It is legitmate for people to use all sorts of power - natural, psychological, divine (when granted). It is legitimate to use all kinds of information sources.
But why can't we use dead people and magical forces? They are created things, just like solar power and birds and people. What is illegitimate?
It's not just that the magic or spirits are evil, for we are able to learn things from evil people.
The problem, I suggest is twofold:
- For evil spirits, the information and power is only accessible when a form of worship is offered. Many forms of witchcraft are not mere recipes but worship.
- There are boundaries to human behaviour. Certain powers and sources of information are simply not for us to use. Crossing the boundary of death and the realm of spirits is simply not to be attempted.
5 comments:
2. seems to be guilty of begging the question?
The first point is interesting though.
2. avoids begging the question if the boundary can be specified. Is the physical, living realm a distinct realm in some way?
The bible says not to use witchcraft not specifying what sort. the people in acts burnt their scrolls that were about magic as I remember?
Books by nicki cruz could be useful he grew up with his parents being 'witch doctors' and had a bit to say about their experences of believing they were using 'white magic' and the effects it had. his autobigragh is run baby rub and there was another he wrote on spiritual warfare
Good question Mikey. Have you thought about exploring what's going on in 1 Samuel 28 when Saul enlists the help of a witch from Endor.
It seems that the narrator wants the reader to realise that Saul sought the spiritist only because God was silent/absent. He had no dreams, Urim or prophet because he had long since turned his back on God and, in turn, had been rejected by God.
In sinful desperation, he turned to a witch.
We who have God's voice and presence have no need to follow Saul's lead.
The beginning of some thoughts perhaps?
Mike - fair enough, though it's hard to argue if our aspects of us are already resident in spiritual realms. One would have to argue for distinct categories of spiritual realms, which is getting a trifle scholastic, one would have thought.
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