Witchcraft claims the life of two young girls where I live.

[Nlighten1]

Or so claims my ultra-fundy mother-in-law. She came over around 5:00 last night to tell us about a story that would be on the 6:00 news detailing the deaths of two girls who had a suicide pact. These girls were into "witchcraft" she said and it made them kill themselves.

Here it is the year 2004 and people are still making ridiculous assertions like this. Will America ever free itself from this ignorance?

[Bridget Burke]

1. Do you have a link?

What actually happened? Where do you live?

Too bad about your mother-in-law.

[Nlighten1]

3. I don't have a link yet.

I will look for one and post it.

[Bridget Burke]

2. double post--delete or ignore

sorry!

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Sigh.........

it would be nice if those who refuse to grow and evolve and take the human race further on its destiny toward enlightenment, would just step off to the side. If they want to live that way, that's fine - but they shouldn't be taking part in the world as it is and affecting things like elections and politics and the education system.

"Harry Potter promotes witchcraft!"

How can you promote something that doesn't exist?

"Teens were witches so they killed themselves!"

Really? So how does witchcraft perpetuate itself if the first thing it demands of its followers is suicide?

ARGH!!

[YellowRubberDuckie]

10. Harry Potter actually says that it's a hard life...

And the stories are about good triumphing over evil...
Oh and get this. This is my favorite part: Remember when Lord of the Rings was first out? All my baptist friends were going and loving them movie. Remember how baptists think that Dungeons and dragons is a pathway to the devil? They don't know that D&D is kinda based on LOTR. How funny is that?
Duckie

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. Buncha damned fools and hypocrites is all they is

And some of them think LOTR is all about republican values, so teh wizard is okay in it.

Yeah. Sure.

[LiberalEsto]

5. Wicca does not advocate suicide

The Wiccan Law is, "Harm no one and do as you will."

Suicide is causing harm to oneself. It also harms everyone affected by such an act.

One of the key goals in Wicca is learning the meaning of "harm". It is important to learn and understand how one's actions might constitute harm -- whether by manipulating others, causing emotional damage, or creating physical injury. Above all else, one must learn to avoid causing harm.

These girls were in all likelihood unaware of the Wiccan Law, and may have been practicing some elementary kind of magic, but their decision to take their own lives has no basis in anything taught in Wicca. Unfortunately we live in a society in which numerous young people senselessly take their own lives. It's easy to blame to something like magical beliefs instead of examining the real causes.

[Nlighten1]

7. I said to her...

"Jim Jones believed in Jesus, is it Jesus' fault that all those people committed suicide?"

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. Ooooooooooo please tells us her reaction to THAT!

:evilgrin:

[Nlighten1]

12. She just restated that...

Witchcraft killed these two girls. To which I replied it was mental illness not witchcraft.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

14. Wow, these people are THICK.

Maybe you should randomly bring out Jim Jones in an unrelated conversation in the near future?

[redqueen]

20. Logic never seems to work on those types.

Would that it did. :)

[Nlighten1]

23. "You just have to believe"

There is no arguing with this sort of logic.


beLIEve

[LWolf]

11. Of course,

Wicca is only one version of pagan beliefs that can be tagged "witchcraft."

But the rede is amazingly universal; most religions seem to have some version.

You are right; we would be better served addressing the heart of the matter.

[TrogL]

17. I wonder how "Wiccan" they were

Given the number of "Christians" I have to deal with who wouldn't know Christianity if they tripped over it, I suspect there's plenty of people calling themselves "Wiccan" who don't have a clue.

[scarlet_owl]

6. Wow. Sounds like that Jack Chick crap.

My mom is a witch and suicide has never been a part of her worship. It's sad that two girls are dead, but I seriously doubt witchcraft had anything to do with it.

[patcox2]

21. Extend the same courtesy when you hear a christian

Has done something insane.

[truthspeaker]

8. The real question is, were they listening to Ozzy Osbourne?

[Nlighten1]

13. Or Judas Priest.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. Some troubled teens go through a Satanist phase

but that's not the same as witchcraft (Wiccca), which is simply a modern version of the nature worship that prevailed in pre-Christian Europe.

[Bridget Burke]

18. Is there any further information on this alleged incident?

Where did it happen?

[Nlighten1]

22. 30 miles south of South Bend Indiana (edit: link found)

It was 3 am when they walked out in front of the moving train. So far all I have heard about this is either on the radio or the TV. I haven't found anything in the paper.


http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/2004/08/31/local.20040831-sbt-LOCL-A1-Teens__deaths_stun_K.sto

[Chovexani]

24. I don't see a single mention of Witchcraft or Wicca in that article.

Stupid fundies always looking for a scapegoat. They make me sick.

People like them are why the West Memphis Three are still rotting in jail against all logic or evidence.

[Nlighten1]

28. The witchcraft statement was from the TV.

I see it didn't make it into the news print. Strange.

[HEyHEY]

19. BURN THEM!

[name not needed]

25. She turned me into a newt!

[Zero Gravitas]

26. A newt?

[Chovexani]

27. Got betta.