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    Christian to Wiccan

    For those of you who were raised in a Christian home, I would love to hear how you made your way from Christianity to Wiccan/Pagan and what drove you there? Do you hold any resentments against the Christians in your life? (For religious reasons only) What do you find different? Do you find any similarities? Do you sometimes find yourself instinctively reverting back to some Christian teachings before you realize it? Share your experience!

    #2
    Re: Christian to Wiccan

    Not Wiccan and don't care to call myself Pagan these days but there are elements of what I am now that don't mix well with Christianity so I'm something else. It's a relatively easy shift since my family in general hasn't noticed or is wise enough not to try and force my hand in religious issues. I bear no particular ill will toward Christianity in general or most of its sects. Christians are useful in their own ways and they've produced some entertaining things over the years. Sometimes they need to be checked but that applies to any group with sufficient power to matter and I fully expect it to apply to Pagans occasionally if one of the Pagan sects ever becomes a significant power in its own right. If I end borrowing from Christian practice then its generally deliberate. I have been known to do so though, Christians have some useful symbols.
    life itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.

    Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

    "But those men who know anything at all about the Light also know that there is a fierceness to its power, like the bare sword of the law, or the white burning of the sun." Suddenly his voice sounded to Will very strong, and very Welsh. "At the very heart, that is. Other things, like humanity, and mercy, and charity, that most good men hold more precious than all else, they do not come first for the Light. Oh, sometimes they are there; often, indeed. But in the very long run the concern of you people is with the absolute good, ahead of all else..."

    John Rowlands, The Grey King by Susan Cooper

    "You come from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve", said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth; be content."

    Aslan, Prince Caspian by CS Lewis


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      #3
      Re: Christian to Wiccan

      My entire family is Methodist. My mother married a Baptist after she split with my biological father. Let's just say the things I experienced drove me about as far away from Christianity as humanly possible. I found Wicca when I was about 13 but grew to be more Pagan than Wiccan. I try to keep an open mind about Christianity even though the same wasn't and sometimes still isn't given to me. Nothing makes me more hot than someone telling me what I believe is wrong and they try to justify everything with the Bible. Which one? Cause there's like 23 different versions of it. I went to Sunday school when I was a kid and went to Bible camp with my friends. But it seemed that every time I went I automatically found contradictions in what the pastor was saying, which at the time I was scared of finding because I always had the fear of hell pounded into me. The only Christians I seem to find any kind of agreement with are the Gnostics. My husband considers himself Gnostic and he's very accepting of who I am and is open to ideas outside of his own. It makes me sad sometimes that we don't follow the same path, but we agreed that our child is going to be exposed to both of our religions so they don't experience what I went through. I find absolutely no similarities between my religion and Christianity other than the love and acceptance that Jesus taught that seems to get stomped on by modern-day Christians.

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        #4
        Re: Christian to Wiccan

        I was born and pretty much raised in a Pentacostal household in Northern GA. I was bordering Tenessee and North Carolina. So I was raised in the bible belt. We moved to FL and continued to go to pentacostal churches. I always had a sixth sense of sort. Was always intune with those around me and the world as well. I was able to see things that one in a church could only describe as angels and demons. I saw and felt a lot. I experienced a phenomena that the church calls being slain in the spirit. But I have also had this experience with a darker entity. One minute Im aware of something spiritual. The next minute Im on the floor and a few minutes of my life are stolen from me. I was raised that witch craft was dealings with the devil and was a one way ticket to hell. Im homosexual so that too was another problem I faced growing up. I always held a very high maturity for my age and I always had plenty of questsions to ask. Some I got answers I was satisfied with, most however were given the cop-out of "Its faith."

        After I finally moved on my own I had friends that were pagan and wiccan and I was able to more thoroughly sit and chat and learn from them. After the church, that I ran a youth group in, found out I was gay kicked me out; I took it as a sign from God that being gay was okay and that the church was corrupt. Most churches seem more like a cult to me. My eyes were opened to what I now view as a cult like brain washing. I still struggle with this because much of the beginning of my existence is a lie to me. So over the past few years of dabbling here and there I am start to churn my beliefs into something I can stand on and feel comfortable with. I still find myself praying to God, and being fearful of "evil" when it shows. Most of that comes from reflex of how I grew up.

        My current views are quite interesting to me. I feel that the Christian God is no different than the God that everyone else calls upon. If God is everywhere and in everything... I dont see anything wrong with breaking it down into different parts and calling upon and envoking them. I also believe many of the spirits and Gods and deity's could very well just be the Christian Angels and Demons. It all goes hand in hand and can be explained from one point of view to another and vice versa.

