What do atheists think about witchcraft?
By paranominal
Published: June 25, 2009
Tagged with: Amulets, Atheist, Atheists, Casting Spells, Civilized Society, Conjuring Spirits, Diseases, Divination, Esoteric Practices, Falsehood, Nonsense, prophecy, Religion, Satanism, Witchcraft
"Witchcraft" is jargon for spellcraft, magick, or sorcery. Some practitioners, such as neopagans or New Agers, take a religious, spiritual, supernatural, or superstitious approach. Some practitioners, such as some modern witches/sorcerers and post-modern magicians are, indeed, atheist or agnostic and take a psychodynamic or scientific approach to magic, exploring the anthropological, psychological, neurological, and quantum physical reasons why people continue to practice magick and why it seems to sometimes "work."
Some people who consider themselves Satanists practice magick –and they usually call it magick and it is usually of a ceremonial or post-modern kind, not "witchcraft." (Many Satanists are atheists, btw.) Most people who practice magick or spellcraft or shamanism are not involved in Satanism or diabolism. Witchcraft practitioners generally are not "esoteric" although some ceremonial magicians may be. Witchcraft is folkcraft and is more like shamanism and usually is relegated to herbal, energy, and spell work to either protect, protect onself against, heal, control, or curse another. Ceremonial magick is sometimes involved in working with "spirits" for various goals. Post-modern magick takes a different approach.
It doesn't exist.
Satanism is a separate religion. Witchcraft is both a magical practice, and, in some cases, a religion. (Think Neopagan religious witchcraft, the largest segment of which is Wicca).
I don't believe that witchcraft works (in any supernatural sense), but I don't have any problem with people practicing magic or whatnot.
Most Satanists, by the way, are atheists.
Bollocks!
witchcraft and satanism have nothing in common.
noooooooo they dont…….
I am interested in it. I don't believe it but I find it cool and amazing
I am skeptical of all claims, especially extraordinary ones.
I would answer but I don't see any point. While I applaud you for being consistent with your hate, there is no point in discussing anything with you because you are just like the fundamentalists that you oppose so much…you refuse to actually see any other point than your own. You are incapable of agreeing to disagreeing. Your sole goal is to put everything down beneath you.
maybe when you grow up and are ready to discuss it without putting something down, you will get a decent answer.
The answer isn't easy to explain. I view them from a neurological standpoint [Look up studies about neurology and rituals]. I do not believe in any supernatural aspect, but I can clearly see the personal transformative power in such exercises.
fraud
I don't believe in it, but I don't condemn it. Personally, I think it's nonsense, but I don't hate it. Each to his own.
Same old same old. However, witches have not murdered people in the name of their religion.
Satanists can practise witchcraft, so the post stating the 2 aren't linked is somewhat wrong.
That said, Witchcraft in any way is an integral part of the religion incorporating it. Be it neo-pagan religions, tradition pagans, wiccans, satanists or otherwise. As it is part of the religion, I am guessing most Atheists will not believe in it. It's kind of against the idea
.
Not to mention, most (except Shamanism which is worshipping nature and, to a degree, spirits, along with Druidism) religions which have or allow witchcraft belong to one god or another, if not entire Pantheons.
Again, which is against an atheists beliefs.
*Also, I may point out.. An Atheist you might be, but to hate another solely for their beliefs? Surely that is no worse than the 'religious ones' you so denounce for their disease.
To state that one is better than the rabble only to then bring yourself back down due to your choice of words is not the most civilised thing I have seen I have to say.
If you were to claim that it is uncivilized and uncouth, perhaps, but to denounce every witch to that is somewhat unfair.
Most witches solely look for answers. Atheists search for these in science, witches search for these answers normally through the abnomalies in nature. Which, whilst not proven, are still there. I'm not talking things like fireballs and curses, but anomalies everywhere.
For instance, that of stigmata, of spontaneous combustion or a multitude of other unexplained phenomenon which science has yet to explain.
You shouldn't close yourself for such petty reasons is all I'm saying.
Atheists believe the same about Witchcraft the same as they believe in anything.
Probably the majority believe it's all nonsense. Sure, they can believe whatever they want, but they should keep their beliefs to themselves.
If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
Raised in a Non Wiccan Tradition of Witchcraft, for me it is definately my religion.
and its a beautiful one at that, does magic work? Of course, though Id say its highly Psychological like anything else.
Not all religions are something to be hated just because you do not understand them or think you do and really dont.
Many Witches are Pantheists or Naturalistic believing in The Goddess as a symbol for the Universe or what not and some would consider themselves Atheists because an atheist is someone who simply does not believe in God and many Witches would agree with that.