Do People who practice Wicca believe God Exists?

Question

My daughter who is 14 has decided that she is no longer going to go to church because she is now going to be a wicca or what ever people who practice this call themselves. I know that it is NOT a satanic thing by any means. I just want to know if the belief of God is there. She says it would be againt her new religion to go to church. She has been going every Sunday with her Grandpa. Can't she just believe in this Wicca stuff and God. Without God, there would be no earth or sun or moon etc. etc. I must admit I am a little ignorant to this particular practice so if someone out there could answer this for me from a personal perspective that would be great. Thanks...

Answer 1

Well first of all your daughter is too young to become Wicca as Wicca is a priesthood that requires initiation and most covens do not initiate anyone under the age of 18 years old, your daughter is probably like most teens who have taken an interest in Wicca because of it's occult links but have yet to learn much about the religion itself.

Wicca do not initiate under 18's because it causes both practical problems in terms of understanding Wiccan philosophy, time consumption to train and the simple fact teens explore their beliefs but may not be ready to commit to the clergy, and legal problems in terms of morals of teaching religion to minors, Wicca is oath-bound so would be unable to inform parents of what they are doing with their child and adult nature of some of their practices.

Wicca is a henotheistic religion, which recognises its own specific gods, while not denying the existence of gods and goddesses from other pantheons. Wicca itself is a 'hard polytheistic' religion, meaning that Wicca see their deities as specific individual beings. The gods of Wicca are known as the Horned God and Great Mother, these are outer court references meant to be used as place holders for the real names of their gods until the Seeker is initiated into a coven and taught those names.

There are people who claim to be both Christian and Wicca, however these people are misinformed about the nature of religion, Christianity and Wicca, often these are people who believe Wicca equates to witchcraft without understanding that witchcraft can be practiced within Christianity, or people who believe in a female deity but have not explored all religious ideas but instead choose Wicca as one of the better known duellist religions.

It is your belief that your god created the earth, sun and moon, but not everyone shares that belief and in the case of Wicca they believe their gods are responsible for creation. Both Christianity and Wicca are equally as valid religions. Remember her beliefs may not be Christian, they may not be Wicca, but they are still her beliefs so you have to respect them, take an interest, and accept that she is exploring her faith and may settle on a religion different to your own.

There is nothing at all stopping your daughter from going to church and it is certainly in no way against her new religion or against the religion of Wicca. In fact I believe it is beneficial for her to learn about Christianity as well as other religions so she can explore her personal faith, also within a Christian family and Christian society it is important to learn about Christianity.

Wicca are in praise of learning, they are also in praise of respecting other peoples beliefs so as such many Wicca do attend church and learn about Christianity and other religions, it is anything but against their religion to go to church.

Teens like to explore the world and their own beliefs, she is affirming her individuality and like a lot of teens she is looking to a religion that can be seen as a fad – Wicca itself is not a fad but due to it's occult practices many teens become interested, it is not dangerous as long as she has common sense.

Take an interest, watch what she is doing because yes unfortunately Wicca also attracts its fair share of weirdos, help her learn about Wicca as well as other religions, and don't force her to go to church.

With most teens the interest is mostly fad, once they learn about what Wicca is and the effort it takes to become Wicca they loose interest, or often it is just seen as a rebellious thing for them so let her do what she needs to in order to understand her beliefs and explore.

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As for your own ignorance, below is an explanation of what Wicca is as well as some web sites on Wicca that are reliable sources of information.

Any questions on Wicca feel free to e-mail me via my profile and ask, I'd be happy to try to put your mind at ease.

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Wicca is a henotheistic religion, which recognises its own specific gods, while not denying the existence of gods and goddesses from other pantheons. Wicca itself is a 'hard polytheistic' religion, meaning that Wicca see their deities as specific individual beings. The gods of Wicca are known as the Horned God and Great Mother, these are outer court references meant to be used as place holders for the real names of their gods until the Seeker is initiated and taught those names.

