Why is sorcery considered so bad by so many?

reply to post by mamabeth


ANSWER: To distinguish WHICH of the MANY Gods/Lords are FALSE, and to discover if there ARE any REAL ones.

But unfortunately, many believers do not question these things, hence the reason they still believe in it all.

This is the same reason for which many are unable to answer any questions about their faith without just saying that everyone asking the questions are Satanic. This of course is ANOTHER of the popular COP-OUTS given instead of providing any decent answers.

This is why many folks view the faithful as ignorant. It is in part because nothing of any sense seems to come from them when legitimate questions are asked to them.

PS: Those characters I asked about PRE-DATE your man-god by the way...

[edit on 3-7-2010 by Baloney]

Yet another fear tactic the bible uses. How many different ways does it scare you into submission?

Someone says sorcery is forbidden because god doesnt want people turning to a power other than him. But what if people DO turn to god, and he completely ignores them? What are they supposed to do then, nothing? Is god testing them by making them suffer (as in Job - yet more fear) or does he simply not care?

Come on this is wrong.

When you consider that everything in the bible man is currently capable of doing, and that all the beings in the bible have human traits, then its quite obvious that MAN WROTE THE BIBLE. Magic and sorcery were TECHNOLOGY. Technology used by the pharaohs, and Moses posing as god. That is why it was forbidden, lest the people be woken up to the scam.

Originally posted by Firefly_
Magic and sorcery were TECHNOLOGY. Technology used by the pharaohs, and Moses posing as god. That is why it was forbidden, lest the people be woken up to the scam.

Necromancy is not technology. Necromancy means making contact with the spirits of the dead, for which there is no assured technology even now.

[edit on 3-7-2010 by DISRAELI]

Originally posted by DISRAELI

Originally posted by Firefly_
Magic and sorcery were TECHNOLOGY. Technology used by the pharaohs, and Moses posing as god. That is why it was forbidden, lest the people be woken up to the scam.

Necromancy is not technology. Necromancy means making contact with the spirits of the dead, for which there is no assured technology even now.

[edit on 3-7-2010 by DISRAELI]

Or that is being witheld from us. If they could do it then, when humans were more "primitive", then they could do it now.

Take our technology back 5000 years. How would they describe it? What would they attribute it to? I think you'd have a read very similar to whats written in the bible, regarding idols, magic, sorcery and all the crazy imagery.

Originally posted by DISRAELI
Thus, in the Biblical perspective, it is offensive to God to appeal to powers that are not God.

in the biblical perspective,

...there is no power but of God...

Romans 13:1

reply to post by Firefly_

"The powers that be possess the technology to make contact with the spirits of the dead, and are withholding it from the rest of us".
This is one of the less plausible theories that I have encountered on ATS.

Originally posted by MikeboydUS
reply to post by Project_USA

 

I would argue its an art and not a science.

It doesn't follow the scientific method, or anything remotely empirical.

Some of it is philosophical but philosophy is not science. Reasoning isn't scientific, its philosophical. Science requires empirical methods.



[edit on 3/7/10 by MikeboydUS]

It can be studied/learn (based on a know-how), it can be repeated and experience, thus it follows empirical rules/method.
So it's a science in the knowledge and technology for the practice of it.

It DOES follow scientific method, it's just hidden behind the veil of occultistic/ceremonial non-sense.

Originally posted by queenannie38

in the biblical perspective,

...there is no power but of God...

Romans 13:1

a) This does not affect my original point that he does not want us to make appeal to all the powers that are available, for which there is ample textual evidence.

b) It is evident from the context, which is an essential factor in all Biblical quotation, that Paul is talking here about human authority (that's the third time this verse has come up for me this weekend).

So, returning to my original point;
There is ample Biblical evidence that the Biblical God did not want his followers to practice sorcery
And the most sensible way of explaining this is that it was part of the blanket prohibition against the worship of other gods.



[edit on 3-7-2010 by DISRAELI]

Originally posted by queenannie38

Originally posted by DISRAELI
Thus, in the Biblical perspective, it is offensive to God to appeal to powers that are not God.

in the biblical perspective,

...there is no power but of God...

Romans 13:1

Let him desmontrate us that God can be jealous...

