Are you dense in thinking you are trying to make me look foolish? My NO was in response to you saying that Christians are called weeds by God, too. My "He said they are LIKE weeds"
There's no evidence to support the belief that 'g-d' said any such thing, (are you too dense to apprehend that hearsay is not evidence?).
I do not use "magic" in my belief system, period. Prayer is not magic - it is conversing with God.
"Prayer" is either
invoking or
evoking supernatural entities in an intercessory ritual, (the form of the "spell" or, "prayer"). The intent remains validly described as "magic", whether you disagree with "prayer" being a magical ritual or not.
There was a major difference between what God allowed to happen, for example with Moses, than with what the Pharoah's men did with their magic, that was not godly, according to God.
The only "difference" is the degree of hypocrisy attributed to such a 'g-d' since "Moses" was allegedly
trained by the pharoah's Egyptian priesthood in magic. The inherent hypocrisy lies within the presumption that the "magic" Moses was alleged to have done was okay, whereas the "magic" any Egyptian priests who supposedly
trained "Moses" is not okay. Summarily, hypothetical egregores, (the xtian 'g-d', for instance), are unable to "allow" or 'disallow' anything.
If you wish to continue to push or believe Christianity assimilated pagan ways, then have that your way. It doesn't affect my belief in God ...
Of course not; why should centuries of tangible supporting evidence contradict an intangible "belief"?
I do not "intercede" through dead "saints" -
I stated nothing to do with "dead saints", (however, there are xtians that "pray" to such to intercede on their behalf; which embodies a magical ritual). Intercessory magic, ("prayers"), aren't restricted to "dead saints" since the term applies to "gods, goddesses, neteru, spirits, invisible pink unicorns and various sundry hypothetical supernatural entities.
I go through Jesus Christ - He is our mediator between us and God.
Is such a supernatural entity alive or dead? If dead, such "prayers" are to an alleged 'spirit' and remain a magical intercessory ritual, (btw, it's entirely possible to attempt to "invoke" a live something as well).
You are "assimilating" many different religious sects and faiths together in one "box." Not all are the same.
The various sects, denominations, cults, (as an applicable aside; xtianity started-off as a cult of monotheism among extant polytheistic belief systems - save for the Aegyptians, from whom the xtians stole that idea when the Aegyptians came up with a monotheistic "Ra"), all stem from the same underLying religious belief system. All of these stem, in turn, from pagan superstitious belief systems. This is not to assert that xtians are pagans; they're merely cultural theives.
If asked, I will share about my beliefs, but I will not "coerce" or try to "coerce" anyone into doing something they do not wish to do, refuse to do, or don't feel comfortable about.
On the contrary, there are numerous archived posts where such "coercion" has been attempted by you in the form of characterizing dissenting opposition as "rude", "bashing", etc., (e.g., in the obvious attempt to coerce suppression of such).
"Almost from the beginning of Christianity, its followers have belived in and used certain ritual practices to obtain help in their times of need. Prayers alone are often used and they sometimes obtain the desired result. There are many other instances, however, (even mentioned in the Bible) when a specific procedure (ie,magic) must be used to achieve one's objective.
We have only to recall Moses using a certain act to produce a serpent from his staff or water from stone, Joshua had his men engage in precise activities days before the felling of Jericho's walls and Jesus gave specific instructions to the blind man to return his sight. Christianity has also held that there exists a communion, or community, of saints who, though deceased, can intercede for those still in the flesh.
Even the Sacraments of the Church have a magcal aspect to them. For example, one can't just take a swig of Four Roses and take bite of Wonder Bread and expect that he has partaken of the Body and Blood of Christ. That mystery can only be done by a priest and only through a specific consecration ritual."
--© 1998 By John R. Milam
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