Thoughts On Witchcraft Part 2

 A question has been asked:

"If it is possible to disturb the peace of your dead relatives -no, I cannot believe it is possible with christian souls. Isaiah 57:2, right?"

This is a very difficult question and I will admit that I don't know the answer. But there is this story in the Bible about King Saul and the witch of Endor who is said to summon Samuel from the dead. 

Here is an article I found on this topic:

Our questions about 1 Samuel 28 probably cannot be resolved. The Torah had forbidden necromancy (Deut. 18:9-12). Moses didn’t say it didn’t “work”; he said it was an abomination. So the writer of 1 Samuel will truly report that Saul dabbled in necromancy, but he seems to be stingy with particulars that would satisfy our curiosity. No overly intricate details. He’s not about to provide us with a necromancy “how to” kit. Hence I doubt that these subsidiary queries can ever be definitely answered.

Is the spirit the medium summons actually Samuel? Apparently so, since what “Samuel” says in vv. 16-19 is entirely consistent with what he had said prior to his death (see 1 Sam. 15:17-19, 22-23, 28). (Saul got no “new light” here.) Or could it have been a demon impersonating Samuel? Some have thought so; others have thought that the woman screamed because she was actually a phony and not accustomed to the real thing happening, as it did on this occasion (see Youngblood, in revised EBC, vol. 3, for various views). Or it could simply be that God permitted a bona fide manifestation of Samuel through this forbidden means in order to confirm Saul’s forsakenness to him.

It seems reasonably clear that Samuel is coming from the realm of the dead.

Feel free to express your opinion in the comments section:)

Did Prayers Save The Pope?

 This is interesting:

Alfieri said he believed that prayers for the pope help keep him alive, something that the doctor said is backed by scientific literature.

“In this case the whole world was praying. I can say that twice the situation was lost, and then it happened like a miracle,’’ the doctor said, adding that “of course he was a very cooperative patient.’’

Is Witchcraft Real?

 An interesting article on this topic:

 In brief, witchcraft is an ideal avenue for the postmodern view of life. The modern view understood life and religion through scientism. Due to its focus on the methods of natural science, scientism rejected organized religion and the existence of anything supernatural. The ideal faith of the modern view was atheism. The postmodern mind, however, both recognizes that science does not have all the answers and is skeptical of organized religion. For example, many postmodern thinkers claim to be “spiritual, but not religious.” The combined emphasis on personal subjectivity and skepticism toward organized religion is the fertile ground in which witchcraft has grown.

Dunkirk 1958

 Few people actually know that Dunkirk 2017 is a sort of remake of a British movie Dunkirk which came out in 1958. The story is somewhat similar. Instead of 1 soldier there is a group of five British soldiers stuck on the beach. There are also civilian boat owners who volunteer to sail to France to help with the evacuation. There is a young guy among them. One of them will die tragically. So far the similarities. 

Now for the differences. The 2017 production is, of course, much more spectacular. The one from 1958 is black-and-white but it does somehow look more authentic. After all, only 18 years had passed since the events it depicted so it wasn't some ancient history. 

Another difference and a very important one, imho, is that the 1958 version actually tells us the whole story and not a fragment of it. It shows how in the beginning nobody in Britain takes this war seriously. The soldiers deployed to France are shown cartoons with Hitler running away and everybody is laughing. Back in England people call it a lovely war. And then, within several weeks Belgium and France fall to the enemy who is much stronger than anybody has thought and thousands of soldiers are stuck on the beaches of Dunkirk in a hellish nightmare.

The 1958 movie is also unashamedly Christian and shows a prayer meeting on the beach. Religion, quite predictably, is totally left out in the modern version, despite an old saying about the absence of atheists in foxholes. 

I will admit I liked it much more than the remake (if it could be called one). I'd recommend this movie to anyone interested in those events. 

Another Conspiracy Theory

 Sorry couldn't resist this one as I have been re-reading some of his works:

Who Wrote Shakespeare's Plays? 

Well and what do you think? 

The Battle Of Britain

 I'm not going to write a review of that one, but it was a nice movie. Recommend:)

This Is Actually Cool

 The Chinese Multiplication Method:

How to Multiply Like Chinese

Stick and Squirrels

Lattice Method

Candace Owens And Conspiracy Theories

 This is a very long article. And the 1st part of it deals extensively with the claims that famous women may be secretly men. Well worth reading, imo.

Dunkirk 2017

 

 A movie review.

The year is 1940 and the British are trying to evacuate their army from Dunkirk but the enemy keeps sinking their boats. Then the Royal Navy requisitions civilian vessels.

The main character is a young British soldier called Tommy who is unsuccessfully trying to escape  and is assisted in his attempts by a man called Gibson. On the other hand, we are following the progress of a civilian boat whose owner Dawson together with his son Peter and their hand George is sailing to France to help with the evacuation. We are also shown two RAF pilots fighting the Luftwaffe. 

Well, that's about it. The film has very little dialogue and practically no background story. If you don't know much about WWII history or what actually happened in France before Dunkirk you won't learn it, either. Tommy appears out of nowhere in the beginning (he is walking down the street with a group of soldiers and the enemy starts shooting. He is the only one who manages to survive) and his last action in the movie is to read a newspaper. We know nothing about his origin, his family , his friends or anything of the kind. We can presume he will go on fighting and that's about it.

Dawson is an older man and we do learn that his eldest son was a RAF pilot killed in action. We know nothing about any other character shown except that George didn't do well in school and wanted to be a hero. This is really a very modern film and it did remind me of Civil War, though despite it vulgar moments, it was much better made, imo. 

The movie's strength is that it does quite a good job recreating an atmosphere of fear and suspense, without politically correct tropes and with great attention to details. You certainly won't be bored watching it. Though it shows war quite realistically you won't see much in the way of blood and gore which is so popular nowadays. It is war drama, not war p0rn.

In general, I'd recommend it to everyone who is into period/WWII/war movies.

Your Comments

 Today I checked my spam folder and found lots of comments, including mine own (!) marked as spam. Some from as far back as December 2023, many from my regular commenters. Only 3 or 4 were real spam. I just published the rest of them.

Excuses, but I really had no idea. If your comments disappear, it's Google work, not mine;)

Keep in mind though that all the comments on old posts automatically go in moderation, and I don't check this one too often, either.

Lent Has Begun

 Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. 

Do Protestants fast for Lent or is it only for Catholics?

Well, some do. Here is an interesting article on this topic:

This year, March brings the end of Epiphanytide, officially closing out the Christmas cycle. Immediately afterward, the church shifts its eyes to Easter, as it embarks on its 40-day trek toward the cross in the season of Lent. This begins with Ash Wednesday, when we hear the admonition, “you are dust, and to dust you shall return...”

...Christians will find many historic customs associated with this penitential season — especially the threefold disciplines of prayer, almsgiving and fasting.

In Lent, Christians should find ample opportunities to pray, including with other Christians at midweek services. Likewise, heads of households often lead more robust daily prayers with their families during this season.

Almsgiving, or giving that goes above and beyond a Christian’s regular cheerful tithing to the local congregation, is another Lenten custom that curbs the flesh from the love of earthly goods and wealth. By giving money to the needy or finding ways to bless others with their time and talents, Christians train themselves to rely on their Lord for sustenance...

 

A New Link

 Just added a new blog called Throne, Altar, Liberty

Disclaimer:

My linking somewhere doesn't mean I necessarily agree with everything posted there.

Enjoy;)

P.S. I have been rather busy lately, but I'll try to post more in the near future. Love you all!