There are only 3-4 things I've heard Christians say to Christian Witches...
First, I'll state what they are, then give my researched thoughts of each. But before we do that, let's consider the following charge to Christians. Before you speak to or harrass or comment on any spiritual practices or beliefs or ideas held by Christian Witches, please adhere to the following:
- Research. Do your due diligence. Research the history and archeology of your own faith. Understand the origins of Christianity. If anyone tells you not to research, I would question their motives. (See note below on research.)
- Think. Employ critical thinking skills while being willing to come to uncommon conclusions about what you've been taught. God gifted us with a high capacity computer called a brain. Let's use it. If you are only here to parrot what you've been taught, or what you've heard, or what most of the other Christians in your circle believe, you are not a free thinker. In essence, you are a slave to what you've been told. The good news about this kind of slavery: you can free yourself at any time.
- Be an adult. Can we have adult conversation about matters of the soul and our spiritual path? The comments I've seen on social media from Christians lead us to believe that a kindegartener is in the house. Let's be adults and have adult conversations. These are important matters to us all.
If you cannot abide by these simple guidelines, you do not qualify to engage in intelligent conversation with us.
Now, on to the statements Christians make to Christian Witches:
1. "You can't be a Christian Witch." This may be the most ignorant statement of them all and belies a complete lack of knowledge about the origins of Christianity, including a time when the heavy practicers of magic were priests of Christianity, as they were the few who had access to spiritual implements, such as holy water, books on magic (aka grimoires) and other accoutrement. In an age when most were illiterate, priests held sway and could delve deeply into writings that the common people had no access to.
Consider this: there would be no warnings against practicing ill forms of magic if no one was practicing magic. The only reason there are any warnings about practicing magic in our holy books is because people have always been practicing magic, for all manner of things, including revenge upon enemies, health and/or healing, business matters or wealth/money increase, gaining favor with important people, blessing of crops, land, homes, babies and anything regarded as important, valuable and life sustaining.
To believe that people were not practicing magic, or that no one in church is currently practicing magic, is to be in a dream world of one's own making.
I have done many Tarot readings over the years. The highest percentage of clients, by far, have been Christians. You may say they're not devout Christians. I say they were tapping into divination to gain access to and align with the mind of God.
2. "Thou shall not suffer a witch to live." Again, we have pure ignorance. Christians, you are invited to inform yourselves about the Bible and its redactions and translations, beyond what you are taught in church. Most Christians don't know what a Witch is, though they're all too eager to spout this scripture. Start here:
Note: remember Step 1 above: RESEARCH. The internet and books can be of immense aid in lifting the veil of ignorance. There are no longer any laws against reading books.
3. "That's the devil" or "You're going to hell" or some semblance of statements that reflect a fictionalized belief that Witches are somehow in league with the devil and his minions.
News alert: most Witches have no concept of a devil. Beliefs in a devil and hell are constructs of Abrahamic religions and do not find a place in the Witch's personal vernacular or spiritual path.
The devil is a construct, a character who was created to depict our human tendencies to be evil, ugly, obscene and/or vulgar. The devil represents the hideous aspects of ourselves.
The Devil card in the Tarot deck represents abject slavery to sensorial perceptions and being completely controlled by the same, rather than being led by higher powers, such as the God(s) and/or Goddess(es). The inverted pentagram on the Devil's forehead reveals the occult wisdom that the whole of consciousness is pointed downward, to the 5 senses, creating hell on earth (a hell that can be exited at any time, by choice).
Contrast this with the upward pointing Witch's pentacle, indicating alignment with the 4 elements of earth, air, fire and water, and the 5 force of Spirit or aether/space:
Witches are not in league with the devil, don't believe in the existence of a devil, nor worship a devil. These are all lies manufactured to perpetuate mass hatred and killing of Witches (and many whom were not Witches, yet whose lives were ended because of mass hysteria and terror sweeping through the general populace).
Witches also do not subscribe to hell, as it too is an invention. Humans made up the concept of hell, not God.
The Hebrew Bible has nothing in it to denote anything other than the grave as a resting place when we die. The term for this state in the Hebrew Bible is Sheol, and simply means a grave, or going down to the earth. All went there, good and evil. No torture. No hellfire. No damnation. Just an ended life.
The Greek word often mistranslated to hell is Hades, again, simply a place where all the dead went.
As a Christian, if you espouse hell, and tell Witches they're going to hell, you may benefit from learning the truth:
This is simply a starting point for study on the origins of hell to understand that it did not come from the Bible or from God.
For me, hell does not exist other than a state of consciousness people put themselves in due to corrupt thinking patterns.
Of course, everyone is free to believe whatever they like, whether it be true or not.
Thank you for your attention to these important matters of faith.
A note on research: as you conduct your research, be sure to study, read and research the finds of those who are not Christians, especially in the fields of archeology, history and science. While we do not need science to prove matters of faith, it's not wise to believe doctrine that flies in the face of science (e.g. the Bible chronology that humanity and the earth are roughly 6,000 years old). Christian Apologists, who are infamous for bending any evidence they find so that it fits the Christian story, even when it clearly does not, are not the best source of unbiased information.
Blessed be,
Rev. Valerie Love (aka KAISI)
Rev. Valerie Love is the author of over 20 books on practical spirituality, magick, the occult and Christian Witchcraft and is the Founder and Head Mistress of the Covenant of Christian Witches Mystery School in the Solomonic Tradition (CCW for short) and the initiated High Priestess of the Ma'at Temple of Love, Light & Truth. Explore the Christian Witchcraft series of books intentionally designed for you... the practicing Christian Witch.
(Oh and if you've read any of the books, would you be kind and leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads? Thanks beyond the moon!)