Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:08 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Prophet, that is a throwaway statement. It answers nothing.

Your assertation was that I (in relation to being Wiccan) share the same beliefs that demons do. Define demons (which are not a part of the Wiccan theology), and be specific about what you feel my faith shares with "their beliefs."

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Tue Feb 10, 2009 2:04 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Flagged. How convenient. I never saw any answer. How about posting it again, and I'll check back within the hour? Everybody, don't flag Prophet's response so that I can read it.

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:05 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Still waiting, Prophet.

*crickets chirping*

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:21 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

//You share the same beliefs that demons do.//

Care to elaborate, Prophet? I'd love to hear your comparisons.

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:40 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

//Why thank you!!! //

You're welcome, Daniel Paul. Having been on quite a number of forums, please note that this is an extreme compliment. More often than not, pagan posters on a Christian site get a heavy dose of hostility and very little actual discourse.

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:38 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

///I believe in God.///

I believe in God also. I simply don't use the Christian definition of the word.

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:27 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Of course, believer! :) Actually, this site is relatively sane as far as dealing with non-Christian posters, so it is on my Bookmarks as a good place for repeat visits.

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Fri Jan 30, 2009 1:33 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

//the Bible is explicit in the fact that true Christians will always be a minority right up to the end.//

aaron.e, would you mind giving a couple of examples where it states this specifically?

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Fri Jan 30, 2009 12:09 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

"Christianezze"

I am SO snagging that word for future use. ;)

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:22 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

//When a verse "says it all" why add anything? //

It "says it all" to YOU, the Christian to whom it is meaningful. One of the first points of effective presentation is, know your audience. A quote from a religious text that has no relevance to a pagan doesn't constitute a constructive exchange of viewpoints.

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:13 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

//Plus, being a Christian, you really need to anticipate me quoting from the Bible now and then. It will still give you perspective as to WHY I believe something. //

The difference, MuggleBorn, is that you give your own input along with the scripture. It's when scripture alone is quoted that it becomes pointless to the discussion.

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:10 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

//The Scriptures are my opinion.//

An easy out for not having a solid point of view of your own, or having too weak an argument to hold under debate.

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:08 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 1

//the pagan philosophy she practiced and lived/died by.//

Mind elaborating on that? Wicca is a specific religious structure with tenets, common points of belief. "Pagan" is an umbrella term for literally hundreds of non-Abrahamic belief systems.

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:05 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 1

//any claims that these witches don't try to convert is "rubbish" (to put it nicely).//

So is the assertation that the actions of one troubled individual speak for the religion and its practitioners as a whole. I could just as easily state something like "any claims that these Christians don't try to use scripture to back up beating their children is "rubbish" (to put it nicely)."

Wiccans know that converting is a huge no-no for them. Christians know that abusive behavior in the name of God or Christ is not right. I could list all sorts of other examples, but I think you get my point.

Logical people know that there are those who use religion for the means to an end, a banner to hide their actions behind, or as a crutch to save them from inner turmoil that really needs professional psychological intervention. But these people are not the proof that any particular religion promotes bad behavior or is not "true" in terms of being a solid foundation to help us through life's problems and darker times.

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Thu Jan 29, 2009 3:40 pm Agree: 3   Disagree: 1

//Why are you here?//

I'm here because my Google news search has Wicca has keyword, and this article came up.

I would like to ask the posters who can only quote scripture rather than submit an opinion to the discussion, why are YOU here? Is the Goddess speaking in a small, still voice to you?

It's a weak argument from either side.

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Thu Jan 29, 2009 3:36 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

weekenderman, if she was actively trying to convert people, then there were much deeper issues going on. Attempted conversion is a big no-no in the Wiccan faith. As irishcoyote stated, suicide is not a single-factor decision.

Quite frankly, if one of us used such a loosely-based statement as proof of a religion's non-validity, we'd be laughed right off the forum.

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Thu Jan 29, 2009 3:34 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

What the pagan community thinks of this article:

http://www.witchvox.com/wren/wn_detaila.html?id=20343

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:32 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 2

//Teenager: I don't dare give out any further personal information with all the crazies on the web.//

I'm not certain if you're speaking to my question, since I'm not a teenager. However, if you're going to claim a "big-time" anyone to prove a story or point, especially in the context that you did, you need to be prepared to back it up. Otherwise, it's just like we pagans are often accused of - no proof, just "take my word for it."

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:29 pm Agree: 2   Disagree: 1

What was her name, weekenderman?

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

WiccanTexan »

Tue Jan 27, 2009 3:45 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

We fight misconceptions within our own faith as well. Here is a great site to get some basic overviews:

http://wicca.timerift.net/

This would be something of specific interest:

http://wicca.timerift.net/church.shtml