Is there more than one God? Is Witchcraft real?

[Reverend Rick]

Some folks say there is only one true God. If there was only one God, why would the Bible say to have no other God's before him if they did not exist?

Same for Witchcraft, if Witchcraft had no power, why mention it in the Bible?

 

[MaddLlama]

For the first part, I would say that it doesn't necessarily mean that there is more than one God, as it could just as well have been an edict for God's followers not to do the same things that their polytheistic neighbors were doing. However, the fact that Moses and God make such a huge show of trying to "out-do" the Egyptian Gods, one has to wonder why if they're not real.

Witchcraft, on the other hand, is found in the Bible, and I think that it's partially because it works that it is condemned. Power through God=good, power through something else=bad.

 

[doppelganger]

There's as many "Gods" as an individual thinks there are. To perspectivists, there are at least as many "Gods" as there are individuals to whom "God" manifests in their reality.

 

[Hema]

I perceive one God, others might perceive more than one. How we approach the Divine or how many paths we take are not as important as sharing the Divine Spirit of love with all of humanity.

 

[Quath]

I think the Bible says it because for awhile the Hebrews were polytheistic. God/Yahweh was just the chief deity among many gods. It wasn't so much to say that other gods (like of the host) could not be worshiped, but Yahweh must be chief among them.

When Hebrews went monotheistic, the meaning of this changed to be about monotheism.

I think witchcraft is in the Bible because it is magic outside of Yahweh (through another deity or direct). It wasn't until the New Testament that Satan got his bad reputation and witchcraft was then associated wiith him.

At leastt this is the way I see it.

 

[MaddLlama]

I think the Bible says it because for awhile the Hebrews were polytheistic. God/Yahweh was just the chief deity among many gods. It wasn't so much to say that other gods (like of the host) could not be worshiped, but Yahweh must be chief among them.

I hear this idea a lot, but I actually have yet to see anyone come up with some sort of substantiating evidence for the idea.

 

[BucephalusBB]

Same for Witchcraft, if Witchcraft had no power, why mention it in the Bible?

Could be as warning. People could have practised it back then, but without effect. It could simply be sort of a warning that it won't work anyway..

 

[MaddLlama]

Additionally, it seems more likely that those laws and the ones found in the same (old) text are cultural laws, intended to keep the purity of the tribe.

 

[Bishka]

This is my take on it, and I hope I do not offend anybody.

For the longest time, I had a problem with people saying other people's gods/goddesses/deities were false and never existed. It just didn't seem right, to those people, these deities really exist.

It took some soul-searching but I finally came up with an answer that made sense to me. These deities (in my mind) are not really gods/goddesses, but they were actual people once. This idea came to me because I know God (big God, the one I believe) would NEVER leave any of His children without some sort of messenger or some sort of message. Even though this messenger may not have been able to give the whole message, most of these religions have a lot of truth in it. Over time, these messages and/or messengers could twisted around and became deities. So in my mind, they really existed, time just made a religion out of them.

I'm sure other people would say the same thing about my faith, but to me, almost every other faith has some element (if not more) of truth and beauty in it -- and that is important.

 

[Super Universe]

There is only one true God but humans are blind to how full the universe actually is with life.

There are many levels of beings and some of them are extremely powerful.

A being might choose to talk to you telepathically and you would instantly think it was God because your outlook is incredibly small and self focussed.


Witchcraft is possible. There is much you don't understand about energy.

 

[michel]

This is my take on it, and I hope I do not offend anybody.

For the longest time, I had a problem with people saying other people's gods/goddesses/deities were false and never existed. It just didn't seem right, to those people, these deities really exist.

It took some soul-searching but I finally came up with an answer that made sense to me. These deities (in my mind) are not really gods/goddesses, but they were actual people once. This idea came to me because I know God (big God, the one I believe) would NEVER leave any of His children without some sort of messenger or some sort of message. Even though this messenger may not have been able to give the whole message, most of these religions have a lot of truth in it. Over time, these messages and/or messengers could twisted around and became deities. So in my mind, they really existed, time just made a religion out of them.

I'm sure other people would say the same thing about my faith, but to me, almost every other faith has some element (if not more) of truth and beauty in it -- and that is important.

That's an interesting take - and one I can feel makes sense with me, as a believer in reincarnation. I do believe that as a spirit comes nearer and nearer to enlightenment, his lives on Earth are "Special"; I am sure we have seen such people over the centuries.

As far as the witchcraft is concerned, I have to laugh.

Witcraft is neither good, nor bad. It is the use of something above general understanding, and it is frowned upon because people *think* it sounds "evil"..........of course, it doesn't have to be; faith healing could well be put under the umbrella of witchcraft.

 

[joeboonda]

Some folks say there is only one true God. If there was only one God, why would the Bible say to have no other God's before him if they did not exist?

