|
God And Wizards
|
Some Christians are strongly opposed to stories and games that involve wizards. Other Christians do not see any problem at all with these stories. The purpose of this page is to explain why this division exists and to demonstrate that both sides have solid, biblical arguments. Regardless of which side a Christian may take on the issue of wizards in literature one thing can be known with certainty. This issue should not divide Christians nor should it give them a reason to judge one another.
|
|
|
|
|
|
1. You can go to God.
|
“I can’t talk to God because I play Dungeons and Dragons.” These are the words of a troubled teenage girl who broke my heart with her story. She had spent the night at her friend's house across town but had neglected to inform her parents of this. When she finally came home her parents brought her to the hospital requesting that she be admitted to the psychiatric unit. They were understandably upset and wanted someone to get through to their child. After speaking to the girl and her parents the doctor decided not to admit the girl to the hospital. Instead she was sent home with her parents, and both parties were instructed not to speak to each other until they all had a good night of sleep.
At this time I was working as a security officer in this Twin Cities hospital. One of my jobs was to monitor patients who were waiting to be admitted to the hospital’s psychiatric unit. This process usually took several hours, much of which was spent waiting for the right staff members to arrive at the hospital. This left ample time for me to talk with the patients and they would often share their stories with me. When the teenage girl mentioned earlier told me that she just didn’t have anyone to talk to about what troubled her I asked if she had tried to talk to God. This was when she broke my heart by saying, “I can’t talk to God because I play Dungeons and Dragons.”
Romans 8: 38 - 39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NIV)
God wants to hear from you, even if you play Dungeons and Dragons. Every person who calls out to God will be saved. My response to the girl was that “I am a Christian and I like to play Dungeons and Dragons. Nothing can stop you from talking to God.” As a result of this experience, I believe that the zealous opposition of some Christians to role playing games and stories that involve magic is doing more harm than good.1
|
|
|
2. The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Go To God.
|
10. God is our creator.
9. God cares about us.
8. God has a purpose for each of our lives.
7. God gives rest to those who are hurting.
6. God makes us part of a family.
5. God gives us courage.
The authorities of Jerusalem who had Jesus put to death believed that the followers of Jesus would all leave. Instead, Peter and John, who were two of Jesus’ followers, went to the temple and proclaimed their belief in Jesus. On their way to the temple Peter and John encountered a crippled beggar. They did not have money to offer, instead they healed the man in the name of Jesus so that he could walk again. Because of what they were saying Peter and John were arrested and sent to jail overnight. In the morning they were brought before the Sanhedrin, which was the temple authority. The Sanhedrin asked the two followers of Jesus “by what power or what name did you do this [heal the man].” The once crippled man followed Peter and John into the temple where he heard Peter say:
Acts 4:8-14 “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.” (NIV)
4. God is good.
3. God is more powerful than evil.
2. God offers unending life.
1. God gives us the power to choose.
|
|
|
3. How To Go To God.
|
God made a place in heaven for us and a place in our hearts for Him. Without God we are incomplete and this condition is called sin. Our condition is made worse by things we do that keep God away. God can not tolerate sin and still be God, so He came up with a plan. The plan is that God would send a part of Himself to become a man. This person, who was named Jesus, was at the same time both God and man. Because of this unique quality Jesus was able to take all of our sins upon Himself. When Jesus died our sins died with Him. Because Jesus was also God the grave could not hold Him and He returned to life, leaving our sins behind in the grave. Christianity is a belief in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and that through these events we are made right with God.
You can go to God. Talk to Him in your own words. God is real and He will listen. Tell Him that you believe Jesus died for your sins but that the grave could not hold Him. Know that because of Jesus’ sacrifice you will not remain in the grave but will live forever with Him in your heart. God will keep His promisses. He will make you a new person, completely acceptable to Him.
