C.S. Lewis once commented:
"There are two equal and opposite errors into which our human race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight."
The Truth about the Supernatural By Minister Clarence Sargent
What is the "The supernatural"? It means from the Latin: super- "above" nature pertains to entities, forces or phenomena which are regarded by some as beyond nature, in that they cannot be explained from the notions and laws of the everyday world. Supernatural themes are often WRONGLY associated with magical and occult ideas and are also a classification for explanations which invoke explanatory constructs that in principle are beyond human conception, understanding or verification. A majority of super-naturalists of any given religion only believe in a very narrow subset of all supernatural explanations of reality when all the supernatural beliefs of all religions, past and present, are taken together. Instances of super naturalization; In the Hebrew Bible, plagues and other misfortunes are described as signs of God's anger or vengeance. All too often in theological discussions, I hear the term supernatural bandied about, and most people on both sides of the argument tend to accept the nebulous term as a sensible concept (whether or not they agree that supernatural events do exist). Miracles such as walking on water are first deemed impossible by the non-believer because they violate the laws of physics; then the believer defends the claim by labeling the event supernatural as if this magically transforms into proof for unbeliever, From there the discussion turns to whether or not this supernatural event actually happened.
What does someone mean when they call something super-natural. What this means is that any event that can happen is natural; in fact, such things can be said to simply fall in the category of the earlier meaning of supernatural given above. The only thing left for supernatural events to be are things which could never be observed, could never in any way affect us. We can present countless, indeed infinite, possible supernatural things (for example, that our universe exists as the super-fast blink of a subatomic particle in some other unreachable meta-universe we can never interact with; or that each subatomic particle in our universe composes an entirely separate universe itself), but we have no reason to believe any of them is true, and such views are not in any way verifiable, and so they are meaningless. Creation is in itself a miracle of planing and intervention of God. The only possibility I see left is that there are certain absolute natural physical laws to our universe (whether or not we know of them for sure right now), and supernatural events are events that do in fact happen (hypothetically observable to us) but which contradict these absolute laws. Which means all evidence in favor of a supernatural event is always circumstantial. And in my view, circumstantial evidence is never adequate to validate supernatural events. I do concede that there must be some point where a body of circumstantial evidence could be so great, that perhaps accepting that a supernatural event happened might be reasonable. Are supernatural events commonplace. John Wesley: An innately honest man, retained a child-like openness to all forms of natural and supernatural possibility. Human Curiosities, Natural Curiosities, Natural Events, Supernatural Events, Human Curiosities. It was inevitable that one who traveled as extensively as Wesley would encounter unusual people, their achievements, and their eccentricities. (Journal, 1790) For Wesley, the natural and the supernatural were an extension of each other, and he never hesitated to ascribe to divinity events he knew were part of the natural order as well. (Journal, 1773) Some experiences were, of course, beyond scientific explanation.
WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT Haunted houses and places? What about Ghosts? Conjuring and magic HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SEEN AS supernatural and a surviving form of magic, the truth is that conjuring and magic are using God created things called "WORDS" twisted as a curse. Words are the basic formula that God used to create the universe, words are the framework by which all things consist which is the REAL REASON SATAN twists and perverts the concepts of speech and what we hear in our daily lives!
Believers argue further that just as science has evolved from early, feeble attempts to explain natural events (such as spontaneous generation and the doctrine of humors) into a much more credible modern science, religion has evolved from early feeble attempts to explain supernatural events (such as animism) into the much more credible modern religions. Believers note that the vast majority of humanity, of all races, religions, and ages, believe and have always believed in supernatural phenomena of one form or another. Believers conclude that while some people have invented religions to help them cope with frightening and unexplainable phenomena, others have come to believe in supernatural phenomena through intellectually honest means, having been persuaded by reason, evidence, and experience that the universe cannot be explained by naturalistic explanations alone, but is best understood by acknowledging the Supernatural. Believers also note that while some people have denied the existence of supernatural phenomena through intellectually honest means, having been persuaded by reason, evidence, and experience that the supernatural does not exist, others have denied the supernatural out of a deep fear that supernatural forces might actually exist and have a real and tangible impact on our lives, and a fear that the universe might be more complex than their theories allow. By its own definition, science is incapable of examining or testing for the existence of the supernatural. Thus, believers in supernatural phenomenon hold that scientific methods would not detect them; therefore the lack of evidence does not matter. Scientists counter that if this is so, then believers in super naturalism themselves would be incapable of witnessing any supernatural phenomenon, as human senses themselves operate within the laws of physics, and can only sense events occurring in the natural, physical world...But our senses were made to commune with a supernatural God so it is possible that we can witness as I have BOTH super and UN-natural events. John Drane writes that "science is perpetuating "intellectual arrogance" when it does not accept the possibility of supernatural events and miracles" But what about Ghosts and Haunted Houses? A haunted house is a building that is a center for supernatural occurrences or paranormal phenomena, but why? Well, The bible talks of demonic strongholds BOTH in Places and People throughout it's pages and their is NO mystery to why these places and people are "Haunted" with a presence from the past, if you know the whole story behind it! The supernatural can refer to conscious magical witchcraft's, religious perceptions or unknown forces (Familiar Spirits) that cannot ordinarily be perceived except through their effects in the natural realm. Some examples of "supernatural phenomena" are miracles performed by God, ghosts which are merely Demons IMPERSONATING THE PERSONS THEY ONCE INHABITED IN LIFE in order to deceive mankind about life in the hereafter; psychic abilities like psychokinesis and telepathy are better classified as paranormal than supernatural because they deal with "the mental realm" BUT there are spiritual forces at work BEHIND THESE SO-CALLED ABILITIES. How do I know? I spent 8 years involved in Wicca and then as a black witch practicing many evils upon those I hated and upon myself untold misery.Because of this experience I now believe that Adam and Eve had certain mental and physical abilities FAR BEYOND those we have today but lost the ability to use them over time AFTER the fall. This does not mean that we are supposed to use them today, only that these abilities are under the surface waiting to be STIMULATED BY SPIRITUAL MANIPULATIONS FROM DEMONS IN ORDER TO DECEIVE AND MISLEAD US. The term supernatural is contrasted with the term natural, which presumes that some events occur according to natural laws, and others do not, because they are caused by forces external to nature. But it must be understood that Satan and all demons are NO LONGER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE SPIRITUAL REALM, THEY ARE "DEAD SPIRITS" unable to draw from God's powerful realm so they do what we do when we find ourselves in a position of lacking abilities...THEY LIE ABOUT THEIR REAL POWER WHICH IS SIMPLY "DECEPTION". Demons simply use the "Natural Laws" of the Universe which Satan knows BETTER that any human scientist because he was there as God's right hand angel at the creation. The demonic realm bases it's existence upon the natural laws of creation and "twists and shapes it to form whatever will deceive and manipulate human realities weather that is "Spiritual or Natural" in manifestation. Other individuals assert that events that appear to us to be supernatural occur according to natural laws which we do not yet understand (This is just what I have just said, Satan will use NATURAL LAWS THAT SCIENCE HAS NOT YET FOUND OUT ABOUT TO DECEIVE THE WEAK MINDED TO BELIEVE AND PRACTICE FALSE WORSHIP.). In contrast to super- naturalists, naturalists assert that all things operate according to a law of evolutionary nature not realizing that God created these laws to work with Spiritual laws of Faith. In contrast to atheists, super-naturalists assert that God, miracles, or other supernatural phenomena are real, verifiable, and part of the laws of nature that we do not yet understand, (this is true to a point because it would be silly for ANY SCIENTIST TO SAY THAT SCIENCE HAS ALL THE ANSWERS. After all, with sciences record of mishaps and down right stupid claims of the past how could they? O.K. can the supernatural be seen merely as a human coping mechanism? Some believe that human beings ascribe supernatural attributes to purely natural events in an attempt to