Monday, March 19, 2012

When Will The Stupidity End: A Rant

I'd like for you guys to watch this video, all the way to the end... then we'll go into my rant.

Have you watched it? Good, cuz it's kinda important to know what my rant is about. First let me say, I don't care if you've studied for over 20 years, or 200 years; if you haven't actually taken Wicca's true meanings to heart, you're not a Wiccan. Please note this is not pointed at anyone who doesn't claim to be Wiccan, and I also do not mean this as offense to any of my dear bloggy friends, because you guys are amazing.

Wicca specifically states, An' It Harm None, Do What Ye Will. A lot of people take this differently, but I personally (especially after what my mentor taught me) believe that this statement means you don't intentionally harm yourself, or others. This woman states that because there isn't the concept of sin in our religion, she started drinking, doing drugs, and having sex.

First off, I don't know what's she's been studying, and if there is something I haven't studied when it comes to Wicca (which is likely, because to study everything available on Wicca would take longer than I have in this lifetime) let me know, but what I have studied about Wicca says this: drinking and doing drugs while working magick DO NOT MESH! While taking wine during ritual is acceptable, becoming and staying drunk affects your personal energy, making it difficult to focus enough to raise energy, and causes all kinds of things to run amok.

I tested that theory when I was much younger, and guess what... in my case it was true. Let me explain something ... no matter what religion you are, when you lose your life in the bottom of a liquor bottle, bad things will happen. Drugs have the same friggin effect. I again know that, because I am a recovering addict, and the addiction had absolutely NOTHING to do with my religious choice. In all actuality at that time, I had pretty much stopped believing in any Gods, Christian, Pagan, or otherwise. I drug myself out of the pit of addiction with the help of my family, and my own will. After I got my life straightened back out from the shambles I had turned it into (notice I said what I turned my life into, not what Wicca turned my life into) with the addiction, I went back to Wicca, and have always felt fulfilled with my religion.

Just because there are few rules when it comes to Witchcraft, doesn't mean you shouldn't have your own set moral codes that tell you what's right and what's wrong. Relying on a religious belief to tell you what's right and wrong is idiotic and brings to mind the argument of bad cults, with their punch cups, and "all knowing" leader ruling over their flock. Please people, when will we learn to use our brains, other than processing what others tell us to do? I know something that does that, and I'm typing on it right now. Computers don't make good humans, and humans don't make good computers. That's why we have brains, and computers have processors.

Now, I don't want it to sound like I have something against Christianity itself, because I don't. In it's true meaning, Christianity is an awesome religion, with a wonderful moral code, and great intentions. However, I cannot stand the people that shove that religion down your throat and tell you that you are making the wrong decision, you are going to hell for the decisions you are making, and that God will always love you, and why are you turning your back on him? First off, how in the hell can anyone tell anyone else what is right for them? Who knows what's better for me than I do?

There are so many arguments I have that prove to me that the religious choice I've made is right FOR ME. Maybe it's not right for someone else, and that's fine. Having a one size fits all religion makes about the same sense as having one size fits all shoes. Trying to force people into a religion that isn't right for them is like trying to force someone into shoes that don't fit; it pinches, hurts, and at some point that person is going to rebel against those painful freakin shoes.

It's regrettable that her first serious relationship didn't work out, because her fiance's family didn't approve of her religion, and I truly sympathize with her on that, but if he had really loved her enough to go through with marrying her, it wouldn't have mattered. The fact that she completely changed religions for her second fiance proves that, yes she loved him enough to do that; but it shouldn't have been necessary. Of course, if she truly found something better in Christianity, I'm very happy for her; and I appreciate that she didn't have too many horrible things to say about Wicca in general.

What I'm truly angry about is the 700 Club did not even show what Wiccans actually worship. It kinda ticked me off that the announcer said she worshipped her favorite tree to try to find answers. Yes, we find answers in nature, and I talk to trees, but we don't just worship trees! Our religion was completely misconstrued! And it truly ticks me off that the 700 Club is using idiotic crap like that, with a person who obviously hadn't paid close enough attention to her studies, to launch a smear campaign against Wicca! Get the freakin facts straight, and correct before you start smearing religions, and the people in those religions.

But I think what really ticked me off about this video, is that I forgot how bad it still is. I live in my little bubble with my bloggy friends, my true friends that know what religion I am and that often call and ask for distance healing or card readings, and my amazingly supportive family, and I forgot. I forgot how hateful, and stupid some Christians can be, and how ruthless they can be when trying to convert someone. I forgot how much of a struggle it is to be taken seriously at best, and to be treated as if I am the devil incarnate at worst. So, to end this rant, I want to thank the God and Goddess for bringing this video to my attention. I appreciate them reminding me how hard it is for those of us in this religion, trying to live double lives, just to be able to worship the way we want to. So, I'm going to end this here, before I go into a further rant about the fact that America was created because people wanted the right to WORSHIP THE WAY THEY WANTED TO!

