Regent University

School of Undergraduate Studies

CHRISTIANITY AND WICCA: DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED

By
COLLIS M. FOGLE

RELS 107 Worldviews
June 4, 2011
Professor Thomas Kreischer

” that the doctrines, commonly called orthodox, are contrary to reason, are FALLACIOUS; and a similar mode of reasoning, on: the truths of Natural Religion, will land us in atheism.” – ARCHIBALD AleXANDER
Introduction
The “New Age” is anything but new. This worldview and the myriad pagan and neo-pagan religions gathered beneath the shadow of its relatively large umbrella have been around for centuries. The modern church needs to be aware of the insidious threat posed by this seemingly platonic worldview so that the church, from pastors to congregation, can be adequately equipped to identify, pray and witness against this threat. Wiccans claim that Satan is a myth (and a Christian one at that) and that they believe in no such being. The Holy Bible, the inerrant word of God, says otherwise. There are only two sides in the eternal conflict that humankind is involved in and either we serve God or Satan. This paper will prove this fact and outline the stark differences between Wiccan and a Christian Theistic worldview. Jesus Christ is the key to salvation and without acceptance for His sacrifice; eternal damnation is the ultimate destination. The Bible denounces any and all occult practices.
“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.” Deuteronomy 18:10-12.

Discussion

Modern day practitioners of Wicca tend to alter historical truths in a blatant attempt to disassociate themselves from Satanism. Wicca and Satanism are, admittedly, two distinct religious categories, but only according to modern methodological practices of categorization. The Holy Scriptures make no distinction between pagan practices and treat them as a whole and therefore, so should the modern church. Even some Wiccan scholars are willing to admit, begrudgingly, that there are some very close historical connections between Wicca and Satanism (Crafting the Art of Magic, Aidan Kelly (pp.21-22, 25-26, and 176).

Modern day Wicca, as opposed to Christianity, is a very eclectic religion and justifiably so. Whether one professes belief in the Great Spirit of the Native Americans or the Norse pantheon of the Scandinavian people, all are welcome to worship together under the moon of Wicca. This synergistic approach may seem odd to outsiders but there is a method to the syncretism. Wiccans believe that various names may be applied and attributed to their deities but the entities being worshipped are the same. Isis, Athena, Frig and Freya are all the same entity, the goddess of Wicca. Wicca is not, as most Wiccans claim, “The Old Religion” as present day iterations of the religion have been influenced by neo-pagan scholars associated with both the feminist and ecological

movements of the 20th century. Wicca has, however, drawn inspiration and philosophy from multiple old religions. The present-day “flavor” of Wicca which has become very well accepted (even the United States military components formally recognize it) has its genesis in 19th-century occult philosophy which includes, but is not limited to; The Order of the Golden Dawn (OGD) ceremonial magic (with Christian terms removed), Celtic, British and Scandinavian folklore as well as satanic philosophy.
Perhaps the best example of literary Satanism that distinctly influenced modern day Wicca, especially the Dianic covens (female only membership), is the book La Sorciere by the 19th-century French historian Jules Michelet (published in English by Citadel Press under the title Satanism and Witchcraft). Michelet's literature, according to feminist writers such as Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English in their booklet Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers (Feminist Press, 1973), has had a profound impact on the field of modern healthcare, particularly the nursing field. Many of the methods employed such as tantric yoga and transcendental meditation are direct products of New Age philosophies. The impact of Wicca on the modern church will have even more extreme consequences.

Wiccans claim that they practice “white” magic and only use it to help others. The Bible makes no distinction between “types” of magic and forbids all occult practices. The following verses make this expressly clear; Ex. 22:18; Lev. 19:26,31, 20:6,27; 1 Sam. 15:23a; 2 Kings 23:24; I Chron. 10:13; Is. 2:6, 8:19-20, 47:13-14; Ez. 13:20-23; Dan. 2:27-28, 5:15-17; Acts 13:7-10a, 16:16-18; Gal. 5:19-20; Rev. 22:15.

