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The person
involved in
witchcraft may
claim that the
Bible does not
condemn
witchraft, since
they assert that
the real
interpretation
of the Hebrew
word for
"witchcraft"
should be
sorcery,
divination and
those who
practice such
things.
Response: The
Bible
categorically
denounces any
and all occultic
practices.
Deuteronomy
18:10-12
Let no one be
found among you
who sacrifices
his son or
daughter in the
fire, who
practices
divination or
sorcery,
interprets
omens, engages
in witchcraft,
or casts spells,
or who is a
medium or
spiritist or who
consults the
dead. Anyone
who does these
things is
detestable to
the Lord, and
because of these
detestable
practices the
Lord your god
will drive out
those nations
before you.
The New
Testament also
condemns such
practices
(Galatians
5:20). In the
city of Ephesus
many who were
practicing in
the occult
became believers
in Jesus Christ
and renounced
their occultic
practices.
"Many also of
those who
practiced magic
brought their
books together
and began
burning them in
the sight of
all" (Acts
19:19).
Another
encounter with
the occult can
be seen in Acts
13:6-12
And when they
had gone through
the whole island
as far as Paphos,
they found a
certain
magician, a
Jewish false
prophet whose
name was
Bar-Jesus, who
was with the
proconsul,
Sergius Paulus,
a man of
intelligence.
This man
summoned
Barnabas and
Saul and sought
to hear the word
of God. But
Elymas the
magician (for
thus his name is
translated) was
opposing them,
seeking to turn
the proconsul
away from the
faith. But
Saul, who was
also known as
Paul, filled
with the Holy
Spirit, fixed
his gaze upon
him. And he
said, "You who
are full of all
deceit and
fraud, you son
of the devil,
you enemy of all
righteousness,
will you not
cease to make
crooked the
straight ways of
the Lord? And
now, behold, the
hand of the Lord
is upon you, and
you will be
blind and not
see the sun for
a time." And
immediately a
mist and a
darkness fell
upon him, and he
went about
seeking those
who would lead
him by the
hand. Then the
proconsul
believed when he
saw what
happened, being
amazed at the
teaching of the
Lord.
The Bible in the
strongest terms
condemns the
occult and those
who practice
it. The road of
the occult is
broad and leads
to destruction,
while the way of
Christ is narrow
and leads to
life eternal.
Other Verses:
Ex. 22:18; Lev.
19:26,31,
20:6,27; 1 Sam.
15:23a; 2 Kings
23:24; I Chron.
10:13; Is. 2:6,
8:19-20,
47:13-14; Ez.
13:20-23; Dan.
2:27-28,
5:15-17; Acts
13:7-10a,
16:16-18; Gal.
5:19-20; Rev.
22:15
They may argue
that sorcery is
black magic used
for evil, and
that they
practice white
magic, magic for
good.
Response: The
Bible makes no
distinction
between good or
bad magic or
sorcery. All
sorcery comes
from the same
source and is
abhorred by
God. See verses
above.
Many
non-Christians
see the return
of Christ as a
horrible thing.
Witches will
scoff at this
saying "Our
Goddess isn't
some spiteful
deity that will
one day wipe out
the Earth. She
loves us enough
to let us do
what we want and
make our own
choices".
Response: Love
implies a
relationship.
If the goddess
is in us, if the
goddess is us,
and is the
earth, trees and
that rock over
there, it is
impossible to
have a
relationship
with her and it
is impossible to
be loved by
her. God can be
separate from
you and be
closer than
anything else.
The holy spirit
can be in you,
yet you are not
God. It is this
separateness
that allows
Christ to
strengthen us.
We are weak, but
through Him we
have strength.
Because He is
distinct from us
He can provide
us guidance, he
can listen to
us, he can love
us. He couldn't
do this if he
were only
another aspect
of our being or
of nature.
Pagans believe
there is no
absolute truth,
therefore, there
is no right and
wrong.
Response: This
is immediately a
contradictory
statement
because people
who believe in
an absolute
truth such as
the Bible must
then be wrong.
The pagan will
admit they
believe
Christians are
wrong,
forgetting they
don't believe in
a right way or a
wrong way. The
chances of doing
something in
this life that
doesn't affect
someone else in
some way at some
point are very
low. Without
guidance or a
set of moral
standards, we
will negatively
affect someone
else. This is a
fact and it is
sin. The pagan
will argue that
we shouldn't
impose our
beliefs on
them. They will
also say that we
shouldn't harm
the
environment.
