Atheists, agnostics most knowledgeable about religion, survey says

Quote :

atheists and agnostics knew more, on average, than followers of most major faiths.

I'd like to point out the major faith part of that. Quite a few pagans that I know are very knowledgeable about others faiths... and then there's also the crazies. I think it's usually a person's curiosity to read the Bible that drives them away from it.

I took the pew research test and got 100%. Not being bound to a myth really does have its advantages of getting to know other myths.

I got 87%, didn't know 11 or 15

It's pretty much common sense that atheists and agnostics would know more about major religions. You have to know something very well in order to denounce it or you're just as ignorant and stupid as the hardcore religious people who lynch African Americans and threaten apocalypse on gay people. They don't even know why they do that sh*t.

I see no test to take, but as a former Christian who now embraces my long line and true family heritage of Witchcraft - and no, NOT WICCA - yes, yelling!

I am a Witch...answering to no one for my spiritual practices - as true Witches don't - except myself and I have never felt happier or freer.

Christianity (having grown up in church I know this for a fact) is a very guilt ridden/mentally and spiritually abusive faith, with threats of eternal damnation and impossible to follow rules and regulations (read: trying to please a god that apparently can't be pleased unless you do everything His way) to control and keep the "flock" in line.

Sad thing is...I don't think this is what Jesus wanted...just speaking from my knowledge of the Bible, but as long as Christianity continues to be such a polluted and abrasive faith now (what it has become - even more so - over the years) it will continue to drive people away.

My family embraced Christianity after one of my ancestors (a noble) was run out of his castle in England and had to flee to Naples after having been accused of Witchcraft.

As it is in most cases, it's better to conform and practice in secret (but then possibly lose your way as my ancestors did in fully embracing Christianity) than to lose all you have - as happened to my ancestor and then could have to those that came after him.

I'm happy to say that I have now set at least part of my family line, right in embracing who and what I truly am.

Sorry, just venting. Stepping off the soapbox now.

I think this thought process is simply endemic of the nature of agnosticism and atheism. For the faith in a religion is to inherit the idea that you are right, the others are wrong, and therefore the other religions are not worth learning from. If you're looking to learn something, and you're taught this one book has the "facts" and the others are incorrect, why would you place any merit in them? You wouldn't. But people who don't necessarily place any powerful connection onto any one specific religion, are more free to explore and learn about multiple religions and their histories and tales. I'm a wealth of useless information of Christian, Hebrew, Hindu, Muslim, Egyptian, Norse, Roman, Greek and Sumerian mythologies, just because these fables and stories helped to define our human histories, which I'm always interested in.

I am a catholic, and I got 100%.

How did this happen? Because I actually cared about learning what there is out there. I'm not going to say I'm a master at all religions, because if there is anything I have learned at all, it is no matter who you are and how long you have been studying a religion, you never know everything about it.

Every religion and every belief has it's flaws and it's positives with every single person that looks at them. Every religion or belief has it's firm believers and those that just believe. I know in the church I have talked to several crazies that say it can't of been any other way and others that look at the religion and say you can't take everything word for word. The best way I have had it described to me was if a scientist and a poet looked at a tree and had to write about that tree it would be completely different reads. At the same time, they are still talking about the same tree.

I'm not going to say that most people practicing their religions are well rounded in their own religion as well as others, but to say athiests know it best; that I'm not sure about. I have two examples.

1) I have a guy in my class that is athiest. I sit next to him and I told him that I am catholic. He looked at me oddly and asked if the church really excepts me for looking the way I do. To be honest some places don't but I've found younger parishes do. But you can't blame a whole church because of few of it's members are snobs. I told him I don't believe in harping on my religion but I do talk about it in conversations about religion or if someone asks me questions. For the remainder of our project he would show me all this quotes scoffing at what I believe in. I know he has a right to his opinion, but if I wasn't forcing mine down his throat, why force his beliefs down mine and insult them?

