<p>Anyone remember the Dilbert comic in which he finds religion? “I think I’m a Unitarian.” Funniest line in a comic strip ever. At least for the purposes of this topic.</p>
<p>Has she written any books on UU culture and rights?</p>
<p>Here’s a little summary of her other group-the Covenant of the Goddess in which she serves as a priestess. Seems like a pretty significant commitment. </p>
<p>[Covenant</a> of the Goddess - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covenant_of_the_Goddess]Covenant”>Covenant of the Goddess - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>According to this there may be around 750,000 Wiccans in the US. More than I might have guessed but only .25% (.0025) of the population.</p>
<p>[How</a> many Wiccans are there?](<a href=“http://www.religioustolerance.org/wic_nbr3.htm]How”>http://www.religioustolerance.org/wic_nbr3.htm)</p>
<p>barrons–are you worried that she might actually be capable of casting spells? Influencing world events? Causing the pox? </p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>If you want “odd”–some people think eating the body and drinking the blood of a God is “out there,” but Catholics believe they do just that. Not to pick on one religion–they all have beliefs/practices which may appear strange to others.</p>
<p>I’m not sure why Margot Adler’s religion matters. I’ve never heard her casting spells, chanting incantations, or otherwise bewitching anyone during her radio reports. I suppose if we looked hard enough we could even find a Rastafarian or a Swedenborgian working in the media somewhere too, but who cares?</p>
<p>I know at least 3 wiccans in my small city.</p>
<p>Margot Adler wrote “Drawing Down the Moon” in 1979. She has evidently been at it for 20 years - not sure why it matters so much now.</p>
<p>I never said it matters nor am I afraid. I just found it odd. I still do. I don’t think of news people being off as some extreme outlier in anything. I’d also think it was odd if she were a stripper or something equally off beat.</p>
<p>JustAMom… that would be THIRTY years.</p>
<p>What a boring world it would be if we were all the same.</p>
<p>And I would actually expect a journalist to be an “outlier” as far as their interests and activities go. I am really not surprised by this “news.”</p>
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<p>ITA, mommusic. I was about to post something similar with respect to Hasidic Jews. To me, this seems like a big old “so what.” Maybe barrons isn’t used to diversity, living in Lynchburg?</p>
<p>What’s the big deal? No worse than being Christian, or Jewish or… or any other cult.</p>
<p>A “cult” is, after all, just a small, unpopular religion, isn’t it? :)</p>
<p>By the way, barrons, I am with you. Being a Wiccan may be just fine, but it’s still unusual, and therefore still surprising when someone well-known turns out to be one. Some people pretend to be above surprise at anyone else’s differences, no matter how bizarre those differences are. I find that disingenuous. Can’t we all acknowledge that it’s unusual for a well-known journalist to be a witch? Is that so hard?</p>
<p>Pre-zactly, as they say, mantori-suzuki.</p>
<p>'Can’t we all acknowledge that it’s unusual for a well-known journalist to be a witch? "</p>
<p>I acknowledge that it’s unusual. At the same time, because I know some wiccans, I don’t find her choice of a spiritual path to be surprising.</p>
<p>Well, the OP simply said, “That’s unusual.” So it seems we’re all on the same page.</p>
<p>I’m sure Wiccans are a lot more common in certain walks of life than others. As a manufacturing guy, I don’t meet many myself. The fewer you meet, the more surprising it will be when you do, right?</p>
<p>This reminds me of Juan Williams’ last day on NPR’s Talk of the Nation. He mentioned, for the first time on air, I believe, that he’s black, and one caller said that he was surprised to hear that, and praised Mr. Williams for never letting his race become apparent through his reporting. The caller obviously meant it as a compliment of Mr. Williams’ objectivity, but I found it odd and a bit distasteful in a way I can’t quite articulate. But if Mr. Williams had been a Wiccan, and the caller had made the same comment about that, I would have found it more palatable somehow. Again, I guess it’s just a matter of what you’re used to.</p>
<p>
I know! :o
Sometime late last evening it dawned on me that we are in 2009 and not 1999 - LOL
time flies!</p>
<p>I agree that it’s…unusual.</p>
<p>But why are we having a protracted discussion about it?</p>
<p>Not enough to do? :D</p>
<p>I think that religion and sex are private matters for many people, but Wicca is as mainstream as anything else( and a cult isn’t a religion that is unpopular, just doesn’t have as much money as more visible ones).</p>
<p>I googled “definition of cult” and found this informative site:</p>
<p>cultdefinition.com </p>
<p>The word is used different ways by different people. To me, a cult is a religion* that uses psychology or mind control to separate its adherents from their money and keep them from contacting their families, for instance.</p>
<p>Sociologists apparently use the word more loosely–for ex., Mormonism is, theologically, a “cult” of Christianity. Different from sect or denomination, but not perjorative.</p>
<p>*And I hate to call a cult a “religion” b/c that makes religion look bad. Rather they tend to be a cult of personality, whereby a forceful, egocentric person gains power and/or money by preying on the weak or stupid. </p>
<p>Fool enough people for a long enough time and you can go mainstream. ;)</p>