ellen@ucla-cs.UUCP (10/30/84)
RE: Larry Bickford's remarks about the **state school** establishing a religion: First, of course you were trying to be cute. Obviously, Bonewits did not get a degree in presto-digitalization, er..., i mean, prestidigitation. Second, there was, and perhaps still is (tho' i doubt it, considering the current atmosphere in this country), an option to create one's own `major' at U.C.-Berkeley, if one could support the reasoning behind having the chosen subject as a focus, and could find enough courses in various depts. available. Third, the University is certainly NOT `establishing' a religion for several reasons: (a) In many other cultures, MAGIC already exists as an integral part of the belief system, and indeed, exists within our own, whether it is a belief you expouse or not. Certainly, one could take many courses on MAGIC in any Anthropology dept., where, upon studying, one can learn that it is a part of religion, medicine, social control, art, politics, and economics. (yes, economics, in that precious objects, those items which are rare, unusual, special in some way, are quite valuable to the culture which so deems them, and they thus become part of a network of trade and exchange. This is true of art objects created by humans; various plants used for healing, rituals, and transcendental experiences; shells, skins, etc. used in the creation of art and costumes; etc.) (b) Merely by sanctioning the study of a subject is not equivalent to the establishing it as a religion. The English language is studied in the University and it's not generally considered a religion, for example. Bonewits was studying MAGIC; he was not in a Theological School or Seminary. Whether or not you accept it as YOUR belief system does not mean it is not a subject worthy of study by someone else. (c) MAGIC has many uses, as alluded to in part (a) above. It is not exclusively a religion, tho' it may be such for some. Bonewits does not belong to a sect called the `Church of Magic' or anything like that. MAGIC is a technology (see allusions in (a) above), not necessarily an end in itself. (Bonewits is a Neo-Pagan who is a member of a group known as the Reformed Druids of North America, which is somewhat Discordian in background. By the way, this does not mean that they are seeking to CAUSE discord, only that they recognized CHAOS underlying the `nice' order which is imposed by humans.) Sorry if i'm a bit long winded. And also for taking your joke so seriously. I did feel there was some room for clarification/extension of some of the ideas previously presented. Merry Part