CW:  So, what are some signs parents can look out for that their teen might be involved in Wicca, and how can they steer their kids back to Christ?   

DB:  Certainly, you are the adult here as the parent. That is first and foremost. So, you help control what your child is exposed to, whether it is films or online viewing or beyond.   

The second thing: You have to have a trusting relationship with your child. Because when they come into this stage of life, when they are questioning their beliefs, they are looking at alternative ideas. They are going to ask someone questions about that. You want that person to be you, as the parent, versus someone online or a friend at school who may be involved in Wicca or witchcraft of some form.   

Beyond that, there are some signs you can be looking for --

If they are keeping some kind of secret diary they are not willing to share. Sometimes that has nothing to do with witchcraft, but [can be] one indicator because the Book of Shadows is a very common practice. Another thing is if they spend an inordinate amount of time online [googling] witchcraft and … sites, such as Witchvox.com or the Witchschool.com. We have used those for our research but they can have a very harmful influence on a teenager or young person.   

If you see these kinds of warning signs, there are things you can do. There is a ministry called Covenant Eyes (Covenanteyes.com), and they originally started as a group for parents to filter what their children view online in terms of pornography and sexual content. They also have resources to do the same thing for viewing occult type of materials. 

Then, in your churches, you have to talk about the subject. A Barna study on the supernatural showed that fewer than 20% of teenagers are exposed to any kind of teaching involving the paranormal. So, we have to at least address it, not be afraid of it, because if we do believe Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the power that we have in us is greater than the power of the world.   

CW:  There's a lot of good information in Generation Hex, and I know we haven't covered it all here. Is there anything else you'd like to share with readers before wrapping up?

MA:  Sure, I just wanted to share about our approach. There are many books out there that just say, "Witchcraft is wrong, and her is why. The Bible says, ‘You are going to hell.'"  We didn't want to take that approach. We wanted to be able to talk with real Wiccans and create an open door rather than a closed door. We found that many of these people have been very hurt and persecuted by non-Christens and by Christians, and that really is heartbreaking because we are called to share the Gospel with every person.   

God loves these people, and he is drawing them to himself. I am not afraid to share [the Gospel] with a Buddhist, why would I be afraid to share with a Wiccan?   

DB:  In one of the chapters in the book we talk about how studying Wicca has strengthened our faith in Christ. It seems like such a paradox when you put it that way, but what we mean by that is as we studied Wicca, we saw time and time again people we interviewed who were very open about their faith in paganism and the god and the goddess that they worship. We thought, How many Christians are really that open about their faith, who aren't afraid to share about what they believe?    

It was a wake-up call to me -- to see other people who believe something strongly [who] are willing to stand up for it. As Christians, we should not fear doing the same thing, not be ashamed of the Gospel, but do as the apostle Paul said -- to speak the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15)  We have a message that is exclusive, that is tough, that stands for Jesus only, but at the same time we have to communicate that in the context of love. It will make a difference in the lives around us. 

For more information on Generation Hex, click here.