Goddess worship = Wicca, Part Two
In a recent e-mail interview with Russ Wise, I asked him if goddess worship and Wicca are the same thing. Here’s what he had to say:
"The
followers of Wicca worship the feminine energies as realized in Gaia.
The Earth is
believed to be a goddess and the eternal source and giver
of all life. It is a living organism and it must be protected from
those who would pollute its ability to bring forth life. Earth
spirituality is the common world view that binds those who worship the
creation over the Creator as practiced within the Judeo-Christian
tradition. This world view includes both Wiccans and those who worship
the goddess along with pagans and eco-feminists."
So, the answer to the question of whether goddess worship and Wicca are the same is this: yes and no. Goddess worship is a more general term for those who worship a universal energy force that is female in nature. Goddess worship is ancient, and worldwide. Wiccans are a group which practices goddess worship, but Wicca is only about 50 years old and descends from the tradition of Gardnerian witchcraft, which originated in England.
So, you could practice goddess worship without joining Wicca, but right now Wicca is the most popular face of goddess worship, at least here in the U.S. Does that make sense? I hope so.
By the way, you
can see how important it is to work through the issue of creation. Who
is the Creator? God or Gaia?
If you’re looking for more information, Neighborhood Church, in the San Francisco Bay Area, is hosting the Answers in Genesis conference in February. Or you can check out the main Answers in Genesis website.
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SUSY FLORY is a New York Times best selling author, speaker, and journalist who searches out big stories with happy endings. She's I'm always looking for true stories that inspire and challenge her readers to embrace a life of passion, boldness, & adventure. 
One of those lurkers who’ve never spoken up until now, just enjoyed your content but never had much to say. Just wanted to come out and say thanks for the interesting posts, thanks for helping me focus on my faith, and I hope you continue to post frequently!