Archive for October, 2008
Posted by owner on
October 29, 2008
Deliverance and “illness”
Do demons play a role in our physical, mental and emotional illness? That’s a question I’ve struggled with for some time now. I suspect that you’ve wondered about this too. Certainly many illnesses Jesus healed were caused or exascerbted by demons. Why would demons stop attacking us in this way now?
That, of course, leads to a more significant: Does deliverance from demons have a role in healing?
I’ve just posted a review of the book, Healing and Deliverance, by Peter Horrobin (below). The book raises many issue . . . and contains many insights . . . on deliverance and healing. So demondope is going to devote considerable time, not to quoting the book, but to exploring the relationship between deliverance and healing.
You may have have questions you’d like me to explore. If you do, and you’re registered on www.demondope.com, you can post your questions directly. Otherwise emai questions and comments to me at ancient1@nc.rr.com. I’ll post them for others to read, and respond to them as we explore together deliverance from demonically caused physical, mental, emotional and spiritual illness.
Posted by owner on
October 29, 2008
Healing and Deliverance is the title of a book by Peter
Horrobin. It’s published by Chosen, a division of Baker
Books. That’s the first surprise. A major conservative
Christian publisher like Baker doing a book that argues
demons often play a significant role in all types of
human illnesses?…and argues that deliverance from the
demons is an important consideration in healing?
Actually, what should perhaps surprise us it the fact that
so few take this possibility seriously. As one person who
looked at demondope wrote to me, “I find it paradoxical
that so much of Jesus’ ministry dealt with casting out
demons and confronting Satan’s influence in the world
but that Western culture barely recognizes it, especially
in many churches.” Certainly looking through the gospels
we find that often the demons Jesus cast out had been
causing illness and other dissabilities.
But back to Horrobin and his book.
Peter Horrobin began what’s called “Ellel Ministries”
in Britan in 1986. Deliverance constitutes a “strategic
part” of Ellel’s overall ministry. Since then Ellel
centers have been established in many parts of the world
and Horrobin writes, “This book could not have been
written without the experience that has been gained in
ministering to many thousands of people.” It’s fair to
say that Healing and Deliverance is a balanced mix of
analysis of biblical passages and illustrations drawn
from Horrobin’s experience. The many practical hints
about deliverance ministry are usually rooted in good
exegesis of Scripture, although the author tends to
see demonic activity in some incidents reported in
the gospels where no demons are mentioned.
A couple of longer quotes give a good sense of what
the author has to say.
“What seems to be the case is that some symptoms are
demonically caused, others are straightforward physical
symptoms without a direct demonic intervention, and
yet others are a mixture of the two…. While not all
sickness is demonic, there are far more demonically
induced symptoms than the Church would readily admit.
And one of the main reasons why some people are not
healed is that the demonic dimension is not being
discerned, even by those who believe in and use the
gifts of the Holy Spirit” (p. 140).
“Demons do their work most effectively when they are
able to lie hidden. There are many, many people who
are struggling with physical, emotional, mental or
spiritual problems who are really struggling with
demons and don’t know it. And what is often more sad
is that those Christians who have been trying to help
them have not realized what the real problem has been
either” (p.106).
I’m going to conclude this review with a story Horrobin
tells of a personal experience.
“I was preachintg in a fairly typical Anglican church.
I was five minutes into my sermon and beginning to teach
about the power of the name of Jesus over all the powers
of darkness, when a lady stood up on her pew and started
shouting at me, ‘Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!’ The demons
within her could not stand what was being said.
“She tried to tear a Bible into small pieces to throw
at me, but the Holy Spirit fell upon her and she, like
the man in Capernaum, was thrown down to the floor and
finished up with her heard on a hassock before she was
delivered of an evil spirit.
“Later that day there was a somewhat challenging
discussion in the church about wheter or not Christians
could have deomons. In the middle of the debate this
lady got up, came to the front, took over the microphone,
and ended the discussion with one of the most profoundly
brief statements on the subject I have ever heard. ‘Now
listen,’ she said. ‘I’m your church secretary. I’ve been
born again five years, and I didn’t think I had a demon,
but I did. And now I don’t, so there!’ With that she
returned to her seat and saved the whole meeting hours
of fruitless theological discussion! Christians certainly
can, and do, have demons.”
