Why Wicca WON'T grow into a big religion

I actually hope it will, because I am Wiccan. But knowing that the people of Totse are cynical as hell, I decided to give in. Tell me why you think Wicca won't grow into a religion with numerous followers. Or tell me why it will if you want, it's just that I don't expect lots of those posts.

Usualy big religions have some supernatural event inspiring the founder and there is no way to disprove it. Wicca was probably invented no earlyer than the thrities and only became known when witchcraft was legalised in Britain in the fifties.

[This message has been edited by MasterPython (edited 01-16-2007).]

Because many people see it as "evil" and a lot of people probably think they worship Satan or some other nonsensicle bullshit. If people know you're a Wiccan (and I'm sure you've experienced this) they will most likely think you are strange, stop talking to you, shun you, etc.

Also, isn't it true that if a soldier in the US military dies and he's a Wiccan they won't allow the Wiccan symbol to be put onto his gravestone just because it's the pentagram? Of course any other religious symbol is accepted but because the Christians associate the pentagram with Satan you can't have your symbol.

Because it is a constructed religion with gods from all over the world that few people believe in. Because it utilizes magic, a practice few people believe in. Because the few wiccans anyone sees are either teenage goth-tards or crunchy new-agey hippies, which people believe in but don't aspire to be. Because once the goth-tards realize that the magic is not supposed to be a huge component of wicca, nor is it the kind of dramatic stuff they see on tv, they lose interest. Because no one understands a word that comes out of the new-agey hippies mouths, so they all move to San Francisco and are insulated from the rest of the country and world. Because many people think that the sort of ritual implemented in wicca is silly dungeons and dragons-type drivel.

That's my theory, anyway.

Because it thought dead gods needed another go.

quote:Originally posted by Jaimie:

Because it is a constructed religion with gods from all over the world that few people believe in. Because it utilizes magic, a practice few people believe in. Because the few wiccans anyone sees are either teenage goth-tards or crunchy new-agey hippies, which people believe in but don't aspire to be. Because once the goth-tards realize that the magic is not supposed to be a huge component of wicca, nor is it the kind of dramatic stuff they see on tv, they lose interest. Because no one understands a word that comes out of the new-agey hippies mouths, so they all move to San Francisco and are insulated from the rest of the country and world. Because many people think that the sort of ritual implemented in wicca is silly dungeons and dragons-type drivel.

That's my theory, anyway.

I agree with this statement.

quote:Originally posted by Jaimie:

Because it is a constructed religion with gods from all over the world that few people believe in. Because it utilizes magic, a practice few people believe in. Because the few wiccans anyone sees are either teenage goth-tards or crunchy new-agey hippies, which people believe in but don't aspire to be. Because once the goth-tards realize that the magic is not supposed to be a huge component of wicca, nor is it the kind of dramatic stuff they see on tv, they lose interest. Because no one understands a word that comes out of the new-agey hippies mouths, so they all move to San Francisco and are insulated from the rest of the country and world. Because many people think that the sort of ritual implemented in wicca is silly dungeons and dragons-type drivel.

That's my theory, anyway.

"Crunchy"?

[Prometheus]

I doubt it will ever get to be as big as Catholicism or Buddhism, but it's growing in popularity every day. People are growing dissatisfied with the flaws in their current religions, and as the religious are prone to do, are willing to look where they can for that ultimate Truth. Wicca conveys a pretty positive message.

[Jobe1Canoby]

Because its stupid?

[Viraljimmy]

quote:Originally posted by BlankDeed:

"Crunchy"?

I know. Is he chewing on hippies?

Because most people don't chose their religions based on what the overall meaning or positive message is, they practice a religion because they've generally done it since they were a kid, and it's what they genuinely believe in. You cant just change that by offering up a new option.

Even if less and less people follow larger religions, they're not going to convert to something that requires just as much blind faith, since generally people stop worshiping because they become agnostic, or believe wholly in scientific discovery, or become Scientologists.

It's the truth.

quote:Originally posted by Viraljimmy:

I know. Is he chewing on hippies?

You guys have never heard "crunchy" used that way before?

http:../../www.urbandictionary.com/define.php@term=crunchy

Because there is no good reason for it to get bigger. I know a few wiccans and not damn one of them is any better off or even happier for that matter than when they were being force fed moral values from a "Respected" religon.

Fuck this shit, I'm starting my own religion.

[yango wango]

Because faith constantly evolves along with humans. Romans conquered the Celts, etc. Celtic beliefs merge with Christian beliefs. Celtic beliefs fade away. At a time Wicca and other Pagan faiths encompased the globe and the words of Abraham and other early monothestic faiths were just a tiny wimper.

And Wiccan covens are not suposed to have more than nine or thirteen members or something like that. plus no central control.

Every single fucking Wiccan I've met has been an overweight female in highschool, except one whom was skinny (yet still a female).

The only reason Wicca is possible is because the movie "The Craft" exists. Fuck this worthless religion, a respect Wiccans even less than I respect Christians. Every single Wiccan I've met is in it for the attention.

[psycho_8b]

Wicca, from what I have seen isn't really a religion as such but a collection of beliefs and practices. Kinda like VooDoo.

From the "Wiccans" I have met, there is no supernatural being, no afterlife, no heaven or hell to fear. It's more like a way of life which promotes balance and equality with nature and using nature to do things like cast spells that don't work and shit like that.

I agree with all this paganism and stuff in the respect that it promotes balancing oneself with the world around them, not harm it but cherish it.

What I dislike about it is all the damn kids calling themselves Wiccans and Pagans and God knows what other names they have for it.

They see it as a fashion statement and a way to basically say "Well fuck the world...I hate Christianity and I'm going to prove it by dying my hair, doing things I know are going to piss people off and casting a spell on you with my book of shadows!"

