"When
thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not
learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not
be
found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter pass to through the
fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter,
or
a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter of mediums, or a wizard, or a
necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord; and
because
of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God." -Deuteronomy 18:9-13
Today's
world confronts a strange and growing paradox that could well mark a pivotal
point in human history. Even as the scientific and technological advancement
which
ushered in the space age accelerates at an exponential rate, we are witnessing
far and away the greatest occult explosion of all time. The evidence
seems
to indicate that something of unusual historic significance is in process.
The
Bible absolutely condemns occult practices of any kind. The word
"occult" comes from the Latin word occultus, which means "dark,
secret, hidden, or
mysterious."
It expressly alludes to the intrusion of a spirit realm-a fourth dimension-into
our three-dimensional world. Throughout the Old Testament,
God
repeatedly warned His people about participating in such activity. In much the
same way, the New Testament forbids such actions (Galatians 5:20). Today,
however,
occultism besieges America, once considered a Christian nation.
I
am not the first to point out that the New Age movement, so prevalent today, is
anything but new. Historians trace New Age roots back thousands of years
to
the occult religions of the Babylonians and India's pantheistic (all-is-God)
beliefs of the Hindus. Hinduism claims to be the world's oldest religion.
However,
New Age beliefs ultimately go back to the beginning of time. It was in the
Garden of Eden that Satan beguiled Eve through his subtlety, convincing
her
that she and Adam could become as gods, knowing good and evil.
The
serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. The
Bible tells us in Genesis 3:1-6 that the serpent said to the woman,
"Did
God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
The
woman replied to the serpent, "We may eat from the trees in the garden,
but God did say, You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle
of
the garden, and you must not touch it or you will die."
"You
will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman, "for God knows
that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,
knowing
good
and evil." When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food
and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took
some
and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
New
Agers teach the same lies that Satan dispensed at Eden:
1.
God's Word cannot be trusted (verses 1,4,5).
2.
Man does not have to die (verse 4).
3.
Man can become a god (verse 5).
4.
Man can evolve through hidden knowledge (verse 6).
Satan
is the author of this so called "movement," and all of the thousands
of other cults in the world today as well. His goal is to deceive the world
through
his
emissaries of darkness who appear as angels of light (2 Corinthians 11: 13-15).
Encompassing
thousands of autonomous (and sometimes contradictory) beliefs, organizations,
and procedures, "New Age movement" is simply an umbrella term
that
masks its devious teachings and practices that have greatly influenced our
society as a whole. Packaged as the latest advance in science, medicine,
psychology
and physical fitness (thus making it more palatable to the American mind), the
New Age movement has made large gains in our technologically
oriented
society.
Christian
apologists and cult experts have been warning us for years about the perils of
occult activity. The warnings have gone largely unheeded, however,
and
New Age and other occult practices have become commonplace in America today.
The Pledge of Allegiance still proclaims that we are "one nation under
God"-but
which god? New Age beliefs and practices have blitzed America, ranging from
goddess and nature worship to reincarnation, psychics, UFOs, and Astral
Projection
(out-of-body experiences). Furthermore, New Agers and other enemies of the
biblical gospel have tried in our schools, on television, and in
other
public arenas to lump Christianity with Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, and
other childhood fantasies. At the same time they deem shamanism, witchcraft,
Native
American superstitions, and other occult beliefs worthy of our respect and
admiration.
Pluralism
has led to great confusion in our society. Challenging the validity of
someone's spiritual or religious belief is no longer politically correct,
no
matter how absurd that belief or doctrine might be. The social engineers now
ask that we accept all religions as equally valid. But if, as they maintain,
all
religions are equal and all ultimately lead to God, why do we need so many new
ones? And why don't these new religions at all resemble the old ones?
It
has been hard enough for many people to distinguish between Baptists,
Lutherans, Pentecostals, and Catholics. But now they are being offered
everything
from
the Aquarian Gospel to Zen Buddhism to examine. As a society we are cajoled,
deluded, beguiled, and seduced into believing and accepting occultism
under
the cloak of tolerance and religious pluralism.
