Dear Church ~ You Can No Longer Afford to Ignore the Occult
December 2, 2009 by kristinemac
Filed under Christians & The Occult
There is a particular phenomenon which has astounded me for some time. Churches choosing to ignore certain topics of discussion because the topics can be "sticky" or "uncomfortable." There are any number of social issues to which this pertains, but that's not the point of this blog. My focus is entirely different so here we go.
The church can no longer afford to ignore the impact that interest in the occult or the paranormal is having on not only our society but within church congregations as well. This is affecting young people especially, who have a keen interest in spiritual things but are not necessarily interested in radiational Christianity.
People tend to shy away from any discussion of the paranormal, witchcraft, or the occult. Perhaps it is a fear that speaking of these topics will draw more interest than necessary. Maybe people believe talking about the reality of witchcraft or the phenomenal growth of paranormal groups…also known as ghost hunters…will cause people to want to join rather than turn them away.
Let me lay it out on the table for you…the interest is already there!
Ignoring these topics will not make them go away. Rather, people will find ways to learn about ghost hunting, witchcraft, healing methods such as reiki (which uses energy manipulation, pendulum, etc), and any number of occult methods if they are interested.
Sadly, we have a church body in America that is woefully illiterate when it comes to scripture so many people have no idea where to look for a Biblical answer to their questions. There are even pastors and church leaders who need to gain a biblical understanding of these topics.
Yes…you heard me right. Pastors need to be educated about the reality of the occult as much as anyone. I cringe when I read emails from people asking me for information or advice on a paranormal experienced they've had with no help from their church. Who inform me they've already gone to their pastor…and the pastor suggested it was okay to communicate with a ghost because perhaps it was sent by God!
I am reminded of these verses:
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2 Peter 2:1(NIV)
I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.
Galatians 1:6-7 (NLT)
I certainly agree we should not be overly interested in the occult. As noted author C.S. Lewis is often quoted: "There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight."
Yet we cannot ignore what's going on around us today. One only has to turn on the television, go to the bookstore, search the internet, or read a few polls on the subject to gain a clearer understanding of the spiritual landscape.
Ten years ago I was the person who had questions. I was experiencing doubt in my relationship with God and seeking mystical experiences. I was the one wanting to know what Christians should think about paranormal experiences. No one in the church was wiling to talk to me about it so I went looking outside the church.
Today more than ever we as the church need to be addressing the issues of the occult. We cannot sit idly by while people wrestle with experiences they don't understand. If we don't respond with love, godly wisdom, and an understanding of what it says in scripture, those people will go looking elsewhere for their answers and find only deception.
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