Christian Witches, and Christian Wiccans

[Unedited]

I’ve seen this debate play out hundreds of times, but I always find it interesting.



Do you believe it’s possible for someone to be a Christian Witch?

Do you believe it’s possible for someone to be a Christian Wiccan?

 

[Jaymes]

Maybe to the first, no to the second. I'd consider Melody a "Christian witch" (though I hesitate to call her a witch ) since she uses reiki healing. But I don't think someone can reconcile Wicca with Christianity. Wicca leans too heavily towards the equality of a Goddess, and Christianity says plain and clear "no gods before me."

I suppose if one wanted to, they could argue that the goddess/es aren't before God... but that's getting out of my debate area.

 

[Prima]

I think it's entirely possible. I think you could follow a Wiccan path that emphasized the lifestyle aspect as opposed to the religious aspect, if that makes sense.

Further than that, I'm not going to talk about, because I don't want to discuss my personal beliefs

 

[Sunstone]

I don't see how Wiccan beliefs are compatible with Christian beliefs. For instance: As Jensa pointed out, how do you reconcile the Goddess with the Trinity?

But maybe it's true that a Christian or a Wiccan could borrow a lot of "lifestyle" pointers from the other.

 

[niamhwitch]

I agree with Jensa that one cannot be a true "Christian Wiccan." One cannot faithfully follow the Bible and be Wiccan at the same time. There are too many contradicting beliefs.
Now, one can be Wiccan with Christian influences. For example, a Wiccan can see the God as Jesus (or YWHW) and the Goddess as Mary... we mix pantheons all the time, so I dont have a problem with that, but Christian influences does not make one Christian. To me, being a "Christian Wiccan" is imposible.

 

[Prima]

But Niamh, being a Christian Wiccan would be a wiccan with Christian influences. It's like crayons...blue-green is green with some blue. Christian Wiccan is Wiccan with some Christian influences.

I think the question is such: can one follow all of the beliefs of both religions, making them not Christian Wiccan or Wiccan Christian, but both completely Christian and completely Wiccan?

 

[Sunstone]

I think the question is such: can one follow all of the beliefs of both religions, making them not Christian Wiccan or Wiccan Christian, but both completely Christian and completely Wiccan?

If that's the question, Prima, then I think it's impossible to be both completely Christian and completely Wiccan. There are too many incompatibilities in the two beliefs.

 

[niamhwitch]

But Niamh, being a Christian Wiccan would be a wiccan with Christian influences.

Not at all. The two are completely different. One cannot be a TRUE Christian without faithfully following the Bible. And one cannot be a Wiccan if they faithfully follow the Bible. The two religions have COMPLETELY different beliefs. One cannot be a TRUE Christian and a Wiccan at the same time. However, like I said, one can take what they like from the Bible and attribute it to their Wiccan beliefs, but that does not make one a Christian Wiccan, it makes them a Wiccan with Christian influence. There is a HUGE difference.

 

[Prima]

One cannot be a TRUE Christian without faithfully following the Bible. And one cannot be a Wiccan if they faithfully follow the Bible. The two religions have COMPLETELY different beliefs. One cannot be a TRUE Christian and a Wiccan at the same time. However, like I said, one can take what they like from the Bible and attribute it to their Wiccan beliefs, but that does not make one a Christian Wiccan, it makes them a Wiccan with Christian influence. There is a HUGE difference.

Niamh, did you read my whole post? because we're saying the exact same thing, just calling it different names.

 

[niamhwitch]

Yeah I read your post, Prima... and I still stand by what I said. One cannot be a Christian Wiccan.

And blue and green make aquamarine (so I've learned from Blues Clues )

 

[Circle_One]

Doesn't the bible say something along the lines of "Thou shall not suffer a witch to live"? Therefore how can one be a Christian Witch?

 

[Sunstone]

Doesn't the bible say something along the lines of "Thou shall not suffer a witch to live"? Therefore how can one be a Christian Witch?

Perhaps one could be a dead Christian witch.

 

[niamhwitch]

Doesn't the bible say something along the lines of "Thou shall not suffer a witch to live"?

