times since geocites last reset their counters. Can I be Wiccan and have Christian beliefs?
yes and no...
You cannot be a Wiccan *and* call yourself a true Christian. The practice of observing multiple gods clearly falls outside the lines of the ten commandments that Christians embrace. Translations vary, but most versions of the first commandment boil down to "you shall have no gods but me". To me, what that means is pretty clear. There are also several conflicts of basic ideology in the two faiths that someone wishing to merge the two must overcome. Anyway those who wish to embrace both religions have three basic options:
1) Be a Christian, and leave Wicca entirely out (almost none of the Wiccan core may be adopted if you wish to fully follow Christianity - i.e.: thou shalt have no gods but me, among other biblical mentions).
2) Be a Wiccan, keeping what parts of Christan beliefs are not in direct conflict with core Wiccan philosophy. This does make you Wiccan, and not a Christian.
3) Be your own belief, and mix as you choose from the two. Since you are not following the core of either faith, you technically belong to neither one. This means you cannot call yourself by either term, but you should be able to find kinship with open minded people of both sides.
forewarning: both Wiccans and Christians may get very angry or insulted by someone who claims to belong to their path, yet clearly does not. Be careful not to claim to be something you are not.
In deciding which of the three paths you will follow you have to consider which parts of the two region's core beliefs you wish to follow, and work out the differences between the two until you have something which does not contradict itself.
some general differences in basic philosophy include:
his File Copyright 1997, revised 1999 by Matt Kettler. This file is open content
under the OPL, which grants rights to re-distribute and/or modify this file providing
certian conditions of author credit are met.
Wiccan Christian
Polytheistic (2 gods) monotheistic (one God)
reincarnation one life, then "afterlife"
male/female gods in harmony good/evil God/pseudo-god in conflict
anyone can act as a priest(ess) only few are priest(esse)s
Gods are nature based God is of "heaven"
Good luck!
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