The
problem with the growth of pluralism is that it reduces the authenticity of any
one religious practice. Christianity becomes merely one of many alternatives.
This
explains in part why we now have more than 5000 cults in America, with tens of
millions of followers. It also accounts for the fact that about one
out
of every four Americans has now embraced a belief in reincarnation. Another
revealing statistic comes from a poll conducted by George Barna in 1993:
About
four out of every ten adults strongly concur that when Christians, Jews,
Buddhists, and others pray to their god, all of those individuals are actually
praying
to the same god, but simply use different names for that deity.'
Presidential
candidate and author/broadcast journalist Pat Buchanan writes, "Americans
of left and right no longer share the same religion, the same values,
the
same codes of morality; we only inhabit the same piece of land.
The
psychic guide dogs, who lead the way through the metaphysical realm, are found at
virtually every level of culture spiritually blind leading the spiritually
blind.
Statistics show a marked increase in psychic interest. Some 70 percent of baby
boomers believe in psychic powers. Some 67 percent of American adults
claim
to -have had a psychic experience such as extrasensory perception.' Hollywood
actors and entertainers, such as Dionne Warwick and Billy Dee Williams,
star
in television programs urging people to call "America's top professional
psychics." A popular New Age magazine, Body, Mind & Spirit, recently
proclaimed,
"Now
with a single phone call, you can choose for yourself from among the country's
leading Master Psychics including: ASTROLOGERS ... NUMEROLOGISTS ...
DREAM
INTERPRETERS ... TAROT CARD READERS... CHANNELERS ... PAST LIFE THERAPISTS ...
CLAIRVOYANTS ... AURA READERS ... and HEALERS.
All
of this is available for a mere $3.95 per minute on a convenient 900 number.'
Today's psychic hotlines and mystic infomercials, as well as movies,
documentaries,
and
television programs that frequently promote occult phenomena, attest to the
fact that we live in a time that must be very close to the end of the age.
God
has spoken clearly in His Word about occult workings. The Old Testament book of
Deuteronomy deals with the detestable practices and idolatrous customs
of
the Canaanites. Through the prophet Moses, God warned His people not to
participate in the evil practices of those nations they were about to possess.
However,
many of those same practices, or modified versions thereof, are now commonplace
in America. Let us examine some of the things that God labeled
detestable
in Deuteronomy 18:9-13 in light of what is happening in America today.
First,
the Lord cautions His people not to sacrifice our sons or daughters in the
fire. The Canaanites and Ammonites reverenced many pagan gods. Among them
was
Molech (Leviticus 18:21, Jeremiah 32:35), whose worship was accompanied by the
burning of children offered as a sacrifice by their own parents.' All
life
is precious to God, particularly children: "Suffer the little children to
come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God"
(Mark
10:14).
Although
here in America we do not legally throw living babies into the fire, we do kill
4000 of them every day in an equally repugnant ceremony called
abortion.
This highly profitable industry uses many methods of destruction. Most of them
are much more hideous than death by fire. Partial birth abortion,
for
example, employs an instrument that sucks the brains out of the partially born
baby before crushing its skull. Remains of abortions are disposed of
in
a variety of ways that may at times include burning. Based on current figures,
by the year 2000 we will be approaching 50 million abortions in the United
States
alone. In a short 27 years (1973-2000), we will have aborted 30 times the
number of Americans lost in all U.S. wars." The same spirit that led the
Ammonites
to sacrifice their children to a pagan god now leads Americans to sacrifice
more than 1.5 million babies each year through abortion.
In
the same verse of Deuteronomy, God warns against divination or sorcery.
Divination was the act of foretelling future events, an imitation of prophecy.
Today
divination and sorcery are found in many New Age activities. One of the most
prevalent of New Age divination practices is astrology. Astrology, or
observing
times, is a contemporary myth that America widely accepts. In 1975 a Gallup
poll showed that more than 32 million Americans believed "that the
stars
influence people's lives" and that many of them consult their daily or
weekly horoscopes. Estimates of the number of astrologers reached as high
as
10,000 who practice it full-time and 175,000 who engage in it part-time. Nine
years later, in 1984, a Gallup poll revealed that among teenagers (ages
13-18),
55 percent believed in astrology. This figure was up from 40 percent in 1978. A
1988 Gallup poll showed that 10 percent of evangelicals believe
in
astrology. just as many people once believed that the stars were gods, many
today believe that the positions of the stars and planets at the time of
one's
birth determine one's character, abilities, and destiny. These people identify
the document that aspires to accomplish this as the horoscope, which
also
serves as the doorway through which many people enter pagan religions.
