Monday, April 9, 2007

Double, double, toil and trouble.


i was watching my favorite morning show, and they had a witch visiting. she was explaining her practices to the audience. she had prefaced her explanation by saying she did not practice black magic or worship satan, and that witches are often misunderstood. this woman was beautiful, and soft spoken. she even did a love spell with the female host (only to strengthen the love she already shares with her partner). she used, like all other spells, natural elements; salt, flowers, fire, earth, and water. i thought it was lovely.
i got to thinking. what is the difference between wicca and other religions? all have ceremonies with symbolic chanting or prayer, lighting candles, worshiping a higher power, icons, statues, amulets and charms. christians, jews, muslims, and buddists all use and do these things right? each religion has it's own beautiful traditions.
why do people think a witch practicing wicca is different? is it because she doesn't celebrate one god? why would wicca be less divine then other religions? or even evil. i know education plays a big roll in it all. even though i took world religions in high school, i didn't really appreciate the class as i would today. i never absorbed all of the information, so i can't say i know very much, even about my own religion. i guess if you are narrow minded, and unwilling to understand the way someone else worships their highest power, or powers, the "weird one" would be considered evil.

8 comments:

diane303 said...

They don't believe in the "One God" theory. That makes them pagan. To take it one step further, they commune with the powers of Nature. In the old days, the powers of Nature extrapolated into the powers of the Devil.

Actually, if you are Christian, all the rest of the religions are going to Hell anyway...so there.

I watched the documentary "Jesus Camp" last week. Scary. Heaven forbid you read Harry Potter.

P said...

many religions don't just worship one god. hindus don't and, think about it, neither do catholics. they worship mary and all the saints.

Dina said...

but mary and the saints are not "gods".
it was interesting to see this lady have to covince everyone she was good. a priest would not have to do that, and some are just horrible people.
there are just good and bad people, no matter what the religion.

diane303 said...

I really believe that most religions, including the teachings of the Gospel,(Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.) elude to the theory that we are all connected with the Earth, the animals, the plants, the air,...everything. You can go one step further and extrapolate that the combination of the huge interacting system is really what we know as "GOD".

Think about it. Everything inter reacts...even time. It's all so huge that we really don't have the capacity to completely understand it all...only God can.

I think that the ancient churches tried to control society with its rules. It was really a form of government. But the Church and actual spiritualism are two very different things.

If you have read anything about quantum physics, it really boggles your mind.

...what do you want from me...I'm an Aquarian.

Jackaland Online said...

Well, D, it didn't take you long to get to the meaty stuff, did it? What is it? "Never discuss politics or religion among friends?" (Well, allow me to be the proofreader this time in that it's "Double BUBBLE, toil and trouble," not that Shakespeare really cares.) This very topic is something that has "troubled" me since faced with Christening my kids. I was raised Catholic. I consider myself a Catholic. I play a role in the Womens Guild of my local Parish. I do not, however, believe the Catholic teachings, word for word (and don't want my kids to.) I don't understand why females cannot be priests. I don't understand why I/we shouldn't use birth control. I don't feel I/we should make the abortion decision for others. I don't feel archdiocese monies should go to defending priests who've molested children. I have major issues and many Catholics would not consider me a Catholic at all.
That being said, it is extremely important to me for my children to be raised with some form of religion. I feel it gives a wonderful sense of community and at the least a very basic communication with God (and, yes, I believe in Him.) I just happen to believe that the BUSINESS of religion has gotten ahead of the religion.
God is all-loving. He is all-forgiving. It's not for us to judge, yet the most judgmental are the most religious. Killing in His name? I don't think so.
My belief is that if we each, no matter the religion/witchcraft/atheism, live our lives doing what we know in our hearts is right, there will be peace. Not utopia, not unflawed relationships, but a peaceful existence. Ummm... you are democrats, right?

diane303 said...

H - I'm not Catholic either (or a democrat) My husband is, though and I know what you mean about the community of the church. I'm actually Lutheran, but the Lutheran church in my neck of the woods is so uptight and "clicky" that I would much rather go to church with my husband because his parish and preast are like an extended family.

There is the controversy about Mary Magdalene's relationship with Jesus and the church. Did St. Peter just kick her out and say "No women allowed in the Clergy"?. Duringk the Nicene Convention, did they big guys just decide to leave Mary's input out? Will we ever really know?

D.

Dina said...

ok, don't worry you won't EVER read anything politcal on this blog. i don't know enough to even comment.
h, you are like many other people i know who question the faith they were brought up in. i too don't agree with all of the orthodox teachings and traditions (like communion, everyone sipping from the same spoon...yuck!!) but rick and i do believe religion is important. when the kids get older, and if they decide to go another route, that's fine with us.

the next post will be more fun...alright!

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