While many Christians today are closely monitoring the growth and activity of Islam, especially after 9/11, another religious movement has been steadily growing “under the radar” and could become among the largest religions in the United States in less than five years.
“Wicca is the fastest-growing religion in America, set to be the third largest religion by 2012,” claims Marla Alupoaicei, who co-wrote the recently released book “Generation Hex” with fellow Christian author Dillon Burroughs.
“The numbers of adherents are doubling every 30 months,” she says.
Furthermore, every major city in the United States has networks of Wiccans, adds Burroughs.
“Certain parts of the country, such as the Pacific Northwest, the mountain states (New Mexico and Colorado) and areas near Salem, Mass., are the strongest in the U.S.,” he says. “However, I live in Tennessee and have found pockets of Wiccans in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia to interview. I didn't have to travel far or even outside of the so-called Bible belt to find Wiccans.”
On Wednesday, Alupoaicei and Burroughs were the special guests at Abunga.com’s weekly “Authors at Abunga” chat, which connects avid book readers with their favorite authors.
During the hour-long chat, the authors fielded questions submitted to them regarding their new book, Generation Hex, which informs and equips Christians – especially parents – about Wiccan and New Age teachings.
To write the book, the authors interviewed neopagan conference practitioners, travelers to Salem, Mass., and current and former Wicca followers.
“We … talked to over 20 Wiccans in the process of Generation Hex to be as authentic as possible about the movement,” Burroughs noted during the chat.
“The catchy title, Generation Hex, reveals that this current generation is the first to grow up with witchcraft as an accepted part of the culture,” added Alupoaicei, who was inspired to write a book about Wicca after not feeling equipped to engage in a spiritual conversation with a Wiccan girl she encountered.
While “Harry Potter” and other media like “Charmed,” “Buffy,” “Sabrina,” and “The Craft” have skyrocketed witchcraft into the public eye, the authors both agreed that among the biggest draws to the Wiccan culture is how community-oriented it is.
“Many involved in Wicca come from lonely backgrounds or difficult relationships and find new friends in the Wiccan community who embrace them (sometimes better than Christians do),” explained Burroughs, who served as a youth pastor for about a decade and said he was asked by students about Wicca and witchcraft more than any other religious movement.
“As our culture becomes more and more isolated and busy (and as real relationships are replaced by texting, IM, etc.), young people are starving for real relationships and true community, as well as for a powerful experience of faith,” Alupoaicei added.
“People want a supernatural experience,” she said.
And while the Christian life is an abundant, supernatural life in which the power of God can be experienced, Alupoaicei said Christians are not communicating that very well to the world.
Furthermore ignorance and misunderstanding within the Christian community has prevented people from drawing near to Christ and leaves them looking for something else.
“And, ironically, a desire to uphold Scripture,” Alupoaicei added. “The Bible does say that Christians should not be involved in witchcraft, but that doesn't mean that we should not reach out to those involved in this practice. Continue >>
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"There is but one truth, but you and I interpret that truth differently. "
Is that the same as you can put lipstick on a pig? Truth needs no interpretation. It is self evident. Truth is not subject to interpretation. It is subject to misinterpretation.
now why would the wiccans want the christian to join them?
truth72 "We are truly in the last days..."
Various religions been making the prediction of the "end-times" for centuries. I suspect centuries from now, same claims will be made..........
I recall getting talked into going to an evangilical church a few times in the 1970's. The big theme was, the end times, the so-called rapture and the return of the messiah. As an agnostic and skeptic, I thought it all rather silly, but I was amazed by how seriously the church goers took this stuff and actually planned their lives around it. I sometime wonder if those same folks are still sitting around waiting for things to happen..
To Julie
You said: "It is not true friendship when the Christian person's only goal is to convert their Wiccan friend to Christianity...".
Oh beloved, this is the farthest from the truth. Jesus Christ hung on the cross, to show His love to the world, in that He died for us. If necessary, He would do it again. There is no greater friendship, there is no greater Friend.
Beloved, while others talking about this may be grating, and painful to hear, is it ever wrong to err on the side of love? For it is love that drives us, not quotas. It is love that pushes us to talk about this, for there is nothing that even compares in the existence we call the world, or the flesh. There is no greater love that we can display than to point to the One who is responsible for this love.
For if one comes to Christ after it is all said and done, would it not also stand to reason that there will be an eternal bond between the two believers? This is something that is more than friendship alone, this is based upon truth and love.
Anything else is just a friendship of convenience, based upon flesh which eventually fades away.
Witchraft and Wizadry have become toys that we have given our children to play with. Parents later wonder why we have such high teen suicide, drug, crime rates. We all reap what we sow. God give strength and wisdom to each one of you.
Interesting article. From the article, it seems as though, in a nutshell, that Generation Hex is a book designed to convert Wiccans into Christians using sweet, rather than sour, overtones. It also seems as though the book's secondary goal is to thwart personal spiritual and religious exploration, promoting only limited exploration within the confines of Christianity.
As for the author's long-term friendship approach to Wiccans, I can tell you from my own experience that this does not work. It is not true friendship when the Christian person's only goal is to convert their Wiccan friend to Christianity, and not to simply nurture a friendship between two people with two different views on religion. It gets grating to hear a "friend" keep bringing up scripture in conversation and interjecting into conversation their own morals and values, no matter how subtle they think they're being. It's also disrespectful, and therefore insulting, when someone whom you consider a friend constantly questions your own values and personal identity, no matter how nice or well-meaning they are.