cope with fear and ignorance. Since the belief in magic is very old and held a great power over the minds and imagination of earlier generations long before the concept of experimental science which you can only believe if you don't see some evidence out there about forbidden scientific finds in the midst of so-called ignorant savages of the past. He BELIEVES the supernatural does not exist, when most people of most ethnic groups at most points in history have claimed otherwise, is merely to perpetuate the intellectual arrogance of previous generations of Western thinkers, and far from providing an answer to the questions raised by history it merely begs larger and more important questions about the nature of Western intellectual culture. Much of what we call science today was once believed to be supernatural. The control of electricity, the manufacture of steel, radio waves, all were once thought to be beyond the bounds of nature, and therefore supernatural, by conventional scientists. As such, what is believed to be supernatural today may be completely explained tomorrow. Many claimed supernatural events can be studied by the scientific method; however, once the physical laws by which an event occurs become known, the event is no longer classified as 'supernatural'. Fundamental supernatural hypotheses are difficult to define, let alone test. Where science is able to address issues in dispute, to correct errors of fact, or to call into question claims of authority grounded in history, it has at times been able to soften antagonisms based on competing supernatural claims. Otherwise, (for example) the politics and morality of a scientist are as subjective or as reliant upon assumptions about the supernatural as those of anyone else -- and of course, individuals may decide to remain either passively agnostic about every issue that cannot be tested or actively hostile to claims of authority that cannot be scientifically justified. There have been many attempts to verify claims of supernatural phenomena scientifically. Many events once accepted as supernatural are now understood as manifestations of a natural, explainable nature that were misinterpreted. People that believe in supernatural events accuse those who do not of naturalizing genuinely supernatural events; people that do not believe in supernatural events accuse who do of super-naturalizing genuinely natural events. Believers can rightly respond to the many instances of super-naturalization by arguing that the fact that super-naturalization often occurs does not refute the existence of the supernatural any more than the fact that scientists often make errors refutes the existence of the natural universe. The concept of the supernatural has intrigued people of all cultures for thousands of years. Most professors of the natural sciences such as biology, physics, or neuro-science would probably say, if asked, that there was no such thing as the supernatural. What is it about the natural sciences that leads people to deny the existence of the supernatural. The axiom of modern science, by specifying that ALL behavior conforms to the laws of nature, completely rules out all possibility of a supernatural even to occurring in the natural world. And what would a supernatural being be if it existed but could DO absolutely nothing (I'll tell you, it would be demonic, since they CAN DO NOTHING BUT DECEIVE). Examples of the effect of science on mysticism and magic abound; eventually it is tempting to assume that ALL tales of the supernatural can be explained scientifically. Therefore, for lack of proof otherwise, we must allow the possibility that a supernatural event could take place. We might wonder what, if not the laws of nature, might cause a supernatural event to occur. We might wonder whether a closed set of laws exists such that in supernatural events these laws are never violated. The problem with this idea is that, assuming such a set of "supernatural laws" exists, there is nothing that prevents the grouping together of the natural laws with the supposed supernatural laws to form a closed set of laws to which all behavior in the universe conforms. Otherwise stated, a set of "supernatural laws", if it existed, would support the central axiom of science rather than contradict it. This does not, however, mean that supernatural events as observed in the material world cannot be caused. The Bible teaches that God (who is of course a supernatural being) always keeps His promises, so many of the miraculous things He has done through Jesus Himself and through the saints may be said to conform to a pattern in that regard. However, that does not mean that every supernatural occurrence is an "act of God", nor does it mean that every"act of God" is done according to a promise He has made. There are seemingly never ending arguments among many theologians, mystics, parapsychologists, religious leaders and the faithful regarding Supernatural Manifestations, Psychic Powers, Prophecies, etc. For those who do not believe in supernatural events and for those who doubt the truth of the Scriptures. Even if we would refuse to recognize the Sacred Scriptures as Divine Revelations on their own merits, then, through the very laws proposed by Parapsychology to explain away supernatural manifestations, the reality of the Sacred Scriptures would then be verified and confirmed. Rational man is quick to discount any supernatural manifestation OF ANYTHING BECAUSE IF HE ADMITS THAT THE SUPERNATURAL EXISTS HE MUST ADMIT THAT GOD EXISTS AND HE CANNOT DO THAT , SO THE ONLY OUT IS A NATURAL EXPLANATION. Let us explore what may be behind these denials of supernatural manifestations. If man cannot deal with supernatural manifestations, man will ignore them. So what lies behind the much talked about, and often denied, supernatural events of the evil nature. To the open eye and observant mind it should be evident that there is a coherent relationship between the original teachings of the Sacred Scriptures and Miracles, which are the legitimate manifestations of the supernatural, to wit:The infinite power of God may be accessed by man, through faith and in accordance to the Will of God, to over come any perceived or real limitation in whatever circumstance he may find himself. 1: Why is there such an insistent move to secularize and/or deny miracles and other supernatural manifestations to the point of attempting to neutralize the Divinity 2: Do the enemies of the supernatural and,thus,of true mysticism have a vested interest in the worldwide consequences that their theories, philosophies, and theological teachings will have? Concepts in the supernatural domain are closely related to concepts in religious spirituality, metaphysics. The supernatural concept is generally identified with religion or other belief systems - though there is much debate as to whether a supernatural is necessary for religion, or that religion is necessary for holding a concept of the supernatural since religion is merely a man made reflection of what God intended and NOT the true reality of his presence. Those denying the plausibility of the supernatural typically claim that the only events which cannot be studied scientifically are those which cannot be perceived by any means. If an event claimed to be supernatural really has happened, it can therefore be studied scientifically and is not supernatural. Some examples of supernatural phenomena are miracles and ghosts. The Bible is full of descriptions of supernatural events and divine intervention in human affairs. To a super-naturalist, the point is not whether miracles are supernatural or not, but whether they occur at all. It is important to note that no matter which philosophical assumption one chooses to interpret the observable scientific evidence, either naturalism or super-naturalism, are equally unscientific. But to the issue of whether science can allow for intelligent cause outside of nature itself rather than the blind process of naturalistic evolution, Can science explain phenomena with reference to intelligent agents. Can the supernatural can be observed or not.
Clearly, the Bible is full of accounts of supernatural events and experiences. That is not to say that all supernatural beings or events are observable. But it does mean that the fact that some supernatural events are observable gives us reason to believe that supernatural beings exist, and the fact that we can't observe them is a consequence of our limitations, rather than any inadequacy on their part. This is medically, scientifically documented in various studies and reports, and is an observable change brought on by belief (or appeal to) supernatural causes. Yet even this would suggest that, positive or negative, prayerful appeal to the supernatural, God or Satan has observable results. Life by way of the supernatural, or by way of a naturalistic mechanism for evolution, are both equally untestable, and unobservable.
Other Objections are that One supernatural explanation cannot be distinguished from another. This presupposes that all supernatural explanations are the same. It implies that invoking the supernatural is a blanket explanation (An excuse for common ignorance). That supposition exposes another attribute of the objection itself: it is based on materialistic naturalism, which assumes a prior that no supernatural event can ever occur at all. While for a single event it may be impossible to distinguish between different supernatural explanations, the same thing is true of natural explanations. Distinguishing between different explanations, whether natural or supernatural, requires repeated events so that a pattern can be observed (Isn't this the job of science?). In this case there are different sightings that match each theory such as studying a ghost's behavior so we distinguish between two different supernatural explanations for ghosts (An intelligent haunting or one that seems to match the living surroundings as if to interact with those who live there vs. a residual haunting or one that plays the same thing over and over as if reliving a life that has passed....Both can be explained by demonic activity).
