Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “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. 11Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12For 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.”
According to David Barrett of Encyclopedia Britannica, there are 19 major religious groupings in the world which are subdivided into a total of approximately 10,000 distinct religions. Of the latter, there were 270 religions and para-religions which had over a half million adherents in the year 2000. Probably the one area where religions differ the most is over the nature of deity. Perhaps the next greatest range of belief is about the fate of people after death: whether there is simple annihilation, reincarnation or some form of energy-less existence. There is also a great range of beliefs and practices among different religions over other beliefs ranging from conduct in this world to reward in the next and interplay (or lack thereof) between the two.
Wicca is a neo-pagan religion that has been growing in popularity and acceptance in the United States and Europe. There are many websites and books claiming to teach “real” Wicca, but the truth is, there is no consensus amongst Wiccans as to what the religion is all about. The reason for this is that Wicca, as it is practiced now, is only about 50 years old. Wicca is a belief system that Briton Gerald Gardner cobbled together in the 1940’s and 1950’s from a variety of religious traditions and beliefs as well as Freemason rituals. Given its eclectic nature, it lacks a firm orthodoxy or accepted standards of belief. Since Gardner published several books espousing his system of worship, many offshoots and variations of Wicca have sprung up. However, we are able to determine the essence and nature of Wicca from documented practices and individual belief statements. As an inclusive religion, is Wicca as harmless as proponents claim? To determine the Biblical answer, we look to:
- Historical Context: Moses wrote the Book of Deuteronomy, which is in fact a collection of his sermons to Israel just before they crossed the Jordan. “These are the words which Moses spoke” (1:1). These sermons were given during the 40-day period prior to Israel’s entering the Promised Land. The first sermon was delivered on the 1st day of the 11th month (1:3), and the Israelites crossed the Jordan 70 days later, on the 10th day of the 1st month (Joshua 4:19). Subtract 30 days of mourning after Moses’ death (Deuteronomy 34:8), and we’re left with 40 days. The year was 1410 B.C. A new generation of Israelites was about to enter the Promised Land. This multitude had not experienced the miracle at the Red Sea or heard the law given at Sinai, and they were about to enter a new land with many dangers and temptations including the practice of pagan religion. The book of Deuteronomy was given to remind them of God’s law and God’s power. It is interesting to note that the key verse in Deuteronomy is 4:2 – “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.” The Israelites are commanded to remember four things: God’s faithfulness, God’s holiness, God’s blessings, and God’s warnings. The book of Deuteronomy underscores the importance of God’s Word as a vital part of our lives, specifically addressing all 4 key points. As a result, a conviction demonstrated throughout the Word of God is: simple obedience brings its own blessing, while sin has its own consequences, underscoring the necessity of hiding God’s Word in our hearts that we might not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11).
- Grammatical Usage: “Pass” in the Hebrew is “abar” meaning “force, compel”; “Divination” in the Hebrew is “qesem,” literally meaning, “to cut, decide” and is used in the Hebrew as a catch-all term relating to witchcraft, sorcery, fortune-telling, omen, lot, oracle and other spirit-related decision making processes; “observer” is “anan” with the verb appearing only 11 times related to astrology, hepatoscopy (divination by inspecting the liver of animals), tea leaf and palm readers; “enchanter” is “nahash” in the Hebrew and is related to foretelling with an implied emphasis upon snake charming; “witch” is from the Hebrew “kashshep” referring to “ a group of sorcerer advisors, possibly female”; “charmer” is “habar,” singularly used in our text to cite, “casting a spell or tying up a person by magic”; “consulter” is “shaawa” referring to “requesting, asking”; “wizard” is “masculine sorcerer advisor”; “necromancer” is “mawet” referring to the personification of death, “the realm of the dead” or calling up the dead (séance); finally, “abomination” is “toeba” in the Hebrew meaning “a thing of horror”.
- Literal Application: Let no one be found among you who sacrifices, forcing his son or daughter in the fire, who practices evil consultation or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.
