Sensible People Stand Up

I know what you mean!!! People like that irritate me.

I agree, it is getting out of hand. It's incomprehensible, why people continue to do this. New members of the site are getting misled by people with either a whole lot of free time or a cruel illusion of reality. And it really bothers me, newbies are getting led astray by people who take this as a joke.

If they were serious about magick, would they have gone with the fluff to begin with? I really think they wouldn't have.

Sincerely,
Scrupulous

I will do my best to say the truth but i wont hurt someones religious views. If i cross that line, i will surely be disappointed in myself. But i will do my best.

Well when you are new to a subject, anything is believable to you especially when you don't use common sense. Especially in magick, it is hard to have common sense in magick because it is full of mysteries, theories and unproven events. If you were learning American history and I told you that the Civil War happened in the 1700's it would throw off your perspective of nearly everything that happened afterwards. I know it's a lame story but I hope it got my point across.

I think it's quite easy for a newbie to get messed up from fluffies. They are especially gullible, at least most of them are (No offense to anyone), I know I was 8 years ago. Most of them don't check other resources and they get mixed up very badly, very often.

Us who follow the true path need to stand up for our beliefs it makes me sick that people think of us as harry potter say a phrase wave a stick and every thing is flying around the room we need to teach them the truth

Exactly Brim and Ron.

Meikoh, I respect all religion. Religion is not the same as believing in fictional fantasy. Religion is based off faith, moral, values, and spirituality. It is more than just mythology. Mythology was a way to explain answers to questions people could not, how the world works behind the scenes (spiritually). People don't walk around claiming to be mythological figures. That is considered disrespectful and in certain cultures would be/have been cause for death!

I'll go into the most common "fairies" of Welsh/Scottish/Irish origin. Do you know that people believed that the fae would steal children's souls and replace them with their own? Do you know the parents would kill these babies a.k.a. "changelings" (by fire) and that the only reason fae were called "fair folk" was to appease their trends to torture human beings? If they gained a fondness to a human, it was the fondness comparible to an owner and his dog (the human being the dog).

People didn't dare say they were this or that of mythology, nor dare think it. Anyone who has ever done so has died by one way or another (usually murdered). Most figures in mythology were feared and the only thing that made people sleep well at night was knowing they were spiritual and magick could counter them. They would "appease" them to keep them at bay. The only ones they looked up to were their deities who they also appeased in order to prevent them from becoming angry.

As for magick, no matter what culture or religion, it has certain limits. It is not a "super power". It is an art, it is a science, it is a way of life. No matter what their religion, if someone is trying or claims to shoot physical fire out of their hands with nothing but "mental powers", they are "fluffy". Magick isn't religion. How people use it can be religious. But making extravagant claims is nothing more than a cry for attention or a small boost in their low self esteem.

People take the fantastical depictions of magick and myth they see in movies (like Disney) and read in books which were created by an imaginative story teller (not a prophet or high priestess but some plain man or woman looking for $$) and believe it. That is going beyond "spirituality" and stepping into a twisted sense of reality.

I'm open to all beliefs be they spiritual or supernatural and like to give people the benefit of the doubt as we don't know everything, but sometimes it just gets old. For some reason none of the other more experienced som members can explain even though my profile portrays me as a noob people message me asking for advice. I used to get these messages often but it's lessened lately but to get to my point about an hour ago someone messaged me out if the blue wanting to know how to become a vampire. I politely but plainly said that as you all know it's not possible though I admit it would be amazing if it was and if it was like Twilight, but yet again it wasn't possible though I did mention psi vampires. This is just getting sad. Just today there were two posts by seperately people wanting to know how to become a vampire or gain vampire characteristics. This person who messaged me has a vampire related username and that's probably the whole reason they joined som. Hopefully this renewed interest in the impossible will die down a bit, until the next Twilight movie anyway.

The blame is really all the TV and movies, portraying the "magic" of such as Harry Potter, and Charmed, to say nothing of such Shows as The Vampire Diaries. Children have always believed this stuff. When I was a boy I thought Errol Flynn really was Robin Hood!
The difference, of course, is the internet. Youngsters can now talk, and argue, with other children all over the world; and pass information in seconds! Before computers that wasn't possible.
There is not a lot we can do about it. As WhiteRaven says, we can guide, and point to the truth; but I don't think many youngsters will take any notice.
I have got to the stage now, where if I read a sensible question by a youngster who seems to really want to learn, I send them a mail message. If they answer, then I will try to help them.I point them towards Witches Voice where they might find a real coven or Pagan group they may join. Tell them about The Pagan Federation.
Give them the addresses of the many magazines telling the real story of what magic is all about.
But, apart from this type of help, children will still believe in mermaids,and vampires, etc. I suppose they will continue to do so until they grow up,and laugh at what they once believed.