There are difficulties in generalizing supernatural explanations but that does not mean that it is impossible. Difficulties in generalizing supernatural explanations can result from several causes: Rarity of a supernatural event is one such as the Reed sea parting for Moses. Some supernatural events do not happen frequently enough (maybe only once) to make a generalization possible, but the same thing could occur with natural events, if similar events do not occur frequently enough to observe more than a few occurrences. If similar supernatural events are not adequately observed then generalizations may be impossible because of the lack of information. Many supernatural events clearly involve intelligent entities and the behavior of intelligent entities would be hard, but not necessarily impossible, to generalize, particularly when dealing with more than one non-human intelligent entity. Some events once thought to be supernatural are now known to be natural. Such events were deemed to be supernatural because nature was poorly understood by those who made such claims. However a scientific application of supernatural explanations concludes that natural process are inadequate, not because of lack of knowledge but because of the actual inability of chance and natural law to provide an adequate explanation such as the creation of the Universe vs. Evolution.
It is possible that a supernatural explanation could be replaced by a natural one if more data becomes available (i.e Proof of the opposite having occurred), but the reverse is also possible. Finding the natural causes of things, does not totally negate supernatural causes and purposes (For example God can and has USED the Natural to bring about his plans i.e.Jesus' death on the cross to bring salvation to man). Some aspects of Quantum physics suggest that even natural causes have underlining supernatural causes. A supernatural explanation can only be postulated by eliminating all possible natural explanations. This objection presupposes that supernatural explanations are magical as if simply invoking the supernatural is an explanation; this is not the case. A proper supernatural explanation would explain how the event happened, but simply not be limited to the natural laws of our physical universe. In other words creationists are quick to point out that the supernatural is the cause for the existence of life and natural laws to sustain it. However simply because the supernatural has created life it doesn't mean that it cannot supersede the natural laws governing creation. He might conclude, since this behavior violates natural law, that something from outside space time (supernatural by definition) is causing the space time bend.
If a supernatural event is studied long enough or multiple supernatural events were studied, some details about the supernatural cause might be deduced, just as is done with unseen natural objects like subatomic particles. This objection equates the supernatural to superstition, but the two are not equivalent. Numerous events in Earth's history require a super-naturalistic belief system before they can be correctly interpreted or understood. There is nothing in the definition of science that precludes a supernatural hypothesis. In fact, many of the scientific fathers who created the very science still in use today relied upon God or a supernatural divine force that created first and sustained that creation with natural laws of physics, chemistry and mathematics to govern it.
The denial of the supernatural that is part of naturalism is a purely philosophical and essentially atheistic position. By excluding supernatural hypotheses from consideration, materialists eliminate out of hand a large body of possible explanations for past, present and future phenomena. In origins and historical research, a total denial of the supernatural will cause grave error where supernatural events have indeed occurred; therefore supernatural explanations must be considered where appropriate. Although it might seem obvious flood that such an event had taken place whether you believe in super-naturalism or not, it is important to recognize the depth and breadth of the strata covering the Earth before a person can understand the reliance of this interpretation upon one presupposition belief system or the other. Given the volumes of rock involved, it simply would not be possible for any land animal to survive a flood able to create the entire geologic column without supernatural intervention, and yet the world is filled with a plethora of fragile lifeforms. I believe that supernatural events are natural events that we are not advanced enough to explain in the sense that a supernatural God uses his advanced knowledge of natural law to do something in our realm that seems at the time to beyond nature but is really just ahead of our knowledge about these things. If we were to go back 2,000 years ago and clone a sheep, it would be considered a supernatural event by many of the people from that time period would it not? We naturally survive death and the only supernatural thing about it is we don't fully understand it yet but when we get there we will automatically know as we are known by God now. I think the skeptic calls them supernatural because it helps them to separate these things from the natural order of things and this protects their belief system, after all its all about what we work so hard to tell ourselves NOT THE FACTS IN FRONT OF US THAT MATTER.....RIGHT?. The only supernatural thing about psychic ability and life after death is that we don't fully understand them. They aren't being debated here and can't be compared to supernatural events people claim to observe. Basically: 1.) Supernatural events are excluded deliberately in science. Originally the principle may well have been adopted (in ancient Greece) because it was a much more fruitful way to understand the world than super-naturalism. This does not mean that supernatural events may not be investigated as science. "Supernatural" events can be either subsumed under those ultimate laws, or science cannot be fruitfully applied to them at all. 2.)Those asserting the occurrence of supernatural events and entities usually describe them as having been observed or experienced firsthand, a testimony being so unique that they cannot deny it took place as in my case having experienced events so profound in witchcraft that no one can convince me otherwise as opposed to the Atheists who have experienced NOTHING BUT DENY EVERYTHING. Those denying the plausibility of supernatural events typically define them as events which cannot be perceived by natural or empirical senses, and whose understanding may be said to lie with religious, magical, or otherwise mysterious explanation-yet remains firmly outside of the realm of science. But we can only know that a supernatural event is impossible if we know in advance that materialism is the correct world-view which it is not. Its one thing to suggest that belief in the supernatural is unreasonable (as Hume said), but we must agree that it is possible. Once we accept that supernatural causation is logically possible, the question is whether we have evidence for the existence of the supernatural. The argument against the supernatural becomes inherently weak when a simple believer in the supernatural transforms into a living personal testimony to the supernatural upon witnessing something they truly know to be "supernatural". The genuine witness to the supernatural will make his case by the detail in which he describes his account of that which he truly knows to be supernatural. The problem of the situation becomes clear when we hear personal testimony of an account of an event which on its surface can only be classified as supernatural.This description of the supernatural suggests the following inquiry: if this is not supernatural what is it, natural? And if so....PROVE IT with the same fervor you say I must prove God to be real.Remember that all beliefs are open to objection UNTIL REAL EVIDENCE IS PUT FORTH, THEN IT'S "PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS" TIME which is where all Atheists and Skeptics must PUT UP OR SHUT UP! It is a well known fact that beliefs PROVE NOTHING without Evidence to back them up and God has given so much Evidence to back up his claims that it is sheer folly to deny it's plain existence before our eyes. This is why I have put this Evidence on the Internet for all to read at http://nuurl.us/6fcc3 on this page you will be able as an Atheist or just plain skeptical mind to witness the "In your face" evidence of God's intervention on your behalf in both written and Video format....proof that is unmistakable in it's entirety and unflinching in it's honesty about Unbeliever and Christian alike because I firmly believe that "RELIGION IN IT'S VILE PRESENTATION OF A FALSE CHRIST TO THE MASSES" has done more damage to God's plan than all the anti-Christian text books ever written. The World is ready for the true gospel to be told, that's what I plan to do through this page and articles to follow.The adherents of supernatural beliefs hold that such phenomena exist just as surely as does the natural world, whereas opponents, typically materialists and empiricists, argue that there are natural, physical explanations for all such phenomena which are only a bunch of words without real meaning until Evidence surfaces to prove it true....I present to you that real evidence at Open your Eyes Ministries. With kindest regards Minister Clarence F. Sargent 11/12/2007
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clarence_Sargent
1.) "Freedom from the World of Satanism & the Power of Satan"
By Danny Bias
2.) "The Kingdom of the Occult" By Walter Martin, Jill Martin Rische, Kurt Van Gorden
3.) "Occult bondage and deliverance: advice for counselling the sick, the ..." By Kurt E. Koch
4.) "The occult roots of Nazism: secret Aryan cults and their influence on Nazi ..." By Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke
5.) "Occult ABC" By Kurt E. Koch
6.) "Larson's Book of World Religions and Alternative Spirituality" By Bob Larson
7.)
