So my last article was me as a Christian, addressing other Christians about their view towards Wiccans. Now I will be giving some quick info about the religion and then discuss it in a Biblical light. This will include things I have told my Wiccan friends as I witnessed to them in concern for their safety and salvation. I will also be including verses and what God says in the Bible. Again, I do not write this to attack Wiccans nor accuse my fellow believers, but to inform everyone of both sides so that the truth may be told with love and understanding.
The Wiccan belief actually started a few decades ago, but they have attached their belief on ancient European rituals. This, in turn, can explain why many feel deeply about witch trials of the Middle Ages, even though their specific religion didn't start that long ago. The majority of the members are typically women because the Wiccans believe deeply in the strength of women and follow the Mother Goddess (their deity of mother nature). But this doesn't forbid men to join. With that being said, many Wiccans can be strong feminists, naturalist, or animal right activists because of their beliefs. Wiccans believe that their power comes from the earth (Mother Goddess) or from within themselves, not Satan. This means that many do no acknowledge God or Satan even though they know spirits or a spiritual realm. Thus they are not Satanist. Wiccans have a code they live by that says "whatever ye do, ye get back three fold." So that is their policy to not do harm otherwise it will come upon them.
Recently, there has been an increase in the feminist movement and a movement for naturalists. This has also increased the curiosity in Eastern religions and pagan beliefs. Add in any previous bad church experience, and a person may feel drawn to these mystical religions. The Internet is a great source to learn about Wicca and its history; however, people try to post spells, lessons, and other learning tools to "learn" magick on the internet. According to my Wiccan friend, this is a bad idea. Most true witches will learn through a system of convents and mentors. Thus a more hands-on way. This new almost "pop culture" Wiccan way of learning creates witches who have no control over their spells and do much harm. So to distinguish their religious practices from pop culture fantasy, they will add a "k" at the end of the word magic. So magic is used in fiction while magick is a term specifically used to refer to pagan or Wicca practices of witchcraft.
So a few things to point out about Wicca from a Biblical point of view.
1) Wiccans do use witchcraft thus use power from Satan. The Bible is very clear about this. Deuteronomy 18:9-12 is just one verse that says, "When you enter the land that the Lord your God has given you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or cast spells, or who is a medium or spiritualist or consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord." Now I've been asked (and since I just said above that they don't believe in Satan) how can their earthy, herbal magick be connected with Satan? Here is what I have told my friends.
Earth fell with the fall of man. The ground must be worked and plants and animals die and decay. There is something wrong with the nature of this earth in that it holds death, destruction, and danger. That was not at the beginning when God first created the earth. So the earth and its power has been tainted by Satan and is an unstable power source. Furthermore, if they believe that the power comes from themselves, remind them that we are mere mortals on a physical plane who make mistakes. Who are we to play with a spiritual power that does not belong to us? We are fallen and an unstable power source too. Therefore, the power is coming from a master manipulator from the shadows. Satan can seep into any spell, chant or ritual and give it great power beyond the simple words or objects that make up those acts. These people are not in control nor do they worship the person in control. They are deceived and blinded by Satan whether they learned from the Internet or from a mentor. All are being controlled by Satan.
2) I believe that God created many spirits in the spirit realm. But, a portion of them too fell because of their betrayal of God. 1 John 4:1 states, "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." Satan and his demons try to deceive all humans because he hates everything that God is and had done for us. Therefore, we must be careful, who we listen to, even in the spiritual realm. Witches sometimes talk to spirits but warning them of spiritual trickery is not enough. Point them to God's power. God created everything including these spirits they may talk to or follow. Challenge them asking if God created all things, then wouldn't God be more powerful than the spirit you follow? Why don't you follow the more powerful being? It's a natural human thing to do. We crave security so we tend to gravitate to the people whom we believe has the most power.
Then I am faced with the reality that God could've been misrepresented to my friend. The most common phrase heard and joked about by cynical nonbelievers is "YOUR GOING TO HELL!!" The quick judgmental wrath of a fire and brimstone preacher or sidewalk sign holder. While, yes, God has power and wrath, He has made a way for people to be loved and have a relationship with Him. There are verses that say witches go to hell, but so do liars, drunkard, adulteresses, and many more. The point is we have all sinned but God made a way for us to all have a chance to be forgiven because He doesn't want His beautiful children in hell. Tell these people about the relational God, who created them and values them, not wanting to control them or oppress them.
3) Wiccans also believe they can manipulate their surroundings. This may be through energy, spells, or talking to spirits. Either way, it's all about control. As I said before, it's a fake control because Satan is really the one pulling the strings, not them or the earth. But God tells us to stay away from things for a reason. There are usually effects and consequences for such actions. One such consequence is that the witch is blindly working with a spiritual power that is unnatural and not their own. We are mortals and were designed only the way God designed us. This unusual power is from Satan and thus spiritually beyond mortal. Therefore, the human may start feeling a bit prideful or too confident with too much power. We have seen such people in history with usually too much political power. They get a big head and think they know what is best for everyone, even if they have good intentions.
It goes back to Satan's original temptation in Genesis 3:5 that Eve could "be like God." The major sin of witchcraft is that people are acting like they are God. This becomes idolatry. The magick and manipulation of the person's life may be what they choose, but we humans are flawed. We cannot read another's mind or heart. We cannot decide what is truly good for another or for ourselves even. I think of the love spells the Wiccans do any I can't help but think, "What is that man/woman is abusive? What if they are already in a relationship? Would breaking a relationship to make one be causing harm?" Many questions about that and getting complicated. But, the basic point being, humans are unpredictable and the only person who should be orchestrating many people's lives is the person who made those lives. And that would be God.
That's it people! If you want to know more, research on Bible Gateway or other Bible websites. Also for general research start on Wiki and follow the sources. Just be careful where you go. There are many other points you could argue against Wicca but, these are my main ones that I've talked to friends about. I hope this prompts discussion and got you thinking in new ways today!
