A Pagan / Christian Dialogue

I am on several interfaith discussion lists and frequently engage in spirited (forgive the pun) dialogue between Pagans and Christians, each of various "flavors". The following is the result of one such discussion:


1 - Do the gods and goddesses of Wicca actually exist?

---They exist as surely as the Christian God exists.

2 - If they actually exist, how do you know they exist?

---The existence of the Godhead is dependent solely on faith, which does not require proof; the same as proof of a Christian god.

3 - If you're tradition contradicts the tradition of another Wiccan, can they both be objectively true?

---Certainly. Belief is subjective. And, if "God" is omnipotent, isn't everything "objectively true"?

4 -How do you feel about believing in the religious system where you cater your religion to your desires?

---All religious systems work in this fashion. The difference with Wicca is that we are expected be totally responsible for the effects of our desires. Many other religions, including Christianity, expect their followers to follow a set of well defined rules, with all desires attributed to a "good" or a "bad" spirit.

5 - If you cater/construct your religion according to our desires,
then isn't it nothing more than your own invention?

---All religions are invented by people to cater to their desires. Wicca simply does not expect people to become slaves to dogma. It's all a personal invention.

6 - Is Wicca able to be shown to be false or is it all non-verifiable ideas?

---Since Wicca, or the "Craft", is based on solid principles, such as homeopathy, biology, botony,geology, physics, and psychology, the ideas in use are easily verifiable.

7 - If your spells and incantations produce results, how do you know that the power behind the results is good or not?

---Power is neither good nor bad, any more than a hammer is good or bad; it is only a tool. It is the intention of the user that determines the outcome.

8 - How do you know that there is not something more sinister behind Wicca?

---See the answer for #7. It is only the intention of the person, who is responsible or not.
In the First Century, there was a religious sect that was suppressed because of their "sinister" acts. They were said to kidnap infants to sacrifice to their god. They met at night, in secret places, to worship together. They drank blood and ate flesh. They encouraged women to lead their rituals and teach their beliefs.They worshipped an apostate who broke all the rules of his religion and preached against the government. His name was Jesus.

9 - Why do you think that rituals dealing withcandles, knives, and
such are able to affect nature?

---These are, again, only tools; stagecraft to create a psychological gateway to let the subconcious mind focus on the subject to be affected. Those who have practiced the Craft for very long can easily work without them. In a large group, a ritual, with all the frosting on the cake, works to draw a diverse group of people together and concentrate on working in concert.



So, some interesting answers to frequent questions. If you wish more infomation on Wicca and other Pagan religions, go to The Witches Voice , the best and probably largest Wiccan/Pagan site on the Net.