2) I once had a professor for comparative religions. He was a great teacher and didn't pick one religion over the other. He taught each one as if it was his religion so as to give common respect to every one he taught. I quote what he said about people scoffing at there being one God in a christian religion, "To ask if your god is so powerful can he make a rock not even he can lift is pure ignorance. To ask such a question would be to say that god can unmake his word would be to say that all divine decree is to undo itself and to end all that is. When they ask that they are missing the point of the entire religion itself. To understand the religion is to know that there are certain rules based on faith alone and to continue with those questions mean you missed the point."

I'm not telling you any of your religions are wrong. I'm not saying you should even like mine. I'm not saying to not talk about yours or to even say that one religion has smarter people then anothers. I'm just saying there is a lack of respect for others choices when it comes to religion and every religion/belief has it's educated members and it's nut cases.

I was wondering what was so wrong with wicca too??

I believe that you have to read everything before you can make an informed decision and believe me I've spent hundreds of hours reading and researching before discovering that the path I had chosen from a very young age was right for me.

nsanelilmunky wrote:

GothicScrybe wrote:

I see no test to take, but as a former Christian who now embraces my long line and true family heritage of Witchcraft - and no, NOT WICCA - yes, yelling!

I am a Witch...answering to no one for my spiritual practices - as true Witches don't - except myself and I have never felt happier or freer.

1. What's wrong with Wicca? The members of that faith have to go through a lot of learning and searching before they're allowed admittance.

2. Witchcraft is just that. A craft. Not a religion. If it has any connection to a spiritual belief, it becomes a religious ceremony. Witchcraft has no ties to a religion.

You seem confused in your usage.

Nsane...don't make statements about me when you know nothing about me. This isn't the first time you've responded negatively to something I've posted and it's getting old.

Wicca is NOT Witchcraft - it is a made-up belief system, incorporating Witchcraft and then putting a moral spin on it. There's no such thing (any REAL Witch knows this) and changed it from what it originally was and thereby "started" it anew by Gerald Gardner in the 1950's upon the repeal of the Anti-Witchcraft laws in England, which had been on the books since the 1600's.

Here is a link to the definition of Wicca and while I find this rather flimsy to a degree, it is still better than many:

http://www.answers.com/topic/wicca


Though it has been accepted as Witchcraft, it is not.

As a multi-generational Witch (going back to the 1500's from what I can find so far) I can tell you that Wicca and Witchcraft are not the same.

No Witches in my family were Wiccan. Witchcraft pre-dates Wicca by thousands of years, going back to the bible and further. Where, in any ancient tome do you see the word, Wicca? You don't and won't. Gerald Gardner coined the term and simply found a way to make money off the gullibility of people and ran with it.

Apparently it worked.

Check any usage of Witchcraft back before GG's time and you won't see the word, "Wicca" nor any pseudo "morality" attached to it. Witches have the reputation we do in history for a reason!

My Witchcraft IS my religion (though it isn't for many - my basis religion happens to be the Left-Hand-Path - but my Witchcraft is part of religion as I practice it) and if you knew as much as you THINK you do, you'd not make such ignorant statements...and I mean ignorant in the fact that it's YOU who apparently needs the education, rather than trying to mark your territory with a life-long Witch.

Your true Witch worships no god or goddess - the only power we need is ourselves. We don't use Christian doctrine/forced morality with threats of karma (blessed be is quoted numerous times in the King James Version bible) the Law of 3 is nothing more than Do Unto Others (which is also Christian doctrine) and the Rede is nothing more than the 10 Commandments, twisted to force morality.

Wicca is bastardized Christianity, plain and simple, using many of the laws and tenets of Christianity, such as punishment for doing bad (define 'bad') things and for breaking laws.

Witchcraft is neither black, white, nor any other color. Witches use magic as we see fit and live by no rules except what we deem fit. Wicca forces morality which is exactly what Christians do.

If there is to be a punishment for us for what we have done (we don't subscribe to man-made scare tactics) it is by our own doing that we screw up...not because some "force" has come to punish us.

As for going through anything to become Wiccan...what a joke. You find a "coven" and join, and that's all that is required because as much as I may dislike what and how they believe and how badly they may be deluding themselves...I know far too many Wiccans to think it works otherwise.

I have asked them what they had to do to become Wiccan and none of them could tell me, except to say that they read books and then sought out like-minded people, found a coven and joined, whether online or in real-life.

