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Got me.
I just dont get the point unless it's for attention.
I’ll consider that the next time a Christian throws a fit when someone doesn’t say “Merry Christmas”
What year have you been living in?
I'm glad you brought up that point of view. I would have agreed with you when I was a Christian, and I still feel a little bit queasy and uncomfortable around witches and witchcraft even though I have drifted away from Christianity. Probably I should not feel that way, but it is difficult to overcome my childhood indoctrination. And I can certainly understand why devout Christians have this point of view. It is probably the traditional Christian attitude and backed-up by many verses in the Bible.Christians would do well to attach more stigma to 'witchcraft'. We should have nothing to do with those people.
Christians would do well to attach more stigma to 'witchcraft'. We should have nothing to do with those people.
I think it is probably easier to be open about atheism than it is to be open about witchcraft.
My OP was misleading. Take a look at my response in post #9 that corrects some of the confusion. Basically one of the employees who himself is interested in witchcraft assumed that I also shared this interest and started talking to me in front of other devout Christian employees about a product he likes from the witchcraft store that he thought might interest me too. I sort of cringed. If I was an employee maybe I wouldn't care as much if people thought I practiced witchcraft, but as an employer there are employees and customers who might go to a competing business over such an issue. On the other hand, it shouldn't be that way. In a perfect world it shouldn't matter if I actually was practicing witchcraft. There is a stigma though.Absolutely.
But I am not sure that you should let such as accusation as you describe go without further action. To be accused of being a witch can be considered slander, after all. It's not as though the claim is no different from being called a Methodist or a Rotarian.
My OP was misleading. Take a look at my response in post #9 that corrects some of the confusion. Basically one of the employees who himself is interested in witchcraft assumed that I also shared this interest and started talking to me in front of other devout Christian employees about a product he likes from the witchcraft store that he thought might interest me too. I sort of cringed, because I already had a Jehovah's Witness employee express his concern that my use of incense in my office was witchcraft and that I was bringing bad luck to the company. I have hyperosmia often, and the fragrances on the employees bother me, so I burn incense sometimes to get relief. Unfortunately the incense I like is also used in witchcraft for "smudging" (driving out the bad energies). Now that I have started to enjoy gardening I am implicating myself even further, because the plants I grow are popular in witchcraft too LOL.
I use palo santos sticks, because I like the smell. I tried burning sage, but the bundle tended to fall apart and it was difficult to utilize the loose leaves. The palo santos sticks are nice, because I can light one up and shake out the flame a few seconds later and then it makes smoke briefly. I can get a lot of uses from one stick. The smoke smells somewhat like peppermint and helps me to ignore other odors that might be annoying me.Important to remember there's nothing inherently magical about plants and incense. Growing/using them does not mean you're a witch, nor does it even imply the active practicing of witchcraft.
Smudging is typically done with a bundle of sage. I guess there's no law that says you can't use incense, but whatever.
I use palo santos sticks, because I like the smell. I tried burning sage, but the bundle tended fall apart and it was difficult to utilize the loose leaves. The palo santos sticks are nice, because I can light one up and shake out the flame a few seconds later and then it makes smoke briefly. I can get a lot of uses from one stick.
There will be some Christians who will suggest it's fine to be friends or be associated with witches. It is enough that they avoid people like you, that there be a clear distinction of what's acceptable and what's not.What kind of increased stigma do you suggest?
Avoiding us isn't enough for you?
I'm glad you brought up that point of view. I would have agreed with you when I was a Christian, and I still feel a little bit queasy and uncomfortable around witches and witchcraft even though I have drifted away from Christianity. Probably I should not feel that way, but it is difficult to overcome my childhood indoctrination. And I can certainly understand why devout Christians have this point of view. It is probably the traditional Christian attitude and backed-up by many verses in the Bible.
Reasonable how? They're essentially abandoning the admonition of their religion which they claim to accept. If anything it's unreasonable or shows an inconsistency in their beliefs, it's their unwillingness to do what is right.The reasonable ones.
It's quite reasonable to think for oneself rather than blindly following orders from religions.Reasonable how? They're essentially abandoning the admonition of their religion which they claim to accept.
Reasonable how?
They're essentially abandoning the admonition of their religion which they claim to accept. If anything it's unreasonable or shows an inconsistency in their beliefs and an unwillingness to do what is right.
Still. there are plenty of other Pagans out there for you to be associated with right? Why do you want to be associated with Christians who should consider your way of life a literal abomination?
Ironically the one's being blind are those who accept the progressive mantra of universal 'tolerance and acceptance', rather than actually asking themselves why Christians might be better off avoiding some people. After all, if you are a Christian and you believe in spiritual forces, why should you associate with people who are relying not on God, but on something else? What other option is there within Christian worldview? There isn't a third spiritual force to which one can appeal, there is only God and Satan.It's quite reasonable to think for oneself rather than blindly following orders from religions.
They can separate a human being from a set of fixed beliefs.
All Christians sin, too, so I guess Christians shouldn't associate with each other then either.
Perhaps you can elaborate on what you think my way of life is?
I wouldn't want people to think you're so shallow to judge me based solely on an a particular adjective I use.
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