Wiccans and most pagans in general, do not believe in an absolute moral truth, therefore, there is no right or wrong. For them, these terms are relative at best. This is a contradictory statement because if true, then Christians who believe in the absolute truth, the Holy Scriptures must then be wrong Wiccans are often overly eager and willing to admit that they believe Christians are misguided (wrong), overlooking the fact that they don't believe in a right way or a wrong way. The odds of committing an act that has absolutely no impact, positively or adversely on another person at any given moment in time are impossible. Without guidance or a set of moral standards, humans will inevitably negatively impact his or her fellow human being. This is not only a fact, it is also a sin. The Wiccan will argue that Christians shouldn't impose Biblical beliefs on others. They will also say that people shouldn't harm the environment. But, if a person happens to be an atheist and believes the Earth to be no more significant than a rock, then according to Wiccan logic, that person should be able to anything they wanted to the environment without any repercussions beyond the natural. For the Wiccan to say that the person could not or should not be allowed to do so is to say that the atheist’s belief is wrong. The point is, it is not possible to say all ways are truth and there is no right or wrong. For the Pagan to say there is no right or wrong is to say the Earth is Goddess, but the Earth is also not Goddess because the atheist is right too. Realizing this impossibility should alert the Pagan to the reality that there is truth out there. As eternity is at stake, it is a good idea to seek it out and listen with this new appreciation for truth.

Wiccans believe in endless reincarnation and karma that is carried over from life to life as the individual struggles to obtain ultimate enlightenment. What this means is that there is truly no Choice in Paganism, as opposed to Christianity, which is all about choice. Regardless of a Wiccans actions or beliefs in life, they ultimately find that their existence is being inexorably funneled toward the same finale, the goddess. The goddess can offer no end to the eternal cycle of the wheel of life cycles. Furthermore, the goddess has absolutely nothing more to offer Wiccans other than an eternity of pointless repetition.

Christians, on the other hand, have so much more to look forward to. Jesus offers so much more. He loved humankind so much that He died on the cross so that we can spend eternity in heaven. He gave us a choice. The most important choice people will ever have to make, the choice to choose Him or not to choose to be with Him. Jesus does not demand that Christians spend life after life trying to improve their respective karma, all the while not remembering what they did to deserve the less-than-perfect karma rating that led them back to earth again. Jesus does not expect Christians to be punished for a previous life's karma only to pass that same karma on to another life for more endless punishment. All He asks is that Christians believe in Him and accept His free gift of an eternity with Him.

In 2005, Wiccans the world over were ecstatic about a then new book written by Leo Ruickbie titled; Witchcraft Out of the Shadows. Mr. Ruickbie was making an attempt to re-write the history of Wicca and simultaneously discredit Christianity. The following quote by the author is a pretty accurate summary of what this book is all about.
“Witches and Witchcraft are no longer what they were thought to be. Gone are the pacts with the Devil, the evil imp familiars and the toe-curling curses. In their place we find a vital religion practicing spiritual equality and seeking the improvement of the world. This new religion finds fertile soil for its rapid and increasing growth in today’s social climate of post-Christianization and re-enchantment.” –Leo Ruickbie.

This is a very old yet very effective deceptive strategy, witchcraft can put on a new face but it remains the same old false religion of the devil. "Ruickbie calls witchcraft, "This new religion..." Not an accurate statement, witchcraft is almost as old as Satan. No matter how good the witches’ intentions may be or how nice they may have become, the Word of God condemns witchcraft in every form. The witches are trying to be accepted because they promote diversity and are conscious about the environment, but this is all irrelevant because the Bible makes no provision for the wicked. Just because a beer company may feed the homeless doesn't justify their evil works. Just because the producers of pornographic material may donate money to help find a cure for cancer doesn't justify their evil works. Witchcraft is an evil work which must be rejected by every God-fearing person and is diametrically opposed to Christian Theism.

