Does Wicca, a Neo-Pagan Belief, Threaten Christian Values
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George W. Bush denounced Wicca, an earth-centered religion, in 1999, when as Governor of Texas; he insisted, “The military should rethink their position regarding Wicca because it was not a religion”. Given that statement, one has to wonder what frame of reference or political stance, he used as a basis for his argument since the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution specifically states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof “. However, it must be noted that George Bush is not the only politician to make statements or perform acts that are profoundly, religiously intolerant or violate the federal constitution in a major way. Other examples include Governor Mike Johanns (R, NE) who signed a proclamation on MAY 6, 1999, officially recognizing that day as a March for Jesus Day. In response, Carole Shields, president of People for the American Way Foundation, commented that: “This action, far from promoting religious faith and freedom, undermines it by creating a second-class status for all faiths other than Christianity in
Nebraska.” At the time, reporters asked Governor Johanns whether he would sign a proclamation for a religion other than Christianity to which he replied: “I wouldn’t hesitate to sign a proclamation for the Jewish faith, Hinduism, whatever …. so long as it doesn’t require me to sign something I personally don’t agree with.” Then there was ” U.S. Representative Bob Barr (R, GA): who currently serves on the House Judiciary, Government Reform and Banking Committees who stated that he was offended that the U.S. army extended equal religious freedom to all soldiers on the Fort Hood, TX, army base, including Wiccans. He attempted to pressure the army into terminating religious freedoms for Wiccans on all army bases thus inspiring a coalition of conservative Christian groups to mount a boycott against army recruitment, until the U.S. Army complied. I myself am a Christian and believe in the principles set forth in the Christian Bible but one of these includes not casting the first stone at those who are different, which to me means extending tolerance to all and acknowledging others rights to believe as they choose.
Wiccan’s appear to be harmless, worshipping in much the same way as the Native American do by giving homage to the rain, wind, and nature in general. According to Edain McCoy, Wiccans celebrate their beliefs through the cycles of nature using the earth as their temple and its plants and creatures as their teachers. They “worship a deity that is both male and female, a mother Goddess and a father God who created all that is, or will be very similar to what Christians believe while respecting life and cherishing the free will of sentient beings and the sacredness of all creation.”
On May 4, 2004 Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, addressed the World Evangelical stating that, “Once started religious strife has a tendency to go on and on, to become permanent feuds. Today we see such intractable inter-religious wars in Northern Ireland, between Jews and Muslims and Christians in Palestine, Hindus and Muslims in
South Asia and in many other places. Attempts to bring about peace have failed again and again. Always the extremist elements invoking past injustices, imagined or real, will succeed in torpedoing the peace efforts and bringing about another bout of hostility.” This statement’s truth is obvious as we see the intolerance of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the many religious wars in
Africa. My fear is that if we as Americans, who founded America on the basis of religious freedom, become intolerant to any religion, be it Wiccan or Muslim, we set ourselves up to become the Nazi’s of the twenty-first century who during World War II, through their hatred and intolerance, massacred millions of Jews in the Holocaust. To date, one must be thankful that religiously based lynchings, fire bombings, and economic attacks have been limited in the United States and
Canada to some extremists but some of our political leaders keep the evil that fueled these attacks alive today.
