Rebuttal

What's this?? A blog post???  What could have possibly occurred to cause me to resurrect this long resting blog?  Another blog post.  By someone else.  Which I am finding difficult to stay silent about.  So, yes, this is a rebuttal of sorts.  But first, here is the blog post I am rebutting.

Shining Light Ministries Witchcraft Does Not Please God

First off, I'm not going to go into what the Bible says or does not say.  I'm not going to mention how the word that has been translated to mean "sorceror" has been found by scholars to actually have meant "poisoner".  I won't mention that the earliest spells that these said "sorcerors" used often involved ingredients such as eels blood, which in fact, is a poison.  I won't mention that the practice of "magick" as found in the Bible is confused with the practice of "poisoning", which is much less witchcraft than it is drug dealing.  There is no supernatural "magick" involved with slipping a few drops of eels blood into an alcoholic's glass of wine in order to cure alcoholism.  This, in fact, is an actual spell in one of the very ancient books of Cyprian.

All of that is beside the point.  The points in this blog post that are the most disturbing to me are that this pastor believes our community should be exclusively Christian.  He has a complete disregard for the constitutional right to "freedom of religion".  Not to mention that "witchcraft" as a practice isn't even a religion.  Wicca is a religion and there are Pagan religions, but "witchcraft" is a practice which has the ability to enhance one's religion, no matter what that religion might be.  You don't even have to subscribe to a religion to practice witchcraft.  One of the comments on the pastor's timeline under this blog post was a "gif" that said "Burn the Witch, Burn Her".  This, in my opinion, is nothing more than an actual invitation to violence.  It is not funny.  "Though Shalt Not Kill", remember that?  Pastor Sam Jones even goes on to suggest that he and his congregation need to contact city council members to make sure they know that those of any Pagan religion or those who might call themselves "witch" are not welcome in the Cedar Valley.  He also said that those businesses who support such activity need to be boycotted.  All of this from a "Christian" pastor.  All of of this from a so called "patriot".  Nothing could be more "UN-American than denying others their freedom of religion. 

I have many Christian friends.  They are good people.  They are wonderful people who I love and adore.  You know who you are.  As long as your religion does not interfere with the rights of others, I honor and respect your religion and your right to practice it, whatever it may be.  However, if your religion discriminates against other religions or interferes with the rights of others, up to and including their right to the pursuit of happiness, then I will openly have an issue with your religion.  There is no war on Christianity.  In fact, if your religion is being persecuted unfairly, I will be there to defend you.  I am all about freedom of religion, and not only that, but freedom FROM religion.  Religion is not mandatory.  Being a Christian is not mandatory.  Contacting city council to suggest that "pagans" don't belong in our community is WRONG.  It is persecution.  It is evil and it is not the work of God. 

Pastor Jones, you are right about one thing.  The Pagan community (which is a very large umbrella title as there as many different types of pagans as there are types of Christians) is growing.  Quite rapidly.  So, what businesses will you boycott?  How will you know which support witchcraft and pagans and which don't?  We are everywhere.  We are family members, we are doctors, we are lawyers, we are teachers, we are chefs, musicians, artists, pastors, city council members, politicians, librarians, and the list goes on and on.  Webster's definition of "pagan" is anyone subscribing to any religion other than the mainstream religions.  So, if one is not Christian, Muslim or Jewish, but still has a religion, then one is pagan. 

And speaking of pagan, are you absolutely sure that you are not one?  Do you celebrate birthdays?  Do you light birthday candles and make a wish?  Do you put up a Christmas tree?  Do you color Easter eggs?  Ever wished on a star?  You might want to check yourself to make sure you're not pagan before you start saying that pagans don't belong in our community.  That we don't want our community to be known as a "safe haven for pagans".  Are you really that hateful?  And hypocritical?

As for your posting the tweet by Cedar Valley Pagan Pride, they are quite thrilled with the attention and free advertising, so on their behalf, thank you.  Hopefully your outcry has drawn attention to it and even more people, pagan or not, will be in attendance. 

Do you know what happens when groups try to force Christianity on others?  Nothing good.  Remember the Inquisition?  The Crusades?  The SALEM WITCH TRIALS???  There is no way God celebrated any of that, especially that it was being done in His name.  So, my advice to you would be to stop trying to drag us back into the dark ages when women had to join the convent to be safe from men, and start living in peace alongside those who are different from you.  We are here and we aren't going anywhere.