source:

http://www.waltonian.com/news/2004/1...r-797378.shtml


The popular Harry Potter books, the many witchcraft-related television shows and recent Halloween trick-or-treating tempt many people to regard witchcraft as fun, fanciful or just plain harmless.

Tim Baker, in his surprising book Dewitched: What You Need to Know About the Dangers of Wicca and Witchcraft, serves well to counteract these ideas by informing young people of the surprising and not-so innocent facts about these religions.

Part of Baker's motivation in writing the book comes from his own personal contact with witchcraft.

"I've never really been a Wiccan," he said, "but I've had this dance around it."

According to Baker, this "dance" included a family background that accepted almost every form of religion, high school friends who dabbled in witchcraft and most recently, the discovery that a close friend is a practicing Wiccan.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the book is that Baker takes the compassion that comes from these personal experiences with witchcraft, mixed with his thorough research on the topic, and uses it to present a superbly balanced Christian discussion of Wicca and witchcraft.

In this discussion, Baker never engages in any name-calling, wild claims or judgmental statements. In fact, he devotes an entire chapter of his book to debunking the most popular myths associated with Wicca and Satanism, including the myths that witches cast spells on people and that Satanists can cast demons into people.

Just as striking as Baker's compassionate honesty in his presentation is his uncompromising, yet kind stand against the false beliefs of Wicca and Satanism.

Although he makes sure to present the different belief systems of Wicca and Satanism, such as Wicca being earth-based while Satanism is not, he also connects Wicca and Satanism through their founders and certain aspects of their beliefs.

He also does not hesitate to point out the errors of Wicca and Satanism. Wiccans and Satanists are in desperate need of the example of the followers of Christ to show them the way, the truth and the life.

For instance, after presenting the Wiccan and Satanist understandings of humanity, Baker writes, "The Biblical description of the human conflicts with Wicca's and Satanism's descriptions...Ultimately, Wicca and Satanism don't offer any purpose or hope."

Baker does not ignore the dangers of these religions. The disturbing fiction story that runs throughout the book is a powerful, though somewhat dramatized, reminder of these dangers.

"The story is a living portrayal of witchcraft sneaking in and corrupting the church," Baker said. "I want [the readers] to see this happens all the time in churches."

Ultimately, Dewitched accomplishes its goal of educating its readers about Wicca and witchcraft in order for them to be prepared to face and even welcome Wiccans and Satanists in Christ's name.

"Our job is to walk through life with unbelievers," Baker said.

"Hopefully we see a clear distinction between Wiccans and Christians, which will help us to be ready when the time comes."

Doesn't sound like a book on my reading list ( I never knew I had a reading list??) I just don't like the sound of it.

My guess would be the opposite of bewitched. As the book tends to aim towards the dangers of witchery and witchcraft, I would have to say that dewitched would be the cleansing, or removal of ones spell or magic over another.

I'll never see why people of one religion will write to denounce another.
Surely, if you believe that your religion is the 'right' one then you have nothing to prove?

i agree with you, sybs. so why does (and i try not to mean this offensively) christianity constantly try to prove themselves right? it makes you wonder if they doubt THEMSELVES.

I am sure they do.

I agree with you too sybs.. If it's the "right" one then they should be just keepin to there own buisness.

I do feel for Christians sometimes, because they get poked fun at most. At Madame Tussauds waxworks they put up a nativity with the Beckhams as Mary and Joseph and their baby as Jesus. If it was Islam or Judaism they were making fun of can you imagine the furrore?

Thats fucked up that the wax museum did that.. It pisses me off and I'm not even christian..

the definition of faith is belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. Religion is based on faith, therefore you can't logically argue that any religion is "right."

I want to read this book, just to hear how he defends himself, and how much information he twists.. I like to hear the views other religions have.. I went to Catholic school for 6 years, and spent 3 years attending various christian functions with my friend, and I still choose to believe in Wicca.

Brought up a Catholic, dabbled with Paganism for a few years and ended up with no religion, only beliefs that suit me.

what could you do for Islam? they don't have any icons, what with the anti-iconiclism... well, for muhammad anyway... their military and clerics have posters galore.

fucking hypocrits...

damn all religions save for science.

No, but put brad pitt up there as mohammed...

that's be cool... but isn't he a scientologist?

I could see that being true of Satanism, but don't Wiccans believe in reincarnation or something?

well what most people think satanism is and what it tends to be is fairly different. But si are most things. I mean all the tales of men wearing the skull of an animal with antlars sacrificing virgins on a black altar, circles of fire is mostly taken from druidsm. A type of magic based religion which beleived heavily in blood magic i.e. human sacrifices and such. From my limited knowledge of satanism its not as dark as peole are taught to believe it is. Its all good though

this is very true, steve. thanks for posting

before judging anyone, you should always ask them about their religion, that's what i say.

actually that all comes from bad 70,s horror movies, early eighties paper back fiction...and teenagers running aorund doing insane things for shock value taking the lyrics of death metal bands, most out of europe as experts on satanism and the more...wicked side that practice can justify...

druids were actually a very organized, almost priestly type of religion...they had their sacrifices, but mostly those were prisoners of war, willing participants or cats in baskets, in a way one could blame the invading hordes that the kelts were even acknowledge as being a sacrificial tribe, archeologist having discovered more brutal and sacrificial activity towards the end of their era...

it was the keltic thing to do, not specific to the druids who were simply the priests that led religious rituals, they were the judges and law makers of more tribal based, war like tribes...warriors used to chop the heads off of enemies and offer them to their war goddess macha...no druids involved...

most ancient religions had their live offerings, not all were human, and some active religions still practice the art...it's a contemporary moral stirred by more society minded individuals that view sacrifice as a bad thing...it's not even illegal, as long as it's not a human being offered up to the godsn that be...but that has nothing to do with sacrifice and more to do with the perception of murder.

i don't see why christians get so bent out of shape, they haven't always been the fluffy sheep of love and peace they are now...it's almost like pots calling cauldrons black...

I tried that. Alas, I recieved no answer.

who did you ask?