Are you offended?

I will be the first to admit that usually my first reaction to some things is to become defensive, then I have to stop reread and really think about the situation before I respond. With so many people and so many views there is bound to be differences of opinions and viewpoints, but how far does someone or something have to go before you are offended? Are you offended every time someone disagrees with your opinion? Are you offended everytime someone makes an off handed remark about your faith? What about when a TV show such as the news shows your faith in bad light or when a cartoon has a bad witch in it. To me some things are not worth getting all pumped up about, for instance a cartoon that has a bad witch in it. Do I think they were attacking a belief or people that call themselves a witch? No. It's a cartoon. If the witch is throwing a kid in an oven I would call that a bad witch. Are we that easily offended? Is Hansel and Gretel a story based on anti-paganism? What is in your opinion offensive? What is in your opinion someone's over reaction to something?
Misty

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Permalink Reply by Fionn oMurchu on February 18, 2009 at 8:09am: I take offense at nothing. I laugh at things most people scream about. If we can't express ourselves we've lost all our creativity. If I don't like something I can always ignore it :); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by SIN on February 18, 2009 at 8:14am: Personally, I'm not easily offended. It takes a whole lot, because I own my emotions and I don't consider myself to be an emotional person.

I find the humor in movies about the devil. In no way do I find it offensive that the devil is always depicted as the embodiment of all things evil - hell, I admire it. :-); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by MistyDawn01 on February 18, 2009 at 8:24am: I find the humor in movies about the devil. In no way do I find it offensive that the devil is always depicted as the embodiment of all things evil - hell, I admire it. :-)

That is the way I feel about witches in movies or cartoons. Just because a movie or cartoon portrays a witch, the devil, or some other entity in an unflattering manner doesn't mean they are trying to portray a belief system in a bad way. It's a movie, a cartoon, that is all.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by SIN on February 18, 2009 at 9:02am: Exactly.

My gawd, do you know how many movies, shows, books, cartoons, artwork, etc. there is out in the world depicting the devil like a terrorist? *lol*; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Seph on February 18, 2009 at 8:19am: I too suffer from the becoming defensive reaction, but after a few moments of calm breathing I find that the initial reaction is usually unwarranted. It takes a lot to make me passionately offended to the point I will make a stand. For the most part, I shrug chalk it up to a lack of understanding before the other speaks. I have experienced it a few times, when an individual was doing their best to try to have a conversation with me about my beliefs, when they knew very little about it, in truth. I tried very patiently to explain what my beliefs are exactly, without over explaining, and they just weren't getting it. Finally, I was told that was nice, and then asked what the "orgies" were like. (This is one of the times when defensiveness kicked in first,) I very slowly took a deep breath and calmly replied, "I don't know. I have never been to one. Have you?" This is an example of what I just chalk up to not understanding the topic which they are talking about, and not caring to learn about it.

As far as, "wicked witches" in cartoons, they are cartoons. My daughter, who will be eight next month, gets more upset about that than I do. Every Halloween at school, she informs all of her friends that are dressed as the "classic wicked witch" that they have it all wrong and that her mommy never dresses like that or has a green face. I have been explaining to her that it is nothing to get worked up about, and that they are not poking fun at Wiccans. This last year, she only explained it to her teacher (who was dressed like the wicked witch of the west) that she had it all wrong, but left her classmates in peace.

Sometimes, as adults, I think we tend to read too much into the cartoons and children's stories. We view them with our experiences and adult perception, instead of how a child would view it. It is far to easy to do that. How many of us have watched the cartoons of our past only to find that we are seeing them in a whole entirely new way? We become upset about things that weren't even meant to be implied. (just my opinion); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by MistyDawn01 on February 18, 2009 at 8:28am: That is too cute about your daughter. Lol. I remeber the witch in the Bugs Bunny Cartoons, I loved watching when she was on. She was so funny.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by MoonWraith on February 18, 2009 at 11:31pm: I have her (stuffed toy) sitting on my Herbal closet! She is adorable!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by peace lily on February 18, 2009 at 8:33am: I am not easily offended either. It takes quite a bit, actually. I think the mis-information in the media is actually a little laughable and may serve the Pagan community well in the long run. I LOVE a good story and take it as that, a story.

I actually get irritated at people who just look for reasons to be offended. What a waste of energy, being pissed off all the time! I am your basic ridiculously happy person 99.99% of the time. If I am upset or down in the dumps, there is a reason for it.

I used to get offended by people on PS but then I realized that they are just disembodied words on a screen for the most part. There are a few people here I trust and consider to be actual friends, other than that... What impact do they have on my life? None... Why let them get to me???? I don't... LOL; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Julie on February 18, 2009 at 8:32am: If the witch is throwing a kid in an oven I would call that a bad witch. if it's one of my kids I'd call it a dose of high cholesterol!
LOL And yes I do think some people are to sensitive to Pagan bashing. People are always going to knock what they don't understand. I don't like it when main stream media puts us in a bad light just because of the stereotype though. And, I believe they should be held accountable for their misinformation.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by MistyDawn01 on February 18, 2009 at 8:40am: Too Funny Julie. There was a local station here that ran a story about animal abuse in a small county and one of the quotes from the director of Animal Care was that in extreme cases Wiccan sacrifices were responsible. Needless to say they recieved many comments and responses from people, some not even Wiccan who were offended.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by MoonWraith on February 18, 2009 at 11:42pm: BUT, take a look at some of these people who have been bashed. (I do mean some not all...don't yell at me yet-k?) If a person is running around in a christian-conservative town dressed as a catholic priest donning an enormous pentacle, they are gonna get a little bashing. We are Pagans. Definition: people who live outside the mainstream (town in ancient times). I know, I know, someone is gonna pop in with another definition. Anyhoo...we are outside the mainstream. We all know this. Yes, we are growing in numbers, BUT, we are still a minority in an up-tight world. We are gonna get bashed especially if we are throwing our beliefs around to people who disagree. I am not suggesting that we hide...no I'm not! Just this...use discretion. If you have children don't run into their school preaching about the Goddess. Small town Witches...trust me, you will get bashed at some point. When we moved to Irrigon (pop. 1600) from Yakima (pop. 80,000) someone in town found our Witchvox accounts and e-mailed them to pretty much everyone. Things settled down after a few months and guess what? We don't get the door-to-door Jesus salesmen anymore. (I think they are afraid of the Scary Witches.) Serves me fine. Pleases keep in mind, I was not saying that all Pagans who are bashed have it coming, but, some do seek it out so that they have something to bitch about later...I know a few.
May the Gods and Goddesses Keep You and Yours
MoonWraith; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by MistyDawn01 on February 19, 2009 at 7:21am: No yelling MoonWraith, I promise. I call people like that attention whores. They have to be front and center and if not will go out of their way to make sure they are.; ▶ Reply to This