Is Religion a type of Witchcraft?

Just adding LA...

This is what Wiccan groups clasify Wicca and Witchcraft, as a difference...

One can be a Witch, without being a Wiccan, just as a person can be a Christian, without being a Baptist. Wicca is a recognized religion, while Witchcraft itself is not considered a religion. Thus, Wicca might best be described as a modern religion, based on ancient Witchcraft traditions.

To begin, the medieval church of the 15th through 18th centuries created these myths to convert the followers of the old nature based religions to the churches way of thinking. By making the Witch into a diabolical character and turning the old religious deities into devils and demons, the missionaries were able to attach fear to these beliefs which aided in the conversion process. Secondly, as medical science began to surface, the men who were engaged in these initial studies had a very poor understanding of female physiology, especially in the area of a women's monthly cycles. The unknowns in this area played very well with the early churches agenda lending credence to the Witch Hunters claims and authority. The fledgling medical professions also stood to benefit greatly from this because it took the power of the women healers away giving it to the male physicians transferring the respect and power to them.

http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/wicca.htm



From 1960 onwards apparently, a new Religion started although wouldn't this be the evil Warlocks ?

Despite heavy criticism from other religious groups, there are signs that Satanistic beliefs have become more socially tolerated. Satanism is now allowed in the Royal Navy of the British Armed Forces, despite much opposition from Christians,[3][4][5] and, in 2005, the Supreme Court of the United States debated over protecting the religious rights of prison inmates after a lawsuit challenging the issue was filed to them.

This is too wide spread RL. Typically, it is my understanding that yet again, Man, has decided what a Witch is for his own benefit.. Most of those "witches" back then practised in good medicine and apparently cured some people. I love Chinese medicine for that reason, yet the Chinese I believe are facsinating with their herbal remedies and the likes..

Just like Man, there is good and evil, tendencies in the usage of the word. Same beliefs are had with "Witches".. Black and White, yet in life nothing is so.. I think Wiccans worship the Earth and all that is in it, on it.. They conduct rituals but only for good.. I suspect they would be called "White Witches"

Any person who believes in Satan and his/ religion whom practices any form of Witchcraft is basically what you see on TV or the Cinemas, the "evil" side... And those worshipers do follow a Religion. Satan. They believe they go to Hell. Imagine all these doods, murdering, raping, going to jaol for life, saying well I follow Satan, that is my religion so I am allowed to do all of this, I am going to Hell ....Sheez.

It makes sense that Wicca is deemed to be a religion, as they follow Mother Nature and all that it entails. Christians follow some God and all that he is. Witchcraft good or bad is not a religion, it is a practice being followed what each individual "witch" believes in, is a different story.

So, I do not believe Religion is a type of Witchcraft or that Witchcraft is a type of Religion.. Because religion is a faith of a God. Witches / Wiccans / Witchcraft/ has nothing to do with a God.

Great reply FS I wonder how others will reply.

I think religion falls under the category of the Supernatural. Can't really be proven wrong at it's base level when you think about the major world religions. Saying certain types of prayers can be seen as casting a spell. Depending on your flavor of Abraham based religions some have idols and others have rituals that have to be performed.

The older I get the more I see them as the same.

I see. So basically, you post asinine statements.

Which, you admit without solicitation, is just an example of you being a liar.

You then purport to do this as considered strategy in which to somehow initiate conversation with people who will be unknowingly responding to the lie you posted.

And would expect someone like me to see this as what? You being… clever? intellectually superior? a jerk?

A quick perusal of your posting history shows that this same thing is repeated (with minor variation) over and over and over again for a period of years. Even more amazing is the fact that you continue to do this with pretty much the same people and all of you repeat the same things you’ve said for years. You seem to be living your own personal A2K version of Groundhog’s Day. From the nearly 7000! posts one could also conclude that this takes up a non-insignificant amount of your free-time.

The way some people choose to spend their time is inscrutable to me.

Are all people who ask without solicitation liars?



Please elaborate so that me and others can understand how you have been able to logically string this this idea together about me being a liar.



Please elaborate on this logic that you think you possess.



Again please elaborate on your belief or intellectual understanding of what you are claiming to be factual.

This blatant sucker is not the sharpest crayon in the box and is not worth reasoning with. I've had a bout with him, and what he does is he'll just spew more crap at you. If he doesn't have cheesy comeback, he'll ask you to "elaborate" it for him.

"Never argue with an idiot; they'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience."
"reasoning logic" fits that criteria well.

Get this though (he pulled the same crap on me) instead of using logic to assess a statement, he relies on "expert" authority. Someone with a "phd." Dr. Katz as I last recall.

Talk about someone who finds no value in logic you just hit the bell at the carnival when you slammed your hammer down..

As far as you doing this same sort of thing ad nauseum, well it wasn’t a claim, it was an observation, I just went to your posting history and read some of the posts, the specific post sampled didn't seem to change the observation, so it really didn’t take any particular belief system or “intellectual understanding “. Others can repeat my observations and draw their own conclusions.

