April 14th, 2011 Culture Wars
Issues Affecting Our Church Families
Part III Does the Lord Want us to Be Wise About Magic
By: Brendan Riordan
Lord of the Rings is an epic battle between good and evil no doubt. Frodo, the underdog is on a heroic mission to save Middle Earth. In order to do this he must destroy a ring, which if in the wrong hands gives daunting power to the evil forces that would have it. Sauron, the wood be evil ruler of Middle Earth would have the ring for himself to raise an army of Trolls, and other evil enlistees to complete his evil ends. Gandalf is the leader supporting Frodo, and all that is good. Did I mention that the ring is magical and that both Sauron and Gandalf are Sorcerers? As the epic story unwinds, Sauron utilizes demonic like Ring Wraith ghosts while Gandalf raises an army of deceased Sprits to aide their respective causes. Gag me with a spoon, but this sort of fairy tale does not sound like it rings of Christian values???
Here we are engaging ourselves in necromancy, sorcery, and a host of other dark arts prohibited in the Bible. Yes, Lord of the rings is a classic tale of a battle between good and evil, but what good and evil? How can we cheer for Gandalf the sorcerer? How can we say this parallels Christianity when its essence is a battle between sorcerers replete with the practice of forbidden dark arts? Does not the Lord condemn the use of magic in the Bible? From the witch of Endor, (1 Samuel 28:7-9), to Simon the sorcerer, (Acts 8:9), the Bible frowns on such professions and practices.
Deuteronomy 18:9-16 is especially clear on the Lord’s stand regarding such. Don’t go there! Others may, you cannot! Deuteronomy 18:9-16 projects a final shot across the bow for God’s people entering the Promised Land. The Lord reminds them with final warnings how He had to kill of their fathers and grandfathers in the dessert, in order to purge Israel of her many sins. Whoring after foreign gods and deities, along with their detestable practices ranked top of the list of those sins.
“When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. 14 For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you.”
NKJV Deut 18:9-14
As the canon shot sails over the heads of the new generation about to enter the Promised Land, the warning is clear. Don’t make the same mistake that your fathers made. And above all don’t practice magic, sorcery, or witchcraft. Because of these practices the Lord was to displace the nations that were presently in the Land.
Should Christians indulge themselves in the knowledge of magic? From Tinkerbelle, to Pokémon, to Harry Potter, to Star Wars, should our children be groomed into magic or the dark arts? Many Christian youth know more about the Lord of the Rings than they do the Lord of the Bible. Did you know that Pokémon means pocket monsters and that the Pokémon game is role playing game whereby participants can use the spirits to induce headaches, read minds and suck out souls. Pokémon participants can pray to the spirits throughout the day when a need arises.
Does the Lord want us to be wise about magic?
My vote is a NO! No, Christians should not be wise in the knowledge of magic. Entertaining oneself with movies or games that delve into witchcraft or other demonic powers should be avoided at all costs.