Many
of today's astrologers frankly admit that ancient Babylonians developed their
craft, just as they invented about every other type of divination known
to
man. More than 80 percent of all newspapers in America now carry horoscope
columns. According to a past White House source, former President Ronald
Reagan
and his wife, Nancy (both of whom are considered by many to be godly people),
are very superstitious. Nancy is reported to have consulted horoscopes
and
a California astrologer before making major decisions affecting both the
Reasons' private and political lives.
This
was not the first time that occultism had occurred in the White House. A TV
network reported that Mary Todd Lincoln held séances in an upstairs room-a
practice
which President Lincoln apparently tolerated with amusement. It certainly is
not amusing to God, who labels the practice of contacting spirits
of
the dead (necromancy) detestable.
More
recently, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton used New Age psychic Jean Houston,
Co-director of the Foundation for Mind Research, to talk to the spirit
of
Eleanor Roosevelt. Reports say that Mrs. Clinton had talks with Roosevelt and
Mohandas Gandhi.
Mrs.
Clinton said, "Now I'm sure that there will be a talk show host somewhere
who will point out with great glee that I have gone over the edge and am
talking
to myself and to Mrs. Roosevelt on a regular basis, but I believe the world,
and particularly our country, would be better off if we all spent
a
little time talking with Mrs. Roosevelt....
Interestingly,
when Houston suggested that Mrs. Clinton next have a conversation with Jesus
Christ, the first lady declined, saying that it would be "too
personal.
1112 Incredibly, the United Methodist Bishop of Arkansas, Richard Wilke,
endorsed Mrs. Clinton's involvement with necromancy, saying, "I think
it's
marvelous that she's having experiences like this," adding that Mrs.
Clinton was "one of the most profound lay theologians in the United
Methodist
Church.""
This is simply further evidence of how deficient we are in biblical discernment
and godly wisdom among our mainline denominations.
What
position should Christians take when discussions of astrology and other forms
of divination arise? Do the stars shape our destiny? Are there unseen
influences
in the unconscious mind related to the position of the planets in their orbits?
Again, we must go to the Bible. God branded these practices
as
detestable. In other words, they were particularly offensive to Him. When
Israel wanted to know God's divine will, they were commanded to avoid the
magic
and superstitious practices of the Canaanites. Instead, they were to wait upon
the Lord, who would raise up a prophet from among them. God's prophets
were
not primarily to tell the future, but to instruct and reprove people in the
Lord's name. God intended prophecies and miracles primarily as a sign
to
establish the prophet's credentials, and God's prophets were accurate 100
percent of the time when they prophesied (Deuteronomy 18:20-22). Anything
less
than total accuracy resulted in death by stoning for the false prophet.
Check
the record of any modem-day astrologer or psychic, even the famous Jeane Dixon,
and you will discover that, unlike God's prophets, they are extremely
inaccurate.
Yet many people believe Dixon to be a good Christian. In her book Yesterday,
Today and Forever Dixon asserts that the Holy Spirit guided her
in
uniting Christianity with astrology. "As I understand it... the Catholic
Church and many other religious bodies as well have never condemned the study
of
Astrology Dixon says. "I have never experienced any conflict between my
faith and the guidance I receive from my church on the one hand and the knowledge
I
find in the stars on the other ... Actually, much of what I know I learned from
a Jesuit priest, who was one of the best-informed scholars I ever met."
Deuteronomy
13:1-5 informs us that even a prophet who prophesies correctly, but leads a
person to worship other gods, is a deceiver and a betrayer of God.
