Most polls quoted these days claim that anywhere from 80 to 90% of Americans believe in God. Some people find comfort in this statistic, but it actually says very little about the God or god they believe in. For example, included in that number are a rising number of pagans and witches. A recent MTV.com feature highlights some of the popular incentives for practicing "the Craft":

Witches do not worship Satan and hardly ever practice black magic. Witches or Wiccans, who practice similar strains of Paganism, may follow numerous ancient, Earth-based traditions of worship, but have a few simple beliefs in common: 1) a deep, spiritual respect for nature; 2) worship of a deity (or god) who is equally male and female (priests and priestesses have equal power); and 3) accountability for all your own actions. In other words, being a witch includes believing in environmentalism, equality of the sexes and karma.

The following is from an article on witches in Salem and a recent public educational forum:

Throughout the evening, the panelists described a mainstreaming of their religion that they never dreamed possible. Today modern paganism is the 19th most popular religion in the United States, said Adler. “Wicca has exploded as far as numbers,” she said. There are now Wiccan-based charities, Wiccan-based AA chapters and Wiccan groups adopting highway beautification projects. Pagan studies courses are offered in major universities, she said.

Why is Wicca more accepted today? The MTV.com points to favorable portrayals in the media: "A surprising number of young witches MTV News spoke with also said that they became curious about their faith through misguiding pop-culture fare like the camp Neve Campbell vehicle "The Craft" and the "Harry Potter" series. (Guess a few conservative Christian groups were right about that one)." The Salem News article points to the dispelling of old impressions that witches are evil and to some degree of compromise in order to make it more mainstream.

As people in our culture look ever in toward themselves, they care less for objective truth and more for what feels right to them:
But many young people enter the Craft in reaction to a very conservative religious upbringing — Southern Baptist, perhaps, or Catholic. "Some people don't feel God in the church, so they seek out different expressions of God that are more personal or mystic," said Raven, who has mentored younger Pagans and is active in the online community. "[Witchcraft] is revolting against common views of God. That's a huge part of the appeal, especially for young people — that you don't have to follow the herd."

The videos (which I recommend watching- the second starts after the first concludes) feature a recurring theme: "there is no wrong way to worship." This is why Wiccans only have "a few simple beliefs in common." Though united in these few things, every Wiccan approaches religion like a buffet- only taking those things that appeal to them. Religious belief is no longer in the realm of objective truth, it is now private expression.

Wicca and related pagan religions make up just some of the hundreds of options put before Americans today, but it all boils down to two options: Will you seek the true God of the universe who refuses to to be crafted according to your mutable desires, or will you idolize and worship feelings that don't exist apart from yourself?

Are we as Christians prepared to preach the gospel to those who choose the latter?

Christian Answers for a New Age has some great articles on this topic.

Articles and books by Peter Jones are also an excellent resource. I especially recommend Capturing the Pagan Mind.