My perception of Wicca

Argue for and against religions and philosophies which are not Christian

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Bugmaster
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My perception of Wicca

Post #1

Post by Bugmaster »

I've posted my perception on Wicca on another thread. However, I'm personally not a Wiccan, and I'm afraid I may have inadvertently misrepresented Wiccan belief. So... would any Wiccans here care to correct me if this is the case ?
Bugmaster wrote:As far as I know, Wiccans are not monotheists. This means that, according to Wiccans, the Judeo-Christian God (Jesus, YHVH, Allah) is a myth. Instead, Wiccans worship a variety of gods; notably the Earth Mother (an anthropomorphic personification of our planet and the feminine aspect) and the Horned God (her male aspect counterpart). Many Wiccans also worship forest spirits, the Ancient Greek pantheon, totems, and other things.

The primary rule of Wicca is the Rule of Three: whatever you do -- good or bad -- will come back to you threefold, and in this life, not the next. The secondary rule of Wicca is, "and if harm none, do what ye will" -- a direct consequence of the Rule of Three.

Interestingly enough, the central focus of Wicca is not on worhip, but on spellcasting. Wiccans believe that they can affect reality by will alone (or, at least, by brewing potions and reciting incantations). They believe that they have the power to make plants grow, heal injuries, protect others from bodily harm, etc.; this power may derive from their gods, or it may be innate to each Wiccan; opinions vary on that one. Obviously, Wiccans also have the power to inflict harm, but, according to the Rule of Three, it would be stupid of them to do so.

In general, Wiccans have a great respect and admiration for nature; many of them are vegetarians or vegans, because they feel eating meat is unethical. Many important Wiccan rites (and their major spellcasting rituals) occur in natural surroundings, such as parks and forests.

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Re: Huh?

Post #11

Post by Lanternshine »

McCulloch wrote:...it is customary in debate to explain why you believe that another's point of view is "utterly erroneous" rather than to simply state that someone's view is wrong.

Fair enough. (Although I notice that Lynalia wasn't held to that same convention when she offered her bold-faced pronouncement.) Nonetheless, I am more than happy to comply:

Religion
Quick definitions (religion)
http://www.onelook.com/?w=religion&ls=a

• noun: a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny
• noun: institution to express belief in a divine power (Example: "He was raised in the Baptist religion")

If you so choose, please follow the links to the many dictionaries that offer substantially the same definitions.

Wicca
Sadly, Onelook offers no "Quick definitions" for Wicca, but there are several respectable dictionary links, the preponderance of which define it as a religion or (at a minimum) a religious practice. There are, indeed, those that consider Wicca a cult (albeit a religious cult) and several that consider it synonymous with witchcraft, which is a subject for another debate.
http://www.onelook.com/?w=wicca&ls=a

Please note that none of the definitions refer to Wicca as a philosophy.

Please, also, accept my apology for needlessly reviving a retired thread. Had I done due diligence and followed up on the poster, I would have realized that this was one of only five messages and should probably be afforded little consequence. Unfortunately, I allowed the comment to ruffle me, hence my previous post.

McCulloch wrote:Welcome to the debates :wave:

Thanks for the howdy. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to visit this site though. Time and energy being limited, I usually confine my online posting (and debates) — on this topic, at least — to sites that can assist me in spiritual growth rather than expending effort arguing its validity. Nonetheless, it's nice to feel welcome. Thanks again. :)


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