

	      A Minister Speaks Out on the Psychic and the Devil

          

                              by J. Gordon Melton

                                        

               In the  late 1960's, the psychic truly came of age as a
          major competitor of some forms of Christian faith. No longer
          could it be dismissed as foolishness and because of this new
          realization the  1960's also  saw the birth of a new type of
          literature in  which fundamentalist  Christians  attack  the
          psychic as being "of the Devil."

               As a  minister of  the Gospel I often am called upon to
          evaluate  this  "antipsychic"  literature.  My  interest  in
          psychic and spiritual healing, as well as church history, is
          well known  and laymen,  having added  a new  depth to their
          faith through  experiencing psychic  reality  are  concerned
          that their  fellow Christians  should speak  so  harshly  of
          them. At  the same  time, my  non-Christian acquaintances in
          the psychic community consider the literature a 20th-Century
          form of  witch-hunting and  ridicule it  as an expression of
          "Christian love."

               The literature  of which  I speak  consists of numerous
          pamphlets and  a few  books, some  claiming to be written by
          former mediums  or psychics  now converted  to  conservative
          evangelical Protestantism.  A few of these booklets are from
          Reformed or  Baptist writers  but by far the greatest number
          represent   the    Protestant    Pentecostal    perspective.
          (Pentecostals  are  those  Protestants  distinguished  by  a
          belief that  speaking-in-tongues, or  glossolalia, is  prima
          facie evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.)

               Their major  argument is  that the  Bible condemns  all
          psychic activity  and they cite a number of both Old and New
          Testament passages  (Deuteronomy 18:9-12;I Samual 28;Acts 8;
          I  Timothy  4:1)  to  make  their  point.  The  material  is
          accompanied by the warning that these devices of Satan shall
          increase in  the latter  days and  are signs  of the  end of
	  time. Satan is a major  figure in the literature, especially
          in the  writings of  Hal Lindsey,  author of several popular
          books on  prophecy, who  seems determined  to prove  Satan's
          existence. The  Church of  Satan of  Anton LaVey, although a
          minor force  even is occult circles, always is given a large
          coverage and  the remaining  psychic  community  is  wrongly
          associated with him and his antiChristianity.

               One is  tempted  to  dismiss  this  literature  as  the
          ravings of  people who  know little  or nothing  about their
          topics. Even  the converted  mediums seem to be the ones who
          flunked their training courses in basic psychic development.
          In fact  on a  theological level  the material  is  all  but
          worthless.

               When the  Pentecostal says  that something  is "of  the
          Devil" he  really is  saying in  the strongest  possible way
          that he  does not  like it  and disagrees  with it.  But for
          someone who  does not  accept this  world view,  their is no
          common standard  to judge  the Devil's  tastes. I personally
          think that  cooked carrots  are the  Devil's  favorite  food
          (with boiled  okra running  a close second). Who is to prove
	  me  wrong?  Certainly  not  those  Devil-worshipping  carrot
          eaters. Satan's  deceit is  manifested by  his inclusion  of
          vitamin A  in carrots  so people  will think they are "good"
          food!

               There is  no appeal  then from  personal taste, just as
          there is no appeal from divine revelation. One can only hope
          that a  new dislike will arise to replace the psychic as the
          "Devil's" main manifestation.

               On  a   pastoral  level,   however,   the   antipsychic
          literature takes  on some  importance. Almost  weekly I hear
          from laymen  who have  been victimized  by well  meaning  if
          fanatical acquaintances  who challenge them with their devil
          theology. It's  one thing  to read a book. Its quite another
          to have  a friend  or relative  say that  something you  are
          doing is satanic and draw a line that places you outside the
          church.

               Such well  meaning but misguided concern is reminiscent
          of the  Inquisition  that  tortured  people  out  of  loving
          concern for  their souls  andthen killed  them quickly  lest
          they turn again to their sin. It is for these victims that I
          write. Hopefully,  by discovering  answers which  will blunt
          the major  points of  the attack  on the  psychic, they will
          find a shield from the barrage of their Christian brethren.

