Should I Read A Christian Book Before I Move On, And Start To Read Wiccan Books?

WARNING: If your going to leave an answer regarding my religion (Calling it out, making comments about it not relating to the question, and giving false facts), then don't bother reading this. Please.



First off, I am a teen, Wiccan or Wiccan seeker if you like...



So, I went to the book store today with my mother and I showed her the book that I have been waiting to get for MONTHS now, Scott Cunningham's 'Wicca: A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner'. My mother said to wait on the book so she could research Wicca a little more, then I may get it.



So then I got to thinking, maybe while she is studying Wicca, I can learn more about Christianity. Because I know for a fact, she will find some of the things she reads ‘weird’ because of her Christian background. And because I am learning more on Christianity, I will have more knowledge on my ‘former’ religion.



But then at the same time, I don't want any of the Christian books to confuse me. I find that in most of the books or sites I TRY to read, get so confusing, that I give up on trying to read it. And they get into my head. Things like "Wicca is the devil in discise" (which I know is not true)...they really bug me for days. Then I get over it.



So, what is your advise and/or opinion? What should I do? Read a Christian book before a Wiccan book, or just move on to Wicca.



NOTE: I do know things about Christianity. It's not like i'm just Up and "Ohhhhh Wiccaaaaa! *__* Let's go Piss-off my parents %26gt;=)" It's not even close to that. I just dont know the more advanced things...like...bible verses, dates of events, and such.



Thank you, and please, try your best to take this seriously. This is not a joke, and yes, I may sound ignorent. I tecnically am ^^



Thanks



Should I Read A Christian Book Before I Move On, And Start To Read Wiccan Books?
Hello and Merry Meet --



Actually, many of us High Priest/esses who teach Wicca101 classes REQUIRE our students to study at least one other religion, so they can intelligently compare and contrast Wicca with at least one other religion. It also helps them understand Wicca -- and religion in general -- that much better.



So sure, it's a good idea to study Christianity.

The question is, what KIND of Christianity. You see, there are many different kinds or sects --



There are many that are not nearly so vocal, or for that matter, so against Wicca.



There are for example more "mainstream" sects,

Or, if you really want to be surprised *smile* -- try studying Gnostic or Mystical Christianity, which have many things in common with Wicca - - some even practice magick.

(For more info on any of those, just "Google" them.)



I'm relieved to hear that you're NOT planning to read Silver Ravenwolf's material -- i know of few if any expereinced, well-trained Wiccans who would recommend her work -- it is full of factual errors, mistakes, misrepresentations and ethical problems, so please do AVOID it.



However, I would also like to encourage you to read something besides Cunningham's book(s) --

(for example, a good alternative is Ellen Canon Reed's "Heart of Wicca".)



While Scott was a wonderful man and a great Pagan leader in many ways, for his own reasons, he advocated a kind of Wicca that was not really authentic, "Traditional" Wicca.



Please let me (briefly) explain:



Wicca was founded by (Englishman) Gerald Gardner around 1950. It is *not* ancient, but it does include a lot of elements that were derived from earlier religions and from occultist writers who lived around the same time as Gardner. Gardner borrowed heavily from other sources when he and his immediate circle created the religion of Wicca.



Wicca was created as an *initiatory mystery tradition*. What this means is that it is not possible to "learn Wicca" from books: a "mystery" religion, by definition, includes particular rites and rituals that have to be *experienced*.



There is much more to say about this, but this is probably not the best place / venue to discuss it. So instead, may i invite you to a Yahoo "Beginning Wicca" group, where you can ask all sorts of questions and get lots of good, reliable information, including more on the history of Wicca and good recommendations for reading material --

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BeginningW…



Also, here are some other good resources for you:



1. Covenant of the Goddess - www.cog.org - an international, legally-recognized organization of WiccaAln covens, clergy and solitaries, with local "councils" in many cities. They provide information, referral services, and much more.



2. CircleSanctuary - www.circlesanctuary.org - a working Farm and Pagan sanctuary, offering information, training, resources, referrals, support and advocacy, and more.



3. Witchvox - www.witchvox.com - an internet resource for pagans and Witches of all kinds, offering local referrals, information, etc.





One more issue you should be aware of:



Responsible, ethical Wiccan teachers will NOT even teach an under-age (below 18) person, without the signed consent of their parents or guardians -- for various ethical as well as legal reasons. This is yet another reason to AVOID reading material especially marketed to Teens -- anyone who does so is violating some important ethical principles, and if they violate them, they will (evidently) violate others.



And, you should be sure to respect your parents wishes in this regard. If they ask you NOT to study Wicca, please respect their wishes, at least until you are of legal age to make your own decisions and fully accept whatever consequences come, from those decisions.



