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Emphasis Mine In Bible Verses
The word "occult" means hidden or secret. It refers to a range of esoteric traditions and practices that often involve a belief in unseen forces and hidden knowledge.
Introduction
(Written by Helen A. Berger a resident Scholar at Brandeis University's Women's Studies Research Center).
"Wicca, an alternative minority religion whose adherents, regardless of gender, call themselves witches, began in the U.K. in the 1940s. Wicca and Witchcraft are part of the larger contemporary pagan movement, which includes druids and heathens among others. All these spiritual paths, as pagans refer to them, base their practices on pre-Christian religions and cultures."
It is estimated that there could be around 1.5 million witches in the U.S. however, as not all witches consider themselves Wiccans "Based on my most recent survey data, approximately 800,000 Americans are Wiccans" and the number continue to grow.
"The religion differentiates itself from more mainstream religions, such as Christianity, by celebrating a Goddess as well as a God. In addition, Wicca lacks a formal institutional structure such as a church and puts more emphasis on ritual and direct spiritual experience than belief. Adherents refer to themselves as practitioners, not believers".
She went on to say,
Wiccans have one overriding rule, “Harm none and do as you will,” and no single religious text that they draw beliefs from. Most Wiccans practice alone and are free to develop their own unique practice. They are nonetheless in regular contact, networking on the internet and congregating at large gatherings to conduct rituals, learn about magical and spiritual practices from one another, and enter what they see as a magical space where they can more readily encounter and embrace divinity...
The Goddess provides a female face for the divine, appealing to feminists and those who seek “girl power.” Wiccans see divinity in nature, which resonates with growing environmental concerns, particularly among the young. [a]
Overview
Wicca is a Pagan Witchcraft tradition popularised by Gerald Brosseau Gardner. It emphasises spells and rituals and honours a Triple Goddess and a Horned God.
Religious Witchcraft is not merely a system of magic but a Pagan mystery religion worshipping both Goddess and God and venerating the Divine in nature. Although its origins lie in pre-Christian religious traditions, folklore, folk witchcraft and ritual magic, most Witches draw their inspiration from the 'Book of Shadows', a book of rituals and spells compiled by of one of Wicca's major figures Gerald Brosseau Gardner (1884-1964) (who claimed to have been initiated in 1939 into a coven of Witches who met in the New Forest in Hampshire).
Like many Pagan religions, Wicca practices magic. Witches believe that the human mind has the power to effect change in ways that are not yet understood by science. In their rituals, as well as honouring their deities, Witches also perform spells for healing and to help people with general life problems. Magic is practised according to an ethical code that teaches that magic may only be performed to help people when it does not harm others.
Witches believe that the energies that we create influence what happens to us: negative magic rebounds on the perpetuator but magnified. This process is often known as 'Threefold Law'.
Wicca teaches reincarnation. After death, the spirit is reborn and will meet again those with whom it had close personal ties in previous lives. The aim of reincarnation is not to escape life on Earth, but to enjoy experiencing it again and again until everything that can be learned has been absorbed. When the spirit ceases to reincarnate, it remains in a blissful realm known as 'The Land of Youth' or the 'Summerland'. [b]
Influences - Aleister Crowley
It is important to note that Gerald Gardner (the founder of Wicca) met Aleister Crowley (1875–1947). Crowley - a British occultist, writer, known for practicing "magick" called himself the Beast 666. He lived a scandalous, libertine lifestyle defined by extreme occult experimentation, sexual promiscuity, drug addiction, and hedonism, often embracing his reputation as "The Wickedest Man in the World" and called himself the Beast 666. Amazingly he became a cult figure after his death - the Beatles even had him on the cover of their Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album.
In 1898 Crowley joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn an influential 19th century secret society in Britain dedicated to studying and practicing Western occultism, ceremonial magic, and esotericism. Founded by Freemasons, it merged Hermeticism, Qabalah, Tarot, and alchemy, influencing modern occultism.
