Category: philosophy/religion topics
I'm just wondering if there are any others on here who believe in magic. Is there anyone out there who would call themselves the taboo word witch? I have been reading a few books I bought on my Iphone through the Ibook application. I am reading the Witches Shield to learn new protection methods needed when performing magic. I am wondering if anyone outthere has ever suffered a psychic attack. If you are a witch, believe in magic, or psychism please add your voice.
Nope, if magic was real, I wouldn't be blind and hard of hearing right now.
I do enjoy reading fiction novels with characters who have magic powers or are witches or have psychic abilities. However, I have never known anyone in person with any of these abilities, although I do believe they exist.
I was right there with the last poster until the last sentence. I'm convinced they don't exist, and anyone who thinks they have them is either delusional or fooling themselves.
But, I'm all for inquiry, so in the name of science lets do an experiment. If there is someone who thinks they have magic powers, tell me something they will cause to happen to me on Tuesday December Seventeenth 2013. Make it something that wouldn't happen on a normal basis. For example, don't say "I'll make your nose itch". My nose itches all on its own thank you very much. Say something like, "I'll cause your bed to be filled with Mississippi red clay", or "I'll cause you to grow a third ear in the middle of your forehead". Write what you'll do on this board right here. Then, on Tuesday, make it happen.
Or better yet, make it happen to both me and impregnator up there so we can collaborate. After all I could lie and say it didn't happen. Two people would be less likely to lie. so whose up for the challenge?
Turn my prosthetic eyes into little lava lamps that change color whenever I blink.
Let's make it 3 of us: Cody, Imprecator and Leo. C'mon, witchie-poohs, prophets, faith healers and juju beads, get out there and win! Show us lowly, unspiritual working types who pay for it all, just how it's done.
Like Cody said, something unusual and otherwise not possible: something you can be proud of. You want to be proud of your accomplishments, don't you?
All right I understand the males on this site a little better now. Well at least the ones who have written a response to this topic. Each one of you has a superiority complex. Well that is each of you suffer from one. You have the wrong idea about what witch craft is about, and how it is accompolished. The contrary energy you harbor in your hearts would difuse the person performing magic. Perhaps it is not logical in your minds, but impossible things are happening every day. It must be quite boring to not believe in anything except yourselves. An open minded male on this site told me last night the closed mindedness suffocating us in this country brings out the evil in him. I am not going to tell you what you believe in is wrong. I am merely trying to tell you to not put down others beliefs. You may not believe or experience it, but other people do experience it. Anyone with a positive outlook would not let a thing such as blindness limit their possibilities. I didn't lose my vision until nine years ago. However, I do not let my disability rule my life. I mean why wish for something silly? If you believe in something strongly enough, and diligently work for it anything can happen. All right I do not have the time to try to persuade the ignorance of males today. So, I am now walking away from this situation. I have too much work to do, and a world tof endless possibilities to live in. I hope you all can take your pessimistic attitudes, and go pick on souls your own size. Thanks for making it to the point I do not want to state my mind on this site again. The responses I have got from this post show how people in this country truly are, and the reason many people hide their beliefs. Ignorance is a bigger disease than blindness. If you want to wish for something, then you should wish for a different perspective. Scientists are working on methods of curing blindness, and other physical disease every day. Unfortunately they can not cure idiocy.
That's right. It's the male, patriarchal oppression that causes us to not acknowleged magic or monotheism or anything else. And among the Christian fundamentalists I have heard them say there will be more of us males in hell than women.
Speaking of perspective, though, if you are as independent as you say, you will accept the challenge and meet us. I, for one, if proven wrong, will openly admit it. * proven, is the key word, however.
And I'll admit I wasn't even being fully serious, because I know you all can't really step up and do that. But of course you've the right to engage as you will in any belief you want.
I know on this site, and in universities, it's always blamed as males who are not spiritual. Even in churches, they are more women then men. However, I've known plenty of women who aren't into this either.
Thanks, however, for resurrecting the old 1980s women' spirituality ideals. Why didn't you ask only for womyn born womyn or something, if you wanted to exclude those of us males? Again, that would be your right, and it is fully engaged by the Women's Music Festival in Michigan and many other organizations who feel that by virtue of being male, we are wrong.
I, personally, do not subscribe to any. Nobody is wrong for being just what they are. If you challenge our lack of belief, we are up for a challenge. Show us up: show us we're wrong, do something, and some of us at least, will openly announce our having been wrong. I know you can't see that because it's convenient to blame all men everywhere for everything.
