Tuesday, April 3, 2012

A Christian Perspective on Astrology

An Entry for the A to Z Blog Challenge 2012

The uncertainties among people are increasing day by day. Things are
fast changing; today’s man or thing is not there tomorrow. A kind of fear is
gripped among people and they wander here and there to find a solution for
this. People are frustrated by the political situation prevailing in the country.
The day to day incidents are frightening them and many are in search
of safety and peace. Becoming frantic, they ultimately approach the so
called soothsayers or astrologers for a solution. This has become the order
of the day in the modern society. The soothsayers take advantage of this and
are making hay while their clients are burning. As a result every day a new
method or solution sprouts somewhere in the country.


                                                                    —by Philip Varghese ‘Ariel’

It is very unfortunate to note that in India the politicians and the film personalities are the bunch of people
who are always go in search of  these soothsayers. In recent times this trend has spread among the Indian cricketer community and the television program producers and its anchors too. What a pathetic
condition this is?


The sad fact is that most of their predictions do not come true; still people are rushing madly towards these soothsayers. In the Indian political scenario the ministers, MPs (Members of Parliament) and MLAs (Members of Legislature Assembly), are on the top of the list of people who run after these astrologers. Each of them have appointed or selected soothsayers for their functions and auspicious occasions.

Our politicians and celebrities are addicted to this kind of superstition. The famous Indian writer, Khushwant
Singh (a stalwart in the Indian  Journalism) the Editor of the famous English weekly, “The illustrated Weekly
of India”, said in an interview, “Due to some problem the astrology columnist  of the weekly left the organization and the column stopped abruptly. The readers started enquiring about it. I don’t want to displease the readers and I started compiling the column myself. I selected some previous issue’s astrology column and reshuffled the contents and arranged it for the week with a pen name. This was very much
appreciated by the poor readers”. This could be happening in many of the publications in the name of the
‘Astrology’ column. The gullible readers eagerly wait to read this waste. How sad it is? Print and visual media is on a neck to neck race on this issue  of knowing the future and telling the future. They run columns for daily, weekly, monthly and yearly forecasts  for their readers.

The sad part is that, if we take a  keen look into these soothsayer’s predictions 99% of them are never fulfilled as they predicted. Still the people are in search of these people and their predictions.

A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

The point here is about the Christian folks: Even among some of the so called Christians there are a good
number of people who are after such people. They seek the guidance of astrologers, tarot readers and other
soothsayers to know their future. For their children’s education, marriage and other family auspicious occasion’s dates etc they consult these astrologers. They eagerly look at the daily and weekly astrology columns in newspapers and weeklies. Some eagerly watch for the daily broadcasts through TV. Such Christians must take note that they are going after the old nature, a kind of idol worship.They are forgetting the fact that God is the one who controls everything and He is the one who decide about the future of every creature, who is in His hands. They just forget this great truth and running after the creatures of this world.

Here is a warning to such people!!! 
In the book of Isaiah chapter 47 we read that depending on the astrologers, the star gazers and monthly
prognosticators Babylon took proud in itself and said in thine heart, I am and non else beside me. But alas God challenges them to save themselves.  But they could not save themselves or even others. God warns the Babylonians about the consequences of their deeds. God challenges them to save themselves by the stars and star gazers.

God created the sun, moon and stars to give light to the world. But alas people depend on them to know
their future. What a pathetic state.  They cannot save themselves nor can’t save others; indeed it faces the wrath of God. Isaiah 13:10 says, “For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light; the sun will be dark when it rises and the moon will not shed its light.” The word of God very clearly urge to the people to call upon the wonder working creator of this universe, stars like the seven stars and Orion (Amos 5:8).

A child of God is controlled and guided by the Spirit of God, not the creations of this world. Creations
should seek the face of the Creator, not the stars, sun, moon or any other living or non-living things.
The Holy Bible: The God’s special revelation in written form is the only book God has given to the human
being. There are a number of books revered as sacred, but this book is unique in itself and its authority is affirmed from cover to cover.

Therefore, occult knowledge like astrology, tarot cards reading etc are off limit for a Christian, and it should not influence a real Christian. Isaiah’s emphasise is to use God’s written Word as the standard to judge spiritual truths. “Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples. And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in.” Isaiah 8:16,19-20 (NKJV)

The Bible gives us a basis for assured knowledge of God. The apostle Peter even ranked it as more valuable
than eye-witness evidence! “We have the PROPHETIC WORD CONFIRMED, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:14-19). 

Let me close this by quoting a verse from Deuteronomy: 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 witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.Deuteronomy 18:10-12. (KJV). 

Along with this, also please read the following verses: Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and Deuteronomy18: 20-22. CL

“The cause of thy sin is inevitably determined in heaven’; and ‘This did Venus, or Saturn, or Mars’: that man, forsooth, flesh and blood, and proud corruption,might be blameless; while the Creator and Ordainer of heaven and the stars is to bear the blame.”
                                                                             —St. Augustine


Source:
Confident Living Magazine (Back to the Bible)

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