In 1904, during a visit to Egypt, Crowley claimed to have received The Book of the Law from a supernatural entity, Aiwass, which became the basis for Thelema, his new religion that "refers to three divinities: the goddess Nuit, the god Hadit, and their child Ra-Hoor-Khuit. Some Thelemites believe these deities literally exist, whereas others regard them as symbolic figures. [c]
Argenteum Astrum,
Crowley founded his own esoteric organization, the Argenteum Astrum, in 1907. Despite being denounced for his lifestyle and facing controversy, Crowley became a cult figure after his death, influencing various esoteric traditions and popular culture. TheArgenteum Astrum site says (Emphasis Mine)
The AA is a sempiternal (eternal) Order whose heads have attained through personal experience. It is the true and invisible Order which has operated under various names and guises throughout history, with the sole purpose of guiding the spiritual evolution of humanity forward. The methods applied are those of science and the aims are those of religion. [d]
The A A in its present form, was first established by the Master Therion in the year 1905, [e]
Note: Master Therion, is Greek for "Great Beast," a title famously adopted by Aleister Crowley in reference to the Beast from the Book of Revelation.
See A Dragon and Two Beasts
Yet Gerald Gardner and Crowley had similar ideas. "Crowley had, in 1914, proposed the idea of forming a new religion that would pull from old pagan traditions worshipping the earth, celebrating equinoxes and solstices and other hallmarks of nature-based worship". In fact, "when Gardner formally wrote out his Wiccan rituals, he drew strongly from Crowley’s own" [f]
In summary, as harmless as Wicca may appear to be on the surface, its roots are deeply buried in the world of the malevolent beings that the Bible calls "demons".
Wicca: A Biblical Critique
Dr. Michael Gleghorn. Probe Ministries
The Goddess and the God
By some estimates, Wicca "appears to be the fastest growing religion in America." (1) But what exactly is "Wicca" anyway? One scholar writes,
"The modern religion of Wicca, otherwise known as Old Religion, Magick, Witchcraft, the Craft, and the Mysteries, is part of the neo-pagan movement." (2)
In this article I hope to accomplish two things. First, I want to outline some of the fundamental doctrines of Wicca; second, I want to offer a biblical critique of those doctrines.
Let's begin with Wiccan theology. Although some Wiccans are devoted exclusively to the Goddess, most worship both the Goddess and the God. Raven Grimassi, a Wiccan scholar, has written, "The Source of All Things, also known as the Great Spirit, is generally personified in Wiccan belief as a Goddess and a God."(3).
It's important to point out that the Goddess and God are merely personifications of this ultimate source of all things. The Source itself is both "unknowable" and "incomprehensible." (4) It is perhaps for this reason that some "Neo-Wiccans" have simply abandoned such personifications altogether, choosing rather to view the gods as simply "detached metaphysical concepts." (5)
But for those who embrace such personifications, the Goddess has often been associated with the moon (and has thus sometimes been called the Queen of Heaven). (6 Emphasis Added) She is also known in three aspects, corresponding to the three stages of a woman's life: Maiden, Mother, and Crone. (7)
She was alleged to have reigned "with a male consort called The Horned One who was a nature god and was also associated with the sun." (8) Interestingly, this god was not only viewed as the consort of the Goddess, he was also her son as well. Each year he was born of the Goddess, became her lover, and died - only to be reborn once more the following year from his own seed! This was known as the Year God cycle and was associated with the fertility of the land and the annual cycles of seedtime and harvest. (9)
Interestingly, modern Wicca shares many similarities with the ancient fertility religions of Canaan, religions specifically condemned by God in the Bible. (10).
For instance, the Wiccan Goddess is revered by some as the Queen of Heaven, by others as Astarte. (11) But in the Bible, the worship of Ishtar, the queen of heaven, and Astarte, or Ashtoreth, is repeatedly condemned, as is the worship of her consort, known sometimes as Baal, sometimes as Tammuz. (12) Thus in Judges 2:11-13 we read:
"Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord . . . they provoked the Lord to anger . . . they forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtoreth."
But if the only true God rejected the ancient Canaanite religions and their practices, would His reaction to modern Wicca likely be any different?
The Watchers
"The Watchers is a concept common to most Wiccan Traditions, although they are viewed differently by the various systems within Wicca." (13) Raven Grimassi describes these "Watchers" as "an ancient race who have evolved beyond the need for physical form." (14)
However, he is quick to add that, historically, the "Watchers" have been conceived in a diversity of ways. For instance, in the early Stellar myths the Watchers were "gods who guarded the Heavens and the Earth." (15) Later, he says, "the Greeks reduced them to the Gods of the four winds, and the Christians to principalities of the air." (16)
The connection, observed by Grimassi, between the Wiccan concept of the Watchers and the Christian concept of angels may find some validation in the Bible. In Daniel 4:13-17, the pagan king Nebuchadnezzar relates a dream to Daniel. He tells him that during the dream a
"watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven" and pronounced a judgment that is said to be "by the decree of the watchers . . . a command of the holy ones . . . that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind."
