Wiccans/Pagans: Why would someone do this?

Question

I’m Catholic. My church's Eucharistic chapel was recently desecrated. Apparently, they found herbs and chicken feathers. I don’t know any other details. Why would anyone do this?
Thank you in advance for your courtesy and explanations.

Two updates:
1. I did not assume it was Wiccans/Pagans, but was told this--I don't know how they know or maybe suspect. I was hoping your answers actually would clarify.
2. I just saw a story of a man who opened up a book on witchcraft and purposely invited demons into his life. When he was being attacked by them, he turned to a "white witch" (this is what the witch called himself) to try to fend them off. Unfortunately, the problem got worse. In the end, a regular layperson helped this man be rid of his demons (which actually came to possess him) by calling upon Christ so DON'T tell me Satanism and Wicca is not related. This is only one of so many stories I've heard about witches and possession/demons. Thanks.

These answers are very weird to me. All the time I hear about what Catholics do and other accusations---but I usually give the person the benefit of the doubt. For example, "I'm sorry you experienced this with another Catholic. Unfortunately, this person clearly doesn't know what his own Church teaches and you were hurt by that." or something to that effect. But everyone here is telling me it couldn't have happened or it couldn't be Wiccans/Pagans. It DID happen and I do think that perhaps it was Satanists, but I do not think it was a prank. And, for the record, I too have known and do know Pagans and Wiccans and I would never think that they were part of this either so it's really not prejudice--seriously, the accusation against me to SO defensive that it reminds of Shakespeare's famous words: "Me thinks thou doth protest too much." Geesh.

Could anyone answer my question? I didn't ask why would WICCANS or PAGANS or PEOPLE WITH RED HAIR or anybody in particular do this---I asked why would someone--i.e. anybody at all do this? What does this mean? Does anyone know?

Good grief, people---I am NOT asking about Wiccans/Pagans or why they do anything!!!! I am only asking: what do chicken feathers and herbs mean? Enough with the attacks. Seriously.

Answer 1

first of all wiccans believe that harm none is kind of an universal law. most believe that whatever you send out is returned three fold, so they would never do something like that.

most pagans (not all pagans follow wicca) believe pretty much the same thing. the earth religions would never desecrate someone else's sacred space.

it sounds to me like it was someone that enjoys vandalism, and they probably wanted to make you think pagan.

i'm pagan, but my daughter is catholic. she has respect for other religions and so do i.

where did you read that story? (update #2)
your main question was wiccans/pagans: why would someone do this? it kind of sounds like you wanted to know why wiccans/pagans would do that.
maybe you didn't mean it like that. i didn't take it personally, but you should understand why some people would.

Answer 2

Assuming that it was indeed a deliberate desecration (after all, we have less details than you do) - the primary reason would likely be that somebody has a beef with either your church in specific, or Catholocism in general. (Well, assuming that it wasn't just the random act of someone not entirely with it.)

As to what the mean? It'd depend on the person, the herbs, the state the feathers were in, etc. Could be the remnants of some ritual they did on the altar, could be that they ate a chicken dinner there. It's too hard to say the reasons why those particular objects were there, at least without having details, pictures, etc.

I agree witht the others that most Pagans would not be involved in this. Obviously, there's bad eggs in every group, so it *could* have been done by a Pagan - or a member of any other religious group. There is a distinct probability that this was simply done by someone trying to get a rise out of you, someone more interested in vandalizing the altar because they could, as opposed to any sort of anti-Catholic activity.

Answer 3

I have a question for you - why did the Christian kids in my neighborhood hang the Valedictorian's cat from a tree and beat it to death when I was in high school? What do you mean you don't know? But you're a Catholic, therefore of the Chrisitan faith, and even though Protestants and Catholics differ on some points, you both follow God and Jesus, so you MUST know why Christian kids would do this, right?

People would do this because they hate the Catholic church. The reason you are getting so many angry responses is because by asking us you are clearly implying that we would somehow know why someone would be sick enough to leave herbs and chicken feathers in your church. In all actuality, it is likely some teenagers who think that what the CATHOLIC CHURCH has taught them encompass witchcraft and satanism - two DESTINCTLY DIFFERENT THINGS - decided to rebel against the Catholic church by doing something stereotypically and incorrectly linked with Paganism/Wicca and/or Satanism.

I'm very sorry that your church was desecrated. However, the fact that you targeted us specifically in your question rather than asking a general question to all the faiths on this board shows that you are ignorant to our ways, which means you will be attacked by those of us who have been dealing with sideways glances at our pentacles or tirades about Jesus for a very long time and are fed up with it.

So we did not do it, and please don't ask us why there are sick people out there. We don't know any more than you do. As for the story about the guy inviting demons into his life and turning into a white witch, that's propaganda and the Catholic church has been doing it for centuries - no offense.

Answer 4

I am not a Pagan or a Wiccans and as a matter of principle, I do not support any organized religion or meditation or spiritual group. Spirituality is a personal thing...