The rapid growth of Wiccan witchcraft can be attributed to the same cause behind abortion, gambling, homosexuality, divorce, lasciviousness, and every other sin...apostasy (a turning away from God).

By way of the Holy Scriptures, Christian Theism recognizes the truth of God’s transcendence and His separateness from His creation. The Bible is the final authority for Christians. Wicca has no overarching authority and no uniform doctrine and these aspects enable practitioners of this religion to pretty much do as they please. Wicca is simultaneously anti-dogmatic and anti-authoritarian. The Holy Scriptures are absolutely dogmatic and unquestionably authoritarian. Each of Gods creations is unique and different from His other creations. They were made after their kind. Gen.1:1 implies that in the beginning God created that which was not God. Not only does the Bible proclaim the separateness of God from His creation, but it also teaches the distinctiveness of Gods creations from one another. Three major beliefs of Wicca are animism, pantheism, and polytheism.
Animism is the belief that everything, even inanimate objects, has a soul or spirit and is considered to be alive in the same sense as human beings. Wiccans believe that not only do plants have a soul or spirit, but also the wind, the rain, and even rocks.
Other Wiccans simply believe that inanimate objects possess a life force. This life force is called Akasha and the fact that all objects possess it, implies that everything

is connected in a very intricate “web” of existence and no one entity can claim superiority over another. In other words, a human being has no more (or no less) rights to anything than a flower in a field.

To a vast number of witches, animism means that the Life Force of: rocks and trees, deserts and streams, mountains and valley, ponds and oceans, gardens and forests, fish and fowl; everything from amoebas to animals to humans are all infused with and participate in the vital Life Force or energy (Akasha), and therefore the entire earth is a living organism. This would explain why Wiccans are, for the most part, very ecologically friendly or “green”. This is not to say that Christians are not to be aware of the need to be good stewards of the planet on which they live, but when green consciousness leads one to think that flora and fauna are synonymous with human life, a perilous line has been crossed and the Christian would be well advised to consult his or her Bible for the truth of the matter.

This heretical form of teaching and thought leads to a special form of pantheism called panentheism. Pantheism and panentheism are two distinct but very similar ideas that have their basis in the mistaken belief that deity is in everything and everything is deity. This illustrates how sin can grow exponentially; the aforementioned pantheism and panentheism flows with a mercurial smoothness into a form of polytheism which is the belief that there is more than one god. Wicca today advocates both, a plurality of deities as well as a plurality of meaning and reality.

In such a Godless, chaotic environment, truth cannot take root and blossom because the very ideological concept of truth has been reduced to the point that the concept of truth does not exist at all.

Conclusion

This paper was quite a challenge for me but I hope I was able to express my thoughts clearly. This topic struck very close to home for me as a former Wiccan practitioner. I have applied Christian teachings and principles to every aspect of my life since my Conversion and I try to never miss an opportunity to witness to pagans (Wiccans in particular) whenever I get the chance. Credibility goes a long way with pagans and having been one before gets my “foot in the door” and I let the Holy Spirit guide me from that point. One thing is very clear to me from my research, and that is the fact that Wicca is not going away. The modern church has to be aware of the threat that Wicca poses, as well as be prepared to witness to pagans whenever God presents us with the opportunity. One final piece of advice, thank God if you get the chance to “plant the seed”. It may not be the will of God for you to see positive results and reap the harvest. Be content to plant the seed of faith and continue to pray!

WORKS CITED
Heibert, R., Shaw D., & Tite, T. (1999) Understanding folk religion. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books
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Heschel. The Prophets. Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2001.

Kelley, A. (1991) Crafting the Art of Magic, Book I: A History of Modern Witchcraft, 1939-1964 ), Llewellyn Publications

Machinist, P. Prophets and Prophecy in the Ancient near East. Society of Biblical Literature, 2003