Jacqueline Hill & Her Baptist Background
To promote understanding between people of different religions, The Religious Viewpoint continues its series on the faith of individuals.
Even though sophomore Jacqueline Hill's background is Baptist, Hill said, \"I am non denominational. My entire family is Baptist but my stepdad's family is Catholic.\"
Hill shared a vivid event from her childhood. \"My mom's stepdad used to ask me to read the Bible before I could read the Cat and the Hat. He told me I would be going to Hell if I could not read the Bible. He described Hell as full of your worst nightmares. I understand the importance of reading the Bible, but not when you are that young.\"
In contrast, her Mom's Dad \"is very open about any spiritual questions.\" Hill also wanted to make clear that \"we are not Southern Baptist. Southern Baptists are way over the top with being conservative.\" In regards to the Southern US, Hill said, \"A lot of people down there don't really agree with Catholic views.\"
One of Hill's religious joys is discussing spiritual matters with her Dad's Mother until 2 a.m. in the morning, laughing and snacking the whole time.
As to the sacraments, she said, \"We have communion, however we do not drink wine; we drink grape juice. The giving of communion is the same as other denominations. For baptism, we usually baptize in a river. I was baptized by my grandfather. Infant baptism is rare; most people don't get baptized until their early 20's or late teens. Some people, like newlyweds, even get baptized again. Baptism is a public profession of faith.\"
Other sacraments have been eliminated altogether. Hill said, \"As far as confession, we don't have it. We believe that you don't need to have a mediator between yourself and God. We believe you can speak to God yourself.\"
Hill concluded, \"My family takes everything from the Bible literally. If it said an orange was green, they would believe it, although my immediate family does not take it as literally.\"
Wicca
Veronica Neumann-Thompson prefaced her explanation by saying \"Wicca is a nature based religion that is very open to self interpretation.\"
Veronica underscored the fact that \"there is a difference between Wicca and Witchcraft; not all Wiccans are Witches. But, just like everything else, Witchcraft can be good or bad. There are green Witches, also known as hedge Witches, who are involved with gardening and herbs.\" There is also the \"positive white or bright magic\" which contrasts with \"black magic, which is along the lines of harm or manipulation.\"
Wiccans have a belief similar to the \"you sow what you reap\" of the Christian and the Karma of the Hindu. Veronica explained it as the \"Rule of Three: What you do unto others comes back unto you threefold.\"
An important point Veronica kept highlighting was that \"not every Wiccan is the same. Wicca is like an umbrella; it covers so many different beliefs.\"
Wiccan traditions are filled with \"a lot of stuff that involves candles.\" Some other objects, though, are disliked. \"Opals and gold are not good; they have a strong connection to the spiritual world.\" Connecting with spirits \"tends to lean more towards black magic.\" This practice is tricky because \"Spirits can be guiding or mischievous.\"
An anonymous student said of a friend, \"They can take stones, lay them on someone's body, and then read them for insight into the mental and emotional state of the person.\"
In the form of a parable, a student new to Wicca said, \"Take a Bible and put it outside, and it will wither away and be nothing. What we believe in or worship is the elements themselves.\" The new follower continued, \"Some believe in a god or goddess or both. Some use Greek, Norse, Egyptian and/or Native American gods to resemble their gods. Some people will worship and follow Apollo. There are no set beliefs or path, but that of not hurting people. Wicca is a guideline on how to treat people. Wiccan is set up to be a way of life. Religion has rules.\"
The recent convert also said, \"I like the idea of worshiping with others.\"
In regards to the afterlife, Veronica said, \"Summerland is a place where all spirits go to meet with their loved ones.\" At the same time, \"Reincarnation is a common theme in Wicca.\" Veronica elaborated. \"It is the soul that is being reincarnated; the soul could go into anything.\" In comparison to the non-believer, \"Wiccans tend to meditate or have their own set of prayers.\"
One Wiccan explained another aspect of Wiccan tradition. \"Talismans are important; they are a huge part of the Wiccan tradition. You can attach spells to an object as a substitute for a charm.\" Explaining this unique aspect of Wicca, Veronica said, \"Talismans are symbols of what you believe in and they can be used as charms for good luck or health.\"
A student sitting near by said, \"If you make a talismans out of your lovers hair and then give it to them, you become bound forever.\"
Another item of the Wiccan is a crystal. Veronica said,\"Crystals are a way of concentrating energy; positively charged crystals help you maintain a positive outlook.\"
Veronica elaborated on the equality that is displayed in Wiccan beliefs. \"Wicca is a religion that believes everything is equal, all creatures are equal and everything has a soul.\"
One of the Wiccans said,\"From my experience, Wiccans are very caring for the people around them and the environment.
To differentiate from darker spiritual forces, Veronica said,\"I don't like the idea of Satanists or Satan worship. Most Wiccans choose not to believe in Satan.\"
To promote understanding between people of different religions, The Religious Viewpoint continues its series on the faith of individuals.