I was a catholic, was to be a priest (seminary) and I can tell you that we were told that to become a Freemason, you had to walk on the cross and spit on it. There were even books written about it as fiction, that were used to re-inforce the priestly myths that were preached from the pulpit but never written down as "church policy".

So if there is such "sickness" in the world, I would remain "christ-like" and hate the sin, but not the sinner and certainly not the "group" as if they were all "sinners" or guilty by association with a "name" or word. That is the danger of "organized" religion. Any sick person can divide them because the 'group' itself divides those who belong to the group from the rest of society as if they are "the good" and the rest of the "unclean masses" or infidels" or "non-believers" were the "bad" and serve Satan and will go to HELL.

Even though I am not a Catholic anymore, I will not go to hell anymore than before when i was a Catholic. I did all my NOVENAS (nine first fridays for Christ and nine first saturdays for Mary of going to confession and communion) and I am guaranteed of a Place in Heaven no matter what I do, right? Or is that also a "myth" and a "lie". Now it was not me who desacrated your church, but if it was, I would still be guarantee a place in heaven. And you would blame the WICCANS and the PAGANS or the GOTHS or the HOMOSEXUALS etc...

If Christians were more like Christ and walked with the poor, the sinners, and the thieves and the hookers, we would have fewer divisions in our societies and our human WORLD would be more representative of the ONE and it's ONE-ness of all LIFE. THE UNIVERSE is still PERFECT but the HUMAN creations, SOCIETY is ans has always been "Divided" one against the other. I think that RELIGION is the MAIN cause. And I think the the word "GOD" is a the root of the problem. I use the "ONE" as my concept of the CREATOR. and the ALL as my concept of the CREATION

A little poem:

B-4, B-3, B-2
Before be two, Be ONE...

If you are ONE with your Brothers and Sisters on this planet, you will have made this world more UNITED and will have reduced the possibility that religious leaders can take you to war against other groups such as the WICCANS and the PAGANS who were after all historically dessimated by the Christians (50,000 Witches were burned, including catholic Saint Joan of Arc) and the Pagans who went to the Arena to be tortured to death by beast or fire by then Christian Roman Emperor Constantine, and other Christian Emperors of Ancient Rome speak to the "hypocracy" of Christianity, but not to the humility and forgiveness of Christ. There would be more followers of Christ if it wasn't for Christians and the Christian Churches....Do not preach forgiveness, practice it...

Cyril Borg, the Cyborg...

Answer 5

I have no idea why someone would do something like this, but I think it is safe to say who ever did this act had no respect for your religion, nor did they have respect for your house of worship. I left Christianity for Paganism, but I have never experienced any hatred on the level that this individual or group of individuals feel towards your house of worship. There are many people who say they are Pagan or any other religion just to be different, and there is a small group with in this portion of society who will commit such acts to improve their own moral, and strike back at those they feel have wronged them. This very well may have been the root cause of this atrocious action on your church.

Peace out and Blessed Be to all

24 y.o. Pagan College Student

Answer 6

Like Girl Wonder siad - probably a bunch of punk kids thinking they are cool to play stupid tricks on a church. Nothing to do with any real Pagans/Wiccans or even Satanists. Just is a lack of respect that a lot of young people seem to have anymore.

A bunch of kids recently tipped over a bunch of gravestones in a local cemetary. Was thousands of dollars in damage and some of the families really hurt. Fortunately some organizations donated labor to fix it and they did catch the vandals.

Answer 7

My guess is that it was probably kids within the church trying to cause a ruckus. Real Wiccans/Pagans don't do that kind of thing-- we show other religions respect in the hope that they will show us respect and consideration in return.

Edit: Ha ha ha, I like how you're telling a bunch of Pagans/Wiccans that you KNOW we're related to Satanism despite the fact that we AREN'T. That story is probably false, or dealt with another form of witchcraft unrelated to Wicca. Wicca is not the only form of "Witchcraft" that exists.

I think maybe we would know better than you would, hm? If a bunch of Wiccans tell you it probably wasn't a Wiccan, then I think that's probably the evidence to go with.

Answer 8

Ummm... Pagans and Wiccans don't believe in the Judeo-Christian God. Since we don't believe in Him, we wouldn't be likely to desecrate anything simply because it is related to Him. That would require some ammount of hatred or rage against something that in our minds doesn't exist, and would be pointless. I won't say that some Christians who have converted don't bear some grudge, but in general, I'd not be inclined to believe that a Pagan or Wiccan would waste their time doing something like that.

It sounds more like the work of a group of kids or asociopath, which could be from any religion. You'd need to give more information for me to be able to come to any conclusion. (And I'm not sure that I like that you directed this question specifically to Pagans and Wiccans with so little information. It shows that you are falling into a prejudiced reaction based on ignorance and fear.)

Answer 9

Herbs and chicken feathers? Probably just some teenage kids pretending to be devil worshippers.

Such an act of desecration would go against the teachings of every pagan religion out there.

Answer 10

I'm not a Wiccan or a Pagan, but I can tell you that it was probably not a Pagan who did this. I'd guess it was some teenagers who thought it'd be cool to try some satanic ritual in your church to piss people off. Paganism has nothing to do with your Satan.