Three-Fold Law: Coping Mechanism?

[Daniel]

I was recently discussing the Three-Fold Law with an associate of mine, and he had an interesting take on it.


As I see it, the Threefold law is not a Rule of Fear, it’s a rule of Coping. Simply put, when one thinks about the Law, they don’t feel as if it affects them personally. I mean, even Saddam and Stalin thought that what they were doing was the “right” and “just” thing. The human brain wants to justify its actions, and place blame and vengeance upon others. At the same time, most humans who aren’t natural leaders are also inclined to be passive, and hope that the “ALPHA” will take care of their problems.

Here’s where the Law comes in.

“Because I never do wrong, the “good” things I do will come back to me threefold. But because that no-good jerk over there did something I disagree with, I don’t have to take action and stand up against it; the Law will “punish” then three times over.”

With that one quick move, the followers of the Law become passive, blaming others for the evil in the world, while abdicating themselves of responsibility and action.

The Threefold law is a coping mechanism, and nothing more.

Now, to be honest, I don't walk a path. I don't give a rat's patoot whether there's deity to be found out there or not.

At the same time, religion has always been a topic of interest for me, so I thought I'd share this and see what folks thought about it.

:)

[maverick9750]

I certainly have to agree that that is a valid way of looking at it, but I don't think its the whole story.

the way I see it, its more a case of "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" if a person is radiating harmful energies the only types of people that will be around them willingly are others that do the same, and they end up making each other miserable, but if a person is kind and generous, the opposite is true. there really isn't any difference between mundane actions and magickal actions, like still attracts like.

[Annest]

Interesting. Especially:With that one quick move, the followers of the Law become passive, blaming others for the evil in the world, while abdicating themselves of responsibility and action.
When I was a "christian" I had the same opinion on satan. I meet a lot of christians who blaimed satan for everything they found negative, from war to the fact that their youngest kid talked back at them. I just thought that satan was made up so that he could be blamed for anything "bad" you did.

personaly I belive that every action will start another action/reaction, like ripples on water when you throw a stone. Good or bad doesn´t really matter.

Anne

[Brightshores]

It wouldn't surprise me if some people do look at it that way. Sad, yes; surprising, no.

Personally, I look at it as an abstract expression of justice, and as something to be conscious of. I don't believe in it literally, as in "if I whack that guy in the face once, the next person I see is going to whack me in the face three times." I think the reality is far more involved than that description implies... one can be spreading good things, one can be spreading bad things, one can be the recipient of either, and one can be (intentionally or unintentionally) involved in the retribution for either good or bad acts. I've been in all those positions more than once.

I do believe that good acts tend to have positive effects, and bad acts tend to cause negativity that will generally rebound on the person who started it. To me, though, personal responsibility and self-reliance are still very important... I don't believe in passively accepting the bad behavior of others, and I certainly would not say that I "never do anything wrong." I have yet to meet a perfect person (myself definitely included).

Then again, I'm not a Wiccan, so I may have no idea what I'm talking about. :)

[Lunacie]

It wouldn't surprise me if some people do look at it that way. Sad, yes; surprising, no.

Personally, I look at it as an abstract expression of justice, and as something to be conscious of. I don't believe in it literally, as in "if I whack that guy in the face once, the next person I see is going to whack me in the face three times." I think the reality is far more involved than that description implies... one can be spreading good things, one can be spreading bad things, one can be the recipient of either, and one can be (intentionally or unintentionally) involved in the retribution for either good or bad acts. I've been in all those positions more than once.

I do believe that good acts tend to have positive effects, and bad acts tend to cause negativity that will generally rebound on the person who started it. To me, though, personal responsibility and self-reliance are still very important... I don't believe in passively accepting the bad behavior of others, and I certainly would not say that I "never do anything wrong." I have yet to meet a perfect person (myself definitely included).

Then again, I'm not a Wiccan, so I may have no idea what I'm talking about. :)

:) I am a Wiccan, and you just saved me the trouble of figuring out how to express all that. As a Wiccan I was taught that the concept of personal responsibility is very important, and that we can't get by with blaming someone else for our own doings, there is no personal growth in doing that, and the universe will simply throw it back in our faces.

Sadly, not all Wiccans these day are being taught these basic principles.