1.) tarot cards
2.) magic (supernatural)
3.) magic 8 balls
4.) magic (card game)
5.) mediums and sensitives
6.) the Smurfs
7.) wine
8.) pokemon
9.) wiccan people
10.) Halloween
11.) rock/rap music
2006-12-18 05:21:05 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
LOL > Smurfs? Wine?
I can totally understand why the rest are on your list but......
Anyway, they....except for #6 and 7 (as far as I'm concerned)
are linked with Spiritism and the Occult.
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, and they are fornication, uncleanness, loose conduct, 20 idolatry, practice of spiritism, enmities, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, contentions, divisions, sects, 21 envies, drunken bouts, revelries, and things like these. As to these things I am forewarning YOU, the same way as I did forewarn YOU, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s kingdom." Galatians 5:19-21
"15 Outside are the dogs and those who practice spiritism and the fornicators and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone liking and carrying on a lie.’" Revelation 22:15
********************
A Mysterious Force
Here it is interesting to note an expression of the well-known fortune-teller Jeanne Dixon, who sometimes uses a pack of cards to tell fortunes: “I don’t know a single thing about telling fortunes with cards. I simply have a person hold them so that I can pick up his vibrations.” Similarly, the book Patterns of Prophecy (1973) says concerning palm reading: “Palmists seem to derive their most astute impressions not from the lines of the hand, but from touching the person to make psychic contact. . . . a number of German palmists were unable to make accurate statements about people’s characters when only photocopies of the handprints were presented to them.”
Thus it is not the heavenly bodies, the cards, someone’s palm or any other omens that result in the occasional “direct hits” of fortune-tellers. Their successes are principally due to a mysterious “psychic force.”
Such a strange power is involved in several other methods of probing into the unknown or the future. An example is cleidomancy, or divination by a key held suspended on a thread. When asked questions, the key may revolve or move back and forth to indicate “Yes” or “No” answers or to provide other types of information. Some substitute another object, such as a pendulum, in place of a key. At times such devices, when held over a map, have pointed out the location of hidden or lost objects and missing persons. When dangled above letters of the alphabet laid out in a circle, the pendulum has been known to move toward certain ones in succession to spell out a message.
Similar is the Ouija board, which contains the words “Yes,” “No,” “Good-bye,” the letters of the alphabet and the numbers 1 through 9 and 0. Atop this sits a heart-shaped device mounted on three felt-tipped legs. When consultants put their hands on this, a force causes it to move about the board, spelling out words and sentences that can provide information not previously known to the persons using the board.
The same principle operates in the case of the planchette, which is a triangular or heart-shaped board mounted on tiny wheels with a pencil projected downward. One or more persons place their fingertips on the board and a mysterious power causes it to write.
What is the force that enables fortune-tellers to make correct forecasts on occasion or to obtain accurate information that they could not normally know? What makes the pendulum, the planchette and the three-legged device atop a Ouija board move about in a way that communicates information not obtainable by normal means? What engenders visions in crystal balls that at times accurately describe the unknown or the future? Obviously there is an intelligently directed force at work. Scientists and psychic researchers are not sure what that force is. Would it benefit you to explore such a mysterious power? Would it help you to “try it just once” to satisfy your curiosity?
The Real Power Behind Fortune-telling
The Bible warns all who wish to win the approval of God to keep away from such a thing. God’s view of the matter is set forth at Isaiah 1:13: “I cannot put up with the use of uncanny power along with the solemn assembly [for worship].” Commenting on the Hebrew word a′wen, here rendered “uncanny power,” Johannes Pedersen, a professor of Semitic languages, writes:
“Properly speaking it denotes strength, but gradually it has chiefly come to be used of the false strength, the magic power, and therefore it has all the characteristics of sin.” “[It] denotes the false strength, deeds involving disaster, witchcraft and magic arts.”—Israel: Its Life and Culture, pp. 431, 448.
Other scriptures associate “uncanny power” with divination, which includes fortune-telling. (1 Sam. 15:23; Num. 23:16-18, 21; Josh. 13:22) Persons desiring to worship God acceptably must shun any involvement with such a force, for it does not originate with God. Where, then, does it come from?
Pointing to the real source of much fortune-telling ability, the Bible, at Acts 16:16-18, relates:
“We met a slave girl who had a clairvoyant spirit. She used to bring substantial profit to her masters by fortune-telling. The girl began to follow Paul and the rest of us . . . She did this for several days until finally Paul became annoyed, turned around, and said to the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ I command you, come out of her!’”—The New American Bible.
After the apostle Paul had expelled the “clairvoyant spirit,” or demon, from this girl, her masters “saw that their source of profit was gone.” (Acts 16:19, NAB) She had lost her fortune-telling ability.
