Are you a good witch or a bad witch?

[dragonyphoenix]

So my aunt posted this with the Wiccan Rede below it. I don’t know what to think of it so I’m sharing it here. Any thoughts?

I'm not fond of some of the posts someone has been posting, making fun of Christmas practices and/or Christians (but really showing her arrogance and that she believes she's more intelligent than the rest of us), but I bit my tongue until now. I don't want to be mean, I want her to THINK about how her posts must affect her family, because if she gave it any thought at all she wouldn't have posted most of it. We're all entitled to our own beliefs, and no one should be making fun of another's beliefs.

“Ever mind the Rule of Three
Three Times what thou givest returns to thee
This lesson well, thou must learn
Thee only gets what thou dost earn!”

Since I’m the only non-Christian in the family, this is directed at me although she doesn’t name me directly.

So, what have I posted this month?
44 non-holiday
25 holiday related but I can’t see how they’d be offensive (although possibly I’m wrong. Maybe she found the cthulhu tree offensive)
28 holiday songs
11 solstice / yule
1 Kwanzaa

Out of 128 posts, I’m guessing these 9 are offensive (except for the one she did comment on). What might she see as offensive (I’m guessing since she didn’t specify) and why I posted them:

1. Song “The Christians and the Pagans”. Yes, she’s right. This song does (lightly) bash Christians and I’m not thrilled with it for that, but I do find the family getting along despite their differences to be moving. Also I have friends who I know love the song.


2. An image of Santa and snowman lawn ornaments behind a wire fence which talks about the war on Christmas and internment camps. I do not see this as a Christian vs. Pagan image. Some people think there’s a “war on Christmas”. Because I completely disagree, I think the image is funny.


3. Santa and a demon (krampus) sitting close together and the words “Sometimes I fight my demons; sometimes we snuggle.” Krampus is traditional at Christmas in Europe. What I was thinking as I posted it was Pema Chodron talking about sharing a cookie (or cake) with your demons.


4. Accurate nativity play depicting real birth issues. Aunt Alice did comment on this that she found it offensive. It was late. I don’t recall why I posted it.


5. Linus (from the Peanuts) talking on the Pagan origins of the holiday. Okay, I guess I can see this one. I posted it because I have friends who’d enjoy it.


6. Comparing St. Nicholas to a Klingon (and they do look a lot alike). It’s geeky. I liked it.


7. Witches caroling and a family being afraid of them. The depiction of the witches and dragon is cute.


8. There was a fourth wiseman who was turned away for bringing fruitcake. Funny.


9. “We worship nature. Don’t laugh, we can prove it exists.” This was the furthest back. I didn’t even recall it until I went through my December posts. But it does seem sort of true to me. If that’s me thinking I’m more intelligent, then mea culpa.

Comments

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

You're a non-Christian? I wouldn't have guessed it automatically from your posts. In fact I wouldn't have guessed at all. mostly because I haven't been paying close attention and don't remember you saying anything outright.

But you've posted more Christmas songs than just about anyone, and if you mix up Christan and pagan a bit who doesn't nowadays? Heck I'm atheist (raised catholic) and celebrate the season, "tis the season" and all that jazz.

I am confused though - you say you're the only non-Christian in the family, but your aunt is posting at a Wiccan site? Huh?

I assume that the relationship between you and your aunt is such that you can't just ask her outright (or I should say, is such that your aunt would rather post criticisms about family members online than talking to them?)

Which renders the invocation of The Rule of Three (which I know from my Wiccan period in college) a tad hypocritical. Talking about someone behind their back? RIGHT.

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

Oh for pity's sake! I'm someone who believes in God and has more atheist friends than you can shake a stick at, not all of whom are tactful. I survive. People need to learn not to go looking to take offense. If I don't like a post, I skip it. Problem solved. It would be one thing if you were going to THEIR spaces and making pointed, personally-directed comments, but since that's not the case... wtf??? And no, you're not the superior-acting one here. Oy.


Gabrielle

[double_dutchess]

I just watched the Christians and Pagans vid and (being neither a Christian nor a Pagan) it came across to me as pleading for harmony between the faiths more than anything, so I don't really see how that one would be offensive.

Your aunt's post doesn't seem to set a very good example of "treat others how you would like to be treated". I'm sorry to hear the relations in your family are so strained.

[thisficklemob.livejournal.com]

Being an atheist, I'm not the one to ask if those are offensive to Christians. I will say that a) I have met people who find the acknowledgement of others' beliefs or lack thereof offensive. Like, it somehow pains them that I insist on my own existence. Reasoning usually leads to insane troll logic. Nothing to be done.

And b) some people take religion so super seriously that any light-heartedness or show of irreverence is taken as insult. You may have run afoul of this.

All that said, most Christians I know aren't (thank dog) prone to either of the above, so I doubt you've offended them all?

[the-emu.livejournal.com]

Everyone here is being so kind and generous.

I have zero tolerance for people who think that other people have no right to notice or enjoy or comment on the foibles of their religion, just because that person wants to live in an actively thought-free bubble.

Yes, everyone's entitled to their own beliefs, but no, everyone is not entitled to turn other people's brains off.

If she's trying to make you feel bad for not living your life tiptoeing around her sacred cows, she's a deeply selfish and entitled person, and you should roll your eyes and ignore her the same way one ignores grandma's racist tirades. ('Cos it's pointless trying to teach manners to elder members of one's family.)

*And* if she's being offended by your videos, it's because she's actively choosing to watch them. I don't have time to watch videos, so I haven't clicked on them, so I have no idea what the content of them is.

Also, that passive aggressive 'I'm talking about someone here, but I won't say who it is, so everyone reading this can scour their memories to see if they've wronged me' shit is intolerable from anyone over the age of thirteen.

You are 100% fine, dragonyphoenix, and I'm sorry she's made you feel awkward.


But but but, I wanted to throw this out there as a possibility:
When she says 'how her posts must affect her family', are you sure she's talking about your family and hence you? Might she be talking about someone *else* making posts, which might upset *her* family, with whom your aunt empathises? That would still tick me off for the rest of these reasons, but at least then it wouldn't be a passive aggressive attack on you.

8^-

[snogged.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear that things with your aunt are strained, but it's sounds like it's her issues and not yours.

Facebook is a free social media platform. People can and do post whatever they want. Sometimes people like it, sometimes they don't. Whatever. Move on.

I was born a Christian and chose to be Pagan/Agnostic. I am thankful that I was raised in a church that did not believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible. I was raised in a church where people were kind and generous to others regardless of their religion or their culture. I'm always baffled by folks who aren't interested in doing the same. The golden commandment is to love thy neighbor as thyself.