December 17, 2005
An American Obsession: The Occult
Our culture seems to be embracing the occult more and more these days. From television shows about witchcraft and mediums to children’s books that embrace magic in a dangerous way, the occult has become a pervasive influence in our lives. More and more people are being suckered into fake pagan religions. Why?
Examples of the Occult in our Culture
Recently, I stopped in at McDonalds for some Happy Meals (I have four children who aren’t allowed to eat McDonalds, unless of course we don’t have an option . . . ). Once our food arrived, I drove away. It wasn’t until later that I realized the Happy Meal contained a W.I.T.C.H. doll and a story to go with it. This, in my mind, is completely unacceptable from a company like McDonalds (just another reason to stay away).
In addition, there’s a full range of television programming around the occult from shows like Medium and Ghost Whisperer. Children’s books are going the same direction. No matter your stance on Harry Potter, use of occultic magic is clear in the books and we’ve seen a resurgence of interest in witchcraft by children since the books were printed. Other books – in particular His Dark Materials - make Harry Potter look timid in comparison. And His Dark Materials is becoming a major motion picture to bring what is essentially Satanism to the masses.
Where is this obsession (and acceptance) coming from?
The nature of the problem
I strongly believe that this problem stems from one place: ignorance. Ignorance, they say, is bliss, but in some cases it can lead you to believe silly things. Nature religions have been around a long time, but it takes a decent amount of ignorance to fall for the claims they make. In addition, as a Christian, you must be ignorant of Christian truths to allow yourself to be taken in by these occultist offerings. Or to allow, for instance, your children to play with W.I.T.C.H. dolls or read books like His Dark Materials.
Of course, that’s a simple answer to a more complex problem. People have a “God-sized hole” in their heart. A hole that we struggle our entire lives to fill. Often those who have not accepted the reality of God seek out other types of spirituality in order to fill this very human need – a need given to us by our creator to keep us seeking Him. Often these nature religions and occultist entertainment give us a non-threatening spiritual experience. By that I mean, we can experience an empty spirituality in our lives without actually attempting to conform our lives to God’s design. Sin? With a nature-based religion we can pretend that sin doesn’t exist in any real way. We can continue doing those selfish things that keep us from accepting the truth of God. In other words, it’s much easier to accept a religion that requires nothing of you.
What does the Bible say?
As Christians, we should look to the Bible for guidance in our lives. And the Bible is very clear on the occult. In fact, the words should scare us considering the culture we live in:
Revelation 21:8. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the sourcerers, idolators, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
Sorcery is mentioned many times in Scripture as a terrible evil and virtually all occultist practices can be viewed as sorcery. One other example is Galations 5:20-21. Several types of sorcery is also broken out and specifically condemned: astrology (Isaiah 47:10-14), mediums (Isaiah 44:25, 1 Chronicles 10:14-15).
What can we do?
As Christians, we must speak out against this pollution of our culture by the occult. Don’t go to McDonalds or other places that push this garbage – particularly if it’s on our children. Speak up to your friends and family about the problems inherent in accepting this type of error. Fundamentally, by opening ourselves to occultist practices, we open ourselves to demons. Christians have always believed that this type of participation enables possession.
If you are currently involved in the occult, look to Acts 19:19. The new Christians who practiced magic got together and burned the books that they now deemed worthless and sinful. It is never too early to come back to God, who will always accept you with tears of joy.
God bless,
Jay
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Jay,
I agree with you in principle. Where do you draw the line though? One can find just about anything morally offensive to Christians in just about anything this world has to offer. And yet we are not called to separate ourselves completely from the world. We are to be in the world, but not of the world. How can we relate to others who are not Christan and are immersed in our secular and even occultic culture, if we are so out of touch with it ourselves?
On the flip side, we have moved so far away from the things of God that even a secular person from 50 years ago would blush at things we Christians casually accept today.
How do you evaluate how much is too much, or not enough?
I think that we must use the culture around us to constantly a) remind us b) teach our children and c) show non-christians how utterly bankrupt the world's various views are.
In other words don't shrink in retreat from the world's culture and into our own Christin subculture, but instead do battle with it. We have the Truth we shouldn't be afraid of any idea out there. Nor should we be afraid of lovingly and in the proper way expose our children to those ideas. Constantly teaching them what is True and why it is so.
For example, I read "His Dark Materials" just because of its blantant anti-Catholic/Christian world view. (And no I didn't buy them but got them from the library so I wouldn't support a book like that with my money) These books didn't weaken my faith one iota, if fact it strengthen it, because I realized rather early on that the premise was based on faulty understanding of the Truth, and I could see through it. Now I can let my kids, if they so desire, read the books (not yet as my oldest can't even read) and I can discuss the books rationally with them and expose why the underlying premise just doesn't work. My kids and I can then talk with other children or adults that have that world view and show them how it is wrong as well. I'd much rather it happen that way than a child expose my kids to these ideas without my supervision.