Please, by all means, blame me for what *I* have done. You say males are closed minded? Many men are very spiritual. Say that *I* am closed-minded, if you want. I'll take it. But blaming a whole group like that never accomplished anything. I have plenty of flaws that many men don't have, so I would be silly to say all men have all my flaws.
I understand this is unpopular and uncool, and violates the social taboo / majority opinion that states all men are to be compared to the worst there is. But some of us aren't buying it anymore. I have no reason to think another man shares my faults, simply because he is a man.
Apparently you do not understand how easy it is to make sometFirst of all I never said all males are closed minded. I stated the males who had the nerve to comment on this post were closed minded Other people are supposed to respect your beliefs right? We aren't supposed to question what you believe in right? If a person who believes in a form of organized religion talks to you about our faith is trying to shov their beliefs down your throat correct? I am not upset by the fact you do not believe in my beliefs. What makes me angry is the fact you can tear down what someone else believes in. You have absolutely no respect for others with d different view points. Apparently you have not attended a university. Universities encouraged free thinking, and all opinions are valued as being equal. I have no problem with the mae species. I merely do not appreciate you saying my beliefs are less than your own beliefs. Just because you do not believe in what someone else believes in does not mean you have to judge their faith. All right I am done arguing wthis topic. I am not wasting my time making anything happen in your life. have people who actually need help, healing, and love. People who understand everyone is created not alike, but still know how to respect their counter parts as equals.
I don't know where you got from us saying lack of respect. I would only challenge something respectable. And if you read any of our other topics on these things, you would note that many of us have issued the same challenges to mainstream religions.
So what does respecting religion really mean? It doesn't mean never challenge thinking.
It means, I would fight for your right to preach and practice as you please. I don't have to understand it, or have a religion at all, in order to understand any of that. It's honorable and human decency. I know you guys in particular have faced threats from the Big Three Monotheistic faiths. But threats do not come from the rationalists or objectivists. We would not burn your books, burn people, or destroy what you have, as you have experienced via the mainstream religions.
Challenge does not mean disrespect. Calling you an idiot means disrespect. Telling you to burn in hell, or hades or whatever, would be disrespect. Calling people in quicknotes male chauvinist swine is disrespect. But challenging, saying, show us how it's done, is no disrespect.
Your response is unusual for the magic people, I think. It's more like some of the fundamentalist Christians, to be honest. Someone challenges this and you say we're all disrespecting you. That is how those people often act. You can do better than that.
I'm a believer in magic, practical magic that is. I'm not all about the fictional magic, the flying brooms and creating crazy spells. But I myself am an Eclectic Witch. As for psychic powers, I believe all that to be intuition and nothing more. There are many people who call themselves witches, each with different titles. From pagans to wiccans. But as I stated above, I believe in practical magic. Not the whole, "I can produce 20 dollars in my pocket by doing a spell" type of magic. That's impossible. If your interested in more books on this type of belief, I can help you out with some.
original poster, I'm female, and I totally agree with the guys that such beliefs as you hold, are just as ridiculous as the fundamentalist types that follow those of well known organized religions.
that being said, that doesn't mean we hate your guts. as leo said, it simply is. if you could prove to us that you could do magic, as you claim you can in your first post, go ahead. if we're wrong, we'll say so. however, based on other posts of yours I've seen in this topic, I doubt you'll even be up for the challenges that have been put forth.
Respect is something to be earned, not requested or demanded. I am under no obligation to respect a belief just because someone is entitled to have one. If I think a belief is totally irrational, stupid, moronic, silly, I will respond accordingly.
Hello, all. I think this is in safe haven. So... I understand that this all sounds foolish, but yeah.
But yeah what?
Safe Haven just means don't curse I believe. It doesn't mean everybody agree with each other, hop down the bunny trail and chew clover.
I see no reason why to get mad over someone not agreeing. I mean hell if this was a christian board I would definetly shoot out my opinion, so personally I think there is no reason to waiste typing.
Actually, if people hold demonstrably idiotic ideas, its the responsibility of those who don't hold demonstrably idiotic ideas to point out the demonstrable idiocy of those who do hold demonstrably idiotic ideas. Just like I would trust leo and Chelsea and imprecator to verbally hit me in the face with something slimy if I came on here espousing the creationalist worldview, or the flat earth worldview, I will oblige others who espouse stupid ideas by verbally slapping them in the face with something slimy. Or in this case giving them a chance to (presumably) simply prove their abilities and claims. If you can do it, what's so difficult about me asking you to do it? If I came on here and said that I can make hundred dollar bills appear in your left ear by blowing on my right thumbnail, you'd be asking me to blow on my right thumb nail.
