To my fellow Christians...?

Question

What is your opinion about magicians? For Example: Criss Angel, David Blaine....

Answer 1

Great question!!
I would say that it depends on their method of magic. If it is just smoke and mirrors, then I'd consider them very talented artists/entertainers. However there are certain things that Blaine does that can't be readily explained. I would go so far as to say the man is posessed.
This isn't really a surprise actually. If you look in Genisis when Moses was confronting pharoah, Moses (God) made his staff turn into a snake. Pharoah's magicians were able to perform the same task. So, magic is much more real than people realize.
Jesus was able to cleanse the world of many devils, but many still remained.
In Matt 12
43When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

44Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

45Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

Jesus is alluding to the demonic posessions that will be influencing society towards the end of the world. He is claiming that He cleaned the world and then it will be 7 times worse when they come back.
So, things like David Blaine are pre-cursors and expect more to come with more fascinating tricks.

Mark 13:
22For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.


A very interesting movie that was made about 15 years ago is called "Lord of Illusions". It gives an insight to magicians actually having powers and not just making tricks. It was a regular fiction movie of course, but the devil always uses things like film to desensitise society to his next level of wickedness.
Expect more witches and witchcraft to arise in society with the influx of shows like Charmed and movies like Harry Potter.

The end isn't far off, that's for sure.

Answer 2

I am an anti-religious type that I am now going to start spreading through out the world and you can take credit for it because had it not been for your idea to ask I woulda never come up with the idea-You see I am not anti GOD-I am not anti choice-but I believe that religions are prejudiced entities that convert their members to believe that they are Saved-Chosen-or otherwise favored in Gods eyes-and this to me means to discriminate to those that are different than you. Imagine all the world praying for God as one God uniting all rather than killing each other to try to convert the masses into ones ways of thinking. Yes even Christians here in America would not want an Iraqi citizen to be immigrated over here and to love them as a neighbor like their bible preached. Imagine how the Iraqi's feel about Americans in uniform in their country. The laws of this land were robbed and stolen and converted by the white man in his pursuit to rob the Indian of his homeland. We should adopt their ways more to call ourselves American and therefore I believe that what I will call this new anti-religion it will be RELIGION spelled backwards Noigiler-pronounced Noogeeliar. Aman!

Answer 3

I assume you’re asking because some of the tricks they do seem far beyond the capabilities of a Houdini or Copperfield or Penn & Teller. Is there some sort of spiritual connection involved?

I don’t know how much of it is simply due to the fact that we don’t know the tricks. But I’ve seen their street tricks on television, and short of video-editing (i.e., a downright lie), I can’t for the life of me figure out how they do some of the things they do.

Almost all magicians I see as just “average professionals” who learn their craft, then practice it, no supernatural elements involved. With both Blaine and Angel, though, I get strong “vibes” on the spiritual level. I also have extremely strong visceral reactions to both of them – where usually I do not have strong opinions or only form them after long analysis.

To say it simply: I really like Blaine. I really don’t like Angel.

Blaine feels down to earth, an average soft-spoken guy. He’s very bright, very perceptive. But more importantly, during his performance, I feel that it is not about himself wielding power over others at all but about him sharing something special that others will both delight in and be amazed by. There’s a real joy with him when he does what he does, and I do not feel any “pride” in him about it. He's not trying to make himself look better, he's simply sharing what gifts he has. He has a real peace about what he does.

During his endurance tests, Blaine also allows himself to be seen in a weak condition, rather than at his best. He allows others to lift him up and support him when he’s weak. He is grateful for their presence. What he does in his acts is forge community. This is pretty much the opposite of hubris. He seems to do what he does for some purpose outside himself.

Angel felt “dark” to me as soon as I saw him. There was a lot of tension, no peace, just raw displays of power. I felt like the show was a spectacle and all about pointing out what HE was capable of doing. Self-aggrandizing, to say the least. I felt very very unsettled watching him.

(But that’s only my analysis AFTER the fact: Like I said, when I saw him, my gut reaction was very very negative.)

I also look at the fruit of a man’s work. Blaine invariably pulls people together, no matter what race or color or gender they are. He is inclusive, embracing, seems to inspire people to want to be more than they're being.

From what I saw of Angel, I felt only discord, a sense of “look at what I can do!” I felt like it was a power trip… down to the core. I could be completely wrong. Maybe if I saw Angel outside his show, I’d see another side of him. But right now, I don’t like what he does or the feeling I get about why he does it.

I don’t know what Blaine believes, doctrinally. I can't say exactly how "open" he is to God versus something else. All I can say that at least his attitudes, behavior, and effects of his behavior are positive in the Christian sense. You'll have to form your own judgment at that point.

But I don’t like the “spirit” that I sense in Angel. I don't watch him. He creeps me out.

Answer 4

If you ask them, they'll admit that there is nothing supernatural or metaphysical about what they do. Even their most spectacular illusions are rooted in the physical world.

It's important to note that they're not pretending to summon spirits to do their tricks for them (so they can make money), and they're not advocating that sort of thing. Basically, it's just entertainment.

Don't worry about it. Just enjoy the show, and ask yourself, "How did they do that?"

Answer 5

I actually like magicians, I got David Copperfield's autograph, but of course I don't believe in that type of magic.

Answer 6

They must be pretty cool since Jesus was a magician too. And christians think so highly of Jesus---they must think highly of magicians.

Answer 7

I believe that what most people call magicians are simply illusionists. They are not claiming that Satan helped them do the tricks.

Answer 8

They've had to rename themselves 'illusionists' because of silly Christians who get confused about what they are doing based merely on semantics and Bible literalism.

Answer 9

I don't believe in magic....though they are entertaining to watch. I don't believe man has that kind of power, they are mind tricks.

Answer 10

They are just entertainers. I am always leery of them though and am careful to remind my kids that they are just illusions and not real.