you should respect theirs. Be the better person and abey their rules while you are in their house. We have all been there, and trust me, it really isn't that long to wait.
