The short answer is:
By definition, Christianity is the religion derived from Jesus Christ, who is Christianity's founder and Savior.
Mainstream Wiccan theology does NOT accept Christian theology that Jesus Christ is "the Redeemer of mankind from orginal sin" nor that Jesus is the only Son of the monotheistic Christian "God the Father," who in Christian mythology is the creator of heaven and earth. These are key points of Christian theology, not Wiccan theology.
Wiccan theology focuses on the female and male aspects of divinity known as the "Great Goddess and God" who manifest in the universe. Our religion can be described as duotheistic or polytheistic. We believe in two deities with many manifestations, or in many deities.
The long answer is rather more complicated.
What some Christians believe: There are some liberal Christians who believe Jesus was married as was expected for a Jewish man of his age. Some believe Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene or Mary of Bethany. Some liberal Christians count Mary Magdalene as one of Jesus's disciples or apostles. Some Gnostic Christians believe that "Sophia" (Wisdom) is either the Christian Holy Spirit or is the "Wisdom of God" in Proverbs (chapter 8, plus 2:2-5, 3:13-19, 4:5-9). Some Christians believe the Virgin Mary was assumed into heaven where she sits enthroned as the Queen of Heaven with her son, Jesus Christ.
I know not all of these beliefs are accepted by all Christians or by all sects of Christianity. Yet, a few authors have taken the presence of these female figures as a connection to ancient Goddess worship or the "Divine Feminine." How well some of those above beliefs fit--or do not fit--with mainstream Christianity or Christian theology is really NOT an issue I need be concerned with.
Christianity is not Neo-Paganism. Christianity is not Wicca. Neither Wicca nor Neo-Paganism is Christianity. They are separate religions.
If you are really interested, you can check out any of the following sources:
The first Frequently Asked Question on this page leads me to the second Frequently Asked Question--though I admit the second FAQ is asked less frequently than the first FAQ. Whenever I get questions about "Christian-Pagan," "Christo-Pagan," or "Pagano-Christian," I usually think, "Why am I looking up this stuff again in order to answer a question?" Since these two questions are loosely related, I'm answering them on the same page.
Thus, my short answer to this FAQ is:
If you Google those terms, I'm sure you will read enough different answers to provide you with information.
Nevertheless, in order to provide a more complete answer, I will look up this stuff again (May 2011).
A person once sagely commented, "Belief comes from within." In issues of faith, a person either believes something, or s/he does not. It is that simple.
Apparently, there are a number of labels some people use to describe themselves: "Christian-Pagan," "Christi-Pagan," "Christo-Pagan," "Christo-Wiccan," "Christian Wiccan," "Wiccan Christian," "Pagano-Christian." (For simplicity, I'm going to stick with the label "Christo-Pagan." You are welcome to google each of these terms independently.)
These labels are apparently used to designate someone who combines some aspects of Christianity with aspects of Neo-Paganism or Wicca.
Near as I can tell, each of these individuals seem to have begun walking a "dual path" on her/his own and thus each individual had found a different way to combine two separate religions into a single religious practice. Thus, each "Christo-Pagan" is creating her or his own personally designed religion.
The fact that each individual has combined her/his own personal version reconciling contradictory theologies separates "Christo-Pagans" from more traditional syncretic religions like Vodou, Santeria, Kumina, Umbanda, etc.
As to what exactly they each believe, that may be rather diverse.
Some "Christo-Pagans" say they have a special relationship with Jesus as a deity. Some state, "the goddess, Sophia, is the third person of the Christian Holy Trinity." Some "love the teachings of Christ." Some may pray to: "Our Mother-Father God, who art in heaven..." Some may state, "Jesus is the Divine Son of the Great Mother." Some may envision Yeshua Ben Yosef as a human prophet who became an immortal Ascended Master and a source of unconditional "Divine Love." Some may embrace Jesus of Nazareth as a great mortal spiritual teacher, like Siddhartha who became known as the Gautama Buddha. Some may invoke the protection of the "Christ-light" in ritual. Some view the bible as man-made document--open to human flaws and misinterpretations--but as full of spiritual wisdom as other sacred books. Others view the bible as a book of spiritual strength. Usually, the Christian aspect of a "Christo-Pagan" practice is done solitary as a personal, private experience--which is advised by Christ in order to remain humble and not boastful or proud. However, some "Christo-Pagans" may attend an actual Christian church on Sundays with another family member. Some "Christo-Pagans" may engage in spiritual healing or other beneficial magic. I must make it clear that they do not all believe the same things. (Yet, some sort of reference or connection with Jesus seems to fairly consistent.)
