Monday, September 21, 2009

For Entertainment Purposes Only?

Among the news feeds I subscribe to, one keeps me up to date with forthcoming events in Belfast - appropriately named the Belfast Events RSS Feed. It's maybe just nosiness, as I've never actually attended anything they advertise, but it's good to know what I could be attending or avoiding.

This morning an interesting event popped into my Google Reader. Not interesting in the sense that I want to go, nor even that I am recommending anyone else goes. More interesting in the way the event is being advertised:

An Evening of Clairvoyance with Joe Power

Joe Power is the new exciting Liverpool medium taking the psychic world by storm. The accuracy of his private readings, public demonstrations and celebrity predictions are creating a sensation on both sides of the Atlantic.

Joe`s evening of clairvoyance will be a demonstration of communication where he delivers messages from people that have passed over.


While I do believe that there are angels and spirits, I'm certainly not in favour of any form of communication with them. The spiritual world is very real, and also very dangerous, with demonic powers ready to speak where they should not speak. The Bible repeatedly warns against mediums, clairvoyants, necromancy and such like, condemning King Saul for using the Witch of Endor to communicate with the departed prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 28); and showing the salvation for the slave-girl caught up with a spirit of divination and fortune telling who was exorcised by the Apostle Paul (Acts 16:16-18).

However, against all this background, both the guy's claim to be able to deliver messages from people that have passed over (where?), and the Bible's condemnation of such activities, the final line of the event listing is the most interesting:

An Evening of Clairvoyance is for entertainment purposes only.


So he claims to communicate messages from beyond the grave, but it's only entertainment? He claims to wield some power, which may psychologically and spiritually harm those attending, but it's only entertainment? He's getting mixed up in the dangerous daydreams and deceits of demons, but it's only entertainment?

Who was it put the disclaimer in? Is it his own line? Or is it a demand of the Waterfront Hall or Belfast City Council?

If genuine, and there is something demonic going on here, then it's really not entertainment. It's so much more serious.

2 comments :

  1. im going to see joe power tonight and i hope to get a message from my dad or mum in law because i have so many unanswered questions. if this is the devils work then why are so many people coming away after having a reading with such a weight of there shoulders knowing their loved ones are ok. ive watched a lot of these mediums on tv and they are so accurate giving people information that no one else would know.surely the demons wouldnt want people to be this happy!

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  2. There are several issues:

    1. If this guy does have power to contact people through the use of evil spirits, then it's dangerous. It's not good to be mixed up in the spiritual world which we cannot understand. The witch of Endor did indeed summon up the prophet Samuel, but it was not for good.

    2. If he is in contact with evil spirits, then surely they could pass on whatever 'knowledge' was needed for him to convince people he was communicating with dead people - so how do you know who you're in touch with? And therefore, the authenticity of the messages.

    3. If such a word from beyond makes people happy (no matter who or where it is coming from), then would it not play into the devil's hands to get people caught up in such activities, which distracts and diverts them from listening and obeying the God who rules over all?

    4. If it is real, then why did Belfast City Council or the Waterfront, or even himself insist that it is 'for entertainment purposes only'? Will this be clearly stated on the night, or will he launch into messages for hurting people?

    5. Hurting people, seeking some message from beyond the grave would do better not going to any such night of entertainment looking for answers. Rather, assurance can be found in God alone and his word.

    As I said before, it's dangerous, and misleading, otherwise why insist that it's for entertainment purposes only?

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