"Wiccanism"
So... I don't actually care if anyone signs this petition. Fox News is, no matter what they claim, extremely conservatively biased and frequently share total fiction as if it were fact.
What I do care about are lies and misinformation being spread about my religion. While I can't bring myself to rage at Fox News over this, I also can't let it pass without comment or correction.
Below is a point-by-point refutation of the "facts" they share about Wicca. If any of this is news to you, or you think it may be news to someone you know, I implore you to share this. You can think I'm a damned sinner all you want, if that's what you're inclined to do. All I ask is that you think that for reasons based in reality.
1) "There are more Zoroastrians here than there are Wiccans." The Census Bureau is legally restricted from asking mandatory questions about religious affiliation, so this one is hard to prove or disprove. On the other hand, how many Zoroastrians do you know? How many Wiccans? Based on anecdotal evidence, at least, I think we can all agree this one is untrue.
2) "they have a ton of holidays." Eight. We have eight holidays. Care to compare that to, I dunno, let's say the Catholic calender?
3) "...Wiccanism..." No. This isn't a word.
4) "You get 20 holidays now if you're a Wiccan." Again, 8. We have eight holidays, roughly two per season, four of which will most likely fall during periods when most students are already out of class (for those of you skipping the video this whole piece was inspired by the University of Missouri's policy of religious tolerance regarding time off for pagan holidays).
5) "Any religion whose most sacred day is Halloween... I just can't take seriously." Halloween is NOT one of our eight holidays. It happens to share a calender date with Samhain (which is no more or less sacred than any of our other seven sabbats), but that's neither here nor there.
6) "Call me a bigot." Actually, I've got nothing to refute here; this guy's a bigot.
7) "I'm not offering a [garbled] against Wiccanism." It would be hard to offer anything for or against Wiccanism. Equally it would be difficult to offer anything for or against Christianism, Jewishism, or Buddhistism.
8) "How many Wiccans can name all Wiccan holidays--or even 50% of Wiccan holidays?" The implication here is clearly that none of us can. (Which, if they expect any of us to name 20 holidays would be true, since there are only 8--which is less than 50% of 20.) On the one hand, this isn't exactly an easy one to answer with any empirical data. On the other hand, as a religion that's still in its infancy most of our membership consists of converts. And my personal experience is that converts tend to know the details of their religion (whatever it may be) pretty damned well. I won't bother here on the internet, but next time you see me in person--when I can't possibly cheat and look things ups on the internet without you knowing--ask me to name all 8. Just for funsies.
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There're are plenty of other reprehensible things stated in this video, but they, at least, are all given as opinion or first-hand experience, and I will deny no one their right to hold an opinion (no matter how offensive I may personally find it) or refute anyone's first hand account of events at which I was not present.
What I do care about are lies and misinformation being spread about my religion. While I can't bring myself to rage at Fox News over this, I also can't let it pass without comment or correction.
Below is a point-by-point refutation of the "facts" they share about Wicca. If any of this is news to you, or you think it may be news to someone you know, I implore you to share this. You can think I'm a damned sinner all you want, if that's what you're inclined to do. All I ask is that you think that for reasons based in reality.
1) "There are more Zoroastrians here than there are Wiccans." The Census Bureau is legally restricted from asking mandatory questions about religious affiliation, so this one is hard to prove or disprove. On the other hand, how many Zoroastrians do you know? How many Wiccans? Based on anecdotal evidence, at least, I think we can all agree this one is untrue.
2) "they have a ton of holidays." Eight. We have eight holidays. Care to compare that to, I dunno, let's say the Catholic calender?
3) "...Wiccanism..." No. This isn't a word.
4) "You get 20 holidays now if you're a Wiccan." Again, 8. We have eight holidays, roughly two per season, four of which will most likely fall during periods when most students are already out of class (for those of you skipping the video this whole piece was inspired by the University of Missouri's policy of religious tolerance regarding time off for pagan holidays).
5) "Any religion whose most sacred day is Halloween... I just can't take seriously." Halloween is NOT one of our eight holidays. It happens to share a calender date with Samhain (which is no more or less sacred than any of our other seven sabbats), but that's neither here nor there.
6) "Call me a bigot." Actually, I've got nothing to refute here; this guy's a bigot.
7) "I'm not offering a [garbled] against Wiccanism." It would be hard to offer anything for or against Wiccanism. Equally it would be difficult to offer anything for or against Christianism, Jewishism, or Buddhistism.
8) "How many Wiccans can name all Wiccan holidays--or even 50% of Wiccan holidays?" The implication here is clearly that none of us can. (Which, if they expect any of us to name 20 holidays would be true, since there are only 8--which is less than 50% of 20.) On the one hand, this isn't exactly an easy one to answer with any empirical data. On the other hand, as a religion that's still in its infancy most of our membership consists of converts. And my personal experience is that converts tend to know the details of their religion (whatever it may be) pretty damned well. I won't bother here on the internet, but next time you see me in person--when I can't possibly cheat and look things ups on the internet without you knowing--ask me to name all 8. Just for funsies.
__________________________________________________________
There're are plenty of other reprehensible things stated in this video, but they, at least, are all given as opinion or first-hand experience, and I will deny no one their right to hold an opinion (no matter how offensive I may personally find it) or refute anyone's first hand account of events at which I was not present.