Wicca was founded by Gerald Gardner in around the 1930's, although the exact date is open for discussion, also open for discussion is whether Gardner founded Wicca entirely or whether it was an already existing spirituality which he merely re-introduced and re-invented, either way he is considered the founding father of Wicca. Gardner brought together Paganism with influences from many sources including the rituals and teachings of Freemasonry and Golden dawn resulting in a unique orthopraxic religion. Wicca embraces it's early Pagan roots in history, the history of Pagan faiths and the gods whom they followed and worshipped, Wicca also introduces eastern philosophy into it's primarily western path, along with this possibly one of Wicca's best known features, that of religious witchcraft.

Wicca is gaining much attention due to a change in peoples approach to religion and the increase in public awareness of the religion through media attention and with this attention there has come much change to the face of Wicca with many forms:


WICCA:
Wicca is an initiate only mystery tradition, or more precisely a priesthood, where one can trace their lineage back to Gardner. Initiation is the only way into Wicca, and is carried out by a Wicca coven, initiation into a coven requires formal training after which initiation and a system of degrees is followed.

Wicca follows a strong set of doctrines, one who takes on the name 'Wicca' is also taking on these doctrines as well as practices and beliefs of Wicca, the title of 'Wicca' implies more than that you are a member of Wicca, but also that you have worked long and hard to earn that title.
Seekers are those who wish to become Wicca however have yet to find a Wicca coven. Wicca covens can be hard to find let alone become a member of, often those whom are without a coven continue to study Wicca and surrounding subjects while seeking a Wicca coven to join.

Often Wicca is described as 'Traditional Wicca' or 'BTW:British Traditional Wicca'.


NEO-WICCA:
Neo-wicca is a new phenomenon, which is usually wholly eclectic, however like Wicca there are various different traditions. Neo-wicca often learn on their own terms, from books and other sources, but have little or no formal training and no initiation into Wicca. The beliefs of Neo-wicca are generally similar to that of Wicca however the details can often vary greatly as it follows the new age idea of personal belief/spirituality over formal religious doctrine. Neo-Wicca have varied views of the divine, either following soft-polytheism seeing all gods and goddesses as one god/goddess, polytheism working with gods and goddesses from various pantheons or pantheism working with a single divine present in all.

The 'Neo' in Neo-wicca refers to the New Age approach taken by Neo-wicca that puts emphasis on personal spirituality or belief over the organized religion of Wicca. It also refers to a new take on Wicca, this has less to do with the age of the religion but the idea that this is a belief system which may have come naturally from Wicca if it was allowed to evolve in it’s own time, media influences have brought about Neo-wicca, it develops paralleled to Wicca, but is not part of Wicca.

Often Neo-wicca describe themselves as 'Eclectic Wicca' or 'Solitary Wicca', although not actually Wicca.


Although Wicca is heavily influenced or based upon witchcraft it is not the main belief behind Wicca, the terms 'Wicca' and 'witch' are not interchangeable. The practice of witchcraft fits well with the Wicca way of prayer and ritual, which often involves a highly personal relationship with the divine, the witchcraft of Wicca also works well with how Wicca views the universe as working, however it should be noted that witchcraft can be practiced by many religions as well as by Atheists and Agnostics.

Wicca is not dogmatic, much of the morality and ethics of Wicca are in fact determined by the individuals take on a given situation. Often followers of Wicca will incorporate utilitarianism, which means that an act is carried out for the greater good or elements of their own morality rather then seek to find suitable behavior based on Wicca doctrine.

The rede plays a large part in the morality and ethics of Wicca, there are many takes and much documentation on the rede that can be found in many places, the rede however in itself can be clearly understood by the quote below given by Gardner himself.

