"Great danger"

I am a member of several 'interwebby' dating sites and mention an interest in the Tarot on most. A bit earlier on i recieved a reply which ended with something to the effect that i must give this up as " you have no idea what great dangers you are exposing youself to with the occult and God help you".
i pointed out that 'occult' merely means hidden and that i've found the Tarot to be a source of spiritual enlightenment for problem solving. Also, that i only read for myself. Noticed that my reply was read and deleted immediately - polite words would have very quickly failed me had this messaging gone on !
Has anyone else had responses similar from people enmeshed in overbearing religious nutterdomics or intolerant choice of non-undrstanding ?!

Someone here shared a letter just like that this week, shouldn't be buried too deep in the chat thread I'd think. Some of those folks are just fanatical ravers on their pet subject, others are sort of misguided pseudo-missionaries. My best response to any letters or door knockers like that is to delete/shut the door.

There are religious fanatics out there. I've run into a few of them in my day. They like to use scare tactics. Personally, I stay as far away from them as possible. Not because I'm scared of them, but because I don't believe fear ever motivates anyone to do anything positive and I don't like their vibes.

I haven't, but I am aware there are a number people who do not think highly of Tarot...So I don't tell people I don't know, and even then only those I know well enough to have an idea they will not freak out. Tarot is not something unfortunately that is completely accepted by mainsteam society. So I am careful whom I tell.

Bar

This is going to sound really mean but I usually tell them I've put a hex on them. Then I sweetly ask them to pray for my soul.

It keeps them away at least. I have no tolerance for that kind of thing.

I know how you feel--I've been condemned to hell not only for reading Tarot cards, but for everything from having my own firm belief system to having several friends who are gay. (Apparently, not only is homosexuality a sin punishable by burning in hell for all eternity, but associating with them is enough for me to join them.) Also, I've had friends who have gone through serious issues regarding religion (always Christianity) whether it's inner struggles or being the victims of hate crimes. And yet they run around preaching love, acceptance, and forgiveness. Needless to say, I have a negative attitude towards organized religion.

This question has been asked before on this forum, and quotes from the bible have been provided if you look back far enough. I believe that Tarot is a pathway you can use to communicate directly to God. However, the Church doesn't like that--if you can get to God through means such as Tarot, then you don't need the Church, and that isn't good for business! So, they say it's evil, and everyone who practices Tarot burns in Hell. That should deter people from it and keep people coming to Church!

I've given up arguing. I used to get into passionate fights with fundamentalists both in and out of Churches (my hobby used to be going to Churches specifically to show people just how extreme their beliefs are), and it's never any use. After a certain point, they think they're right and EVERYBODY else is wrong and doomed to Hell. (Even though God loves and forgives them.) I used to try my best to show people that a loving God could never damn someone to Hell for ANY reason, but now I simply don't care. As long as people take comfort in their beliefs, whatever they may be, it's fine--God certainly doesn't care, because if He/She did, well, what kind of God would that be? And when they start to impose their beliefs on others, I'll ignore them or calmly bombard them with hard questions until it's simply too much to bear and I either explode or storm away.

I also had one interesting experience similar to yours--I was debating with someone on a blog online, and the person asked me to describe my beliefs. So, I did. My post was deleted because the person "did not want others visiting his site to think he held those beliefs." Why? Because those beliefs would supposedly earn him a one-way ticket to Hell.

Ultimately, it got too tiring to keep arguing. I used to hide my Tarot cards, but now I flaunt them. When people wonder how I always make such good choices or know what I do, they're quite shocked to know it's because I consult the cards. It's also a nice way to uncover people's dirty little secrets and surprise them...hehehe.

You'll always encounter people like that, not only by Christians, but by everyone--and not only because of Tarot, but because of everything. It's a lot easier to just accept that sad fact and move on.

Love always,
~Nicky

PS-sorry I started ranting...this subject always stirs up emotions in me! lol!

That letter is all over just now.

I wouldn't DREAM of answering it - it just means they know your address works, and they will send you more. BUT - if someone SAID that to me - I would try telling them that god told me to use the cards..... (I realise that people who believe in god may have more of a problem here....)

indigo rose is the person to ask if you really worry about these things. The voice of religious reason, but also tarot, on this forum.

I remember quite a while ago I told one of my friends I was learning tarot and she told another of our friends. I wouldn't have told this particular friend as she had a big mouth. My close friend wasn't bothered and didn't mention my hobby again.

But the friend she told just wouldn't let it drop. It was like the Spanish Inquisition - All the questions, how long had I been doing it, surely I didn't believe it worked, I was a little too old to believe in that kind of thing but when that didn't work she told me I was inviting the Devil into my life by playing with these cards and that wasn't fair on my family. She made me feel uncomfortable to be around her so I stopped having anything to do with her at all and soon she dropped out of our particular circle of friends.

It wasn't until a year after that I found out, from another friend, she'd been having an affair with one of her husband's workmates and she'd been scared that I would be able to see what was happening in the cards and that she'd been having regular tarot card readings with a professional.

I don't usually tell friends about my hobby now.

Emily said:

It was like the Spanish Inquisition - All the questions, how long had I been doing it, surely I didn't believe it worked, I was a little too old to believe in that kind of thing but when that didn't work she told me I was inviting the Devil into my life by playing with these cards and that wasn't fair on my family.

It wasn't until a year after that I found out, from another friend, she'd been having an affair with one of her husband's workmates and she'd been scared that I would be able to see what was happening in the cards and that she'd been having regular tarot card readings with a professional.

Click to expand...

Wow, that's really out there! Went through all the twists and turns to convince you to stop using tarot--it can't work AND it's evil--because she believed it DOES work!!! It would have been easier to quit her affair!

I guess some people just live in constant fear and guilt. How sad.

Apparently the professional had managed to pick up details of her affair, she was feeling guilty about it and was scared that I would be able to see into her private life too.

Even if I had, which I didn't, I would never have said a word. But it did teach me an important lesson of being careful who I tell that I'm learning tarot.