Most conservative commentators understand the "watchers" in this passage to be angels. One commentator writes, "The king is probably referring to the angels which were known to him through the Babylonian religion." (17) But that these beings are indeed the biblical angels seems evident from the fact that they are acting as messengers of the Most High God. (18)
In light of this connection between the "watchers" and angels, it is interesting to note that "Rabbinic and Cabalistic lore" made a distinction between good and evil Watchers. (19) This distinction parallels the biblical distinction between good and evil angels, or angels and demons. Indeed, Grimassi notes, "In the Secret Book of Enoch, the Watchers . . . are listed as rebellious angels who followed Sataniel in a heavenly war." (20) We find a similar incident recounted in Revelation 12:7-9, where we read of a heavenly war in which Michael and his angels cast Satan and his angels from heaven to earth.
With this in mind it is interesting to note that Richard Cavendish, in his book The Powers of Evil, "lists the Watchers as the Fallen Angels that magicians call forth in ceremonial magick." (21) This remark is especially noteworthy when one considers Grimassi's comments concerning "the relationship that exists between a Wiccan and the Watchers." (22)
Grimassi points out that "every act of magick that a Wiccan performs is observed and noted by the Watchers." (23) Furthermore, he says, "There is a definite link between the 'powers' of a Wiccan and their rapport with the Watchers."(24) But since the God of the Bible clearly prohibits magic, is it likely that these "Watchers" should be thought of as good spirits (inasmuch as they oppose the ordinance of God)? (25)
IPS Note: The non canonical book of Enoch (an ancient Jewish religious text) presented a very different view of the watchers - one that actually corresponds to Jesus’ reference to the “days of Noah”. See Footnote I
The Art of Magick
Wiccans view magick as a genuine possibility because of humanity's intrinsic connection both to Deity and a supernatural order. Raven Grimassi states:
"The art of magick is one of creation. . . . The power to create from thoughts is linked to the divine spark within us. We create in accordance with the divine formula that created all things." (26)
But how is this possible? Grimassi explains,
"The astral plane is the link between the divine world and the physical. . . . Whatever manifests on the astral plane will eventually manifest on the physical plane." (27)
And human thought can manifest on the astral plane. (28) Thus, for one accomplished in the art of Wiccan magick, the power to secure a desired effect in the physical world is alleged to begin with the careful creation of a thought-form on the astral plane. (29)
Grimassi continues:
"Thought-forms begin to appear in the astral material, which then become vehicles for the spirits or deities that have been invoked (through which they will respond to the desire of the magickal intent)." (30)If done properly, "the magickal seeds planted in the astral plane" will eventually bear fruit on the physical plane. (31)This is the basic theory behind Wiccan magick. And one practitioner has boasted, "No matter what type of coven magic is used, it is usually effective." (32)
Might there actually be some truth to this? Indeed, there might.
The book of Exodus tells us that the Egyptian magicians were able to duplicate, by means of "their secret arts," the initial plagues God brought upon Egypt! (33) Furthermore, the text never hints that this was done by any means other than some genuine secret power. In light of this we might ask why God is so opposed to the practice of magic. After all, couldn't such power be used for good, as well as evil? But God specifically warned the Israelites:
"There shall not be found among you anyone" who practices divination, witchcraft, sorcery, or spiritism. (34)
Why is this?
Could it be that the "secret power" of magick is due, not to its various rituals, symbols and gestures, but rather to the supernatural intervention of spirit beings? In Acts 16 we read of a demon-possessed slave-girl described as "having a spirit of divination . . . who was bringing her masters much profit by fortunetelling." (35)
This passage clearly ties the power of divination to demons. With this in mind, it's interesting to remember Grimassi's admission: "There is a definite link between the 'powers' of a Wiccan and their rapport with the Watchers." (36) Wiccans view the Watchers as a race of highly evolved spiritual beings. (37) But these beings are linked with angels and demons in other religious literature (including the Bible). (38) Is it possible that God prohibits magic because He wants to protect people from involvement with demons? Also See Ascended Masters]
The Summerland and Reincarnation
Like Christians, Wiccans do not believe that physical death is the end of personal existence. Nevertheless, in its details the Wiccan doctrine of the "afterlife" differs substantially from the biblical view. How so?