The word "occult" is generally associated with secret knowledge and practices dealing with the supernatural or "psychic" phenomena often for the purpose of obtaining personal power. Some occult practices rely on demons or "spirits" to achieve their goals. Occultism is rapidly increasing throughout the world. There are now thousands of publishers of occultic books and magazines (not to mention Web sites). Interest in the occult has been promoted by the New Age movement, the rise of neo-paganism, movies and even some heavy-metal rock bands.
The Truth about the Supernatural By Minister Clarence Sargent
What is the "The supernatural"? It means from the Latin: super- "above" nature pertains to entities, forces or phenomena which are regarded by some as beyond nature, in that they cannot be explained from the notions and laws of the everyday world. Supernatural themes are often WRONGLY associated with magical and occult ideas and are also a classification for explanations which invoke explanatory constructs that in principle are beyond human conception, understanding or verification. A majority of super-naturalists of any given religion only believe in a very narrow subset of all supernatural explanations of reality when all the supernatural beliefs of all religions, past and present, are taken together. Instances of super naturalization; In the Hebrew Bible, plagues and other misfortunes are described as signs of God's anger or vengeance. All too often in theological discussions, I hear the term supernatural bandied about, and most people on both sides of the argument tend to accept the nebulous term as a sensible concept (whether or not they agree that supernatural events do exist). Miracles such as walking on water are first deemed impossible by the non-believer because they violate the laws of physics; then the believer defends the claim by labeling the event supernatural as if this magically transforms into proof for unbeliever, From there the discussion turns to whether or not this supernatural event actually happened.
What does someone mean when they call something super-natural. What this means is that any event that can happen is natural; in fact, such things can be said to simply fall in the category of the earlier meaning of supernatural given above. The only thing left for supernatural events to be are things which could never be observed, could never in any way affect us. We can present countless, indeed infinite, possible supernatural things (for example, that our universe exists as the super-fast blink of a subatomic particle in some other unreachable meta-universe we can never interact with; or that each subatomic particle in our universe composes an entirely separate universe itself), but we have no reason to believe any of them is true, and such views are not in any way verifiable, and so they are meaningless. Creation is in itself a miracle of planing and intervention of God. The only possibility I see left is that there are certain absolute natural physical laws to our universe (whether or not we know of them for sure right now), and supernatural events are events that do in fact happen (hypothetically observable to us) but which contradict these absolute laws. Which means all evidence in favor of a supernatural event is always circumstantial. And in my view, circumstantial evidence is never adequate to validate supernatural events. I do concede that there must be some point where a body of circumstantial evidence could be so great, that perhaps accepting that a supernatural event happened might be reasonable. Are supernatural events commonplace. John Wesley: An innately honest man, retained a child-like openness to all forms of natural and supernatural possibility. Human Curiosities, Natural Curiosities, Natural Events, Supernatural Events, Human Curiosities. It was inevitable that one who traveled as extensively as Wesley would encounter unusual people, their achievements, and their eccentricities. (Journal, 1790) For Wesley, the natural and the supernatural were an extension of each other, and he never hesitated to ascribe to divinity events he knew were part of the natural order as well. (Journal, 1773) Some experiences were, of course, beyond scientific explanation.
WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT Haunted houses and places? What about Ghosts? Conjuring and magic HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SEEN AS supernatural and a surviving form of magic, the truth is that conjuring and magic are using God created things called "WORDS" twisted as a curse. Words are the basic formula that God used to create the universe, words are the framework by which all things consist which is the REAL REASON SATAN twists and perverts the concepts of speech and what we hear in our daily lives!
Believers argue further that just as science has evolved from early, feeble attempts to explain natural events (such as spontaneous generation and the doctrine of humors) into a much more credible modern science, religion has evolved from early feeble attempts to explain supernatural events (such as animism) into the much more credible modern religions. Believers note that the vast majority of humanity, of all races, religions, and ages, believe and have always believed in supernatural phenomena of one form or another. Believers conclude that while some people have invented religions to help them cope with frightening and unexplainable phenomena, others have come to believe in supernatural phenomena through intellectually honest means, having been persuaded by reason, evidence, and experience that the universe cannot be explained by naturalistic explanations alone, but is best understood by acknowledging the Supernatural. Believers also note that while some people have denied the existence of supernatural phenomena through intellectually honest means, having been persuaded by reason, evidence, and experience that the supernatural does not exist, others have denied the supernatural out of a deep fear that supernatural forces might actually exist and have a real and tangible impact on our lives, and a fear that the universe might be more complex than their theories allow. By its own definition, science is incapable of examining or testing for the existence of the supernatural. Thus, believers in supernatural phenomenon hold that scientific methods would not detect them; therefore the lack of evidence does not matter. Scientists counter that if this is so, then believers in super naturalism themselves would be incapable of witnessing any supernatural phenomenon, as human senses themselves operate within the laws of physics, and can only sense events occurring in the natural, physical world...But our senses were made to commune with a supernatural God so it is possible that we can witness as I have BOTH super and UN-natural events. John Drane writes that "science is perpetuating "intellectual arrogance" when it does not accept the possibility of supernatural events and miracles" But what about Ghosts and Haunted Houses? A haunted house is a building that is a center for supernatural occurrences or paranormal phenomena, but why? Well, The bible talks of demonic strongholds BOTH in Places and People throughout it's pages and their is NO mystery to why these places and people are "Haunted" with a presence from the past, if you know the whole story behind it! The supernatural can refer to conscious magical witchcraft's, religious perceptions or unknown forces (Familiar Spirits) that cannot ordinarily be perceived except through their effects in the natural realm. Some examples of "supernatural phenomena" are miracles performed by God, ghosts which are merely Demons IMPERSONATING THE PERSONS THEY ONCE INHABITED IN LIFE in order to deceive mankind about life in the hereafter; psychic abilities like psychokinesis and telepathy are better classified as paranormal than supernatural because they deal with "the mental realm" BUT there are spiritual forces at work BEHIND THESE SO-CALLED ABILITIES. How do I know? I spent 8 years involved in Wicca and then as a black witch practicing many evils upon those I hated and upon myself untold misery.Because of this experience I now believe that Adam and Eve had certain mental and physical abilities FAR BEYOND those we have today but lost the ability to use them over time AFTER the fall. This does not mean that we are supposed to use them today, only that these abilities are under the surface waiting to be STIMULATED BY SPIRITUAL MANIPULATIONS FROM DEMONS IN ORDER TO DECEIVE AND MISLEAD US. The term supernatural is contrasted with the term natural, which presumes that some events occur according to natural laws, and others do not, because they are caused by forces external to nature. But it must be understood that Satan and all demons are NO LONGER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE SPIRITUAL REALM, THEY ARE "DEAD SPIRITS" unable to draw from God's powerful realm so they do what we do when we find ourselves in a position of lacking abilities...THEY LIE ABOUT THEIR REAL POWER WHICH IS SIMPLY "DECEPTION". Demons simply use the "Natural Laws" of the Universe which Satan knows BETTER that any human scientist because he was there as God's right hand angel at the creation. The demonic realm bases it's existence upon the natural laws of creation and "twists and shapes it to form whatever will deceive and manipulate human realities weather that is "Spiritual or Natural" in manifestation. Other individuals assert that events that appear to us to be supernatural occur according to natural laws which we do not yet understand (This is just what I have just said, Satan will use NATURAL LAWS THAT SCIENCE HAS NOT YET FOUND OUT ABOUT TO DECEIVE THE WEAK MINDED TO