QUESTION - I have read through some of your previous questions and I have found them both insightful and thoughtful. To make a long story short, I was raised in a Christian based faith by my parents as a child. As an adult I realize there is more to faith and spirituality than what I was taught in Sunday school. I believe in God and I want to practice the craft. Okay...that was longer than I meant. But my question is, after years of "if you practice witchcraft you're going to hell...witchcraft is worshiping the devil" being forced down my throat in Sunday school and in Christian Church, how do I get through to my subconscious that I am not doing anything wrong and that magic really does come from the God and Goddess? I am not bashing Christianity in by any means. For many years considered myself a Christian because of that but I just feel that there is more to our spiritual enlightenment and growth than what I was taught as a child. I know that may not make a lot of sense but in my messed up brain it does.
ANSWER - The thing is that although many religions claim to have the answer, the one true God and the right path forward - there is nothing except belief to suggest any one path is better or more "right" than another. This is because when considering the big questions and the nature of the Gods as humans we glimpse only one facet of the truth and not the whole of it. Neither you, nor I nor anyone else can understand divinity in all its dimensions, all we can do is choose a path that works for us and integrates well with our own lives.
So it follows really that any path that works well for you and allows you to develop your own spiritual enlightenment is as valid as any other. Christianity is simply a path that works for some people. It has its own belief structure and as you comment, it has very definite ideas about right and wrong. But there is nothing at all to say the Christian viewpoint has any more foundation in the truth than Witchcraft or Islam, or Wicca or Hinduism or anything else.
I think what I am trying to say is that growing up in a Christian country, you are indoctrinated into the belief that there is the established way and the alternative way and by turning your back on Christianity you are rejecting the accepted for the unknown. The only way to overcome this is to accept that Christianity is just another way of thinking, not THE way of thinking. You are not rejecting a proven world view, your own way is just as valid as that of the Christians in light of the fact that as no human can actually comprehend the nature of divinity, nobody can reasonably make the claim that their way is correct.
Once you have your head round this, you understand that just because something you choose to do goes against the Christian belief system, that does not make it wrong. Magic exists. It is a fact. It can be used for the pursuit of good and the pursuit of evil. Don't disregard your personal intent in employing magic. You can choose how you use it. But like I say, choosing to use it in a manner not approved of by the Christian Church does not make it intrinsically wrong, just supportive of a different world view.
I am unsure you can legitimately make the claim that magic comes from the God and Goddess. To be honest, I would agree with you personally but as many witches do not worship divinity, you are presenting an opinion that reflects your own beliefs rather than making a statement of fact. Which is interesting because it does illustrate how belief and fact can so easily become intertwined. Which is of course the parallel I would draw with modern Christianity.
Image http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1208876 (ba1969)
ANSWER - The thing is that although many religions claim to have the answer, the one true God and the right path forward - there is nothing except belief to suggest any one path is better or more "right" than another. This is because when considering the big questions and the nature of the Gods as humans we glimpse only one facet of the truth and not the whole of it. Neither you, nor I nor anyone else can understand divinity in all its dimensions, all we can do is choose a path that works for us and integrates well with our own lives.
So it follows really that any path that works well for you and allows you to develop your own spiritual enlightenment is as valid as any other. Christianity is simply a path that works for some people. It has its own belief structure and as you comment, it has very definite ideas about right and wrong. But there is nothing at all to say the Christian viewpoint has any more foundation in the truth than Witchcraft or Islam, or Wicca or Hinduism or anything else.
I think what I am trying to say is that growing up in a Christian country, you are indoctrinated into the belief that there is the established way and the alternative way and by turning your back on Christianity you are rejecting the accepted for the unknown. The only way to overcome this is to accept that Christianity is just another way of thinking, not THE way of thinking. You are not rejecting a proven world view, your own way is just as valid as that of the Christians in light of the fact that as no human can actually comprehend the nature of divinity, nobody can reasonably make the claim that their way is correct.
Once you have your head round this, you understand that just because something you choose to do goes against the Christian belief system, that does not make it wrong. Magic exists. It is a fact. It can be used for the pursuit of good and the pursuit of evil. Don't disregard your personal intent in employing magic. You can choose how you use it. But like I say, choosing to use it in a manner not approved of by the Christian Church does not make it intrinsically wrong, just supportive of a different world view.
I am unsure you can legitimately make the claim that magic comes from the God and Goddess. To be honest, I would agree with you personally but as many witches do not worship divinity, you are presenting an opinion that reflects your own beliefs rather than making a statement of fact. Which is interesting because it does illustrate how belief and fact can so easily become intertwined. Which is of course the parallel I would draw with modern Christianity.
Image http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1208876 (ba1969)
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