Christianity vs Wicca
The age old debate in wiccan communities, why do they hold ill will to Christians? The consensus on this would be that they don't hold ill will to Christianity until Christianity displays ill will to Wicca. This page is intended for people who wish to know some the factors in this eternal struggle. These are common accusations given by some Christians as a rationale for their dislike of Wicca, with some rebuttals.
Slave of Satan?
People who are Christians have, on many occasions, considered witchcraft, Wicca, and many permutations and meanings of the word to be the slave of Satan, or in some way evil. Numerous websites on the internet such as the Perilous Times are examples of antagonism which are deemed unacceptable by many people, even Christians, not just to Wiccans.
Satan, and Satanism, is of Christian origin. The antithesis of Christian culture, beliefs, and doctrine. The all evil duality with the all good god. Wicca is of a pagan origin, no matter if you take a direct line through the Burning Times, or Wicca according to Gardner et al. Wiccans, therefore, do not accept Satan as part of their religious constructs, as Satan is a Christian construct.
Wiccans also do not recognise the Christian extrapolation to non-Christian religions of the non-Christian religions being Satanic. Satanic religious connotations extrapolated onto non-Christian religions are, therefore, seen as a Christian construct.
Wicca has its own religious constructs to utilise obviously, therefore, have no interest in using another belief systems constructs into their own.
As an example: The moral and ethical standards called "The Rede".
The Rede "An it harm none do what thou wilt" is considered a core belief by the majority of wiccans. This means that the wiccan to is reinterpret their actions as it is potentially liable to have serious consequences, this applies to animals and on to the earth itself, not just limited to man. This is extrapolated onto the wiccan him/herself, as well.
This requires the wiccan to accept the consequences of their actions, and therefore an 'evil' act will bring unnecessary consequences which would be obviously bring unwelcome consequences back. If the action was undertaken the wiccan would be self-harming, hence being contrary to the Rede. As all consequences have the practitioner at the root, the wiccan will not try and attribute it to a "higher power" as members of a number of mainstream religions have done, at some stage in their history.
The One True Way?
Wiccans, in general, believe that there are numerous ways in getting in touch with the divine source. The path being dependent on the person who is on the path to the divine. Wicca, therefore, is good for the Wiccan and Christianity is good for the Christian, and same for all other religions.
Forcing a religion on to those not compatible with it is, therefore, looked upon as subjugation of the persons natural free will and freedom of religion.
All religions are acceptable in wiccan communities. Wiccans are not "one true wayers" in which only one prescribed methodology of entry to heaven is acceptable, and the rest are wrong. If a heaven is to be believed in the actions of the person at the gates are judged, not on the belief system used in their life, so a Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, even a Satanist, or whatever, would get into heaven if they lived their life in an ethical manner.
Wiccans are tolerant of other religions and this only deviates when the said religion does not reciprocate the gesture.
This is in contrast with Christianity, which officially believes that their religion is the only way to god, and the rest are barking up the wrong tree. It seems that entry into heaven is likened a club whereby you have to identify yourself with one belief system and one alone, and the tendency for the Christian practitioners to attempt to convert (or save) those not already Christian.
These days the vast majority of Christians have become more tolerant than in the past, but even so militant remnants remain, and are allowed to grow.
"Wiccans Reject Christianity/Jesus"
That particular comment needs to be placed in context. Pagans do not have Christianity's roots as its religious constructs. Wiccans do not reference a document [the bible] for teaching its members. Wiccans do not recognise an intermediary of divinity [Jesus].
These are not because they are rebelling against anything it is simply because they do not share the same roots for their literature or divine rationale.
Christians, sometimes, apply their own criteria for a religion without common frame of reference, and therefore others which are encountered are seen as evil, backward, or pathetic. The origins and, therefore, conclusions of this extrapolation are going to be flawed, as the paradigm applied is not compatible to that which it is being applied.
Wiccans recognise that knowledge of the divinity does not have to be through Jesus, knowledge of the divinity is via the wiccan individually, a personal relationship with the divine.
What is not the case is that this 'rejection' is disrespectful in any way, shape, or form with regards Christian faith, and doctrine. It must be reiterated Wiccans believe that no restrictions on the knowledge of the divine, or how one goes about it (within stringent and ethical parameters). Therefore all religions are acceptable for the participants which are currently in them.
Attempts of Subjugating Religious Freedom
Wiccans generally dislike the application and subjugation of a religious lifestyle from one religion to another, and are repelled where necessary. Events such as being sacked from a job because of religion (e.g.. Ralph Morse); being victimised in your own home, because of your beliefs; and even motivating a community to attempt the circumvention of basic human rights (e.g.. Army Boycott by Christian Groups) guaranteed by the 1st Amendment (in the US Constitution) and the European Convention on Human Rights (Articles of Convention) appears to have sinister consequences for the population if a politician holding contrary views, than what protection these conventions bestow, gains significant power.
These violations are products of doctrine. It is about time, in the 21st Century, that abrasive energies being pitted against what are, after all, members of your own society be pitted to more worthy goals. Aggressors, it would seem, are coming almost entirely from the Christian camp. Is the Wiccan presence on this planet such a threat that they are worthy recipients of genocide?
Do not Judge, Or you shall be Judged Yourself
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Observe a wiccan rather than blindly judge them. Actions should be judged rather than beliefs. Put yourself in their shoes for a second. Would you have the guts to come out to people and say that you are Wiccan, in a community, under the current intolerant environment?
Would you be dismayed that your neighbours suddenly turning against you, potentially in a violent situation, just because of your beliefs? Wiccans, in certain parts of Europe and the United States are more at risk of getting physically attacked, for no good reason (other than their beliefs) yet these people are willing to take a risk to be Wiccan yet they still hold fast to their beliefs. That should say something about their religious conviction? And for those in the armed forces, they would lay their life down for the preservation of yours.
The Christians were, once, a minority religion in the first millennium. Persecuted throughout the middle east, the Roman empire and beyond, to be enlightened you do not circumvent your subjugator to be a subjugator, but this is exactly what appears to be happening. In most westernised countries the Church and State are generally separate, but even there the Church is capable of exerting its influence even in government in order for it to influence ratification (or denial) of certain laws, as the current US presidential election has proved.
Mending the Fence
Consider your actions before you execute them (based on your judgments) lest when you die and go to heaven you could potentially see a big ACCESS DENIED sign (assuming the pearly gates have been automated), instead of being ushered into the eternal grasp of paradise and we all know what the other place is like, don't we?
If the Christian way is the true way then the Wiccan will deal with that consequence of his/her own decision when the time comes. You will be happy in knowing that you have done the right thing, but if you take sinister actions against people consider that you may be the one burning in hell when all is said and done.
Wiccans are simply no threat to you, your spouse, or your family. Learn about them from their own literature as that is the best way to know what is really going on, as I am sure that you would request the same of any one else, before they judge yours!
Don't take someone else's word blindly in anything. Knowledge is power. Live and let live is the only request of the wiccan and perhaps a bit of understanding may not go amiss either.