Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Thoughts on....witchcraft pt 2

again...unedited:

Okay I have a confession, you know that song All the Colors of the Wind from Pocahontas? "I know every rock and tree and creature has a life has a spirit, has a name..." well...I love that song and always felt guilty because it was so...'we are one with the earth' and definitely not a standard Christian line. Later on I was ashamed by how interesting I thought wicca was once I really got what it is in practice. I don't mean dead chickens in the Crucible or you know, the Blair Witch. I mean girls hanging out in the woods naked drawing pentagrams in the dirt and putting together herb satchels. Its earthy and really appealing, especially for girls because it really does put an emphasis on the female power. That can be very seductive especially to those who often feel powerless and don't really know why. When you take out the darkness, its just like a really edgy sisterhood. I didn't want to just convince myself that it was wicked and bad but really understand why I was so enticed by it. Why are we tempted by sex, drugs, alcohol, or fat & sugar? I don't believe the drives themselves are wrong, but the unchecked and uninhibited indulgence of these drives results in lewdness, debauchery, gluttony, and general sensual gorging...gorging is NEVER a good thing. But the drives themselves are from God and if it’s from God it’s good.

Beyond the innate spiritual fulfillment wicca and new age offer, there is a fraternal aspect as well. You are not only part of this greater power, you are part of each other. Many ceremonies require a circle or coven, and often the members of the coven actually drink the blood of their ‘sisters’ to share their power or essence. There’s power in that unity. How much MORE enticing is that? You have an opportunity to be part of an intimate fellowship sharing perhaps the most powerful thing any of you have experienced. It’s no wonder so many are drawn in. While some are drawn in because of the divergence of the religion and because it’s controversial, many more are soothed by how natural and harmless it seems.
At the very best it is deceptive and a waste of time. At worse you can find yourself touching powers and opening yourself up to spirits that mean you harm. People assume they have much more control over the spiritual world than they actually have. I don’t believe we should fear the invisible world, but it is definitely not something to take lightly.

The problem is that Christians don’t know what ‘witchcraft’ and ‘wicca’ means anymore. And because we don’t know, we fear it. But we are not called to fear Satan’s devices and deception. I believe it is because of this fear, fear even to become more informed on this cult, that we approach those caught within it with the wrong attitude. I heard the most horrible thing from a well meaning Christian: “Don’t you know you’re worshipping Satan?” Oh sweet one, what are you saying? First of all there is a difference, at least in the heart of the follower, between witchcraft and wicca and Satanism. No they do not worship Satan, not knowingly or purposefully. The answer to this question is always, “no”. Of course they don’t know, most people are scared of Satan and of Satanism. They don’t believe they are worshipping Satan, they worship the earth, themselves, the Goddess. But they will not say this to you, they won’t say anything, most likely they will laugh and write you off as another ignorant fanatical Christian. Now the truth is that though they do not worship him by name, they are devoting themselves to Satan and his devices. They are under his influences:
The entire realm of unbelieving humanity lies under the binding influence of the evil one. "The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19). Even those unbelievers who do not accept the truths of God about Satan and sin, are nonetheless captivated by him. Consequently, we are to humbly reach out to them with the truth: "in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will." Paul was sent forth to proclaim the gospel truth that offers freedom from such bondage: "to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God" (Acts 26:18). The testimony of all who believe in the truth of the gospel is this: "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love" (Colossians 1:13).
(Day by Day by Grace-Bob Hoekstra)

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