crowdog66

Here's the press release:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/Witch/School/prweb517797.htm

In part, it states:

"April 11, 2007 -- Imagine if you could buy Harry Potter's Hogwart's? Well, the first and world's largest public school of Wiccan and Witches has become available for sale. Starting Wednesday, April 11th, WitchSchool.com will be auctioned off to the highest bidder during an eBay Auction. If you ever wanted your very own cyberschool of magick and witchcraft or if you would love to become the next Dumbledore, this is the auction for you.

Now, I've always been a bit leery of Witchschool, for several reasons, all of which (and more) are aptly summed up in the following essays (which are not mine, but well written indeed):

http://community.livejournal.com/nonfluffypagans/718930.html
http://community.livejournal.com/nonfluffypagans/719279.html
http://community.livejournal.com/nonfluffypagans/719552.html

Some of the folks over at nonfluffypagans aren't very happy about this latest move of theirs, either:

http://community.livejournal.com/nonfluffypagans/813483.html

Nor is the blogger of "The Wild Hunt":

http://www.wildhunt.org/2007/04/wanna-buy-witch-school.html

But let me tell you why I, in particular, have tremendous problems with what Ed Hubbard has decided to do. (Aside from take a real religion and bring it down to the level of a fictional school in a children's book in his press release, that is.)

Let's say his enlistment estimate is even close to accurate: 150,000+ students.

What has he undertaken to do with those students? Why, to provide them with an education -- and ordination -- within the Correllian Nativist Tradition.

Fair enough. But NOW what is he doing?

That's right. He's selling those students -- their personal information, their education, and their spiritual development -- to the highest bidder.

The highest bidder who might, Gods forbid, be a Fundamentalist Christian. Just imagine what someone like that would do with all that lovely proprietary software and information.

Or might even be (shudder) Yvonne and Gavin Frost, who are nominally Wiccans, but definitely on the fringe in terms of some of their beliefs.

Thank you, Ed Hubbard, for finally revealing your true colors in all their money-grubbing glory.