Simplism

Magic in Literature

• Recently a friend of mine asked me a question about the Harry Potter series of books. They were wondering if there was a problem with enjoying such fiction as a Christian, which I find to be an interesting a polarizing topic in today's culture.
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• Now, I haven't read the Harry Potter series, per se, but I have read many books of high science fiction/fantasy that also include magic, wizards, and fantastical situations. And from my childhood I loved these books more than any other style, as they have a great deal of imagination and potential in them. But it does raise an important point. Is the wizardry, magic, or the implications of these enough to condemn these books?
• Well, the easy answer is that some Christian leaders would say yes. But I don't agree with that myself. The lumping together of 'magic' into one category and condemning it is simplistic and ignorant. If the stories of Jesus life were told by people in narrative format, they would refer to His miracles as supernatural (which they were) or 'magic'. People call anything they do not understand 'magic' and that is not the same as witchcraft in the least. Demonic energy exists in our world, but things of a fantastical nature that we do not understand may be called magic out of ignorance, but are not really such.

  Many forms of science were once considered magic. Gravity, electricity, magnetism, and several other sciences were once considered 'magic', yet are not considered so any longer.

  What I'm getting at is that 'magic' in the sense of the fantastic or exotic that we do not understand is often mixed with witchcraft, which we do understand and detest as demonic. Magnetism and electricity did not cease becoming demonic when we understood them; instead, they never were. What makes witchcraft evil is not the fact that we don't understand it, or that it is powerful; but instead that it is indeed directly demonic.

  Now, in literature, we like to use our imagination both as readers and as writers. Since we do not know how we can explain the fantastic or yet undiscovered we call it 'magic'. This doesn't mean that it is evil, or even that the author intends for it to be evil. All it means is that the author is writing about something they cannot currently truly explain; therefore we dub it 'magical'. There is no more evil in a unicorn or pegasus than in a pony. None of the three is demonic, nor were they ever.

  Short answer is that I don't believe that 'magic' in literature is same thing as 'magic' in witchcraft. It is just the unfortunate double definition of one singular term. However, I am a firm believer that we are to do as Paul told the Corinthian church; if it bothers you, don't do it. If it doesn't bother, don't let someone talk you into nonsensical empty religion.

  My main issue that I have with the whole argument that 'all magic in science fiction is evil' is really misdirection from the evil that is in literature and popular entertainment these days. By that I mean the loose, debased morality that is implied by many books, movies, or TV shows. Much of fantastical high fiction has a story constructed to teach a moral, build character, and show the concept of good triumphing evil. On the other hand, many shows, movies, and books may not be visibly 'evil' but teach us that sin like lying to spouses, adultery, lust, murder, and revenge are not just to be tolerated, but are justifiable and normal.
  
  It is disturbing how many of those who condemn things like Harry Potter, LoTR, the Chronicles of Narnia, The Sword of Shannara, or any other high fiction accept other forms of media that encourage un-Godly behavior.
  
  In the end, the important thing to remember is that we all answer to God as individuals. If we feel the Holy Spirit telling us to stop, we need to stop. But if we only feel pressure from people who are condemning us, then we must make sure that we are not just being people pleasers. We are not to cause our brothers or sisters to stumble, however, that applies both to doing and not to doing.
  
  My advice is simply this, pray about it and follow the Lord's leading.
  
  
  

When Friends Leave

Recently in our church we have had friends leave the Church. This type of thing is always painful, and rarely ends without one side or the other being wounded for a long period of time. Its hard to let people leave, and harder still to stand quietly by as people try to pass the blame from members to ministerial to "just reasons" and is confusing at best. But this leads to a group of questions.

What does it mean when people leave the Church? Are we doing something wrong? Do we need to chase them? Should we plead for them to come back?

Lets take a look at the ministry of Jesus. People left Jesus ministry as well. In John 6:66 we read that many of His former disciples left. What did Jesus do? Did He chase them down? Did He try to compromise?

