Quote:
Originally posted by Bill O'Rights
What would you discern from that? What correlation would you expect to find between the growth of Wicca and the growth of the internet? Wiccans do not proselytize; you have to seek them out. Unless you are looking for a correlation between their growth and easier access to information, I don't see a connection.
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I have a theory about the internet and one of it's fortunate, but unintended consequences, and yes, it has to do with easier access to information. I first thought about it when I saw a news report on Wiccans wanting representation among military chaplains.
First, a disclaimer: This is in no way meant to offend Wiccans. Even devout Wiccans would admit, I suspect, that theirs is a religion that is somewhat outside the bounds of what is considered "normal" in society. I am not equating the Wiccan religion's beliefs to fetishes or Rennaisance Fairs, nor am I saying that all practioners of the Wiccan religion are "misfits".
Let me explain:
You have a kid living in any small town to medium sized city. They might be a bit weird and a misfit, and don't do well in their society(person A) or they might be perfectly normal, but have an interest in "X" (person B) which is a little bit weird or not so normal. X can be drugs, a specific historical era, pornography, literary genre, fetishes, religious beliefs, political beliefs, etc..
Prior to the internet, person A might act in socially unacceptable ways, because they see themselves as not fitting in to society. Person B might live a life that fit in with society, but would be personally unfulfilled due to their unrequitted interest in "X". The only way this changes is if either person stumbles into other people that share these same traits. This is made more unlikely for several reasons. Person A, that feels they do not fit in society, might be less likely to interact with many people in society. Person B doesn't share their odd interests with just anyone, and don't want to share their odd interests with those they are close to, for fear of their rejection for being not normal.
With the advent of the internet, person A finds many channels to exhibit their societal rebellion, and person B finds reaffirmation in the fact that they are not alone, and can excercise the interest in X.
I think that both of these outcomes are good for society as a whole. I also think the increase of Wiccans is a result of this scenario, but I'm not sure. Maybe this is just intuitive and obvious to everyone else, but I was hoping for some confirmation of a theory that I came up with, sitting in my chair, drinking a beer, and watching TV.