Christianity and Magic

[GuidingStar]

There are so many things about Christianity that have left me confused and I'd like to start asking questions. I guess this is my first. I have some Catholic friends who are believers in Christ and do not worship Satan, but they perform rituals for the angels and stuff. Is this is the same as magic or is it considered different? What is constituted as magic in the Bible. Another friend of mine said that divination was not wrong. I'm not sure what to believe. Any help would be of great thanks!

Rachael

 

[Entertaining_Angels]

Divination is wrong and reading Deuteronomy will convince you of that.

I wouldn't say this is a catholic issue but an issue across all religious lines. Every denomination and non-denomination for that matter has people who really don't follow the Jesus of the Bible and blend what they believe to be christianity with other religions. I've seen some fringe catholics do some heretical things and I've seen fringe protestants do things just as heretical.

All you can do is pray and share God's love with them. God can open their hearts and minds to the truth and convict them where necessary.

By the way, most folks will tell you they don't worship satan but you are either for God or against Him. If somebody is not for God, it is pretty apparent who they are for. Just my thoughts.

 

[CrazyforYeshua]

When I talked to someone about divination, and what it says in Deuteronomy, they said that's old testament, we don't live by that anymore. Then God showed me in Acts, where Paul drove out the spirit of divination from the servant girl. Still applies today. If we look to psychics and other measures for our future, we are not trusting God.

 

[GuidingStar]

Ok, I can see that. We stop relying on God and the energies within us to accomplish what we need to accomplish so it makes us weak. Thanks guys!

 

[whitedove7]

What the Bible Says about worship others:

Catholics believe it is proper to pray to angels and dead saints, (introduced in the sixth century).


THE BIBLE SAYS:

1. Scripture says that the dead hear, and are aware of nothing, Eccl. 9:6.

2. Scripture is VERY clear that there is only ONE mediator between man and God, John 14:6, 1Tim. 2:5.

3. Scripture forbids angel worship, Col. 2:18.

4. Angels are created servants and it would be IDOLATRY to worship them, Heb. 1:5-13, Rev. 22:8-9.

5. From Genesis to Revelation, there is only "ONE" reference of anyone praying to a dead person(saint). 1 Sam. 28 where Saul goes to a witch to have her bring up the spirit of Samuel so he can ask him for instructions because God would not hear his prayers. First let us look at the setting here; Saul has to go to a witch because God would not answer him because of disobedience. This does not present a very Godly atmosphere for this practice, in fact just the opposite.

Divination by an alleged assistance of evil spirits) -Forbidden Le 19:26-28, 31; 20:6; De 18:9-14

-Denounced Isa 8:19; Mal 3:5

-Practiced .By the Egyptians Isa 19:3, 11, 12 .By the magicians Ex 7:11, 22; 8:7, 18 .By Balaam Nu 22:6; Nu 23:23 with Nu 22; 23 .By Jezebel 2Ki 9:22 .By the Ninevites Na 3:4, 5 .By the Babylonians Isa 47:9-13; Da 2:2, Eze 21:21, 22; 10, 27 .By Belshazzar Da 5:7, 15 .By Simon the Sorcerer (Magus) Ac 8:9; 11 .By Elymas (Bar-Jesus) Ac 13:8 .By the girl at Philippi Ac 16:16 .By charlatan Jews Ac 19:13 .By sons of Sceva Ac 19:14, 15 .By astrologers Jer 10:2; Mic 3:6, 7 .By false prophets Jer 14:14; 27:9; 29:8, 9; Eze 13:6-9; 22:28; Mt 24:24

-To cease Eze 12:23, 24; 13:23; Mic 5:12

-Messages of, false Eze 21:29; Zec 10:2; 2Th 2:9

-Diviners will be confounded Mic 3:7

-Belongs to the works of the flesh Ga 5:20

-Wickedness of 1Sa 15:23

-Vainness of Isa 44:25

-Punishment for Ex 22:18; Le 20:27; De 13:5

-Divining by familiar spirits (mediums or spiritists) Le 20:27; 1Ch 10:13; 2Ch 33:6; Isa 8:19; 19:3; 29:4

-By entrails Eze 21:21

-By images 2Ki 23:24; Eze 21:21

-By rods Ho 4:12

-Saul consulted the Witch of Endor 1Sa 28:7-25

-Books of, destroyed Ac 19:19


I hope this helps.

