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Originally Posted by Leslie  Quote:
Originally Posted by Hippo I think that it is wrong to be dogmatic in this area but I see no reason why there is any reality in this occult revival, largely because people seem to get exited enough by charlatens and hoaxers therefore there is no need for any reality.
I see demonic activity as accompanying (or rather opposing) the coming of Christ and am a bit of a cessationist in this area. It is easy to become gullible whether it be healing miricles, demonic activity or UFO's. | It's a little embarrassing in dealing with non-Christians to use the usual historical arguments for the resurrection of Jesus--and then deny analogous arguments for the reality of occult phenomena. The argument in particular that I'm referring to is that of multiple eye-witnesses who tell similar stories and have no possible motivation for falsifying their testimony. Of course, non-Christians involved in the occult do the same in reverse. They want us to believe in the reality of occult phenomena on the basis of eye-witness reports while denying the resurrection as historical fact. It seems that the theological liberal position of denying everything supernatural is more defensible. | All good comments, it is not easy to answer the points that you have raised and we definately do not want to be theologicaly liberal.
I would say that you have to ask why these things are happening and does the resulting world view make sense.
I am ashamed that I have my "Thomas" moments with the Gospel, but in some ways being sceptical (to put it mildly) about the occult shows how powerful the Gospel must be to pursuade people like me.
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Mike
London City Presbyterian Church
London
England
"Surely, we wish to be orthodox, but we must first learn what real orthodoxy is. Surely, we wish to be progressive, but we must first have a basis to progress from."
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