BELIEVE AND PRACTICE FALSE WORSHIP.). In contrast to super- naturalists, naturalists assert that all things operate according to a law of evolutionary nature not realizing that God created these laws to work with Spiritual laws of Faith. In contrast to atheists, super-naturalists assert that God, miracles, or other supernatural phenomena are real, verifiable, and part of the laws of nature that we do not yet understand, (this is true to a point because it would be silly for ANY SCIENTIST TO SAY THAT SCIENCE HAS ALL THE ANSWERS. After all, with sciences record of mishaps and down right stupid claims of the past how could they? O.K. can the supernatural be seen merely as a human coping mechanism? Some believe that human beings ascribe supernatural attributes to purely natural events in an attempt to cope with fear and ignorance. Since the belief in magic is very old and held a great power over the minds and imagination of earlier generations long before the concept of experimental science which you can only believe if you don't see some evidence out there about forbidden scientific finds in the midst of so-called ignorant savages of the past. He BELIEVES the supernatural does not exist, when most people of most ethnic groups at most points in history have claimed otherwise, is merely to perpetuate the intellectual arrogance of previous generations of Western thinkers, and far from providing an answer to the questions raised by history it merely begs larger and more important questions about the nature of Western intellectual culture. Much of what we call science today was once believed to be supernatural. The control of electricity, the manufacture of steel, radio waves, all were once thought to be beyond the bounds of nature, and therefore supernatural, by conventional scientists. As such, what is believed to be supernatural today may be completely explained tomorrow. Many claimed supernatural events can be studied by the scientific method; however, once the physical laws by which an event occurs become known, the event is no longer classified as 'supernatural'. Fundamental supernatural hypotheses are difficult to define, let alone test. Where science is able to address issues in dispute, to correct errors of fact, or to call into question claims of authority grounded in history, it has at times been able to soften antagonisms based on competing supernatural claims. Otherwise, (for example) the politics and morality of a scientist are as subjective or as reliant upon assumptions about the supernatural as those of anyone else -- and of course, individuals may decide to remain either passively agnostic about every issue that cannot be tested or actively hostile to claims of authority that cannot be scientifically justified. There have been many attempts to verify claims of supernatural phenomena scientifically. Many events once accepted as supernatural are now understood as manifestations of a natural, explainable nature that were misinterpreted. People that believe in supernatural events accuse those who do not of naturalizing genuinely supernatural events; people that do not believe in supernatural events accuse who do of super-naturalizing genuinely natural events. Believers can rightly respond to the many instances of super-naturalization by arguing that the fact that super-naturalization often occurs does not refute the existence of the supernatural any more than the fact that scientists often make errors refutes the existence of the natural universe. The concept of the supernatural has intrigued people of all cultures for thousands of years. Most professors of the natural sciences such as biology, physics, or neuro-science would probably say, if asked, that there was no such thing as the supernatural. What is it about the natural sciences that leads people to deny the existence of the supernatural. The axiom of modern science, by specifying that ALL behavior conforms to the laws of nature, completely rules out all possibility of a supernatural even to occurring in the natural world. And what would a supernatural being be if it existed but could DO absolutely nothing (I'll tell you, it would be demonic, since they CAN DO NOTHING BUT DECEIVE). Examples of the effect of science on mysticism and magic abound; eventually it is tempting to assume that ALL tales of the supernatural can be explained scientifically. Therefore, for lack of proof otherwise, we must allow the possibility that a supernatural event could take place. We might wonder what, if not the laws of nature, might cause a supernatural event to occur. We might wonder whether a closed set of laws exists such that in supernatural events these laws are never violated. The problem with this idea is that, assuming such a set of "supernatural laws" exists, there is nothing that prevents the grouping together of the natural laws with the supposed supernatural laws to form a closed set of laws to which all behavior in the universe conforms. Otherwise stated, a set of "supernatural laws", if it existed, would support the central axiom of science rather than contradict it. This does not, however, mean that supernatural events as observed in the material world cannot be caused. The Bible teaches that God (who is of course a supernatural being) always keeps His promises, so many of the miraculous things He has done through Jesus Himself and through the saints may be said to conform to a pattern in that regard. However, that does not mean that every supernatural occurrence is an "act of God", nor does it mean that every"act of God" is done according to a promise He has made. There are seemingly never ending arguments among many theologians, mystics, parapsychologists, religious leaders and the faithful regarding Supernatural Manifestations, Psychic Powers, Prophecies, etc. For those who do not believe in supernatural events and for those who doubt the truth of the Scriptures. Even if we would refuse to recognize the Sacred Scriptures as Divine Revelations on their own merits, then, through the very laws proposed by Parapsychology to explain away supernatural manifestations, the reality of the Sacred Scriptures would then be verified and confirmed. Rational man is quick to discount any supernatural manifestation OF ANYTHING BECAUSE IF HE ADMITS THAT THE SUPERNATURAL EXISTS HE MUST ADMIT THAT GOD EXISTS AND HE CANNOT DO THAT , SO THE ONLY OUT IS A NATURAL EXPLANATION. Let us explore what may be behind these denials of supernatural manifestations. If man cannot deal with supernatural manifestations, man will ignore them. So what lies behind the much talked about, and often denied, supernatural events of the evil nature. To the open eye and observant mind it should be evident that there is a coherent relationship between the original teachings of the Sacred Scriptures and Miracles, which are the legitimate manifestations of the supernatural, to wit:The infinite power of God may be accessed by man, through faith and in accordance to the Will of God, to over come any perceived or real limitation in whatever circumstance he may find himself. 1: Why is there such an insistent move to secularize and/or deny miracles and other supernatural manifestations to the point of attempting to neutralize the Divinity 2: Do the enemies of the supernatural and,thus,of true mysticism have a vested interest in the worldwide consequences that their theories, philosophies, and theological teachings will have? Concepts in the supernatural domain are closely related to concepts in religious spirituality, metaphysics. The supernatural concept is generally identified with religion or other belief systems - though there is much debate as to whether a supernatural is necessary for religion, or that religion is necessary for holding a concept of the supernatural since religion is merely a man made reflection of what God intended and NOT the true reality of his presence. Those denying the plausibility of the supernatural typically claim that the only events which cannot be studied scientifically are those which cannot be perceived by any means. If an event claimed to be supernatural really has happened, it can therefore be studied scientifically and is not supernatural. Some examples of supernatural phenomena are miracles and ghosts. The Bible is full of descriptions of supernatural events and divine intervention in human affairs. To a super-naturalist, the point is not whether miracles are supernatural or not, but whether they occur at all. It is important to note that no matter which philosophical assumption one chooses to interpret the observable scientific evidence, either naturalism or super-naturalism, are equally unscientific. But to the issue of whether science can allow for intelligent cause outside of nature itself rather than the blind process of naturalistic evolution, Can science explain phenomena with reference to intelligent agents. Can the supernatural can be observed or not.
Clearly, the Bible is full of accounts of supernatural events and experiences. That is not to say that all supernatural beings or events are observable. But it does mean that the fact that some supernatural events are observable gives us reason to believe that supernatural beings exist, and the fact that we can't observe them is a consequence of our limitations, rather than any inadequacy on their part. This is medically, scientifically documented in various studies and reports, and is an observable change brought on by belief (or appeal to) supernatural causes. Yet even this would suggest that, positive or negative, prayerful appeal to the supernatural, God or Satan has observable results. Life by way of the supernatural, or by way of a naturalistic mechanism for evolution, are both equally untestable, and unobservable.