It really is perpetually February 2nd for you’re here on A2K. You even provide the traditional scrambling of my response back to me; something, anything to keep someone, anyone, playing along. The sad part is, even the old, pathetic members Real Life and Bad Dog could manage to perform this act way better. Even for a one act pony by now your A2K performance (as preliminarily determined by reading your posts) is so anachronistic that you might as well be telling “I like Ike” jokes.

By the way for someone who was “joking” you seem to be getting pretty defensive, pretty quickly. I can’t PROVE that of course it is just a notion.

Thank you for the warning, it was kind but unnecessary. For some reason A2K attracts these types the way Lindsey Lohan attracts the paparazzi. For me it is kind of like Howard Stern. I might have even appreciated the act when I was 10 but have long since outgrown the genre.

I hear there is a new feature coming that will allow you to mutually annihilate other members, so that neither one can know of the other’s existence on the site. Perhaps then it will be possible to have an adult conversation on a topic.

OK so you did not believe nor understand but yet you came to an understanding without either?



OK so you have people you can relate to but if you are unable to provide evidence to your claims how are you more valid then them?

It is Halloween night here in the USA and I was wondering what you all are doing or thinking at the moment.
I would like to think that we have come a long way but history seems to be able to show us just how mentally off we can be but yet we thought that we were normal at the time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat-burning

I'm eating a double cheeseburger with skittles and Hershey bars as condiments and thinking this is rather good, however the texture in your mouth is weird, in a crappy way. You should try it sometime.

Chocolate and McDonalds, interesting

I watched parents dress up as Witches, true story, well the Mums, Dad had a Gorilla mask on, whilst kids did the trick or treat.

We have a large open window at the front.

Can't answer any further because we really don't celebrate it, it's an American thing, we just let the kids get the enjoyment. Mind you Facebook has made me laugh

Same here FS, my little boy dressed up as a werewolf. I made a pumpkin pie and the kids carved up the pumpkin. I used some Samhain oil, that I bought from Star Child in Glastonbury, in a room fragrencer. It was pissing it down so we didn't get any trick or treaters. So I've got a lot of sweets left over.

The main event is Monday. I've got shitloads of fireworks and a big pile of wood. My daughter has been running a competition over whose face should go on the guy, and the most popular suggestion by a mile is Mitt Romney. I'll wait until the weekend before I make the guy though, they can be a bit creepy.

I miss fireworks. They banned them here along time ago, Forth of July, as idiots would attach them to animals.. Kind of glad they banned them for that reason and I look forward to NYE to see them at the beach, held by authorities ..

It is amazing what you can carve into these Pumpkins.. One recently I saw on Facebook made me crack up... There was a can of beer next to the head and off course, the head had pumpkin spew instead of stew;)

I know some "young" ladies are scared of Halloween and turn the lights off pretending no one is home.

It made me think, how scary it "could" be if accompanied by a tall person dressed in discuise came to my front door for candy... Sure if I googled it, I'd find cases.. Opportunity presents itself, through hidden situations.

Now, I am glad we don't go full on with Halloween either over here, or else I probably would be working out who I open the door to and who I didn't.

I don't think they'd be able to ban fireworks over here, it goes back way too far. Bonfire Night was always my favourite festival when I was a kid, and I've been wanting to have a fire for a very long time. The rainy Spring and Summer meant I couldn't have one earlier, or grow any peas this year.

I hope that you and FS will take this as a complement rather than a negative reply, I think that you have come along way but then again maybe I have been wrong and you have been correct all along.

I have found that the both of you have much wisdom in what you share and this probably comes with age. I would also have to add that you FS and me get a lot wrong that we think is correct but I do think that experience may be on our side, "with all that said I also think that Jacque gets much more right than I do but just as myself he gets much of it wrong as well.

I sure do miss Ryan and wish that he was here to share his point of view.

Please do not take this as hateful toward any type of religion.

I don't think that I've been on any sort of journey at all old mate.

PS ComplEment is something that is an add on, or enhances something else, like complentary medicine, or vanilla complementing chocolate. I think you meant ComplIment. Easy mistake to make.

I don't understand RL how you feel that we get "alot wrong" that we think is correct but yet, experience is on our side.

Here is the thing. I am whom I am, I do feel that wisdom is something that we all get off course with age, but also that leasons learnt in life and an inner strength and sense can also be a guide for people, and that is experience. I don't feel I get alot wrong. I only feel that alot of people here on this particular Forum are wiser than me but that does not mean that sometimes what I state, is not wiser. I admire them, here.

Experience comes in alot of forms and I have experienced perhaps more than the average person.. I was never one to love English or History, yet, I was one that experienced alot that others have never had the chance to.. That too is wisdom in a different light..

Everyone has a personality and expertise and I admire those that use it.