Several years ago, I stopped attending a church edifice, despite my beliefs because of the judgmental attitude and intolerance I found there. It seemed to always appear as if the same people who were held up in the church as holy and who were the first to tell you how to live your life were the same ones you couldn’t trust in a business situation and the ones who spent all of Sunday dinner criticizing the preacher and other church members. My firm belief is that Jesus came to earth to teach us of God’s love, forgiveness and tolerance for others which means that while we ourselves may not agree with the beliefs or philosophies of others, even those self-called humanists with their non-theistic philosophy, we are not in a position to judge them. Therefore, when it comes to Wiccan’s with their nature beliefs, Muslims with their belief in Allah, or fellow Christians of different denominations one must guard themselves against feeling superior and allow each person to seek God in their own manner. [tags]Wicca, Neo-Pagan, Native Amerian, Tolerance, Abuse of 1st Amendment, George Bush, Military, Fort Hood, Freedom of religion, Christian Values, Judgement, God[/tags]
18 Comments
Laura
April 3rd, 2007
at 6:33pm
I am Wiccan. More an Earth Witch I think as I am focused on nature and the planet and don’t believe in any gods or goddesses. Anyway, I also like to read about other faiths/ beliefs. I even read what has been written against Wicca by Christians. I think it is good to know what others think, especially those who disagree with you. From them you learn more than you do from those who agree with you. However, I believe any religion should be strong enough to support itself. I don’t see Christians or their beliefs being threatened by Wicca. If anyone does believe that they should look to themselves and consider why they don’t feel very strongly about their own religion. If it is a good religion and right for them why would they doubt it? Wicca is not about taking converts or dominating all other religions. If a person strongly believes in Christianity then the Pagan faith may interest them but it won’t feel like any kind of a threat.
slayerboy
April 3rd, 2007
at 9:17pm
What is this? Are we going on another “Witch” hunt again, just like was done in Salem, Mass. so long ago?
Listen, I grew up Catholic and went to Catholic schools up until I graduated from high school. I gave up on organized religion a long time ago. The people I have interacted with in the Catholic church, are for the most part hypocritical and judgmental. That’s not to say they are not normally nice people. They are just quick to judge.
My mom made this perfectly clear when she said she was shocked to see someone in her church a few years ago with tattoos. I have tattoos, and that was almost world war III when I got my first tat and was living at home. Since I stopped going to church, she thought because of the tattoos I was into some kind of satanic cult or something. Of course the skull and dragon tattoos don’t help my case with her any LOL.
The past 10 years since I gave up on organized religion, I have been researching paganism/wicca, Buddhism, zen, Shaminism, Hinduism, and many other “religions” (for a short while, yes, Satanism). I can more closely relate to Paganism/Wicca than I can any other “religion”. But I still don’t practice it, and am on the border of Atheism/Agnosticism, and it doesn’t matter.
IMHO, it doesn’t matter what religion you are or what God you do or don’t believe in. The bottom line is I strive to be the best I can be in everything I do with what I have in my life and what is given to me. I change the things I can change, or try to. Things I cannot change and have no control over, I don’t want to care about, because I cannot control them. I treat people the way I would want to be treated — respectful. Disrespect me, and all bets are off, as I would expect from someone else if I disrespected them.
Pretty much ever war that has been started has been because of either expansionism or religion. And by religion, I mean ORGANIZED religion. This is the 21st century. If every organized religion practiced what it preached, we’d have peace a lot more often. The problem is religious fanatics who try to convert people because, according to the fanatics’ religion the convertee’s religion or beliefs are wrong. It’s been going on for centuries.
I’m not sure if there’s even a solution to this…..
reflections
April 4th, 2007
at 4:19am
Dear Laura and Slayerboy
Your thoughts are very much appreciated. As you can tell I agree that all beliefs should be respected and that intolerance is an evil to be feared by the masses. My nephew is a Wiccan and I love him. He is a great person who hurts no one and respects life. What else can one ask.
Have a good day.
Jackie
reflections
April 4th, 2007
at 4:22am
Dear Slayerboy
Everyone must search for their own beliefs and find peace within themselves. I went to Parochial school, too. I still believe much of what they taught but I sure as heck don’t believe that their religion is the only one to GOd. Each of us must find out for ourselves what we believe and then do our best to treat others as we wish to be treated. Intolerance is dangerous and I will be focusing on that in my next entry.