We
are not to follow that prophet. Most prophecies of modern-day psychics do not
come to pass. Deuteronomy 18:22 states:
When
a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not nor come to
pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet
hath
spoken it presumptuously; thou shalt not be afraid of him.
Ruth
Montgomery, Dixon's biographer and close personal friend, is the first to admit
that Dixon has made false prophecies, but (in spite of evidence to
the
contrary) she says those errors are infrequent: "Jeane made a few
forecasts that failed to occur.... She predicted that Red China would plunge
the
world
into war over Quemoy and Matsu in October of 1958; she thought that labor
leader Walter Reuther would actively seek the presidency in 1964."
According
to
the Word of God, the sign of a false prophet is false prophecy. Jeane Dixon
qualifies as a false prophet.
There
is also an occult connection to Dixon. For example, she uses a crystal ball and
telepathy plus astrology in her activities, all of which Scripture
condemns.
Furthermore, her call to become a prophet was dispensed by a fortune telling
gypsy.
Does
any scientific evidence support astrology? Do the sun-signs really influence
our lives? In test after test, the answer to both questions is no. One
experiment
involving nearly 3000 married couples and 500 divorced couples tested
compatibility based on astrological signs. The results showed that astrological
signs
did not significantly alter the outcome of either group. Those born under the
"compatible" signs married and divorced as often as those born under
the
"incompatible" signs."
Astrologers
have also claimed that certain professions, such as politicians and scientists,
tend to be born under one certain sun-sign or another. In other
words,
they link a person's sign to his or her chances of succeeding in a particular
field of endeavor. Yet research involving more than 16,600 scientists
and
nearly 6500 politicians detected no relationship between the sun-signs and the
particular vocation in which a person worked. Sun-signs among the two
occupations
mentioned were as arbitrary as for society at large." Robert A. Morey
declares in his book Horoscopes and the Christian, " . . . it is idolatry
to
ascribe to the stars that which belongs only to the God who created them."
In
America, witchcraft has received a great revival of interest and participation.
Occult book stores, which now proliferate in this land, are busily trying
to
satisfy the immense interest for books and other information on witchcraft and
black magic. Browse through any mall bookstore and you will find an entire
section
of occult books that children of any age can acquire. These occult sections are
typically much larger than the Christian sections. Public libraries
also
have great demand from people with an ardent curiosity in books dealing with
witchcraft, demonology, and the occult. However, the Bible calls sorcery
witchcraft,
and strictly forbids the practice (Deuteronomy 18: 10; Exodus 22:18).
Witchcraft
was a means for extracting information or guidance from a pagan god. The word
describes the activity of Balaam the soothsayer, or professional
prophet,
who was hired to curse Israel. It also describes the woman at Endor who brought
up the spirit of Samuel. All the major prophets condemned witchcraft.
Yet,
here again, some witches and sorcerers have tried to sanitize their practice by
calling it "white" witchcraft or "white" magic as opposed
to "black"
witchcraft
and "black" magic. Those who use such terminology are merely trying
to conceal their works of darkness with religious or spiritual words and
symbols.
White magicians teach that there is only one source of universal power. Black
magicians, on the other hand, believe in a good source and a bad
source
of power. White magic is nothing more than Satan transforming himself into an
angel of light (2 Corinthians 11: 14).
Anton
LeVey, author of the Satanic Bible and Pope of the first Church of Satan in San
Francisco, California, has said explicitly that to believe that there
is
any such thing as white magic is mythology. There is no such thing as white
magic, according to LeVey. All of it has its source in occult psychic power
and
has nothing to do with God."
Some
who practice black magic have made a pact with the devil. Some occult churches
right here in America require submission to Satan as a requirement for
membership.
Maury Terry, an investigative reporter, writes in his book The Ultimate Evil:
There
is compelling evidence of the existence of a nationwide network of satanic
cults, some aligned more closely than others. Some are purveying narcotics;
others
have branched into child pornography and violent sadomasochistic crime,
including murder. I am concerned that the toll of innocent victims will
steadily
mount unless law enforcement officials recognize the threat and face it."
The
Bible teaches of a literal being called Satan who is out to deceive the world:
The great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil
and
Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels
were cast out with him (Revelation 12:9 NKJV).
