Posted on 07/23/2013 6:33:28 AM PDT by Kip Russell
Christian magicians are rising to defend themselves against assertions made by a Christian Post columnist that the performance of magic may involve the occult.
They are upset with columnist Dan Delzell's opinion that the U.K.-based magician Dynamo's illusion of levitating alongside a red London double decker bus was real. Delzell related the performance to "witchcraft and contact with evil spirits, and the presumption that the art of magic is a gateway to demonic involvement."
Delzell's column incited a number of Christian magicians to leave comments criticizing his assumption that magic performances are linked to demonic power. These magicians included Jim Munroe, who works with worldwide ministries; Rob Robinson, a Christian magician and mentalist; and Joe Turner, who is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians and served on the board of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
Munroe, who has worked with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, I Am Second, and Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ), told The Christian Post on Monday that he received Delzell's column through a secular magician friend and felt compelled to respond to it.
He is concerned that statements such as Delzell's can hurt the Christian witness. He wrote a comment under the opinion piece, "The Illusion That Seduces and Bewitches Magicians."
"I can tell you, with full authority, that the 'magic trick' created by Dynamo is in fact a 'trick,'" Munroe stated. "Its effect is in no way achieved by supernatural means. It was achieved by natural means, and its purpose was to illicit a reaction similar to Steven Spielberg's when he created the dinosaur in Jurassic Park: that of wonder … Don't write about things that you don't know anything about because you widen a gap with individuals that I am trying to shrink. You counteract the very inclusion that Jesus shared."
Munroe told CP that Christians should be accurate in their assertions in order to share the Gospel intelligently, "We run the risk of pushing people farther away when we don't know what it is that we are even talking about and this [opinion column] is a perfect example of that."
When asked by CP for his response to the controversy, Delzell wrote via email: "I believe people will disagree on whether or not Dynamo's levitation was real. Unbelievers may disagree about it, and Christians will likely disagree about it. There are many issues in life and spirituality and theology where Christians agree to disagree with one another."
He said he believes his column is a good and faithful witness to the truth of God's Word, and to the dangers of sorcery and levitation.
I’m confused. What part of Africa did this story take place in?
There do exist some Buddhist monks in Tibet, who are so demonically possessed that they do indeed levitate.
FWIW, I don’t see how illusion could be used to advance Bible doctrine. Who would trust a magician, when it becomes apparent his intent has been to deceive his audience by chicanery or slight of hand?
Besides, the Miracles of Christ were far more impressive.
Um...seriously?
http://skepticalteacher.wordpress.com/2011/07/07/discovery-channels-the-supernaturalist-is-super-stupid/
Unfortunately, in Dan White’s quest to “find REAL magic” – and the Discovery Channel’s quest to continue catering to the lowest common denominator (remember their stupid ghost-hunting show?) – it seems that everyone involved has left their basic critical thinking skills at the door. For example, check out this footage of when Dan White “discovers” the levitating powers of the monk he has sought for so long…
The overly credulous nature of this clip, and how Dan White – the supposed skeptic – plays it up as legitimate (honest!) is downright pathetic. There are some very basic questions to ask regarding a scenario like this:
1. Why isn’t the filming done in one continuous shot? Note all the breaks in the clip between the time the monk sits down and when he “levitates”.
2. Why does the monk have to sit where he does, in front of a wall full of curtains that can easily obscure a device which can lift him?
3. Why doesn’t Dan White ask the obvious question as outlined in #2 above, instead of standing there looking like an idiot with his mouth agape?
4. Why doesn’t Dan White, our token “skeptic”, take a moment to simply walk over to the side to make sure there isn’t a mechanical arm or similar contraption connecting the monk to something behind the curtain. On a related note, why isn’t this camera angle shown?
A simple application of Occam’s Razor is all that is necessary to slice through what is very clearly a b******t display put together to get ratings. Folks, this is a big joke, and if anyone takes it seriously the only one’s laughing will be the executives at the Discovery Channel who are guffawing at having one over on gullible viewers. Fortunately, there is a silver lining: I have been inspired to incorporate this footage and a critical analysis of it into my upcoming talk at The Amaz!ng Meeting 9 in Las Vegas next week – it will make a good lesson for my students.
Ha...Yes, one would hope that people in 21st Century Western Civilization would be a bit more inclined to view stage magicians as illusionists rather than masters of True Occult Power.
Unfortunately (in some cases) one hopes in vain.
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