Read what the Bible says about going to God by following the links below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4. God’s Search For Humanity.
|
Christianity is a myth, but to call it such is not the same as to call it a false belief. Although, some would like to dismiss the faith by simply attaching the word myth to it, this ignores the significance of both. A myth is not merely a false story. It is a meaningful story that may or may not be true in a historical sense. Mythology and religion is everywhere in our world. It indicates a yearning for the divine. Yet the story of the one true God is set apart from the rest by one thing. Where the other religions and myths tell the story of humanity’s search for god, the Bible tells the story of God’s search for humanity. It is the story of how God stepped into human history to reconcile people to himself. These are the key parts of the story:
• God spoke and the world was made, he created people and said that they were good. But Adam and Eve chose to defy God's instructions (sin) and were forced to live apart from God.
In six days God made the earth and all that was in it. He placed the stars in the sky and made the first man, Adam, out of the dust of the earth. God looked out upon all he had made and said that it was good. Having done all this he rested on the seventh day. God had planted a garden, in a land called Eden, and he placed Adam there to tend the garden. Seeing that Adam was lonely God created the first woman. Her name was Eve. She was to be a companion to Adam. Adam and Eve lived together in the garden of Eden with God, where food was plentiful and life was easy. They were both naked but were not ashamed.
In the center of the garden were two special trees, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God instructed Adam that he was free to eat the fruit from any tree in the garden except that from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For if he did eat from this tree he would certainly die. Now a crafty and deceptive serpent was also in the garden. The serpent persuaded Eve that she would not die if she ate the fruit from this tree that was forbidden to her. Instead the serpent convinced her that God knew that if she ate this fruit she would become like him. Disobeying God's command, Eve ate some of the forbidden fruit. Then she gave some to Adam who also ate the fruit. Instantly both became ashamed of their nakedness. Because of their disobedience to God Adam and Eve were forced out of the garden, to live apart from God. This is how sin entered the hearts of all people.
• God can not tolerate sin and still be God.
After departing from the garden, people became numerous and spread throughout the earth. The first of Adam and Eve's children were two sons named Cain and Abel. Cain, who was the older of the two, worked in the fields as a farmer while Abel kept flocks of animals. Each brought some of what they had made to present to God. Cain brought some of what he had grown, but Abel brought in the best of what he had. Cain became jealous of what Abel had brought to devote to God so he plotted to murder his brother. When the two were in the field together Cain attacked Abel and killed him. Then God, knowing what had happened, asked Cain, "Where is your brother?" Cain asked a question in response, saying "Am I my brother's keeper?" God was furious with Cain and told him that the earth, which opened up to receive Abel's blood, cries out for justice. As punishment for his murderous act Cain was sentenced to wander the earth apart from God, in a foreign land, in which food would hardly grow.
• God chose the descendants of Abraham to be his people.
Around 1700 BC, in Haran (which is in the fertile crescent of the middle east) lived a man named Abram. God promised him that if he left home and went to a new land he would become the father of a great nation. Abram decided to obey God so he packed up his family, left Haran and traveled to the land of Canaan. After many years Abram's wife, who was named Sarai, had not given birth to any children. Because of this Abram began to doubt God's promise. He took matters into his own hands and had a child with Sarai's servant, Hagar. God confronted Abram about his defiance and offered to renew his promise. Realizing that he had gone against the will of God, Abram fell face down to the ground. He asked how a man of one hundred years could have children. God asserted to Abram that he was God and if Abram will follow his instructions, then all will be as he had promised. As a sign of God's renewed promise Abram and Sarai were instructed to change their names. Abram became Abraham and Sarai became Sarah.
Long after God's promise was made to Abraham, that he would be the father of a great nation, Sarah gave birth to a son and they named him Isaac as God had instructed. Now God planned to test Abraham. He told Abraham to go to Moriah and offer Isaac, Abraham's only son, as a sacrifice. Abraham obeyed God and took his son to Moriah. On the way Isaac asked his father where the lamb was for the offering to the Lord. Abraham answered Isaac, telling him that the Lord would provide the offering. When they reached the place where God had instructed them to go, Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son, but God stopped him. Abraham looked up and found a ram caught in a thicket. Abraham sacrificed the ram in place of his son and God was pleased with him. Isaac had two sons named Jacob and Esau. Jacob, who was also called Israel, had twelve sons. This started the lineage of the people of Israel, who were the descendants of Abraham.
