Yes as a practitioner of Wicca one believes in the Wiccan Rede and the rule of three, but many of us seem to have forgotten that not all pagans are Wiccan and not all witches are pagan. Therefore in chat and forums don't let that be your fall back reasoning as to why someone else shouldn't do it. If this is your reasoning then your logic is quickly dismissed in a single, "It doesn't apply to me," and wrong or not no one can really win a belief battle. So while I do not suggest giving up on telling others that you think what they are doing is morally wrong, I do suggest finding a more logic based less belief based reason. It would reflect better on the community as a whole and each of us personally if our fall back logic isn't faith based.
All this being said you have all the right in the world to believe as you may, about threefold, the rede, eastern karma, or western karma, but in a discussion belief, unless the other person is of similar beliefs, isn't the best fallback.
Re: Three Fold Law on site By: Lark Moderator / Adept
Post # 2 Jul 17, 2013
One thing which people often forget is that the Rede is the WICCAN Rede and appropriately only applies to Wiccans. Other paths and individuals might chose to use the Rede as a guideline, but they are certainly under no obligation to do so.
That is not, of course, to say that other Pagan paths don't have their own ethical teachings to follow or that by not following the Rede they are somehow "Bad". Several of the paths that I know of have very specific sets of values which guide their ethical choices as the Rede guides the choices of Wiccans.
For the Asatruar the guidelines are called the Nine Noble Virtues and in many ways they are more like the warrior code that might have been followed by a Viking in actual Pagan society.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/bos653.htm
Kemetic (Egyptian) Reconstructionists base their values on the Laws of Ma'at, many of which are taken directly from temple texts left from ancient Egypt. http://maatlaws.blogspot.com/ Living according to Ma'at we extremely important to an ancient Egyptian since failure to do so could result in his soul's destruction upon his death. Sekhmet was a goddess whose purpose was to defend Ma'at. (Ma'at here being both a Goddess and a term which could be translated as "right living".)
Hellenic (Greek) Reconstructionists try to follow the ethical codes discussed in surviving texts from ancient Greece. These laws primarily addressed the virtues of family and community. Interestingly to the ancient Greeks, strangers were not necessarily to be treated with the same ethical behavior as those of family or community. http://www.witchipedia.com/delphic-maxims
Celtic Reconstructionists also draw from what is known of Celtic society, while acknowledging that some of the values of the ancient Celts may not fit well into modern society.
http://www.newtara.org/newtara_lib_ethics002.asp
Modern Druids have taken the ancient Brehon laws, many of which were written down by early Christian monks, and modified them to be more in keeping with modern society. Here's a good article on that. http://www.newtara.org/newtara_lib_ethics001.asp
And finally for those that follow the Religio Romano (Roman Reconstructionists) there are virtues and values which actually have been handed down in the surviving writings of Roman philosophers, and which seem very applicable even in today's society.
http://www.novaroma.org/wiki/Roman_Virtues
So I think that it is important that those who have not perhaps been exposed to the teachings of Pagan religions other than Wicca realize that when someone says to you "I don't follow the Rede" it does not mean that they are dishonorable or unethical. Rather than going ewwwww, it would be more appropriate to ask them what they consider to be the ethical virtues and guidelines of the path they follow. You might just be surprised.
Also, and not to be directed at you Lark, we must remember that some people will participate in or use an ethical code we do not agree with, but it is important to remember that each is on their own path. What's right and wrong for one are not for all. As can be seen in the above post there are many, many different ethical practices. We just have to remember to be objective and instead of hating or even attempting to convince, take the moment to learn about something new.
There have been ethical and moral codes going back to the dawn of civilzation. We look back at some and go yikes!!! that is brutal.
To your point Matt we each must follow are own path. However to Larks point there is never any harm in asking why someone feels the way they do. You may learn something new.
Through open and honest dialoge we can learn from each other.
Unfourtunatly history has show us that when it comes to faith based beliefs open dialoge doesnt happen,that easly. So take it slow with people be gentle,and respectfull.
Amasing things can happen they've happened to me. My husband of 25 years is a devote catholic yet our faiths co-exsit with out incedent.