"[Witches] are inclined to the morality of the legendary Good King Pausol, "Do what you like so long as you harm no one". But they believe a certain law to be important, "You must not use magic for anything which will cause harm to anyone, and if, to prevent a greater wrong being done, you must discommode someone, you must do it only in a way which will abate the harm." Gerald Gardner, The Meaning of Witchcraft, p 127 in the 1982 and 1999 printings

Another aspect of the Wiccan ethical philosophy is that of the 'law of return' often known as the 'three fold law' which is similar to that of western karmic philosophy, that anything you do either good or bad will come back to you. Law of return is often more closely associated with magic ethics rather than the everyday ethics covered by the rede or other Wiccan ethical beliefs, however is often thought of as cause and effect. This is also often referred to as the 'rule of three' or 'law of three'. For the most part these morals and ethics are held more strongly by Neo-wicca, within Wicca these are often only taught to new initiates and Seekers to help them learn responsibility for their actions, for the most part Wicca rely on personal moral and ethical philosophies.


Wiccan links:

http://www.cyprian.org/Articles/gardchron.htm - Gardnerian Chronology and Bibliography
http://www.wargoddess.net/index.php - Enyo`s Workshop
http://wicca.timerift.net/ - Wicca: For the Rest of Us
http://www.homecircle.info - Homecircle
http://www.starkindler.org/ - StarFire Rising
http://www.asiya.org/ - Asiya`s Shadows
http://www.newwiccanchurch.net - New Wiccan Church International
http://members.tripod.com/~Moonpfyr/gardnerian.html - Gardnerian Tradition
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Agora/2416/wildrose.html - Wild Rose Outer Grove
http://members.shaw.ca/stoneandcauldron/ - Coven Of The Stone And Cauldron
http://www.oldeenchantments.com/coven/ - The Hollywood Coven

Answer 2

there is probably a 90 percent chance that by the time that she is 18 she will have lost intrest in it. but that is not what you asked.

the answer is noteasy, but in short it is yes. just in a different way.

Wiccans are Pagan, they believe in more than one god, and usually worship a God and a Goddess.

some however call themselves ChrostoWiccan and believe in God as a multi faceted being capable of many manifestations at a single time. and view all gods as part of one greater god.

As for Attending Church being against the religion, Most Wiccans that i know make it a point to study other religions and to learn as much as possible from them. every religion has it's wisdom and something can always be learned from a day in the company of people that are different from yourself.

Many Pagans do have a different belief in the creation of the universe than what the Christians do.

I would reccomend that you buy a few books, preferably by Scott Cunningham. he is one of the foremost authors on Wicca. and read up on it for yourself. this way you will understand what it is that your daughter is doing.

Wicca and several other forms of Paganism (I happen to be a Celtic Pagan) offer great insight into a spiritual life. but unfortunatly it is also exploited by hollywood and many teens get into it beause it has become the "cool" thing to be. they dabble for a few years, and when they do not see the things that they saw in the movies they become boared. and then either become Athiest or revert to a monothestic religion. some do find a connection to the gods, and they go on to lead very good lives.

like i said read up on it and read well known authors, Scott cunningham and Silver ravenwolf are great for beginners. Know what the religion is about. I would bet that your daughter has a Wiccan friend that she is getting all of her information from.
Learn the religion yourself, and know it. that way you will know what to look out for, and what types of practices are NOT of the religion.

Answer 3

I am happy that your daughter has such an open-minded parent. Get some of the books that have been listed so you will have a better understanding of the craft. Also try to get your daughter to look into other religions as well. It seems to me that a lot of children her age are interested because of what they see on "Charmed" and "Sabrina" on TV and the Harry Potter movies. Does she realize that witchcraft is nothing like that?
There seems to be a wee bit of misunderstanding in some of the answers. Wicca (big "W") and wicca (small "W") are not necessarily the same thing. Wiccans("W") are indeed initiated into covens. Wiccans ("w") can be solitary and not involved in covens.
i am Pecti-Witan (a Hedge Witch, a solitary practitioner, not Wiccan), and began this path at about the same age as your daughter. I also had very open minded parents who encouraged me to learn about religions, so I did. I found that this was the path I should follow. All wiccans believe in the Goddess & God, some of us believe in a number of lesser dieties as well. All leading to The One. Much like the religions of the Native Americans.
If you would like to discuss any of this, please feel free to contact me.
Bright Blessings
)O(

