You’re Pagan, Can You Go to Church With the Fam?

So the other day I got a message from a super nice young lady who wanted to know what to do about an upcoming situation. She’s visiting her boyfriend’s family for the weekend, and they’ve invited her to accompany them to church on Sunday morning. Apparently it’s a pretty casual and laid back church environment, non-judgmental and friendly, and she likes the boyfriend’s parents, so she is more than willing to tag along… but of course, some yahoo told her OMG A REAL PAGAN WUD NEVER SET FOOT IN A CHURCH BLAH BLAH HURR DURR DERP.

Lemme ‘splain you something, Lucy. You do you, ok?

This whole thing is entirely up to you, and to your family (or in this case, the boyfriend’s family). Many Pagans feel perfectly comfortable entering a worship setting of another religion, even though most of us do not actively participate in ceremonies. If you attend a Catholic mass, for example, you would want to skip the wafer part – because you’re not Catholic, and Catholics do not condone non-Catholics taking communion. I mean, you could go up at communion and ask for a blessing, but that’s about it.

Also, it’s important to realize when we go to church with family that often, we’re invited along because it’s a social thing. In many communities, church is the foundation of networking and socializing – people who work hard all week long might only see their friends and extended family on Sunday mornings at church. They’ve invited you to be part of it, and if it’s a low-pressure kind of invite – which it sounds like it is – they’re inviting you to not just attend church, but to be welcomed into their community as a whole.

Plus, look at it this way. If it’s a church that’s different from the one you grew up in – if you did indeed attend church previously – it’s a good way to learn about different spiritual perspectives. If you don’t mind going, then forget about those people who are all OMG A REAL PAGAN WUD NEVER. Seriously, who needs that? If you want to go and no one else minds, what do you have to lose?