Quick Bites on Goddess Worship
Some bite-sized thoughts and news items relating to goddess worship …
- I was in Barnes and Noble recently, perusing the shelves on spirituality. And there were many, full
of Christian books, along with books on world religions and "alternative spirituality." In the Christian section, Sue Monk Kidd’s books were shelved alphabetically just above C.S. Lewis and Max Lucado. She is an amazing writer, but with her heretical views on God and her advocacy of goddess worship, I think I’d move her over to the alternative spirituality area. If you’d like to read
more, I wrote several posts on Kidd a few months ago: Kidd, part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4. Here’s a quick quote from Kidd’s book Dance of the Dissident Daughter:
“It is all right for women to follow the wisdom
in their souls, to name their truth, to embrace the Sacred Feminine, that there
is undreamed voice, strength, and power in us. And that is what I have come to
tell you. I have come over the wise distances to tell you: She is in us.” –Sue Monk Kidd
- More from the racks at Barnes & Noble. Some respected pollsters have shown that paganism, encompassing goddess worship and Wicca/witchcraft, is quickly growing in the U.S. I noticed
several books on Wicca and spell casting on the shelves for both pre-teens and children. Another
find? The Idiot’s Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft. Can you believe it? Out of the darkness and into your B&N shopping bag. Wow–seeing these books reminds me of the importance of the parent’s role as detective, being very aware of what your kids and teens are reading because these things are
now so readily available … and inviting!
- Al Gore recently won the Nobel
Prize for his work on global warming. A worthy cause, but it’s also
worth noting his interest in earth spirituality, and his nod to goddess
worship, in his own words:
"A growing number of anthropologists and archeo-
mythologists. . . argue that the prevailing ideology of belief in
prehistoric Europe and much of theworld was based on the worship of a
single earth goddess, who was assumed to be the fount of all life and
who radiated harmony among all…The last vestige of organized goddess worship was eliminated by
Christianity . . . .[I]t seems obvious that a better understanding of a
religious heritage preceding our own by so many thousands of years
could offer us new insights . . . ."
(From Gore’s book Earth in the Balance, p. 260)More on Gore in a previous post called Al Gore and the Goddess.
- Hindus worldwide are celebrating Navratri, a festival dedicated to the goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. A quick article from the UCLA student newspaper gives the scoop. Hindus are serious about goddess worship. I find it interesting, though, that in a country dedicated to worship of the sacred feminine, the status of women is, on the whole, far from empowerment.
On the personal side, I was reading this morning in Matthew 23 where Jesus spoke at length against on hypocrisy, condemning the religious leaders for their greed, self-indulgence, and pride. As Christ followers, we’re to live in humility, putting others above self. Great Christians are to be, above all, servants. Jesus cautioned that "whoever exalts himself will be humbled."
Jesus’ words highlight, for me, one of the key issues with goddess spirituality. It elevates the self to godhood, teaching that we are divine, that the goddess is within, and that we are to follow our own inner urges and leadings. Some teachers even go so far as to say that the goddess is not only within us, it IS
us.
But I don’t want God’s job; it’s too big for me. And I don’t want to follow my own leadings; they change and I can’t trust them. I know what’s inside me, and it’s not divine. I need God, today and every day.
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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. 
It was enlightening to read about your observations about the author – Sue Monk-Kidd. I have not read the “Dance of the Dissident Daughter”, so I cannot comment on it. But I recently got a copy of her book called “When The Heart Waits”, it is an elegantly written book about waiting-in-faith and thanks to your post, I will see for myself if she has indeed rejected the Saviourship of Christ… something very hard to do in my opinion, once you have tasted it. Thanks
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SUSY RESPONDS:
Kidd is an amazing writer, I agree. As to whether she has rejected Christ, read DDD and let me know what you think–I’d love to hear more from you. If I ever get the chance to sit down with Kidd for a cup of tea, that is the very question I will ask….how you can taste the goodness of Jesus and his friendship, and then turn and worship another. It’s a puzzle to me.
SUSY
You struck a cord with me about these things being readily available and inviting to children. We were recently at our library and I grabbed up some books with interesting titles and great illustrations. That night, I started reading one to Adam and by page two I realized it was about paganism. Considering we live in a fairly conservative, Christian-oriented community I was shocked. And then I was angry. But I have since learned that even the most innocent of looking books needs good examining.
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SUSY RESPONDS:
Not long ago, my 13 year old daughter’s friend brought a book along with us on a family camping trip—the unusual cover caught my eye. I took a closer look and discovered it was a very dark teen novel centered on Wicca. I had the chance to have a good talk with the girls, then put the book away. I think it’s always worth taking a close look at what our kids are reading/watching, and using our God-given wisdom and discernment to decide whether it’s worthy of their time and attention!
SUSY