Posted by owner on
October 20, 2008
Wicca and other forms of neopaganism constitute the third most populous religion in the US. And they’re growing at an astounding rate, especially among young people. But what do most folks know about wicca? Here’s are some questions that have been answered in the articles on demondope recently.
1. Why is wicca and similar New Age religions called “neopagan?”
2. Do wiccans have a set of doctrines in which all wiccans believe?
3. What do most wiccans believe about the spiritual universe?
4. Do all wiccans practice witchcraft?
5. What belief about the universe undergirds the practice of witchcraft?
6. Do wiccans have a moral compass? What is it called?
7. In what ways is the moral compass or guide wiccans rely on flawed?
8. What do demons–the biblical kind–have to do with wicca?
9. What do wiccans generally believe about the afterlife?
If you want to have fun with this quiz, take it. Then test some of your friends. Better yet, copy the quiz and forward it with an invitation to check out www.demondope.com for answers.
Posted by owner on
October 20, 2008
Wicca’s afterlife
A psychology of religion class I took many years ago at the Univeristy of Michigan pointed out that religions meet needs. For instance, we humans have a need for belonging. We need to have a worldview…a way to make sense of the universe. We need an identity, some core around which to build our image of ourself. We need some sense that we are in control. And so on. Religion is one way in which we seek to meet these needs; certainly a more effective way than to look to wealth, pleasure, or celebrity to meet our needs.
Different strokes for different folks
Different religions have different mechanisms for meeting needs. And, of course, different needs are stronger in each individual. Some people we know have a driving need for belonging. Others are moved by an urgent need to feel in control of every situation. Others, like the adopted child who feels she must find her birth parents, are in search of identity.
As religions, wicca and the other new pagan faiths offer unique ways to meet various human needs. Becoming a witch provides a distinctive sense of identity; one that sets the witch apart from others and at the same time provides a sense of belonging to a group defined by its difference from people all around. The practice of magic, rooted in the notion that mundane events can be influenced by manipulation of the spiritual universe, can provide a sense of control, especially if one feels inadequate to compete in the mundane world itself. Turning to wicca can provide an opportunity for a young person to rebel against parents. Claiming to follow the Wiccan Rede rather than the Judeo-Christian 10 Commandments can offer a sense of moral superiority, as can the concern for Mother Earth expressed in wiccans committment to the Green movement. And the worldview of wicca, with its concept of a spiritual universe populated by spirit beings, while incoherent, provides a way of structuing reality that has roots in ancient pagan beliefs. To some today, as it did for the ancient Romans, the claim of antiquity seems evidence of the validity of a religion.
A beneficial faith?
Looked at simply from the viewpoint of how well wicca seems to meet various psychological needs, it’s possible to conlude that wicca is a beneficial faith. It can meet the felt–and often the unexpressed–needs of human beings. Just as Judaism or Islam or Christianity can. If we were analyze the ways in which each competing faith meets needs, we’d quickly discover that each religion has differing mechanisms but that each does in fact offer ways to meet the basic needs that are common to all human beings. And in that sense, each religion can be called “beneficial.”
But to truly benefit a person a faith must meet a stringent test
There’s a phrase in the Old Testament that’s very important but commonly misunderstood. It’s applied to various groups and individuals who are destined to be “put to shame.” The idea of shame isn’t as strong in our culture as it was in the biblical world. Simply put, “shame” is caused by exposure of some flaw to public view. When the psalmist prays “do not let me be put to shame” (Psa.25:2) he is asking the God on whom he relies not to fail him, and expose him to ridicule for misplaced trust in the Lord. And when Isaiah asserts that “all the makers of idols will be put to shame” (Isa 45:16) he is predicting that when put to the ultimate test man’s trust in idols we be exposed as futile and empty. So the true test of a religion or a faith is not “does it meet present psychological needs” or “do I like it better than a competing faith,” but rather which faith is true? Which faith will prove to be solidly rooted in reality, so that the believer will not be exposed to ridicule for placing his or her confidence in a useless fiction.
The Shame Test
The shame test calls for public exposure of the truth or falsity of ones faith. The ultimate shame test will take place when Christ returns. But, even today, we can see the issue clearly by comparing neopagan and Christiasn beliefs concering the afterlife.
