What exactly is a “Christian Wiccan”?

Question

I always loved the Wiccans (they were kind and helpful in all ways to me) but my spiritual experiences started and continue based on Christian concepts. I’d been hard pressed to explain how I became what I am, but it was years of study and some impossible coincidences that couldn’t have happened without Divine intervention. So for now I’ll just say I am and continue.

Gnostics believe in Sophia the female aspect of God, and Christ the male aspect. So I do worship a God and Goddess and the one unknowable source behind them.

I don't think I'm a Wiccan but I always considered Gnostics to be like "Christian Wiccan Buddhist" since they believe in being pacifist, believe in reincarnation, most were vegetarian. Neither believe that only certain people get to experience God, we both believe we’ll all get there given enough time.

Naturally there were many sects of Gnostics like the many denominations of Christianity today. My tradition is based on the Cathars.

The major difference between the Cathars and me is that in an anonymous forum I'll talk about what I believe and the few other Cathars I've known will not even do that.

With Good Reason:
The Cathar town of Béziers was taken on 22 July 1209. Arnaud, the Cistercian abbot-commander is supposed to have been asked how to tell Cathar from Roman Catholic. His famous reply, recalled by a fellow Cistercian, was "Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius." — “Kill them all, the Lord will recognize His own”.
The Inquisition was created explicitly to kill us, and one hundred years later they were sure they had, but to be sure they killed any educated females and the association with witchcraft began.

In real life all my religious friends are Wiccans because of our similarities, but I have never told them I’m not a Wiccan. I’m not trying to be deceitful. I just feel they wouldn’t understand. After all how many Bible verses does a Wiccan actually have to remember?

So exactly how

is it that there can’t be a Christian-Wiccan?
Or would that be a Wiccan-Christian?



Blessed Be!

To a few of you.... I know the scriptures better than you without a doubt and have many that you know nothing of because they aren’t in your Bible. You know what you’ve been spoon-fed and your big trials come when you feel inappropriate emotions. You show your faith by sacrificing reason and in supporting the illogical you think you earn the love of God. I however earned my faith by blood and bruises, the story of which I’ll keep to myself. Jesus flamed the Pharisee Hypocrites, that’s who you are you know. Still you’ll make it in time, it’s just to bad you’ll hurt so many on your way. May Gods love burn away your self-righteousness.

Answer 1

Before I answer this, I'd like to identify myself as a former Local Coordinator for Pagan Pride Project, Inc., a position I held for five years.

Understand that "Wiccan" is a label that a lot of neopagan strains slap on themselves with little real understanding of Gerald Gardner's philosophies and practices, or what Ed Fitch experienced when he came to America to initiate covens. The kids these days call any culturally-branded version of circle-based religious practice "______ wicca"--if their circle invokes Isis and Osiris, it's Egyptian Wicca, if it invokes Apollo and Diana, it's Roman Wicca, etc. Most authors and publishers aren't doing much to correct this misapprehension.

The "Christian Wicca" movement is largely an attempt to (a) create a version of neopaganism that won't get midwestern neopagans disowned by their parents and (b) allow neopagans to abandon the hypocrisy and bigotry of institutional religion without turning away from the deities and symbols they grew up under. It's the inverse of the "gods absorbed by the Church as saints" phenomenon. You're already miles ahead of these people by having a Gnostic outlook that doesn't depend on association with Wicca as an indicator of independence from mainstream Christianity.

Anyway, every wiccan-influenced neopagan has more in common with Christianity than they want to think about. Gardner assembled Wicca from pieces of Hindu cosmology, Welsh/Celtic mythology, and Rosicrucian/Masonic ceremonial magic--which was overwhelmingly Christian in its origins, practitioners, and symbolism.

Answer 2

I've tried to understand this phenomenon for a while. The nearest I've come to understanding it is this:

Paganism and Wicca have a great deal to offer the world. Many people would seek to follow this path who have been taught that the only means to salvation is through Christ. This is a very difficult belief to overcome, as the fear of damnation is quite ingrained.

Some people, fearing damnation who wish to follow the Pagan or Wiccan paths have sought to find a way to merge these two beliefs. In doing so though, they invariably find themselves in a position of holding beliefs that are not accepted completely by either. They may now be genuinely Pagan, but certainly not truly Wiccan or Christian.

It is a new breed of religion, and even among "Christian Wiccans" there is a huge variety of beliefs. Some take Mary as the Goddess. Some simply call the Trinity their pantheon.

As Christianity has many varieties, so does "Christian Wicca." Some varieties are more Catholic, some more protestant. None of them would be recognized as anything resembling an orthodox Christian faith.

To me, Christian Wicca is a religion comprised of people who don't wish to reject the godhood of Christ yet see the truth that exists in Wicca. It is a synthesis of two religions that are quite different from each other. It's not for me, but I have learned that it does exist, and I can no longer say that it is not (at least to some level) thought out.

Answer 3

I do know that Christian Wicca exists, however my knowledge of it is very limited. And, unfortunately, I have heard that those that are Christian Wiccans are discriminated against by both Christians and Wiccans. To many this does seem to be a oxymoron as Christians are very much against the use of magic (Deuteronomy 18:10 (English Standard Version) "There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer") and most Wiccans are very much anti-Christianity sighting that Wicca is based in Witchcraft which Christians have done much to destroy by torturing and killing anyone even suspected of being a witch.