If "Christo-Pagans" have an altar at home, it may contain both images of non-Christian deities and Christian symbols of faith (cross, angels, crucifix, statue of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, Virgin Mary, etc). Some may have an unadorned meditation place at home.
Some of these same "Christo-Pagan" people will sometimes attend Neo-Pagan community functions and will gladly particpate in drumming and chanting in purely Pagan rituals. As long as they don't witness about Christ, the bible, the rapture, or the Christian hell, other attendees hardly notice anything different about them.
It must be pointed out that many of the practices of "Christo-Pagans" would be labeled as heretical by manstream Christian churches. Many Christians would condemn a "Christo-Pagan" spiritual path as not truly Christian, quoting many bible verses to clairfy their points.
On the other hand, some Neo-Pagans and Wiccans express bewilderment at the concept of "Christo-Pagans," asking: "How can one worship a monotheistic God, while embracing a polythistic religion?" Christianity is not Neo-Paganism. Christianity is not Wicca. Neither Wicca nor Neo-Paganism is Christianity. They are separate religions.
Meanwhile, other Wiccans and Neo-Pagans think we ought to start forbidding "Christo-Pagans" to use any of those oxymoron labels: "Christian-Pagan," "Christi-Pagan," "Christo-Pagan," "Christo-Wiccan," "Christian Wiccans," "Wiccan Christians," "Pagano-Christian," etc. As these labels combine completely contradictory terms, some insist that "Christo-Pagans" ought to define themselves as either "Christians" or "Pagans."
Personally, I tend to fall into the bewildered catagory.
Yet, I realize that we, Neo-Pagans and Wiccans, cannot successfully forbid anyone in the USA to not use these terms. Anyone can--and will--use any term they want to describe her/himself.
Furthermore, saying these folks don't really exist just because "Christo-Pagans" say they believe in contradictory theologies is either silly, or a form of denial. I have run into several of "Christo-Pagans" over the years. If they are happy with their faith(s) and are functioning constructively and peacefully in their own social units, it's really not my problem whatever they believe.
Belief comes from within. If someone believes that Jesus is the Divine Son of the Great Mother, or believes s/he has a special connection with Jesus Christ, or believes Sophia is the third person of the Christian Holy Trinity, or believes the Christ-light protects and heals her/him--I guarantee that I am NOT going to be able to get her/him to stop believing it, just because I say so. No one died and left me pope.
Bewildered as I am, I am not going to bother to try to talk them out of it--as some Neo-Pagans have come close to suggesting that we should.
Thus, I will content myself with explaining to you, gentle reader:
That although folks who call themselves "Christo-Pagans" exist, mainstream Wiccan theology is often described as duotheistic or polythistic, not monothisitic. Christianity is monotheistic. Christianity is not Neo-Paganism. Christianity is not Wicca. Neither Wicca nor Neo-Paganism is Chritianity. They are all separate religions.
Folks who call themselves "Christo-Pagans" (or any of a bunch of similiar terms) are each practicing their own designer religions in order to meet their own spiritual needs.
copyright May 2011, Myth Woodling
For another comment on the same subject of dual paths or multiple practices, see
3.1 Can I be a
Christian/Jew/Muslim/Buddhist/Taoist/Astrologer/Druid/Shaman/omnivore/whatever and a Wiccan?
Description
This article is from the Wicca FAQ, by rain@user2.teleport.com (Rain of Teleport) with numerous contributions by others.