Other Objections are that One supernatural explanation cannot be distinguished from another. This presupposes that all supernatural explanations are the same. It implies that invoking the supernatural is a blanket explanation (An excuse for common ignorance). That supposition exposes another attribute of the objection itself: it is based on materialistic naturalism, which assumes a prior that no supernatural event can ever occur at all. While for a single event it may be impossible to distinguish between different supernatural explanations, the same thing is true of natural explanations. Distinguishing between different explanations, whether natural or supernatural, requires repeated events so that a pattern can be observed (Isn't this the job of science?). In this case there are different sightings that match each theory such as studying a ghost's behavior so we distinguish between two different supernatural explanations for ghosts (An intelligent haunting or one that seems to match the living surroundings as if to interact with those who live there vs. a residual haunting or one that plays the same thing over and over as if reliving a life that has passed....Both can be explained by demonic activity).
There are difficulties in generalizing supernatural explanations but that does not mean that it is impossible. Difficulties in generalizing supernatural explanations can result from several causes: Rarity of a supernatural event is one such as the Reed sea parting for Moses. Some supernatural events do not happen frequently enough (maybe only once) to make a generalization possible, but the same thing could occur with natural events, if similar events do not occur frequently enough to observe more than a few occurrences. If similar supernatural events are not adequately observed then generalizations may be impossible because of the lack of information. Many supernatural events clearly involve intelligent entities and the behavior of intelligent entities would be hard, but not necessarily impossible, to generalize, particularly when dealing with more than one non-human intelligent entity. Some events once thought to be supernatural are now known to be natural. Such events were deemed to be supernatural because nature was poorly understood by those who made such claims. However a scientific application of supernatural explanations concludes that natural process are inadequate, not because of lack of knowledge but because of the actual inability of chance and natural law to provide an adequate explanation such as the creation of the Universe vs. Evolution.
It is possible that a supernatural explanation could be replaced by a natural one if more data becomes available (i.e Proof of the opposite having occurred), but the reverse is also possible. Finding the natural causes of things, does not totally negate supernatural causes and purposes (For example God can and has USED the Natural to bring about his plans i.e.Jesus' death on the cross to bring salvation to man). Some aspects of Quantum physics suggest that even natural causes have underlining supernatural causes. A supernatural explanation can only be postulated by eliminating all possible natural explanations. This objection presupposes that supernatural explanations are magical as if simply invoking the supernatural is an explanation; this is not the case. A proper supernatural explanation would explain how the event happened, but simply not be limited to the natural laws of our physical universe. In other words creationists are quick to point out that the supernatural is the cause for the existence of life and natural laws to sustain it. However simply because the supernatural has created life it doesn't mean that it cannot supersede the natural laws governing creation. He might conclude, since this behavior violates natural law, that something from outside space time (supernatural by definition) is causing the space time bend.
If a supernatural event is studied long enough or multiple supernatural events were studied, some details about the supernatural cause might be deduced, just as is done with unseen natural objects like subatomic particles. This objection equates the supernatural to superstition, but the two are not equivalent. Numerous events in Earth's history require a super-naturalistic belief system before they can be correctly interpreted or understood. There is nothing in the definition of science that precludes a supernatural hypothesis. In fact, many of the scientific fathers who created the very science still in use today relied upon God or a supernatural divine force that created first and sustained that creation with natural laws of physics, chemistry and mathematics to govern it.
The denial of the supernatural that is part of naturalism is a purely philosophical and essentially atheistic position. By excluding supernatural hypotheses from consideration, materialists eliminate out of hand a large body of possible explanations for past, present and future phenomena. In origins and historical research, a total denial of the supernatural will cause grave error where supernatural events have indeed occurred; therefore supernatural explanations must be considered where appropriate. Although it might seem obvious flood that such an event had taken place whether you believe in super-naturalism or not, it is important to recognize the depth and breadth of the strata covering the Earth before a person can understand the reliance of this interpretation upon one presupposition belief system or the other. Given the volumes of rock involved, it simply would not be possible for any land animal to survive a flood able to create the entire geologic column without supernatural intervention, and yet the world is filled with a plethora of fragile lifeforms. I believe that supernatural events are natural events that we are not advanced enough to explain in the sense that a supernatural God uses his advanced knowledge of natural law to do something in our realm that seems at the time to beyond nature but is really just ahead of our knowledge about these things. If we were to go back 2,000 years ago and clone a sheep, it would be considered a supernatural event by many of the people from that time period would it not? We naturally survive death and the only supernatural thing about it is we don't fully understand it yet but when we get there we will automatically know as we are known by God now. I think the skeptic calls them supernatural because it helps them to separate these things from the natural order of things and this protects their belief system, after all its all about what we work so hard to tell ourselves NOT THE FACTS IN FRONT OF US THAT MATTER.....RIGHT?. The only supernatural thing about psychic ability and life after death is that we don't fully understand them. They aren't being debated here and can't be compared to supernatural events people claim to observe. Basically: 1.) Supernatural events are excluded deliberately in science. Originally the principle may well have been adopted (in ancient Greece) because it was a much more fruitful way to understand the world than super-naturalism. This does not mean that supernatural events may not be investigated as science. "Supernatural" events can be either subsumed under those ultimate laws, or science cannot be fruitfully applied to them at all. 2.)Those asserting the occurrence of supernatural events and entities usually describe them as having been observed or experienced firsthand, a testimony being so unique that they cannot deny it took place as in my case having experienced events so profound in witchcraft that no one can convince me otherwise as opposed to the Atheists who have experienced NOTHING BUT DENY EVERYTHING. Those denying the plausibility of supernatural events typically define them as events which cannot be perceived by natural or empirical senses, and whose understanding may be said to lie with religious, magical, or otherwise mysterious explanation-yet remains firmly outside of the realm of science. But we can only know that a supernatural event is impossible if we know in advance that materialism is the correct world-view which it is not. Its one thing to suggest that belief in the supernatural is unreasonable (as Hume said), but we must agree that it is possible. Once we accept that supernatural causation is logically possible, the question is whether we have evidence for the existence of the supernatural. The argument against the supernatural becomes inherently weak when a simple believer in the supernatural transforms into a living personal testimony to the supernatural upon witnessing something they truly know to be "supernatural". The genuine witness to the supernatural will make his case by the detail in which he describes his account of that which he truly knows to be supernatural. The problem of the situation becomes clear when we hear personal testimony of an account of an event which on its surface can only be classified as supernatural.This description of the supernatural suggests the following inquiry: if this is not supernatural what is it, natural? And if so....PROVE IT with the same fervor you say I must prove God to be real.Remember that all beliefs are open to objection UNTIL REAL EVIDENCE IS PUT FORTH, THEN IT'S "PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS" TIME which is where all Atheists and Skeptics must PUT UP OR SHUT UP! It is a well known fact that beliefs PROVE NOTHING without Evidence to back them up and God has given so much Evidence to back up his claims that it is sheer folly to deny it's plain existence before our eyes. This is why I have put this Evidence on the Internet for all to read at http://nuurl.us/6fcc3 on this page you will be able as an Atheist or just plain skeptical mind to witness the "In your face" evidence of God's intervention on your behalf in both written and Video format....proof that is unmistakable in it's entirety and unflinching in it's honesty about Unbeliever and Christian alike because I firmly believe that "RELIGION IN IT'S VILE PRESENTATION OF A FALSE CHRIST TO THE MASSES" has done more damage to God's plan than all the anti-Christian text books ever written. The World is ready for the true gospel to be told, that's what I plan to do through this page and articles to follow.The adherents of supernatural beliefs hold that such phenomena exist just as surely as does the natural world, whereas opponents, typically materialists and empiricists, argue that there are natural, physical explanations for all such phenomena which are only a bunch of words without real meaning until Evidence surfaces to prove it true....I present to you that real evidence at Open your Eyes Ministries. With kindest regards Minister Clarence F. Sargent 11/12/2007
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clarence_Sargent
1.) "Freedom from the World of Satanism & the Power of Satan"
By Danny Bias
2.) "The Kingdom of the Occult" By Walter Martin, Jill Martin Rische, Kurt Van Gorden
3.) "Occult bondage and deliverance: advice for counselling the sick, the ..." By Kurt E. Koch
4.) "The occult roots of Nazism: secret Aryan cults and their influence on Nazi ..." By Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke
5.) "Occult ABC" By Kurt E. Koch
6.) "Larson's Book of World Religions and Alternative Spirituality" By Bob Larson
7.)
