Greetings!

    I am with an organization called Friends of the Earth and before you read any further I only ask of you one thing. Please read with an open mind, heart and spirit, for what I am going to say may be of surprise to you, yet again it may not.

    This is not a letter trying to convert or condem beliefs held by your Church or it's members, it's merely to help inform you of some serious accusations and false statements that are being put forth by congregations such as yours.

    I am here to let you know you nor any other Christian needs to fear people who believe in what is deemed Earth Religions. Specifically Wicca, Paganism, Shamanism, Druidism and many others.
For centuries we have been tortured, made fun of, ridiculed and called Satanists for reasons of instilling fear into the masses. This needs to stop. First off, let me inform you that Witches, and Pagans have no connection with the Christian Satan at all. We like to further ourselves from that misconception as much as possible. While there are people out there who do consider themselves Satanists, or followers of the Satanic Church it has nothing and I mean NOTHING to do with our beliefs. Wiccans and Pagans have been suffering from the Church's condemnation for centuries because it revolves around Goddess spirituality. The feminine mysteries are not something to be feared but revered. We are very caring, deeply passionate people who beleive in the Wiccan Rede which is "Harm none, do as you will" and the Law of three which is also known as Karma. Don't do anything that you wouldn't want comming back to you threefold. We have families, we have friends we have beliefs (believe it or not) similar to those of  Christianity.
 
    Many Wiccan's/Pagan's have come from strict Christian backgrounds and it's not that they have turned their back on it, but felt there was something else they just weren't getting. We believe there is room on this earth for everyone and everyone's beliefs. Wicca is a recognized religion in the United States and is protected by the Constitution. There isn't anything we are trying to hide, we aren't trying to make you believe in our path. There are many paths to the devine, and we just want to be recognized for who we really are. Our beliefs lie heavily within Nature and the Mother Earth. We celebrate the holidays of the seasons and the moon phases. It really is a beautiful spiritual experience that is meant to be embraced, not feared.

    We want to work together with our community and the Churches to prove we aren't these storybook ogres that have children for breakfast. These rumours are so absolutely absurd, once you do some reasearch into what Wicca and Paganism is all about, you, I am sure will agree.

    With recent press over spiritual shops in the Northern California area, I felt it is time to have us come out of the broom closet and present ourselves openly to those who may still believe we are
some terrible devil worshiping cult. That is all lies, and we can no longer stand hearing these mistruths without trying to do something to correct it.

    Christianity has created Satan, Wiccan's and Pagan's were around way before Christianity.
Within about a  300 year period  called the "Inquisition" headed by the Church of Rome over 9 million people, mostly women in Europe, were tortured and killed because of thier ancient beliefs and practices. We refer to this time as "The Burning Times". No one should ever have to go through such hatred and murder for what their beliefs are. We need to practice tolerance of all paths and quit spreading lies about things to which we are un-educated about.

    I urge you to do some research into Wicca and Pagan practices, not to change your belief structure, but to open your eyes to the truth, so you may help counter these vicious attacks.

    I am open to any discussion you might have on this matter. I really am not trying to harrass you or lead you into something misguided. There are many of us out here who really want to reach out to the Christian community and show we are just as wonderful as the next person sitting in the pews on Sunday mornings.

    I bid you peace, and thank you so very much for reading this letter through. Sometimes it's hard to put into words how one can feel about something so sacred and personal. If you have any questions I am open to try and answer them for you in a most truthful and open way.

Let us Fight the Fear!
Bright Blessings!
Rev. Sandy Johnson&
Director, Friends of the Earth

P.S. to give you some idea of the organization I am affiliated with I have enclosed a pamphlet and a newsletter. This is just for informational purposes only, not to convert you to Wicca or Paganism. You can find a wealth of information on our website:
http://www.silvermoon.net/fote

Back to The Craft

Back to A Pagan Place