Addition for 2013:
FAQ: Is it okay if I pray to Jesus while I am a practicing Neo-Pagan?
OR
FAQ: Is it okay if I practice Catholicism and paganism at the same time?
The short answer:
The answer to your question would depend upon exactly why you asking the question.
The long answer is--well--a lot longer. (Yes, I really have run into these questions.)
If you are asking me--as a Neo-Pagan and Wiccan--for my permission to practice a form of Christianity and Neo-Paganism/Paganism, I am not going to give it to you. Contemporary Neo-Paganism requires each person to study, ponder. think, and discover her/his own path.
You are not required to get permission from me; I am not obligated to give you that permission either.
If you are asking me IF anyone has ever done that--read above. You will read that some people have done that. Some of these folks call themselves "Christo-Pagans" (or any of a bunch of similiar terms). Other folks may end up embracing one of the forms of Gnosticism--yadda, yadda, yadda. (Yes, I got a request in an email to mention the practice of "Modern Gnosticism" in connection with the subject of "Christo-Pagans." So, dear reader, you now have another term, "Modern Gnosticism," which you can use in a websearch.)
If you are asking, IF it is OK if you pray to Jesus while walking a dual path (involving a specific sect of Christianity and one of the many forms of Neo-Paganism and some form of Christianity), such a question is very vague. It leads through the different winding paths of Christian theology.
Long ago I decided that since I was not Christian, I was no longer required to provide detailed explanations of Christian theology. For a brief summary of the Christian tracts addressing this subject:
Jesus is the way to eternal life. If you love Jesus, you have to put Him first in your life and have no other gods.The tracts provide a boatload of bible quotes to support their position. I've attempted to list a number of these quotes below:
Deuteronomy 7:25-26 (KJV): The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therin: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.Now, since I don't consider it any of my business WHO you are worshiping, venerating, honoring, petitioning, or adoring, I am not going to tell you which deities or spirits that you may or may not pray to/petition/worship/adore/venerate/honor/work magic with. Ultimately, it's just not my problem.1 Peter 4:1-3 (KJV): Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
Leviticus 26:1 (KJV): Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 19:4 (KJV): Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God.
Exodus 23:13 (KJV): And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
1 John 2:3 (KJV): And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
Exodus 20:2-6 (KJV): I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Deuteronomy 5:6-10 (KJV): I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me.Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
Deuteronomy 4:16-19, 23-24 (KJV): Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth: And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven. ... Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee. For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Exodus 34: 11-17(KJV): Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods. Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
Deuteronomy 12 30-31 (KJV): Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
Exodus 23:23-24, 32-33 (KJV): For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off. Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. ... Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.
Numbers 25 :1-4 (KJV): And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.
Joshua 7:11-13 (KJV): Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
Leviticus 18: 3-5 (KJV): After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the Lord your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.
Deuteronomy 18:9-13 (KJV): When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 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. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For 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. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.
Acts 15:18-20, 27-29 (KJV): Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. ... We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
Leviticus 19:26 (KJV) Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.
Galatians 4:8-11 (KJV): Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
Leviticus 20:6 (KJV): And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
Exodus 22:18 (KJV): Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
Deuteronomy 13: 6-10 (KJV): If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
Deuteronomy 17:2-6 (KJV): If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing his covenant, And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel: Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
Deuteronomy 29:16-18 (KJV): (For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which ye passed by; And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:) Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.
Leviticus 20:27 (KJV): A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
Leviticus 19:31 (KJV): Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.
1 Corinthians 10:20-21 (KJV): But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
Ephesians 5:6-11 (KJV): Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
2 Corinthians 11:3 (KJV): But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Galatians 6:7-8 (KJV): Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Romans 13:12 (KJV): The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Titus 2:12 (KJV): Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Exodus 20:2-6 (KJV): I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Leviticus 5:7 (KJV):And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.
John 14:6 (KJV): Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
However, certain Christians--not all Christians--will quote some of the above bible verses to you.
copyright 2013 Myth Woodling. The King James Version of the bible, abreviated here as KJV, is public domain.