Have a good day
Jackie
silenced
April 7th, 2007
at 7:41am
To the one who wrote this article,
I am Wiccan. Have been for a very long time. I have learned alot about other religions. Wicca is a very very peaceful and loving religion. It takes alot for me to respect a religion that places themselves on a pedestal higher than all others. Although you are Christian and after reading your article, you have my highest respect. It takes a true christian to understand that there are other religions and to not ridicule them or go on the famous “Witch Hunt”.
Blessed Be
reflections
April 7th, 2007
at 12:32pm
Dear Silenced
Thank you for the nice comments. Tolerance is something that the world should embrace if they ever desire true peace. Have a wonderful day. Jackie
DBSaved
May 15th, 2007
at 9:15am
Jesus is the Way, anyone who believes in Him can have peace, life and truth. All others are just looking around in all the wrong places.
Lilith
June 4th, 2007
at 12:42pm
I’m with slayerboy on this. I left organized religion 7 years ago. It’s not easy to walk away from when indoctrinated since birth and your entire family still is. I felt oppressed and left out as a christian and a woman - relegated to the “helper” status and nothing more -as the female position in most all religions. After speaking with pastors and counselors on the matter I was basically told that God loves me and that I should “pray” for a change of heart to suck it up and accept my secondary position in life. Nor could they seem to explain completely contradictory and ridiculous biblical statements without saying that it isn’t always our place to understand or who I am to question god?
Years later, I can only describe the oppressive weight lifted off my shoulders in losing my religion as fantastic. I lead a good life, do well by others - making an uncoerced decision to do so without the threat of eternal damnation. To me, that makes me the better person.
reflections
June 6th, 2007
at 10:27am
Dear Lilith
Good for you. The more I study and question I have begun to believe that control and money has more to do with organized religion than anything else. Take Wicca for instance - it is a belief that harms no one yet to hear Evangelicals talk these people are devil inspired. I may not be of this persuasion but I definitely do not thinik that these people are any worse or better than anyone else. They are merely travelers along life’s journey trying to find peace and happiness.
I have just finished visiting salem, Ma. where the infamous witch trials of 1692 took place. Even in this situation it was ignorance and blind prejudice and intolerance that caused this awful travesty of justice and it wasn’t until the governor’s wife was also falsely accused that this blashemy ended.
Have a wonderful day. Jackie
witch hunter
July 10th, 2007
at 2:05pm
Wiccans are not true witches. I have relatives who are true witches, and they are deceptive, worship demons, and aim destroy other peoples lives. They deserve every horrible thing that is coming to them.
Paganftw
September 15th, 2007
at 10:47pm
ok heres my opinoin people dont pay alotof attentiont today, ifyou think about it everything can be related to eachother but speaking relgion paganism came first, the cross if you look at it properly is just the elemental gates, jesus had to train to do his “miricals”. Da Vinci made detailed scetches about the link of the pentacle to the body, hence the scecth of himself in the shape of the pentacle. Search the bible you will find testaments going against the pagans yet against christ himself thus going against the pagans more. Jesus practiced gosha, a power ful form of pagan magick, which can cause you to fo insane, so therefore he was willingly under the command of an archangel, there fore directly under the godesses control. He was nailed to a cross to find elemental balance. He had SOME direct ties to the Godess but only because of wicca, the practice of paganism.
Prayers
September 15th, 2007
at 10:47pm
You know, really, all religions have a certain link to them, and everyone who has a religion, is warshipping a form of GOD, AKA: whatever force that created us in the universe. A part of ‘GOD’ is in every living thing. Many people say that religions state the meaning of GOD as a person, or a spirit, or ect. We’re stating GOD as the force that keeps us alive, that created this beautiful universe we live in. In Wicca and Paganism, we split this force into a male and a female, of which the two meet to produce life.
Many of the stories in the bible also are identical, if-not exactly the same to ancient Egyptian and Paganism, even Bohemien. Overall, we’re all warshipping the same force, a PART of GOD, whether positive, or negative.