15 comments:

  1. Totally agree. The 700 club has been trying to discredit paganism for years. My former MIL who was a "born again Christian" watched this show every day and became impossible to be around because of her determination to convert everyone. They are basically singing the same old song called "The Devil Made Me Do It" by blaming Wicca for the vices of drugs/alcohol abuse. And this man who agreed to break off the engagement because his family didn't like her spiritual beliefs? And she took him back? What??

    And let's talk about these 700 Club PTL club members. How do you explain Jim Baker? Did the devil get to him too - and how did that happen with him being such a good Christian and all....? Like most of these organizations, what they really want is money, and a converted pagan's money is as good as anyone else's.

    Oh, now see? You got me ranting....:)

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  2. Wow ... it sounds like she was using Wicca and being a "Witch" to get drunk, do drugs and have sex. Also I'm not Wiccan but I wasn't aware you "worship trees and nature". And that she was also with some weak minded men that let their family dictate their love life, which I know all about.

    I wonder what exactly she was doing that when she was trying to tell everyone that Witches aren't what they think they are. I also have never been to Pagan get together where you have beer cans around.

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  3. Lol sorry Aine. I saw it last night and just had to put my two cents in the ring for all that lol

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  4. Well Amanda we are a nature based religion, so trees and nature are sacred, but for Deities we worship The God and Goddess, The Lord and Lady, there are several names for them but basically we worship a God and a Goddess, with nature being sacred, and Mother Nature sometimes viewed as a form of the Goddess. And I totally agree with you about the weak minded men.

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  5. Thank you for this post. I took some time to leave a few comments on the video because I hate seeing things like this. I'm not a Wiccan, but an Irish polytheist, so I shared my own little "testimony" that sounded remarkably like hers, in reverse (minus the weak-willed men). It wasn't until I quit trying to force myself into the mold of Christianity and found my own God and Goddess (now patron and patroness, as I worship others as well) that I found true peace. So thanks for the heads up.

    Oh, and just FYI, Amanda (thanks for posting this!) is a Pagan, just not a Wiccan. ^__~

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  6. Thanks Lea. I'm not 100% Wiccan, but that's where I started with the Craft, and I still value the lessons I learned from that foundation. I appreciate everyone's feedback :D

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  7. I can understand them being sacred, I consider them sacred, I respect them, I have awe for them, but to go worship a tree just sounds a little silly to me. Maybe it's the way she said it, and how they kept showing photos of her dressed like she was at a costume party. I'm Pagan just not Wiccan, and I am nature based. It just sounded like she wasn't really following Wicca but what she assumed was Wicca, especially with the there was no sin part. Ugh stupid 700 club.

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  8. You're welcome Lea! I thought it was a great post.

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  9. I apologize for the misunderstanding Amanda. They did make Wicca (and Paganism in a broad general term) look and sound silly. A lot of what I heard on that video made me think she had kind of just gone out and made her own general weirdness, calling it Wicca, and adding more bad publicity to our religion.

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  10. Ok, I'm confused lol... did you repost? That makes me feel super good lol that my stuff is worthy of repost :D

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  11. No problems Amber, confusion is just a learning experience. And I shared it on twitter. I see the new toolbar now for WordPress though and I'm going to reblog it. =]

    Feel super good about it, you are a great writer.

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  12. Scratch that can't reblog cause I don't have an actual WordPress blog. Blah.

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  13. That's ok. Thanks for sharing anyway :D I'm really proud of that :D

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  14. Totally agree with your blog/rant. The 700 Club is infamouos for these handwavy declarations and not giving the whole facts on anything deemed 'not acceptable' by the leaders of the club. Of course, when their own members 'fall' (due to drink, sex, drugs, theft, etc.) they pray for them... and it's all better. Anyone else is on the bullet train to hell. Go figure. I'm not a pagan nor a wiccan but even *I* did a Scooby-Do 'whaaaa?' when she started telling how she was basically a 'magic groupie' (sex drugs and rock and roll) and really didn't have a clue with all that 'hugged a tree for guidance'. I think it was telling that most of her 'non wiccan' photo was her still in 'dress up' mode. She plays... does not practice. BUT.... the 700 Club loves these kinds of wannabes who 'convert'... so they can parade them about and show how 'their way is the only way'... and, oh ya, Jesus loves you but you are going to hell unless you bow to 'the Club'.

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  15. I love this post!

    I have to say, I only watched a couple minutes of that video before I went, "meh, it's the 700 Club. Whatever", but it really did tick me off that this kind of information -- that Wicca, witchcraft, and the occult revolve around an endless cycle of drugs, sex, and alcohol -- is being spread around by people who, for all intents and purposes, need to learn a hell of a lot more about different faiths.

    There's one thing that I see about some followers of religions under the Pagan umbrella, though, that does tick me off (and probably makes people like those who took the YouTube video seriously): They DO use it as an excuse to do all those things mentioned above. The Pagan community is sometimes one of misfits, and there are bound to be some who take advantage of the idea that they're already outliers and use their faith as an excuse to do those things.

    It's something that I want to cover at some point, as that rant is far too long for a comment... but it's something interesting to think about and, at least in our community, speak up against.

    Great post again, thanks for it. :)

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