I think I may have just read the most painful blog post and comments I could ever see. I will keep names and the site anonymous, just for their protection.
A young man decides to lesson out his own interpretation of Wicca, including the history of it, and his interpretations of the Rede. While it's ok to have your own opinions about the religion and how to interpret the Rede for personal use, it's a completely different thing to want to teach others, using these beliefs. If you're going to create a lesson plan for students, you should use solid sources for your information, to back up your opinions. Just making things up as you go along doesn't help you, and badly damages any potential students education...this basically makes them have to three steps back from the one step forward they already took.
Anyways, a few things about this post:
**Our blogger feels that his truth is best. Not all truths are actually true, even to the claimer. He seems to be the type that irks me, in that I mean one who interchanges the terms Witch and Wiccan. When describing the Rede, he constantly refers to the practitioner as "Witch" rather than Wiccan. He seems to think that the Wiccan Rede is a person's "Natural Instinct". Sorry, but the human race violates this "Natural Instinct" on a daily basis, harming at will at regular intervals. Sorry, but the Rede is also a rather modern concept, not one that has been around long enough to be considered "Natural Instinct".
His first "Truth" is..."We don't murder. We don't harm other people for our own profit. We don't steal, discriminate, hate, etc". Uh...and what planet are you living on? Last I looked humanity was FILLED with such harmful actions.
**Another gem of this individuals truth is "Science is wrong all the time because nothing is ever still, it is ever evolving". Well, I wouldn't go so far as to flat out claim that science is always wrong. If science were always wrong, vaccines would only work once, therefore we would constantly have to search for a new vaccine for small pox and tuberculosis. Proof that science is not always wrong would be in the fact that, thanks to this ever steady research and evidence, that the vaccines for small pox and tuberculosis remains successful even to today. Gotta love people who pick truths out of their cracks and wave it around as if it's a new revelation. Sorry buddy, but as a Pagan, I'm going to have to disagree that Science is always wrong. While I love nature, and working with natural ways, I have great respect for science and all accomplishments made through it. I'm not so naive as to believe that science can't prove anything (while I won't also be as naive to believe it will prove everything either).
**"Free will is not the freedom to do what you choose". Hmm. Well. Again, news to me. So I assume "Free Will" is the freedom to do what someone else chooses for me, then...according to this logic. But then our fearless blogger then contradicts himself "Of course you can do anything, but something will and can inhibit you." Um...I believe that's part of the choice...the free will. You CAN do what you want if you choose to, but you can also NOT do what you want if you so choose to either. Ah, the beauty if choices...there are so many, but when you choose one, it's definitely not "free will" that allowed you to, but this little voice over your head, making you feel guilty if you choose the wrong choice: "We don't act in a wrong manner because we are given guilt as a divine law to abide by." Really now. If I wanted to feel guilty for every act I made, I'd have stayed Catholic, and feared hell. I don't feel guilty all the time anymore, and accept the consequences of my actions; I accept the consequences of my FREE WILL choices; Choices made by freedom of choice.
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While these misinformative tidbits are rather painful to view, the REALLY, truly painful part to read, is the site ADMINISTRATOR'S comments; making claims that Wicca is a practice, NOT A BELIEF! WHAT??? Um...since when is Wicca NOT a belief? Since when is Wicca a practice? This is TOTALLY news to me. I have been researching Wicca for almost 10 years now, and not one solitary thing has ever led me to the conclusion that Wicca was anything more than a religious belief that incorporated various practices into it.
What's even more painful, is the site admins mix "Witchcraft" and "Wicca" as the same thing. Ooh, the pain! It's like an ice cream headache!
This site operates on what THEY deem as particular definitions for particular crafts. Not one label is called "Wicca", however all are labelled "Witchcraft".
I reiterate NUMEROUS posts I have made here, as well as numerous posts I have made in numerous forums and Q & A's:
Wicca is a RELIGION. It relies on the belief of a God and Goddess, and centers around their worship, as well as the observation and celebration of various "Holidays" and strive towards some type of balance. No where in this system is Spell Work (or the like) "REQUIRED". Therefore, this is a religion.
Witchcraft is a PRACTICE. There is no need for deity worship, or holiday observations. Witches can strive towards balance if they choose, but it's not required. Witches focus on spell work, utilizing various means of achieving some type of result or goal.
Two completely separate and DIFFERENT definitions that can be backed up by numerous practitioners and sources just about anywhere (if anyone were to bother to look). Just as the original blogger chose to make their own opinion FACT...these site administrators are also trying to make their own opinion, FACT...even if it's not right.
Wicca is a religion. Witchcraft is a practice. It's not rocket science!!!
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