A Source of Knowledge
I am fasinated with wicca and pagan beliefs but consider myself a christian, can you be more then one religion?
The following is a question asked on Yahoo Answers. The comments reflect the views of the individual and not the website as a whole.
Question:
I was raised Baptist but have always been fasinated with pagan beliefs. I don’t mean satanism I have no love for that. I just find that the wiccan religion is very open and more accepting. This drives my family crazy and they think I’m going to hell. I just don’t understand why if you believe there is a god you can’t believe in anything else.
Related posts:
- Is there anyone out here who is looking to learn more about wicca and other pagan beliefs?
What’s actually wrong for a Christian guy like me to have friend with a Pagan girl?
Does doing wicca magic cast me from my religion?
Please will someone tell me whats with all the christian vs Wicca/pagan bashing?
Where would I go to find out more about Pagan/ Wicca religion?
| This entry was posted by The Good Witch on March 8, 2010 at 7:39 pm, and is filed under Questions About Wicca. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |
about 5 months ago
One could speculate over whether Christians are monotheistic or polytheistic… in truth, the argument of the Trinity could be that it is an attempt for the church to call a polytheistic religion monotheistic under the guys of “3 in 1″. One could also argue that all religion is fake, as is posted here, however I don’t agree with either of these comments.
I am Christian, but I also believe in the power of mother nature. After starting my journey into Wiccan and Pagan traditions, I seem to think that God is an all-powerful and loving being, neither male or female, and only calling him God due to not wishing to impose a label. The Native Americans called their main deity the Great Spirit, to which all things were connected and from where all life came from and went to.
I believe that true Christianity is the belief that God or the Great Spirit sends (not sent) people to this earth to remind us that love is all-powerful, that God is all-knowing and not only lives within us but lives within every absolute thing that exists. If we remember this and learn to love life and all things around us, our lives will be fulfilling.
I also believe this about Wiccan traditions. There is more of a sense of ritual — the use of candles, herbs, spells, etc. — that I tend to think of as a way of strengthening or formatting a prayer. When I light a candle, the color does mean something to me, and instead of thinking of my little rhyme as a spell, I think of it as a prayer.
I hope this helps
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about 6 months ago
Something that could be of interest to you is Christian Wicca, a.k.a. Trinitarian Wicca. People who are more traditional in their beliefs within both religions will say that it is not possible to mesh 2 religions, let alone paganism and christianity. One way to do this is by:
Worshiping the Christian God, and selecting some historical Christian teachings to believe in, perhaps including Jesus’ resurrection, his virgin birth and second coming, etc.
Simultaneously believing in selected elements from Wicca, such as respecting nature, performing healing rituals, celebrating solstices, equinoxes, harvest festivals, etc.
In the 2 links of my sources you will find more information pertaining to Trinitarian Wicca, such as a list of books and an overview of the problems seen by others pertaining to the mixing of these 2 distinct religions. Blessed be and good luck in your endeavors.
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about 6 months ago
I’ve seen some people who have happily melded the two. Personally I’ve no idea HOW, but it’s not my business.
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about 6 months ago
Christianity is a monotheistic religion. Wicca, (and many other pagan religions) are polytheistic. So no, such religions would be incompatible to combine and practice together.
There are those that consider themselves Christian Wiccans, but they are not following either religion for what they actually are, but rather combining aspects of each and forging a whole new spiritual path with its own beliefs and tennants. That’s fine if it works for them, but it needs to be recognized that this path is not truly Christian or truly Wiccan.
However, the fact that you have an interest in learning about other religions and spiritual systems and maybe even admiring some of them for some of their philosophies and teachings, doesn’t mean you have to *be* of those other religions. Nor does it necessarily mean you are betraying your own religion.
I am no less of a Wiccan because I respect and agree with some of the teachings of Jesus Christ, or because I have read the Bible, studied Christianity, and have some Christian friends. I am still walking the path of a Wiccan as far as my personal beliefs and practice goes.
