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.
Words fail me.
Magical Thinking is NOT limited to Liberals. . .
One of the great illusionists - Houdini - campaigned constantly against psychics, mindreaders, and other such fraudulent foolishness.
There are real magicians out there, but they don't generally publicize their activities. Those guys, it is a good idea to avoid.
Occasionally you meet someone that has an IQ so low they need to be watered daily.
They will be out with the pitch forks and torches demanding that the witches be burned at the stake.
Sorry, Dan Delzell, not the writer of this piece.
I realize it’s on a different level than the article, but yesterday I walked through downtown Salem,Ma. also known as the Witch City. Literally every other store is selling magic, witchcraft, or the occult. It’s a spooky place. Mentioning Christ there would be garlic to a vampire.
Interesting article! Many American Christians are of the same mentality..believing that illusionists contact evil spirits. I know a woman who laid out a huge deposit to have one of the famous illusionists come to our town as a fundraiser. She not only lost her deposit, but had to pay him out of pocket as well, when people failed to show up for the show.
His show consisted of teaching people how the magicians tried to overtrump Moses when Moses was confronting the Pharaoh.
People are more fearful and superstitious than they let on. It’s sad to see minds so closed that they willfully remain..blind.
“Occasionally you meet someone that has an IQ so low they need to be watered daily.”
I’ve never met Nancy Pelosi, and would hurl in her face should I ever have the opportunity.
I wonder if this guy, when seeing Penn & Teller demonstrate how a trick is done, believes it’s some type of do-it-yourself lesson in the occult?
They should stop calling themselves Magicians and start calling themselves Illusionists.
The occult is dangerous so I share that general concern. But I suspect these men mean well and I don’t believe these particular guys are involved with occultic practices, so that argument seems silly. However, I find it hard to take “Christian magicians” all that seriously. They are part of the pragmatic ethic that has taken hold in the modern circus church world. Disciples are made through His word, through the foolishness of preaching, not through magic, juggling, motorcycle riding, rodeo, comedy, feats of strength and all the other worldly things people purport to do for Jesus. None of those activities point a sinner to Christ. If people got back into the Bible and learned once and for all how God saves sinners a lot of silliness would stop.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)
“For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (1 Cor. 1:21)
“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14)
Oh, you said "Christian Magician"
Nothing promotes the occult more than the medieval idiocy that the occult actually "works" in any way, shape, or form.
Why don’t these soothsayers just conjure up their own money rather than requiring it from their audiences?
True, and I usually don’t post anything on threads that involve this type of discussion, but sometimes I just can’t be quiet.
I’m not sure what you are getting at, so I will expand my comment a bit. The word occult isn’t found in the Bible as far as I know, but there are specific prohibitions regarding “sorcery” and “divination.” Anything connected with those things should be avoided by Christians.
Lev. 19:26, “You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor practice divination or soothsaying.”
Deut. 18:10, “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,”
2 Kings 17:17, Then they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and practiced divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him.”
2 Kings 21:6, “And he made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and used divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord provoking Him to anger.”
2 Chron. 33:6, “And he made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger.”
Gal. 5:17-21, “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Rev. 9:21, “and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.”
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