Why do textbooks lie about wicca and witchcraft?

Question

I am doing a research paper for U.S history class. I chose the salem witch trial with two other friends. As we were flipping through our textbooks I saw an article about witchcraft and religions related to it (wicca,etc.) interested I read what they had to say and was astonished to find out that the school considered Witchcraft (and wicca) to be a satanic religion that calls upon the devil using human sacrafice!!! As a wiccan and a Witch i found this highly offensive! Other books say similar things in our school library! Is there any way I can convince the school or textbook company to change their minds? I was getting ready to come "out of the broom closet" too! What can i do now? I don't want to keep my religion a secret for fear of discrimination! But i don't want to be called a satanist!

Also, I just told my best friend I'm wiccan and shes doing the report with me! Since I haven't told her anything about wicca yet she is now asumming im a Devil worshipper!!!!!

I go to a public school

Answer 1

You are in a tough spot. I to am Wiccan and come from an Eastern Orthodox background. My wife is also Wiccan and comes from a Bible-thumpin' Baptist background (if you ever have a Bible question, just ask her. LOL). We both found seperately before we met that Christianity was too full of anger and hate of people different (they call it concern and try to convert you) for our good. We need something much more calm and open-minded. Buddhist is another belief system we both investigated, and we both include many eastern aspects into our rituals.

My 11-year old daughter was recently called a "witch" in a durogatory way by a school employee. An email to the principal with the school district being Cc'd resulted in a district official an the principal calling me and appolizing profusely.

The foundation of most religions is that their's is the best and everyone else's sucks. I believe that my religion (Wicca) is not the best, but it works best for me, therefore it's best for me. Many fundamentalist Christians can't accept that because they fear anyone not like them. Their religion works for them so it should work for everyone.

Christianity set itself up so that ANY religion other then Christianity is "of the Devil". Erica Jong in her bood "Witches" said it best "when religions decay and gods are replaced, there is a consistent dynamic: the gods of the old religion inevitably, become the devils of the new.” This is how religious leaders keep control over their flock, by fear, and of course, only they can protect the flock from the spectre that looms over them.

Many religions have a "tempter", one who temps man to do evil things, but the Devil as is referred to here, as purely evil, is a purely Christian invention. Islam also has a devil-like character, but not in the same sense as the Christians - he has no power other then to cast evil suggestions into the hearts of men. The Christian Devil can actually DO evil things.

From Religious Tolerance.org:

"Some people sincerely believe that over 75% of the human race (including Wiccans) are followers of Satanism. Others, including Satanists, Wiccans, religious historians, many theologians, those mainline and liberal Christians and individuals who are knowledgeable about minority religions, etc., consider Wicca and Satanism to be two unrelated groups of religious traditions. They share few points of similarity. In fact, many of their beliefs and practices are diametrically opposed to each other."

One of the first things to do is tell them that the Devil doesn't even exist in our religion. We live by a very strict but easy crede:

Bide The Wiccan Law Ye Must,
In Perfect Love, In Perfect Trust.
Eight Words The Wiccan Rede Fulfill:
An Ye Harm None, Do As Ye Will.
And Ever Mind The Rule Of Three:
What Ye Send Out, Comes Back To Thee.
Follow This With Mind And Heart,
And Merry Ye Meet, And Merry Ye Part.

Our belief strongly stresses the point of you can do as you please AS LONG AS YOUR ACTIONS DON'T HARM ANOTHER. Also, a punishment for such is set out with the Rule of Three. What you do will come back to you, good or bad. Maybe not threefold, maybe not in the way you sent it out, but it will. Every action has an opposite reaction. Good energy begets good energy, bad energy begets bad energy.

Another common misconception is that we practice black magick, which as you see above, would be against our beliefs. Again, black magick is a strictly Christian invention.

Wicca, as we know it is not an old religion, but has it's roots from Gerald Gardner who developed the belief system 52 years ago (which time doesn't matter because Mormonism has only been around 175 years or so and today has over 12 million members, that's growing at an average rate of almost 70,000 a year!). There are approximately 1 million neo-Pagans in the world (which Wicca is classified under), but not all Pagans are Wiccan and not all Wiccans are Pagan.

Gardner developed a new more organized belief system from neo-Paganism and incorporated traditions from many religions. Gardner was not the be-all-end-all though and Wicca has developed into a much more credible belief system today then he ever imagined (or was able to write down!).

The Burning Times (1567 - 1640) were terrible. Tens of thousands of people were systematically murdered throughout Europe and America for not being Christian, being accused of being a Witch. Whenever things would go wrong, famine, disease, and natural disasters the Catholic Church had no control over, but told the people they did, they would point to someone and make a scape-goat out of them by saying "they are a Witch, a Devil! They are the reason your crops won't grow and your children died of plague!" It was a way to control the masses and blame someone else for everything they really had no control over.

The best I can tell you is do your research for your report on the websites I've listed below. I refer many people to Religious Tolerance.org. Wikipedia is great too. What you are up against is the classic "I've been told my opinion by others, so don't confuse me with the facts."

Good luck. And stay true to yourself. Blessed Be.

P.S. The usminc.org website referred to above is Christian site in disguise attempting to debunk Wicca by the author proporting to be a Wiccan who has seen the light and returned to Jesus. But you have to look pretty hard and long in the site to find this out.

Answer 2

Many schools try to relay the message that any other religion other than Christianity is of "Satan" or the "Devil". Their books in their library will probably be the same as well.

