Recently
I read an article posted on a Christian website that caught my eye.
(yes I read articles on faith of all kind not just ones I hold as
true to myself). This particular article written by C.A.R.M or
christian apologetic and research ministry. Was entitled “If
you're a Wiccan, please read this.”
and
can be read at the link below.
Now
I am not going to repost the whole thing it can be read through the
link, however I have seen similar posts before and wanted to respond
unfortunately for some reason there is no option to replay on this
website.
I
have read many an article such as this, and giving credit were it's
due the author did more research then most bother to on the topic and
was very point by point. I feel the urge to respond to this in a
similar fashion as a person of the Wiccan path. And maybe by the
magic of the internet it will find it's way back to the source and
because for all the seeming good intentions it to me still reads like
a fear tactic attempting to scare former Christians that have
converted to Wicca in an attempt to touch on any remaining god
fearing that they haven't managed to let go of due to their biblical
childhood atmosphere.
It
starts like many in an effort to not sound like an attack or
judgment. Poor witch your not bad your just stupid and wrong.
Then
of course moves on to say they just wanna help wiccan's and then move
right in to why it's wrong here is the first excerpt I will address.
“Christians
derive their spiritual authority and doctrine from the Word of God.
According to the Bible, there are demonic forces as well as angelic
ones. The reason the Bible forbids witchcraft is because the power
that comes through the incantations and spells are derived from
demonic forces, not from God. These forces are manifested through
people who contradict God's teaching and open themselves up to their
dark and deceptive influence. Now, before you dismiss this outright,
please bear with us a little bit longer.
How
do you know that what you are contacting is good or bad? What
standard do you have by which you can judge whether or not the
results you are getting are from the God and Goddess or are instead
from some demonic forces that impersonate various deities in order to
deceive you?”
Now
I will not argue that the bible references many times their wish for
their followers to avoid witchcraft and divination the story of the
Witch of Endor in which Sual getting no answer from god seeks a woman
to speak with Samuel who has died. However the bible does not say
that this power came from demonic forces the author claims this but
it's an opinion not actually stated in the book simply an assumption
that if power does not come from god it must come from a source of
evil.
I
would argue that it was simply smart writing on the part of the
writers of the scriptures to forbid or shun the use of any religious
or mystic practice there faith does not use. ( Exodos 20:3 thou shall
have no other god's before me. for
I, the LORD your God, am
a jealous God.)
This
seems more likely to be the source of his disapproval then the
assumption of evil. In fact further in Exodus he tells his people to
destroy the sacred stones of these idolic gods. Not that the wear
demons in sheep clothing. It should be noticed that he still called
their stones and idols sacred not evil. Moving on.
Exerp
2.
“How
do you know that what you are contacting is good or bad? What
standard do you have by which you can judge whether or not the
results you are getting are from the God and Goddess or are instead
from some demonic forces that impersonate various deities in order to
deceive you?”
That's
a fair question with a simple answer,... faith. I could ask the
author the same question. How do they know when they kneel and pray
they are getting the Christ god? After all there are over 41,000
different denominations of Christianity in the U.S alone. Each
professing to be the one true path. Each with the belief that they
alone have the path to salvation. Sure they agree on a lot but how
many Christians point to one another and say “their not a real
christian” you would not get a Later Day Saints to agree that the
god they speak with is the same god as the Baptist, some will even
claim that as the author is they are being lead astray by demons
wearing the face of god.
Exerp
3.
If
you answer that it is because good things come as a result of your
efforts, so what? The demonic forces are not dumb and can
easily get people to believe that what they are doing is good all the
while deceiving them into continuing with their occult practices.
If
you dismiss this line of questioning, that is your privilege. But,
the questions are valid questions that ought to be answered. We are
all open to being tricked and none of us wants to be made a fool.
Since eternity is a long time to be wrong, it is all the more
important that we try and establish some way of verifying what is
occurring in the spiritual realm and that what you contact is not a
harmful force masquerading as something good.
Again
my response is as it was to Excerpt 2. I wonder if he knows he sounds
arrogant and hypocritical? He even states that “We are all open to
being tricked and none of us want to be made a fool” Yet his
assumption is of course he is correct and everything else is wrong or
a lie and he being in the true faith is safe smart and immune to
tricks.
Excerpt
4.
“At
this point, we appeal to Jesus. The Bible is a collection of 66 books
written by about 40 different people. It claims to be inspired and it
points to the person of Jesus. Jesus claimed to be God in flesh (John
8:58 with Exodus
3:14.
He fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies, performed many miracles,
raised people from the dead, died on the cross, and rose from the
dead himself (1
Cor. 15:1-4).
This means that what he says takes on incredible significance. If he
said that there are demonic forces that trick people, then it is
true. If he says not to get involved with séances, necromancy,
divination, spells, etc., then we shouldn't.”
Here
is what he is missing. At this point you appeal to jesus “we” do
not as most Wiccans do not believe he existed at all.