• God gave people the law to show them the difference between right and wrong and to show them the way back to him.
Around 1200 BC the Israelites were living in Egypt where they were prosperous. When a new king came to power he believed that the Israelites were too numerous in Egypt. He was afraid that if Egypt were attacked the Israelites would rebel and join their enemies. Because of this the Pharaoh decreed that all male Israelite babies were to be thrown into the river. One such baby was found by the Pharaoh's daughter and she felt sorry for the child. She took the child to an Israelite woman, who was the child's mother, and hired her to nurse the child. When the child was old enough he was returned to the Pharaoh's daughter who named him Moses. From that point on this Israelite child named Moses was raised in the Pharaoh's house.
God chose Moses to lead his people out of slavery. The Egyptians placed slave masters in charge of the Israelites and forced them to build entire cities for Pharaoh. The burden of their labor was great on the people. Moses went to Pharaoh and asked that he let the Israelites go to honor God with a festival in the desert. But Pharaoh would not allow the Israelites to leave Egypt. Moses warned Pharaoh that God would send plagues to afflict the land until his people were released. The Pharaoh said no ten times until the plagues became too much to tolerate. Finally he gave in to Moses and allowed the Israelites to leave. To go and serve their God. While in the desert, God gave Moses ten Commandments, which were to become the foundation of the law.
|
The Ten Commandments:
|
|
1. Place no other gods before God.
|
6. Do not commit murder.
|
2. Do not make an idol to worship.
|
7. Do not commit adultery.
|
3. Do not misuse the name of the Lord.
|
8. Do not steal.
|
4. Keep the sabbath day holy.
|
9. Do not give false testimony.
|
5. Honor your father and your mother.
|
10. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
|
|
The purpose of the law was to make clearly known the difference betwen right and wrong. Then to provide a way for people to be made right with God. God loves people but he can not tolerate sin and still be God so he took action and gave us the law. The law provided a way for us to become acceptable to God even after we have sinned. The way that the law provided was to sacrifice another creature in our place. This sacrifice would would pay the penalty of our sin so that we could be right with God.
• No one can keep the law but Jesus became the once and for all sacrifice to cover our sins.
Because of the nature of sin that exists in our hearts there is no one who can fully obey the law. The result of this is that people are kept as slaves to sin, constantly in need of sacrifice to become right with God. Once again God took action to bring people back to him. Around 4 BC God sent a part of himself to earth in the form of a child named Jesus. This gift that God gave to us is is why we celebrate on Christmas Day by giving gifts to one another. Jesus was raised in the jewish tradition by his parents, Mary and Joseph. He was trained in the law and was without sin. Jesus began a ministry of healing and teaching. He was fully human and yet completely divine.
Jesus began to teach in the synagogues (jewish places of worship). He said that he was the only way to God. He also criticized the religious authorities, saying that they had become too concerned about the letter of the law while in the process forgetting God. This offended the religious leaders of Israel so they plotted to have him killed. Jesus was arrested under the authority of the Sanhedrin, who accused him of making blasphemous comments about God. He was questioned by them and then beaten. The Sanhedrin took him to Pilate, who was the Roman authority in charge of Palestine (also called Israel). They told Pilate that Jesus claimed to be the King of the Jews and because of this was a threat to Rome. Pilate questioned Jesus about this. Jesus responded that his kingdom was not of this earth. He was referring to the spiritual kingdom of those who believe in him. Pilate did not find any flaw in Jesus but had him beaten again, hoping that this would satisfy the Sanhedrin. Nothing would placate the crowd. They demanded that Jesus be crucified.