To begin, Wiccans do not accept the biblical doctrines of heaven and hell. Rather, they believe that after physical death, "Wiccans pass into a spirit world known as the Summerland . . . a metaphysical astral realm of meadows, lakes, and forests where it is always summer. It is a Pagan paradise filled with all the lovely creatures of ancient lore, and the gods themselves dwell there." (39) The Summerland is viewed as a place of rest and renewal for the soul before its rebirth into the physical world. (40)
See The Message of the Bible
The Bible's description of this kingdom of God, also called heaven is no pie in the sky ethereal place 'somewhere out there', but matches, in every respect, the world most men and women would choose to live in. a place of peace and safety, where there is no crime, hunger and disease, war and above all... no death. Far from being outdated, out of touch, and largely irrelevant to modern society, Christianity promises exactly the utopian world most men and women can only dream of.
What and Where is Hell?
The belief that Hell is a place of unending torment has been so strongly held throughout the history of Christianity that few have dared to challenge it. Besides which, because most modern challenges have come from the cults, a person who dares to question the traditional viewpoint runs the risk of being labeled a cultist. However, the deeper one delves into the subject the less persuasive the argument in favor of the traditional view become. For example, there is not a single verse in the entire Bible that says anything remotely similar to "everyone has eternal life; it's only a matter of where each will spend it." Yet, this is what most of the church believes, assuming that the idea has it's origins in the Bible. It does not. However, it is totally pointless to embark on a investigation unless one is prepared to set aside one's denominational presuppositions, and other biases, and rely strictly on what the Word says. This seems to be easier said than done for many, if not most, Christians.
The belief in the soul's rebirth into the physical world, also known as reincarnation, is another way in which Wiccan doctrines differ from those of biblical Christianity. Though the doctrine of reincarnation is completely unbiblical, many Wiccans actually believe it is taught in the Bible. Raven Grimassi cites John 9:1-3 as evidence that even Jesus and His disciples believed in reincarnation! (41) In this passage Jesus' disciples ask Him about a man born blind: "'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?' Jesus answered, 'It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.'" Grimassi comments:
"Jesus does not denounce the question of this man's existence prior to this birth, but explains that [his blindness] had nothing to do with his sins prior to his present life." (42)
But is this interpretation correct? Is Jesus really affirming that this man existed prior to his present life?
It's important to understand both the disciples' question, and Jesus' response, from within the historical context of first century Judaism. "The Jewish theologians of that time gave two reasons for birth defects: prenatal sin (before birth, but not before conception) and parental sin." (43)
In other words, first century Jewish rabbis did not believe that birth defects resulted from bad karma in a previous incarnation! Rather, they thought such defects arose either from the sins of the parents being visited upon their children, or from the sin of the child while still in the mother's womb. (44)
See Original Sin - Fact or Fable
Many Christians today including most Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Catholics unblushingly subscribe to the view that the sin of Adam was transferred to all future generations tainting even the unborn. This makes me wonder how many of those that profess to believe in Original Sin have given any thought to the fact that sin is not a substance with physical properties that can be transmitted from person to person like a virus.
Much to the contrary, sin is a conscious, willful act performed by an individual (in thought, word or deed) that transgresses God's law. Think about it - sin can not even exist unless a sinner has an immoral, unrighteous thought then acts on it. Besides which, if sin can be inherited there is absolutely no reason why virtue, goodness, and righteousness cannot also be passed on.
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Although Jesus denies that either of these causes was responsible for this man's blindness, we must still bear in mind that His disciples were asking this question from within a first century Jewish context. We must also remember that elsewhere the New Testament explicitly affirms, "[I]t is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment." (45) Thus, far from affirming the Wiccan doctrine of reincarnation, the New Testament clearly denies it.
See Section on Reincarnation
Wicca Another Way to God?
Scott Cunningham claimed, "All religions have one ideal at their core: to unite their followers with Deity. Wicca is no different." (46) He also wrote, "Perhaps it's not too strong to say that the highest form of human vanity is to assume that your religion is the only way to Deity." (47) But is it really true that there are many ways to God, or is there only one?
Although it's quite common in today's pluralistic society to assume that all the enduring religious traditions of mankind are equally valid ways to God or Ultimate Reality, there are tremendous philosophical difficulties with this belief.
See Religious Pluralism
It is tragically true that few who believe that all spiritual beliefs are valid paths to God seem to have made an in depth study of various religions to see if their claims are based on fact or fairy dust. This simply because too many people seem to believe that religion is a matter of what you believe and 'faith' has nothing to do with reality. I beg to differ. Whether we realize it or not, we literally make dozens of decisions every day based on evidence, not feelings. In fact, we would find ourselves in deep trouble on quite a regular basis if important decisions were based on how we emotionally relate to something instead of collecting known facts/weighing all the evidence. Whether you have thought about it or not, whether you are willing to face it or not, the simple fact is... if two religions make truth-claims which contradict each other, they cannot both be right.
