Bad Interpretations of Wicca

[fabbers]

being wiccan these are my beliefs.
In the environment i am in at the moment there have been three bad interpretations of Wicca.
1)That wicca is a brainwashing cult
ok that is just ridiculous. just because there are spells and rituals and something called a book of shadows doesnt mean that Wicca is a cult. in my mind The Church is more of a cult than Wicca.
2)That Wicca is just a womans religion.
that in my mind is almost more ridiculous then wicca being a cult. because of course women can join (all beings are equal) and of course men can join. Wicca DOES NOT discriminate against gender.
3)That Wiccans Worship The Devil (Satan)
that just like the top two are ridiculous. wiccans do not even believe in Satan. Satan is part of the christian pantheon which wiccans dont use much. so that is utterly ridiculous that wiccans worship the devil.
4)that wiccans can conjure demons
someone said to me, after i said that i was wiccan if i could conjure a demon for him. i found this very insulting. i chose to ignore him. but he kept saying and then said he was serious. i obviously knew that he was being silly.


those are only four of the many of the lies being spread agaisnt wiccans. our job is to heal and to teach, not to destroy. we do not harm beings. we are a peaceful kind. we do not mean to destroy christianity like christianity and the church sought out (and still does) to kill wicca and the pagan religions. that is why a simple design like the pentagram

that has been the wiccan symbol since wicca was created was made into the devil sign. that is why the swastika was turned into a sign of evil by hitler. both were non harmful, non evil designs turned evil.

 

[Jaymes]

One minor nitpick.

The pentagram's use was first recorded in 3000 BC, long before the origin of Wicca.

 

[jimbob]

in my mind The Church is more of a cult than Wicca.
.

Which church is that?:areyoucra There are about a million churches in the world, could you be more specific?:sarcastic

 

[fabbers]

yeh jensa. soz. i was just being general. and The Church. literally. not just church. The Church. capital letters. like christianity

 

[michel]

Hi Fabbers;

I can fully understand that you feel upset by the misunderstandings of Wicca by people who do not know what they are talking about; ignorance is fear, and people react badly to fear.

I think, however, that you are doing yourself a diservice by letting it 'get to you' ; what does it matter what others think, as long as you know in your heart that Wicca is for you. By letting these people upset you, you are playing into their hands. Have you ever thought of answering a gentle "Do you actually know anything about Wicca, or are you just repeating things you have heard said before ?". If they still insist on being rude, I would be tempted to tell them to go and read about Wicca before discussing it. Don't let them hurt you.

 

[fabbers]

yes i have said that and that still doesnt stop them. i have told them repeatadly and yes i know it shouldnt get to my head but there are people that will kill wiccans if they think whatever they think. im just trying to tell the public what wicca really is.

 

[Jaymes]

yes i have said that and that still doesnt stop them. i have told them repeatadly and yes i know it shouldnt get to my head but there are people that will kill wiccans if they think whatever they think. im just trying to tell the public what wicca really is.

People that will kill Wiccans for what they think? I've not heard anything about this. Are there any news stories about Wiccans getting killed for believing what they believe?

 

[fabbers]

well im saying in general people will kill becauce of a religion they dont like.

 

[fabbers]

that is rarely the case but....i just want the public to know what wicca really is

 

[Jaymes]

You seem to have a very low opinion of people if you think they'll kill for people being of a different religion... I admire you wanting to clear up misconceptions against Wicca, but railing against how awful Christians are doesn't help matters.

 

[fabbers]

im not railing agaisnt christains and i dont have a low opinion of people but yes im sure there are a few people that will kill. i am sure of it. i am NOT railing against christains i am just saying that it is obvious and is a fact that they have been killing out the pagan religions and have turned into the dominating religion on earth

 

[Jaymes]

There are always a few people that will kill in any religion. The only religion you mentioned other than Wicca in your post was Christianity, so to me it gave the impression you were railing against Christianity.

In the Dark Ages Christianity did partake in violent conversions... but in the past, pagans have also practiced human sacrifice. No religion is free of blood. They're not trying to kill out pagan religions anymore.

And it's not really the dominating religion of the world, not by a long shot. Roughly a third of the world is Christian, and that figure is dropping. (While, on the other hand, Islam is on the rise)

 

[fabbers]

well christianity is trying to become the dominating religion. but no wiccans do not sacarafice people or animals. some pagan religions did. like acient egypt. we arent acient egypt.
http://www.angelfire.com/ma2/niophita/misinfo.html
go there are read those

 

[Jaymes]

I've done quite a bit of research into Wicca before deciding it wasn't for me, so I'm aware all those in there are false, fabbers. I included the human sacrifice statement because Wicca is based of many ancient pagan ideas and practices.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

I think we know the history of pagansism, as well. Please explore the forums here a bit. People like Linwood and TVOR are some that might come from other religions, but know more about those religions than some practitioners themselves.

I'm not sure where you live that people actually think that Wiccans sacrifice people, but I wouldn't want to live there. I suppose I'm wondering if you think anyone here actually believes that.

 

[Jaymes]

Have you considered making a list of things that are true about Wiccans rather than things that are false, fabbers? I don't know why, but that just seems more positive to me, and it seems it would do more to correct misconceptions to say "this is what we do" rather than "this is what we don't do."

 

[morgan]

Too many folk thinking Charmed is real that doesnt help our already "bad rep" first it was Bewitched and I Dream of Jeanie, now Charmed and Buffy, and while I enjoy both, I know that the stuff portrayed on the show is just Hollywood's magic and not our's

 

[jimbob]

yeh jensa. soz. i was just being general. and The Church. literally. not just church. The Church. capital letters. like christianity

Umm, i don't see ow Christianity could be considered a cult. It has been around for 2005 years. Wicca isn't a cult either. They are both religions. A cult is a selective group associated in one area. Like Mormons, they are considered a cult, because their religion is only in America and states that only America is holy. There are Christians and wiccans all over the world, and do not sit in one spot. I don't know if i explained it well, so look up cult in the dictionary, and you'll understand.

 

[Draka]

Mormons can't really be considered a cult either though. They may be mainly in America, but they do not believe that America is the only holy place, just that Jesus visited here as well. A cult is known for proselytizing for members and prohibits leaving and condemns anyone who does. They cut you off from anyone outside the religion and profess all others to be adamently wrong. Mormons don't do that. As a matter of fact it is a requirement of theirs to learn about other religions and to yes, spread their word, but not to push their beliefs and tell anyone that they are wrong. I have played hostess to Mormons in my own home and they are very respectful of me and my religion and actually find it interesting and worth learning about. They have never told me that I am wrong in anything I believe and have agreed with much I have told them. One has actually taken to bringing new ones to their church over to my house to learn from me about my and other beliefs. I will invite a Mormon into my home at any time with open arms.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

That is incredible, Draka! (Though it doesn't suprise me, due to the kindness and wisdom you've already exhibited here.) I hope that I might one day be wise enough to have another learn from my beliefs, as I know every day I am learning from those here.

My favorite interaction with a pair of Mormons was on a hot, hot day, when they came to my apartment in order to spread their word. It was obvious that they were tired and exhausted, but they looked as if they were lit up by an inner fire. (And, I think, once someone has found the religion that they love, they do look that way.) I stated that I was sorry, but that I did not feel comfortable discussing my religious beliefs at this time, but would they like a glass of water?

We sat at the table and chatted for about fifteen minutes, each of us joking about the seemingly dangerous area of the neighborhood. I told them how much I admired them for having the conviction to do what they do, and they seemed very thankful for the water.

I don't think I can remember any moment of religious kinship I have felt more strongly, outside of my experiences here on RF.