Death by crucifixion was painfully slow. It involved having your hands and feet nailed to a cross made out of wood. In this way Jesus became the once and for all sacrifice, in place of us, to cover our sin. Just as God provided a ram for sacrifice in the place of Isaac, God provided his one and only son to be the sacrifice in place of us. Because of Jesus we can now be right with God. We become a member of God's family and descendents of Abraham through faith. All we have to do is believe in him.
|
|
|
5. God And Wizards.
|
Role playing games often feature wizards, magic users, and the like. In these story oriented games some wizards use their magical abilities for good while some use them to do evil. In the Bible, which is God’s word, God has made it clear that magic is wrong. In order to be right with God we must stay away from any sort of magical practice, whether it be for good use or bad. Listed here are many of the Bible passages that deal with magic.
|
|
|
So how can it be that one who believes in God could also play role playing games that involve magic?
It’s not real. Magic in a fantasy story is a literary device that does not exist in the same context as real world occultism. Volumes of stories for children, fairy tales and myths from many different times and cultures talk of magic. Many of Disney’s most popular animated movies have good characters using magic, such as Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. While the Bible instructs us that magic is wrong we don’t mind these stories because we know that they take place in a land that is reached only through our imaginations. After watching or reading the stories we still have no idea how to practice magic in the real world. In the same way, the spells in Dungeons and Dragons and Harry Potter2 do not work in the real world. They are mechanistic in nature and do not make contact with the spirit world. They simply will not work for us the same way they work for a character that we play in a fantasy setting.
Mythological stories involving magic and deities point to a belief in a universe that has been designed by a creator. C.S. Lewis, a renowned Christian author, was converted to Christianity through a contemplation of mythology. He once ridiculed christian expressions about sacrifice and the “blood of the Lamb” calling them silly. Lewis could not comprehend how “the life and death of Christ ‘saved’ or ‘opened salvation to the world.” One evening he discussed the subject with authors J.R.R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson who were fellow members of the Inklings writing club. He recorded the substance of his conversation in a letter to Arthur Greeves.
“Now what Dyson and Tolkien showed me was this: that if I met the idea of sacrifice in a Pagan story I didn’t mind it at all: again, that if I met the idea of a god sacrificing himself to himself... I liked it very much and was mysteriously moved by it: again, that the idea of the dying and reviving god (Balder, Adonis, Bacchus) similarly moved me provided I met it anywhere except in the Gospels. The reason was that in Pagan stories I was prepared to feel the myth as profound and suggestive of meanings beyond my grasp even tho’ I could not say in cold prose ‘what it meant.”
“Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us in the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it really happened: and one must be content to accept it in the same way, remembering that it is God's myth where the others are men's myths: i.e. the Pagan stories are God expresssing Himself through the minds of poets, using such images as He found there, while Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call 'real things'. Therefore it is true, not in the sense of being a 'description' of God (that no finite mind could take in) but in the sense of being the way in which God chooses to (or can) appear to our faculties. The 'doctrines' we get out of the true myth are of course less true: they are translations into our concepts and ideas of that which God has already expressed in a language more adequate, namely the actual incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection." 3
J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the widely read “Lord of The Rings” trilogy, also professed a faith in Christianity. He was so moved by his discussion with C.S. Lewis that he wrote a lengthy poem called “Mythopoeia.” In this poem Tolkien expressed his reason for writing myths.
“Though all the crannies of the world we filled
with Elves and Goblins, though we dared to build
Gods and their houses out of dark and light,
and sowed the seed of dragons - ‘twas our right
(used or misused). That right has not decayed:
we make still by the law in which we’re made.”4
Myths have a tremendous influence over society and individuals. They suggest to us that we are designed in such a way as to seek after meaning in our everyday actions. Myth also asserts the reality of design in the universe. It is my contention that Christians should take up the tool of mythology and use it with courage. The apostle Paul went in front of an Athenian organization, known as the Areopagus, and used their mythology to proclaim the name of the Lord. This organization was responsible for regulating the worship of the Greek gods.
