Is believing in horoscope's causing me to sin?

Question

Im a strong believer in god..And i was told that believing or even just reading my horoscope is a sin.Why is that? Is it true?

Answer 1

[Astrology] is essentially the same as astromancy, DIVINATION by stars." - Universal Standard Encyclopedia, 1955, Vol. 2, p. 471.

"There shall not be found among you any one who...practices DIVINATION.... For whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD." - Deut. 18:10-12, RSV. Cf. Is. 47:10-13.

And ultimately, the truth is that it just doesn't work. Concerning just the physical impracticality of astrology:

Even if the unlikely event that the sun, moon and all the planets lined up in a straight line to combine their gravitational pulls, the effect on the human body would be nullified if the person merely sat down from a standing position. Lowering the body a simple distance of twenty-five inches would bring it closer to the gravitational center of the earth and neutralize all effects of the other heavenly bodies that we are told have such influence!

Thus, the slightest variations in altitude of birthplace, then, would cause a great influence on individuals by this most influential planet of all. This factor alone (if there is any real influence by heavenly bodies) should completely overshadow the infinitesimal influence of other planets and stars. And yet it is not even considered by astrologers!

Also:

Consider the scale of the universe. Astronomers measure distances in terms of the speed of light. The basic unit is the light-year, or the distance light travels in one year. Light travels some 186,000 miles in a second. For instance, the star Sirius is 51,000,000,000,000 miles away but its astronomical distance is refered to as 8.7 light-years away.

Similarly, light-speed units provide some idea of the distance involved within the solar system. If one was to look up at the moon, you would see the moon as it was about 1.3 seconds ago. In other words, it is 1.3 light-seconds away; that’s how long it took the moonlight you see to reach the earth. The sun is about 8.3 light-minutes away from Earth, and Pluto 5.6 light-hours. Some stars that we see in the night sky aren’t really ‘there’ at all; we see the light they emitted anywhere from a few years to several thousand years ago. Astrology would have us believe that if, at the moment of birth, the sun is aligned with a set of stars that aren’t even ‘there’ as we see them, one’s future or character will be different from what it would be if the sun were aligned with another set of not-there stars. Is this really rational?

With some 250,000,000,000 stars in our own particular galaxy alone that surround us, the possibilities are endless.

Answer 2

Well I would not believe in it and it is probably better not to read them. There is so many better things to read, lives of the Saints etc.

Here is what a Bishop said:
Astrology And Horoscopes

Jeremiah 10:2—"Thus says the Lord: Learn not the customs of the pagans and have no fear of the signs of the heavens, though the pagans fear them." By studying the stars and planets an astrologer casts a horoscope on the basis of the month and the day of an individual's birth. The horoscope is a prediction of events likely to occur in a person's life based upon the movement of the stars and planets. Even though millions of people follow horoscopes with greater or lesser interest, this is still a type of fortune telling. Even if you say you do not believe in horoscopes, and only read your own for fun, you should abandon this practice. The daily horoscope can easily influence us from time to time. It is a way in which we open ourselves to the occult.

If you want to live in the Kingdom of God, renounce horoscopes and all other means of fortune telling. Any playing cards, Ouija boards, or other things used for fortune telling should be destroyed.

What the Catechism says:
2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.

Answer 3

Astrology was originally a form of star worship, as the ancient people thought that the planets and stars were gods who could control your life. Both the Old and New Testaments forbids worshiping the sun, moon or stars, and Isaiah 47:12-14 seems to equate astrology with witchcraft.

Deuteronomy 4:18 (NIV)
And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.

Answer 4

Another Capricorn like me. I always heard that practicing any "occultic" beliefs is wrong to the point of being sinful. I stay away from horoscopes. There are 12 horoscopes daily. So each horoscope would cover 1/12 of the worlds population. How could that be? Are they that general?

Answer 5

If you are a Christian, then yes, it's a sin.

Deu 18:9-12
"When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. "For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you.

Astrology is definitely a form of divination. Prophecies are only to be trusted if they come from a prophet of God. The bible tells you how to recognize a prophet of God. I can't remember the exact OT verses, but this is what it comes down to:
1) A true prophet always gives credit to God for the prophecy (not stars or planets)
2) A true prophet is never wrong. Not even once.
3) A true prophet will never try to persuade you to do anything contrary to scripture.

Jim

Answer 6

No, I'm a Christian and I do that all of the time. A lot of people do that. I mean, the stuff (horoscopes I mean.) is fake okay? So yea sometimes it can be freakily true and some of the stuff happens and when it does-cool! But it's all just for fun. But no, it's not a sin.

Answer 7

It is sweetie. You don't need someone to "predict" your future when you have the one that wrote it in your life. God knows you from before you are in your mother's womb.(Jeremiah 1:5) Seek Him sweetie because the horoscope is a door you are opening for the enemy to come in and out as he pleases through your life. If it's hard to let go pray about it and tell God how you feel. He's faithful and will help you overcome. God bless!

Answer 8

Read these links for the information you are looking for:
Is Astrology the Key to your Future?
http://www.watchtower.org/library/g/2005/8/8/article_01.htm



"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."*—Deuteronomy 18:10-12.

The simple truth is that astrology is one of "the machinations of the Devil," which he uses to control and influence people to serve his purpose. Thus, it is hardly surprising that the Bible exhorts Christians to "stand firm" against Satan's clever devices—which include astrology. (Ephesians 6:11)

Answer 9

yea, but who cares about horoscopes. why would you believe in them anyway. do you REALLY think that a piece of paper can determine who you REALLY are on the inside???

Answer 10

I don't know. What did your horoscope have to say on the matter? :p