Romanian Government Recognizes Witchcraft as Legal Profession

[Fuselage]

DAMN IT THEY HAVE REVEALED MY SECRET.
I was the one who made the platypus, I was really drunk one night and I saw a duck and a beaver and...Well....I am sorry for the Platypus.

 

[brotherjudas]

Being a citizen of this mystical land, I actually agree with this ridiculous action. There are a lot of "witches" in Romania that basically scam gullible, stupid, people out of their money on a day to day basis. They charge thousands of untaxed euros for nothing. They're like televangelists, but lower tech. Some of them have palaces, no joke, palaces, mansions with towers, and they pay no taxes. Also don't call what these "witches" are doing Wicca, it's a scam, plain and simple. I doubt there are any practitioners of Wicca in my country.

Meanwhile, I earned minimum wage until taxes increased and now I earn less.

Wat can I say, I live in a ridiculous country of extreme poverty and extreme wealth, ruled by morons and undercover foreign agents. The best thing to happen here in recent history was the Top Gear crew shooting an episode on what they called "The greatest road... in the world". It's also the only road without potholes in the country.

This. Also for anyone laboring under the extremely false impression that the people affected by this law actually believe in anything other than the power of money, I daresay you shall be disappointed.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Mr. Dresden could open up a franchise in Europe.

My first thought.

Although I'm wondering whether Harry Potter is their Spinal Tap.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

For the record, Wicca and various other pagan religions that often fall under the heading of witchcraft are just as valid and a lot older than all those monotheistic religions that tried to supplant and absorb them in their power grabs for more followers, demonizing those that would not convert as evil or satanists or what have you.

Wicca originated in the 1930s. The Witchcraft Act (1735) dealt with most of the rest.

Little to no details exist of any religions pre-Christianity due to the Romans forcibly kicking to pieces anything in their way.

I'd be very careful who you regard as a "fellow witch", given that there are a lot of conmen, and women, about.

 

[Mako SOLDIER]

Woohoo! Look at all that ignorant, self righteous bias depicted not only in the news article by also by many of the commenters! Why surely they must know 100% exactly what witchcraft really is and isn't, despite getting well, absolutely no facts on the subject.

For the record, Wicca and various other pagan religions that often fall under the heading of witchcraft are just as valid and a lot older than all those monotheistic religions that tried to supplant and absorb them in their power grabs for more followers, demonizing those that would not convert as evil or satanists or what have you.

Warlock is not the term for a male witch. The term for a male witch is... witch. Warlock means 'traitor' and was coined by the Catholic church to use against men who didn't follow their views.

Magic is just as real as you believe it is. At least as real as praying for something. In fact, it's exactly the same thing, using a person's willpower to hopefully influence external events. Whether the trappings are an athame or a rosary, whether you do it in a church or a magic circle, you are still trying to use ritual and willpower to bring about a favorable change in your life.

This. There's a lot of ignorance going on in this thread, likely all from people who don't know what witchcraft really is. I'd love to see Mr Goldman write an article as insulting as this about one of the major religions, especially a certain one recently known for some of it's members' violent reaction to criticism. Hmm, no? Didn't think so, it's obviously easier to ridicule a belief you know nothing about when you know you won't be held to account for doing so. Shameful.

 

[Terrorist_school_drop-out]

As a romanian, let me make the situation more clear: WITCHCRAFT MY EASTERN ASS. In Romania "witchcraft" is practiced by an important minority, gypsies, and this minority has a let's say, at the very least, shady tax situation. But my country having a vast, VAST majority of very thick people, there's geniune money to be made from the huge scam known as "witchcraft". So the incredibly(even by our standards) incompetent and corupt government has put up this pathetic sham in an atempt to make some money they can proceed to steal and put in their own foreign bank accounts. Of course gypsies will still evade taxes, and it's all A LOT dumber than it sounds, but in my country it's the norm.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

Witchcraft is bullshit but there are a lot of scammers here and the government is doing the right thing by taxing them. Then again, it does look a bit bad on a countries resume that it recognized fucking withcraft.

 

[Mako SOLDIER]

I find this report extremely offensive to me and my fellow witches. Please remove it at once.

Why? Some of the witches mentioned are happy with the news.

And what would removing it do? Don't go all Chinese-Government-Rewriting-Reality on me now.

It's not the news story, or others in Romania response to it, its the way the guy writing about it is offensive. Wicca is a religion, and insensitivity and uneducated slander or making fun of it is highly offensive. Imagine if this was a report on Islam or Christianity, I bet not everyone would find it so funny.