Perhaps the link below offers some insight to this new religious movement. Whether or not it is a valid path doesn't concern me as it is a valid path to those that follow it. I wish I did know more about both your faith and the Christian-Wicca so as to give you a more complete answer but I hope this at least helps you.

Blessed Be )O(

Answer 4

Christians and atheists alike are going to love abusing you for this one.

Witchcraft or sorcery of any type is explicitly forbidden in the Bible, (See Galatians 5:16-26, among other references) and both Colossians and I John were written specifically to attack Gnosticism. To be a Christian and a Gnostic of any variety is not possible.

Christianity believes that 1)There is only one God, who consists of three independent manifestations; 2) salvation can be obtained only through the acknowledgement of Jesus Christ's sacrificial death and ressurection; 3) the Bible is the complete, infallible Word of God. Ironically, many groups that consider themselves Christian do not meet the basic tenet of Christianity (some notable examples being Mormons and Jehova's Witnesses; some even include 7th Day Adventists and Catholics as well).

--Any faith that believes in more than one God is not Christian (The 'Trinity' is one God with three manifestations--not entirely the same thing, but close enough to be confusing).
--Any faith with a works-based path to salvation is not Christian (Good works are not a requirement, but the natural by-product of a Christian's faith).
--Any faith that follows any religious text beyond the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 of the New Testament is not Christian (The Catholic Bible contains several additional books; the Hebrew canon does not recognize them as authoratative, and the protestant Christians accept the Hebrew determination of what's authoritative in their own scriptures)

I really wish I knew more about Wiccan and Gnostic beliefs than I do; I have a functional knowledge, but most of it is just where both practices conflict with Christianity. I do know enough to say that you are either a Christian or you are not--there is no such thing as a 'hyphenated' Christian. Still, I hope I was some help.

Answer 5

My own situation is somewhat parallel. I was brought up a Christian, my mother was a Methodist Sunday school teacher, and I found that when she was dying, she and I could talk about what we believed and found that it was not that different. I like that you say "God and Goddess and the one unknowable source behind them." That sounds not only very Gnostic, but very Kabalistic, and there's probably a reason for the similarity.

Consider, too, how much of Christian symbolism fits into the Tarot, and vice versa. Both have a great many correspondences with astrology. And there's apparently a movie going around called "Zeitgeist" which goes into much detail about the correspondences among various religious traditions, using astrology as the common vocabulary.

It is possible that by the true beginning of the Age of Aquarius, the common center around which these religious symbols and myths revolve will be acknowledged, and we will have greater peace and understanding because of this. I may not live to see it in this body, which is already pretty worn out, but I do expect to be a part of it in some form.

Blessed be.

Answer 6

I consider myself a Christian Wiccan. I beleive in the path of the Goddess but I also beleive in the teachings of Christ. Most times I just refer to myself as Pagans. As you can see there are many who will look down on other's ideas. I just try to have an open mind.

Answer 7

Girl I'm so proud of you!!!! I know you must be getting a lot of slack for what you have said, but don't you let it get you down. I believe that people can believe in WHAT ever they want as long as they believe in some thing!!!! If some one wants to take things from different spiritual groups it's all good. Most do in some way or another. So I say once more good for you!!!!!!

Answer 8

Most Wiccans I know believe that all gods exist. In fact most wiccans I know choose to name their personal gods after the gods they can relate to.

I don't see why calling the goddess and god Sophia and Jesus is any different than calling them Zeus and Hera.

Unless your Wiccan friends really dislike Christians they should not have a problem with your names.

Answer 9

I am a Pagan/Wiccan, have been for 18 years. I came from a once-a-week christian family.... (you know, Mon-Sat...lie,cheat,steal, ... but they went to church on sunday, so they are christian, types) As far as christian-wicca... It is a group of christians that dispite the fear instilled in them by the christian doctrines, they see the true benefit of living a "natural" life. And are starting to see through the pitfalls that become christians... Fear, Pride, Prejudice.

In all honesty, there are 6.7 billion different religions on this planet, as there are 6.7 billion different people. no one follows any dogma, to it's strickest rules anymore...
everyone picks and chooses what they believe is right for them... as so it should be... no one can tell you what to believe anymore... they can't murder you due to religious genocide as they use to, (not as easily at least)

All Pagans choose the male and female aspect that apeals to the individual... some are choosing Jesus as thier aspect...
Go for it... believe if you want, tell your fellow witches if they ask, but don't follow the same pitfall the christians do and push yours on them saying you are right and they are not
The Earth could be such a better place if people just agree to disagree and leave it at that.

Answer 10

As an American I believe in freedom of religion--that everyone should be free to believe whatever seems reasonable to him or her. And also that I should respect the beliefs of others if I expect them to respect my beliefs.

Before the New Testament was canonized, for the first 400 years of Christianity, there were many different groups of Christians who believed many different things. I see you already know about the Gnostics. Of course most of these beliefs were though of as 'heresy' by the group that eventually won out, picked by Constantine to unite the Roman Empire. Christianity was very diverse then, and it is diverse again today.

There are two kinds of believers. One kind accepts those beliefs he is told he should believe, the other figures things out for himself and usually ends up with an eclectic set of beliefs drawn from many places, just those things that seem reasonable to him or her. That's you.

I say 'good for you!' You know what you believe and you can discuss your beliefs in your own words and defend them against questions. Not all Christians can do that! Labels like 'Wiccan' and 'Gnostic' and even 'Christian' are not important because none of them really describes you. Rather you have drawn concepts from all of them and developed your own views. I think that's admirable!