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By Mark Farquharson
These days there is increasing interest in Magic and Witchcraft. But is there anything wrong with performing witchcraft or doing magic? And is there anything wrong with fantasy stories involving magic? What of wizardry? By definition a wizard is a male witch.
Some people may believe that actual magic is impossible, and therefore there is nothing wrong with books or movies that involve made up characters that do magic. Actually magic is possible and there are real witches that perform actual magic. But is it wrong to perform actual magic? Some Christians do not believe magic is a sin or evil, others do believe it is evil.
If an actual spell works and the magic happens, then there is a power behind that. This unseen force provides the means to accomplish the spell. The question then is, where does this power come from?
Before Israel went into the wilderness, the people were in Egypt. Moses was to bring the people out of Egypt. Moses and Aaron had to keep going unto Pharaoh to ask him to let the people go.
Exodus 7:10-12 So Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and did so as Yahweh had commanded,—and Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and before his servants and it became a sea-serpent, Then called Pharaoh also for the wise men and for the magicians,—and they too, the sacred scribes of Egypt with their secret arts, did in like manner; yea they cast down each man his staff, and they became sea-serpents,—but Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staves. {REB}
Here Aaron’s staff becomes a snake, but the magicians at the time could do the something. God is the one who provide the power to turn Aaron’s staff into a snake, that was more powerful than the other snakes.
But where did the magicians power come from? The magicians power came form Satan or some other evil spirit being. What is the power behind actual magic today? The power behind magic has not changed, and it is the same, Satan or some other evil spirit being. This means performing actual magic is wrong, and therefore witchcraft and wizardry is wrong and is a sin.
Some people that are into witchcraft may claim that what they do has nothing to do with Satan or that they do not worship Satan. They may think or claim that they do not worship Satan or that it is not connected to Satan, but it is. The symbols connect to Satan worship. Not to mention the fact that actual witchcraft is doing magic, which is supernatural and what makes that magic happen is the evil spirit beings, including Satan. What is behind the increased interest in magic and witchcraft? There are evil forces at work. Evil beings are increasing their activities as the time of Christ’s return approaches.
Witches also usual worship the goddess. There is no actually goddess, this is a false god, and should not be worshiped. Satan and the other evil spirits draw people away from God, by getting them to worship false gods. This worship draws people away from the true God, and this is why now it is on the rise, as the time of Christ’s return approaches.
Divination is a Sin:
1Samuel 15:23 For, as the sin of divination, is, rebelliousness,—and, as transgression with household gods, is, stubbornness,—Because thou hast rejected the word of Yahweh, therefore hath he rejected thee from being king. {REB}
The KJV does use the word witchcraft, but divination is more correct.
Divination: meaning to seek knowledge by supernatural means, which includes seeking knowledge of the future by supernatural means. This includes praying to false gods for knowledge and using magic to gain knowledge.
This scripture tell us that divination is a sin. Trying to gain knowledge by witchcraft or praying to false gods is a sin. One could argue that this is not specifically ruling out witchcraft or saying that all witchcraft is a sin. Since divination is only one part of witchcraft. That is correct, however that does not mean all witchcraft is not sin. As I have already explained all witchcraft is a sin, since Satan and other evil spirit beings are behind it. In the next two sections I will show that magic is abhorrent and evil and an abomination.
The people of Ancient Israel were not to use magic for anyone doing magic was abhorrent to Yahweh their God
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 There shall not be found among you one causing his son or his daughter to pass through fire, or one divining divinations, or consulting clouds, auguring or enchanting or charming with charms, one asking of a medium or wizard or inquiring after the dead. For anyone doing these things is an abhorrence to Yahweh your Elohim {God}, and owing to these abhorrences Yahweh your Elohim is evicting them from your presence. {CLV}
Augur: meaning to whisper a spell, generally to predict future events.
The people of Israel were not to do divinations, or consulting clouds, or augur, or enchant, or charm with charms, or ask of a medium or wizard, or inquiring after the dead. Not only were they not to do them, these things were abhorrent, and anyone doing them was abhorrent. Many of the rules that governed ancient Israel are not for us today. However magic and anyone doing magic is still abhorrent, this has not changed.
Witchcraft and Magic are Evil and an Abomination
Manasseh took over reigning, and he did that which was evil:
2Kings 21:1-2 A son of twelve years [is] Manasseh in his reigning, and fifty and five years he has reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [is] Hephzi-Bah;" and he does the evil thing in the eyes of Yahweh, according to the abominations of the nations that Yahweh dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel, {CLV}
The evil Manasseh was doing was, according to the abominations of the nations.
2Kings 21:5-6 And he builds altars to all the host of the heavens in the two courts of the house of Yahweh; and he has caused his son to pass through fire, and observed clouds, and used enchantment, and dealt with a familiar spirit and wizards; he has multiplied to do the evil thing in the eyes of Yahweh--to provoke to anger. {CLV} {Also 2 Chronicles 33:6}
Part of the evil thing he did was to use enchantment, and dealt with a familiar spirit and wizards. Thus the use of enchantment and dealing with wizards is evil. That is using spells or getting others to perform spells for you, is evil and an abomination.
What is Wrong With Stories?
While adult fantasy books that have magic seem to be on the decline, fantasy books involving magic, for younger people, teenagers and kids is on the increase. There are more movies and computer games out these days that have magic and witchcraft. While actual magic is wrong and should not be performed, is there anything wrong with stories, movies or computer games involving magic, witchcraft and wizardry?
Yes there is, because people then imagine themselves being witches or wizards and performing actual spells. This then leads some of them to research into actual magic and witchcraft. Which inturn leads them to perform actual spells, actual magic which is wrong.
But what of children’s stories like Harry Potter? Are these alright for our kids or not? While a number of Christians see nothing wrong with kids stories that have magic, I do see a problem with it. Books like this may seem fine, but actually they are not. They seem harmless, but they can easily draw kids into areas that could cause them harm, they can easily look at witchcraft these days on the internet. This could lead them into actually performing spells, and witchcraft.
In fantasy stories there is good magic and bad magic. However in real life, all magic is evil and an abomination, there is no good magic. Children’s fantasy stories promote the idea that there is good magic. Kids reading the stories want to be like Harry Potter and use good magic. They do not realise or know that actual magic is harmful and evil. They do not know that there is any thing wrong with using actual magic. Of course parents can tell them that all forms of actual magic are wrong. The problem is you are trying to tell them that their favourite character is actually do evil, when it in the story he is helping people, and it is the other bad witches that are doing evil.
Copyright © Mark J Farquharson 2010
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