Spirit
Communication and The Church
Throughout the ages, religious officials
have banned all forms of spirit communication and divination, touting that it
opens one to demonic influences.
Church
councils and institutions have reinforced this attitude. In the fifth century,
a synod held by st. Patrick, declared that any Christian who believes that a
spirit can be seen in a mirror shall be anathematized , and must be excluded
from the church until he or she renounces this believe and performs penance.
If you think
the narrow view held by some of our fundamentalist Christian brethren is only
in the past, think again. According to a
1979 press account, two women were banished from a Baptist church in
Independence , Missouri because they "told fortunes" by means of a
crystal ball.
My own
experience is proof that the Bible belt is still fascined tightly around
Melbourne, Florida. After being a member of a United Methodist church for 6
years, I was told by the Pastor that I was not welcome to "teach or hold a
position of responsibility" because I posted on Facebook that I read Tarot
Cards. Bear in mind, that said Pastor had been told what I do for a living, six
years prior to this incident.
There are several passages in the Bible
that prohibit the summoning of spirits and various other forms of divination
among them:
"Do not resort to ghosts and spirits, nor
make yourselves unclean by seeking them out. I am the Lord your God."
-Leviticus 19:31.
“I will also
turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in
mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off
from the community." Leviticus 20:6 NLT.
“Men and
women among you who act as mediums or who consult the spirits of the dead must
be put to death by stoning. They are guilty of a capital offense.” Leviticus
20:27 NLT
There are several powerful points to be
made in rebuttal to these condemnations. The first being that if one was to
never participate in any form of divination, what of Joseph and his silver cup
(Gen. 44)? Jonah and the casting of lots (Jonah 7:1)? Daniel and the
interpretation of dreams (Daniel 2:24-49) ?
It is important to recognize that many of
these gifts of divination and mediumship are described most accurately in the
New Testament as gifts of the Holy Spirit (i.e..Words of Wisdom, Prophecy,
Speaking in Tongues see the book of 1rst Corinthians 12:7-11) A valid argument can be made that Jesus'
coming in the flesh changed the relationship between the Holy Spirit and
mankind, and in so doing, nullifying certain aspects of the Old Testament Law,
that are no longer appropriate for humanity to observe now: "When I was a child,
I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became
an adult I did away with childish things." -1 Corinthians 13:11
In the Old
Testament, the Holy Spirit og God moves among or rested upon chosen individuals
for periods of time (reference 1 Samuel 10:10 and 1 Samuel 16:14)
In the New
Testament , Jesus taught His disciples and all believers of the "new
relationship" they (we) would have with the Holy Spirit: "(The Holy
Spirit) Abides with you, and will be in (John 14:17) . The change in that
relationship would seem to indicate that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
permits believers to explore experience areas of spirituality previously
forbidden in the Old Testament.
Among those lines of thought, most of the
a-fore mentioned prohibitions of the Old testament when quoted (if accurately)
are quoted out of context.
For example:
Leviticus 19:31 "Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them
out to be defiled by them. "I am the Lord your God." Is receded by
the verses:
19:19
"You asre to keep my statues. You shall not breed together two kinds of
your cattle; You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear a
garment upon you of material mixed together."
And
Leviticus 19:28 "You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead,
nor many any tattoo marked on yourselves. I am the Lord"
Points one
might wish to bring up to the next well-meaning fundamentalist standing before
one, who is :
1) Wearling
a poly-cotton shirt or blouse.
2) with
their nicely trimmed hair and
3) wearing
pierce earrings.
Also, the
Book of Leviticus (and parts of the book of Numbers) was written specifically
for a Jewish tribe of priests called the Levites. So one wonders whether these admonitions
are specifically for believers after Christ walked the earth.
This is not license
to "play" with the spirit realm. 1 John 4:1 states "Do not
believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from
God."
The Bible
distinctly says "test" the spirit, not to avoid them.
