November 21, 1987

                            Where's the Real Threat
                                 to Delmarva?
 
                                      by

                                   Starrider



   After reading the article which appeared in the Maranatha Manna, I felt some
answers should be given to the charges put forth in it.

   Yes, there is alot of occult activity on the shore, and I agree that some
of it is Satanistic. I strongly disagree that all of this activity is
Satanistic.

   There are many individuals on Delmarva who are practicing the occult, who
would like to see such misconceptions put aside.

   Not all occultists are opposed to Christianity as the article would lead
one to believe. Most in truth, have less against the Christian faith, than the
Christian faith has against them.

   Since fundamentalist Christians view God and Satan as opposing forces, they
tend to view all those activities not attributable to God as originating with
man or Satan.

   This point of view allows the assumption that that since these activities
are "not of God" then they are to be "overcome by the blood of Christ" and
avoided at all cost by born again believers.

   I myself, do not wish to fall into the trap of lumping all Christians into
the same group as this article appears to have done with occultists. For that
reason, I will say now, that the following applies only to some fundamentalist
teachers and followers.

   Many Christian teachers have "investigated" the occult and have written
extensively on the subject. One prime example of this is the contemporary
writer, Hal Lindsey. In his book, "Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth" he
speaks in an "informed" manner on the subjects of Witchcraft, the occult, and
Satanism. The one point he makes quite clear in his book is that no Christian
should even think of investigating these things for him/herself. They are told
of the seductive nature of these subjects and that they should seek truth
within the Bible alone.

   This kind of teaching, when it's followed, leads to an attitude that the
teacher has overcome a great conflict by the strength of God and that it is
better to let them tell of the "evils" of the Devil than to approach them on a
personal level. That works out very nicely because it allows the teacher to
present whatever point of view he/she wishes to be taken as truth. It also
"protects" the flock from the "snares of the enemy".

   So where does that leave us? It leaves us with a group of people who
believe their teachers are giving them the truth and that further personal
investigation is illadvised and unwarrented.

   As long as things remain in that state, it offers no threat to anyone.
However, in Christianity, the "truth" must be spread to all who believe. That
brings us to the article which appeared in the Maranatha Manna.

   I am a witch, a follower of The Old Religion, the religion of Wicca. This
was not said to shock you, but only to get it straight from the beginning
where I stand.

   I will speak honestly and from my experience on these matters and ask only
that hear me out.

                                    *******

1)  In the article, Skip Venable says he believes there is at least one
witch's coven in each county on the Eastern shore.

    I do not personally know of any witch's covens on the shore. This does not
mean that there are none, only that I am not aware of them.


2)  Skip says he would not wish to have a group of people, who believe that
evil is good and good is evil as neighbors.

    Neither would I. Such people could prove to be quite dangerous.

    As a Wiccan, I do not believe that evil is good, or that good is evil. We
believe that all evil should be deminished and that good should be the goal of
all.

    In his one statment to that idea, he has set all occultists up as doers of
evil and enemies of the Body of Christ.


3)  In the article, he states that during rituals held on occult (pagan is
prehaps a better word) holidays, that a murder/sacrifice is demanded.

    I agree that in some groups which call themselves Satanist, this is
practiced. In wicca though, such actions are against the very nature of the
religion. We respect all life and do not perform animal or human sacrifices
for any reason.


4)  He goes on to say that other dangers posed are the use of drugs, violence,
and deviant sex, not only used in ritual but in recruiting new followers. He
goes on to say that children are especially in danger of these things.

    I have never used drugs or violence in any ritual. As far as the deviant
sex part goes, one must define deviant. First off, most occultists are
heterosexual, and would do nothing to harm any other individual either
sexually or otherwise.

   As to the the part about being a threat to children and using the things he
mentioned to recruit, Wiccans do not recruit. They do not try to "win"
converts to their religion. The seeker must come on his/her own.

   Some groups may use drugs, most don't. Then again, that's the way it is
with most people. It has been my experience that most occultists do not use
drugs.


5) Skip relates an incident in which some teenagers had been chased from an
abandoned building and that in the building, signs of "Satanic activity" were
discovered.

   There has been an increasing interest among teenagers in the occult, mainly
due to recent movies dealing with the subject.

   Is this something new? No, not at all. How many of you had parties when you
were younger where you played with Ouija boards or "contacted a ghost"?  Most
of these kids never get more involved than you did. As to the symbols and the
writing on the walls, these are the things society, the church, and the media
have taught them are things not to be touched. These kids are expressing one
of the oldest human traits, curiousity.  It is the adults who are to blame. In
their own fear, they have created the circumstances which cause these young
people to explore "forbidden" subjects.


