Witches Outnumber Presbyterians in US

[Tom Sawyer]

So, apparently, the number of wicca or pagan believers now outnumber the number of Presbyterians in the US

https://jonathanturley.org/2018/11/18/report-witches-now-outnumber-presbyterians-in-the-united-states/

While it's always nice to see any sort of waning of a Christian faith, what's up with the fad of people becoming wiccans? While it's a harmless belief system which doesn't try and impose its views on others, it's still pretty fucking stupid. Is it just that people find it kind of edgy to call themselves witches? It seems like an odd thing to have on the upswing.

 

[Keith&Co.]

I've thought about it a few times.

It seems like the only thing more likely to be misunderstood, mislabeled and misapplied than atheism, in the minds of certain members of The Faithful.

 

[Politesse]

One can be both.

And Tom, obviously not everyone agrees that it is stupid.

 

[couch_sloth]

One can be both...

A Presbyterian and a Wiccan?

 

[Politesse]

One can be both...

A Presbyterian and a Wiccan?

Sure. I know at least one person who fits that description, and she's a minister.

 

[skepticalbip]

One can be both.

And Tom, obviously not everyone agrees that it is stupid.

That is faint praise. Not everyone agrees that the Earth is a spheroid or that people have walked on the moon.

 

[Keith&Co.]

I used to know a Catholic Wizard, who insisted that prayer was just spell-casting by name-dropping.

 

[Politesse]

I used to know a Catholic Wizard, who insisted that prayer was just spell-casting by name-dropping.

Isn't it?

 

[bilby]

One can be both.

And Tom, obviously not everyone agrees that it is stupid.

What everyone agrees on is a very poor guide to what is or is not stupid.

It remains stupid regardless of the degree of agreement on it.

 

[Tigers!]

Hmm.
I wonder if that explains recent events in the US.

 

[Keith&Co.]

I used to know a Catholic Wizard, who insisted that prayer was just spell-casting by name-dropping.

Isn't it?

Depends on your magic tradition.
But if they were the same thing, then 'not suffer a witch to live' would apply to every kid who took an exam they were not fully prepared for.

 

[DrZoidberg]

So, apparently, the number of wicca or pagan believers now outnumber the number of Presbyterians in the US

https://jonathanturley.org/2018/11/18/report-witches-now-outnumber-presbyterians-in-the-united-states/

While it's always nice to see any sort of waning of a Christian faith, what's up with the fad of people becoming wiccans? While it's a harmless belief system which doesn't try and impose its views on others, it's still pretty fucking stupid. Is it just that people find it kind of edgy to call themselves witches? It seems like an odd thing to have on the upswing.

I personally think it's more of the same. I don't think it matters a damn which invisible friend somebody has. The fact that they have an invisible friend is the problem.

 

[Keith&Co.]

I personally think it's more of the same. I don't think it matters a damn which invisible friend somebody has. The fact that they have an invisible friend is the problem.

Hard to imagine Westboro Wiccans protesting a funeral, though.

 

[DrZoidberg]

I personally think it's more of the same. I don't think it matters a damn which invisible friend somebody has. The fact that they have an invisible friend is the problem.

Hard to imagine Westboro Wiccans protesting a funeral, though.

Ehe... well. Paganism is big in Scandinavia among neo-Nazis. It's heavily associated with right wing extremism. Nazi skins here typically have their entire bodies covered with tattoos of Norse gods and pagan spells. Over here they're more likely to be the cause of the funeral than doing something as "effeminate" as protesting it. So... yeah. Keep that thought.

 

[DrZoidberg]

BTW, Pagan culture was/is a warrior culture. Wicca isn't really paganism at all. It's some lame LARP shit. They've just taken old symbols and gods right out of their context and made some shit up, and made it into an incoherent soup.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

I personally think it's more of the same. I don't think it matters a damn which invisible friend somebody has. The fact that they have an invisible friend is the problem.

Hard to imagine Westboro Wiccans protesting a funeral, though.

A Woo by any other name is still a Woo.