        Most of my rituals I have done I mix my old christian beliefs that I feel connected to, with some of my new beliefs from my path. I follow along side Lillith as well as communicate to the Christian God. This is works for me. I feel religion is a very personal based thing. What is correct or true for one may not seem that way to another. Thats what I love about this community. They are welcoming and accepting and nurturing. They aren't chomping at the bit to call someone out. If we have a discussion and our beliefs are changed so bit. If not we agree to disagree. We can come together to practice in our own ways but yet still together. To me... this is the what religion should be. A meeting of the minds. Not making everyone see and take on one point of view and damning all the rest.
        Last edited by Djnn; 29 Mar 2012, 16:19.

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          #5
          Re: Christian to Wiccan

          At about age 11 I couldn't stand masses anymore. I became an atheist, but as time passed, I found myself needing something to believe in. I dabbled quite some time searching, but nothing made much sense to me.

          I stumbled upon the Joy of Satan site, and fell into their cultist trap, but not for too long. Someone, who I consider my savior, pulled me out of it and showed me many things. I'm eternally thankful to Joshua, who I've lost contact with. I hope he is well wherever he is.

          Being raised in a heavy Catholic family on one side, and heavy Evangelic on the other side, I couldn't simply come out as a satanist. Fortunately, an old enemy found out about my beliefs and told my father. Ironically enough, it was more of a favor, he saved me the pain of doing it myself.

          My family isn't supportive about it, but they are not hindering or interfering with practice. I could not ask for a better outcome.

          Check out my blog! The Daily Satanist

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            #6
            Re: Christian to Wiccan

            Originally posted by Djnn View Post
            My eyes were opened to what I now view as a cult like brain washing. I still struggle with this because much of the beginning of my existence is a lie to me. ...I still find myself praying to God, and being fearful of "evil" when it shows. Most of that comes from reflex of how I grew up.
            It's very nice to hear someone else who's shared this experience.

            I often find myself feeling or thinking something that's purely a reflex of how I grew up.

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              #7
              Re: Christian to Wiccan

              Welcome to the forum, Hisdyingbride

              I joined this board almost five years ago as a struggling active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints(the origin of the first Ask a Mormon thread). I was very curious about pagan practices and beliefs, and the members here have become dear friends in the course of my journey.

              It has only been in the past year and a half, though, that I have reached a point where I was both willing and psychologically able to leave the LDS church, and so I have very mixed feelings on that count still.

              Oddly enough, none of them are with the Christian God. It seems to me that there are at least two or three deities that fit under that title(if one believes in gods literally), and even if I disagree with the practices of El in the Old Testament, I have a healthy dose of respect for him.

              On the other hand, I still have some huge issues with the way I was raised. I feel pride, even to tears, about the struggles my ancestors went through because of what they believed, but I can't abide;

              1) The illogical dogma, which leaders insist must be taken literally and without question.
              2) The almost cultish aspects, including the demand for uniform dress and appearance of members, and shunning those who do not conform.
              3) The hypocrisy of members.

              Because of these, at this point the way I show the most respect to my active member family is by avoiding conversations about religion.

              I find the question about reverting to Christian practices particularly interesting. Mormonism, especially as practiced by my husband's family, is steeped in ritual. So right now, part of what we are trying to do is fill what feels like a gap. What do we do at holidays now? What about when it's time to say a bedtime prayer, just like my children have said every night of their lives? So far, no easy answers....but a lot of questions from my five year old about why we aren't Mormon anymore. She still says the prayer we taught her when she was smaller.
              Great Grandmother's Kitchen

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                #8
                Re: Christian to Wiccan

                Originally posted by Hisdyingbride View Post
                For those of you who were raised in a Christian home, I would love to hear how you made your way from Christianity to Wiccan/Pagan and what drove you there? Do you hold any resentments against the Christians in your life? (For religious reasons only) What do you find different? Do you find any similarities? Do you sometimes find yourself instinctively reverting back to some Christian teachings before you realize it? Share your experience!
                I was raised Roman Catholic since birth until sometime in high school and attended both Catholic elementary and high school. Things started to change for me when I started to listen to metal... Cliche but it was my first time religiously lashing out of the way I was raised. I am no longer a Roman Catholic but more of Roaming Pagan... ( see what I did there? xD ) I do not really speak of religion with my family so much in regards to what I do believe. I have an open minded mother who has not shown interest in Wiccan but knows the basic things about it and knows that it is not some horrible thing that many people can confuse!

                What drove me there: From a young age I vacationed in Salem, Mass. with its rich yet horrid history of hanging people for being accused of witchcraft. Today, things are so different there and people are no longer ridiculed for believing in such a thing, in fact they are looked highly upon! Yes, it is tourist like but its all fun for some but others can see beyond it and can shop around without being taken advantage of by prices (hey, its a living though and I understand it). We have traveled there so many times and eventually I just started to read about it. After reading about it, I started to notice that special energy that is Salem, Mass. It is always so inviting and I cannot get enough of it there!

