Why does conformity suck? Conformity kills, it creates chaos and negativity. Conformity creates and breeds fear of the worst form, and hardly ever discourages it.
Let us take the Salem witch trials, for example. It was started because of Christian conformity - the Salem witch trials were not exactly started in Salem, but that is what everyone calls it now, or remembers of it. The Salem witch trials began because the church wanted people under it's control. Controversal to popular belief, in the Salem and European witch trials, even Christians were charged with witchcraft - usually as a resort for the church to rip away property and money from that person. Many times, it was not the witches who were burned or tortured in Salem, because those who admitted and gave up their property and money were released - free to roam the streets! It was the people who denied they were witches and ( who were found guilty ), who were tortured and killed. This is the truth, for in 1992 I went to Salem on the same day as the 200th anniversary of the Salem witch trials, and learned the truth which was openly told. Make no mistake, witches were burned and hung, and suffered severe torture for their religion. All this because of conformed Christianity.
When I speak of conformity, I mean, the point where a religion is no longer open This is the point where it starts controlling people's free wills. On one hand conformity can be good; conformity allows rules, and gives people something to, " go by. " Conformity makes a religion seem, " official, " therefor setting a sense of security to the people of that religion. Conformity may seem to make something seem solid, and " real ". The people can feel assured of their God without interacting with him. Conformity, as I mentioned before, becomes harmful and negative when people start to take conformity into extreme measures, and then they use it to judge others.
Never forget the way Jesus was persecuted for his beliefs and why he died ... I mean, the unreligious, factual reason - he refused conformity. Jesus preached about kindness and good things, but sometimes I think he did not preach about freedom enough and that is what he would have needed to also preach about to avoid religious persecuation.
Religious conformity/intolerance comes in all forms. I have experienced a good chunk of it! And it was by Wiccans, believe it or not. Even Wiccans can become intolerant of others.
Wicca is generally not a conformed religion. A vast majority of Wiccans view Gerald Gardner to be the instigator/creator of Wicca, and in his book, Witchcraft Today he had Dr. Margaret Murray state, " Personal worship may take any form, but a group of persons worshipping together always devise some form of ritual, especially when the worship takes the form of a dance."
In Gardner's day there were rites of ritual, but this is what he stated about them in the book, mentioned above, " The only man I can think of who could have invented the rites was the late Aleister Crowley. " Afterwards Gardner gives puzzling thoughts about why he makes this statement. Anyhow, there are few rules in Wicca after, " ye harm none, " of the rede.
Conformity kills, and provides chaos and disruption, eventually. Wicca doesn't need conformity, but even Wiccans become conformists sometimes. Why? Fear that the pre-conformity breeds. You see, conformity leaves big terds lying around. Sometimes we step in them. Some Wiccans encourage others to conform in fear of the second coming of the burning times. Witches, in their age of power are really scared children because we still remember the burning times. Wicca has a strict rule of, " ye harm none, " so our feeling of revenge turns into fear. We remember too much. In Gerald Gardner's book,Witchcraft Today he states,
" In all the witch writings there is this warning, usually on the first page:
Keep a book in your own hand of write. Let brothers and sisters copy what they will but never let this book out of your hand, and never keep the writings of another, for if it be found in their hand of write they will be taken and tortured. Each should guard his own writings and destroy them whenever danger threatens. Learn as much as you may by heart and when danger is past, rewrite your book. For this reason, if any die, destroy their book if they have not been able to do so, for if it be found, tis' clear proof against them. 'Ye may not be a witch alone, ' so all their friends be in danger of the torture, so destroy everything unnecessary. If your book be found on you, it is clear proof against you; you may be tortured.
Keep all thoughts of the cult from your mind. Say you had bad dreams, that a devil caused you to write this without your knowledge. Think to yourself, ' I know nothing; I remember nothing; I have forgotten all. ' Drive this into your mind. If the torture be to great to bear, say: ' I will confess. I cannot bear this torment. What do you want me to say? Tell me, and I will say it. ' If they try to make you tell of the Brotherhood, do not, but if they try to make you speak of impossibilities, such as flying through the air, consorting with the Devil, sacrificing children or eating man's flesh, say: ' I had evil dreams, I was not myself, I was crazed. '
Not all magistrates are bad. If there be an excuse they may show mercy. If you have confessed aught, deny it afterwards; say you babbled under the torture, you know not what you did or said. If you be condemned, fear not, The Brotherhood is powerful, they may help you to escape if you are steadfast. If you betray aught - THERE IS NO HELP FOR YOU IN THIS LIFE, OR IN THAT WHICH IS TO COME. If you go steadfast to the pyre, DRUGS WILL REACH YOU and you will feel naught, but will go to death and what lies beyond, The Ecstasy of the Goddess.
The same with the working tools. Let them be of ordinary things that anyone may have in their homes. Let the Pentacles be of wax that they may be melted or broken at once. Have no sword unless your rank allows you one. Have no names, or signs on anything, write the names and signs on in ink before consecrating them and wash it off immediately after. Never boast, never threaten, never say you wish ill to anyone. If any speak of the craft, say: ' Speak not to me of such, it frightens me, 'tis evil luck to speak of it. '
( then ... a paragraph explaining where these old documents came from ... not England, probubly not Scotland, Gardner says .... never mentions Rome. )
Witchburning on* the Continent was by a sort of lynch law; bishops did what they liked, saying that The Church was above the law of the land. "
Want more info? Catala's Burning Times Site
I cannot help but to mention that Gardner also states in the same chapter," A critic has suggested to me:
'These people are not witches; they only do witch rites because it gives them pleasure and because they are superstitious.' If that is to be the touchstone, is not a superstition a belief? Is a Christian who believes in his religion, and also obtains pleasure and comfort from performing its religious rites, not therefor a Christian? It is also said, with what truth I do not know, that the Wee Frees only believe in religions that make you miserable. Neither the witches nor myself see eye to eye with the Wee Frees in this respect. "
Don't be so slimy, ye harm none .... don't tell others what they are or who they are ... or harm them ... and then we can merry meet, and merry part. Wiccan to Christian .... please help break the cycle of harmful religious conformity.
Written by: Nella
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