QUOTE(monkman418 @ Jan 18 2011, 11:15 PM)
Case in point, I know atheists who laugh at the idea of a "God" or other spirits, but who become very afraid at seeing a copy of The Goetia or The Satanic Bible.
I hope you mocked them thoroughly. (IMG:
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QUOTE
The dynamics of deliberately using the threat of black magick, to gain worldly influence aside, I'm very interested in what this means about us as spiritual seekers who grow in a climate where these factors are often true. For if Satan has all power in the world, and can be relied upon to answer at the worshipper's beck and call by our power to fear, feel, and thus invoke him, is Satan then not God?
I think, on the whole, there might be a great many more people who have faith in God's omnipotence than people who fear or practice "black magic". I used to attend a Christian institution, and they scoffed at the idea that "witchcraft" (as they called it) could have any affect on one protected by Jesus Christ... unless the person was tempted and choose to deny God of their own volition.
On the other hand, as you say, I know people who are lukewarm at best on Godly things, but wouldn't dare attempt to summon a demon. I think it's mostly cultural: God is good, so even if you're not too enthusiastic about the idea, there's nothing to fear... but demons and black magic and so forth tap into that "what if" fear, as well as being frowned upon as deviant and weird by society at large.