Well people say that just because Wiccans and Paginists wear alot of black, and stuff that they are devil worshipers, but hey I'm not even religeous.

And yet, in a hugely ironic way, religion, particularly the Christian religion, has heavily influenced the creation of our modern capitalist democracies.

[/quote]
I'm just wondering ... you do know paganism is one of the oldest religions right.
it is in no way a "new religion"

[/quote]

Yes I do know it is a really old religion, but what I was getting at was that it is newly "revamped" as it were.

paganism isn't a religion.... its form of worship that is either not christian, jewish, or muslim and/or is polytheistic.

No religion is perfect, not after man gets through with it. But not all religions piss me off, it's mainly the monothiestic ones that the weak flock to. Is worshipping something that addicting?

ive been a wiccan for 1.5 years now and wicca isnt old but paganism is. wicca was invented by a guy named gerald gardner in the 1950's. and paganism IS a religion and so is wicca blah blah blah sorry im lecturing but seeing all these fluffy bunny replies gets on my nerves

This thread is still active?
no.. it just got revived..

oh it wasnt active?

I don't have particularly strong feelings on paganism; It's a fascinating faith, and it has some really good core concepts which mostly just tickle my inner treehugger. So, I don't have any bad feelings toward the practice and the faith itself; just on the trend it seems to be harboring. I have yet to enounter a wiccan or a pagan who isn't an 'individualistic' teenager. Not to say that they convert for the coolness factor or attention of it, necessarily, but... I just get that feeling from many of them. Much like flaunting your 'different' sexual orientation, or perhaps depression, the flaunting of paganism is something I see as another opportunity be different, and to jump on people for open-mindedness and shriek 'Omg, you're discriminating meeeeeeee!'. While I'm sure it's true that individuals will get a hard time for their faith, it just dosen't seem to be basis for the assumptions that 'All these closed-minded Christians are after me and my religion. Waaah!'
Keep in ming, I have a very good friend who is a pagan, but I've seen some of these things from her as well...

thats the fluffy bunny thing i was talking about.

I do not understand this "Fluffy Bunny" colloquialism you are using. Please elaborate.

I think wicca is quite interesting, I'll sometimes study it myself if I'm real bored...

I don't know what "fluffy bunny" is, but I will say that Toby has a point to some degree. It's a bit faddish to find non-standard religions or to talk down about the standard religions.

Seems to me that we cling to a religion that feeds our psychological hang ups the best. No one actually seeks out the reality, but rather tries to find others who believe what we believe even if what we believe is a result of some strange hang up we have one way or another.

A "fluffy bunny" is someone who becomes wiccan:
a) to be "kewl"
to go against their parents
c) because they think it is a "light" path (i.e., banish darkness and such)
d) to use magick and become "powerful"

OR to sum this all up: someone who calls themselves wiccan but really doesnt understand the religion.

sorry the was supposed to be a "B" with a ")" in front of it but it turned into a smilie

I don't belive in Wicca, but my friend does.

[quote name='DarkWater Alchemist' date='Apr 28 2005, 11:53 AM' post='162383']
I don't believe in things like curses, magic, predicting future, summoning spirits... but I sort of like it anyway. THe thing is I'll only believe things when I see them, or for alternative medicine - to witness that it works (saying that it doesn't work because I don't believe it does is a bad excuse - that would mean my illness is fake too, of course)


alterniv medacin is real u dont need 2 tack a pillfor any thg realy

BUMP



[the following post comes from my experiences on Gaia online]
I don't really mind Wiccans but I do hate that they claim to be real witches.they say because they are Wiccans then witches are real.
Lets see the Witch abbility list V the wiccan ability list;
Witches can:
Cast spells that have visable and normaly imediate effects,
Enchant items,
Live longer than you or me,
get away with those silly hats.

Wiccans can
Chant,
Read the Wiccan book.

They ain't witches. Witches aren't real. Wiccans are Wiccans not witches. BIG DIFFRENCE!
If Wiccans are witches are real just because they say so despite sharing no abilitys then Zombies are real and I'm one

[attachmentid=5091]Grr I'm a zombie.

Personally, I'm Wiccan. All I'm gonna say is that I believe in a lot of the stuff.

I was into it for a while. I agree it's a bit far-fetched, that's what made me quit it. It bugs me when judge it though. It's just like any other religion, and shouldn't be judged by peple who know nothing about it. People will believe what they believe, and it might make sene to them.

I'd agree with you but then I remember scientology.

So you're an Eclectic?

This very idea is foolish, as is your spelling. Alternative medicine does sometimes help slightly, but more as a placebo effect. Advising anyone to forego real medicine for "alternative medicine" is irresponsible and dangerous.

I also like the idea of the supernatural, and there is scientific evidence for some of it, but alternative medicine does not have this proof. I have several friends who are wiccans, although the term pagan is far too broad. I also have some Satanist friends. Now that is an interesting religion. I think no religion is any more foolish than the more traditional ones like Christianity or Islam or etc.

Put another quote code at the end, and it should work.

Fixed!

Yay, I helped someone.


Fluffy bunny

gotta love wikipedia ==

Yeah, that game sounded fun, till I read the last sentence of it... I don't want to be number two.

Wicca has come to encompass a wide range of pratises nowadays. Wiccan is a relatively broad term, and not all people who practise pagan religions would consider themselves Wiccan. As in the main-stream religions, there are different methods of practising Wicca, and not all practioncers will agree with one another about what it means to be Wiccan. While some may practise the tradition of making potions, other practioncers may view Wicca as a pagan religion that allows for them to become in touch with nature and the earth. I always considered Wicca to be deeply rooted in nature and inner spirituality. I do not see anything wrong with the practise of Wicca, but I agree that there are practioners who believe that the practice of Wicca is only based on the occult arts. I am not a practioncer of Wicca, but I do not believe that people should automatically assume that all practioncers are chanting around an array. Some people turn to Wicca because main-stream religion does not suite them, while others turn to Wicca because it gives them something to believe in.

Heh...

I have a friend who is a Wiccan, I really have nothing to say about it since I want to respect her beliefs.

Then again, I could care less about religion. o.o;

Apparently a lot of you don't know the difference between Wicca and Old Paganism. Someone mentioned bringing back the Greek/+ Roman religions, well, that's a pantheon of paganism. Paganism is basically polytheism--believing in multiple gods--you've studied them in highschool. Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Nordic, and Celtic myths are only a few of the pantheons. It is often argued as being the -first- religion. Google it.

As for Wicca, it is often described as being an "earth based" religion (which is more of what Paganism^ is), that embraces and worships a god and a goddess... it technically is, but if you asked me, I'd say it's a feminist "goddess" based religion. You could probably imagine what that means.

There are dozens of different "occult" religions. A fair share of them are pretty solid too. Just google Gnosticism and even Kabbalah. There's more out there than just Wicca.