From: gt4725c@prism.gatech.EDU (ccastrw ROBERT E. WYNN   )
Newsgroups: rec.music.christian
Subject: Re: The Warnke Debate
Date: 31 Jul 92 18:41:33 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <63nm68@lynx.unm.edu> morgan7@carina.unm.edu (christopher c lewisair) writes:
>Dear fellow Christians,

  [[part of article deleted]]

>About a year ago, I had a friend who was a witch. Although I don't agree
>with anything he had to say about theology or his supposed "powers",
>I do think that they are harmless. They are very concerned with
>hurting other people and completly oppose any kind of offering to their
>gods that is the result of pain or force. They also are pretty open to
>allowing anyone , even born-again Christians, to watch their meetings
>to verify this.
>Most of these people who are witches have a number of simple reasons for being
>witches. They usually come from VERY devoutly religious backgrounds, are
>usually very emotionally and somewhat physically and sexually abused by their
>parents. They have rejected Christianity due to the painful childhoods,
>and wanting to continue in some sort of spiritual channel. Their devotion
>to this silly religion usually does not last too long, at most a few years.
>And they welcome proselytizing from BAC's, I think because it proves to
>them that they are right or "safe from Christian influences.
>These religions come about usually in times of great social upheaval,like
>what is going on now, and usually disappear once the Church gets its act
>together and eventually incorporates them back in.

  Chris is correct.  I also have a very close friend that
  professed to being a witch.  I have heard the theology behind
  what is considered to be "witchcraft" (for lack of  better wording), and
  like Chris, I don't agree with it.  In all the hours of conversation
  (not only hearing the theology but also trying to understand why she
   had chose to be a witch)  I have never heard her ,or any of her 
  "fellow witches", even think about any type of sacrificing/offering
  to their gods. Most of the religion is based on what I have thought
  of as "white magic" performing things for the good of someone/something 
  else or using powers that every human or animal uses in everyday life 
  (instincts or common sense). The only example that comes to mind is they 
  tend to believe they can feel what others are feeling (or empathy). 
  In every instance that I have been shown, anyone who cares for people 
  or who has been with someone long enough to know them can tell by 
  facial/emotional expressions exactly what the person is feeling. 
  For the other powers, they can all be explained in the same way.

  I do not think, however, they are harmless because they are lost 
  and they tend to be stumbling blocks to others.  It has been 
  my experience that these people are looking for something to believe
  in and this gives them a religion that they can be part of.  As
  Chris pointed out, the person I am talking about was rejecting 
  Christianity because of a bad experience with a church that 
  had good intentions but took them to an extreme almost to the point
  of brainwashing members with their interpretation of the bible. Devotion
  does tend to be short lived. It has been my experience that this is
  their  way to "stradle the fence".  They are by no means satanists neither
  are they christians and to them they have found a middle ground.  
  Every one of the people that I have been introduced to has either renewed 
  their walk with God, moved on into another religion, or they are 
  still trying to fill the void.  In my case she has begun the trek
  to renewing her walk, but it has taken over a year and she has
  only begun. 

  I really don't know if Mike Warnke has in any way shape or form
  lied over the years, however, the dates actually makes me wonder.
  But whether he did or not he will have to answer to God one day 
  for this.  But for me, if he did make the whole thing up, it only
  proves to me that God can make a very bad situation help others.
  I know of several of the people that I have been discussing that
  have at least re-thought if not by now re-started their walk 
  with Christ.

  
>
>Yours in Christ,
>
>Christopher Lewis

  
-- 
ROBERT E. WYNN                     |     CAUTION
Georgia Institute of Technology,   |  Hardhat Area
Atlanta, Georgia  30332            |  .sig under construction
Internet: gt4725c@prism.gatech.edu |
Newsgroups: rec.music.christian