                Resentments: Yes, sometimes. I feel anger due to the "hidden secrets" of Christianity. I do not like the idea of being a sheep. I disagree with the concept of Lucifer. I do not like the way it is represented and how it is THE religion, meanwhile, so much is based upon pagan systems that were wiped out in the name of God. That, however, is not the fault of God, or Jesus so to say, but of the people who believe in it. For a religion that puts such a strong emphasis on evil and the devil it only seems logical that evil is going to be displayed through them the most because they believe it exists that way. In the end though, I mostly like to believe (I try to) that it does not matter what you believe as long as it is for the good and does not cause harm to one another or the balance of nature.

                I find a lot of things similar and a lot of things different. The holidays, the trinity, the saints, many fundamentals of the belief are directly from pagan beliefs that were in existence and overshadowed with the Christian invasion. SO much information was lost because everyone had to be Christian and anything else was considered evil. Even Christians tortured other Christians. What a crazy world, huh?

                Instinctively revery back to Christian teachings: Not really. The teachings of Christianity that I kept are along the lines of basic morals that are very common within anything that gives respect. I can easily reference and speak of Christianity as if it were my faith because I know the teachings of it and just because I understand and speak it, does not mean I follow it. I find it necessary to know and utilize as much as one can from as many resources as possible and to not be limited to a title or label.

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                  #9
                  Re: Christian to Wiccan

                  I was christian for many years and i was attending a youth group on friday night and we had our pastor up on stage. He began to talk about things that i did not agree with. Things that people shouldn't do that were "against god" things like being homo/bi or transexual, paganism, being against governmentalisation, things like that. 2 of my best guy friend were gay and in a relationship with each other at the time and i was secretly practising hoodoo at home as well, I was supportive of that and was very much against governmentalisation and when i voiced my opinion everybody just looked at me like i had just announced that i had personally killed jesus. One of the girls came up and told me i was going to hell and that pastor said that i was too young to understand and that i was going against god by basically having my own mind! So in the middle of the preaching, with everybody looking at me i (probably over dramatically) tore of my cross that was around my neck, told the group to fuck themselves, threw it at the pastor and walked out of the hall. But surprisingly i don't hate christians. i just hate that group of people. But not christians as a whole, i understand people go into religion for many different reasons, many just want to become better people and alot of christians have done alot of good things, so i dont hate them. But i don't talk to that specific group of people anymore.

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                    #10
                    Re: Christian to Wiccan

                    First, I believe we have a progression thread, if you're interested, where people talk about how they came to believe what they do.

                    As for me, I was somewhat raised Christian. My father hasn't set foot in a church since he was like 8 or 9 for personal reasons that created a distrust in the religious system. He does still consider himself "Christian" though as far as I know. As does my mother. I was encouraged to attend church, but ended up involved in a Pentecostal church in my early teens and going to "Jesus Camps." My parents began to suspect I was being brainwashed, especially since I was spending hours a day reading the bible and praying without any other incentive when I was approximately 10 years old.

                    During this time I was also swinging toward extremes in pagan beliefs. I didn't have much of a vocabulary for what my friends and I were doing at the time but I can now say we were investigating astral projection, exploring our relationships with spirit guides/ power animals, and ghost hunting. I still believe that there may have been a haunting in my house. I regularly had odd feelings of people being there who weren't and waking up at night with people above me.

                    As I matured, I realized that my parents had been right about the brainwashing, but the extremes in pagan beliefs weren't healthy for me either. I started looking for balance and this idea was especially prominent as I began studying Buddhism early in my college experience. I've now adopted a concept that the human brain is physically limiting and makes us physically unable to fully comprehend the divine so we break it down into parts we can understand. It's like a 1000 piece puzzle and the pieces all fit together. One end may be white, the other black, and the rainbow in between, but it all works to make a bigger picture. But if you asked a three year old to put the puzzle together, they wouldn't be able to, even if they could look at a piece and say, "That's blue!" I think the most important thing is to be a good person, and to make the best life you can for yourself and those around you.

                    Do I resent the church? I don't hold a grudge against all Christians but when I see people passing out Bibles or spouting their scripture like it's fact, it bugs me. And I have a strong distrust for the system itself. Many Christians run on a system of fear (if you don't do A, B, and C you are going to hell). Also, I believe that there are many good pastors/priests out there, but ultimately what I've observed is a people so dedicated to their faith that they aren't willing to see other paths as valid. This makes me distrust the guiding system of the Christian faith.
                    We are what we are. Nothing more, nothing less. There is good and evil among every kind of people. It's the evil among us who rule now. -Anne Bishop, Daughter of the Blood

                    I wondered if he could ever understand that it was a blessing, not a sin, to be graced with more than one love.
                    It could be complicated; of course it could be complicated. And it opened one up to the possibility of more pain and loss.
                    Still, it was a blessing I would never relinquish. Love, genuine love, was always a cause for joy.
                    -Jacqueline Carey, Naamah's Curse

                    Service to your fellows is the root of peace.

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