- Contextual Interpretation: In the world of the Bible, exorcists (dream interpreters) and magicians were advisors to Kings and Queens, thus the shapers of ancient society. In fact, magicians were prevalent. There was no distinction between what we now classify as spiritualists and medical physicians, both often utilizing the same potion ingredients and verbal rites. Western preoccupation with empirical science has masked much of the magic of antiquity from the contemporary reader. In truth, for the inhabitants of the Biblical world most confrontations between good and evil were simply manifestations of a larger spiritual reality which was the domain of “magic”. Magic in antiquity encompassed many aspects, including protection against evil spirits and other magic (spells, curses, broken oaths, animosities & jealousies), understanding and manipulating the hierarchies of angels and demons, exorcism, curing the spiritual causes of physical disease, controlling nature (weather, crops, host of heaven) as well as divination and oracles. Magic, essentially an attempt to co-opt, control or gain insight from spirits, was considered an essential means to navigating life and all its challenges.
While common in the pagan realm, Hebrews were expressly forbidden such practices. Despite the warnings, Hebrews were guilty of dalliances. For example, 2 Kings 16:3 records that King Ahaz scarified his son. King Manasseh, his grandson, sacrificed his sons (2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chr. 33:6). Witchcraft, or divination was a means for extracting information or guidance from a pagan god and included Balaam, a professional prophet, who was hired to curse Israel (Num. 22:7; 23:23; Josh. 13:22). The list of offenses continues throughout the Biblical record.
- Scriptural Comparison: Wicca is basically a religion purporting that is about minding one’s own business and living peaceably with neighbors and the environment. Wiccans are eager to draw parallels between themselves and biblical Christianity for the sake of earning credibility, but what does the Bible have to say about this religion? You won’t find the word “wicca” in the Bible, so let’s evaluate six core beliefs in light of what God says about them.
1) In keeping with its eclectic nature, some Wiccans are polytheistic, worshipping more than one deity, while others worship only a “god” or “goddess.” Still other Wiccans worship nature, calling it Gaea, after the Greek earth goddess. Some Wiccans pick and choose parts of Christian doctrine to embrace, while others totally reject Christianity.
Scripture is very specific as to identity of the true God. Exodus 3:15 clearly states: “God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.” This statement precludes any other definition or identity of the true God. To believe in any other god (spiritually speaking) or form of god (materially speaking, i.e., nature, idol, etc.,) is considered blasphemy as it results in the denial of the essence and primacy of the true God. Blasphemy in the OT is translated from “naqab” in Lev. 24:11 meaning “to utter a curse against” while in another use is “gadap” meaning to revile (Nu. 15:30; 2 Ki 19:6, 22; Ps 44:16; Isa 37:6, 23; Eze 20:27). But the word that is closest to the meaning of the NT term and captures the fullest sense of the Biblical concept is “n asah” which means “to spurn or treat with contempt.” In short, from OT to NT to blaspheme is to speak of God with contempt (question His power, authority, jest regarding, verbally abuse His name) or to act in ways (ignore, deny, redefine) that show one views God as irrelevant to the issues of life. At the core is a failure to recognize the God.
2) One point of unanimity is that most practitioners of Wicca believe in reincarnation.
Wicca postulates false hope. Hebrews 9:27 says, “…Man is destined to die once, after that, to face judgment.” God says we get one chance at life, and that is it. There are no repeats. If we don’t accept God’s gift of Jesus in our lifetime, He judges us as unwilling to be in His presence, and we are sent to hell.
The concept of reincarnation is completely without foundation in the Bible. The Bible never mentions people having a second chance at physical life or coming back as different people or animals. Jesus told the criminal on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), not “You will have another chance to live a life on this earth.” Matthew 25:46 specifically tells us that believers go on to eternal life while unbelievers go onto eternal punishment. Reincarnation has been a popular belief for thousands of years, but it has never been accepted by Christians or followers of Judaism because it is contradictory to Scripture.
The one passage that some point to as evidence for reincarnation is Matthew 17:10-12 which links John the Baptist with Elijah. However, the passage does not say that John the Baptist was Elijah reincarnated but that he would have fulfilled the prophecy of Elijah’s coming if the people had believed his words and thereby believed in Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 17:12). The people specifically asked John the Baptist if he was Elijah, and he said, “No, I am not” (John 1:21).
Belief in reincarnation is an ancient phenomenon and is a central tenet within the majority of Indian religious traditions, such as Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Many modern pagans, including Wiccans, also believe in reincarnation as do some New Age movements, along with followers of spiritism. For the Christian, however, there can be no doubt: reincarnation is unbiblical and must be rejected as false.
