(05-14-2024, 03:49 AM)Michigan Swamp Buck Wrote: First off, a sin is a sin, they are all the same.
Witchcraft is considered a sin, as is divining and necromancy. However, often these words have a different Biblical meaning. For instance, sorcery in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word pharmakeia which relates to potions and poisons and is the root word of pharmacy. Also, witchcraft is often associated with pagan worship, particularly the Wiccan religion. Of course, paganism is a sin anyway, but it isn't witchcraft.
Agreed that witchcraft is a sin. I never thought differently.
I may have put that wrong. I never turned to witchcraft. I was studying on demon possession/casting out evil spirits. I had wondered if a family member was either possessed or oppressed by an evil spirit. I am a Bible scholar and am continuing my studies on my own. I had taken a course in possession and oppression and was already very familiar with this subject. I pondered if depression or narcissism could be possibly an oppression of an evil spirit on a person. I had also saw some things, and heard some things along the way about my family. I sensed witchcraft might have been used by someone in our past, from certain things I had picked up on. I didn't know anything about witchcraft, except what I had seen in movies. I approached from a scientific method/academia stand point to learn how to recognize witchcraft and when it has been used. After learning a good bit I came to realize there were signs of witchcraft in my family. Then the conversations I had with my mom confirmed it. I never in a million years thought my granny would ever even mess around with that stuff. From what I have learned, it sounds like she was very desperate, or possibly in a situation where witchcraft had been used against her, or her family. That is the only logical explanation I can come up with.
But yes...I know that if my granny messed with witchcraft, it was a sin.
Jesus forgives sins.
(I may have misunderstood your meaning a bit though. I remember learning that about pharmacy, and even how there symbol is of an evil origin. What I really learned is how much we have all been looking at witchcraft and demonic symbolism our whole lives...without even realizing it. Completely unaware of the "magic" that's been being used on us all. Even worse is knowing how a lot of people are worshiping magic and evil spirits without even knowing it. Having know idea that spells are being cast on them. I'm glad I've learned what I've learned. I know my enemy and all his weapons now.)
They live.
We sleep.
We sleep.