The Vogue of Witchcraft...

[rbell]

As some have said....I don't think we have enough to go on to evaluate this parent's decision....and I'm always reluctant to second-guess a parent when I have very limited information.

I do wish to re-iterate that sleight of hand is not synonymous with occultic practices. I have friends, and a fellow minister at our church, who use card tricks, illusions, etc., to grab children's attention so that they can share spiritual truths with them. My co-worker is actually careful to tell the kids that is it indeed a trick, not "magic." It's actually proven to be a nice tool for him to get attention from the kids, so that he can then share the gospel.

 

[Sopranette]

You may well be right - I had never heard of this, so I did a Google search for "Greek God of Mischief". There were very few "hits" - just 563. Several of those refer to Loki as the Greek god of mischief! (Loki was in fact the Norse god of mischief). Do you have a reference for Pan being the Greek god of mischief?

Actually, all of the ancient Greek gods were mischievious to one degree or another. But Pan was a "party" god, playing on his flute all night and chasing women. At other times, he could be in a very dark mood, and would let out an ear piercing scream. His mother rejected him for being too ugly, and the nymphs would hide from him by changing into reeds or trees. Many of our English words are derived from his name, like panic and pandemonium. I don't have a problem with the card tricks, but anyone who would name themselves after such a character should be looked at a little more carefully.

love,

Sopranette

 

[David Lamb]

Actually, all of the ancient Greek gods were mischievious to one degree or another. But Pan was a "party" god, playing on his flute all night and chasing women. At other times, he could be in a very dark mood, and would let out an ear piercing scream. His mother rejected him for being too ugly, and the nymphs would hide from him by changing into reeds or trees. Many of our English words are derived from his name, like panic and pandemonium. I don't have a problem with the card tricks, but anyone who would name themselves after such a character should be looked at a little more carefully.

love,

Sopranette

I expect someone who knows Greek (like TCGreek) will correct me, but I thought that the "pan" part of words like "pandemonium", "pandemic" and "panorama" is from a Greek word meaning "all", but I am not certain, by any means.

As I said, we still don't know that he did name himself after the Greek god.

 

[Cutter]

Why am I not surprised that Magnetic Poles and KenH would find this thread funny and entertaining? I guess when you two read the miracles of Christ casting demons out of folks in the Bible, you believe them to be either fairy tales or good comedy. As the Bible says, there is a time for all things, and both of your posts of foolishness about a very serious matter reveals your immaturity.

 

[KenH]

I guess when you two read the miracles of Christ casting demons out of folks in the Bible, you believe them to be either fairy tales or good comedy.

Not at all.

However, I don't believe in the idea of "demon possession" occurring in 2008. I believe that such things ended around the time the written Word was completed.

 

[seraphim79]

it doesn't really matter to me so much what this guys name was or that he was doing card tricks. The point is that he felt uncomfortable and made the desicion to leave and for that I applaud him. I think we are often to conscience of what other people think instead of doing what we know is right.

 

[nunatak]

Not at all.

However, I don't believe in the idea of "demon possession" occurring in 2008. I believe that such things ended around the time the written Word was completed.

Thats interesting. I guess I always thought demon possession was a reality even today. Of course, I saw the movie Witchboard, got freaked out.

Why do you believe this way?

 

[seraphim79]

I expect someone who knows Greek (like TCGreek) will correct me, but I thought that the "pan" part of words like "pandemonium", "pandemic" and "panorama" is from a Greek word meaning "all", but I am not certain, by any means.

As I said, we still don't know that he did name himself after the Greek god.

Hi David,

Not sure if this will help, but here are some sites about Pan the Greek god.

But they all refer to him as the god of shepard's and flocks.

http://thanasis.com/pan.htm
http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Pan.html
http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Pan.html

But I do agree with you, we have no way of knowing how this man came to call himself Pan and it could have been after peter pan or maybe he looked like the Greek god Pan (on the unattractive side, no luck with women, short stature with curly hair and goatee??) so he chose to name himself Pan for that reason?

 

[Amy.G]

Not at all.

However, I don't believe in the idea of "demon possession" occurring in 2008. I believe that such things ended around the time the written Word was completed.

What evidence do have of that opinion?

I have read many stories of missionaries in other countries, Haiti for one, who have encountered demon possession.

 

[Allan]

What evidence do have of that opinion?

I have read many stories of missionaries in other countries, Haiti for one, who have encountered demon possession.

I have not only read of them, I have encountered them and have even dealt with the 'demon possessed'.

Just because some people don't believe Satan exists doesn't mean he doesn't.
And the same goes with demon's and their works which biblcally includes possession.

 

[Cutter]

Not at all.

However, I don't believe in the idea of "demon possession" occurring in 2008. I believe that such things ended around the time the written Word was completed.

I would like to join the others in asking why and how you reached this conclusion?

 

[KenH]

I don't see any Biblical warrant for such after the Canon was closed.

Personally, I have never known of such stuff happening, nor known anybody who knows of such stuff happening.

But we did have a period of time when some folks in this country thought such was going on. It was in Salem, Massachusetts, if I recall correctly.

 

[Allan]

I don't see any Biblical warrant for such after the Canon was closed.

Personally, I have never known of such stuff happening, nor known anybody who knows of such stuff happening.

But we did have a period of time when some folks in this country thought such was going on. It was in Salem, Massachusetts, if I recall correctly.

Sounds like you need to get out more :laugh:

Seriously though, I have been in many states around many types of believers both baptist variations and non-baptists, and all of them (bar-none) could not agree with your position. And that includes myself who have not only seen but have dealt with those who were possessed.

 

[nunatak]

I don't see any Biblical warrant for such after the Canon was closed.

Personally, I have never known of such stuff happening, nor known anybody who knows of such stuff happening.

But we did have a period of time when some folks in this country thought such was going on. It was in Salem, Massachusetts, if I recall correctly.

Oh, you were just stating your opinion. I get it now.

As for me, having seen demon possession in family members who lived with me some years back, and the subsequent effects that come with that, I believe it is all too real.

 

[Cutter]

I agree with the previous two posts. It is naive to think that just because the Biblical cannon is closed, then there are no more demonic spirits that seek to destroy human lives through fleshly hosts.

 

[HankD]

I don't see any Biblical warrant for such after the Canon was closed.

Personally, I have never known of such stuff happening, nor known anybody who knows of such stuff happening.

But we did have a period of time when some folks in this country thought such was going on. It was in Salem, Massachusetts, if I recall correctly.

Hi Ken,

There is a believable theory that has been investigated.

That the grain harvest of the previous fall in Salem had been infested by a fungus called ergot, which causes many of the symptoms of the girls who were involved and "bewitched".

http://www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm214791.html

Of course the world will always seek for an answer other than scriptural but IMO there is some believability to this theory.

HankD

 

[Magnetic Poles]

People do tend to scare themselves more than anything Satan himself can conger up, don't they? Any form of witchcraft is easily dismissed as falsehood. Houdini made a second name for himself by exposing their craft as clever tricks. Nothing to them folks but simple slight of hand.

I would spend the night in a grave yard on Halloween before I would spend one hour alone in the cell of a hardened criminal like Charles Manson. It's not the dead you should fear but the live ones.

This Pan and the rest of Greek myth are nothing more than the imaginations of men. I suggest that any comic book "super hero" can give you a good grasp of the human imagination than anything the Greeks worshiped.

Good post, Palatka. People do get themselves all worked up over nothing. One thing I like about magicians like Penn & Teller, and Criss Angel, is that they are clear to their audiences that they are performing illusions, and nothing more. I would hate to live in fear over every little thing. I think sometimes people see what they expect to see.