3) Generally Wiccans will vehemently deny that Satan is part of their pantheon, citing major doctrinal differences between themselves and Satanists.
Although he has persuaded many people that he doesn’t even exist, Satan very definitely is a real, personal being, the fountainhead of all unbelief and of every kind of moral and spiritual evil in the world. He is called by various names in the Bible, including Satan (meaning, “adversary”—Job 1:6; Romans 16:20; etc.), the devil (i.e., “slanderer”—Matthew 4:1; 1 Peter 5:8; etc.), Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12), the serpent (2 Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 12:9; etc.), and many others.
Jesus also told us of some of the characteristics of Satan. Christ said he was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him, and that when he speaks he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). To the Christian, the existence of Satan as a real person is proved by the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ recognized him as such. He referred to him frequently by name (e.g., Luke 10:18; Matthew 4:10; etc.) and indeed called him “the prince of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11).
The Apostle Paul called him the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). The Apostle John said, “The whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19) and that he is the one “that leads the whole world astray” (Revelation 12:9). These could hardly be the descriptions of a force or a mere personification of evil – much less a reality to be ignored or denied (an attempt also made in point. 4 below).
It’s hard to imagine a being who was as close to God as Lucifer (Satan) coming to believe that he could even do battle with God, much less defeat Him. Even the most depraved mind should be able to see that the creature cannot possibly contend with the Creator. And yet Satan attempted to dethrone God and strives to this day to defy His authority, thwart His plans and harass His people while deceiving as many as possible.
Perhaps part of the explanation is that pride has blinded Satan to reality as well as those who, too, deny God’s authority. Two Old Testament passages (Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:11-19) furnish a picture of Satan’s original position and the reasons for his loss of that position. They tell of an exalted angelic being, one of God’s creatures, who became too proud and ambitious. He determined to take the throne of God for himself. But God removed him from his position of great dignity and honor. As a result of his original status and authority, Satan had great power and dignity. So great is his strength that Michael the archangel viewed him as a foe too powerful to oppose (Jude 9).
Satan’s influence in worldly affairs is also clearly revealed (John 12:31). Satan is also extremely intelligent. Through his intelligence he deceived Adam and Eve and took over their rule of the world for himself (Genesis 1:26; 3:1-7; 2 Corinthians 11:3). His cleverness enables him to carry out his deceptive work almost at will, although his power is subject to God’s restrictions (Job 1:12; Luke 4:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8). But he does have certain victories—although within the boundaries God has set for him—and perhaps these victories allow him to continue the illusion that he can have victory over God Himself.
The reins of God on his activities are illustrated by Satan’s request to God for permission to afflict Job (Job 1:7-12). Satan is permitted to afflict God’s people (Luke 13:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; Hebrews 2:14), but he is never permitted to win an ultimate victory over them (John 14:30-31; 16:33). A part of Satan’s continuing ambition to replace God is his passionate yearning to have others worship him (Matthew 4:8-9; Revelation 13:4,12). Satan is “the wicked one” (Matthew 13:19,38), while God is “the Holy One” (Isaiah 1:4).
Satan’s nature is malicious. His efforts in opposing God, His people, and His truth are tireless (Job 1:7; 2:2; Matthew 13:28). He is always opposed to man’s best interests (1 Chronicles 21:1; Zechariah 3:1-2). Through his role in introducing sin into the human family (Genesis 3), Satan has gained the power of death—a power which Christ has broken through His crucifixion and resurrection (Hebrews 2:14-15). He tempted Christ directly, trying to lead Him into compromise by promising Him worldly authority and power (Luke 4:5-8).
Along with his work of tempting mankind, Satan also delights in deception (1 Timothy 3:6-7; 2 Timothy 2:26). His lying nature stands in bold contrast to the truth for which Christ stands (John 8:32, 44). The great falsehood which he uses so frequently is that good can be attained by doing wrong. This lie is apparent in practically all his temptations (Genesis 3:4-5). As the great deceiver, Satan is an expert at falsifying truth (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
He brings disorder into the physical world by afflicting human beings (Job 1-2; 2 Corinthians 12:7; Hebrews 2:14). Sometimes God allows him to afflict His people for purposes of correction (1 Timothy 1:20). Not to worry, Satan is destined to fail in his continuing rebellion against God. His final defeat is predicted in the New Testament (Luke 10:18; John 12:31; Revelation 12:9; 20:10).