Answer 4

I feel this IS a 'personal' question...(religion is such a 'touchy' topic) However, I am a christian pagan...i grew up catholic, but in my adulthood i have practised paganism. I am NOT wiccan , persay, as that denotes religion 2 me and religion 2 me, personally means u need to follow the rest and I 'beat' 2 my own drum! I do believe in God, but i also believe in other gods & dieties and have great respect 4 alll religions as i feel they all have a "common thread"; do u know what i mean? (To each his own!) As 4 yr daughter, if she truly believes in the wiccan faith than she should know that it is always serving a purpose for the greater good, NOT 4 personal gain and there is always room for making exceptions to any sort of rules, especially when it is for the well-being of someone one loves! IF u want 2 kno more and some resources for yr daughter (How old is she?? I am an E.C.E.) since I don't go reg. to church (or feel it's necessary to go to His house 2 pray) but have been 'practising' 4 20 yrs., go c my profile & contact me if u like, perhaps i can help further...

Answer 5

It's not against Wicca to go to church. I myself enjoy going every once in awhile. She should keep contact with other faiths. Wicca embraces Entity two-fold, as a God and Goddess. They are seen as equal, and manifested in all things, including ourselves. So yes, we do certainly believe in God. Have a nice long talk with your daughter, and see where she is headed with her beliefs. And major kudos to you for being such an understanding parent! There should be more like you in the world!

Answer 6

I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but it sounds like your daughter is just being a typical 14 y/o and dabbling in Wicca because it's quite trendy these days. As she is only 14, if you really want her to go to church, just lay down the law and take her

Your daughter can go to church as a Wiccan. I practice Wicca, a really really loose interpretation of it actually. And I'm a church organist and therefore attend church every Sunday. This requires me to walk around on the altar, lead the congregation in singing, chant the liturgy... and no lightning bolts ever come smiting down towards the organ :-)

Best of luck to you!

Answer 7

Wicca is an earth based religion.Wiccans don't belive in the christian god nor satan either. They do belive in a god and goddess tho. Some wiccans parctice the religion in groups called covenants or they practice alone and those are called soiltary. I could tell you more but it might be more useful if I give you a site that you can go to and it might give you more insight into the religion. www.witchvox.com
Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Lökásennä and n0s are right. Wiccan believe in Goddess and God. Your concern is understandable. As a mother, you are worried about what may result from her visiting a Wiccan Coven or about her involvement in Wicca.

Oh, there are even some groups of Christian Wiccans around. So as you can see, Wicca is open to and for everyone.

As a Wiccan myself, I tell you that Wicca is a religion of love towards everyone and everything. Love to our parents, love to our brothers and sisters, love to the Earth and all of its inhabitants. Love also means RESPECT not only towards everyone around us, but to ourselves. We believe in peace, and in doing only what is good; rejecting what is wrong.

You were suggested a great link to visit and learn about Wicca. Go and visit that site. May you always be blessed and happiness fill your heart and life forever.

Answer 9

What great answers you're getting! (For the most part). It sounds like you're being wonderfully open-minded. Here's hoping your daughter is too. Perhaps you could talk to her about the relationship she has with her grandfather, and what he gets out of their regular churchgoing, so that she can see it not just as a religious requirement but as an act of love. Or you could make a fair trade--that if she continues to go to church, you'll be willing to sometimes take her to a local CUUPS (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans) meeting... being part of the UU church, those are remarkably non-threatening, just check with your local Unitarian Universalist churches.

Blessed be.

Answer 10

Hello,
I am a former witch that has turned back to the heavenly Father and would love to tell you that going to a Christian church is not against the Wiccan religion. In fact, learning about religions different then Wicca is a part of Wicca.

Answer 11

Yes Wiccans believe in God. Just not the way Christians believe in God.

She is not "forbidden" to attend your Church from a Wiccan Standpoint. She may just be saying this because she no longer wishes to attend. If she isn't getting anything out of it, then forcing her, may only furher alienate her from your concept of God.

To learn more about this you can visit:
http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usfl&c=white&id=1938

http://www.mdpagans.com/wiccaisnot.html

Also, a good reference book is,
"When someone you love is Wiccan" by Carl McColman