You have a right to have an opinion, you do not have the right to not have that opinion questioned. If you don't want your opinion questioned, shut up about it. If you keep silent, no one will know you have the opinion to question it. However, I personally think you should not be silent, so that you can learn how patently idiotic the idea of magic is.
On a slightly related note, how does the word practical not mean the kind of magic where you can make things appear and all that? what other kind of magic is there? Is it impractical magic? Like you can make hundred dollar bills appear, but only lodged firmly in your colon?
You never fail to amuse me cody. Though I've explained many times on several boards what I meant by exactly practical. I don't believe in many fantasy witchcraft wishy washy things I've come about. I suppose the practical is just that, practical. Some of it is superstition, luck charms, anything. I would never claim that today I know what I'll be doing in the next ten days, because I quote on quote have some sort of psychic ability. That's just crazy. Maybe I'll come back and explain later, I haven't had coffee.
Or maybe I should go tap a wand and make the coffee make itself. Sounds practical eh?
Imprecator - your argument is that if magic was real, you wouldn't be deaf or blind, but how do you know that some nasty bast... magician (I've got to remember what board I'm on) didn't magically blind and deafen you?
I didn't say deaf, I said hard of hearing.
And, prove to me that magicians exist, you dumb bastard. Ooooooh, did I just say that naughty naughty word?
Senior, what magic people, psychics, prophets and others have to do is demonstrate. I have seen several shows where they attempted to get psychics to demonstrate their abilities using controlled experiments and they failed.
Clearly the psychics are frauds, and even the Christians who fear them are wrong: they are simply incompetent and have nothing at all to show for what they can do.
Really. Is it really too much to ask that they back up what they claim? In other words, that they be like the rest of us, and when one says they can do something, answer the challenge and show the rest of us how it's done?
For the record, I blame nothing and no one for my own blindness, since it was a genetic accident that wasn't even repeatable, and not the fault of the birth mother using drugs or anything. I have no crack baby side effects or anything. well there was no crack in 1970 but still. The problem with many, spiritual and otherwise, is they want to ascribe blame for everything. Except that there are a lot of things for which there is no blame and no person or entity is actually responsible. Genetic and cosmic accidents happen.
Ok. So, this is how I see things.
1. OP proposed Magic being possible.
2. People somewhat jokingly, somewhat seriously asked for proof. Some may have shown some degree of judgement/disbelief.
3. OP lashed out at questioners that asked for proof, while launching personal attacks of her own.
4. some of the Jokers replied stating that all they wanted was proof, not to be offensive, per say.
In my opinion, the OP doesn't have enough data about the individuals who made jokes/asked for proof to label them in any context, particularly if she is only looking to this board. I see a double standard in that she seems more than willing to condescend to those who disagree, while at the same time expecting respect, and deference. I don't understand how these two conflicting stances can coexist, because they are mutually exclusive. It would have been possible to communicate discomfort with out launching personal attacks, or choosing to take up the mantle of persecution. At this point, I don't think this is a resolvable issue, because the OP does not wish to provide proof, or wish people to disagree with her. Yet, she seems to have no problem conveying that she doesn't think it is OK for others to think differently than she does, in so much as they choose to publicly ask for proof, explanations, or voice doubt. Again, these two things are mutually exclusive, and thus they can not exist at the same time.
You guys are obviously talking about the crazy fantasy ideas people cook up. I suppose some are pretty fake, I've seen them myself, the shows and claims.
She took her toy wand and went home.
James I think all that supernatural types can really do for the most part is develop the persecution complex. They can either say we are all going to burn in hell, or they can claim that we are narrow-minded chauvinist pigs or pick-your-popular-taboo.
I cannot prove the absence of anything, so if I said that now I think there is absolutely no deity anywhere, I would expect some spiritual type to ask me to demonstrate that. Which I cannot, and so I cannot make such a claim personally. But any Christian, Buddhist or naked native moon-dancer who challenges me on anything is likely not to offend me. They might get me to admit I am wrong on some point, and some of them have in fact done so.
But people like you and I are at heart rational objectivists and so aren't really clingy like the original poster or so many spiritual supernatural types.
hard of hearing, deaf, same difference.
Anyway why Imprecator, do you see your disabilities as proof magic doesn't exist rather than proof magic does exist?
Yep.
I'll believe when I witness an amputated limb growing back.
How is being deaf proof of the existence of magic?
What?
What do you mean "what"? My question wasn't for you.
I'm poking light fun at my quote unquote deafness.
Ok, so apparently there are other types of magic besides the fun, wand waving to make a girl's clothes vanish kind of magic. Seems a little noncommittal, but I can buy it. There's different kinds of alcohol, makes sense there's different kind of magic.