And
I am shocked in a book dedicated to him he did impressive things and
their for it takes on incredible significance? Wow well in his moves
batman looks pretty good to even hero like but as I don't believe in
him I'll make up my own mind thanks. It's a little sad that after all
his effort to look friendly it still boils down to. I believe the
bible to be true so Jesus is right and your wrong.....even though the
bible admits to the existence of other gods.
Excerpt
5.
But,
you might say that the Bible has been corrupted. No, it has not been
corrupted. The New Testament documents are more than 99.6% textually
pure. In other words, they are incredibly well preserved and
transmitted to us. Scholars translate the original documents into
English and this is how we get our English Bibles.
Even
though you may discredit the historical and theological accuracy of
the Bible, it does not mean the Bible is not true. This is why you
must continue to ask yourself what is it that you are contacting? How
do you know that the theology of Wicca is true? How do you know there
are not demonic elements that work through your occult practices?
I
really could spend all day talking about the trouble with
authenticating any spiritual text as “True” and again he could
ask himself the same questions
Excerpt
6.
Just
because you can get results from spells and incantations, it does not
mean that it is good. The Bible tells us that the devil can go around
and deceive people, making them believe that what they're doing is
right when it is not. Therefore, we must be very careful. But,
you might respond that you don't believe in the Devil. Okay,
but Jesus did!
The
safest bet is to trust Jesus who has been to the other side and come
back. The safest bet is to trust the Lord Jesus who died, was buried,
and rose from the dead. He has authenticated the Old Testament
Scriptures as being true and he appointed the apostles who wrote the
New Testament. Therefore, the Bible as a whole is validated by Jesus
and the Bible clearly states that mediums, channeling, séances,
witchcraft, spells, and divination can only result in being deceived.
Okay
is I don't believe in Jesus or the devil why would it matter that
Jesus believed in the devil ??? It's safest to trust Jesus? You don't
say well which of the 41,000 + verities of him are you speaking of?
And of course Jesus would validate his own biography it would be
silly not to but again as I don't believe in him why would his
opinion on his own aggrandizement matter to me?
Excerpt
7. (last one I promise)
“Finally,
there is one last comment. The further you get into Wicca, the
further you will move into darkness. The further you move into
darkness, the more hostile you may become to Christianity, the idea
of the cross and its sacrifice, etc. Oftentimes those who are
involved in occult practices develop an attraction for dark things,
the nighttime, skulls, various forms of rebellion, dark clothing, and
a desire for power. These things are the fingerprints of the enemy
that gradually overtake a person involved in occult practices.
Have you been touched by the enemy? Do you desire these
things? If so, have you been touched by the darkness?”The more hostile I will become toward Christianity? Well I guess if I disagree with Christians getting in to my face and telling me what a hell-bound blind idiot I am, then it must be fueled by the devil after all everyone else enjoys being told how wrong their religious views are right?
And the fingerprint of the enemy? That sounds important for Christians to know, quick were is the list of these habits at in the bible so I can read........wait there not in there! that just your personal opinion of the habits of other religions you see as wrong. And very very stereotypical I might add not all Wiccans wear black though it is said to be a color that absorbs negativity ….maybe that's why Catholic father's wear it so much but I guess its the finger print of the devil himself.
Nighttime? Well yeah a lot of Wiccan holy days correspond to the moon and we tend to like that. Skulls not so much personally but shamans sure, kept in respect for the power of the animal and its purposes and associations.
Various forms of rebellion and the desire for power
Well those are nice broad and vague descriptions. It would seem the author thinks having any view but what you have been spoon feed is a sign of evil.
And you know Jesus was a rebel and a Jew not Christian. He converted with unseen things and rose the dead just as the Witch of Endor did certainly he must have fallen to the occult ways.
I would like to say at this point that all though I strongly disagree with this author and others like them. I respect that it is their belief and I will not change their mind. I do not think they are evil or stupid and I admire anyone that attempts to walk a spiritual path and strives to be a better person.
However I wish they would stop with this arrogant I can save you crap. The reason there is so much conflict with Christianity and other religious. Is the push in Christianity to convert and save and be the true one.
I
can say I believe I walk the right path I do my best to be a good and spiritual person. But I do not claim to speak for my god/goddess or fill in the blanks base on diatribe and rhetoric I gathered from my grandmother and simply believe to be true because that's what I have always heard. I am responsible for my spirit alone and do the best I know how. But only base on my religious view of what is true and that is ever evolving. I am sorry to those wiccans this sort of article intimidates. Just because you are not exact copies of the majority or what people think you should be please don't think you are wrong often times the least popular remains right.
Know your intentions and your own spirit and sleep peacefully at night let others worry about whats right and wrong as long as you are happy with how you worship. No human man can tell you your wrong they just don't have the credibility. I don't have it either. Your faith is between you and your god or goddess or ancestor or higher power what have you. When your right you feel it so do what you feel is right.
