Raising Christian Teens in a Pagan Focused World
Teens are turning away from their parent’s religion and becoming involved with Wicca for many different reasons. One of the most common excuses is that the child can make their own decisions, live their own life, be who they want to be, and bow down to no one. This sounds very much like the normal teenage rants of rebellion, and it is! However, if one was to listen closely, it sounds like Satan talking to God when the war in heaven began, and Eve in the garden after the serpent had successfully tempted her, and Satan trying to tempt Jesus to not do what his father commanded him.
Unfortunately, a rebelling child will not only get body piercing or tattoos to show their independence and freedom. Authority in general, especially those that was chosen for them by anyone else than them, is under fire. This includes religious boundaries, ethics and morals that parents have taught.
Most Wiccans hold to the “An it harm none, do as you will”. The self-regulation of ethics, morals and religion is very much in line with the ‘I am my own boss!’ attitude. Sexuality is not governed by the sanctity of marriage and God, but by the consent of
individuals. Self improvement techniques is self-empowerment rituals, and a bothered conscience is said to be the mere result of cultural Christianity brainwashing. Power trips have always been the downfall of Satan. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the silver tongued adversary would make power trips the downfall of man also. The lure of magic, gods and goddesses are very compelling to teens. Why? Because of power, the power to control the circumstances of their life, and the power to be more than their peers.
For some, the ability to have power of the gods at their fingertips fills a void. Feeling powerless and alone, depression and other feelings of emptiness pushes persons to search not for the meaning in life, but for anything that makes living worth it. There is much need and want by individuals for the power of acceptance, for belonging to a group, for the excitement of participating in the forbidden, and for the gaining of titles and levels that prove their superiority over their peers.
Knowing all of this, what is the way to deal with it? In what way can a parent intercede without driving their child deeper away from Christ? One way is to have a series of honest heart to heart talks about what they feel is missing from Christianity. To
disenchant your child with Wicca, it is imperative to Enchant them with Christianity.
A former Wiccan, presently a born again Christian warns that it is important to consider that the wisdom of God feels removed from them. Therefore, a logical counter to the ‘I will choose my own way’ mentality is “Freewill is the focus of Christianity. Having the power to choose one’s own fate is the ultimate gift of God. It is the individual being, not just a total of one or some of the choices made, that directs the soul through the journey of physical obstacles and desires.”
Another important acknowledgement is the truth of witchcraft power and powerful beings. To deny this is not an option. You never tell a two year old that touching a fire will not burn them, neither should you deny the power of Gods, Goddesses or magic. There is disagreement in the spiritual community about the source of these powers. Many claim that it is not Gods, Goddesses , but merely the strength of thought forms. Others proudly claim demons or Satan as their helper spirit. The combination of energy from physical items is believed by others to be God or the controlling of God-like powers.
Christians should recognize the Gods and Goddesses for what they are- prideful, fallen angels. Magic is the prayer for a spiritual interference on the behalf of the crafter, and fulfilling the prayers is the key to receiving the worship that the angels
feel is deserved by them. When the angels were thrown out of heaven, their abilities and powers were not removed from them. The power that a witch can have is real, and mocking someone will not make them open to you. Instead, talk about the Gods and Goddesses for what they are, and their motivations.
Many teens ask the advice of online Wiccans, virtual strangers, how to be Wiccan in a Christian home. There is a few that says respect your parents, their religion and their home until you are an adult living in your own home. However, this is not the norm. The majority of Wiccans will aid in the Pagan teaching of minors. There is an advocacy of secrecy, a sisterhood of underground networking and an all out collaboration of those that seek to undermine Christianity.
It is a gut reaction to ban all things Wiccan from your house, to ban all Wiccan communications and Wiccan acquaintances. This reaction is a good example of why Wicca is usually kept secret from parents. This restriction is hailed by many as the
parent’s and church’s close minded attempt to preventing self improvement and religious freedom.
When a teen comes to the parent and admits a curiosity in Wicca, it is usually attributable to two reasons. One, either the teen is truly enchanted with Wicca, or two, the teen is vying for attention. Even within the mature Wiccan community there is a scathing feeling towards teens that feel the need to advertise by wearing pentacles or Gothic looking dress.
Some Wiccans do not want to teach those that are not in it for selfish reasons, but do not expect a stranger to turn down wayward children. The stranger could very well believe in the delusional duty of improving the world one child at a time.
Either way, Christian groups and Bible studies is a very important factor in Christian persuasion. . If your teen is truly searching for spirituality, Sunday school teachings for younger people may not be adequate. Introduce the person to deeper studies, deeper meditations, and always be supportive-even when questions that they have seem academic.
Possibly, there is a way to use Wiccan persuasion to bring Christ to your child. One Wiccan parent advises Christian parents to learn Wicca with their children. “In this way, neither religion is bashed. Learning about other religions is one tenet of Wicca.” Another Wiccan claims “You may find that your ultimate beliefs agree with several different religions in some ways, and disagree with those same religions in others.” By using one of the Wiccans desired rules, you’re providing a feeling of fairness to the young person. A theme on this idea would be for the teen and parent or councilor to study not only the
structure of Wicca in small part, but of other versions of Christianity.
Catholic, Baptist, Jehovah Witness, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Methodist. There is a number of ways to worship and understand Christ. The teen might not have the exact same understanding of Christ’s teachings that their parents have, and these alternatives could be the deciding factor of Wicca or Christianity. Many parents will immediately begin to feel that their religion is under attack. I would like to point out that Christ himself was under attack. He did not hide away someplace safe, but instead suffered and completed what God set for him to do. Jesus learned obedience through suffering. Isn’t that an example of the way God teaches us, an example of how to gain a true understanding of God?