                                      * * * * *

               If any central charge can be leveled at the Pentecostal
          devil- psychic theory, it is shallow Biblicism. As one of my
          Bible teachers  warned me,  "A text out of context becomes a
          pretext." The  antipsychic literature is rife with texts out
          of context.  Typical is  the  constant  repetitions  of  the
          Deuteronomic prohibitions  against certain  kinds of psychic
          activity.

               "When thou  art come  into the  land which the Lord thy
          God givth  thee, thou  shalt  not  learn  to  do  after  the
          abominations of  those nations.  There shall  not  be  found
          among you  any one  that maketh  his son  or his daughter to
          pass through  the fire,  or that  useth  divination,  or  an
          observer of  times, or  an enchanter,  or  a  wizard,  or  a
          necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination
          unto the Lord thy God doth drive tham out from before thee."

               (Deuteronomy 18:9-12.)

               Two problems  immediately arise  in any  modern use  of
          this text.  First it  contains several  Hebrew  words  which
          appear  nowhere   else  in   Hebrew   literature   and   are
          untranslatable. They  were translated  during  the  rule  of
          England's James  1 when  witchcraft trials  were popular and
          terms useful  in those  trials were  inserted into the text.
          While we  know the prohibitions are against certain forms of
          divination, we  do not  know specifically  which ones. These
          prohibitions must,  however, be  set within  the context  of
          "accepted" means  of divination:  dreams (Genesis  41),  the
          Urim and  the Thummin,  a Quija  board-like  device  (Exodus
          28:30), precognition  (Judges 4:4), casting lots (Acts 1:26)
          and the  psychic experience  (I Samual 9, particularly verse
          9).

               In  certain   contexts,  such   as  the  conflict  with
          Canaanite religion (particularly the blood-sacrifice cult of
          Moloch),   practices    associated   with   divination   are
	  prohibited.  But   in  a  differing  context  (Israel's  own
          religion and in the early church) divination was an accepted
          practice (Numbers 27:21, Acts 1:26).

               The second  problem with  the use of this text concerns
          its present  binding force  on the church. While it may be a
          matter of  argument whether  or not  the text is binding, it
          seems for  anyone who accepts the "whole Bible" the commands
          surrounding  the   prohibitions  are   as  relevant  as  the
          divination prohibition.

               Thus anyone  who wishes  to use  this text  as  literal
          command today  should also  be prepared  to  stone  stubborn
          children (Deuteronomy  21:18),  keep  the  feast  of  booths
          (Deuteronomy 16:13) and accept polygamy (Deuteronomy 21:15).

               As these verses show, this whole section of Deuteronomy
          consists of  legalisms which  have little  or  no  relevance
          today and  were  only  valid  in  the  context  of  Israel's
          struggle with the Canaanites.

                                      * * * * *

               A major  complaint of  conservative Christians  is that
          liberal Christians   see them as being all alike, failing to
          recognize significant  differences of doctrine and lifestyle
          exist amoung  Holiness people and Pentecostals, Billy Graham
          and  the  Reverend  Ike,  Baptists  and  Plymouth  Brethren,
          Wesleyans and  Reformed.  Conservatives  strongly  deny  any
          association with  the weird  and radical fringe that is part
          of their movement, such as those fundamentalists who espouse
          bigoted racial theories of the donning of ascension robes or
          free sex practices.

               Likewise the  psychic community  resents the  naive and
          ignorant lumping of psychic research and parapsychology with
          healing, meditative  practices with  witchcraft,  yoga  with
          hypnotism, astrology  with the  tarot, or  Spiritualism with
          satanism and black magic. Such an approach to the psychic is
          the lowest form of the polemic.

               While interests in the psychic often lead toexploration
          of a  number of  areas, most people in the field have one or
          two central  concerns. (My  own interests  are  psychic  and
          spiritual healing,  prayer and  meditation) While one learns
          about many  things  one's  involvement  usually  is  in  the
          specific area that is most rewarding personally.