Education and tolerance should not earn you a ticket to hell.
I’m also guessing you don’t know what religious Satanism actually is – as it isn’t about worshiping the Christian concept of Satan or “evil”. The satanists I know are actually atheists or agnostics when it comes to deity.
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about 6 months ago
I know quite a few people who practice multiple spiritual traditions…
none of them are monotheist paths though. It’s kinda hard to practice more than one religion when one of those religions tells you they’re the “one true religion” with the “one true god.” Some try though, and get hassle from both sides.
As a polytheist, I believe that all gods exist and that people will follow the ones they’re meant to. No one has to be “wrong” in order for my beliefs to be valid and meaningful. My path is “right for me” and others can choose whatever path is right for them.
My advice is to study as much as you can about multiple religions and make up your own mind about what resonates as truth to you. Never accept someone else’s “because I said so!” as a good-enough reason to practice a religion.
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about 6 months ago
OMG WHO WOULD’ve known!!!! you can mix the ideals to make your ideal practice!!!! its very flexible theres no set way. sorry about the sarcasm ^^
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about 6 months ago
And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come? Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the understanding of men; for the Spirit speaketh the truth, and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls.
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about 6 months ago
No.
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about 6 months ago
Yes you can, Im a christian-wiccan and i did it mainly cause being a solid christian didnt fit my spirituality. As long as you feel comfortable about it you can mix any religion you want. The only hard part is, you have to make it work, cause there will be a day when some one will ask you what religion you hold. and your gonna have to back it up. So just mix the laws, make them both fit with who you are. as long as you still believe in god and jesus as your savior, you’ll have no problems or guilt. So make it who you are. Thats what I did and suddenly my lifes a whole lot better. I hope I answered it for you.
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about 6 months ago
I see you took the name of a Celtic Goddess. Wicca and Pagan belief center around a polytheistic belief system where there are two or more Deities. Christianity, Judaism, Muslim beliefs are center on a monotheistic book religion (belief in only one God/deity). To them it is hypocrisy to combine the two. To me (I am Wicca) You have the choice of what you believe.
Hope this helps.
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about 6 months ago
Christianity and Wicca are incompatible belief systems, as the following brief essay outlines:
http://wicca.timerift.net/christianwicca.shtml
Wicca totally lacks the idea of original sin, and in that context the main point of Christianity — the sacrifice of Jesus — becomes meaningless. Also, we honor a Goddess and God whose relationship with each other is one of fertility and sexuality. This flies in the face of the common separation in Christianity between the spiritual (“good”) and the physical (“evil” or “fallen”).
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about 6 months ago
It is fine to adapt the best things to fit your needs. For me, I consider myself to be Wiccan, yet I follow the example of Jesus for living..the way it is written how he acted and treated others. I feel it blends well with the wiccan way. I also believe that all life is sacred, from the tiniest to the largest, which is very Buddhist. But it all goes together quite well. I suggest you do some research into wicca and see if it is right for you.
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about 6 months ago
I truly do not feel this is possible…to believe and follow two different religions. Especially when the two clash as they do: however, you can be sympathetic to Wiccans and Pagans and still follow the Christian belief system. Oh, by the way…Satanism and Wicca have Nothing to do with each other because there is No Satan in Wicca. Anyway, I am very glad to hear of those who can be or are curious about differing religions because that is one step closer to acceptance and respect, one step away from Zero tolerance I find So often.
I do hope you find the answer you seek and peace in your heart.
Blessings and light to you from a Wiccan
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about 6 months ago
Once you enter the realm of make-believe you can do anything you like. There are no facts to check any of these things against, so nobody can gainsay you.
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about 6 months ago
I think some religions are compatible enough with others to practice them both. For example, I’m Wiccan, also an active member of a Unitarian Universalist church. I consider myself Wiccan 1st, UU 2nd, but I enjoy the UU services and teaching Sunday school, and it doesn’t conflict with my Wiccan beliefs.
