Lying and the Rede.

I am currently a 17 year old wiccan with a very hardcore christian family and I was wondering if keeping my religion away from them goes against the Rede. I tell them that I am still christian, but it is a lie. The Rede says to harm none, so, would this be harming them?

My inner self is not sure currently, and I really need to know.

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I don't think it is against the Rede but I'm not Wiccan.

If you see lying as harmful then yes. No one can really tell you what's against the Rede besides you. Some are against eating meat, others believe you can't fight back in self defense. Look inside and figure it out yourself.

Such a lie would not hurt your parents. The truth might!

There is a difference, by far, between lying to them outright and keeping something from them. It is not a fact that would prevent harm, and it is not as though you are hiding a misdeed from them. Refraining from telling them of your faith simply keeps trouble from brewing.

It's as the old saying goes, courtesy insists that one avoid religion and politics at the dinner table.

You are harming no one, so do as you Will, I think Gardner should have kept the capitilisation of 'Will' as he found it in the original usage he was exposed to....

The rede is not a law, it is not a set of "Thou shalt not" it is a guideline for Wiccans to form their own sets of moral guidelines, their own yama and ni-yama if you like yoga terms.

If you feel like keeping a secret is harmless and is for everyone's benefit, but most importantly your own, then I could not possibly comprehend an issue.

This being said, under your parent's house it is their right to tell you, should they ever find out, they don't want you praciticing your religion in their home. I would not go into a Christian friend's home and begin doing the Lesser Banishing ritual of the pentagram. Their house, their law at the end of the day.

I'm going to offer something else that you might want to think about.

In magic it is absolutely vital that our words mean exactly what they say. If magic is going to work it does so because it is driven by our focus and intent and ultimately by the words we use to direct the energy towards our goal. If one gets into the habit of lying, even if the lies are meant to do good and not harm, it means that over time our words no longer mean what we say. That can have a very negative impact on our magical workings. So it pays to not get into the habit of even "white lies" if you are going to go down a magical path of any sort.

I do understand how difficult it can be to have to deal with others who would frown on our beliefs. There will be times when it is wisest to simply not let the topic of our beliefs come up at all. After all, what we believe is a very personal thing and really not something that should be discussed with everyone and anyone we meet. That is one of the reasons that bases of the Witch's Pyramid says "To keep silent." So instead of telling your parents you are Christian perhaps a better solution would be to not do anything around them that would suggest that you are not. If the question never comes up then you don't have to lie at all.

I also agree with Hadit93 that while you are living under their roof you owe them the courtesy of not practicing your religion within their home. No one can control your thoughts, but in courtesy your practices should be done away from them. Think how you would feel in a like situation if it were your home. There is plenty of time to have an open practice of your beliefs when you move out of their home. Being Wiccan is a lifetime journey, not something that must be done right now. In the meantime, here are some things that you could be doing that are not specifically Wiccan, but which will help your practice down the road.

- Focus on academic studies.
- Read about different mythologies, cultures, religions and the history of ancient peoples.
- Learn about the natural world where they live (the animals, plants, trees, and geology of your part of the world).
- Attend spiritual worship services of diverse faiths.
- Write and journal their thoughts and feelings.
- Pray and meditate.
- Give back to the world through community service.
- Embrace physical, mental, and emotional health.