NEVER lie to your parents about your involvement or study of Wicca -- i know you didn't even mention considering this, but many young people do, and it is one of the worst things they can do, both ethically and magickally/ metaphysically.





I hope this is helpful -- Good luck and Blessings --

~Gaia
If you want to learn about Christianity you need to read the Bible. Start in John, and try to get a Bible that you can understand, like the English Standard Version.Should I Read A Christian Book Before I Move On, And Start To Read Wiccan Books?
or you could just not be religious. much easier, a bit more logical
It sounds like you and your mom are making an informed decision. Scott's books are wonderful and are perfect for the beginner. May I also recommend Living Wicca as well? He also wrote a book specifically for those who are interested in the Craft but I can't remember the title.

Sure go ahead and read the Bible and other books as well. Discuss them with your parents and keep the lines of communication going. That's the key to understanding.

You sound like a wonderful wise young person. I applaud you.Should I Read A Christian Book Before I Move On, And Start To Read Wiccan Books?
well, I think it's good to know both sides----so I think reading that book simply to know what the religion is all about is a good idea when it comes to defending your own beliefs.
yeah, read the christian book first
Yes, but don't bother reading books written and inspired by man



Go read The gospel according to John, the Book of Romans and maybe even Revelations.
the only christian book you should read is the bible. you need to be up on the bible so you can use it against christians when they come attacking you for your religion. i try to read it at least once a year to keep up. i'm an atheist, so i can't really help with the wiccan stuff, sorry. it seems like one of the more laid back religions, i have some wiccan friends and they never bother me about being an atheist.
Try "Misquoting Jesus" by Bart Ehrman.

http://www.amazon.com/Misquoting-Jesus-S…

It's a scholarly (but not hard to read) look at how the New Testament was repeatedly mistranslated and came to be the way it is now.
Read the New Testament and when your done read the Old Testament. Why read about witchcraft when you can read the truth?
Read the Bible
It's always good to have a look at the opposing argument, to see where they're coming from.



If I may make a suggestion, Mere Christianity (by CS Lewis) is a great book that offers logical arguments for Christianity.
It is a good idea you have there to learn about Christianity first, as it will be your former religion. You will do well to read the Bible, and since the time may be short, you may want to read the New Testament first, since it is shorter. You will learn about the Life of Christ first. There are four gospels, or four versions of the life of Christ, written by those who knew him best and studied up on the reports of his life the most. When you read, pray to God that the Holy Spirit will help you know what it means. Then pray that and read to understand with all your heart. Then when you read the Wiccan books you will know where you are coming from You can also ask God to send the Holy Spirit to help you understand what Wiccan is all about. He will answer that prayer, too.
Try finding at your local library a book called "Teen Witch" by Raven Silverwolf. I know lots of 'serious' Wicca practitioners don't like her, but there is a great foreword section written just for the parents of teens looking into wicca and paganism in general. If you get it at a library then you won't have spent any money on it. Honestly, I like Silver, I think she writes good, interesting, easy to understand books. I got "Teen Witch" for my daughter when she developed some interested in paganism. She liked it very much. I liked how Silver explained the religion in easy to understand terms for the parents.

Christianity is a very complex religion. If you are going to read any books on it, I would read histories of the Roman Catholic Church because they are the most 'pagan' of all the churches since they are the original church that came out of the founding of Christianity. Many of their holidays and rituals are taken directly from the pagan practices of the time of the early church. It is actually very fascinating.

Don't worry about bible verses or dates, etc., the bible is just a history of the Jewish faith (Old Testament) mixed up with some teaching stories and myths. The New Testament about Jesus is interesting, but needs to be taken with a Large grain of salt, since it was written at least 2-3 or more generations after Jesus and all the events are hearsay only.
Plenty of stuff to read on wicca online, honey. Go over to http://www.witchvox.com and relax, ask questions, etc.



Stay away from Silver Ravenwolf if you can. Looks like you've got good taste, though. Scott Cunningham was an amazing man.



And by all means! Study christianity. Study every religion you can get your hands on. Wiccans are students! That doesn't mean we have to keep ourselves only within one religion, or one subject.
Wicca, sometimes known as "The Old Religion" has been around in some form since before Christianity. You can be Wiccan and hold Christian beliefs, too, if you have the courage to stand up to the criticism.



Just for the fun of it, you can read the LEFT BEHIND series. It's a great story, and you can flip through the occasional page of preaching. Your Christian mom should approve of those books at least.