The death of Christ on the cross is the basis for Satan’s final defeat (Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 Peter 3:18, 22). This event was the grand climax to a sinless life during which Jesus triumphed over the enemy repeatedly (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). Here again, Satan probably rejoiced in the death of Christ, believing this to be a victory for him, but like all his victories, this one, too, was short-lived. When Jesus rose from the grave, Satan was once again defeated.
The final victory will come when Jesus returns and Satan is cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:1-15). Strength for a Christian’s victory over sin has also been provided through the death of Christ. We have assurance that “the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20). But such personal victory depends on God’s grace and power in our lives and our will to offer resistance to Satan’s temptations (Ephesians 4:25-27; 1 Peter 5:8-9). To help Christians win this battle against Satan, God has provided the power of Christ’s blood (Revelation 12:11), the continuing prayer of Christ in heaven for believers (Hebrews 7:25), the leading of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16), and various weapons for spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:13-18).
Some people have trouble admitting the existence of such an enemy as Satan, others like Wiccans categorically deny his existence. But his presence and activity do explain the problems of evil and suffering. The Bible makes it plain that Satan exists and that his main work is to oppose the rule of God in the affairs of man. Many wonder why God would allow Satan, this great embodiment of evil, to exist in His creation. No completely satisfying answer to this question has been found. Perhaps He allows it to show that evil and wrongdoing do not provide the key to the ultimate meaning of life which man so desperately desires. Or perhaps He allows it to spiritually build a Christian’s wisdom and knowledge drawing him or her closer to God and away from Satan.
A rational given by Wiccans as to why they do not believe in a personal entity called “Satan” or the Devil is that this being is simply something that the Christian Church has invented in order to control people with fear. However, well before the birth of the Christian Church, the Jews also believed in the existence of Satan. He first appears in the form of a serpent in the book of Genesis. Another Jewish source where Satan is seen as a personal being is in the book of Job. In its opening chapters, there is dialogue occurring between Satan and God, implying, of course, that both are personal beings.
4) Wiccans generally promote moral relativity, disdaining labels like “good” and “evil” and “right” or “wrong.” Wicca has one law or rule, called the Rede: “Do what ye will, harm ye none.” At first blush, the Rede seems like complete, uninhibited personal license. You can do whatever you want, as long as no one gets hurt; however, Wiccans are quick to point out the ripple effect of one’s actions can carry far-reaching consequences. They articulate this principle in the Three-fold Law, which says: “All good that a person does to another returns three-fold in this life; harm is also returned three-fold.”
Moral relativism is more easily understood in comparison to moral absolutism. Absolutism claims that morality relies on universal principles (natural law, conscience). Christian absolutists believe that God is the ultimate source of our common morality, and that it is, therefore, as unchanging as He is. Moral relativism asserts that morality is not based on any absolute standard. Rather, ethical “truths”, actions and reactions depend on variables such as the situation, culture, one’s feelings, etc., which is consistent with Wiccan thought. Relativists may argue that different values among different cultures show that morals are relative to different people. But this argument confuses the actions of individuals (what they do) with absolute standards (whether they should do it) which is the catch-22 for Wiccans.
The main argument relativists appeal to is that of tolerance. They claim that telling someone their morality is wrong is intolerant, and relativism tolerates all views. But this is misleading. First of all, evil should never be tolerated. Should we tolerate a rapist’s view that women are objects of gratification to be abused? Second, it is self-defeating because relativists do not tolerate intolerance or absolutism. Third, relativism cannot explain why anyone should be tolerant in the first place. The very fact that we should tolerate people (even when we disagree) is based on the absolute moral rule that we should always treat people fairly—but that is absolutism again! In fact, without universal moral principles there can be no goodness. Hence the realty of the pervasiveness of Jesus’ words in Luke 4:4: “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God,” and Proverbs 14:6: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
5) One major factor that contributes to the abiding fascination with Wicca is the purported use of spells and Magick (a deliberate misspelling intended to separate Wiccans from magicians and illusionists). Curiosity seekers, as well as spiritual neophytes, are most eager to delve into these mysteries. Not all Wiccans practice witchcraft, but those that do claim Magick is to them what prayer is to a Christian. The difference between the two is that Wiccans claim magick is simply using their minds to control matter, or they are appealing to their favorite deity to do them a favor, while Christians call upon an omnipotent, omnipresent God to heal people and to intervene and work in their lives. Because the Rede disallows witches from hurting others and the Three-fold Law spells out the consequences for Rede-breakers, witches who practice magick prefer to call themselves “nature witches” or “white witches” to further distance themselves from Satanists.