The word "occult" is generally associated with secret knowledge and practices dealing with the supernatural or "psychic" phenomena often for the purpose of obtaining personal power. Some occult practices rely on demons or "spirits" to achieve their goals. Occultism is rapidly increasing throughout the world. There are now thousands of publishers of occultic books and magazines (not to mention Web sites). Interest in the occult has been promoted by the New Age movement, the rise of neo-paganism, movies and even some heavy-metal rock bands.
3.) "Occult bondage and deliverance: advice for counselling the sick, the ..." By Kurt E. Koch
4.) "The occult roots of Nazism: secret Aryan cults and their influence on Nazi ..." By Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke
5.) "Occult ABC" By Kurt E. Koch
6.) "Larson's Book of World Religions and Alternative Spirituality" By Bob Larson
7.)
The word "occult" is generally associated with secret knowledge and practices dealing with the supernatural or "psychic" phenomena often for the purpose of obtaining personal power. Some occult practices rely on demons or "spirits" to achieve their goals. Occultism is rapidly increasing throughout the world. There are now thousands of publishers of occultic books and magazines (not to mention Web sites). Interest in the occult has been promoted by the New Age movement, the rise of neo-paganism, movies and even some heavy-metal rock bands.
What does the Bible say about the occult? Answer
Please understand that the terms “occult” and “cult” refer to completely different things—although there can be crossovers in some specific instances. That is, some cults have occultic practices.
Exodus 22:18 "You shall not permit a sorceress to live." [Sorcery was punishable by death because it is a sin against God himself. To invoke evil powers violates the first commandment to "have no other gods."]
Leviticus 19:26 "You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying."
Leviticus 19:31 "Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God."
Leviticus 20:6 "And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God."
Leviticus 20:27 "A man or woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them."
Deuteronomy 18:9-14 "When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.
There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.
For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of those abominations the Lord God drives them out from before you.
You shall be blameless before the lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord God has not appointed such for you.
2 Kings 21: 6; 10-15 [Manasseh Reigns in Judah] "Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger."
"And the Lord spoke by His servants the prophets, saying, 'Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations (he has acted more wickedly than all the Amorites who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols), therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel:
'Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.
So I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies, because they have done evil in My sight, and have provoked Me to anger since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.''"
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 "So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
Jeremiah 10:2,3 "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles [heathen]; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them." [The people of Judah wanted to know the future, and they tried to discern it through reading the signs in the sky. Jeremiah'' response applies today: God made the earth and the heavens, including stars that people consult and worship.
No one will discover the future in made-up charts of God's stars. But God, who promises to guide you, knows your future and will be with you all the way. He may not reveal your future to you, but He will walk with you as the future unfolds. Don't trust the stars - trust the one who made the stars.]
Zechariah 10:2 "For the idols speak delusion; The diviners envision lies, And tell false dreams; They comfort in vain."
Malachi 3:5 "And I will come near you for judgement; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien - Because they do not Fear Me," Says the Lord of hosts."
Jeremiah 27:9-11 "Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, "You shall not serve the king of Babylon." For they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish.
But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in their own land,' says the Lord, 'and they shall dwell in it.'" [The false prophets told the people what they wanted to hear.
The people in Jeremiah's day needed a true friend like Jeremiah who brought God's painful, corrective word. A true friend speaks the truth no matter how much it hurts to hear. Seek friends who speak truthfully, even though their correction is painful. Someone who flatters you by telling you lies is not a true friend.]
Matthew 7:17-18 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit."
Acts 8:9-13 "But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, 'This man is the great power of God.'
And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.
Acts 19:19 "Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed."
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissentions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5:8-11 "For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them."
[It is important to avoid the "unfruitful works of darkness," but we must go even further. Paul instructs us to expose these works because our silence may be interpreted as approval. God needs people who will take a stand for what is right. Christians must lovingly speak out for what is true and right.]
1 Thessalonians 5:22 "Abstain from every form of evil."
2 Timothy 3:8,9 "Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. [According to tradition, Jannes and Jambres were two of the magicians who counterfeited Moses' miracles before Pharaoh (Exodus 7:11, 12).
Paul explained that just as Moses exposed and defeated them (Exodus 8:18, 19), God would overthrow the false teachers who were plaguing the Ephesian church.
Revelation 21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Revelation 22:14-15 "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
Witchcraft in the Bible means: wich, wich'-kraft:
1. Meaning and Use of the Words
2. Biblical Usage
3. Common Elements in Witchcraft and Ancient Oriental Magic
4. Rise, Spread and Persecution of Witchcraft
LITERATURE
1. Meaning and Use of the Words:
The word "witch" seems to denote etymologically "one that knows." it is historically both masculine and feminine; indeed the Anglo-Saxon form wicca, to which the English word is to be traced, is masculine alone. "Wizard" is given as masculine for witch, but it has in reality no connection with it. Wright (English Dialect Dictionary, VII, 521) says he never heard an uneducated person speak of wizard. When this word is used by the people it denotes, he says, a person who undoes the work of a witch. Shakespeare often uses "witch" of a male (compare Cymbeline, I, 6, l. 166:
"He is .... a witch"). In Wycliff's translation of Acts 8:9 Simon Magus is called "a witch" ("wicche"). Since the 13th century the word "witch" has come more and more to denote a woman who has formed a compact with the Devil or with evil spirits, by whose aid she is able to cause all sorts of injury to living beings and to things. The term "witchcraft" means in modern English the arts and practices of such women.
2. Biblical Usage:
Since the ideas we attach to "witch" and "witchcraft" were unknown in Bible times, the words have no right place in our English Bible, and this has been recognized to some extent but not completely by the Revisers of 1884.
The word "witch" occurs twice in the King James Version, namely, (1) in Ex 22:18, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch (the Revised Version (British and American) "a sorceress") to live"; (2) in Dt 18:10, "or a witch" (the Revised Version (British and American) "or a sorcerer"). The Hebrew word is in both cases the participle of the verb (kishsheph), denoting "to practice the magical article."
In the first passage, however, the feminine ending (-ah) is attached, but this ending denotes also one of a class and (on the contrary) a collection of units.
The phrase "the witch of Endor" occurs frequently in literature, and especially in common parlance, but it is not found in the English Bible.
The expression has come from the heading and summary of the King James Version, both often so misleading. In 1 Sam 28, where alone the character is spoken of, English Versions of the Bible translates the Hebrew 'esheth ba`alath 'obh by "a woman that hath a familiar spirit." A literal rendering would be "a woman who is mistress of an 'obh or ghost," i.e. one able to compel the departed spirit to return and to answer certain questions.