The
devil is not only real, but his ultimate goal is our destruction (John 10: 10).
He will use any deception at his disposal, but generally uses the most
subtle
deceit (2 Corinthians 11:3,4).
A
wizard is a person who has a familiar spirit. In the Old Testament, a familiar
spirit was a spirit that had frequent communication with the wizard. New
Agers
call this practice "channeling." This is a term for spirit
possession. A familiar spirit, called a "spirit guide," speaks
through the channeler (automatic
speaking)
or writes through him (automatic writing). According to reliable sources, there
are thousands of channelers in America today. Some, like J. Z.
Knight
(who channels a 35,000-year-old spirit called Ramtha), have made enormous
amounts of money. Knight owns a 50-acre ranch in Yelma, Washington and
earned
at one time a reported 4 million dollars a year from her various Ramtha
enterprises. The estate in Yelma evolved into a New Age mecca, with a
2-million-dollar,
10,000-
square-foot house and a giant maze where Ramtha initiates develop their
relationship with the tutelary spirit .20 Like wizards and channelers,
many
psychics and occultists also acknowledge that their powers come from spirits
they have contacted, whether they initially realized it or not. Channelers,
however,
knowingly and willingly allow spirits to control them.
Rock
music has become an occult religion to many people. At some of their concerts,
the heavy-metal group Black Sabbath has given altar calls for Satan,
inviting
young people to come forward to make Satan their lord. Lyrics in their song
"Master of Reality" call Satan the "Lord of this world" and
"your
confessor
now." Ozzy Osbourne, son of a Christian minister and former lead singer
for Black Sabbath, has also given an altar call for Satan at one of his
concerts.
Some
members of the group Iron Maiden openly admit that they are dabbling in the
occult, including witchcraft .22 One Iron Maiden concert in Portland, Oregon,
opened
with the words "Welcome to Satan's sanctuary." Glenn Tipton of the
group Judas Priest confessed that when he goes on stage, he goes crazy:
"It's
like
someone else takes my body. " Rock music has become a purveyor of occultic
and satanic activities. Some of the most common themes found in this style
of
music are illegal drugs, illicit sex, violence, incest, rebellion against
authority, and rebellion against God. There is little question as to who
energies
this
activity.
Not
only has Satanism affected rock music, but its presence has been heavily felt
in the American motion picture industry. Movies such as The Exorcist,
Rosemary's
Baby, The Amityville Horror, and Poltergeist exalt and glorify Satan. Jesus
Christ, meanwhile, has been degraded. For example, Martin Scorsese's
film
The Last Temptation of Christ depicts Jesus in a highly offensive manner. The
film portrays the Son of God as a sinner, a coward, and a homosexual
who
stumbles through life, having an affair with Mary Magdalene along the way
before being executed for his troubles.
Perhaps
the most dangerous movies, however, are not the blatant ones just mentioned.
Most people recognize those movies as flagrant attacks on Christianity.
The
more subtle films that plant seeds of occultism in the minds of our unwary
youth are much more dangerous, in the opinion of many critics. Most of the
films
of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg would fall into this category. Enormously
successful movies such as the Stars Wars trilogy, Close Encounters,
Poltergeist,
Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones, Ghost, and Cocoon, to name just a few,
are rooted in Eastern occult religion. We are raising an entire
generation
of young people who are unaware that their minds are being filled with Eastern
religious thought.
The
spiritual roots upon which this nation was built have eroded from every vestige
of society. The Bible has been removed from public life and replaced
by
occultic and pagan ideas of the past, even though America achieved greatness
because it was founded upon Christian principles and values. But God is
not
mocked; if He brought judgment upon nations in the past that turned to
occultism, how can He ignore a land where 30 percent of our children are born
out
of wedlock, where 1.5 million unborn babies are murdered in their mother's womb
each year, where an estimated 30 million people belong to cults, and
another
60 million believe in or practice some form of occultism?
We
desperately need to heed the words of Scripture: If thou do at all forget the
Lord thy God, and walk after other gods and serve them and worship them,
I
testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which
the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish, because ye would
not
be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 8:19,20).