Is believing in magic terrible?

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The Abrahamaic God is a wielder of "white" magic, no?

Off topic (sort of), but do you agree with the religious people who consider the Harry Potter series to be occultist propaganda/evil? Just curious, I know that a lot of SE American Baptists seem to have a problem with it, but I honestly have no idea what the general position of JWs is. Thanks!

Only terrible in the sense that many would consider magic a false belief. So, if you believe believing something that is false is bad, then believing in magic is quite bad. But that's all there is. Believing in magic is too normal to consider crazy.

In fact, numerous people actually take crystal power or their horoscope very seriously. Hardly anyone pays more than lip service to religion.

It is bad in the sense you are deceiving yourself. It is bad enough when others trick you, but tricking yourself is worst of all.

ruveyn

Last edited by ruveyn on 16 Jan 2012, 7:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Did you determine God's view on magic being "crystal clear" by "Scrying with the Bible and the rock"?
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=c ... scrying%22

Tadzio

I like the concept we tell children, as they start to outgrow believing in magic:

Magic is similar to science we haven't intellectually figured out yet. After all, if we send our modern inventions back a few thousand years, they would appear quite magical.

There are things for which there is no current scientific explanation. Do I think crystals are it? Well, no, I don't, but since I haven't done the rigorous scientific testing that proves otherwise, I can't say you are wrong (although such testing may exist; I didn't run out and look for it to write this post).

I do think most people have a need to believe in something a little beyond themselves, to believe in things that are, in appearance, magical. For that reason I've encouraged my children to believe in the "idea" of magic.

If it makes you happy to believe, and you don't take it all too far, then go ahead. It's your business.

That's a bit like saying all pagans,Buddhists and spiritual people are mentally ill.
The majority of people that believe in magic are not schizophrenic. Blaming mental illness is obviously an indirect insult on people who believe in magic.

The belief in magic is not harmful if it creates happiness. I don't believe in magic but I have no proof that it does not exsist.
If you have faith in magic than you will never be convinced that your belief is incorrect.

Not at all! I kinda believe in magic myself.

Common fallacy. There is no such thing as proof of non-existence. Only existence can be proven.

a. There is no valid empirical evidence to support the claim that magic exists.

b. Absence of evidence, while not evidence of absence, is sufficient cause for reasonable doubt.

: : It is reasonable to doubt any claim for the existence of magic.

JWC, please check your inbox.

Checked.



Buzzkiller.

Buzz Killington strikes!

If you can think about it, does it exist?

What if science eventually discovers that all of these currently scientifically unproven beliefs were founded on something that was real and that the world is actually completely bizzarre and full of magic and everything else that we care to imagine?

I think it is very lucid of mind of you to reflect on your beliefs and question them.

I have had more magical thinking in the past than I do now and I have largely rejected it because it never showed itself to be true in my experience and was associated with lack of development in other areas of my life, among other reasons.

Nowadays, I am aware that there are some fantastical themes in my thought but I don't mind that as long as I don't see that it is a problem for me. Indeed, I want to fantasize and try out different ideas because I prefer the inner world that I create with these things in it. Think of music that you enjoy, movies that you love, jokes that make you laugh, notions that make you wonder, beautiful faces and places. Why not dream and believe what works for you in your life and gives you the inner and outer world you want to live in?