nitrodamus asked this question on 1/14/2000:

"Not so weird... college professors and students have asked me for information about my path, and there is one teacher in particular who is studying it in depth, from an academic point of view of course."

I think Wicca is kinda cool and it has many interesting legends and myths and stories I'm sure... definitely more interesting than the bible stories... actually I decided long time ago to someday look up wicca and check it out.

"Yes, I heard about Cat Magic. I haven't read it, but I know that Whitley Strieber talked to real high priestesses and priests during his research, so I know he did his homework. I've seen a film based on another of his novels, "Communion" (starring Christopher Walken as Whitley Strieber himself), about experiences that the author says he had with UFO abductions (he wrote two or three novels about that)."

Well try to read Cat Magic... It's truly a great book. Some parts are just very tragic.. like when the high priestess is tortured by some religious leaders in the 15th century or something. Very un-putdownable.

'"I wanted to compliment you on how you handled one of those recent letters: "I guess without the bible we wouldn't have the KKK, the end-of-world prophecies, creation 'scientists' who seek to destroy science and put it in disrepute, murderers who try to accelerate the 'coming of Jesus', etc.""'

"Plus the Inquisition; don't forget the Inquisition :-)"

Oh yes the inquisition. Actually I don't know much about the inquisition except that it was done by the spanish. Was it like a witch-hunt or something?

We cannot forget that when new lands were discovered, the native peoples were forced to convert to christianity. And of course many of them were killed and their whole way of life was totally messed up.

"Let's see... this person said, "Regarding evolution: I would point out that we often pay far too much attention to the suppositions of scientists and far too little attention to their observations. Their observations are vital, their suppositions are opinion. Too often we jump to conclusions. We quickly bypass scientific observations (not attempting to draw our own conclusions) and head straight for the scientist's conclusions- this is truly blind faith."

"Is this equating blind faith with following the scientific method? Interesting... blind faith... believing without seeing... isn't that just the opposit of the scientific method OBSERVATION)?"

You're very correct. It's easy to see that they've built their rickety outhouse on very unstable foundations! Half the time, they're contradicting themselves. One minute they're saying that science cannot prove anything, the next minute they're saying that science is in full accordance with the bible. I mean cmon... And I do wish that they'd line up and get organized. It seems that every single person has his/her own views which are often very different from the beliefs which the religion prescribes. It's like fighting a many-headed dragon or something... HEY it fits perfectly... didn't the revelation say that there will come in the end days a many headed dragon or something like that... WHOA I think we're on to something here! Heh heh heh...

You too see how the bible is so full of ambiguous words which can be interpreted a million different ways. I even totally threw a bunch of their 'biblical scientific discoveries' out the window!

'"Their only redeeming quality they have is, they pay their taxes so that some of it is allocated for scientific research."'

"On the down side, however, they also vote and reproduce..."

Yeah!!! Hahahahhaahhahahahahahaha! My god your funny! IT STAYS!!!!!! <sorry, inside joke!)... Hey you know, you're almost as cruel as I am. (My motto is "Cruelty with a smile"... heh heh heh). Unfortunately, I fear that we're being too harsh on them, we better be nice to them, otherwise where else can we get our punching bags?

"Anyhow, if you wish to analyze this any further, I could recommend some books, although you said you're not big on non-fiction..."

Well sure, tell me... only problem is, books are unfortunately number 2 on my list of priorities. Computers is number 1. Only when I don't have a computer do I turn to books. Also, my inbox is piling up higher and higher... so how will I have any time to reply and open up a sixpack of whop-ass upside our opponents' head!

Forgive me but right now, I got to go to sleep, I'm feeling a bit groggy... So... good night.

minerva gave this response on 1/14/2000:

Well, the Spaniard Inquisitor Torquemada is indeed one of the most famous (for his cruelty towards women), but the Inquisition did travel all through Europe, "cleansing" the world of so-called "witches".

A lot of things were happening in Europe at the time. Economic, political, and religious changes were taking place... poor people kept getting stabbed in the back by the wealthy class, and they were getting sick (the Black Plague) and going hungry, and dying by the hundreds each day. They were suffering, and they needed something (or someone) outside of themselves to blame it on.

The wealthy people in power have always found a way to provide a scapegoat. The church needed a crusade and the medical establishment needed to drown out the competition. You see, when the villagers needed a counselor, or a cure for their ailments, they went to the village witch. She had just the right tea to cure that headache, and she wouldn't charge you for it, because this was your neighbor... the one who took care of you while you were growing up, officiated over your marriage rites, and midwifed the birth of your children. She was doctor, psychologist, religious leader, all in one. And her remedies came straight from nature, from "mother earth", the giver of life.

But the rich male "hack doctors" (rejects from med school) who made synthetic which caused side effects sometimes worse than the illness itself, and who charged amounts of money for them that most people couldn't pay, saw this as a threat to their livelihood. So they fueled the fire of the church that was looking for a "devil" to blame the plague on. "Surely it must be witchcraft..."

Then it took on political undertones when they started giving rewards to people for denouncing witches. The property confiscated from the accused would belong to the state, the church... and the "good citizen" who pointed the finger. More people started naming names, whether out of ignorance or just plain greed--if maybe the accused was well-to-do, there could be a fortune to be made. Sometimes the accused was a beautiful young woman who refused the sexual advances of a lustful reverend, framed out of vengeance for not submitting.

Once accused, these people were automatically guilty. The "trial" was just for show, with false testimony by witnesses paid by the church, and "evidence" cleverly staged even by the judges themselves. Torture was used to force confessions (and after hours--or even days--of intense pain, who wouldn't confess?).

Oh, sure, there were "fair" tests to prove the accused person's innocence: like "floating the witch", for example. The woman was submerged into a lake--if she was without guilt, the water would welcome her. If she was "unholy" she would float, for the water--being one of God's first creations--would reject her. [Or perhaps it was the other way around?] Either way the accused died.

Actually, there's a website that you can visit, it's www.witchvox.com

The average rating for this answer is 5.

nitrodamus rated this answer a 5.

One word. WOW.

The christains need saving alright!! from THEMSELVES!!

I'm sure that the three major religions are a form of plague loosed upon us by frivolous gods & godesses!