The Broom Closet

Last updated on: September 26, 2009 at 11:08 am by John Beckett

The Broom Closet 2009-09-26T11:08:00-06:00 John Beckett

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Jason Pitzl-Waters of The Wild Hunt blog has this piece on two Pagan politicians who’ve been “outed” by their opponents and seen their chances of getting elected drop dramatically. Jason reminds us “In the age of the Internet there is no “broom closet” secure enough to keep your secret.” He closes with an exhortation to “come out, come out, wherever we are.”

I’m not in the broom closet, but I’m not exactly out either. I don’t lie to people, but if a casual acquaintance asks about my religion, I tell them I’m a Unitarian Universalist (and that in itself usually takes some explaining). I’m practicing Paganism in a Unitarian Universalist setting. CUUPS (national and local) has developed its own particular flavor of Neopagan practice. I’m as active in the church as I am in CUUPS (most weeks I’m more active in the church). Identifying as a Unitarian Universalist is absolutely the truth.

But it’s not the whole truth. And that bothers me.

When I was a teenager, my mother and I came to an unspoken agreement. She didn’t ask questions she didn’t want answered, and I didn’t talk about things she didn’t want to hear: don’t ask, don’t tell. My mother has (or had) psychic skills I can only hope to approach – I have no doubt she knew every bit of risky teenage behavior I engaged in (which even for the time wasn’t all that risky, although there are a couple of incidents I look back on and thank all the gods things worked out the way they did), but the arrangement allowed us both to avoid what would have been some unpleasant confrontations.

It also taught me to compartmentalize my life. In doing so, I’ve avoided confrontation, but I’ve also not been completely honest. In the case of religion, I rationalize it by saying I don’t like it when other people are vocal about their religion in secular settings, so I shouldn’t do that either. Which is true, but when a friendly co-worker asks “what are you doing this weekend?” and I answer “I’ve got a thing at church” instead of “I’ll be leading a celebration of the Autumn Equinox in honor of Danu and Cernunnos” it just doesn’t feel right.

I have no desire to run for office. I work for a company that judges people by their performance, and I have a long track record of good results – plus they aren’t going to expose themselves to charges of religious discrimination. I suppose being identified as Pagan could work against me if I’m ever job-hunting again (since when you’re not hired they don’t have to tell you why), but if a company wouldn’t hire me because of my religion I probably wouldn’t want to work for them anyway. I don’t have much to fear from being completely honest… except some of those unpleasant confrontations.

Sooner or later, everything comes out in the open, and so will all of this. Either I’ll finally start telling the whole truth or someone will follow the trail of magical breadcrumbs I’ve left all over cyberspace. I think subconsciously I’m hoping someone does.

For now, though, I’m officially a Unitarian Universalist, and nothing more.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

September 25, 2009

Myths and Moral Choices

Next Post

October 1, 2009 The Rise of the Unaffiliated

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Books Community CUUPS Druidry Foundations and Context Gods and Goddesses Magic Myth Nature Ritual Spiritual Practice Theology Travel Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

You are robbing me in tithes and offerings. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse and test me in this. What will I do?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Open the floodgates of heaven Forgive you Return it tenfold Care for the poor