Wiccans, do you agree with this paragraph (in details)?

My gut feeling here is that while the author is using a fairly current estimate (750,000) he or she feels compelled to repeat out of date facts. In previous decades those statements would have been fairly true: Wicca was virtually unknown, most Wiccans kept very quiet about their religion, and many of them did it for fear of persecution. (I disagree that known Wiccan have EVER been "very heavily persecuted," but certainly we were harassed more in previous decades than now.)

But today none of that makes sense. If we were very secretive, where does the estimated number of members come from? And Wicca IS known today. Certainly people are not as familiar with Wicca as they are with Christianity, but lots of people have heard of it and don't bat an eye when someone mentions it.

But if "almost all Wiccans hide their religious beliefs and practices" so well that "it is virtually unknown by the general public," How did they make an estimate as generous as 750,000?

Virtually every Wiccan (as well as other pagans) I know is pretty up front and honest about his or her religion, and while we may get the occasional rude comment, it's certainly not anywhere near the severity the author describes. Heck, we don't even get protesters at PPD and I live in Texas.

I was agreeing up until the idea that we hide our practices and that we are heavily persecuted. No doubt some do because they fear for their safety. Others do because they are private people, it's not so much a conscious decision to hide it....they just don't flaunt it to every person they meet. As far as persecution goes, I would argue that most of us aren't. When I think of persecution I think of hangings, burnings, torture, etc. Granted some would include loss of job and maybe property vandalism and those do happen on occasion.

Alot of this is going to depend on region. Here in the south we are more likely to be quiet. Although the city I live in is very progressive, I would probably keep quiet in the county. It depends on personal experiences with the religious and non-religious. it depends on if a person feels revealing their religous preference is prostelyzing. I know of quite a few Wiccans who won't answer the religion question on surveys because they don't feel it's important for everyone to know.

**ADD**

Lol Labgrrl! Despite the issues of being pagan and in the south, I personally love it here. The city itself is pretty alternative anyway. One coven has dubbed us "Salem of the South", not sure I completely agree but it's a positive sign nonetheless. I haven't had a huge backlash from the community. Most everyone knows and most everyone leaves me be since I don't bug them about their beleifs. I know that some have had issues but those issues have been outside city limits.

I doubt that 750,000 is accurate for Wiccans. It might be closer to that if you include Witans, non-specific Neo Pagans, practitioners of varios flavors or Druidry, and so on.

Yes, many Wiccans hide their beliefs and practices, and the ones who are in the news are usually the ones that we DON'T want to represent us.

I can say, yes, I have dealt with some persecution, but I can't say it is heavy persecution...no racks, thumb screws, or anything like that. I have known some Wiccans to claim persecution when laws were fairly applied to them (speeding tickets, interventions by Child Protective Services), but I have also seen both military and prison chaplains unfairly and illegally deny Wiccans the right to worship or to have religious textbooks.

So, while persecution does exist, in my opinion, it is nowhere near as bad as it could be, and nowhere near as bad as a vocal minority claims.

I also question the idea that Wicca is an organized religion. In my opinion, it is as organized as a herd of housecats.

The paragraph was doing good until it started suggesting that Wiccans "hide" their practice to avoid being persecuted. Have a great day!

"This is because almost all Wiccans hide their religious beliefs"

Balderdash. Heck, the Wiccans in my neighborhood are the only ones whose religions I know.

Edit: You know, Pagans in the south, you can buy a decent house in Buffalo for under 50k, and in exchange for 3 months of winters that aren't as bad as people think you get no hurricanes, long autumns with warm days and crisp nights, enough rain that you don't have to water your lawn or garden unless you want to, summer days that are nearly always sunny and have never exceeded 99 degrees in recorded history. I'm just saying...also, in the months when it's cold, you can wear a coat and/or stay inside... heating is cheaper than AC.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/ski/wxcl...

I would actually disagree most with the word "organized" as it implies a central structure, a financial structure, and a body of believers sworn to obey that central authority... none of these exist in Wicca. The rest I find very agreeable, although I wonder if the 750,000 number is accurate. It seems a little high, but Wicca has been gaining ground lately, with internet access providing more exposure to those seeking another spiritual path.

Wow, I wouldn't have thought of it being that big. Fact is, it's under other as far as religions are concerned, or occult. Not that it's right, but that is how it seems to get buried. I took religions classes in college, that's how I know that part. It sux, but it's true.

Wanna know another fact? Christianity is not the worlds largest religion. Actually it is mainly practiced in the US, or and somewhat in European areas. The biggest one is actually Buddhism. It was neat to learn that from the Baptist preacher who taught the class. It was great tho, and he was unbiased!

everybody has their own opinion. im wiccan and we are not 'heavily persecuted' as it says. we dont tell everyone about it simply because we dont care if anyone finds out or not. we dont mind if people hate the coven from believing in a different god or goddess but at least we dont believe in what other people do because everyone goes along with it and its 'wrong' to not believe in stuff like Jesus or stuff like that. we dont try to convert people to our religion but if people are interrested, then they can join. but at least we arent clones and follow the same rule as everyone else.

im a little curious how they find out those numbers, but then im curious about that with any religion. interesting.

anywhoozle. where i live, yeah, its true. my town might seem quiet and respectful of others from the outside, but like, the second anything "weird" or "different" looks like it may be about to go down, i realize just how overwhelmingly hardcore christian and right wing this town is.

for example. i have two dear friends, his name is Ryan, her name is Ryan-Marie (her mom liked the name Ryan, if you met her, it totally suits her). they recently got married. now, on the calender of the church they got married at, their wedding was listed as "ryan and ryan wedding". the church got no less than 15 calls about "gay marriage is a sin, blah blah blah" and so on. no one even bothered to think that "oh, maybe the bride just happens to have a unique name.

thats just one example i can think of. i KNOW there are wiccans in this town, and in my town, none of them really say anything, because i can garuntee you someone would be down their throats about it, because in this town, someone is always down somebodies throat for something. if you find out about the wiccans in this town, you find them after having to get to know them for a while, no one ever comes right out advertising it.

that said tho, most wiccans i have met elsewhere dont really come out with it. like, youll see the odd pentagram necklace here and there, but you never see a group of wiccans out picketing something in the name of religion, or anything like that. wiccans are pretty peaceful from the ones i have met.

so for me, i think its a little bit of both. where i live, wiccans would get called out and ridiculed if they even happened to exhibit even the least little interest in something "different" than the majority. but then at the same time, i have been to other cities where wiccans seem as common place as anyone else and no one even looks twice.

i really dislike my town sometimes. it looks all innocent from the outside, but god forbid you try to do something "different"