Same for Witchcraft, if Witchcraft had no power, why mention it in the Bible?

In the Bible, God tells us that he alone is God, that there is no other. None before him or after him, that he knows not one. The Bible tells exactly why people would worship other 'gods' in Romans 1-2. It tells how people turned from God, their creator, and began worshipping the creation, making idols of wood, gold and silver, etc. They worshipped the sun, moon, stars, earth, trees, rivers, animals, etc., the creation instead of the Creator. Paul goes so far as to state that the idols represent demons. This is the source of power behind these false gods. Satan's main goal is to have us worship him instead of God, which is why he fell in the first place, he tried to exalt himself above God. He promised Jesus all the power over all the kingdoms of the world if he would but worship him, so the power behind these false gods is real, it is from Satan and his demon followers. Same with witchcraft, the power behind it is real, but it is not from the Lord God in Heaven, whatever folks may say.

 

[MaddLlama]

In the Bible, God tells us that he alone is God, that there is no other. None before him or after him, that he knows not one. The Bible tells exactly why people would worship other 'gods' in Romans 1-2. It tells how people turned from God, their creator, and began worshipping the creation, making idols of wood, gold and silver, etc. They worshipped the sun, moon, stars, earth, trees, rivers, animals, etc., the creation instead of the Creator. Paul goes so far as to state that the idols represent demons. This is the source of power behind these false gods. Satan's main goal is to have us worship him instead of God, which is why he fell in the first place, he tried to exalt himself above God. He promised Jesus all the power over all the kingdoms of the world if he would but worship him, so the power behind these false gods is real, it is from Satan and his demon followers. Same with witchcraft, the power behind it is real, but it is not from the Lord God in Heaven, whatever folks may say.

I've never heard any witch claim that your God was the source of magical energy, so I think you're safe in that aspect.

 

[ChristineES]

A God can be anything, one can worship another item and even ones self. As for magic, I have no answer for that.

 

[Booko]

This strikes me as one of those times when it would be helpful to go back and look at the Hebrew word and what it meant during the time.

It refers to necromancy and not all forms of pagan religion.

Judaism has traditionally forbade the practice of witchcraft mostly because it was viewed as a form of idolatry. The Jews did not make a habit of killing Gentiles just because *they* practiced idolatry, however.

One of these days I'm going to have to find the space on the shelf for a Chumash. Not that there isn't a lot more, but it sure beats imagining the English translation as understood in our times has zip to do with the meaning of a Hebrew term used in a context of thousands of years ago.

 

[Booko]

Some folks say there is only one true God. If there was only one God, why would the Bible say to have no other God's before him if they did not exist?

Because at one time the Hebrews were henotheistic

Same for Witchcraft, if Witchcraft had no power, why mention it in the Bible?

See my previous post.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I've never heard any witch claim that your God was the source of magical energy, so I think you're safe in that aspect.

They are out there. Most call themselves Christian Witches, or Christian Mystics.

 

[Halcyon]

I hear this idea a lot, but I actually have yet to see anyone come up with some sort of substantiating evidence for the idea.

The evidence is there in the Bible, you just have to know what you're looking for. For instance there are references to objects of Asherah being removed from the Temple, and her poles of worship destroyed. There's the battle between the priests of YHWH and the priests of Ba'al. The nature of Abraham's first encounters with his God. The enemies of the Hebrews fearing the Israelite army because they carried YHWH into battle with them, and i believe there's a reference to the Israelite soldiers fearing the God of an opposing army etc etc...

Essentially you'll notice a pattern in the OT where you have a strongly monotheistic person or group come along who try to wipe out all polytheism, then over time the people lapse back into it again until eventually another person comes along and returns them to monotheism - its a circular event.

 

[madhatter85]

Some folks say there is only one true God. If there was only one God, why would the Bible say to have no other God's before him if they did not exist?

Same for Witchcraft, if Witchcraft had no power, why mention it in the Bible?

that is a very good Observation, and the way we teach that in our church is that things tend to take place over God. That we should think of him and thank him above all else, first and foremost because it was by his grace that we even exist.

Money, power, entertainment, celebrities, addictions to substances, internet, games, sprots... none of those shoudl keep you from following the commandments of God, that is what i think He's really gettign at.

And of course the idolatry of the people. that really makes god angry.

 

[Hope]

The "gods" with the little "g" are not actual gods on the same level of Yahweh, but mere representations of Satan and all his demonic host. They are created beings, and therefore not nearly as powerful as the one true God, Yahweh, who is uncreated.

The stone and wooden figures, like Baal, that the Israelites often turned to, had no power in and of themselves, but they represented spiritual forces of darkness, which do have power. By worshipping these mute and dumb idols, the Israelites opened themselves up to demonic activity. And thus these idols were forbidden by God.