Wicca is a Religion!

I started studying Wicca/Pagan because I found out a lot of my beliefs when I was younger fell into a "category" so to speak. I believed in reincarnation, herbs and oils, scents and tastes to help you with emotions, luck, courage and protection. I believed in equality and what I, at the time believed was "Mother Nature". I loved psychics' and Tarot cards and readings, and crystals and gems. But from where I was from we didn't even have a library we had only Christian churches, and 2 neighbors were Jehovah Witnesses. So I had no knowledge that another religion even existed, until I got older and was able to leave that small town life and do my own growing and branching out.

Wicca was adopted as a legal religion in 1985, *** but not only is it still not recognized but we are still hiding? Why are we in hiding? Because of some people that not only overreact to their fear of the unknown but act out in poor judgment because of this fear.

The Bill of Rights states that: First Amendment to U.S. Constitution: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Why are people so terrified of Wiccans? If you're scared of Wiccans why not be scared of, say the grass being green? Or how about how the trees make noise on a windy day? Or even the look of the "Blood Moon" in October?

I was in a Pagan chat room the other day and a person came in and started telling us, in all caps, how we aren't following the Bible, and how we are going to "spend our eternity". But who's to say the Bible's right, or who's to say we are right? Not other people, is it not in the Bible that you should not judge others that it is god's place? Also what happened to freedom of religion and freedom of speech? Where and when did we lose it?

The name we are given is witches, so in my opinion, if we are doing things we aren't suppose to, and Christianity came first, then I ask why are we in the Bible? Also, asked by someone else, if our religion is so different from others why are there so many similarities to them? And Yes, some say it has been altered from the original "Old Religion" but hasn't Christianity also? These are just some things to think about before we get into that ole political debate of if we are a religion or not. More people know about us than we think, some things are true some are not. Some people took the Wicca or Pagan term and made what they wanted it to be without studying and researching things that someone may wonder or question.

The one old question we are asked... "Do we worship Satan?" Ok well, earth based religion, to where our Rede says plainly "No harm none." What does that mean? I know to me it means be nice, play nice with others, share, give, and honor the earth and the gifts we are given. And no matter what religion you are who can't enjoy a beautiful day in the sun or a moonlit walk by an ocean shore?

Religious Tolerence states that Civil rights Act of 1964 states "To be a bona fide religious belief entitled to protection under either the First Amendment or Title VII, a belief must be sincerely held, and within the believer's own scheme of things religious."

Also District Court of Virginia declared in 1985 (Dettmer v Landon, 617 F Suup 592 [E. Dst. Va.]) that Wicca is "clearly a religion for First Amendment purposes....Members of the Church sincerely adhere to a fairly complex set of doctrines relating to the spiritual aspect of their lives, and in doing so they have 'ultimate concerns' in much the same way as followers of more accepted religions. Their ceremonies and leadership structure, their rather elaborate set of articulated doctrine, their belief in the concept of another world, and their broad concern for improving the quality of life for others gives them at least some facial similarity to other more widely recognized religions."

We are everywhere, please don't fear us, and love us like you love your own family.