Wiccans and the afterlife
The basic tenet most wiccans adopt is that humans are spiritual beings having a physical experience. The body will wear out and die, and be shrugged off like a suit of old clothes. The spiritual being–the “real” me–will continue to exist as the imortal spiritual being I have always been. Then, depending on various factors, the person will remain a spiritual being or–if there is still “unfinished business” to be accomplished here on earth–will be reincarnated as another human.
It follows that, as one wiccan website points out, the concept of salvation is “essentially irrelevant.” Rather than being concerned with an afterlife neopagans concentrate on achieving “spiritual balance” and “harmony with each other and nature” in the here and now. Ethical behavior is influence by the general belief that a person is rewarded or punished primarily in this life by the consequences of the choices he makes. While those consequences may spill over in some sense into the afterlife, there is no deity waiting to judge human beings.
This view is supported by personal testimony from neopagans, with “evidence” cited from channeling spirits who tell of their lives on earth, and with memories of “past lives” that many claim to recover. Strikingly, some who have researched their “past lives” have found their “memories” at least partially accurate.
The problem with this kind of “evidence” is that it requires one trust the spirits who speak through the occult. And it requires one to believe the “memories” are one’s own. As we’ve pointed out in these articles, it is far more likely that the spirits who channel are demons. And that demons, who do not die, supply the “memories” of those who believe they have recalled past lives.
The other side of the coin
The biblical view of reality is starkly different from that of wicca and neopaganism. Scripture describes a God who created the universe and humankind. While loving, the God of the Bible is also just and will punish sin. Human beings have individual identity, and each will continue to exist as a self-conscious beings through eternity, either in a state of blessedness with the Savior or a state of condemnation. Salvation is essential, for humans by nature are sinners who are separated from God and condemned. The choice to trust God and rely on his promises in Christ must be made before we die, for “it is given to men to die once, and after this the judgment.”
This view also is supported by the personal testimony of believers who claim to have a personal relationship with Christ. But that testimony is given objective support by Scripture, a book whose reliability can be examined and tested.
ultimately, of course, every person makes a faith choice, fwhatever reasons may be offered in support. And the ultimate question is, which faith corresponds with reality? The holder of Which view will be put to shame? And the holder of which view will have judged rightly about where to rest his or her trust?
That’s a choice every individual must make.
That’s a choice which if vital indeed.
Posted by owner on
October 8, 2008
It’s called “the craft” by those who practice it. Ordinary folks call it “witchcraft.” In the US wicca is a loose association of some 150 witchcraft religions. Witches have been attractively portrayed on TV in shows like the old Bewitched, comedy in which magick was performed by a wiggle of Samantha Steven’s nose, and in serious shows such as Charmed that features three teen age witches who fight evil. Add in shows like the Ghost Whisperer, and movies like The Craft, Practical Magic, Mirrors and The Exorcim of Emilie Rose, and supernatural occult powers seem as common as next door neighbors.
The strange thing is that those who consider themselves witches may very will live next door. Wicca is one of the fastest growing faiths in the United States amd Great Britian, along with other “paths” of the New Paganism so popular with young people today.
Not all wiccans or new pagans practice witchcraft. But a great many do. Certainly enough do to support the many websites and businesses that have emerged to offer the books on witchcraft, guaranteed spells, ointments and powdered substances that witches are supposed to need to practice their craft. Recently a printed catalog of witchly clothing and supplies was even delivered to our house in the mail–a clear indication of the size of the market for such paraphenalia.
But why the sudden popularity of witchcraft? And what do practitioners of witchcraft hope to accomplish?
A Strange New World
Perhaps I should say, a strange old world. The movement, commonly labled neopaganism, originated in England in the 60’s and 70’s as people turned to ancient pagan religions to reconconstruct their reality. I suspect that Tolkien’s portrayal of Middle Earth in the Lord of the Rings have had something to do with popularizing the movement, even as Harry Potter’s engaging stories capture the imagination of young people today and make many wish they could have gone to Hogwarts and studied magick there. After all, many find the uncertainties of life in the mundane world uncomfortable and even frightening. Why not turn to a religion which promises at least some control over events in the material universe by manipulating the spiritual?
At the same time not all new pagans or wiccans practice magick. Some believe attempts to manipulate the material world are “derogatory to spiritual growth.” This brand of wicca sees spiritual gains as more significant than mundaine growth, and counsels working through one’s life experiences with the aid of spirit guides and other aids.
