I think we all know that God does NOT look kindly on those who use black magic, summon the dead, speak to the dead, summon familiar spirits, tell fortunes, practice Tarot Cards or use witchcraft. In fact God told His people to purge those from among you who do such things...take them out of the camp and kill them.
But here in America, as we continue to turn from God, we are more and more willing to consult mediums and fortune tellers and even pull up old spells and incantations in order to try and see the future or change the course of our lives.
Netty has been practising magic for 16 years. She cast a spell to get her current job in banking. She credits other spells with securing subsequent salary raises. She once used a spell to make her boss like her more. Another bagged her the love of her life, seven years ago. She still has the honey jar she used for it – into which she put herbs, a petition and a Corona bottle cap he’d discarded. (She assures me he knows about it.) Raised a Catholic, Netty has not completely reneged on the faith, nor does she see any conflict in casting spells and praying to saints. You might call her a Christian witch. You might be surprised to know there are thousands of them.
Organised religion is in decline. In Western countries, growing numbers are turning their backs on the Church. Thousands of churches shutter each year, faced with dwindling congregations and funds. The 2021 census on religion in England and Wales alarmed many: for the first time since its advent in 1801, less than half the population described themselves as Christian, down from 72 per cent two decades ago. Those ticking “no religion”, the second-most common response, soared to 37.2 per cent. The UK is now, statistically speaking, one of the least religious countries in the world.
Across the Atlantic, the story is similar. In 2020 less than half of Americans belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, the first time congregants slid below the majority in Gallup’s eight-decade study. The holy current in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe is flowing in the same direction.
Cue howls of a “godless generation”. “The loss of faith”. Or, as this magazine put it, “Britain’s crisis of unbelief”. But such laments fail to observe that the decline of organised religion does not necessarily mean the demise of faith. In its absence, alternative forms of spirituality are flourishing. Statistics bear out the theory. According to a 2017 Pew survey, a quarter of Americans think of themselves as “spiritual but not religious”. A survey of the UK’s “nones” by the Theos think tank found 17 per cent believed in the power of prayer, 16 per cent in reincarnation, 14 per cent in the healing power of crystals and 42 per cent in the supernatural. Young people are more likely to believe in life after death than older generations despite being less religious in general, this year’s World Values Study revealed.
Even those of us who don’t deem ourselves spiritual or shudder at anything too “woo-woo” likely dabble in some form of spirituality. Do you practise yoga? Meditate? Get daily nudges from the astrology Co-Star app? Looks like you belong to the “DIY spirituality” generation too.
Witchcraft is one form of alternative spirituality in the ascendant: #witchtok has more than 45 billion views on TikTok. Witch influencers proliferate on social media. Eight million #witchcraft Instagram posts detail the how, what and when of magic: moon rituals, hexes, tarot cards, herbal potions, spells. Reddit pages such as r/witch (101,000 members) and r/witchcraft (383,000) garner hundreds of sincere comments each day. Advice is sought and given: how-tos on friendship spells, drying herbs, charging crystals, candle divination. What was for centuries fringe and at times heretical is becoming accepted, even revered, particularly among the young.
Within the phenomenon, something interesting is happening: increasing numbers are swapping organised religion for witchcraft, or attempting to marry the two. The reasons are myriad, complex and often deeply personal. Why are believers ditching the church for magic? And what can this tell us about the decline of traditional religion?
Here; The witchcraft generation - New Statesman
As you read this article it's obvious that "the cup of sin" on planet earth must be nearing its full mark. When we throw this together with all the other crazy news events happening, one should not be surprised if God very soon says, "Enough!". God's patience and mercy is HUGE but the Bible is clear that He does have a limit.
Out blessed hope is that just like Noah was protected from God's wrath and just like Lot was removed before God's wrath, that we, the Bride of Christ, will also be removed from this earth before God pours out his wrath on planet earth again. All the signs of the Great Tribulation are upon us so pray that Jesus is "right at the door".
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