A strange phone call

[crowdog66]

I just got one of my strangest phone calls in 14 years as a Wiccan.

*phone rings*

Me: "Hello?"
Other Person: "Hello... I found your name through your listing on Witchvox... and I was wondering... I want to study to be a member of the clergy."
Me: "Of the Wiccan clergy?"
OP: "Well, I'm not sure."
Me: *pause* [You want to be clergy, but you don't know which... o-KAY] "Well, Paganism is an umbrella term, not a specific religion --"
OP: "I know that."
Me: "-- so you sort of have to pick a religion to study in before you can look at clergy status. Is Wicca something you're interested in?"
OP: "Well, I'm more into Druidism."
Me: "Hmmm. I'm afraid I can't help you out with that, and I'm trying to think of who on my list would have Druidic knowledge..."
OP: "I was thinking maybe I could study Wicca and have Druidism as a back-up."
Me: *pauses again* [What the FUCK?] "Um, no, I'm sorry, that wouldn't work. While the two systems have some superficial similarities, they're quite different in most other respects. Studying in one would not qualify you for the other. But let me take your name and phone number and I'll see if any of my contacts know about someone who could help you."
OP: *gives me their name, which is quite obviously a made-up one, and a phone number*

You know, when you become clergy in a religion, hopefully you do it because you BELIEVE in that religion. You don't become clergy in two separate and quite different faiths. To me, that smacks of looking at both religions as a hobby, not a vocation.

*sigh* I'll see what I can do to help the person in question, but I hope they rethink their priorities.

Comments

[metisbutterfly.livejournal.com]

sniff...sniff...
fi fi fo fum, i smell bullshit in wiccandom...

[matrixrefugee.livejournal.com]

Sounds like some kind of Fundie Christian type trying to infiltrate the "OMG EVOL SAYTANNIC RAYNKS OV WICCA!!!111111" Either that or a fluffy-bunny type looking for fluffy-bunny brownie points.

:: Sends Alucard, the guy in her icon, to hunt down the pest::

[elaryn.livejournal.com]

This is a new low in stupidity. I apologise on behalf of the rest of the world. *hugs*

[crowdog66.livejournal.com]

Part of me is hoping that this is an otherwise intelligent person who just hasn't quite thought things through.

The rest of me is telling that part of me that it is FAR too optimistic.

*hugs*

[elaryn.livejournal.com]

*phone rings at local Roman Catholic parish* "Hello, this is Saint Jude's, Father Doheny speaking. How may I help you?"

"Um, I wanted to, like, learn how to be a priest or something?"

"Splendid, my son. Now tell me, are you from this parish?"

"Oh, wow, man, a parish. Is that, like, Catholic or something? I wanted to learn how to be a Baptist priest..."

*crickets chirp*

[silverjackal.livejournal.com]

Real life fluffy, or scammer? I can't decide. Either way, it's only funny because I don't have to deal with them. "Wicca, with Druidism as a back up"? That sounds like someone wanting to pursue the arts in post secondary, but taking finance as well "to be able to get a job just in case the art thing doesn't work out". Typically, such an individual is good at neither. It's not like the druids are invisible in this country either, though I don't know any explicitly out your way. Then again, the ones I know wouldn't be receptive to this type of nonsense.

[garden_hoe21]

Me: "Hello?"
Other Person: "Hello... I found your name through your listing on Christvox... and I was wondering... I want to study to be a member of the clergy."
Me: "Of the Catholic clergy?"
OP: "Well, I'm not sure."
Me: *pause* [You want to be clergy, but you don't know which... o-KAY] "Well, Monotheism is an umbrella term, not a specific religion --"
OP: "I know that."
Me: "-- so you sort of have to pick a religion to study in before you can look at clergy status. Is Catholicism something you're interested in?"
OP: "Well, I'm more into Islam."
Me: "Hmmm. I'm afraid I can't help you out with that, and I'm trying to think of who on my list would have Islamic knowledge..."
OP: "I was thinking maybe I could study Catholicism and have Islam as a back-up."
Me: *pauses again* [What the FUCK?] "Um, no, I'm sorry, that wouldn't work. While the two systems have some superficial similarities, they're quite different in most other respects. Studying in one would not qualify you for the other. But let me take your name and phone number and I'll see if any of my contacts know about someone who could help you."

[crowdog66.livejournal.com]

You got it in one.

[diamond-lies.livejournal.com]

weird!! hey, what was the name? i had a strange message on facebook the other day about the local community....

[crowdog66.livejournal.com]

I'll contact you via email to preserve the privacy of the person in question.

[(Anonymous)]

My first question would have been, "Why do you want to be clergy? Is this a long-time desire or a more recent decision? Tell me about your religious beliefs..." and so on.

Let me know how this proceeds, or maybe I could field this ball for you. [fakey oriental voice] "I have many very much experience mystic arts..."

Bell of Winnipeg

[eastpath.livejournal.com]

Whoa that was... whoa. weird.