Pagans, isn't this worrisome?

Question

I have to wonder if this person is serious. Do people honestly get their info about us from the movies?


"I don't think I'd care for it... I don't know much about witchcraft... I have watched enough movies though that it creeps me out... Besides I think people would make fun of my daughters if they were flying around on broomsticks all the time."

I mean seriously, if we could fly don't they think there'd be more pagans? Flying would be so cool.

I agree, people. I laugh at the idiots too, but it really worries me that people are quite THAT stupid.

Answer 1

you mean you don't fly?

oh, :((

Answer 2

I'm not a pagan, but I do consider this worrisome to an extent. It's important to realize that christians have been doing this sort of thing for the last 2,000 years - generally misconstruing and creating false expectations about things they don't understand.

But then, many religions thrive in ignorance and misconceptions because reality tends to disagree with their beliefs... Other beliefs (such as wiccans or paganism) tend to challenge their own viewpoint, so they instead refer to generalizations and inaccuracies from sources they think they can trust. Movies can be among these.

So it's not surprising that people (especially theists) will take a page from movies and see it as valid. When you're completely ignorant of a subject (know nothing at all about it), where do your conceptions and notions come from?

There are people who think they understand military tactics and weaponry from watching movies, or know the basics of forensics from watching CSI, it's the same sort of thing here...

Answer 3

Dude, get me a broomstick, and I'm setting up Quidditch matches! ::laughs::

If that person is being serious... yeah, it's kinda silly. My hope is that the person was being facetious, but most people's information comes from the mass media, which is notoriously poor when it comes to painting an accurate picture of Paganism.

Answer 4

Ughhhh! I hope they weren't serious....this just shows the lack of information about us among Christians....When I was in sixth or seventh grade, we were doing this poetry unit and we were writing list poems. One of my good friends at the time decided to make a list of all the things she was afraid of, guess which thing was number one? Yes, that's right, "witches". I asked her why, and she's like, "Well, they're really creepy...they eat young children and have green skin, you know?" I bit my lip and said nothing else. And I live in a very liberal place, you'd think there would be more knowledge, but no! This is a bit off topic, but a few girls in my grade were talking about summer vacation during our break (in the same grade), and they were total Christian fundies. Anyway, they were talking to another girl in my grade who's not as religious as them, and they were like, "Tess, you HAVE to come to our church's camp escape this Summer!!! They teach you how to row a canoe, we make S'mores, and (*drumroll* ugh!!!) our priest will bring you to Christ!" Isn't that just horrible? I'm so glad they weren't talking to me; thank the Gods! Anyway, I hate how little Christians know about Paganism. I don't care if they are completely and totally another religion, they should still learn about and respect other religions and dispel the myths! This subject drives me insane.....I suppose it's their parent's fault though for not teaching them more. Oh! Here's another personal story of mine: Just yesterday I was at Barnes & Noble in the "New Age" section checking out the books on crystals (I've been especially interested in crystals lately). Then this twelve or thirteen year old girl walks up to the "New Age" section, takes one look at a book titled, "The white witches' spellbook" (or something to that sort), and she screams, "WOW!" I hurried away hoping she wouldn't start asking me things about it. Later I saw her walking with her mom and sister, and her mom did NOT look happy. (I'm pretty sure she asked her mom about it or something and her mom flipped out, lol). Anyway, I totally agree that it's something to worry about. I hope people in the later future have a better knowledge of ALL religions before they choose their own. Or even if they are being raised a certain religion, their parents could at least be truthful and say there's other religions and faiths out there. I'm going to teach my kids (if I ever have any) about all religions, even if I raise them Pagan. Thanks for the interesting question, *Tiger-lily Rain*

Answer 5

Some people have very distorted ideas - although if they believe in flying broomsticks you have to wonder about their overall general knowledge.

Kind of like asserting that all non god fearing atheists go rob and rape because they can....

Ignorance is a strange and sad thing really.

Answer 6

Ariel is absolutely right. We own a store in Richmond and we do not sell to anyone who basicly think withccraft is a movie deal. It is more important to get the tools and items to people who really need them rather than someone looking for an ego trip.....

Answer 7

Good lord, I'm not a Pagan but I do find that incredibly worrisome that people believe that.

And yes I, for one, would be a Pagan if that meant I could fly. Wahoo!

Answer 8

Yes they cause a lot of problems.....one is that teenagers watch this rubbish and rush straight out to the nearest pagan supplies store and start dabbling in things that are sacred!

Let us hope that there is a increase of the more believable portrayals of us on the screens soon!

Blessed Be!
Ariel
)O(

Answer 9

My dad asked me if I was into witch craft a couple days ago(I lied and said no, he's very religious) and I was joking with my mom about it and I told her that I was going to fly on my broomstick around his church Sunday morning.

Answer 10

He can't really think we fly around on broomsticks-can he?

If he does it's scary-it means people are even dafter than I thought!

Answer 11

Even if the person is serious I do not allow statements like this to have an impact on me. Yes, I have met several people that thought the things they saw in movies depicting us were accurate.

"Minds are like parachutes, they only work when open."