 

[Lynn73]

Performing rituals and praying to angels. Sounds pretty pagan to me. This is what happens when people give their church the absolute authority in their lives. Any alien doctrine can be declared.

 

[whitedove7]

Performing rituals and praying to angels. Sounds pretty pagan to me. This is what happens when people give their church the absolute authority in their lives. Any alien doctrine can be declared.

Yeah to that! That is what happens when we listen to man and don't check it out for ourselves in the scripture. We are sheep lead to slauder when we don't learn to discern good and evil and discernment comes by knowing the word otherwise, we are subjected to false doctrine.

 

[sara700]

I don't want to offend anyone on this board, but this is just something that I've observed. I may be wrong and am teachable. Just my opinions based on experiences

I'm sure that there are many Catholics that are genuine Christians and true believers. But, I have noticed a few things in the Catholic faith that I find strikingly similar to witchcraft and paganism.

The Bible never tells us anywhere to worship saints, or the Virgin Mary, or bow down to idols. I'm not sure about when they cross their hands over their hearts. I'm not sure if that's unBiblical or not. The Bible tells us to model our life like great men and women of God, but never to worship them.

Secondly, I've met many Catholics that have converted to non-denominational Christianity. These are the following reasons I've heard (none of them Biblical).

1. A woman was divorced and was thereafter not allowed to worship in the church anymore b/c she was unclean.

2. You are not allowed to read the Bible yourself. You must consult a priest for all of your advice and have him interpret the Bible for you.

3. The worship of idols.

Now honestly, my opinion is that the only problem with the Catholic Church is that it's been corrupted by man's selfish desires to control and mandate. So now instead of basing their ideas and practices solely on the Bible, they base them on tradition and mandate. That to me is not Biblical.

To follow are the 10 Commandments and Some Biblical Teaching About Witchcraft and Sorcery (NIV Version). You were very right to question these practices of your friends. It shows discernment.

Your friends' behaviour is definately not Christian. It sounds very pagan to me. And I think many of the practices of the Catholic church can be a gateway to someone who is not well versed Biblically and attracted to the sin of idolatry. Remember to pray without ceasing. God Bless You. Merry Christmas

Exodus 20
The Ten Commandments
1 And God spoke all these words:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before [a] me.


4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.

16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

Deuteronomy 18:10 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in [a] the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,

2 Kings 9:22
22 When Joram saw Jehu he asked, "Have you come in peace, Jehu?"
"How can there be peace," Jehu replied, "as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?"

2 Chronicles 33:6
6 He sacrificed his sons in [a] the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.

Micah 5:12-14
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
and you will no longer cast spells.


13 I will destroy your carved images
and your sacred stones from among you;
you will no longer bow down
to the work of your hands. 14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles [g]
and demolish your cities.

 

[Lynn73]

Yeah to that! That is what happens when we listen to man and don't check it out for ourselves in the scripture. We are sheep lead to slauder when we don't learn to discern good and evil and discernment comes by knowing the word otherwise, we are subjected to false doctrine.

I, for one, cannot understand how people fail to realize how dangerous it is to give such power to men. When you give a church absolute authority over everything, you're putting yourself wide open for the devil to come in with false doctrines. And if the Bible isn't the final authority, who can dispute them? I truly believe the Catholic church is unable to discern between truth and error because it has set itself up as the final authority over and above God's word. Therefore anything it says can't be contradicted. And they will always always interpret (actually, misinterpret) the Bible in a way to make sure to support church doctrine. It's a circular situation and it blinds them to the truth imho. Even when presented with plain, clear Scripture they must put a Catholic spin on it so it supports their doctrine. They can't seem to see the contradictions that we can plainly discern. As you say, sheep to the slaughter. We have a very good biblical example and I choose the Berean way.

Excellent post, sara700!

 

[Svt4Him]

There are so many things about Christianity that have left me confused and I'd like to start asking questions. I guess this is my first. I have some Catholic friends who are believers in Christ and do not worship Satan, but they perform rituals for the angels and stuff. Is this is the same as magic or is it considered different? What is constituted as magic in the Bible. Another friend of mine said that divination was not wrong. I'm not sure what to believe. Any help would be of great thanks!

Rachael

Ritual is open for interpretation. What kind of ritual exactly?

 

[P_G]

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