Since we are here concerned with both Wicca and Christianity, let's briefly compare some of the fundamental tenets of these two religions and see what we come up with.
Wiccans appear to believe in the essential divinity of human nature. Raven Grimassi writes, "[E]verything bears the 'divine spark' of its creator." (48) He also claims, "Souls are like brain cells in the mind of the Divine Creator, individual entities and yet part of the whole." (49) Thus, there doesn't seem to be any clear distinction in Wicca between humanity and Deity. This explains why the Witch Starhawk could confidently declare, "there is nothing to be saved from . . . no God outside the world to be feared and obeyed." (50)
Christianity, however, maintains a firm distinction between God and man. Man is created in God's image, but he is neither God nor a part of God. Furthermore, although man bears God's image, his nature has been corrupted by sin, which separates him from God. Man's need, therefore, is to be saved from his sins and reconciled to God. This explains the significance of Christ for Christianity.
As Peter put it, "Christ . . . died for sins once for all . . . that He might bring us to God." (51) Christians believe that God dealt fully and finally with man's sin through the death and resurrection of His Son. (52) Thus, contrary to Wicca, Christianity teaches that there is something to be saved from and that there is a God outside the world to be both feared and obeyed.
See Salvation
Because of their differences, the law of non-contradiction makes it impossible for both of these religions to be true. It's therefore interesting to note Charlotte Allen's observation:
"In all probability, not a single element of the Wiccan story is true. The evidence is overwhelming that Wicca is . . . a 1950s concoction . . . of an English civil servant and amateur anthropologist" named Gerald Gardner. (53)
But surely such questionable historical origins cast doubt on the truth of Wiccan religious beliefs as well. Christianity, however, is firmly rooted in the historical reality of Jesus of Nazareth, whose claim to be the only way to God was clearly vindicated when God "furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."
See Section on The Resurrection
Jesus' bodily resurrection is fundamental to Christian faith and can be proved with at least as much certainty as any universally believed and well-documented event in ancient history.
Footnote I. The Watchers in the book of Enoch
Excerpted from Fallen Angels in the Book of Enoch: Who Are the Watchers? By Eben De Jager, PhD New Testament https://www.thecollector.com/fallen-angels-enoch/
The Book of Enoch does not appear in the Bible but is an ancient Jewish religious text credited to Enoch, seventh from Adam, the father of Methuselah and the great-grandfather of Noah. However, it was probably composed between 300 and 100 BCE. While it was considered an important religious text in ancient times, it is no longer considered canonical scripture by the majority of Jews and Christians.
Nevertheless, the authors of the New Testament were familiar with Enoch and cited the work. Parts of the book of Enoch were preserved among the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Qumran Caves. Some Greek translations also survive.
The Book of Enoch tells the story of the Watchers, angels who procreated with mortal wives and taught mankind forbidden arts, resulting in their downfall.
These (200) Watchers conspired to commit sins by taking human women as wives and having children (resulted in the Nephilim) with them. They also taught humans many forbidden skills relating to the different arts and sciences. God condemned these fallen angels for their actions and assigned archangels to confine them to Tartarus until their final judgment.
The Watchers descended to earth in the “days of Jared,” the father of Enoch. Jared was of the sixth generation from Adam. The Watchers conspired to take wives and have children with human women instead of watching over humanity as they were supposed to do. They also taught humans various sciences and skills (1 Enoch, The Watchers 3:2-7).
 IPS NOTE: However although the book is not part of the Biblical Canon, the story Enoch told bears an uncanny resemblance to the events in Genesis that Jesus drew out attention to when He said "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man," (Matthew 24:37, Luke 17:26).
Our Lord Himself linked these two periods of history saying that one is the parallel of the other. The nearness of His coming makes it crucially important that we understand everything that happened in the days of Noah. And when we do so we will find that Enoch was not that far off track. {PLACE IN TEXT}
Notes - Overview and Influence
[a] Helen Berger. What is Wicca? An expert on modern witchcraft explains.
https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2021/september/wicca-berger-conversation.html
[b] BBC. Wicca. https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/subdivisions/wicca.shtml
[c] Aleister Crowley https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aleister-Crowley
[d] Astrum Argenteum https://www.astrumargenteum.org/
[e] Astrum Argenteum https://www.astrumargenteum.org/about-us/
[f] Wicca. https://www.history.com/articles/wicca.
