Customer Reviews

Protecting Your Teen from Today's Witchcraft: A Parent's Guide to Confronting Wicca and the Occult

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I wonder how the Christian community would feel if a Pagan wrote, "Protecting Your Teen from Today's Christianity"?

It is a bad sign when people want to "protect" others from someone else's legitimate religious faith. Cults generally fear their members finding faiths other than their own. If your religion is good and right, members would gravitate toward it and not leave it on that merit alone. Cults try to actively prevent their members from finding spirituality in other ways or from other sources. The act of spreading lies about other faiths in an attempt to keep people from inquiring about it is shameful and a form of brain washing.

What this Russo guy probably didn't tell you is that Wicca is nothing to fear! There is witchcraft, yes, but Wicca isn't as so. It's a harm none belief that isn't anything to do with saton or other Christian no no's. Many don't agree with Wicca, all because they don't know what it really is. This book is only continuing the sterotype and is not what we need right now, with it giving the wrong impression.

Russo is passionate about reaching his audience--fundamentalist Christians---but the passion ultimately creates a non-scholarly book. It only plays on people's emotions.

In order to produce his thesis, Russo only regurgitates fear and stereotypes onto paper. His book is nothing more than the power of suggestion to people who don't have accurate information.

He believes that earth-based religions are bad only because they differ from what he is personally already familiar with. Oddly, he does not consider how such an attitude could then be used to `examine' ANY religion, including his own. I doubt he would be appreciative of being stereotyped.

People looking for real answers about Wicca and Witchcraft will assume that Russo knows what he is talking about---when this is far from the case. The extensive misinformation in this book would damage intra-family relations much more.

However, realizing that some readers of this book had opened it wanting genuine answers about the activities of their family, I am recommending an alternative. "When Someone You Love Is Wiccan: A Guide to Witchcraft and Paganism for Concerned Friends, Nervous Parents, and Curious Co-Workers" by Carl McColman provides much better introductory advice.

I'm so discouraged that Mr. Russo had to resort to lies in order to sell his version of ignorance. Can you imagine presenting... "It promises empowerment and the ability to control ones own destiny," as a negative?! He also clearly does not understand the true source of all power, which is divine in essence.

"It appears to me that our children are being pulled away from the Truth and led down a path of lies."

Funny, coming from a religion that, with apologies to some of the wonderful Christians I know, is riddled with its own lies, the worst being that every beautiful newborn child is tainted with the sin of some ancient ancestor and deserving of being separated from their god.

"Teens are giving up the incredible resurrection power that is available through Jesus Christ..."

He seem to think it is preferable to tell a child they are unworthy criminals (sinners) who are unable to protect themselves from the wrathful punishment of their loving god and that only a scapegoat can save them ... rather than tell them they are worthy of their Divine Gods' love just the way they are. Oh well, to each his own.

"... in trade for the limited power coming from within themselves and from inanimate objects."

There is nothing limited about the power of the divine universe and nothing is in inanimate objects that has not come from that which was the creating force of the universe.

Mr. Russo is obviously trying to rake in a lot of money by propagating lies. My grandchildren are being protected from the kind of Christianity he espouses.

Again, another author who thinks people need "saving" from Witchcraft. Look, you can't protect your kids from the various religions of the world.

First of all, your child will grow up to be their own person and you can't tell them what to believe and what not to. They have their own minds and spirits.

Second of all - Witchcraft is NOT about evil, and it's NOT about satan and devil worship. Anyone who thinks this is not looking beyond the tip if their own nose.

Do yourself a favor and let your child explore and study whatever religion they choose. There's no harm in LEARNING. And there is such a thing as being WAY over protective.

This book was useless to me for one reason - I'm just not an overbearing, overprotective, paranoid parent.

First let me say that I have not read this book, nor do I intend to considering what the other reviews have said. But, I wanted to add my comments just the same.

I was doing a search for some good books on Teen Wicca for a friends teenage daughter. She has been interested in Wicca upon learning that I am Wiccan. I have been Wiccan for nearly a year myself, so I was wanting to get some books for her, ones that are targeted towards teens and I found this (amoung the various books on teen wicca). I grew up in the Christian church and went to church for many years into my 30s. But on finding Wicca, I found my home. I have never felt so much at peace than I have this past year.

One of the reviewers stated about our Wiccan Rede "harm none". "An it harm none, do what ye will". This goes far beyond the golden rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Because harm none means harm no one, harm nothing, including yourself. So not only do we strive to respect all humans (both male and female), but all life. Wicca is a religion foremost that believes in both a Goddess and a God, the Mother and the Father of all creation. We believe that they are in everyone and everything. We also believe that they will love you whether you believe in them or not.

One of the thirteen points of The Principles of Wiccan Belief written by The Council of American Witches is

<quote>"Our only animosity toward Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy-of-life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be 'the one true right and only way' and have sought to deny freedom to others and to supress other ways of religious practices and belief."</quote>

In seeing this book, is it any wonder why I choose not to tell my Christian family members that I am Wicca? They will be convinced that I am going straight to hell, and wouldn't listen with an open mind no matter what I say. I would also recommend Scott Cunningham's book The Truth About Witchcraft if you really want the facts about Wicca and Witchcraft.

This book contradicts `FACTS' from previous books and distorts real facts to get his personal message across. It is filled with misinformation that is based on bias opinion instilling fear while teaching hate, animosity, and segregation towards all religions other than Christianity, though Wicca and the Occult is the target. The Jesus I know taught of tolerance and love, of which neither can be found in this book. The knowledge you will gain from this book is against what Jesus would do.

"Protecting" teens from Wicca? Give me a break. Wicca is an Earth based religion (yes, a true religion in America) and teaches to look for the good in everything and to never use spells for bad or malicy. True, there are variations of Witchcraft that aren't quite that happy-go-lucky and nice but they are the minority and are usually only "practiced" by uneducated kids that are just trying to get a rise out of society and their parents. Honestly, I think parents should be protecting their teens from ignorant witch hunting bible thumpers, not witches.

Phew. Rubbish at its purest. I am a Wiccan and proud of it. This book aims to undermine our beautiful religion, and I strongly feel that a child - ANY child - should conciously choose their own faith. It is their right, and parents should do nothing to stay in their way. Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Wiccan - let your child choose.