Acts 17:22 - 23 "Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: 'Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you." (NIV)
A popular children’s author has figured out how to get millions of children to read and Christians can’t decide whether or not this is a good thing. All of this hand wringing is done over the fact that the stories feature a boy wizard. Christians should fear no myth nor hold any in disdain. In Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” books Gandalf, a wizard, advises Frodo that evil is not the only power in the world, there is also good.5 Gandalf’s wizardry in the story is meaningful and entertaining. However, the practice of magic in reality is a vain attempt to control the things that God controls. In like manner, Superman is a fictional character who can fly and believes in the principles of truth and justice.6 To believe in these same principles as Superman does is a good thing, but to go throwing ourselves off buildings with the expectation that we can fly is not. In the Spider-man story Peter Parker learns how dramatically his actions affect others and he contemplates the phrase, with great power comes great responsibility.7 Words that we would all do well to remember. To go about in reality trying to be bitten by a radioactive spider in order to gain super powers would miss the point of the story. These myths are powerful stories that cause people to ponder the meaning of life which is a necessary prelude to faith.
Magic in the real world is dangerous. God wants us to stay away from it because we can get hurt. Real world occultism involves contacting spirits and sometimes inviting them to act through us. How do you really know what spirit you are talking to? Does this spirit have your best interests in mind? What if this spirit comes inside you but does not want to leave? The practice of real world occultism is arrogant. It attempts to do powerful things without God, but God wants you to do powerful things with him. Magic is based on the belief that a mere mortal, acting on the strength of his own will can manipulate the spirit world. I know, that if left to my own strength I would fail, and that is why I rely upon God.
Psalm 144:3-4 “O Lord, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.” (NIV)
|
|
|
6. How Can I Be Right With God If I Play Role Playing Games?
|
Doesn’t magic in a fantasy world tempt people to try real world magic? And if it does tempt people to sin in this way shouldn’t we avoid it completely? The early Christian church had to deal with a similar problem. In order to be right with God the Israelites were not allowed to eat food that had been offered to idols. Many of the early Christians were also Jews (Israelites). The problem was that much of the food that had been offered to idols found its way into the market place. Some of the Christians believed that eating this meat was strongly associated with the worship of idols and their consciences directed them not to eat it. Others, who were also Christians, believed that an idol was nothing to them because they followed the one true God. Their consciences directed them that it was all right to eat the meat that was purchased in the market place. The debate between these two groups of Christians had become so destructive that each side had accused the other of not being true followers of Christ. The apostle Paul, a church leader, wrote to these early Christians to help resolve this dispute.
1 Corinthians 8:4-13 “So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”
“But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.”
“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.” (NIV)
Romans 14:1-4,13-18 “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
“Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.” (NIV)
I do not question whether it is possible to practice magic and still be right with God. The Bible is very clear on this matter. It says that magic is wrong and people should not practice it. The disputable matter that is being discussed here is whether or not one can play a role playing game that involves magic in a fictional setting. I think that the Bible gives very good guidance for resolving disputable matters. For some it is right, and others it is wrong, depending upon their faith. Each person is responsible to consider this matter prayerfully before God and to be clear in their own mind how God would have them serve him. After reaching our own conclusions in this manner, it is important that we do not then judge others who have reached a different conclusion.
Another passage of scripture, found in the section below, provides a great example of someone who was surrounded by magical practices yet remained right before the one, true God.
|
|
|
7. Belteshazzar, Chief Of The Magicians,
Was A Great Role Model.
|
Daniel 4:9 “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you.” (NIV) Belteshazzar is the Babylonian name given to Daniel, a prophet of God. This is how he became the chief of King Nebuchadnezzar’s magicians:
In ancient times the nation of Israel was invaded and conquered by a neighboring nation called Babylon. This nation existed in the place where modern day Iraq is now. Many people from Israel were taken captive and sent to live in Babylon where they were to work as slaves. King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylon, instructed that some of these dislocated Israelites be chosen to learn the language and literature of the Babylonians. Daniel and three of his friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, were among those selected. They would study for three years with the Babylonian wise men, the magicians and enchanters, after which they were to be tested by the king himself.