Then you can read about Wicca later on. Although I am not a fan of ANY organized religion, I have studied them all as much as I can. I hate being ignorant on any subject. You have the duty to yourself, and should have the right to study them all for yourself.
Wiccan has been around for longer than the christain religion.Your going in the right direction. Wasting your time on christanity would be going backwards.
Just open your heart and read your bible straight through. The only thing I will say about wicca, is that in that you take things into your own hands with Christ you put it into his.....



you have my best wishes, what ever you choose; truth will find you if you really desire him and not your own understanding.....
The book I read before I (I'm guessing I could use the term) converted to Atheism about the bible was "Dummies Guide to Christianity" - aside from the title it does break everything done easier.



As for Wiccan books - even though you didn't ask for the suggestion - look up the books To Ride a Silver Broomstick, To Light a Sacred Fire, etc. I say etc. because while I can't remember the woman who wrote them (I believe it's Silver Ravenwolf or something along those lines) is an INCREDIBLE Wiccan reference and she writes her books assuming that everyone is a beginner. She also has a book called Teen Witch - it's basically a starter kit - and it has candles, a pentacle, incense, salts, herbs, and runes along with tons of information. You can buy these at Barnes and Nobles, but they are fairly prices - anywhere from $12 - $25, depending on which one your buying but they are well worth it. You could also try eBay, but be sure to cleanse the books once you get them - you don't want the previous owners vibes all over your book. ;0) But really, you should really stick to Silver Ravenwolf. While Buckman - or Buckely, I can never remember - is very informative, sometimes his information is hard to follow, he tends to ramble and is hard to understand at times. To Fly a Silver Broomstick is almost like a series, you can buy the books that "go with it" based on the cover. I think the other one is called To Stir A Magick Couldron.
who ta h*** is a Wicca? i personal never herd a such e name or religious is nothing Better than Christianity, we are not perfect, but at list we explain our self's Better than Anny other religious
Read the Bible first, English Standard Version is a really easy version to read and understand. Start in the new testament and do it with an open mind. Then make your decision :)
Avoid theism of any brand.




Dont be afraid to read things from Christian sources, just keep in mind, that letting Christianity define wicca is not wise. Let Christians define Christianity, and let Wiccams define Wicca.
My advise to you,is to ask your mother to find a good Christian Church and take you to a Bible Study because the Bible, can be kind of hard to read at first but the closer for get to God,the easier the Bible will be to understand.But before going to that Bible Study,get with your mother,and write down all of the questions and concerns that she has about Wicca.And the teacher at the Bible Study should be able to answer any questions that you or mother has about Wicca according to what the Bible says on that matter....



I hope this helps and remember it's human nature to want to search for different answers and different things in this world..But I can tell you from experience that Jesus Christ, Is Always the Answer...



May God Bless and Keep You
I don't think learning about Christianity is necessary, but it can't hurt. more information is always better than less information. And if your Christian sources keep saying "Wicca is the Devil's work," you're looking at the wrong stuff. ;) There's plenty of material on Christianity that is just about Christianity and being a better Christian - not putting down other religions. You might find those to be more helpful.


Dear Friend,



Start with the Christians Bible and stay in it. I wrote an essay on this topic and the essence of it is you cannot be a Christian and a Wiccan at the same time. This is serious business and you want a serious answer. Here it is:



A Wiccan or a witch cannot be a true Christian because of the tenets of the different beliefs systems are diametriclly opposed to each other. Firstly, Wiccans and witches believe that they should be dealing with different spirits. But in Leviticus it states " Regard not them with familiar spirits neither seek after them to be defiled by them. I am the Lord thy God." Wiccans and witches confer with spirits to bless their rituals. They also believe in nature spirits and think they are helpful. These are nothing but impersonating or familiar spirits.



YOU ARE IN NO CONDITION TO TAKE COMMUNION, IF YOU ARE INVOLED IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS. IT WOULD ONLY BRING JUDGEMENT UPON YOU. IN THE BIBLE MANY BECAME SICK AND DIED BECAUSE THEY DRANK OF THE COMMUNION CUP UNWORTHILY. 1Corinthians 11: 30-32



What the Wiccans and witches practice is regarded by God as an abomination. In Wiccan a spirit goddess can possess the dovotee. The Bible is against demonic possession. The only spirit that should reside in you is the Holy Spirit.



One Abominable thing that Wiccans and witches do is that they cast spells for wealth, love, marriage and even curses and many other things. This is " an enchanter" (Verse 10) that is spoken about in the following Biblical passage Deuteronomy 18:10-14 which states:



10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.



11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.



12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.



13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.



14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.



Get out of this as fast as possible. Repent and be saved. Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior now. All our righteousness is a filthy rags in the sight of God and by the works of the law no flesh can ever be justified. Only by Grace through faith are you saved ( Ephesians 2: 8). When you have repented of this abomination and accepted Jesus as you Lord and Savior then you are fit to take communion