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[Nikov]

MSN has an article about how Americans believe in silly things, and lists 'witches' as a silly thing to believe in. I'm sure my Wiccan neighbors appreciate being considered fictional constructs of superstition. I wonder if druids are also fictional constructs, because I'm sure my college roommate would love to hear that.

Also hard science degrees and nature worship seem like an odd combination. I should have asked him about that.

[Realmfighter]

Links

[Enzo]

Your roommate's a druid? What's his Animal Companion?

Also, don't Wiccans prefer to be called...Wiccans? I've known Wiccans, never heard one identify as a "witch".

[smjjames]

MSN has an article about how Americans believe in silly things, and lists 'witches' as a silly thing to believe in. I'm sure my Wiccan neighbors appreciate being considered fictional constructs of superstition. I wonder if druids are also fictional constructs, because I'm sure my college roommate would love to hear that.

Also hard science degrees and nature worship seem like an odd combination. I should have asked him about that.

There are plenty of scientists who love nature, so its not too odd.

[Christes]

Heh, I read (what I think is) the same article, but don't remember witches specifically.

Here's the one I saw:

http://www.newsweek.com/photo/2010/08/24/dumb-things-americans-believe.html

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

A lot of these religions are mostly fictional constructs, to be fair. Actual druids weren't over-inclined to write anything. At all.

[RedKing]

Meh. Most of those thigns aren't about "belief in silly things" as much as mindboggling ignorance. (I mean, 20% think the sun revolves around the Earth?? Seriously? Elementary school science FAIL.)

As to the way it characterized "witches", I suppose you could ask, do people believe in:

A. People who practice a New Age religion which identifies itself with 'witchcraft'

vs.

B. People who can turn you into a newt. (You'll get better.)

I firmly believe in A (have my share of Wiccan friends), firmly disbelieve in B.


Also, despite the fact that most of said "silly things" make me facepalm, the author's editorial tone is that of a major douchebag.

[Enzo]

Spoiler: In Summary (click to show/hide)

Witches :


Wiccans :


Strike Witches :

[Grimlocke]

Wiccans, Druids and other newage religeons do seem quite silly to me actualy. All the more if they have a degree in science, as that would mean they have a lot of contradictionary convictions.

[atomicwinter]

Yea it frustrated me when I saw this. Isn't Christianity silly? Zombie jews are more ridiculous than some of the Wiccan beliefs. 

[Muz]

Heh, I read (what I think is) the same article, but don't remember witches specifically.

Here's the one I saw:

http://www.newsweek.com/photo/2010/08/24/dumb-things-americans-believe.html

OK, why the hell are so many people in a first world country that stupid? 20% believing that the Sun revolves around the Earth? 41% not knowing that Judaism is the oldest Abrahamic faith? Over half can't identify the countries they're at ware with? Seriously? Even a third world country like Brunei would do better. I heard of it, and thought it was some anti-American joke, but it's absurd for it to be that bad.

I can't call non-solid facts wrong, though. Obama is the only one who knows his own true religion (not that it should matter anyway). We don't know if there's WMDs in Iraq, whether or not we find them. Evolutionary theory, witchcraft, magic, ESP, ghosts, etc can't really be confirmed wrong, so they're not blatantly false.

[Cthulhu]

Yea it frustrated me when I saw this. Isn't Christianity silly? Zombie jews are more ridiculous than some of the Wiccan beliefs.

Well obviously when you deliberately cast it in a ridiculous light like "zombie jews" it does.

Anyway, yeah, America has dumb people, I wasn't aware we had a monopoly on them though.  Have any of these studies been replicated in other first world countries?

[Huesoo]

Probably polled 100 people in the backwater south. Can anybody give me the source on how many people where polled?

[Africa]

Evolutionary theory, witchcraft, magic, ESP, ghosts, etc can't really be confirmed wrong, so they're not blatantly false.

Uhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm

Please redact

If it couldn't be proven false it would not be a viable scientific theory

[Jackrabbit]

Yea it frustrated me when I saw this. Isn't Christianity silly? Zombie jews are more ridiculous than some of the Wiccan beliefs.

Well obviously when you deliberately cast it in a ridiculous light like "zombie jews" it does.

Anyway, yeah, America has dumb people, I wasn't aware we had a monopoly on them though.  Have any of these studies been replicated in other first world countries?

But that's less funny, and the insulting America is like a security blanket for news sites.