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It has been a while since I checked in here and I hope everyone is well and had a Happy Ostara and will have a very happy Beltane.

My son Xander is 4 months old now and so far the only discussion we had about religion with the family was his paternal grandparents asking us if he would be raised as a pagan. I told them that I will of course teach our son about paganism, but I will not exclude other religions or curb family influences.

I am German and even though I was raised a christian, Germans can't deny their pagan roots, the whole country celebrates Beltane for example. Also as Germany is pretty liberal about religion, I always went to the mosque with my muslim friends, they went to church with me, I offered presents to various Deitys with my hindu friends and so on... I found my own balance of things and ended up Pagan. So i naturally want to teach Xander as much I can about all religions and let him make they choice when he is old enough. The only thing that would shock me a bit is if he ended up an Atheist, I think people should have faith in something, but even that would be his choice.

Now we seem to have a problem, my SIL... she has recently reconnected with her Christian upbringing and now regularly attends church, her facebook statusses are nothing but prayers and bible quotes anymore. And me and my husband both have congratulated her on the change, supported her and cheered her on, because she seems happier now.

But as the family celebrated Easter and Xander got a bit fuzzy playing with his new toys in the playpen, I went to pick him up, kissed him and said "Now, now my little Ostara egg, no need to cry" (I conceived approx. March 20th, gave birth Dec 23rd, so two of his many nicknames are "Little Ostara Egg" and "Mommy/Daddy's Yule Cookie"). She asked me what Ostara is, I told her.... "The reason our kids are searching for colorful eggs today" and explained the origin of the colored eggs and the Germanic Godess Ostara, as I have been taught since childhood, to Xander while I bounced him to soothe him. He had the best time, cause he loves stories and was cooing and giggeling up a storm.

A year ago our sister would laugh at these things and simply say "Y'all are soooo weird", now she looked at my son and told him "Don't worry babyboy, Auntie won't let Mommy and Daddy put that crap in your head, I'll teach you the truth!" and gave me the evil eye.

Well, excuse the flip out of me!!!! I was livid, as was my husband. I have always respected anyone's religious choices, my nephew by my other SIL is raised Christian, my niece by the SIL I'm talking about is raised Christian (her father is muslim, but not in the picture, so no influence there).

When I watch them over night I say the same prayers with them their parents say, I help decorate their rooms with blessings from the bible, I confirm the stories about Jesus they are taught when they ask me. If they ask me about why the "Star" on top of my Yule tree looks different than a regular one or why I don't have an Angel as a tree topper I just say, cause Auntie likes to decorate in her own way, because they are still small and I don't want to disrespect their parents in how they want to raise their children.

And now my son has to hear we are trying to fill his head with CRAP and untrue facts???? I know Xander is still just a tiny guy and maybe this too shall pass, but I had asked her that day to please never say any such things in front of him at all, I do not want to hear anyone call ANY religion untrue in front of our child, and since then she has not spoken to me. Several text messages of me asking about my niece have went unanswered and her facebook statusses are now filled with stabs about parents who raise their child a godless heathen and how Pagans will all go to hell. I want to comment and tell her that he is by no means Godless... anything but, he has plenty of Deitys to look up to, and that the only ones going to hell are selfrighteous judgemental Christians, because Pagans don't even have hell!!! But I don't want to jeopardize our relationship, and/or Xander's relationship with his Aunt and Cousin as of yet, so I'm keeping my mouth shut.

I'm so saddened by this and really at a loss what to do. Any suggestions?

And sorry for the book, but I had to get it out before I beat her with my broomstick!!!! *sighs*

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