Just a thought.
In Christ,
Thomas
Thomas,
You are right to point out that Christians are called to engage the secular / pagan culture. Saint Paul tells us not to withdraw. I think we are all agreed that a strong Christian can and should face the lies of the occult with boldness and truth.
Children pose a delicate grey area though. They often come to know and love McDonalds well before their critical thinking faculties are capable of "rejecting an idea". There is a stage of child development (sometimes called the age of innocence) where all ideas presented to a child co-exist and where bad ideas cannot be erased by simple contradicting.
For example, if your children were taught that Mary cannot intercede for us and then were taught to say the Rosary, they would then simultaneously believe that Mary could intercede and Mary could not intercede since they would accept everything. So at the early stages of life "sheltering" makes sense.
At the other end, the goal of Christian parenting is to give them the tools to discern what is of the Lord and what is not. I think Saint Paul also speaks somewhere about how those mature in the faith are less easily swayed by storms.
Between the two extremes lies a grey area where the rules are not clear cut and the right decision varies from child to child.
Though to get back to Jay's original point, I don't think he was proposing retreating into a Christian subculture. I think he was suggesting being publicly outspoken and talking with the wallet. I seem to recall the Apostles got into trouble with the local makers of graven images because the Apostles were preaching a religion that reduced the market demand for Greek Gods.
Posted by: Broken Record at December 20, 2005 3:00 PMBroken,
What is your view on Harry Potter? and what do you tell a person who thinks it is harmless?
Posted by: David at December 30, 2005 9:21 PMDavid,
I have not read Harry Potter so my ability to comment meaningfully on it is limited.
That being said, I suspect it is far less "harmful" or morally deviant than other stuff that I have read such as Dragon Lance, Piers Anthony, Asimov, and Terry Pratchett or Star Trek. I would also suspect that it lacks the redeeming traits and virtues that you find in works such as Lord of The Rings, Narnia, or Star Wars.
Being unable to comment meaningfully on Harry Potter (and having no desire to read the stuff), I would prefer to discuss the merits and lack thereof of the things that I have read.
What I can categorically say is that even problematic works can and should be read by Christian adults so that they can interact meaningfully with non-Christians as Paul did in Acts 17. That being said, I also jealously guard my right as a parent to shelter my small children (whose critical thinking facilities have not yet developed) from morally offensive material which would damage their formation. For example, I did not at all appreciate my son being given a book where the first line was "the kids went to Dad's house for dinner".
I do understand that I will need to gradually let go as I teach my children how to discern the voice of the Lord with guidance from the Church so that they can boldly and faithfully proclaim the truths of the Gospel. I do also understand that I will make mistakes along the way and that I need to be humble enough to accept correction from others.
What I will loudly and consistently maintain is that anyone who believes that my children need to be more or less sheltered than they currently are MUST convince ME that things need to change rather than going around me and doing what they think is best to my precious children.
So if I think Harry Potter is OK when it is really poison or if I think it is the seduction of the occult when it is really an opportunity to engage the non-Christian world in meaningful dialogue then by all means call me an ignorant buffoon and try to persuade me to the path of wisdom but don't you dare try to take control over what my children see and think.
As for people people who think Harry Potter, Star Trek, Asimov, or Piers Anthony is harmless because all reading is good I would think that the first thing to do is agree on what "harmless" is. Given that many people think that condoms in school washrooms are "good" and "responsible", I would expect that I would have very different ideas of "harmless".
Posted by: Broken Record at January 3, 2006 5:38 PMJay,
I appreciate your concerns yet must question your grasp of the situation.
Many occultists I have met have embraced their pathway because they have either (a) experienced deep alienation from Christianity after being only too familiar with it and/or (b) have experienced the alternatives as very enriching. Characaturing them as "ignorant" may make you feel good about your own faith but will do precious little to opening the lines of communication.
Likewise quoting the bible is certainly of value to help Christians learn discernment, but it is of little value for non-Christian occultists who have no yet learnt to accept its authority. Paul realised this when witnessing to the Pagans in Athens (Acts 17). It would be wise to consider his "become all things to all people so I might save some" approach. You are treating the occult as though it were a Christian heresy - it is not - it is an alternate religion and accordingly your apologetics need to be framed within a cross-cultural mission approach.
The goal of Christian parenting in such contexts is not only to give children tools for discernment, it is also to give them tools for missional witnessing. That you have not yet done.
Matt Stone
http://mattstone.blogs.com
Matt,
My point was to show the occult is becoming more pervasive in our culture and that Christians (and their children) should be careful to avoid it.
I would agree with your assessment if I were attempting to convert those involved in the occult.
God bless,
Jay