Why class yourself as anything? Why not just believe what you believe and be a good person? I'm sure any person of any faith can agree with that.

I think its a pretty lame religion; In my opinion it's on the same level as Scientology.

Why? Any great religion has historical backing. Even Buddhism has a historical event which inspired it.

[Prometheus]

There's a lot of truth to the statement that people tend to believe in something because that's what they grew up with. That's changing a lot now. Look at how popular the Muslim faith is becoming with black Americans (don't ask my why whites aren't converting as much, I just don't know).

As for Wicca encompassing the globe. No. Wicca is only about 50 years old, and draws heavily on a variety of pagan sources.

And I'll have to disagree with the comparison to voodoo too, even though voodoo is now a recognized religion. Wicca is more than a collection of beliefs. You have your specific deities. A fairly specific vision of the afterlife (with reincarnation optional in some sects). Stuff like that. Magic spells and the like are often recognized as just an elaborate form of prayer.

Don't be hatin' on the witches until after you've danced naked under the pale moonlight.

[---Beany---]

Because it's negatively stereotyped.

I'll give you one reason: Goths.

[KikoSanchez]

You guys need something epic to show the world you're a real religion.

Judaism had adam & eve.

Christianity had the crusades.

Islam had the conquering of most of southern asia and northern africa in just about 1200 years.

Wicca needs something, just anything. Go burn some non-believers at the stake, or start a webpage called wiccapedia.org so you can get sued and get press time.

Because it's adherants don't go around slaughtering infidels by the hundreds of thousands?

Wicca is a satanist cult and if you don't renounce it and proclaim Jesus Christ as your saviour, you'll go straight to the depths of hell.

quote:Originally posted by HideandSeek:

Wicca is a satanist cult and if you don't renounce it and proclaim Jesus Christ as your saviour, you'll go straight to the depths of hell.

k.

Well it is actually a big religion already.

It was actually the first recorded in history.

From before Greek mythology there was a religion that worshiped a goddess and did rituals by moon phases and such.(the rest are in this one Greek myth book I read when i was bored)

But then the Greeks came in changed it all to male dominated religion and blah blah blah

And it doesnt need to become open because most Wiccans and Pagans alike don't feel the need to advertise it or try to convert others or prove that they are right and others are wrong.

...Wicca is not the first recorded religion in history.

There was a guy named Gerald Gardner who claimed it was a surviving form of old European Paganism, and that a woman had taught him everything about it. This was sometime in the mid 1900's. If it can be called old at all, it's simply because most Wiccan rituals took elements from other religions considered paganist, which happen to date much further back. Modern Wicca is highly derived from books Gardner published.

want the truth? people are lazy.

have you seen the size of those spell books?? try getting the average person with enough attention span to read literature and live by it.

wicca is in no way related or like the big religions. switching between judaism, christianity and islam isn't as bad. sure they are different, but at least the new convert will still have a holy book, an almighty god, heaven and such.



wicca is way too out there and demanding for most people. people want to go to church on sunday morning, be bored, complain every week about going, and just hear some of the sermon. imagine getting a suburbia family up and together for rituals in the woods?

and unfortunately, our livelihoods are not natural by any means and people are not willing to change. change is bad, the more normal and easy, the better.

i don't agree, but its the way it is

quote:Originally posted by ---Beany---:

Because it's negatively stereotyped.

quote:Originally posted by Prometheus:

There's a lot of truth to the statement that people tend to believe in something because that's what they grew up with. That's changing a lot now. Look at how popular the Muslim faith is becoming with black Americans (don't ask my why whites aren't converting as much, I just don't know).

As for Wicca encompassing the globe. No. Wicca is only about 50 years old, and draws heavily on a variety of pagan sources.

And I'll have to disagree with the comparison to voodoo too, even though voodoo is now a recognized religion. Wicca is more than a collection of beliefs. You have your specific deities. A fairly specific vision of the afterlife (with reincarnation optional in some sects). Stuff like that. Magic spells and the like are often recognized as just an elaborate form of prayer.

Don't be hatin' on the witches until after you've danced naked under the pale moonlight.

Very well said!!!

[Hare_Geist]

quote:Originally posted by ---Beany---:

Because it's negatively stereotyped.

Delicately summed up accurately. Nice.

quote:Originally posted by HideandSeek:

Wicca is a satanist cult and if you don't renounce it and proclaim Jesus Christ as your saviour, you'll go straight to the depths of hell.

At least I can do flaming-farts often, to amuse myself.

Wicca isn't big...because well, it's just such a modern mismach, and like Psycho said, it's like spirituality/living closer to nature, but for the weak, who just want to label themselves and stop thinking.

Also, it has tons of dumb teenage fans, who are mainly just clueless tits, and haven't even read into the occult, or paganism and all that jazz.

I guess i do believe in some areas of the beliefs of the celts and stuff, and I definatly believe in the human race being close to nature is in our best interest, but there are tons of questions Wicca just doesn't answer, and there are so many areas than can (and have been) built on by other areas of spirituality.

Plus, as Jaimie very correctly pointed out, we have a real dislike/fear/mistrust of anything related to "magic" that isn't written by J.K.Rowling, in this modern age. Sure, stuff like healing is getting more attention, but most of the public stuff believe fully in monotheistic beliefs with a whole "social structure" layed out to support them, and make them "happy", or else in our modern commercial materialism, which again...has the same thing.

I also think Wicca and witchcraft in general is also just a "label" and a simplification of concepts that most definatly aren't so. When witches put datura up their vagina to talk to the devil, there was a lot more involved that most of us can ever explain. Ah I dunno.