Actually, that is a mistranslation. The actual translation is along the lines of "Thou shall not suffer a poisoner to live among you". Poisoner was translated to "herb user" which was then transfered to "witch" (or somethng along those lines). However, in other sections of the Bible, it forbids fortune telling, divination, and magic. So all in all, I'm not sure how one could be a Christian Witch either...

 

[Circle_One]

Meh, that's why I said "something along those lines", but yeah, you obviously got the gist of what I was saying. I completely agree. I've never understood the term Christian witch. IMHO, I've never thought it possible. Not by Christian standards anyway.

 

[Quoth The Raven]

And blue and green make aquamarine (so I've learned from Blues Clues )

Only if mixed in the correct proportions .

 

[Master Vigil]

I cam across a similar problem with my own spirituality. I have influences from Taoism, Shamanism, Paganism, Druidism, Wicca, Shinto, Buddhist, Sinti, Christian, Hindu, all rolled into one. But I am not completely taoist, shaman, pagan, druid, wiccan, shinto, buddhist, sinti, christian, or hindu. I am a combination of them all. But I cannot subscribe to them all. Does that make sense.

 

[michel]

I cam across a similar problem with my own spirituality. I have influences from Taoism, Shamanism, Paganism, Druidism, Wicca, Shinto, Buddhist, Sinti, Christian, Hindu, all rolled into one. But I am not completely taoist, shaman, pagan, druid, wiccan, shinto, buddhist, sinti, christian, or hindu. I am a combination of them all. But I cannot subscribe to them all. Does that make sense.

That makes perfect sense to me, Master V, because I am very much like you; There is no one faith that I can accept 100%, but I can accept 75% of each of many faiths. Some people think that is 'cheating', but I am happy that I am permitted my own personal view - as you should be too.

 

[Lycan]

I have been a pretty much all or none kinda person for most of my life, so it is hard for me to understand (though I try) how someone could take pieces of different belief systems, moosh them together and call it a religion. I believe in following a belief system as closely as possible. Don't get me wrong, I am not putting anyone down for this practice as everyone is entitled to their own faith, it is just something I don't really "get". With the differences and contradicting beliefs between most religions I don't see it possible to be true in the mixing of them. But this is just my opinion.

 

[niamhwitch]

how someone could take pieces of different belief systems, moosh them together and call it a religion.

Well, when someone combines different religions, it is more of a Spirituality than a religion. A religion is somewhat of a set guideline to practice (some religions being a little more loose on their guideline... Wicca for example), whereas a spirituality does not have to come from just one source/religion. Thats the way I see it. Wicca is more of a spirituality than a religion for me (mostly because I have problems with the Rede, as I explained in the Wicca forum), however I say that Wicca is my religion merely out of simplicity. If someone asks me what my religion is, I say Wicca because the person asking usually wont want to hear how I feel about every aspect. Also, religion is a word more people can comprehend, rather than spirituality. Does that make sense?

I cam across a similar problem with my own spirituality. I have influences from Taoism, Shamanism, Paganism, Druidism, Wicca, Shinto, Buddhist, Sinti, Christian, Hindu, all rolled into one. But I am not completely taoist, shaman, pagan, druid, wiccan, shinto, buddhist, sinti, christian, or hindu. I am a combination of them all. But I cannot subscribe to them all. Does that make sense.

That makes TOTAL sense to me, MV. That is exactly what I was trying to get accross. One may take aspects from many religions and combine them into their own spirituality, but that does not make one a complete part of all those religions. Thats why I say one can be Wiccan with Christian influences, but one cannot be a Christian Wiccan.

 

[Runt]

First, I think there is a big difference between a Christian Witch and a Christian Wiccan. A Christian Witch would simply be a Christian who tries to influence the world with magic. A Christian Wiccan would be harder to come by; you would have to figure out a way to merge concepts like monotheism, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit, heaven, hell, sin, Satan, and a variety of other concepts with Wiccan beliefs. At best, I think you'd end up with some kind of syncretism; the religion would be neither Christianity or Wicca, but something related to both. The best thing I can think of would be Christian Ceremonial Magic (I'm not sure it has a name).