BTW, Pagan culture was/is a warrior culture. Wicca isn't really paganism at all. It's some lame LARP shit. They've just taken old symbols and gods right out of their context and made some shit up, and made it into an incoherent soup.

Generations ago we were all basically warriors. Then we all basically became warrior-farmers. We've spun off the farming thing to other members of the tribe so some of us can be warriors again.

It's always been my contention that what makes humans humans is the their ability to pretend, fantasize. But maybe it's not so simple, maybe we're just mad.

 

[Kharakov]

So, apparently, the number of wicca or pagan believers now outnumber the number of Presbyterians in the US

https://jonathanturley.org/2018/11/...outnumber-presbyterians-in-the-united-states/

While it's always nice to see any sort of waning of a Christian faith, what's up with the fad of people becoming wiccans? While it's a harmless belief system which doesn't try and impose its views on others, it's still pretty fucking stupid. Is it just that people find it kind of edgy to call themselves witches? It seems like an odd thing to have on the upswing.

With the fall of Christianity, other forms of illogical thought prevail. Christianity was the magnet for all the stupid nails you drop on the driveway... you weaken the magnet, you don't get all the nails.

To paranormalphrase Metallica (demonstrated by Trump): Fight stupid with stupid.


I'm thinking the higher ups in the US military play the part of stupid Christian (sometimes), but the selection process (behavioral) protects us from them being actual stupid Christians....



"Witchcraft.... hahahha... there is always a niche market for stupid, and people willing to exploit that market. " Creflo Dollar, speaking at a semi-private fundraiser.

 

[Keith&Co.]

I personally think it's more of the same. I don't think it matters a damn which invisible friend somebody has. The fact that they have an invisible friend is the problem.

Hard to imagine Westboro Wiccans protesting a funeral, though.

Ehe... well. Paganism is big in Scandinavia among neo-Nazis. It's heavily associated with right wing extremism. Nazi skins here typically have their entire bodies covered with tattoos of Norse gods and pagan spells. Over here they're more likely to be the cause of the funeral than doing something as "effeminate" as protesting it. So... yeah. Keep that thought.

Well, you were grouping Wiccans with all religions flavors, and still are, i wasn't.

So, yeah, i do still see a difference if people switch to invisible friends that spread the Wiccan Rede, as opposed to the various boot stomping woos.

- - - Updated - - -

BTW, Pagan culture was/is a warrior culture. Wicca isn't really paganism at all.

Then why do you immediately lump it in with Paganism?

 

[DrZoidberg]

Ehe... well. Paganism is big in Scandinavia among neo-Nazis. It's heavily associated with right wing extremism. Nazi skins here typically have their entire bodies covered with tattoos of Norse gods and pagan spells. Over here they're more likely to be the cause of the funeral than doing something as "effeminate" as protesting it. So... yeah. Keep that thought.

Well, you were grouping Wiccans with all religions flavors, and still are, i wasn't.

So, yeah, i do still see a difference if people switch to invisible friends that spread the Wiccan Rede, as opposed to the various boot stomping woos.

The problem is having invisible friends. It's the same flaw of logic that says Buddhism couldn't hurt a fly and then we realize that Buddhism has been used to justify genocide in Sri Lanka, ethnic cleansing by the 12th Dalai Lama and gay persecution by the current Dalai Lama.

Fundamentally there's two types of people. The romantics who prefer feelings to reason. Who value passion and aesthetics over finding what is true. These type of people are always dangerous when they constitute an identity shared by the majority culture. And the other one's, reflexive and introspective and self doubting. These people are never swept up in movements. So will never be a part of a powerful group.

All religious are part of the first group and if they get enough power they will always be dangerous. A romantics peaceful maxims can switch to violence in no time, because this world view is so open to any influence.

Wiccans are only peaceful now because they have no power.

BTW, Pagan culture was/is a warrior culture. Wicca isn't really paganism at all.

Then why do you immediately lump it in with Paganism?

Because of it's name? Ie paganism.

 

[Politesse]

Thank god for those safe, safe people who only act in self-interest rather than on behalf of imaginary friends!