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SUBJECT:
Witchcraft, Sorcery, Paganism
QUESTION: What does the Bible have to say about Witchcraft,
Sorcery and Paganism?
ANSWER:
Laws concerning Witchcraft:
Exodus 22:18
Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
Leviticus 19:31
Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek
after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your
God.
Leviticus 20:6
And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar
spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I
will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him
off from among his people.
Leviticus 20:27
A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is
a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone
them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
Scriptures showing how
witches were all killed:
1 Samuel 28:3
Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and
buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put
away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out
of the land.
1 Samuel 28:9
And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul
hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar
spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then
layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
Witchcraft evil:
1 Samuel 15:23
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness
is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the
word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being
king.
Sorcery Forbidden:
Leviticus 19:26-28
26 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall
ye use enchantment, nor observe times.
27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither
shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.
28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the
dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:31
Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek
after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your
God.
Leviticus 20:6
And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar
spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I
will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him
off from among his people.
Deuteronomy 18:9-14
9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God
giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the
abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh
his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that
useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter,
or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a
wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the
LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God
doth drive them out from before thee.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened
unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee,
the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
Sorcery denounced:
Isaiah 8:19
19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that
have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that
mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the
living to the dead?
Malachi 3:5
And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a
swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the
adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those
that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the
fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right,
and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
They are to cease:
Ezekiel 12:23-24
23 Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will make
this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a
proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand,
and the effect of every vision.
24 For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering
divination within the house of Israel.
Ezekiel 13:23
Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine
divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand:
and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Micah 5:12
And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou
shalt have no more soothsayers:
Diviners will be confounded:
Micah 3:7
Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners
confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there
is no answer of God.
Books of sorcerers
destroyed:
Acts 19:19
Many of them also which used curious arts brought their
books together, and burned them before all men: and they
counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand
pieces of silver.
SUBJECT:
The Wicca Religion
QUESTION:
What is this religion or belief about? Do they worship the
Devil?
ANSWER:
First, let us go to the
dictionary:
Main Entry:
Wic·ca
Pronunciation:
'wi-k&
Function: noun
Etymology: probably from Old English wicca wizard --
more at
WITCH
Date: 1959
: a religion influenced by pre-Christian beliefs and
practices of western Europe that affirms the existence of
supernatural power (as
magic)
and of both male and female deities who inhere in nature,
and that emphasizes ritual observance of seasonal and life
cycles.
HOW WICCAS DESCRIBE THEMSELVES
WICCA (sometimes
called Wicce, The Craft, or The Old Religion by its
practitioners)
is an ancient religion of love for life and nature.
In prehistoric times, people
respected the great forces of Nature and celebrated the
cycles of the seasons and the moon. They saw divinity in the
sun and moon, in the Earth Herself, and in all life. The
creative energies of the universe were personified: feminine
and masculine principles became Goddesses and Gods. These
were not semi-abstract, superhuman figures set apart from
Nature: they were embodied in earth and sky, women and men,
and even plants and animals.
This viewpoint is
still central to present-day Wicca. To most Wiccans,
everything in Natures -- and all Goddesses and Gods -- are
true aspects of Deity. The aspects most often celebrated in
the Craft, however, are the Triple Goddess of the Moon (Who
is Maiden, Mother, and Crone)
and the Horned God of the wilds. These have many names in
various cultures.
Wicca had its
organized beginnings in Paleolithic times, co-existed with
other Pagan ("country")
religions in Europe, and had a profound influence on early
Christianity. But in the medieval period, tremendous
persecution was directed against the Nature religions by the
Roman Church. Over a span of 300 years, millions of men and
women and many children were hanged, drowned or burned as
accused "Witches." The Church indicted them for black magic
and Satan worship, though in fact these were never a part of
the Old Religion.
The Wiccan faith went
underground, to be practiced in small, secret groups called
"covens." For the most part, it stayed hidden until very
recent times. Now scholars such as Margaret Murray and
Gerald Gardner have shed some light on the origins of the
Craft, and new attitudes of religious freedom have allowed
covens in some areas to risk becoming more open.
How do Wiccan folk practice their
faith today? There is no central authority or doctrine, and
individual covens vary a great deal. But most meet to
celebrate on nights of the Full Moon, and at eight great
festivals or Sabbats throughout the year.
Though some practice alone or
with only their families, many Wiccans are organized into
covens of three to thirteen members. Some are led by a High
Priestess or Priest, many by a Priestess/Priest team; others
rotate or share leadership. Some covens are highly
structured and hierarchical, while others may be informal
and egalitarian. Often extensive training is required before
initiation, and coven membership is considered an important
commitment.