Not one of them had to fill out an application - though such ridiculousness wouldn't surprise me.

I will not respond to any further attacks on this forum about what I have been born into, going back more centuries than many people can probably trace of their heritage.

This simply is not the place for it.

If anyone wishes to discuss this subject with me further, I have a book on the market I can direct you to, or you can simply come to me OFF board and as long as the conversation is kept respectful, I'll be happy to answer any and all questions.

I won't get into a pissing contest with know-it-alls who don't have the background nor the heritage I do and no, I'm not bragging. I'm simply stating a fact as a multi-generational REAL Witch.

nsanelilmunky wrote:

GothicScrybe wrote:

Nsane...don't make statements about me when you know nothing about me. This isn't the first time you've responded negatively to something I've posted and it's getting old.

Wicca is NOT Witchcraft - it is a made-up religion (any REAL Witch knows this) changed from what it originally was and thereby "started" by Gerald Gardner in the 1950's upon the repeal of the Anti-Witchcraft laws in England, which had been on the books since the 1600's.

And you read what you want to read. I never said that Wicca was witchcraft. I was saying that witchcraft has no connection with anyone religion.

And reconstructed/constructed religions deserve just as much respect as any other.

And my responses are hardly negative. I'm just correcting your mistakes. If you really want to know what I think of you though....

You're a washed up nobody who can't write and is a laughing stock that actually publish through someone other than LuLu. Your posts are nothing but "look at me" "pity me" prattle and are considered by many to be SPAM. You are the reason a few members have left the board. It would do wonders for the board if you just vanished altogether.

I find this absolutely hilarious.

Either you're a stalker or a sick fan and I find both laughable because you think (once again) that you know so much about me, when you know nothing and I do mean nothing.

Do you make it a habit of running your mouth and making yourself look stupid by choice or can you simply not help but want attention for yourself?

Let me set you straight on a few things and then I'm done with this, because although I enjoyed the laugh, really, you need to get a life other than concerning yourself with mine.

I have a life and will be getting back to it.

1. I love it that you think I'm a nobody. If that's the case, why concern yourself so greatly over me?

I ignore nobodies - in which case you'll notice that I have ignored every single post you have ever made, until you posted directly to me.

2. I have no idea what Lulu has to do with this conversation (or any mode of publishing for that matter) but at 23 years old, if you're such an expert, then by all means, share with everyone.

Publishing by Lulu is by my choice. If you must know (I'm posting this purely because I feel it warrants saying) I have been traditionally published and went back to self-publishing as once again, was my choice.

3. Pity party prattle? I have no answer to that honestly because it strikes me as so funny. I have never posted anything where I was looking for pity and once again, wonder how late you must sit up at night going through my posts, scrutinizing them.

4. If I spammed, I'd be banned by now.

5. People have actually left this forum because of ME? Wow...I had no idea how powerful I was, but thanks for letting me know.

Once again, completely laughable.

6. Now toddle off to the mods and whine about what a fool you made of yourself and how the bad and mean Andrea (with so much power) was hurtful to you and have me banned. Maybe you'll get your wish IF you whine loudly enough.

Hi,

only saying this once, if I'm forced to repete my self someones taking a "vaccation" for a week or two or more depending...

knock off the bullsh*t, this is not the thread or place to be bashing away at eachother you can do it via PM.

This, I am personaly taking issue with.

nsanelilmunky wrote:

You are the reason a few members have left the board. It would do wonders for the board if you just vanished altogether.

IF this were true then why has not one mod nor my self gotten a PM about it and yet you seem to be in the know? If people are so offended it seems to me to make sence to contact someone that can do something about it, if they don't then I and the MOD's can't do anyhting to help anyone...


If you dont like Someone then use the friend/foe feature to ignore and you will not see any of thier posts, its that simple...

deadcoldgothgirl wrote:

The best way I have had it described to me was if a scientist and a poet looked at a tree and had to write about that tree it would be completely different reads. At the same time, they are still talking about the same tree.

All of what you wrote was insightful but this is the bit that most resonated with me. I feel the same way. Fact is, none of us really knows how "all of this" works; best we can do is make our best possible educated guess. And I can't see how one person's guess is any more or less valid than another's.