No, instead Jesus made sure that those who were there were willing to stay. We find a similar story in the life of Gideon. There the ranks of Gideon's army were thinned out and streamlined in order for God's will to be accomplished.

So am I saying now that anyone who leaves the Church is being removed by God? Not at all. It can be that God has someone leave the Church because the Church is teaching heresy; like Martin Luther and the Catholic Church, or Jeremiah in the nation of Judah.  There are cases like this where God leads people out of the Church for a reason.

 So how do we know which is which? How can we tell if those who leave are like Martin Luther, who was following Godly convictions; or if they are like Jesus' disciples, who left when things got hard?

There may not be a solid, one size fits all answer, but there are some things we can check to get a clearer picture.



1. Are they spiritual leaders in the Church?
2. Do they have a clear, moral reason for leaving?
3. Is their walk with God visibly more intimate now that they have left?



If the answers to the above questions are all "no", then we have a reason to believe that those who leave are more like the shallow Jews of Jesus day than like Martin Luther or Jeremiah in Judah.

But if all the answers to the above questions are no, where do we go from there? How do we minister to these friends?

Sadly, we have no more details about Jesus' wandering disciples. Instead, let us turn to the story of the Prodigal Son. The son that left the Father and returned was received with open arms. This is how we should receive a prodigal who returns.

But note, both Jesus and the Father in the parable of the Prodigal Son did not follow those who left. They did not pander to those who left, or even ask for a reason for their leaving. We cannot force people to come to God. We can force them to come back to Church, but we cannot ever force them to follow God's will.

Conclusion

In times of difficulty like this, it is important to remember the most important and useful thing we can possibly do: Pray. Bring it to the Father. We need to remember that they are God's children as well as we are. Our love for our brothers is to be strong, and we are to be as loving as Christ Himself. I pray that God will give us the wisdom to work through challenging times like these.

Christlike Kindness

As Christians, we are called to be like Christ. We are told to love those around us, and to treat them the way we would like to be treated. This is often used as a way to tell Christians they are always supposed to "lie down and take it." What we mean by this is that a Christian isn't supposed to be disagreeable, hardheaded, or have any spine whatsoever. But is this the Christian example we get from Scripture?

We see that Jesus Himself is our example in the Bible. He was kind, loving, and gentle. That is what we are called to be. However, He was not spineless. In fact, He was firm in both teaching and in action. We read that He taught with authority. It emanated from Him. He also was very firm with the Pharisees and the people who were profiting off of the Temple. He even became physical in His defense of the Church of God.

So what does this show us? Well, for one, it tells us that being a Christian does not entail being a coward. Note Jesus did not defend His personal pride with harsh words or violence; He only defended God's Holiness and the people whom the Pharisees had been mistreating.

How does this apply to us? Well, we often want to get confrontational or physical about things we find offensive as well. But we need to make sure that these are not items that have to do with personal pride but rather the defense of the weak and the glory of God. In our human nature, we would gladly defend ourselves if we feel we have been offended. This is not the type of thing I am supporting here. No, that form of defensiveness is a form of pride; our self being hurt.

We often see Christians throwing proverbial stones at groups they disagree with. They will hate on groups that do not live according to Christian principles. A modern day example is the gay community. Now, I am not saying the gay lifestyle is not wrong; I am saying that it is not the only sin in the world. If the entire gay community stopped being gay; that would not stop them from being sinners, nor would it make them automatic Christians. We need to first show them Christ, then His law. If we expect them to live in accord with God's law without being God's people, it is as foolish as expecting an Australian to follow Germany's speed laws. It doesn't make sense. Now when that Australian becomes a German citizen, he will indeed need to follow Germany's laws.

We are trying to make sinners follow God's law without turning to God. This is foolishness and heretical. We need to bring them to God and let Him do the convicting. If they are not followers of God, they will not follow His Law; its that simple.