It is clear from this that the Word of God links up the uncanny power behind fortune-telling with wicked spirit forces, or superhuman, invisible demons. (Eph. 6:12) That is why God commanded his people to shun every type of divination, saying:
“There should not be found in you anyone who . . . employs divination, a practicer of magic or anyone who looks for omens or a sorcerer, or one who binds others with a spell or anyone who consults a spirit medium or a professional foreteller of events or anyone who inquires of the dead. For everybody doing these things is something detestable to Jehovah.”—Deut. 18:10-12.
All forms of divination, whether by interpretation of omens or by some other use of psychic power, are covered by that prohibition.
2006-12-18 05:38:31 · answer #1 · answered by Livin In Myrtle Beach SC 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
boy, some of these look like you were smoking something
1.) tarot cards - Divination is concidered something of the Devil
2.) magic (supernatural) - See # 1
3.) magic 8 balls - This is not something we're against. IT's a toy
4.) magic (card game) - Some don't like it. I think it's stupid, but not evil.
5.) mediums and sensitives - See #1
6.) the Smurfs - The what?
7.) wine - Not evil. Some practices are against it, but a majority aren't. Just drink in moderation.
8.) pokemon - Have you ever watched that show? The cards are ok, but Pikachu is scary.
9.) wiccan people - Wiccan religion we're against, the people we aren't. I personlly think the religion is silly (I researched it for five years when I wanted to be a wiccan)
10.) Halloween - only certain groups are
11.) rock/rap music - Personally, anything that says it's ok to defile your body, defile God, or defile another person is evil. Not all rock/rap does this, but I don't listen to the stuff that does.
2006-12-18 05:31:10 · answer #2 · answered by sister steph 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
A lot of them are considered "evil" because they attempt to tap into the demonic part of the spirit world. ie, tarot cards, magic, mediums.
Wicca is considered "evil" because it involves magic and witchcraft.
Some of the things on your list are considered "evil" because some people are getting too legalistic. Or it could just be a matter of personal conviction. Halloween, for example. The root of the holiday may have Pagan roots, but it isn't that way (as a majority) any more. Most people don't have evil intentions when they celebrate Halloween.
2006-12-18 05:32:56 · answer #3 · answered by amylynn25 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm a Christian, I'll give it a shot:
1.) tarot cards
Nothing to be scared of here...it's all fake, anyhow.
2.) magic (supernatural)
God is the true author of all true magic...He does supernatural things all the time! But I would be careful about messing with 'spirits'...some of them are not very nice. That would be why they 'fell' in the first place...and now we call them 'demons'. (Yes, Virginia, there are such things as demons...and they don't like you at allllllllll.....)
3.) magic 8 balls
You mean the toy you shake and it says things like "not a chance" or "maybe"? Cool kid's game. I have one of my own...only it's an 'angel ball;...it's blue and says 'angel' on it, rather than the usual ugly black thing that has the 8 on it.
4.) magic (card game)
Never heard of it...
5.) mediums and sensitives
Mostly fake...some few of them may be contacting spirits, but, once again, I'd be careful messing with them...some of them are not so nice, remember.
6.) the Smurfs
There are actually Christians who have a problem with the Smurfs? *shakes her head sadly* Maybe they just need to take a good laxative...
7.) wine
Do you mean drinking a bit of wine...maybe even catching a bit of a buzz occasionally? Or do you mean making a drunken display out of yourself on a more or less regular basis? HUGE differeance!!
8.) pokemon
OH, COME ON!! POKEMON?? Surely, nobody really needs to explain why the notion of training animals to fight is bad? But, then, I live in Alabama, in an area where people still fight pit bulls and chickens, so perhaps my perspective is a bit different. Even though it's technically illegal, where I live, the chief of police keeps a yard full of pit bulls. DISGUSTING!!
9.) wiccan people
I have no problem with wiccan people, as long as they aren't trying to convert me, or force their religion down my throat (joke). Actually, I've met a few wiccans who believe much as I do...God has no gender, God is both and neither male and female, for instance. Except, I do believe that Jesus is God incarnate, and that He came to (a)die the death for sin in our place (b)experience being human first hand and speak face to face with people. BTW, Jesus NEVER discriminated against women....
10.) Halloween
Again, some "Christian" folks just need to take a good laxative.
11.) rock/rap music
I object to profane and/or violent lyrics...other than that, it's a personal preference. The "older generation" of my time wasn't crazy about what we considered "rock and roll" in the sixties, either, but every generation seems to express itself in it's music.
I hope that helps you.
2006-12-18 05:49:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
With the exception of #11, all the others generally acknowledge or indicate that there are gods other than God that are to be worshipped or venerated. That's against the scriptures of the Bible and the teachings of the church.
