dealing with religious discrimination at school

today i was cruelly discriminated and mocked by my peers in second hour for being a pagan and for practicing Wicca. They look at me with such ignorance, malice, and disrespect in their eyes and voices and i tried to be nice, but i nearly snapped. I do not tolerate this behavior and there is nothing that gets to me more than bullies. Has anyone else dealt with something like this? i know damn well the teacher will be of no help and that i'm stuck fending for myself as usual, but does anyone have advice for me? Anything I can do to make it stop? because I know very well that if I stay silent and "ignore" them it will still only escalate over time.

can't say I've been in that position. I've seen stuff like it go down when I went to school. you're being picked on because you're different ( your pagan belief differs from their belief ) and the people doing the picking are insecure about themselves and so have locked on to you (and probably others) to cover their own insecurities. they clearly have no understanding of paganism and probably have no interest in understanding it. you don't have a lot of options:

you could check out the anti bullying protocol in your school there may be something in place to combat it, maybe record an instance with your mobile phone for proof. you could knock one of them out ..but that would probably get you thrown out.

if you can smile and walk away then walk, you don't need to justify yourself or try hold out an olive branch.  if they don't get a reaction out of you then they may soon get bored and move on.

you need to stay strong, try not show any weakness or fear or annoyance

maybe have a look online and see what the psychology of bullying is so you understand what's happening, you'll understand that's it's not you it's them that have the issues. you might get tips on how to deal with and / or combat what they're putting you through

I hope something in the above can help a bit, best of luck with it  

thank you. i will indeed do this. thank you so much this will help me a lot. :)

I would give them a taste of there own medicine start picking on them
Find a weakness and pick at it like a scab a personality trait or something they are
Self conchus  about and when they snap and loose it punch them in the
Throat and have them charged
Make shure they hit you first tho 😄

you have power over them. why would you want to give that up? use this to your advantage, be political. I understand you are young and have strong emotions at this tender age, and you just want to be left alone in peace. and if that's what you want, then you have to speak to your administrators and teachers and raise awareness about the behavior of these bullies. In numbers, people are strong. And you are outnumbered. So you have to appeal to a higher authority. But if it was me, I would seize power. I already have their mind wrapped around me, thinking of me. All I need to do is twist, just put that twist into their mind. And victory is mine.

fuck those, ignant, know nothing, and never will be nothing but, proletariat being pleebs. ignore them and move on. i grew up in southwest pennsylvania (more like north west virginia!) and was never shy about being a vegetarian, an atheist and a pothead. (truth be told if these hillbillies had a clue of my true inner spirituality id prolly be lynched) but i did what made me feel whole as a person. also i waited for friends, or anybody to talk to, until i could seek out people who were like me. but i was not antisocial, quite the contrary, i felt every1 avoided me because they didnt understand that i lived just like them, only with true personal inner peace and happiness. i never gave a fuck even though everybody fucked with me. i didnt sit there and get fucked with, i stood my ground and fucked back. in little ways tho. thats the key, show them that you are a fun, happy, better person than them as a wiccan than they could ever be as christian hicks. nobody in this world knows what u need to be doing and practicing (especially spiritually) but u friend. youre just doing what makes you feel good and that really is making the world a better place for everyone... and just know that those who only want to destroy, bully and mock are too weak to survive without leaching onto other peoples feelings. they are old world, unevolved, evil hicks. it is those that adapt that our mother nature selects to continue on. you have adapted to yourself with your religion, they however cannot adapt to you in a society that centers around ideals of acceptance and equality. remember, we are a republic, not a democracy, so that being said no one EVER said the majority of a small community was outright correct. look at salem, look at westboro baptist church, christ look at republicans. the bleeding hearts and artists are few but we are strong. continue on friend. and if you ever need a sympathetic ear or advice you always got your friends deep underground lol. and remember... to the world you should be considered perfect just as you are. small groups of ignorant, or hate filled, people are never correct and they are weak people.

wow, thank you all. so many things i could do..
1. sieze power
2. ignore them
3. pick on them
4. dealing with this politically
5.  beat the shit out of them.

well, i typed the kid who did the main bullying a nice, nonthreatening letter and will give it to him tomorrow. if this doesnt work i'll find a different tactic

A letter may be the worst thing, don't be surprised if they use it to bully you further. Those who advised that you educate yourself on bullies, alert staff or another authority, and stay strong without showing weakness, are very right in what they've said. If you give any response, its like a food supply to these types (thus learning the Psych of bullies will heighten your own powers). You don't have to alert staff at the school, you can go to the board directly or contact a local org. For teens-usually there is one in each area that deals with teen sucide ideation, run aways, those with severe family problems, pregnancy, etc.. And they are staffed with people who may be able to assist more or act as an advocate for you at school.

Anyway, being yourself in life will always have a price, might as well learn how to deal with it now and get really good at it.

Best wishes to you
And perhaps now would be a good time to look into a college up north

the obvious solution is, put a curse on the basturds. something involving the shrinkage and discoloration of genitals perhaps, and their s/o breaking all their bones in foreplay and using his pimpled button cock to plug a leak in the tub so she can slit her wrists in a warm eucalyptus scented haze

Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer...turn it around and be the bigger person and try to befriend them.  You could catch them in their own trap, and make them examine their own beliefs in light of yours.  While I don't personally subscribe to the ways and thoughts of Wicca, if I were in that situation, I would come out and say to the bullies, point blank, "Ok, so let's have a discussion about this, and why don't you tell me about what you believe in and let's compare that to what I believe in.  Perhaps you could enlighten me on why what you believe is right and why you think what I believe is wrong?"

Basically, there are all sorts of beliefs out there, and the ignorance lies in one group thinking what they believe is the gold standard against which all else should be judged.   Get them talking and let them know that you aren't a idiot because you believe something different, create a "let's find out" conversation where everyone involved might actually learn something about themselves and each other, that is of some value.

I don't know if it will work, based on how old/mature the other people are, but at least it shows an adult approach on your part.  

thank you all. the letter was a success and the kid apologized sincerely. maybe there is hope for people after all

Back in the 70's and 80's and perhaps 90's, you were on your own. No one gave a shit about bullying.

Now in the day of Social Media Websites and camera phones and video cameras everywhere, it's a whole different environment. You have a lot more in terms of resources to aid you in turning the tables on the situation.

In my day your only hope was that a teacher was there to witness the town psychopath using you or some other lower lifeform as a punching bag enough times for the creep to be permanently expelled. Which never happened. It was years later that I was at least able to rejoice in the grapevine stories about how he ended up in jail for manslaughter.

Do you discuss your beliefs openly or keep them to yourself? Often, the issue becomes creating an image in an attempt to stand above the crowd. I find that the more personal you hold your spiritual beliefs, the more worth they have to you and you alone. There's True Persecution.. Then there's the facade of one's own ego.

Imagine a world wherein our spiritual beliefs are vehemently personal? Where to even utter a word of them is to diminish their value and validity?

i dont speak openly about my beliefs. i was asked about my beliefs so i simply told them, since i dont see the point of hiding who i am

Sorry you're going through this. I agree that (especially) if it continues/escalates, you should contact the school authorities. Or tell the bigots you've cast a spell on them. Of course don't tell them what it is .