In short, 'curing' gayness would not stop people from being sinners. The problem is deeper than merely one thing. Throughout history we see that people want to make Christianity as simple as changing actions. But God isn't just about the outside, He is concerned with the inside.

In conclusion, we are to be like Christ. We are to show love, be an example, and defend Godliness. Defending Godliness is not the same as attacking unGodliness, and the difference is something that the Holy Spirit must convict each of us on.

Christians in the Culture

In our world around us, Christians and Christianity itself are both not popular. I don't mind that so much. One thing that does bother me is the fact that in the fiction, either written or on screen, Christians are usually portrayed as nut-jobs, hypocrites, or self-righteous Pharisees. In almost every book, TV show, or movie; any hero, smart guy, or kind person is shown as an atheist, agnostic, or of some other religion other than Christianity. Usually, the smart person will make comments about religion as if it is only for the stupid, and act as if all of the Bible has been disproven and science shows actual facts that support things like macro-evolution and the lack of a soul.

Ironically, one of the few accepted Christians in our modern world is, a comic book character. In a place that one would hardly expect to see even tolerance to faith, we find a character that is an example of standing up for truth, morality, and the weak. As in most comic books, these ideas are merged into a comic book character - Captain America. Here is one of my favorite recent quotes from Cap.

(NOTE: He is quoting Mark Twain in this panel as well)
Now, I know that characters change depending on who is writing the current issue of a comic, but I find that Captain America is one of few characters in the modern world who's faith is not ridiculed, but respected. He is not a fraud, hypocrite, or self-righteous. His attitude of submission and morality is an example we don't see much in the modern world. We are told that there is no right or wrong, we cannot tell others that wrong is wrong. In this world of political correctness, it is nice to have a constant Christian in fiction that is not made to look the fool, is not created only to disprove Christianity.

Is this a deep post? No. But I just wanted to show appreciation for the fact that not all Christians in media are made to be frauds.

In the end, lets remember to stand for our faith as well; let us not be frauds. Instead, let us be what Peter told the churches of his day, to be such an example that when people want to make fun of Christ or Christianity, that they cannot do so because of us. Let us be a light, a firm tree planted by the river of truth.

Chronologically Christian

As a boy, my father taught me the importance of being on time. It was ingrained in our family that we were to be at least fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. To be late, I was told, was disrespectful. It wastes other peoples time and shows little respect for them or their schedule. In fact, my father often said he would rather not show up than be late. He felt that not showing up was less disrespectful than being late if it was a non-obligatory situation.

Now, I know that sometimes we cannot help being a bit late, but often we see that lateness is a character trait, not just a coincidence. Does this matter? Is it really this big of an issue?

Well, let's take a look at what the Bible says about being late. There is no verse that states, "Thou shalt be on time"; however, we do find something that can be applied quite well to the situation.

In Matthew 5:37 and James 5:12 we find that we are to let our yes be yes, and our no be no. In other words, we are to be consistent. We are to be trustworthy; and being on time is one form of trustworthiness. Indeed, we could say, let your "12:00 be 12:00, and your 1:00 be 1:00."

If our word has no meaning when we say 5:30, how do people know that we are serious when we talk about other things? If 3:00 can be 4:30, what does it mean when we say, yes or no? Or more than that, what trust can be given to us in situations where people cannot observe us? If we visibly disregard our own words is things like being on time, why should we expect people to trust us when they cannot see what we are doing?

In the end, we are to be respectful and honest with both our time, and with other people's time. We are to do all things decently and in the proper order.

Is this a requisite in Christianity? No, but it is one of the things we do need to work on as Christians. All of us have items that need improving, and we are to strive to do so. As Jesus said, "be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect."

Republican Religion

So, this might not apply to all areas of Christianity, however, in the part of the world that I live in Christians all seem to be Republicans. In fact, I know that for some well-meaning people, the words Christian and Republican are just as entwined as birthdays and cake. But is this a good thing?