#11 Rock/rap music can be often be innocuous. But the overall concept of those genres of music is to speak of things that, like the other 10, displace God's role in the life of an individual. Physical love, relationships, revenge, violence, etc. all become things to strive towards in life. That makes them idols, and therefore also against the scriptures.
2006-12-18 05:32:07 · answer #5 · answered by Bob L 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Have not you heard.
You will not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You will 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 forth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Exodus 20:4-6 (NIV)
That should pretty much explain it seeing that we live in a country of laws modeled after the Ten Commandments in its beginning.
Oh! And you are welcomed to label me all you want. I am dead already, so I have nothing to lose.
2006-12-18 05:43:18 · answer #6 · answered by אידיאליסטי™ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The "PhD" guy didn't read the question and now looks kind of dumb. The question was "why do many Christian's believe these things are evil". There were no "claims" of the evilness of these things made by the asker.
To answer, I think people fear what they do not understand. Anything that undermines what thye believe ot be true must be bad. etc., etc.
Personally, I think if it's legal and it makes you feel secure in the crazy world, go for it.
2006-12-18 05:44:55 · answer #7 · answered by Jennie Fabulous 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I'm not a Christian, but I can answer the one about Pokemon. There's a site online called the "Christian Guide to Video Gaming", where they reviewed that game. The entire site is a laugh riot, but the Pokemon review is the best part (besides the fact that they called Sim City "slightly offensive"). Here's what they have to say about Pokemon:
"Life in the Pokémon world is one of continuous fighting. Children are encouraged to train cute little animals to bite and scratch their friends' cute little animals. If the purpose of the game were to collect cute little puppies and train them to fight other cute little puppies, there would be a huge public outcry. Since the Pokémon are imaginary animals, it seems to be more acceptable. We are concerned about a game that puts children into a world of constant belligerence and aggression, turning cute characters into little monsters."
"To gain the competitive edge, a trainer must use magic potions to heal and strengthen his Pokémon, and wear magic badges to control the stronger Pokémon. In addition, the really powerful Pokémon have psychic powers and can throw curses. This bears disturbing similarities to witchcraft. In the Nintendo-licensed storyline of the cartoon, Ash, the hero of the series, goes to a tower haunted by dead Pokémon. To detect and identify these Pokémon, Ash uses a Silph Scope (a real instrument used by paranormal researchers to detect ghosts). While in the tower, Ash is attacked by Channelers, which are described as possessed people who use dead Pokémon to attack live Pokémon. In the story, one even chants, "Give me your soul...give me your soul" over and over again ("Pathways to Adventure", pg. 66).
Channelers, like the Silph Scope, are real! Channelers are people who "channel" or become possessed with a spirit who communicates through the human host. This occult encounter, as well as others in the storyline ("Pathways to Adventure", pg. 70), are specifically targeted for a pre-teen audience. Pokémon can be a gateway and a simple stepping-stone to more overtly occult games like Dungeons & Dragons."
I know all Christians obviously don't think like that, but apparently some of them do, because that's how you get reviews like these.
2006-12-18 05:29:56 · answer #8 · answered by . 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Growing up in fundamentalist churches taught me that, no matter what the issue is, some Bible beater will always find some way to suck the fun out of it.
I have found this to be a good way of evaluating things: If what you are doing is not hurting you or anyone else, then it's probably okay, and if you enjoy it, go for it.
2006-12-18 05:36:40 · answer #9 · answered by Caleb 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
LOL, I can. But I dont want you to think its what I believe. 1,2,5,9,and 10 are considered evil because they are part of "witchcraft" wich the Bible denounces.
3 and 4 because it includes magic, wich is against God.
6 is because of the name Azriel, think it was the cat.
7 is because it was used in witchcraft, but they forget even Jesus drank a little wine.
11 because it is considered secular and worldly, and Christians are told not to be "in the World"
Didnt know 8 was, LOL.
2006-12-18 05:28:06 · answer #10 · answered by sweetie_baby 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
1. witchcraft
2. witchcraft
3. magic eightballs? this had to be a typo.
4. just a card game
5. witchcraft
6.lalalalalalalala...i love the smurfs
7. causes problems and its a sin to be drunken...
8. pokemon...nah i like picacu...PICA PICA
9. witchcraft ,paganism, idolotry
10. halloween in and of itself can be a good time, its imaginative and can be seen as just fun as long as its not taken to far...trick or treating is not evil in my oppinion
11. rock and rap are not evil unless its contents are...
Most of what you mentioned fall into the category of witchcraft. Wotchcraft takes the focus off of gods power and gives people the false confidence that they have power in themselves beyond what is given from god
2006-12-18 05:30:31 · answer #11 · answered by Robert K 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