This woman was therefore a necromancer, a species of diviner , and not what the term "witch" imports.
The word "witchcraft" occurs thrice in the King James Version in 1 Sam 15:23, "the sin of witchcraft" should be as in the Revised Version margin, "the sin of divination," the latter representing the Hebrew word qecem, generally translated "divination".
The phrase "used witchcraft" (of Manasseh, 2 Ch 33:16) is properly rendered in the Revised Version (British and American) "practised sorcery," the Hebrew verb (kishsheph) being that whence the participles in Ex 22:18 and Dt 18:10, translated in the King James Version "witch," are derived (see above).
The word translated in the King James Version "witchcraft" in Gal 5:20 (pharmakeia) is the ordinary Greek one for "sorcery," and is so rendered in the Revised Version (British and American), though it means literally the act of administering drugs and then of giving magical potions.
It naturally comes then to stand for the magician's art, as in the present passage and also in The Wisdom of Solomon 12:4; 18:13; and in the Septuagint of Isa 47:9, where it represents the Hebrew noun keshaphim, translated "sorceries"; compare the Hebrew verb kishsheph; see above.
The plural "witchcrafts" (in the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American)) stands for the Hebrew noun just noticed (keshaphim) in 2 Ki 9:22; Mic 5:12; Nah 3:4, but in all three passages a proper rendering would be "sorceries" or "magical arts." "Witchcrafts" is inaccurate and misleading.
The verb "bewitch" occurs in Acts 8:9,11 the King James Version (of Simon Magus bewitching the people) and in Gal 3:1 ("O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you?").
In the first context the Greek verb is existemi, which is properly rendered by the Revisers "amazed"; in 3:13 the passive of the same verb is translated "he was amazed" (the King James Version "He wondered"). In Gal 3:1, the verb is baskaubaino, which is used of a blinding effect of the evil eye and has perhaps an occult reference, but it has nothing whatever to do with "witch" or "witchcraft."
3. Common Elements in Witchcraft and Ancient Oriental Magic:
Though the conceptions conveyed by the English word "witch" and its cognates were unknown to the Hebrews of Bible times, yet the fundamental thought involved in such terms was familiar enough to the ancient Hebrews and to other nations of antiquity (Babylonians, Egyptians, etc.), namely, that there exists a class of persons called by us magicians, sorcerers, etc., who have superhuman power over living creatures including man, and also over Nature and natural objects. This power is of two kinds:
(1) cosmic,
(2) personal. For an explanation see MAGIC, II. it is in Assyrio-Babylonian literature that we have the completest account of magical doctrine and practice. The words used in that literature for the male and female magician are ashipu and ashiptu, which correspond to the Hebrew mekhashsheph and mekhashshephah in Dt 18:10 and Ex 22:18 (see 2, above) and are cognate to 'ashshaph (see Dan 1:20; 2:2,10, etc.), which means a magician (the Revised Version (British and American) "enchanter").
Other Babylonian words are kashshapu and kashshaptu, which in etymology and in sense agree with the Hebrew terms mekhashsheph and mekhashshephah mentioned above.
But neither in the Babylonian or Hebrew words is there the peculiar idea of a witch, namely, one who traffics with malicious spirits for malicious ends. indeed the magician was a source of good (male and female) as conceived by the Babylonians, especially the ashipu and ashiptu, to the state and to individuals, as well as of evil, and he was often therefore in the service of the state as the guide of its policy.
And the same applies to the magician as the Hebrews regarded him, though the true teachers and leaders in Israel condemned magic and divination of every sort as being radically opposed to the religion of Yahweh (Dt 18:10 f). Of course, if a Babylonian magician used his art to the injury of others he was punished as other criminals, and in case of the death of the victim he was executed as a murderer.
It is, however, noteworthy in its bearing on "witchcraft" that the female magician or sorceress played a larger part in ancient Babylonia than her male counterpart, and the same is true of the Greeks and other ancient people.
This arose perhaps from the fact that in primitive times men spent their time in fighting and hunting; the cooking of the food and the healing of the sick, wounded, etc., by magical potions and otherwise, falling to the lot of the woman who stayed at home. In the early history of the Hebrews inspired women played a greater role than in later time; compare Miriam (Ex 15:20 f; Nu 12); Deborah (Jdg 5:12); Huldah (2 Ki 22:14 ff).
Note also the 'ishshah chakhamah, or "wise woman" of 2 Sam 14:2 ff; 20:16.
The first two sections of the Code of Hammurabi are as follows: "1. If a man has laid a curse (kispu = keshaphim) upon (another) man and it is not justified, he that laid the curse shall be put to death.
2. If a man has put a spell upon (another) man and it is not justified, he upon whom the spell is laid shall go to the holy river; into the holy river shall he plunge. If the holy river overcome him (and he is drowned), the man who put the spell upon him shall take possession of his house.
If the holy river declares him innocent and he remains unharmed the man who laid the spell shall be put to death. He that plunged into the river shall take possession of the house of him who laid the spell upon him."
Not a word is said here of a female that weaves a spell, but probably the word "man" in the Babylonian is to be taken as including male and female (so Canon C. H. W. Johns in a private letter, dated December 22, 1912).
4. Rise, Spread, and Persecution of Witchcraft:
(Note that MUCH of the history of witchcraft persecution is completely over blown both by the Church (Catholic) and the witches of today to further their individual agendas, the truth is less desirable as it reveals that mostly "True Believers in Jesus" were wrongly accused of witchcrafts more akin to fairy tales and human invention than biblical Witchcraft's so defined. The real truth is that the accusers were the real "Witches" in God's eyes because it is his definition stands the true test in the end not ours!)
In the early and especially in the medieval church, the conception of the Devil occupied a very important place, and human beings were thought to be under his dominion until he was exorcised in baptism. It is to this belief that we owe the rise and spread of infant baptism.
The unbaptized were thought to be Devil-possessed.
The belief in the existence of women magicians had come down from hoary antiquity. It was but a short step to ascribe the evil those women performed to the Devil and his hosts.
Then it was natural to think that the Devil would not grant such extraordinary powers without some quid pro quo; hence, the witch (or wizard) was supposed to have sold her (or his) soul to the Devil, a proceeding that would delight the heart of the great enemy of good always on the alert to hinder the salvation of men; compare the Faust legend.
For the conditions believed to be imposed by the Devil upon all who would be in league with him.
This idea of a covenant with the Devil is wholly absent from the early heathen conception of magic; nor do we in the latter read of meetings at night between the magicians and the demons with whom they dealt, such as took place on the Witches' Sabbath. The witches were believed to have sexual commerce with devils and to be capable only of inflicting evil, both thoughts alien to oriental and therefore to Biblical magic.
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."
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 (You are cursed with the Accursed objects you use as I was). 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.
My Response is that The Bible makes no distinction between good or bad magic or sorcery. All sorcery comes from the same source and is abhorred by God. Heart intentions not withstanding because the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
We don't use this reasoning in any other part of our lives why here?
Would we let you off the hook as a "pedophile" because you said "I was only in pure love with your child and only practiced normal loving sex with them"?
Of course not "Sex with any child" for any reason is an abomination to man and God so why excuse one form of the same issue as good.
We don't use this reasoning in any other part of our lives why here?
Would we let you off the hook as a "pedophile" because you said "I was only in pure love with your child and only practiced normal loving sex with them"?
Of course not "Sex with any child" for any reason is an abomination to man and God so why excuse one form of the same issue as good.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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".
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.
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.