               Pentecostal claims  that  involvement  in  the  psychic
          leads to  possession are  plainly false. Such involvement by
          people who  are emotionally  unstable or  who  have  immoral
          motives can  lead to  possession-like phenomena,  especially
          when such people dabble with automatic writing, Quija boards
          or seance activity. But such phenomena are no more prevalent
          than those  caused by speaking-in-tongues which also affects
          the deep levels of the psychic. Any kind of psychic activity
          -glossolalia included  - can  and does  lead  to  possession
          phenomena in  the unprepared  and unstable (see "The dangers
          of Psychic  Development" by  Harmon H. Bro, October-November
          1970 Fate.)

               Finally,  the   central  problem   of  the  antipsychic
          material is  its orientation  towards the  negative,  toward
          evil and  the devil.  Such a book as Hal Lindsey's "Satan Is
          Alive and  Well" and Derek Prince's works on the demonic are
          psychologically dangerous  literature. They are major causes
	  of  the   phenomena  they  seem  most  to  abhor.  A  simple
	  psychological  principle   is  at  work.  As  Aldous  Huxley
          explains in  "The Devils of Loudon", "No man can concentrate
          his attention  upon evil  or even  upon the idea of evil and
          remain unaffected. To be more against the devil than for God
          is exceedingly  dangerous. Every  crusader is apt to go mad.
          He is  haunted by  the wickedness which he attributes to his
          enemies; it becomes some sort a part of him.

               Prince, Lindsey  and cohorts  are pouring  their energy
          into fighting  Satan. They  are creating  an  atmosphere  in
          which it  is the  "in thing"  to be freed from a possession.
          Lonely, bored  and highly  suggestible people  are only  too
          happy to  respond with  the called-for  symptoms. At  a mass
          meeting if you produce a paper bag, someone will be happy to
          regurgitate a "demon" for you.

               Theologically,  I  sympathize  with  the  Pentecostals.
          Their  leaders   and   writers   certainly   recognize   the
          theological attack  the psychic  represents  for  them.  For
          years they  have been  telling their  followers that tongues
          and  healing  "miracles"  represent  a  direct  supernatural
          activity and  are a  self-authenticating sign  of  the  Holy
          Spirit. Considering  tongues an  outward sign of the baptism
          of the  Holy Spirit  within is  crucial to  the  Pentecostal
          position. And psychic research applied to the "supernatural"
          activities   often    results   in   a   denial   of   their
          supernaturalism. If non-Pentecostals and even non-Christians
          can do  these things,  their value  as a  sign of baptism is
          ended.

               Pentecostalists denounce  non-Christian  phenomenon  as
          "counterfeit miracles."  Discussing healing, one Pentecostal
          writer says,  "We can see that this gift, like all the other
          gifts of  the spirit,  can be either from God or from Satan.
          The counterfeit  must be  in appearance  as good as the real
          thing, otherwise  it would  not fulfill its aim." When Jesus
          was accused  of working  satanic miracles (see Mark 3:20-26)
          his reply was that a house divided cannot stand, a rejoinder
          that still is valid.

               The idea of "counterfeit miracles" is as much a problem
          to the  Pentecostals as  it is  to the psychic, moreover. If
          counterfeit miracles exist, than no instance of speaking-in-
          tongues can  be considered a sign of the baptism of the Holy
          Spirit  until   is  has  been  tested.  Like  all  Christian
          experience the  baptism is  signified only  if the fruits of
          the spirit  follow. Anyone  can speak  in tongues  or  be  a
          channel for  miraculous healings.  Only those persons filled
          with the  Spirit can bring forth love, patience and kindness
          (Galatians 5:22). Pentecostals have no corner on the fruits-
          of-the-spirit market.

               In conclusion,involvement  in the  psychic  clearly  is
          valid for  the Christian,  provided that involvement is done
          in a  same self-  conscious  context.  I  bid  my  Christian
          brethren cease  their harsh  words and  uninformed polemics.
          Let us unite against our mutual psychic enemy, the perverted
          phenomena that  can wreck a life as surely as can alcohol or
          narcotics.  Allegiance   at   any   particular   theological
          principle should  not keep  us from  that fellowship  we all
          desire.

               

	       Reprinted   with    permission   of    FATE   Magazine.
