Originally posted by Grand_Moff_Gav
Let's not confuse God and prayer as acts of magic, God isn't a wizard, his powers are of an unearthly source and are holy, and are NOT transferable to man.Magic is rooted in the Earth and Nature, it is "praying" to an alternate source, for various things.
Yet when Jesus/The Disciples first started about there were plenty who mistook him for a Magi, or for a prophet of Zeus. It isn't as clear cut as "The Powers of Jesus are divine and nothing like the claimed powers of sorcerers" - the things the Bible and later writers claimed Jesus did was not so dissimilar to the things others had been claiming to do in myths for years before. Granted, in the myths it usually wasn't a single person doing everything, the acts were split up between many. Jesus is like an amalgam of all the powerful mythic characters and sorcerers.
Also, Prayer is very inner, the casting of spells is very outer...
How so? A hundred people in a Church, lit candles, a ceremonial leader, all praying in reasonable unison - ritual. In any offer faith this would be called ritual. The casting of spells is far from just some guy with a high color and robes waving his hands and shouting fractured Latin. It can be remarkably sublime, remarkably "inner." There are beliefs out there, and ancient magical systems, that are very similar to Christian rituals, and even a lot quieter and just as personal.
And it was one of the things Romans thought to. Christians using codes and having special names for each other. Claiming to consume the flesh and blood of their God. This they correctly identified as ritual, and one they didn't like, as it made the Christians seem sinister (and was a minor contributor to the persecutions)
As I said though, the occult slowly corrupts over time no matter the original intentions of the dabbler. Jesus says "Whoever isn't for me is against me." Therefore, the occult is against Jesus which makes it sinful in nature.
An absolute then, and an unreasonable one, especially when actual study of many forms of the occult show absolutely no link to evil what so ever. The idea that studying Norse Runes or the I Ching or the Egyptian book of the dead can corrupt is absurd. As I said, it sounds very much like fear motivated the blanket outlawing of the occult in the Bible - a coordinate assault on belief systems not compatible with Christianity. What to do? Lets demonise it. Lets say all these vastly different and varied and vibrant and often ancient areas lead to corruption and the devil. And let us specify that one doesn't even need to believe in them, the mere study is enough to doom one.
Originally posted by Nellinator
Magic in itself does not exist. Spiritual powers exists.
They are both the same.
Originally posted by Lord Urizen
Magical Books and the Bible have one thing in common.....They contain lots of bullshit..... and people buy into it. 😆
Serioulsy I would do some research if I were you, I have seen things which can be considered supernatural?
Originally posted by AlfheimWhich ones are you referring to?
What I mean is there some passages in the Bible that are used for spells by gnostic christians. Its like some parts of the Bible are an actual spell book.
Prayer is a form of magic. If you analysis what a spell involves and what a prayer involves they consist of the same things. The only difference is you call up God I call up Thor and the Elves. Prayer is simply communicating with a supernatural source.I agree. It's the power of intention as well.
To tell you the truth I cant remember any specific of the top of the head. I have seen lots but not memorised any im not really interested in the Bible im more interested in Heathen scripture.
I know there is a system of magic called Enochian magic which is based on the angels mentioned in the Bible, so you might want to check that out.