Nice blinders. These reporters and the community LOVE to take unfair digs at Christianity when given a chance (check the "Timothy Plan" fiasco or ANY thread in Religion and Politics for evidence). You simply have to learn to roll with it, I have.

Besides, do you really think it's fair that witchcraft is now considered an "occupation"? There'd be even MORE laughter if any country declared Islam or Christianity an "occupation".

Being a priest etc IS considered an occupation, and even confers tax exemption. And yes, of course people of all faiths should expect to face some degree of ridicule, but at the same time we shouldn't expect a supposed professional journalist to be citing nonsense about cursing someone using dog poo (clearly one very strange individual - no witchcraft I've ever heard of uses excrement, and a little research would've shown that) in order to tar an entire belief. That, I believe, is an absurd generalization (very professional there Mr Goldman). Most religious mockery falls on the OTT behaviour of individuals, or on historical atrocities, but what Tom has done here is take the piss out of an entire belief for no reason other than a decision made about it by an independent organisation.

Edited because it turns out that the 'dog poo' thing WAS in the original story. I originally went on the word of a fellow poster, turns out they were wrong.

 

[Mako SOLDIER]

Sorry, double post. Site claimed an error the first time. Turns out it was wrong.

 

[Demodeus]

Witchcraft got legalized in RO? Now THATS why I'm proud of my romanian heritage! xD

 

[Simriel]

Isn't it forbidden to use this gift for profit also? Maybe "forbidden" is not the correct word but...frowned upon? I know that real psychics do not charge, but i'm not that familiar with this.

Forbidden is a bit strong a term. But by the Three Fold Law you had best be sure of what you are doing, as it says anything you do will come back to you three times over. I certainly wouldn't say that I'm familiar with any commercial aspects of witchcraft (and I suspect these people are more along the lines of advisers, herbalists and the like... You go to them because your baby won't stop crying for an herbal 'potion' to stop their teething pain).

I however would not perform any magic for the benefit of someone else (or myself) unless I felt the motives are pure. No casting curses on people or all that other rot. That's the sort of behavior that is frowned upon by most Wiccans.

Yeah but a Wiccan =/= a Witch strictly speaking, the latter is simply used as a blanket term. Every coin has two sides.

 

[badgersprite]

FINALLY

Get me some green skin and a maniacal cackle, I'm moving to Romania! (No offense to actual Wiccans or witches. Unfortunately, much like with spies and scientific laboratories, evil fictional ones are just cooler than the reality.)

 

[katsabas]

Guess where I am studying right now. Yup, right after my Pharmacy degree, I am due for a Mage one.

 

[Macgyvercas]

Wow, people actually believe in magic outside of fantasy RPG's. My mind is blown.

 

[Kelethor]

Woohoo! Look at all that ignorant, self righteous bias depicted not only in the news article by also by many of the commenters! Why surely they must know 100% exactly what witchcraft really is and isn't, despite getting well, absolutely no facts on the subject.

For the record, Wicca and various other pagan religions that often fall under the heading of witchcraft are just as valid and a lot older than all those monotheistic religions that tried to supplant and absorb them in their power grabs for more followers, demonizing those that would not convert as evil or satanists or what have you.

Warlock is not the term for a male witch. The term for a male witch is... witch. Warlock means 'traitor' and was coined by the Catholic church to use against men who didn't follow their views.

Magic is just as real as you believe it is. At least as real as praying for something. In fact, it's exactly the same thing, using a person's willpower to hopefully influence external events. Whether the trappings are an athame or a rosary, whether you do it in a church or a magic circle, you are still trying to use ritual and willpower to bring about a favorable change in your life.

I don't wanna burst your bubble here, but Theres no such thing as magic. Ill admit my knowledge of wicca or "witchcraft" is fairly limited, but I think we as a society have come to realize that there are no women flying around on broomsticks, cursing men too have their balls shrivel up and die. . I can have all the willpower in the world, use ever Rosary and golden cross or eye of newt or whatever, and It still wont change the fact that im going too die, rot in the earth and turn into nothing but worm feed.

Sorry about that, I just...I hate when businesses become Tax exempt. Thats what religion is. a business.

 

[Generic_Dave]

Hey, if your local palm reader or psychic is legitimate why not your local witch? There there are homeotherapists, self-help professionals, chakra therapists...I could go on and on...

The more I think of all the other professions based on gullibility and ignorance the lass weird this seems...

Not to mention organised religion and politics...

 

[Seydaman]

I find this
Rather funny
But I see their point (The Government's that is)