True friendship is when people enjoy each other for who they are. True friends learn and grow from one another, using their differences to enrich each other's lives. If a Christian can't befriend a Wiccan (or a Muslim or a Jew) for reasons other than trying to "save" them, or even point them in the direction of the Christian God, then the friendship will not have a solid foundation and any possibility of meaningful camaraderie will fizzle. This approach to friendship is the basis for peace; if people cannot agree to disagree and accept each other's differences, the world will continue fighting over religious, moral and political beliefs. From this perspective, trying to convert someone seems petty and self-serving (or is it any other way?).
What I am getting from this article is that Generation Hex seems like a useless tome of re-hashed ploys of sugar-coated conversion.
"Aside from that, the difference between us is that you believe that your identification/interpretation of that truth is the only one, while I believe that my interpretation is right for me, and yours is right for you."
Wow, hard core humanism and postmodernism at it's finest....
JC, I applaude you in the way you respond in truth and love, I wish more on these posts would do the same. We are truly in the last days, as the bible tells us that many will depart from the Truth and believe the Deceiver.
blue1018, your slanted view of Christainity is the farthest from the truth. In this dark post-modern world, nobody wants to hear the Truth, because the World dictates that Truth is whatever you want it to be. This modern form of Pagnism is merely systemic of that. The sad thing is, is that we will all have to give an account before God, no matter what we contrive or manufacture as belief. I will pray for you Libelleselene, God loves you, don't follow the broad path that leads to destruction.
To Libelleselene:
Beloved, don't you know that it is written: "He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God". (Rev 19:13)
It is also written: For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" Heb 4:12
This is truth. There are no others. For it is His, and only His. He will share His glory with no one.
Beloved, as my name is written in the Book of Life, so yours can also. It doesn't have to be this way, it doesn't have to end with you not really knowing whom you worship, whom you follow, or even why. Things can be so much clearer for you. Things don't have to be so complicated in your life. Sometimes it helps us to take a step back and focus on what is really truth, and what is just tickling our ears. What is truth, and what is just wishful thinking. What is truth, and what is being whispered in our ears.
Beloved, if you earnestly seek Him, you will find Him. Do not be led any farther astray with this counterfeit anymore. The dark one tells you it's truth, even supplies you with "proof", but he lies. He is the Father of Lies, and death is in him. He does not have your best interest, he'll you use you until your usefullness has outlived itself, and then cast you aside like a paper cup.
By contrast, Jesus said: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deut 31:6
There is only one truth, it is not subject to any interpretation except to the one who gives the truth. It is His interpretation that has authority, not ours.
JC:
There is but one truth, but you and I interpret that truth differently. That doesnâ
To Libelleselene:
You said: "We all relate to God, or what/whomever we refer to as God, in our own way. An analogy I like to use regarding different religions is that we are all saying the same thing, but we are saying it in different languages. I do not believe that one language is correct and the others are wrong. I think they are correct for the person who understands them."
Dear one, you who are loved by God, you are implying that there can be more than one truth. This is both illogical and impossible. The creation is not greater than the creator, nor can the creation overtake the creator. Although Hollywood would have you believe it is possible, it is not. Beloved, we are not saying the same thing. The Bible warns us about delving into the spiritual world for the purposes not of God. For if one does this, logically, they are not dealing with God, but that of the dark one.
You said: "Wiccans are extremely varied in their beliefs and deity or deities with whom they associate. However, there is no devil or dark one in Wicca. Wiccans focus their energy on the positive, not the negative. This is because we believe what we put out there will return to us."
I was once told that the largest, most significant thing that Satan has accomplished was convincing humans that he doesn't exist. And, if he can convince humans that he doesn't exist, then quite possibly they'll believe that God doesn't exist also. Unfortunately, it seems to have worked in your case.
Beloved, he does exist, and unless you open your eyes, you will continue bowing at his feet. But it doesn't have to be this way. Open your eyes to The One who created the Heavens and the Earth, The One who shed His blood so that the bridge to Him was restored. Ask Him into your heart, ask Him to open your eyes and ears. Confess that He alone sits on the throne, and shares His glory with no one. This is His desire, that all should come to Him, by humbling themselves at His feet and no other.
Dear one, you can't imagine the life, both here and later, that you are denying yourself. It doesn't have to be this way, beloved. If you seek, earnestly, you will find Him. He wants to be known. Don't settle for this cheap imitation that calls itself "The Unknowable".
"Burroughs said the number one complaint they received from Wiccans about Christians was that they would befriend them but later desert them if they did not convert in a short period time." I don't personally have anything against Wiccans, or Muslims, or anyone else who believes something different from me, but I decided a long time ago that it's much healthier for me to be friends with people who believe similarly to me - surrounding myself with strong Christians only works to strengthen my faith. I'm not very interested in befriending people who practice witchcraft or spend time casting spells, as I think that would be to the detriment of my own faith and well being. Of course, I'm all for sharing my beliefs with others so that they might come to know Christ, but I just don't think it's helpful for me to hang out with people who are not only non-Christians, but who basically believe in the exact opposite as I do. Am I wrong to feel this way?
Well, Christian mothers give _Harry Potter_ to their children to teach them to read. They don't seem to know or care that the practice of wizardry is an abomination to God, as He says in Deuteronomy 18. So, it's a sin and an open door and a bad influence all at the same time.
Regarding my post below...I'm not sure what all of those weird typo symbols are in my post. My apologies if it makes it difficult to read.
I am a Wiccan Priestess and I appreciate the intent of the author of this article. My best Christian friend and I marvel at what we have in common: 1. We believe in a higher power, one that is omniscient and omnipresent. 2. We pray. 3. We believe in good morals. 4. We believe in an afterlife which will be reflective of our actions here on Earth. There are many more similaritiesâ