Still, many wiccans and other new pagans do use witchcraft and/or other occult practices. So . . .
How Does Witchcraft Work?
There are two major theoretical frameworks. One is philosophical, popularized recently in the 2006 film “The Secret” and the NY times bestselling book by Esther and Jerry Hicks, “The Law of Attraction.” This supposed law assumes an energy that permeates the universe and is attracted by similar energy. Humans are supposed to be able to control this energy and “attract” wealth, health, love [whatever is desired] by four practices: [1] Know what you want and ask the universe for it. [2] focus thought and emotions on what is desired.
[3] Feel and act as if you already have what you desire. [4] Be open to recieving what you desire. Some assume that this “law of attraction” explains why “practical witchcraft” works.
What we might call “practical witchcraft” is far more familiar and more mundane. What witches “do” is perform rituals, cast spells, prepare potions, recite incantations, and manipulate objects which correspond in some way to the person or objects to be affected. The underlying belief is that the spells and other activities enlist the cooperation of spirit beings to cause the desired effect in the material universe. Many different practices can be classified as witchcraft: palm reading, spiritism, channeling, reading tarot cards,astral projection, consulting horoscopes, and any other occult activity.
Black vs White Magick
A classic distinction made by some is between the use of “white magick,” which is supposed to benefit others, and “black magick,” which is supposed to harm others. As contemporary writers on witchcraft point out, the practices of those using magick for good and for evil are the same. The difference is in the intent of the witch; the purpose for which her or his skills in magickal pracices are being used. What one intends to do with magick, to help or to harm, makes magick white or black.
It’s important to point out that wiccans are insulted at the idea they are in league with Satan (whose existence they deny). Most will insist they only use their craft for good. This is generally true . . . most wiccans do attempt to do only positive things through magick. In this case, is there any harm in practicing white magic?
Scripture on the Occult
I’ve noted in early articles that Deuteronomy 18 contains an absolute prohibition against occult practices. The reason for this is simple. Those engaging in occult practices expose themselves to oppression or possession by the demons who make the practicies effective. There truly is magick . . . the spirit world can have an impact in the mudane universe. But the spirits who respond to appeals to the supernatural are demons, not angels. God’s warning in Deuteronomy 18 is intended to protect us from their evil influence.
What are the practices Deuteronomy 18 warns against? There are 8 Hebrew terms or phrases in this passage.
yid’oni To make contact with spirits
sho’el ‘ov To make contact with the dead
qosem q’samim To foretell the future
m’onen To predict the future using omens
m’nachesh To enchant
chover chavar To cast magic spells
m’khaseph To use sorcery, use spoken spells
doresh ‘el hametim To consult disembodied spirits
This list clearly rules out the use of any magick (black, or white) as well as other occult practices related to magick.
Christian vs Wiccan world view
The wiccan sees a universe which can be manipulated with the aid of disembodied spirits who can be contacted and to some extent controled by the practice of witchcraft. The Christian sees a universe marked by a constant struggle between good and evil, yet under the control of a God so wise, powerful, and loving that he is able to accomplish his good purposes despite the evil done by man and demons alike.
The wiccan believes that she can to some extent reshape the universe to fit her desires through the law of attraction or the practice of magick. The Christian believes that he can glorify God by living a godly, loving life in the world that is, even in the most difficult of circumstances.
The wiccan believes in a host of spirits [gods, ancestors, those awaiting reincarnation, animals, angels, etc.] who if called on will serve as “spirit guides” and direct their choices. The Chritian believes in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who forgives sins and provides eternal life, and who through the Holy Spirit who is present in us provides guidance from God himself.
Only one of these worldviews can be correct. And which worldview a person chooses makes a difference . . . for time and for eternity.
Posted by owner on
October 8, 2008
In general those who practice wicca are nice people.They pay their taxes, are careful to recycle, and tend to make good neighbors. There are exceptions, of course. But there are a few hostile or cranky church goers around too. Even the spells cast by most wiccans aren’t intendent to harm anyone.
The Wiccan Rede, the one commandment that most wiccans seek to observe, seems benificent. In just eight words the wiccan rede sums up the moral code adopted by wiccans: “If it harms none, do what you will.” The Rede even sounds a little like the ancient medical practitioners guideline: “First, no do harm.” Who could object to any person contemplating an action and asking, “Will doing this harm anyone”? It almost seems that the Wiccan Rede is a simpler and as effective guide to moral behavior as Scriptures Ten Commandments.
