Why are religious people more inclined to accept Native American beliefs than they are to accept Witchcraft?

Question

I am referencing to the general acceptance of dieties and such. Both use them in prayer. Both use rituals also.

Answer 1

Very interesting question, being religious I have often wondered this myself. If Jesus said we could perform the same miracles he could (which people today would call withcraft I guess) then why aren't healings being done in churches, or phrophecies being given? Why do our chiurches say they are evil, when they obviously are gifts from God (OK, call it supreme being, Allah, the Universal Consciousness - whatever name anyone chooses to call it). The point is why are humans suppressed and told that a part of them is bad or wrong and that anyone that can do these things must be wrong? The only conclusion I have come to is that the churches years ago could not do these things, became jealous and that negative attitude was passed down from generation to generation, (that false teaching) Witchcraft is no more wrong than anything else, it is if you use your gifts, talents or learning for bad, cruelty, greed, etc., that is wrong.

Answer 2

By religious, I'm assuming you actually mean Christian. They may be willing to accept Native American beliefs (the existence of such beliefs, not actually embracing the beliefs) because nowadays it's a fad and Politically Correct to be Tolerant. Whereas witchcraft unfortunately is a name that has been specifically stated in the bible as unacceptable, and the Church has long viewed it as being of Satan. But if we take, for example, christianity as it was, say, in the Middle Ages, there wouldn't have been much difference between witchcraft and Native American beliefs, I think. Native American beliefs would have been viewed as just another kind of witchcraft.

Answer 3

This could be the bad rep that witchcraft got from the Church, the media, and hippy dorks. The 'Age of Enlightenment' began right at the end of the Indian Genocides, so some of the interest in Native American spirituality could have a subconscious guilt factor. America is there homeland. Their faiths have more spiritual connection to the land, skies, and waters of this place than any European path, theoretically.
It's mostly prejudged bias, however. People think of Native Am spirituality, they think of a 'simpler' way that understands man's part in the cycle of Nature. When people think of witchcraft, they think of grudge-holding people bent upon getting their own way no matter what. In modern times angry young men, meglomaniacs, hippies, people who act like they're part of a gang, frothy lite-n-love fluffs, and arrogent people who act like they have the New One True Faith all make the new age community look like a bunch of freaky nuts. I realize that witchcraft is only a part of the new age 'community', but it is tied to it in the minds of the masses who have some knowledge of the subject.

Answer 4

Well, one has had more of a positive spin put on it while the other conjures up all sorts of images for some people. Mostly, it's just that many are pretty ignorant when it comes to knowledge about witchcraft. They think "Halloween" and have no clue about any of it really. So, it all boils down to education. They teach about Native American culture in school......and witches get mentioned during the Salem Witch trials section.

Answer 5

The words "witch" and "pagan" scare them. I don't know why. Irrational fears. It seems to have something to do with the idea that Native Americans have had their beliefs for centures, and we can see that through history books and such. Modern day witches are generally seen as people rebelling against church authority, and people just out to be anti-christian.

Answer 6

Do you realize that many Native Americans believed in a Great Spirit and they too dislike Witchcraft? At least that which they perceive as witchcraft not Wicca.

Answer 7

I'm not sure. It's rather silly, because some of the modern paganism is taken from the Native Americans. According to Christianity, what modern pagans do is witchcraft though. It only shows me that they do not do any research outside of the propaganda their own religion supplies them.

Answer 8

We all have a choice to make, that's what makes America great,accepting the natives of this country beliefs is sort of accepting the Christan belief because alot of things are similar.

Answer 9

i'm not aware of any religions accepting any beliefs of any others

Answer 10

interesting question