VALDAN said:
Someone posted in this thread or another one a very good point.
In America Christians are about 80% of the population, which is why Christmas is so celebrated here. In Isreal, I would expect to see a Jewish ceremony or prayer at a event. In India, I would expect to see something of their culture. the same from every other country and their culture. Even though other people live in these countries, i don't think they think that the country's culture is being forced on them. They accept it and experience their own religions and ways of life.
So why can't the Christians in America celebrate their days and show our symbols without everyone else trying to stop us? We don't do it in other countries, why is Christian bashing allowed here?
No one is stopping them. They are just asking for equality. Hmmm, maybe we should scream that instead of just saying it since people keep claiming it even though it isn't true.
dmadman43 said:
Well. I personally think this is all about the "C" word. If Wiccans (whatever the hell they are), or Jews, or Muslims, or even the made up Kwanzaa had the majority, no one would be complaining.
Nope this is about the way we get treated by the Christian majority.
Oh and Wicca is a nature based religion. We are commonly called witches though that isn't the case. Wicca has NOTHING to do with the Christian god or the devil so witchcraft doesn't explain it right. In fact we don't believe in either one.
Btw, whatever the hell they are is a good way of insulting people. You could have just asked what Wicca was. Instead you insulted. What's the point in that other than making all of us non-christians angry? Would you actually dare to ask that kind of question about someone of the Jewish faith? Or of the Mormon? Or Muslim? Or any of the others? We are a fast growing faith in the entire world. There is no reason to insult us. We may not have as many professed members as you (as I said, we are a secretive lot) but that doesn't make us any less valid.
Next time, BE POLITE.
Lisa loves Pooh said:
I hope you didn't think I was insulting you--I have only seen it as an ice cream cake at Friendly's or maybe Carvel.
Nope. Of course not.
Can't be expected to know something you have no experience with. I was just explaining.
Lisa loves Pooh said:
So does the city plan this--or does a group seek a permit for the park?
Allowing a permit for something is different from planning the event.
We had a Bible on Parade a few weeks ago--it is held on public streets and starts and ends at a city owned auditorium on city property. But the city didn't plan it.
Nope the city aren't allowed to plan that though they do decorate the city in lights. But not usually anything to do with religion. Mostly to do with Frosty and Santa.
They allow the permit. But thats just the point. They allow a permit that is an insult to anyone who is not a Christian because they would not allow an equal permit to other religions. There have been wiccan rituals performed in this city but we have to hide them so that no one knows. There have been problems in the past.
The Christians forced a store to be shut down in the city because it was selling Wiccan items. About 15 years ago, a bunch of kids killed themselves. The parents decided it was the devils doing and started protesting in front of the store, scaring away the customers. Most wiccans are by nature secretive about our doings so none would go near the protesters (anyone who did got called the devil's child and had people throwing holy water on them and the like). There is only one store left that sells those kinds of things now and they are hidden among foreign imports so unless your wiccan, you don't know what they are.
It's only within the last few years that its been accepted with relatively little persecution in my city. We now have a club in the University that is dedicated to Paganism (Wicca is a part of it). But most people don't know they are there. One year though, the Society for Christian Fellowship students had a protest at the University for it.
Its this kind of treatment thats the problem. We are only asking for equality not for anything special. It's these kinds of things that are the reason we are so secretive and the reason why any non-christian religion gets angry.
Now I do think the atheists were over reacting but I also think they have a point. Equal laws and equal exposure.