Even though sophomore Jacqueline Hill's background is Baptist, Hill said, \"I am non denominational. My entire family is Baptist but my stepdad's family is Catholic.\"
Hill shared a vivid event from her childhood. \"My mom's stepdad used to ask me to read the Bible before I could read the Cat and the Hat. He told me I would be going to Hell if I could not read the Bible. He described Hell as full of your worst nightmares. I understand the importance of reading the Bible, but not when you are that young.\"
In contrast, her Mom's Dad \"is very open about any spiritual questions.\" Hill also wanted to make clear that \"we are not Southern Baptist. Southern Baptists are way over the top with being conservative.\" In regards to the Southern US, Hill said, \"A lot of people down there don't really agree with Catholic views.\"
One of Hill's religious joys is discussing spiritual matters with her Dad's Mother until 2 a.m. in the morning, laughing and snacking the whole time.
As to the sacraments, she said, \"We have communion, however we do not drink wine; we drink grape juice. The giving of communion is the same as other denominations. For baptism, we usually baptize in a river. I was baptized by my grandfather. Infant baptism is rare; most people don't get baptized until their early 20's or late teens. Some people, like newlyweds, even get baptized again. Baptism is a public profession of faith.\"
Other sacraments have been eliminated altogether. Hill said, \"As far as confession, we don't have it. We believe that you don't need to have a mediator between yourself and God. We believe you can speak to God yourself.\"
Hill concluded, \"My family takes everything from the Bible literally. If it said an orange was green, they would believe it, although my immediate family does not take it as literally.\"
Wicca
Veronica Neumann-Thompson prefaced her explanation by saying \"Wicca is a nature based religion that is very open to self interpretation.\"
Veronica underscored the fact that \"there is a difference between Wicca and Witchcraft; not all Wiccans are Witches. But, just like everything else, Witchcraft can be good or bad. There are green Witches, also known as hedge Witches, who are involved with gardening and herbs.\" There is also the \"positive white or bright magic\" which contrasts with \"black magic, which is along the lines of harm or manipulation.\"
Wiccans have a belief similar to the \"you sow what you reap\" of the Christian and the Karma of the Hindu. Veronica explained it as the \"Rule of Three: What you do unto others comes back unto you threefold.\"
An important point Veronica kept highlighting was that \"not every Wiccan is the same. Wicca is like an umbrella; it covers so many different beliefs.\"
Wiccan traditions are filled with \"a lot of stuff that involves candles.\" Some other objects, though, are disliked. \"Opals and gold are not good; they have a strong connection to the spiritual world.\" Connecting with spirits \"tends to lean more towards black magic.\" This practice is tricky because \"Spirits can be guiding or mischievous.\"
An anonymous student said of a friend, \"They can take stones, lay them on someone's body, and then read them for insight into the mental and emotional state of the person.\"
In the form of a parable, a student new to Wicca said, \"Take a Bible and put it outside, and it will wither away and be nothing. What we believe in or worship is the elements themselves.\" The new follower continued, \"Some believe in a god or goddess or both. Some use Greek, Norse, Egyptian and/or Native American gods to resemble their gods. Some people will worship and follow Apollo. There are no set beliefs or path, but that of not hurting people. Wicca is a guideline on how to treat people. Wiccan is set up to be a way of life. Religion has rules.\"
The recent convert also said, \"I like the idea of worshiping with others.\"
In regards to the afterlife, Veronica said, \"Summerland is a place where all spirits go to meet with their loved ones.\" At the same time, \"Reincarnation is a common theme in Wicca.\" Veronica elaborated. \"It is the soul that is being reincarnated; the soul could go into anything.\" In comparison to the non-believer, \"Wiccans tend to meditate or have their own set of prayers.\"
One Wiccan explained another aspect of Wiccan tradition. \"Talismans are important; they are a huge part of the Wiccan tradition. You can attach spells to an object as a substitute for a charm.\" Explaining this unique aspect of Wicca, Veronica said, \"Talismans are symbols of what you believe in and they can be used as charms for good luck or health.\"
A student sitting near by said, \"If you make a talismans out of your lovers hair and then give it to them, you become bound forever.\"
Another item of the Wiccan is a crystal. Veronica said,\"Crystals are a way of concentrating energy; positively charged crystals help you maintain a positive outlook.\"
Veronica elaborated on the equality that is displayed in Wiccan beliefs. \"Wicca is a religion that believes everything is equal, all creatures are equal and everything has a soul.\"
One of the Wiccans said,\"From my experience, Wiccans are very caring for the people around them and the environment.
To differentiate from darker spiritual forces, Veronica said,\"I don't like the idea of Satanists or Satan worship. Most Wiccans choose not to believe in Satan.\"
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