But, if I'm an
atheist and
believe the
Earth is just a
rock, I should
then be able to
do anything I
want to the
environment. To
say I can't, is
to say my belief
is wrong. The
point is, it is
not possible to
say all ways are
truth and there
is no right or
wrong. For the
Pagan to say
there is no
right or wrong
is to say the
Earth is
Goddess, but the
Earth is also
not Goddess
because the
atheist is right
too. Realizing
this
impossibility
should alert the
Pagan to the
reality that
there is truth
out there. As
eternity is at
stake, it is a
good idea to
seek it out and
listen with this
new appreciation
for truth.
Jesus gives us a
clear vision of
how He wants us
to live our
lives. We may
not always like
what he says,
but that doesn't
mean it isn't
good for us. As
God gives us
moral guidance,
he also gives us
the Holy Spirit
to help us.
When we accept
Christ, the Holy
Spirit works in
us making us
want to do
good. Having a
relationship
with Christ is
not a set of
rules and
regulations
meant to punish
us. It's a new
life and a new
appreciation for
the truth. And
God is there to
help us.
Witches believe
in endless
reincarnation
and Karma that
is passed on
from life to
life as you
struggle to
reach
enlightenment.
Response: There
is no Choice in
Paganism. No
matter what you
do or what you
believe, your
life is heading
toward the same
truth, the same
goddess. This
goddess offers
no end to the
wheel of life
cycles and has
nothing more to
offer you than a
broken record
and eternal
punishment for
past mistakes.
Jesus offers so
much more. He
loved us so much
that He died on
the cross so
that we can
spend eternity
in heaven. He
gave us choice.
The choice to
choose Him or
not to choose to
be with Him.
Jesus does not
demand that we
spend life after
life trying to
improve our
karma, while not
remembering what
we did to
deserve the
less-than-perfect
karma rating
that led us back
to earth again.
He does not
expect you to be
punished for a
previous life's
karma only to
pass your karma
on to another
life for more
endless
punishment. All
he asks is that
you believe in
Him and accept
his free gift of
an eternity with
Him.
For many Pagans
the Christian
belief in hell
is a major
obstacle. They
see Christians
as Cruel and
heartless for
believing that
humans would go
to hell for not
believing in
Christ. This
usually comes
from an
incomplete
understanding of
what hell is and
the free will
that God gave us
to choose our
future.
Response: First
of all, Hell was
created for the
devil and his
angels.
(Matthew 25:41,
2 Peter 2:4).
The devil is a
sinner and has
sinned from the
beginning (I
John 3:8). So,
hell is a place
for sin and
death.
Why would God
create a place
for sinners to
go, they might
ask. Why would
God create sin?
God didn't
create sin. It
is a natural
result of giving
us free will.
We are not
robots put on
earth and
allowed only to
do what God
would have us
do. God gave us
freedom to
choose and to
enter into a
relationship
with Him
freely. A
relationship is
no relationship
at all if a
person is forced
to love.
Pagans will also
argue that no
one would choose
hell, so it is
only because of
a lack of
knowledge that
they would go
there and that
is unfair.
Response:
Throughout our
society we see
many people make
bad choices with
severe
consequences and
they were fully
aware of their
actions. People
drive drunk, do
drugs, and break
the law. There
are consequences
for those
actions and we
don't assume
they didn't know
what they were
doing. It all
comes back to
choice and
freedom,
something we all
cherish and
wouldn't want to
live without.
It is not unfair
to be punished
for our
actions. Even
nature shows
evidence of
consequences for
our actions.
Believing in
Christ is an
action. It is
the basis for
how we live our
lives, and there
are consequences
for those who
choose to live
apart from God
just as there
are consequences
for those who
make bad choices
in society. It
really isn't so
foreign.
Christians are
those who choose
to live with
Christ for
eternity.
Non-Christians
are those who
don't. Heaven
is a gift to
those who choose
it. "For the
wages of sin is
death, but the
gift of God is
eternal life".
Hell is a place
for those who
have chosen to
live apart from
God, to whom God
will say "Your
will be done".
Why doesn't God
give us a second
chance?
Response: Again
this comes back
to free will.
If God
manipulates the
choice it isn't
really free will
is it? Choosing
to follow Christ
after
experiencing the
reality of hell
is like choosing
to bet on a
horse race
moments before
the winner
crosses the
finish line.
God made the
evidence of His
presence
overwhelming.
He gave us His
Word in the
Bible, He sent
his Son to die
for us, and he
created the
amazing universe
we live in. He
also gave us
guidelines to
live by because
He wants peace
and happiness
for us. He
didn't want us
to live in chaos
without Him,
only to accept
Him when the
race is
finished. God
is a personal
God who loves us
and wants us to
have hope, a
hope that he
freely gives.
But, it is up to
us to choose
eternity with
Him or apart
from Him. God
is honoring the
right of those
he created to
make their own
choices. We are
not just a means
to an end. He
loves us and
created us as
unique
individuals. He
will reward us
and receive us
with open arms
if we choose
Him.
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