Dont get angry over any religion at all. Theres a Universal justice in this world, and things work as GOD intends it to be. Jesus inspired Christianity to bring people together, not seperate them, he wanted to show everyone that they were all connected. Thus, we have the bible, containing the segments of stories and secrets from all people who warship around the world
GOD has no intrest in how you worship him/her, his intent is for you to live your life on this Earth, though we come accross many, this is our journey, living our choice.
Recognise the beauty in all hearts and all metheds of worship. Some bay feel closer or more comfortable practicing differently.
In the end, theres, not at all, any reason to fight.
Barbara
September 27th, 2007
at 6:13pm
No it does not.The Wiccans have families and iam sure they teach their
children right from wrong.
Now you talk about Christian Conservatives that disparage the religion,
must know that wicca does not worship Satan.
The reason these so called christians are threatened by wiccans is because they respect nature and love the creation.
When these christian conservatives support big corporations that dump their toxic waste in rivers and pollute the land and damage Gods creation.
reflections
October 1st, 2007
at 7:07am
Dear Barbara
I hope you continue to feel strongly about your beliefs. Whatever one believes and that definitely includes caring for the earth and trusting it to provide what we need is valuable. Every person is important and in the relative scheme of things Christianity is much newer than other forms of worship. I don’t think that anyone or their beliefs should ever be down played as God (Whichever one you chose or chose not to believe it) or the mastermind, or extraterrestrial behind these beliefs still controls how our lives are run day by day. This is through climate control (whidh affects food supply, water supply) and the minute forms of bacteria etc that promote disease.
My only wish is that all of mankind would be tolerant of each other and not condemn or denounce people based on their race, ethniticity,religion or any other factor.
Have a good day and be at peace with your beliefs and who you are.
Jackie
Phoobar
October 24th, 2007
at 2:38am
Several years ago, I stopped attending a church edifice, despite my beliefs because of the judgmental attitude and intolerance I found there.
I too used to attend a “Christian” church in name only. Not only did I find very little which Jesus talked about with this church…but I have found that anyone who professes to be “Christian” only pay lip service to forgiveness. Some of the most hard-hearted people I have ever met profess to be “Christians”. The day that the “church” becomes a has been institution is the day when true peace comes to this world. That day is coming sooner & sooner all the time.
reflections
October 31st, 2007
at 3:19am
Dear Phoobar
I am sorry that you were so hurt. I know that what you say is true as my husband and I also suffered at the hands of such people. However, I am no longer as bitter as I once was. I have come to believe that tolerance for all is my only hope and that means for those who belong to the church as well.
Even though I will never again become as involved as I once was I do now occasionally attend church but maybe that is because we have moved back to the midwest and no one knows us well enough to make any judgements about us. Only time will tell. After all my big sin was divorcing someone that was well known in the town where we lived and marrying someone else. By the way I still believe I made the right choice as it is now 15 years later and we couldn’t be happier. Even my children know what a jewel my husband is and rarely talk to their father which says a lot.
Have a good day and I hope you can find forgiveness in your heart for those who hurt you. Jackie
Ashley-Yin
November 5th, 2007
at 2:03pm
Hello all.
Does Wicca, a Neo-Pagan Belief, Threaten Christian Values?
well just like in any homophobic persons mind they are threatened by what they don’t understand and subconsciously feel they are going to look somehow inferior if any one agrees with the other persons views. so in a foolish effort to prevent that from happening they prejudice on the other person and thats just being general. in the case of religious leaders in certain religions its mostly about keeping power etc.
ok so to give a short answer Wicca is a threat to those who think they’ve got something to lose by accepting any of the Wiccan princaples.
p.s
i am Buddhist and Wiccan
Blessed Be x
johannes
December 8th, 2007
at 6:45pm
I am wiccan, i get laughed at a lot for it cuz im in school and most of the kids are ignorent but i mean no harm to them, so what they are doing is completely unjustified. But i am still true to my religion and am a total neo-pagan liberal anti-bush punkass kid who has 0 tollerence for pplz who judge me before they no me