What's The Difference?

Very few people know I follow a Wiccan path because generally when someone close to me finds out it leads to heartache and misery for me.  I have had people tell me I worship the Devil, that I am going to Hell, and I am the worst form of evil there is.  But to me, there is very little difference in a Christian Path versus a Christian Wiccan path.  Allow me to explain with a true story:

A women I know prays to a figure, who is fully recognized not to be God, on an amulet every time she gets into her car.  She does this on the way to work, on the way to do errands, on her way to fun.  If she gets into the car she prays. One day, she and her family got into the car to go to the beach and she was talking to her daughter and did not pray because she was distracted.  Tragically, on the drive to the beach, a truck collided with their car, severally injuring her daughter and killing her three year old grandson.  While discussing this incident, the woman stated that she wonders if she had just remembered to pray would her grandson be alive.

Within this sad story is a truth, this woman believes enough to pray to this entity every time she gets into her car.  She is not praying to God.  She utilizes a coin of this person in her car to protect her and her family from harm.  Is this woman doing magic?  If you mentioned this question to her she would be offended and not speak to you.  You see, this woman is a devout Catholic whom prays to St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, and utilizes a St. Christopher's medallion in her vehicle, like many Catholics.  However, the fundamentals are the same.

Catholics are, in my opinion, using the same elements that I call Wicca daily.  During certain times, offerings are given to Mary or other Saints.  They believe Mary, Mother of Jesus, is Queen of Heaven.  They celebrate feast days for the Saints.  They ritually cleanse spaces with incense and believe the aroma to be pleasing to God.  They believe in the miracles of Jesus.  And most of all they believe in transubstantiation.  This is one of the dividing points between Catholics and Protestants.  Catholics believe that when a priest prays over the bread and wine of communion it becomes the body and blood of Christ.  That is one powerful piece of magic the priest is doing!

Comparing Wicca to the Protestant churches is a bit harder because they do not believe many of the things that Catholics believe.  However, they would never condemn a Catholic for their faith, so why condemn me for mine?

In my path, Wicca just states that I see a King and Queen of heaven.  I see the beauty of these two beings in all nature around me.  I believe that it is right and good to give these elements back to the King and Queen as sacrifices.  I believe that there are elements of nature that can help us.  I believe there is one God, his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

I find a very hard time figuring out where the dividing line is with the dogma.  Why is Catholicism embraced and adored while Wiccan's are shunned?  What am I doing that is so wrong, yet for a Catholic to do the same Rite it is correct?  I believe that seeing the light and goodness in all around me is a gift from God and one that anyone can receive.  You do not need to be Catholic, Protestant, or Wiccan, you just need to want peace and happiness and to treat everything with the respect it deserves as part of the Divine.