Also he contradicts himself as if there is no power other than God', how can He (God) can be offensed by "appealing to powers that are not God"?..

reply to post by mamabeth


I used to think just like you. The reason I avoided all things that even MIGHT be attributed to seeking other sources of knowledge or power was because I feared I could "open a door" that I might not want to. I even taught my kids this. It was what I was taught in the church. I believed it to be true. But where in the Bible does it say WHY He considers all this so bad? I know what my pastor told me, but I don't know if it is in the Bible itself. Supernatural isn't inherently bad, otherwise God wouldn't do miracles and heal people and such.

Originally posted by Project_USA

Also he contradicts himself as if there is no power other than God', how can He (God) can be offensed by "appealing to powers that are not God"?..

No contradiction involved.
The argument given in Isaiah is "all these gods are imaginary, and that is precisely why you should not be appealing to them. Why appeal to imaginary gods".

PS I should make it clear that the above "quote" is a paraphrase of the sense of Isaiah's argument, and I should supplement it with direct quotation in due course.

For example, now that I've got a little time to keep my promise;
Isaiah ch44;
"All who make idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit...Who fashions a god or casts an image, that is profitable for nothing? " vv9-10
"...a deluded mind has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say 'Is there not a lie in my right hand?'" v29



[edit on 3-7-2010 by DISRAELI]

There are some really great answers on the board! If you practice sorcery, you are opening doors and calling in evil spirits. Familiar spirits can mimick dead relatives in a very unusual way. There are also lying and deceiving spirits. The devil only comes to steal, kill and destroy. He will attack you at your weakest moment! I don't think that any of us want that!

reply to post by Firefly_




So true.
Why was Galileo judged? Or countless of people burned alive and tortured?
We lost centuries recovering from this obscurantism...
ANY knowledge is a threat to religions (as people get closer to realizing they are based on lies) and they treat it as such.

What were Adam & Eve banned for? They tried to obtain knowledge.
How can a TRUE GOD forbid us from evolving through science and knowledge? All-loving, indeed.

Originally posted by DISRAELI

Originally posted by Project_USA

Also he contradicts himself as if there is no power other than God', how can He (God) can be offensed by "appealing to powers that are not God"?..

No contradiction involved.
The argument given in Isaiah is "all these gods are imaginary, and that is precisely why you should not be appealing to them. Why appeal to imaginary gods".

Imaginery power is no power at all. So why would He feel threatened by "nothing"?
What is the risk into appealing "Gods who dont exist" for us?
Beside wasting our time I mean.

reply to post by mamabeth


Again, I used to think like you, but really one cannot trust their heart it seems. Some people's hearts lead them to other religions and faith. That leaves plenty of room for making a mistake in believing in the wrong god. Why would God do this to us? It seems cruel.

reply to post by superluminal11


God is supposedly Love, but why do I live in fear of Him then. It seems I cannot choose one. I am fearful simply asking the questions I do. I've been thinking of making this thread for a few days now and finally got the guts to do it. I think God might be mad at me now, but I am sick of having questions and being afraid to ask them.

reply to post by DISRAELI


I know these things in the Bible. What I want to know though, is WHY does God abhor what they do? I know He does, it's been beat into my head for my whole life. I want to know why though... I don't know if I can know.

Originally posted by Ellie Sagan
reply to post by mamabeth

 

Again, I used to think like you, but really one cannot trust their heart it seems. Some people's hearts lead them to other religions and faith. That leaves plenty of room for making a mistake in believing in the wrong god. Why would God do this to us? It seems cruel.

There is no good God as there is no God. Or to be more precise We (human beings) have yet to come up with a MEANINGFUL concept to describe what could be GOD.
We surely dont have that knowledge yet.
So, what people believe in are concepts that they CHOOSE because they are better suited to the ideas/morals/ethics they have... If they have any.

They dont believe in actual beings but more in ideas/ideologies that they antropomorphize and "give them life".

Originally posted by Project_USA

Imaginery power is no power at all. So why would He feel threatened by "nothing"?
What is the risk into appealing "Gods who dont exist" for us?
Beside wasting our time I mean.

Perhaps, in a way, God is like you.
Why have you been spending all day obsessively posting threads against the Christian religion? Is it that you are indignant because you think people are believing things which are not true?
In that case, it is reasonable, isn't it. that God himself could be indignant that people were believing things that were not true.

The only difference is that God is in a better position than any of us to know what is true and what is not.



[edit on 3-7-2010 by DISRAELI]

I just gotta say... thanks to all who are posting and all who post after this. I have enjoyed the debate and perspectives. I am happy to have such a response. In case it wasn't obvious (enough!), I am sorting through some things here. All responses are helping me sort more.