Notes - Wicca: A Biblical Critique
1. Charlotte Allen, "The Scholars and the Goddess" The Atlantic Monthly (January 2001): 18.
2. Fritz Ridenour, So What's the Difference? (Ventura, California: Regal Books, 2001), 209.
3. Raven Grimassi, The Wiccan Mysteries: Ancient Origins and Teachings (St. Paul, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications, 2000), 33.
4. Scott Cunningham, The Truth About Witchcraft Today (St. Paul, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications, 1999), 76.
5. Grimassi, The Wiccan Mysteries, 33.
6. Ibid., 25.
7. Cunningham, The Truth About Witchcraft Today, 73.
8. Grimassi, The Wiccan Mysteries, 26.
9. Ibid., 88-89.
10. Ridenour, So What's the Difference?, 210. This is not to imply, of course, that Wicca itself is ancient. The antiquity of Wicca has been seriously challenged by modern scholarship.
11. Grimassi, The Wiccan Mysteries, 25; Cunningham, The Truth About Witchcraft Today, 72.
12. For instance, see Judges 2:11-17; 2 Kings 23:4-14; Jeremiah 44:15-23; Ezekiel 8:14-15. For documentation concerning the consort of Ashtoreth being Baal and/or Tammuz see J.D. Douglas and Merrill C. Tenney, eds. The New International Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1987), s.v. "Ashtoreth," 100-01; "Tammuz," 986. For documentation that Ishtar, the queen of heaven, was associated with Tammuz see Trent C. Butler, gen. ed. Holman Bible Dictionary (Nashville, Tennessee: Holman Bible Publishers, 1991), s.v. "Ishtar," 721; "Tammuz," 1321.
13. Grimassi, The Wiccan Mysteries, 99.
14. Ibid., 100.
15. Ibid., 101.
16. Ibid.
17. Edward J. Young, The Prophecy of Daniel: A Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1978), 103.
18. Compare Daniel 4:17 with 4:24.
19. Grimassi, The Wiccan Mysteries, 102.
20. Ibid.
21. Ibid., 103.
22. Ibid., 106.
23. Ibid.
24. Ibid. This is not to imply that Wiccans explicitly worship Satan or demons (understood in the Christian sense). They are very careful to say they do not, and we should take them at their word. At the same time, is it legitimate to ask if one can be deceived by the devil without actually worshipping the devil? For while Wiccans may not worship the devil, the Bible seems to indicate that they have nonetheless been deceived by him. Wicca, for example, rejects the biblical doctrines of God, man, Christ, sin, salvation, etc. As a religion, therefore, Wicca helps prevent men and women from coming to a saving knowledge of God through faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible, however, declares that this is also one of the activities of Satan! It reveals that the devil "has blinded the minds of the unbelieving" to keep them from saving faith in Christ (see 2 Cor. 4:3-4). It is for this reason that Christians, while acknowledging that Wiccans do not worship the devil, nonetheless view the religion of Wicca as a means of Satanic deception since it keeps its followers from saving faith in Christ.
25. See Deuteronomy 18:9-13.
26. Grimassi, The Wiccan Mysteries, 140.
27. Ibid.
28. Ibid., 150.
29. Ibid., 140-41.
30. Ibid., 140.
31. Ibid., 159.
32. Cunningham, The Truth About Witchcraft Today, 125.
33. See Exodus 7:11-12, 22; 8:6-7.
34. See Deuteronomy 18:9-13.
35. See Acts 16:16-18.
36. Grimassi, The Wiccan Mysteries, 106.
37. Ibid., 100.
38. Ibid., 101-03.
39. Ibid., 30.
40. Ibid., 32.
41. Ibid., 113.
42. Ibid.
43. Norman L. Geisler and Ron Rhodes, When Cultists Ask: A Popular Handbook on Cultic Misinterpretations (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1997), 175.
44. Ibid.
45. Hebrews 9:27.
46. Cunningham, The Truth About Witchcraft Today, 77.
47. Ibid., 66.
48. Grimassi, The Wiccan Mysteries, 26.
49. Ibid., 27.
50. Starhawk (Miriam Simos), The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1979), 9, cited in Ridenour, So What's the Difference, 213.
51. 1 Peter 3:18.
52. See Romans 4:25.
53. Allen, "The Scholars and the Goddess," 19.
54. See John 14:6 and Acts 17:31.
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