Well, lets take a look at a few reasons most Christians support the Republican party. The Republican party is, for the most part, anti-abortion. We as Christians feel strongly that abortion is murder, and therefore we support shutting it down. But realistically, most modern Republican politicians have no real vested interest in stopping abortion. There are exceptions to this rule, but for the most part, they spend their time working on other subjects. Don't get me wrong, I am appalled by the abortion industry, and I would also label it as evil. The concern I have is that Republicans are now just riding the emotions of their voters without doing much about the issue.

Another reason many Christians are pro-Republican is the fact that the Republican party is, again for the most part, against big government and over-taxation and spending. As they often point out, lack of government intervention leads to more money for the citizens; at least, the hardworking ones. Although this is mostly true, the money that is made usually ends up in the pockets of those in charge, not necessarily in the pockets of those who are doing the actual work.

Small government leads to a few more problems. What happens when companies pollute the environment? Before you write me off as a liberal whack-job, let me remind you that we are called to take care of the earth. (Genesis 2:15; Numbers 35:33-34; Ez. 34:17-18) God also warns us that He will punish us if we fail to do so. I do not believe that humans should die, starve, or be injured to protect the environment; however, we are to take care of it even if it does cost us a bit extra time or money.

Did you know that Pittsburg was once so polluted by the steel industry that it was known as a "three shirt a day" city? That means that the air was so filthy that businessmen changed their shirts three times a day just to keep clean and professional. Here are some pictures of the city at that time.

That fog you see is actually pollution. The greed of the major companies caused the city to become so filthy that people were dying of lung disease, cars used their headlights in the city at all times, and nothing was ever actually clean or healthy at any time. Eventually, the government passed regulations to clean the city, but it is still one of the dirtiest places in the United States.

Now, the point I'm trying to make is this: if we as humans were basically good, kind, and unselfish; the Republican party would be perfect. But, instead we have greedy fallen humans to work with. As such, the church should step up and take the responsibility to take care of those who are less fortunate. Sadly, we haven't been doing a good job, and the government has had to take over. This is one redeeming side of the Democratic party. They try, in their own flawed way, to take care of those who are less fortunate; whereas the Republican party is more concerned with making the rich richer rather than actually helping those in need. Again, I am not supporting the Democratic party, merely pointing out some good traits. We, as the church, have left the poor and distressed to fend for themselves while we profit from our business deals, and someone else has stepped in to do our job. Now, I do not think the Democrats are doing a very good job of it; however, they are doing more than what we are.

This is why we have laws that prohibit pollution, support welfare, and give the government control over our personal lives. We have failed as a church to help those in need. If we do not do it, then it falls to our un-Godly government to do so. It is a sad fact, but that is what has happened. The Democratic party of our modern world seeks to make the poor better off. This is indeed one of the mandates of the Church, but in our lack of interest and lack of support, we have turned over that responsibility to the Democratic party. In doing so, we have also unintentionally given them the right to 'help' the poor in ways we do not agree with, viz. pay without labor, abortion, and an attitude of entitlement.

How did Jesus handle politics in His day? Oh, believe you me, there were a lot of hot political topics in His world. The country He was born in was under foreign rule and they were forced to pay taxes to an emperor they despised. They asked Jesus about this in Mark ch. 12. Jesus did not get involved in the political aspect of the question, instead, He did what we should do: He turned His focus on God.

So am I telling you to become a Democrat? Not at all. Am I saying you shouldn't be a Republican? Not that either. In the end, you need to follow the conviction God gives you. But remember, Christians are no longer of this world. We have our loyalty to God, not to country or party. We are loyal to God, first and foremost, after that, it is not my business what you do, as long as you follow the conviction God gives you.

How do we know what our convictions are? We pray, we ask God to convict us. God will convict us if we listen. After that, we need to remember what Paul says in Romans 14:22.  

The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.