Wicca

State of Man & Salvation

Minor Cult Presentation:

Wicca

• Again, this depends on the individual or group they are in
• As long as the Wiccan Rede is followed, just about anything goes
• They do not believe in absolute truth, and will argue that there is no evil in the world
• They also say that there is nothing to be saved from
• Wiccans do not see the need for forgiveness, because they don't believe there is a such thing as sin

Belief of Bible

What they have to say:

"We are not evil. We don't harm or seduce people. We are not dangerous. We are ordinary people like you. We have families, jobs, hopes, and dreams. We are not a cult. This religion is not a joke. We are not what you think we are from looking at T.V. We are real. We laugh, we cry. We are serious. We have a sense of humor. You don't have to be afraid of us. We don't want to convert you. And please don't try to convert us. Just give us the same right we give you--to live in peace. We are much more similar to you than you think." Margot Adler

"When one defines oneself as Pagan, it means she or he follows an earth or nature religion, one that sees the divine manifest in all creation. The cycles of nature are our holy days, the earth is our temple, its plants and creatures our partners and teachers. We worship a deity that is both male and female, a mother Goddess and father God, who together created all that is, was, or will be. We respect life, cherish the free will of sentient beings, and accept the sacredness of all creation." Edain McCoy

• Mostly an oral religion that has been passed from generations
• Do not believe in the Bible, unless you want to believe in the Bible
• Only one rule to the whole religion and it is called the Wiccan Rede: "An ye harm none, do what ye will" or "As long as it harms no one, including yourself, one is free to do what they wish"
• That means that Wiccans can only cast spells that follow this rule and that don't manipulate anyone
• However this can be a problem because everyone has a different definition of harm
• Karma is a widely accepted concept within Wicca.
• Therefore some believe you can break the rede as long as you are willing to accept the consequences

"If you take [a copy of] the Christian Bible and put it out in the wind and the rain, soon the paper on which the words are printed will disintegrate and the words will be gone. Our bible IS the wind and the rain." Herbalist Carol McGrath

Doctrine of Christianity

Absolute truth

• John 14:6New International Version (NIV)

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Introduction

• One of the main differences between Christianity and Wiccans is the amount of things we believe in
• Wiccans worship whoever they want to, while we worship one God and one God only

Interesting Information

Beliefs About God

• One of the largest minority religions in the US, with approx. 750, 000 (impossible to know an exact number because of the secrecy involved)
• Pantheists, monotheists, polytheists, duotheistic, and neopagan (basically anything you want it to be)
• Main believe in a horned god and a mother goddess, but you can believe in any god you want to.
• Many wiccans have to hide their religious beliefs because of persecution.
• They are known to be more victimized than any other religion.
• Covens: 10-15 witches and a devil as a leader
• Each member of the coven specializes in a specific branch of magic.

Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess; she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, and whose body encircles the universe:

• Magic spells work by channeling your own spiritual energy
• A "circle" is created by the witch in order to create a sacred place for the ritual to take place
• Some Wiccans preform rituals nude, because they believe that signifies their is nothing between them and the gods
• The moon is very important to the religion, and is the center of many of their traditions

• Wiccans do not believe in only God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit
• According to Wicca, you are called personally by a god, no matter which one
• In the religion there is a goddess and a god, but you can have as many additional gods as you wish
• More of a partnership with the gods because they both need each other, rather than worshiping like Christianity
• The gods you partnership with is a personal decision regarding which god you believe you are called by
• No rules stopping you from following God the Father, God the Son, or God the Spirit (except in the Bible)

Life After Death

Bible Verses

Founder, Leader, & History

• Majority of Wiccans believe in reincarnation, and some believe you reincarnate until enlightenment
• Some also admit that they are okay with the fact that they have no clue, and will find out when it happens
• They reject the concept of heaven and hell, because they do not believe in doing certain things to achieve salvation

• Revelation 21:8 New International Version (NIV)

8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

• Leviticus 19:31New International Version (NIV)

31 “‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

• Gerald Gardner (1884-1964): retired British civil servant
• He published his book, "Witchcraft Today (1954)", following the 1951 repeal of England's archaic Witchcraft Laws
• Gerald founded his first coven in 1939
• The religion is very young, starting in England during the first half of the 20th century
• In 1980, there were 50,000 Wiccans in Europe and North America
• Over time Wicca decreased in growth rate, but increased in social acceptance
• Some controversies have been whether it should be a woman's only religion, and whether or not they should do their spells naked or with a robe
• One of the larger changes to Wicca was that the Pagan Fed. and the Universal Fed. of Pagans are now united as the Wicca/Neo-Pagan Community

"I who am the beauty of the green earth, and the white moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, call unto thy soul: Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe. From Me all things proceed, and unto Me all things must return; and before My face, beloved of gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let My worship be within the heart that rejoices; for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinkest to seek Me, know that thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the Mystery: that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire."

By: Casey Darkow

Mr. Malmstrom

Pd. 8