Actually, you may can file a suit against the school for using a textbook that defaces a peaceful religion such as "Wicca", (If the textbook calls it out by name). (Please quote the text)

However, if it is just saying that during the time of the witch trials, they believed back then that these people worshipped the devil, then that is true. Those people back then, (as well as now) believed that. However, they used the accusion of witchcraft to murder many innocent people just to gain the property & belongings.

I would use your local library verses your school library, or the internet, if you decide to continue to do your paper on the Salem Witch Trials & Modern Day Wicca.

Unfortunely, we live in a world that does not appreciate diversity in all things, especially religion. Keep in mind that this may set you & your friends up to be targeted to hate-attaches. Be sure that you can handle such scrutiny. It will be hard... Think about it hard & long, because once you annouce it, there will be no turning back.

Answer 3

Because at the time these textbooks were written (Yes, they could have been published last year)... the main view of witchcraft (There was no Wicca during the time of the Salem Witch Trials) was that it was satanic. The common view of that has not changed and considering the majority of our country is still Mainstream, it will probably remain that way for some time. Also, what the textbooks will not show is that it is believed there was something wrong with the crops, mainly the wheat, that caused some of these people to have hallucinations. I forget the name of this fungus that grows on wheat and rye that causes fevers, severe sickness (stomach problems and headaches) and hallucinations. Of course, it will probably be a couple more decades before that is even considered to be added into the textbooks as well.

You will have to learn patience before you can dispell any misinformation about your religion and it's tools. Just keep in mind that people are more apt to believe propaganda than they are to listen to the truth. Especially if it deals with a religion that is not their own.

Answer 4

Assuming said textbook actually exists....

To comment on the last part of your statement, the "Witch's Pyramid" (according to most Wiccans) consists of To Know, To Will, To Dare, and To Keep Silent. If you want to tell the whole world "Hey, look at me, I'm a Wiccan!" , then you're violating the part about "To Keep Silent". But then again, the whole point of Wicca for most people is the shock value anyway.

The Salem Witch Trials and Wicca have nothing in common. The first was caused by ergotism http://usminc.org/salem.html and the latter was a cult created by Gerald Gardner some 250 years later so he could be beaten by strong willed women. http://usminc.org/index.html Wiccans insist on calling themselves "witches". The word witch has a negative connotation in every language on earth. http://usminc.org/meaning.html Many Wiccans have a persecution complex and love to endlessly explain why "Wiccans aren't Stanists", etc., so they're in no hurry to change. And for that matter, Wicca and Satanism, while not the same thing, do have some commonalities http://usminc.org/wiccasatanim.html

BTW, what is the name of this nefarious textbook and who was the publisher whom you're so outraged about yet don't mention?

Answer 5

In one word "propaganda" but then one can add to that deliberate misinformation, political motivations, power and much more.

If you want to learn about Witchcraft or Wicca (different things, but with some things in common) read some books by people who practice it or who have researched it properly.

For a history of Wicca see Prof. Ronald Hutton of Bristol University's "Triumph of the Moon" it is excellent and traces the history back to its roots and beginnings.

For Witchcraft you will need to read wider as there are many types of Witchcraft.

There is no need to try and convince people to change the way things were and are. My opinion is that it is best that you focus on your own path, do what is right, strive towards perfection in your own life and your own path. Find people who share your views with you and continue doing that and you will do no wrong.

There are witches today who still claim to be Satanic and this of course confuses the issue with Pagan Witchcraft and traditions such as Wicca. There are some things in common, but many differences.

Have you looked at websites such as www.witchvox.com; www.avalonia.co.uk, www.witchcraft.org (the latter two have excellent forums for discussion)

Answer 6

I think there is a difference between wicca and satanic religions but its hard to change a textbook. I did some research on the witch trials and witch hunts and stuff online there is lots of information i found online about the historical facts and perspectives on it. I was appalled at the way the women who were thought to be witches were treated and really they weren't witches anyway. I got so mad reading this stuff i had to stop i couldn't continue with the research and I'm a christian but they did unspeakable things to the women that they thought were witches.

Answer 7

It depends on what type of a school you attend. If it is a religious school, ther eis no way to get them to change their minds. However, if it is not, then you have every right to ask for other books to be in your library. It is (at least in Canada) against the constitution to make someone feel that way in a non-secular environment. However, if your school is secular, I'd stay in the broom closet a little longer, because you may experience some negative things, depending on what type of religion your school is, and what their policies are.

Answer 8

Definitely write to the publisher, explaining your position. Be sure to explain that the rites and rituals of modern wicca do not invoke satan or any sort of devil, but are more akin to the nature invocations of the Native Americans, calling upon the power of the elements to evoke change in the physical world. The problem is that many publishers are influenced by conservatives who view anything other than their own religion as heathen or outright evil, and support only those textbooks that hold the same views as they do. Diversity isn't exactly at the forefront of their thoughts, because Gandhi and the Dalai Lama can burn in hell for all they care -- they didn't go to MY church, so how can they be good people? These are the people who wanted to ban the Harry Potter movies from US theaters because they encouraged devil worship or some such nonsense. I think they assume that humans, as a general rule, are not capable of thinking for themselves and have to be led by the nose to safety and truth, rather than seeking it in their own lives. *pant*pant* Okay, I'm done *steps off of soapbox*

Answer 9

If I were you, I would write a letter to the publishing company, school board, and local paper.
The school's view on witchcraft is ridiculous at best, slanderous and discriminating at the worst. You would do your religion good by speaking out against such an atrocity.

Answer 10

Perhaps a call to the publisher to set the facts straight might cause them to do a little more research into the topic and maybe they'll realize they had some preconceived notions about wiccanism and they'll make some changes to the textbook.