There are many branches or
"traditions" of Wicca in the United States and elsewhere,
such as the Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Welsh Traditional,
Dianic, Faery, Seax-Wicca and others. All adhere to a code
of ethics. None engage in the disreputable practices of some
modern "cults," such as isolating and brainwashing
impressionable, lonely young people. Genuine Wiccans welcome
sisters and brothers, but not disciples, followers or
victims.
Coven meetings
include ritual, celebration and magick (the
"k" is to distinguish it from stage illusions).
Wiccan magick is not at all like the instant "special
effects" of cartoon shows or fantasy novels, nor medieval
demonology; it operates in harmony with natural laws and is
usually less spectacular -- though effective. Various
techniques are used to heal people and animals, seek
guidance, or improve members' lives in specific ways.
Positive goals are sought: cursing and "evil spells" are
repugnant to practitioners of the Old Religion.
Wiccans tend to be strong
supporters of environmental protection, equal rights, global
peace and religious freedom, and sometimes magick is used
toward such goals.
Wiccan beliefs do not include
such Judeao-Christian concepts as original sin, vicarious
atonement, divine judgment or bodily resurrection. Craft
folk believe in a beneficent universe, the laws of karma and
reincarnation, and divinity inherent in every human being
and all of Nature. Yet laughter and pleasure are part of
their spiritual tradition, and they enjoy singing, dancing,
feasting, and love.
Wiccans tend to be
individualists, and have no central holy book, prophet, or
church authority. They draw inspiration and insight from
science, and personal experience. Each practitioner keeps a
personal book or journal in which s/he records magickal
"recipes," dreams, invocations, songs, poetry and so on.
To most of the Craft, every
religion has its own valuable perspective on the nature of
Deity and humanity's relationship to it: there is no One
True Faith. Rather, religious diversity is necessary in a
world of diverse societies and individuals. Because of this
belief, Wiccan groups do not actively recruit or
proselytize: there is an assumption that people who can
benefit from the Wiccan way will "find their way home" when
the time is right.
Source:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shire/9849/
[web
site no longer on the Internet].
---end---
WHAT DO ANTI-WICCA SITES SAY:
Wicca is Pagan!!
In their attempts
to dissociate themselves from Satanism, Wiccans have
tended to distort their own history. Wicca and Satanism are
indeed very distinct religious categories. But there are
some intimate historical ties between the two, as even some
Wiccan scholars are finally starting to admit. See, for
example, Aidan Kelly's book Crafting the Art of Magic (pp.21-22,
25-26, and 176).
Wicca is not "the Old
Religion", though it does draw inspiration from various
old religions. Wicca as we now know it is derived from
19th-century occult philosophy -- including literary Satanic
philosophy, among others -- projected onto a non-Christian
Goddess and God, plus some de-Christianized Golden Dawn
style ceremonial magick, plus assorted turn-of-the-century
British folklore, more recently re-shaped by neo-Pagan
scholarship and by modern feminist and ecological concerns.
At least several different sides of Wicca's convoluted
family tree can be traced to 19th-century literary Satanism,
some forms of which had more in common with present-day
Wicca than with present-day Satanism.
The prime example
of literary Satanism that strongly influenced Wicca,
especially feminist Wicca, is the book La Sorciere by the
19th-century French historian Jules Michelet (published
in English by Citadel Press under the title Satanism and
Witchcraft).
Michelet's ideas, as paraphrased by feminist writers such as
Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English in their booklet
Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers
(Feminist Press, 1973), have played an important role
today's women's health movement. (At
least Ehrenreich and English were honest enough to list
Michelet in their bibliography.)
See especially
Michelet's introduction. Michelet was, as far as I know, the
literary origin of today's feminist image of the Witch as a
healer. Among other things, he theorized that the witch
hunts
were used by the emerging male medical profession to wipe
out their peasant female competition.
According to
Jeffrey B. Russell in A History of Witchcraft, pre-feminist
classical Wicca also drew lots of inspiration indirectly
from Michelet. Michelet was a major source of inspiration to
Margaret Murray, Charles G. Leland, and Sir James Frazer,
whom most knowledgeable Wiccans do recognize as influential.
(Russell
points this out, yet neglects to inform the reader that
Michelet's book is full of passionate, sympathetic
depictions of Satan as well as of the medieval witches.
Russell too perpetuates the false counter-myth that Wicca
Has Nothing To Do With Satanism.)