Daniel 1:20 “In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.” (NIV)
Later, King Nebuchadnezzar had troubling dreams that he did not understand. He called out his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him about his dream. As a test the king required that they not only interpret his dream for him, but that they also describe what he had dreamed. This way he could be sure that they were not simply misleading him with made up interpretations. None of the Babylonian wise men could interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. He became furious and ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. When Daniel heard of the king's decree he begged for more time to interpret the dream. The king granted this request and Daniel, along with his three friends spent the night pleading with God for mercy. During the night the mystery was revealed to them in a vision. In the morning Daniel reported to King Nebuchadnezzar with the meaning of his dream.
Daniel 2:27 “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these...” (NIV)
After Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar about his dream, the king bowed down before Daniel.
Daniel 2:47-48 “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.”
“Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.” (NIV)
Clearly Daniel was a model for us to follow. He lived in a culture that, while serving many gods, had no devotion to the one true God. He was trained in the wisdom and literature of this culture by instructors who practiced magical arts. Yet Daniel never invoked any spiritual force apart from God. Through his service to King Nebuchadnezzar as chief of the magicians and his devotion to God he was able to bring glory to the one, true God.
|
|
|
8. Never Do These Things
|
Freedom in Christ to read fantasy stories and play role playing games does not give us permission to practice magic. There are certain things that you should never do because they can bring harm onto you and will damage your relationship with God. Always remember that God wants us to do powerful things with him and magic does powerful things without him.
- Never practice divination. In all things turn to God for answers.
- Never practice magic or sorcery. Rely on God’s power, not yours or that of some other strange spirit.
- Never consult a medium or offer yourself as a medium through which spirits can communicate. The invisible spirit world is real and filled with spirits who would like to cause you harm. Because God cares about you they can hurt God by hurting you. Do not fear them because God is more powerful, but do not invite them into your life either.
- Never try to consult with the dead. What information could they possibly provide that God, who knows all, can not provide?
- Never practice witchcraft. God is the only source of supernatural power that you can trust to have your best interest at heart.8
|
|
|
9. What Do I Do If My Parents Do Not Want Me To Play Role Playing Games?
|
The final answer is that you have to obey the wishes of your father and mother, even if you do not like those wishes. Your parents have your best interests in mind and have been charged with the duty of raising you to be a good member of God’s family. Let your parents know that you understand and accept this. Let them know that you appreciate the fact that they provide you with food and clothing. After doing this you may find that they are more receptive to discussing the issue of role playing games with you. In the end, however, you must respect and obey the wishes of your parents.9
Deuteronomy 5:16 “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (NIV)
|
|
1. Dungeons & Dragons is a registered trademark of Wizards of the Coast Inc.
2. Harry Potter is a character created by J.k. Rowling and a registered trademark of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
3. C.S. Lewis, They Stand Together: The Letters of C.S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves (1914 - 1963), Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1979, p. 427
4. J.R.R. Tolkien, Essays Presented to Charles Williams, 1947, pp.71 - 2
5. Gandalf and Frodo are registered trademarks of Tolkien Enterprises, a division of the Saul Zaentz Company
6. Superman is a registered trademark of D.C. Comics
7. Spider-man and Peter Parker are registered trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group
8. Connie Neal, What's A Christian To Do With Harry Potter?, WaterBrook Press, 2001, pp. 134 - 143. I found this entire book to be extremely helpful in sorting through the issues involved in role playing games.
9. The only exception to this rule involves cases of abusive parents. God does not require that children remain in abusive homes. But it should be clearly understood that simply forbidding that you play role playing games is not an example of abuse!
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
|
|
|
|