So, to both people claiming to have magic powers I pose these two simple little questions. First, what kind of magic do you have? Second, why are you unwilling to demonstrate that magic? If you have it, why is it such a big deal to use it? I assume you use it in other ways, otherwise you wouldn't know you have it. So why are you so unwilling when someone asks you to use it in order to prove you have it?
Yeah, come on. I'm fuckin' hungry. Make an extra hot vindaloo appear on my table.
I'm psychic. I predict that all of you will log in to this site between the dates of December 18, 2013 and January 22, 2035. There, did I prove it?
No, because that is an inescapable prophecy. Its like when the TV psychics say things which are practically applicable to anyone in the audience.
did you mean all registered users of this sight? Well, it's not past the date so you've proved nothing. That's a profecy, not proof. What else do you forsee in that cristal ball? Who reveals the visions? How can you guarantee them?
I might be wrong, but I read that comment with some sarcasm.
The fact that you guys literally took the time to respond to my stupid post is unreal. I was totally being sarcastic. I should've predicted this reaction.
You keep underestimating my ability to respond seriously to sarcasm Tremaine. You've really gotta get over that.
I know you realize that you weren't the only one who replied to my message. It's not all about you. :P
I dunno what the original poster practices, if she goes on to believe many other things I do not. I on the other hand only practice different types of tradissions. To me, quote on quote love spells, potions, beauty spells, anything of the sort sounds silly to me. Wishes and prayers to deities is one thing, casting something for results is another. Paganism isn't magic, magic isn't paganism. To ask for something crazy like, prove to me you can get me to fall in love with you, is just silly. All that type of thought, is silly.
So what's the non-silly, in your opinion?
Imp, I don't think that has a logical, or rational answer.It relies on a lot of grey area, and exceptions to the rule.
I want her answer, though.
So wait. Asking someone to prove they can do something they claim they can do is silly? So being rational is silly to you? What an incredibly pointless and naïve stance to take.
Lol, I obviously wasn't clear. Proving yourself is not silly, silly is the thoughts I am sure most of you conjure up when you hear witches. You think of, the typical love potion, the beauty spell, the wretched curse. That's silly. All of it is, I don't claim to be any harry potter, or Sabrina the teenaged witch.
Ah, ok, I apologize then. I misunderstood.
So, what are you then? If you're a witch, but you're not Hermione or anything, what are you? What kind of magic do you have? Is it the magic of positive thinking or something?
Speaking of positive thinking, Cody, I saw documentary on the Secret the other night. What it hugely gt-wrenching, disturbing, primitive concept.
In summary, what it states is that the Universe with a capital U response to your thoughts. They make some huge logical leaps and stretches regarding quantum physics, something they've heard the word and thrown around a lot, without any real physical science understanding. They use words like string theory and quantum theory, but they don't understand either. That part in itself is not disturbing, it's just silly. Here's would scare the piss out of me: they literally believe that you attract everything that happens to you. What they would say then is, my father-in-law attract the cancer he now has. A woman attracts the rape she got. It's all done under the guise of fluff bunny cute soft things, but make no mistake: thinking like this would turn people away from domestic lifesaving measures, and domestic security, into a pack of finger pointing elites spending their time pointing at the untouchables, the rest of humanity who is suffering. I haven't been the greatest student of religion in my time, but from a purely political perspective, looking at some eastern countries, we can see precisely where this one would go.
Yeah, I've seen that documentary, and I saw it in a church no less. Its stupid. They have no clue what quantum physics is, let alone what it says.
In some traditions, magic is the manipulation of energy and in others it is the key to transform the soul. Words and thoughts have power. I personally do not believe that one attracts everything that happens to them because it leaves out free will of others around me and myself.
Liz
But everything is the manipulation of energy. Literally. The act of typing is manipulation of kenetic and potential energy. Is it magic?
And saying that words and thoughts have power is not enough either. I agree that they have power, but so do horses. ARe horses magic?
If one chooses to see these things as magical, yes. If they are manifestations of the interconnection between all things then both acts and horses can be said to be magical.
Magic can be said to be a set of practicces that enable one to learn wisdom.
Liz
And fish can be said to pop full formed from my ears. It doesn't make it any closer to being a true statement. Just because you can say something, doesn't mean you don't look really silly when you say it.
Reading gains you wisdom, reading is not magic. Magic has definitions. You can't really toss in some sudo-psychological mumbo-jumbo about how you can make anything be anything else just by saying it is. And if you really want to go down that road, I present you with this quandary. You're wrong, now how can you be right since I said you're wrong?
Getting reasonably close to Halloween, or Howleen, so ... BOOOOOO! Any magic yet?