I'll leave it to
the scholarly folks to debate just how indebted Murray and
Leland were to Michelet. In any case, the Italian witch
mythology Leland presented in Aradia:
Gospel of the Witches
(originally
published 1899),
one of Wicca's major sources, contains some
diabolical-witchcraft elements.
The very first paragraph reads:
Diana greatly loved her brother
Lucifer, the god of the Sun and of the Moon,
the god of Light, who was so proud of his beauty,
and who for his pride was driven from
Paradise.
Most Wiccans don't
even know they are worshipping Goddess Diana Lucifera, this
goes to show how much research they have put into there
belief system. Wiccans usually argue that "Lucifer" is not
SATAN but is just "the god of the Sun and of the Moon". If
that's the case then Aliester Crowley
(The
Beast)
was worshipping the same god also. The Egyptian sky god
HORUS represented the Sun and Moon. I hope you see a pattern
here on how creative Satan can be when he hides himself
behind many names. The statement that Lucifer was
"driven from Paradise" for his "pride" is clearly a
reference of the Bible's (ISAIAH 14:12) and (Ezekiel
28:15-17).
Isaiah 14:12
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son
of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which
didst weaken the nations!
Ezekiel 28:15
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day
that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
Ezekiel 28:17
Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty,
thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy
brightness: I will cast thee to the ground..
Obviously Lucifer has been booted
from Heaven, Lu·ci·fer meaning "light-bringer" explains this
verse written by the Apostle Paul in (2 Corinthians 2:14).
2 Corinthians
11:14
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an
ANGEL OF LIGHT.
Satan after being blasted out of
Heaven apparently is still able to transform into his
shining self when he wants to. That's why many things
that look like they are harmless are very much a hazard to
your salvation. If Lucifer can disguise himself in something
that looks innocent he can destroy you. WICCA is a perfect
example of such an attempt to hurt the Living GOD by
tricking more of his sheep into destruction. Lucifer still
has some bad feelings about being forcefully evicted from
Heaven and this is an act of his revenge. He was created in
Heaven and was created perfect by the Living God. Until he
started to think he could be like the Living GOD. This was
his biggest mistake.
Here in (ISAIAH 14:13-15) Satan
shows his pride again and pledges his oath that even though
he was booted out of Heaven that he will still ascend into
Heaven and exalt the throne of Living GOD. Kind of like
watching a fight on TV and you see a Boxer get knocked out
and fall down so hard that you kinda are saying to yourself
"stay down" but his pride is so great he would rather get
hit again and suffer possible death. [Getting
hit again] is already
predicted to happen to Satan he will get the final blow to
the head very soon.
Isaiah 14:13
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into
heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I
will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the
sides of the north:
Isaiah 14:14
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be
like the most High.
Isaiah 14:15
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the
pit.
Besides Murray,
Leland, and other writers on witchcraft, another of Wicca's
main sources is Aleister Crowley. Many knowledgeable
Wiccans (e.g.
the Farrars and Doreen Valiente)
do realize that Gardner's rituals were heavily based on
Crowley's rituals, though they tend to overstate the
"Crowley was not a Satanist" disclaimer.
Crowley was into
Satanic symbolism, in addition to the zillion other things
he was into. In some defensive neo-Pagan writings (e.g.
the Church of All Worlds booklet "Witchcraft, Satanism, and
Occult Crime: Who's Who and What's What"),
it is claimed that Crowley was neither a Satanist nor a
Pagan but was just into Judaeo-Christian ceremonial magick.
In fact, Crowley was very eclectic. Even Golden Dawn
ceremonial magick included not only Qabalah and the medieval
Christian grimoires, but also Egyptian deities, Greek
deities, and Yoga. Crowley emphasized the Egyptian elements,
downplayed the Christian elements, and added plenty of other
things to the mix, including Satanic imagery galore (such
as his invocation of Satan in Liber Samekh, not to mention
his constant references to himself as "the Beast 666").
Some will insist that Crowley's Satanic symbolism was merely
a joke; but Crowley's attitudes were well within the
19th-century Satanic literary tradition. (In
most of the more sophisticated forms of Satanism, the name
"Satan" is understood in an ironic sense.)
Others will explain that most of Crowley's Satanic symbolism
can be re-interpreted in Pagan terms, but this too is true
of many forms of Satanism.
Source:
http://yourgoingtohell.com/hell/wicca.html
[web
site no longer on the Internet]
---end---
This article makes a good
argument that Wicca IS tied to Satan. Regardless, God is
against Satanism, witches, Wicca and anything not of God.
Leviticus 19:31
Regard not them that have
familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled
by them: I am the LORD your God. |