6) It was stated that the "Son of Sam" killings are now believed to have been
ritualistic.

   This may be true, but again to attribute it to the occult and all but say
every occultist may one day "graduate" to human sacrifice is going a bit too
far.

   As I said earlier, a respect for all life is foremost in the mind of the
majority of occultists and Wiccans.


7) Skip goes on to say that Satan is real and should be taken very seriously.

   Here, I have to state the Wiccan view of Satan. The view is that the entity
known as Satan does not exsist. We do however believe that if one or a group
of people believe strongly enough that such a being does lvie, they will
actually bring a thought-form into being.

   A thought-form is the mental creation of one or a group of individuals,
into which that one or group has put so much energy that it comes to be
"real".

   They store up power in this being and that power can be used by those who
believe in it.

   In that sense, the being known as Satan is real. He holds no reality for me
because I do not believe that the Creator of the universe, that which you call
God, could have an opposite.


8) The article says that the ultimate goal of the occult is to bring personal
power to the individual.

   We believe that the individual is a part of the whole of creation and that
he/she must strive to be in balance with that creation.

   We believe in Karma, as a basic law of the universe, and that whatever we
send out, returns to us multiplied. If we seek to harm others, we will reap
what we have planted.  We do not seek power through the subjugation, misery,
or harm of another.  There is a basic tenet of Wicca which says "An it harm
none, do as ye will".

   In this sense, we believe the same as Christians do. "Do unto others, as
you would have them do unto you."


9) The subject of Hitler was brought up also. Hitler himself claimed to be a
Christian, though he was heavily involved in the occult also.

   Hitler was a powerful but quite insane tyrant who chose to seek personal
and national power through the harm and subjugation of others.

   He ended up dead and his country subjugated.  Karma won out.

   It's true that he was resposible for the extermination of six (6) million
men, women, and children. I have no arguement with the fact he was expressing
evil in it's most dramatic form.

   But I also present for your consideration the fact that the Church during
the course of the inquisition, put nine (9) million men, women and children to
death, because of their heresies against the Church, God, and the "truth".

   Am I saying the church is evil? No, just that the act was evil. It would be
wise to clean up your own backyard before you going throwing stones at
another.


10) Skip ends the article by pointing out that the goals of all occultists,
and New Agers is the establishment of a one world leader, one world monetary
system, and one world religion.

    I am well familiar with the current interpretation of the prophesies
regarding the Christian idea of an Antichrist.

    There has been enough written on the subject that it is not worth going
into detail here.

    The point I would like to make though is that not all occultists and
Wiccans want those things. I feel though that fundamentalist Christians fear
those things for they have been told they are the work of the Devil.

   Since an increase in occult activity is supposed to be one of the signs of
the last days, as intepreted by those who take the Bible as the final
infallable word of God, then it is even easier to attach the idea of Satanism
to all occult activity.

                                    *******

   So where does this bring us to? What is the real danger to those living on
Delmarva?

   Well, as I see it the danger is in the fear and false knowledge contained
in such articles.

   By continuing to propagate such misinformation, the writers of the same are
encouraging their readers to look upon all occult activity as something to be
exposed and done away with.

   Where can this end?

   It could end in the alienation of innocent people, the persecution of those
practicing the occult, the actual turning of violence against occultists. The
last idea is not so far fetched as it may seem. If you will recall the burning
of abortion clinics by some who felt "lead by God" you will see what I mean.

   There have been examples of people driven out of communitites for their
personal occult beliefs. There have been instances of some violence also.

   Not all Christians would do such things, but the continued fears, that
articles of this type nuture, could lead to such actions.

   I understand the Christian idea of not cohabiting with the Devil, but
prehaps they should find out where the Devil actually is. They spend much more
time with him than most occultists.

   Let us offer a prayer, a hope, for an awakening that will lessen this real
threat to Delmarva.

   We who follow Wicca feel all should be allowed to seek the Creator in thier
own way, as long as that way harms none.  When that way causes harm to others,
we to would like to see it changed.

   I have come to you in peace and a desire for better understanding, may we
part in the same way.


                    Blessed Be...
                       (Amen)



===================================


Text file provided by:


          NU ATLANTIS BBS
           301-632-2671
           24 Hours/Day
           300/1200 Baud