Although many Wiccans do steer away from applying curses, there are others who will become involved in the cursing of an enemy. The truth, despite the denials of some of those who practice white witchcraft, is that the practice of cursing one’s enemies is prevalent in the craft. For example, Witchcraft author, Susan Greenwood, explains: “Witchcraft rituals may be performed for healing…, or, as one wiccan explained to me, they may be enacted for ‘the grey area of magic’ – ‘hexing’, ‘sending’ and ‘fetching’ energy for a specific purpose, or ‘binding'” (Susan Greenwood, Magic, Witchcraft and the Otherworld: An Anthropology, p. 200).
The practice of cursing one’s enemies in Wicca, if admitted, is usually qualified with the explanation that it is only ever performed on those who deserve it, such as against a violent offender, etc. However, this is a definite grey area, as individual Wiccans have different views on when they have been wronged and exactly who should be hexed. Again, Greenwood explains: “The Dianic Witch, Z. Budapest in The Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries says that if women hex rapists or others who ‘commit crimes of patriarchy’, there is no divine retribution. She gives instructions on how to perform a ‘Righteous Hex’, for ‘violent criminals only’ and when you ‘know, not just think’ that someone has harmed you’ (1990). But I have heard mention of hexing being done between witches for more mundane reasons, over quarrels about money for example, or to gain retribution against an employer who was unsympathetic.” (Susan Greenwood, Magic, Witchcraft and the Otherworld: An Anthropology, p. 201).
Deuteronomy 18:11 is clear with respect to this Wiccan practice.
6) Wiccans, as pagans of all persuasions, revere nature. In fact, many individuals are attracted to Paganism as a direct result of a connection that they feel with the world around them and the beauty of the world they see. This reverence for nature leads many Pagans to the conclusion that the world itself must be divine. “Our religion is about the sacredness of this life on this Earth, here and now. We are ‘Nature worshipers’ so Nature is a sacred study for us. To paraphrase, we want to see Her more clearly, love Her more dearly, and follow her more nearly. Any ecological study, any bird watching, or other such activities, help us to understand Mother Gaia.” (Chas S. Clifton (ed.), Modern Rites of Passage: Witchcraft Today, Book Two, 1994, p. 99).
In truth, the Bible speaks of the wonder of the created realm in which we live, but goes on to reveal that this has been put in place so that people would go further and reach out for the Person who created it: “…that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:19-20). In short, Pagans and Wiccans look at the world around them, see the work of God, but then stop short of going further and looking for the Creator, and instead look to the creation itself. This is somewhat like commending a sculpture rather than the one who sculpted it. The Bible also comments on this by stating the following: “…they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator…” (Romans 1:25) Conclusion: Sin isn’t just a socially disagreeable action. Sin is our decision to disagree with God on any topic—to rebel against Him, rebellion equated in the OT to witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23: “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee….”). According to Deuteronomy 18, Wicca is a sinful lifestyle and God hates it. Why? Because it is an attempt to cut off our dependence on God and get answers apart from Him. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death…” This isn’t bodily death, this is spiritual death: eternal separation from God and all the blessings that His presence brings. Thankfully, Romans 6:23 doesn’t end there. It goes on to say, “…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God knew that we would all rebel in one way or another, and he provided a way for us to avoid that separation—through faith in Jesus Christ. Wicca is nothing more than another lie from Satan, the enemy of our souls, who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). An aspect of Dt. 18:10-12 often lost is the initial command of v. 10a, “There shall not be found among you….” God is aware of the influence of such practices, especially those which do not have an outward heinous appearance but nonetheless poison the soul by association. Due to such an insidious, destructive influence, tolerance for this behavior is not a virtue in the eyes of God. In fact, God commands intolerance for such a worldview necessitating no association whatsoever thereby reducing if not eliminating the possibility of influence upon you, your family or your fellowship. To be sure, a witness is one thing but a sustained association, even of a casual nature, is something else. Dt. 18:10a is as valid today as the moment issued from God.