The Occult And The Bible

included many members of the symbolist movement, in addition to other artists, poets and thinkers.

In the 20th century, occultism experienced another rebirth basically due to the counterculture movement of the 1960s which emphasized an interest in astrology, divination and magick. Another influence on modern day occultism is the New Age Movement of the 1980s and 1990s.

Today, the tentacles of occultism has affected every area of our society. Police departments are using psychics to solve crimes. Children are addicted to fantasy games like Dungeons and Dragons which introduces them to the world of the occult through role-playing. Occult shows like Angel; Charmed, Forever Knight; Millennium; Pokemon; Sabrina- The Teenage Witch; Buffy, the Vampire Slayer; The Sentinel; and Dark Angel; to name just a few can be seen on TV.

On the big screen, movies like Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings have broken box office records. Dr. Ted Beahr, a renowned Christian expert on the entertainment media with more than 20 years of experience stated, “Occult movies last year were almost as successful as family-friendly movies.”

Even college today offe classes on various aspects of the occult.

In an article titled TV shows fuel children’s interest in witchcraft”, Ananova News stated, "The Pagan Federation is claiming that TV programs Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sabrina the Teenage Witch have fueled a rapidly growing interest in witchcraft among children. The organization says it deals with an average of 100 inquiries a month from youngsters who want to become witches, and claims it has occasionally been ’swamped’ with calls. Media officer Andy Norfolk says the Federation is to appoint its first youth officer in September after receiving calls following recent articles about paganism in teenage magazines." Ananova News, August 2000


Core Beliefs of The Occult

New religious cults are springing up every day. Each one of them has different terminologies and techniques, but many of them share the same occult beliefs. There seem to be seven major ingredients in occult practice and philosophy:

The Paranormal - This deals with experiences that are beyond the five senses and are extra-sensory or mystical in nature. An occultist will often refer to a sixth sense, or third eye, which enables them to see something that the ordinary person is unable to sense or see.

The Supernatural - This is the manipulation of natural laws through such things as psychokinesis (the movement of objects through the mind) or levitation.

The Esoteric - This refers to things that are hidden or secret. It is hiding the truth from the uninitiated through the use of symbols and allegories. Most occult groups draw newcomers in by advertising how they will learn things that have been hidden for thousands of years.

Monism - Man and the universe are all part of the same universal energy or life force. This means that there is only one ultimate reality. All is one and the one is God. The ultimate goal of monism is to experience this oneness with the universe through an alteration of one’s consciousness.

Pantheism - That a god, goddess or some divine energy pervades the universe. That we are all part of this divine force and that there is no distinction between humans and nature.

Polytheism - There are many gods or many manifestations of