But when we look at the Rede more carefully, we discover rather obvious flaws. So let’s examine the Rede.
If it harms none
This certainly seems to be a worthy test. Say you’re invited to a party you really want to attend, but you have a slight cold. You apply the Rede, and decide you’d better not go, because your cold might be contageous. You made a commendable moral choice, guided by the Rede.
But take something a little more complicated. You see an acquaintance shoplift an expensive item from a store, and you’re called to testify in court. On the one hand, if you testify to what you saw, your acquaintance might be harmed. But on the other hand you realize that if no one was held accountable for shoplifting [stealing] business owners would suffer and the fabric of society would break down. You apply the Rede . . . and discover that whatever you do someone will be harmed! You can’t look to the Rede for moral guidance in this situation. You either have to apply some additional moral rule or principle or you’re left without a moral compass.
This is the first flaw in the Wiccan Rede. It “works” only in the simplest, most unambiguous situations.
A second flaw in the Rede is that is requires you to be prophet. Let’s go back to the first illustration. Despite your cold, you really want to attend that party. And after all, no one there will be really old or really young. Even if someone catches your cold at worst they’ll probably be inconvenienced. The trouble is, you don’t know. Maybe no one will catch your cold. Maybe someone will catch it and have a few sniffles. But maybe someone will catch it and it will turn into pneumonia! If no one catches your cold you’ve done no harm by going to the party. If someone has a few sniffles, is that really harm? Of course, if pneumonia results, you’ve done serious harm. The problem is, you don’t know ahead of time the actual consequences of you decision.
This is the second flaw in the Wiccan Rede. It “works” only if you know head of time the outcomes of choices you make.
Do what you will
These four words of the Rede can be read in at least two ways. The first reading is, “Do what you choose.” This reading emphasizes personal responsiblity. In the end, followers of the Rede are making a personal choice without, as we’ve seen above, sufficient moral guidance. We may have the best of motives when we make our choice, but the Rede insists we evaluate moral choices by outcome, not motive. “If it harms none” clearly points to the outcome of our choices, not our motives. And we can never be sure what those outcomes may be.
The second reading is, “do what you want to.” This reading emphasizes desire rather than personal responsiblity. In essense, this reading of the Wiccan Rede invites us to be ruled by our emotions and desires once we’ve determined an action will harm none. But this sounds all too much like two teenagers eager to surrender to their raging hormones, who say, “We love each other, and having sex now can’t harm anyone.” We human have a vast capacity for rationalization. We can all too easily find reasons for doing what we want to do, whether or not others or we ourselves may be harmed by our actions.
No, the Wiccan Rede, as commendable as it first appears to be, is inadequate as a guide to moral action. We need moral guidelines that are far more specific, and that don’t require us to guess the outcomes of our actions. We certainly don’t want a guideline that offers the option, “do what you will.”
Back to the Ten Commandments
The biblical Ten Commandments provide a far better guide to moral action than the Wiccan Rede. The Commandments were grouped on two stone tablets, the first contaning four commands dealing with man’s relationship with God, and the second containing six commands dealing with human interpersonal relationships. These commands are stated as absolutes: don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t commit adultery, etc. The commands call on us to make moral judgments about the acts themselves. They don’t ask us predict outcomes. They don’t deal [directly] with motives. They simply state that certain actions are wrong, and that we are not to take those actions. The moral guidance they provide is clear, simple, and unquivocable.
There’s no room here for a person to “do what you will” after leaping a low hurdle like the “if it harms none” principle of the Wiccan Rede.
Unfortunately, those who dislike the rigidity of the Ten Commandments misunderstand the most important thing about them. The commandments were established by an all-wise God who loves us and who has our best interests at heart. The Commandments intent is to provide guidance as to what really does no harm.
Just as there are natural laws in the physical universe there are moral laws that govern the experience of human beings. No matter how one tries to justify lies, or invent situations in which a lie seems the only way to a “good” outcome, the God who created the universe and human beings and who knows the future provides in the commandments a definition of actions that do harm to us or to others.
The Wiccan Rede leads ultimately to moral confusion. Only the Word of God is capable of guiding us through life’s moral choices in a healthy, positive way.