Stigma of witchcraft

[awitch]

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”

 

[Kenny'sID]

I’ll consider that the next time a Christian throws a fit when someone doesn’t say “Merry Christmas”

Did you provoke them somehow? I mean, did you wish them a "Merry Witchmas" or something like that?

Funny, I've never seen a christian do that, but you be sure and do that if or when it does happen.

 

[awitch]

Funny, I've never seen a christian do that, but you be sure and do that if or when it does happen.

What year have you been living in?

 

[Zoness]

What year have you been living in?

Are we so quick to forget the Christian meltdown about the red holiday cups at Starbucks?

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

Christians would do well to attach more stigma to 'witchcraft'. We should have nothing to do with those people.

 

[cloudyday2]

Christians would do well to attach more stigma to 'witchcraft'. We should have nothing to do with those people.

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.

 

[awitch]

Christians would do well to attach more stigma to 'witchcraft'. We should have nothing to do with those people.

What kind of increased stigma do you suggest?
Avoiding us isn't enough for you?

 

[Albion]

I think it is probably easier to be open about atheism than it is to be open about witchcraft.

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.

 

[cloudyday2]

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. 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.

 

[awitch]

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.

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.

 

[cloudyday2]

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 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.

 

[awitch]

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.

Poorly wrapped bundle, I guess?
I don't have the greatest sense of smell so a lot of the fragrances smell the same to me. I don't really use it much anymore because I have a pet canary and they are extremely sensitive to odors.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

What kind of increased stigma do you suggest?
Avoiding us isn't enough for you?

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.

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.

I can understand growing up past indoctrination. I was indoctrinated into a liberal secular worldview. Took me years to almost completely reject that outlook years of public schooling tried to drill into me.

Glad you can understand why Christians should avoid people who practice witchcraft.

 

[awitch]

There will be some Christians who will suggest it's fine to be friends or be associated with witches.

The reasonable ones.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

The reasonable ones.

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.

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?

 

[Rajni]

Reasonable how? They're essentially abandoning the admonition of their religion which they claim to accept.

It's quite reasonable to think for oneself rather than blindly following orders from religions.

 

[awitch]

Reasonable how?

They can separate a human being from a set of fixed beliefs.

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.

All Christians sin, too, so I guess Christians shouldn't associate with each other then either.

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?

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.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

It's quite reasonable to think for oneself rather than blindly following orders from religions.

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.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

They can separate a human being from a set of fixed beliefs.

Well I see self-described witches' and pagans as being more a larp than anything else.

All Christians sin, too, so I guess Christians shouldn't associate with each other then either.

Actually Paul encouraged Christians to not associate with certain fellow believers who were obstinate in their sin, like the man who slept with his Mother in law. Even Pagans back then thought that was beyond the pail and sick.

But yes, as Christians we're all sinners and we have to work on that entire lives. Yet there is a difference between the Christian who recognizes their sin and the Christian who justifies their sin.

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.

If you describe yourself as a practitioner of witchcraft that's all I need to know to not want to associate with you. Why do you think you are entitled to someone's friendship or respect?

 

[Zoness]

Usually Christians leverage the government to impose their will. If it were simply the question of free association I don't think there's really anything wrong with you choosing to disassociate from others but that typically is only the beginning. Mosaic law calls for the death penalty for both witchcraft and homosexuality, for example. Sure you can hand wave the OT but pastors take its commands very seriously. They also have tremendous influence in at least America's political system (though personally I think they've taken out a loan on public trust they can't pay back).