There are Christo-Pagans, which makes sense because a lot of Christianity draws from Paganism that came before it. They are basically Pagans who, rather than choosing the Celtic or the Hellenistic pantheon, have chose the Christian pantheon. But that mainly works because both Christianity and Paganism are umbrella terms, and when joined together they create a specific religion. It’s easier to combine than specific religions within Christianity and Paganism, such as being a Baptist Celtic or a Hellenistic Mormon.
Being that Wicca is a specific branch of Paganism, I don’t see Christianity as very compatible with Wicca. I respect both religions and think they can both be fulfilling to their practitioners, but they seem to have some very core differences. For instance, Christianity focuses on duality (good/evil, God/Satan, Heaven/Hell), Wicca focuses more on polarity and balance– like a battery, it has a positive and a negative charge, neither is bad or good, and they are both needed for things to work. The Christian concepts of salvation and having only one God clashes with the Wiccan beliefs that all paths are equally valid, as is the God/dess one personally chooses to relate to.
I know there are a few people out there who try to make Christianity and Wicca work together, I just don’t see how you can do so and remain true to both systems of belief. However, I think you can be inspired by a different religion, even take some wisdom from it’s teachings without actually practicing it.
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about 6 months ago
I know of someone who is a Christian/Wiccan/Buddhist/Freemason.
He doesn’t seem to have any problems relating these beliefs and handling them all, and none of these religions/organizations try to stop him from belonging to any of the others. Some Christian churches are more tolerant than others. Unfortunately, it sounds like you were brought up in a less tolerant environment. If you don’t feel comfortable where you’re at, consider looking somewhere else if that’s what you really want to do. You’ve got the freedom to choose your own path. It’s getting past the disapproval of your family that seems to be your main obstacle from what I can see.
Hope this helps!
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about 6 months ago
Humans are social creatures. We survived by creating groups or tribes which protected their own against other groups. We still hold onto this habit today, even though we’re obviously way beyond that. These habits don’t die because someone “divined” them and made them “off limits” to critique, as if we actually understand the one truth. As if we don’t need to constantly reevaluate and progress our thinking towards better understanding.
Seriously, there is nothing wrong about thinking outside the box of ONE religion. The whole world, the whole realm of thought can be used to help progress your self. What do you believe in and want to become? More accepting and open? Do your current beliefs allow you to progress in that way?
It’s ridiculous not to compound all the BEST of every religion, every book, every thought you encounter and synthesize it into YOUR connection, understanding of, and growth through God, your progression of self, and the development of YOUR ideals which you internally confirm, believe in, and live by.
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about 6 months ago
Every false religion has some element of truth. The Buddhists are right about “dying to the self” and to our “worldly” desires. The Muslims are right about the absolute sovereignty and judgment of God. The Jews have God’s Law.
However, and despite what anyone else tells you, Wicca is really just a fad popular with teenage girls. There’s nothing of substance there. I would focus on getting a real education about something more meaningful.
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about 6 months ago
let there be no other gods before me.u can’t have both.its one or the other you should know the truth pray that god opens your eyes to ee the truth.
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about 6 months ago
You can follow one religion while being interested in another. You don’t have to follow a religion to find out about it and research it. I’m an atheist but I like to look things up about several religions, because I find them very interesting.
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about 6 months ago
Sure. All you have to do is find compromises between the beliefs.
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about 6 months ago
Yes, but you cannot be Christian and another religion.
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about 6 months ago
No. Any religion is a set of beliefs. You can’t believe 2 opposite things to be true. Now there’s nothing wrong (in my mind) in being interested in different religions, or studying them.
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about 6 months ago
Visit Rome and Greece, walk through the ancient forums and ruins…you’ll feel a sense of belonging and acceptance..
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about 6 months ago
I don’t see why not… They’re both fake… I’d go with wicca…
Wiccans have never killed anyone in the name of their Gods…
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