who here hav been called evil coz u r a wiccan?????

you are exactly right about this. for someone who doesn't believe in deity (or, apparently, tact, but we can forgive that) you seem at least to understand a little about power.

one thing i've noticed about paganism, is that people who are not raised with it tend to go through a "persecution" phase, where they have a tendency to dwell upon the prejudices that some of us face, and cry discrimination at the drop of a hat. (i am NOT in any way implying that any of the posters in this thread are behaving in such a manner, simply noting my observations of trends over 14 years of practice myself.) they may burst obnoxiously out of the "broom closet" before they're really aware of what the real issues with secrecy are. they tend to drive everyone around them just a little bit crazy (pagan or not)...and then they move on. it's a phase so many of us go through; i went through it too. and perhaps it comes across as giving the opposition strength, or as a little whiney and obnoxious to those of us who've already gone past that stage, but i think it is in a lot of ways necessary to one's development as a witch or pagan, because once they move past it, the acceptance of the unfairness of life (following the next phase of bitter disillusionment) puts them in a position where they can more effectively change it - for everybody, not just wiccans - and have a more realistic view of what kind of changes they can expect.

that being said, however, i still feel compelled to quote doreen valiente's comment that "witchcraft doesn't pay for broken windows." i think, where issues of religious discrimination is concerned, it's important to make the distinction between what is just ego-bruising, ignorance, or harmless assholishness, and what might actually be a real threat. the difference between having a friend call you a name, and getting evicted, fired from your job, or having CPS show up on yur doorstep responding to a report that you're planning on turning your nephew into flying ointment. those things happen far less than they did even 10 years ago, even in today's somewhat hostile political/religious climate. (you want to talk about religious harassment and discrimination? thank the blessed gods we're not muslim right now!) really, at least in my part of the country (admittedly, blue-state) we've got it pretty good.

and i think in a lot of cases, discretion may be the better part of valor. intolerant people are less likely to get in your face if you don't fling your differences in theirs. yes, i'm pagan, and some people don't like or understand paganism. whoop-te-doo. they don't trouble me because most of the time, they don't need to know i'm pagan, at least as long as i'm not running looking like laurie cabot on a bad hair day, punctuating every sentence with "blessed be", and sprinkling "peace'n'protection" oil on everything i touch. and if they happen to find out anyway, and call me "evil", well, they're entitled to think that, and i'm entitled to think that they probably are in serious need of a good healthy romp by a beltane fire, if you know what i mean.

that's not to say that name-calling can't be harmful, or that it should be ignored completely. i do recall reading about a young girl who took her own life, supposedly because of the religious harassment she recieved at school, when going through the proper channels failed to stop it. there may have been other issues, or side effects from medications she may have been taking. we will never know. but my point is that usually, being called "evil" is just a pain in the ass. actually, depending on my mood, and who's saying it to me, i may choose to take it as a complement. whining about being called names doesn't do anything to stop discrimination of any kind. but being fully aware and in command of one's personal power does. you have to be strong enough in your faith (at the very least, faith in yourself) to not let the little stuff get to you.

 

I hated that job, too. So it was kinda like a 'cold day in hell' anyway. doo dee doooo...

 

rob, i just wanted you to know that i think sock monkeys are bad karma and can't be trusted with cameras and you're not getting into the summerland because you're going to be reincarnated as a crab in monica lewinsky's underwear for even associating with them. repent now, before it's too late, sinner.

 

*ROFL*!!!

Crabby Patty?! Nooooo!!

My current job is actually working in a detention center for disobedient sock monkeys. I excorcise their demons through thorough spankings.

"Put your trust in the lord... your ass belongs to me..."

 

"give your soul to the lord.. 'cause your ass belongs to me"

I think that everyone that discovers something new goes through a bit of a fundy-phase.. like when I just became a vegetarian I kept pointing out how others were 'murderers' and just think about the 'born again Christians' that praise the lord in every sentence.. after a while stuff like that settles in and people start acting normal

 

Very true, got that out of my system by going veggie.

I've never had any serious negativity, probably for two reasons...
I don't shout about it, just never seen the point. I've got nothing to prove and there is no reason for total strangers to know my beliefs.
It's a very British trait to mind your own damn business. For all the American talk of freedom it seems we've really cracked it. You can worship how/whoever you wish, don't just knock on our doors to talk about it.
There are obviously some genuinely scary cases of persecution (Poor Kitty *hugs*) but a lot does seem to be blown out of proportion and wouldn't happen if not provoked.

 

i went thought a phase of saying meat is murder and stuff 2,
i even hav a t shirt saying meat is murder! hehe
sum times i do say stuff like "wat animal r u eating'' or "say thank u 2 da animal''
lol!
im finking of saying tht im alergic 2 meat coz i wont eat anything tht has touched meat!
im very stricked bout it.
coz i looooovvveee animals sooooooooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!
1day i will only hav organic/3 renge dairy

 

this is an ongoing conversation between my dad and I... I'm so going to hell because I'm wiccan... the only thing I can do is laugh it off or I go insane..

 

hav u told ur dad bout wicca?
and if so did he not listen?

 

Tell you Dad that this is Hell. And if he doesn't believe you, tell him to turn on pop radio. heehee

 

you do have a good point rob. in spite of the fact that you fraternize with sock monkeys.

 

I'll have you know that I was born at Strong Memorial and...

OK, so just look at me, I'm not exactly the poster child for that place... in fact it tends to explain much.

Um, never mind

 

i've never really had any issues with people about my pracitices and beliefs. the only incident happened last year, when a girl shouted at me to "go get burned". it was hurtful but i don't really care for other's ignorance. i have too much love and pride for my brothers and sisters

 

i was called evil by my friends and by some really old friends who i shared with them that then tryied to convert me . i have lost places to stay jobs . it is igonorace and stuipdy
igorance is not knowing , stupidy is knowing but not being well informed

 

definitely happens. I tell people that I am spiritual and that still wierds them out. My boyfriends mom called me a voodoo witch when I told them I was going for a walk in the woods! I don't actually classify myself as wiccan because I find it puts you in a certain category, I just call myself a spiritual being. I find it hard to grow spiritually when people are so negative to different thoughts other than their own but they won't stop me.

 

Yes, I was a green witch. But, I think there is something that connects to use in wicca, whether used for good or bad, something in the atmosphere always changes.

I had a few crazy experiences that's why I converted to Christian Mysticism, it gave me a chance to work with a brighter side, and I was still able to use the special pieces of life I thought I would lose in Christianity.

 

anyone who hasn't been called evil, usually by someone closer to it then themselves, whatever their beliefs or lack of them, just hasn't lived long enough.

i'm not any one thing as such, but i've been called evil for each and every lie i've ever refused to tell myself, and i would hardly consider myself unique in that reguard either.

i do believe when two people argue about their beliefs they are both wrong however. it is something every reavealer of every organized belief at least hinted at, and at least one actually came right out and said.

this whole question of evil, or good even for that matter, when someone says that a person is or can be, any awairness of any kind for that matter, really doesn't understand what the're talking about.

the only evil is to knowingly cause avoidable (sufering and) harm. this has nothing to do with what anyone does or does not believe, believe in, nor 'is'. it is a choice of action and only a choice of action. and no choice any one time, prevents another choice another time from differing from it.

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