Are all sins that involve the occult really against the first commandment?

[ChibiViolet]

I was told once by a priest that all sins that involve the occult are against the first commandment. How is that true exactly? I mean what if someone for example uses a Ojai board for sheer entertainment? (This exact example has nothing to do with me as I would never touch a Ojai board.)

 

[Layp3rs0n]

Ouji boards are dangerous because for one…they work! Those things are absolutely a doorway to evil. They’re like demonic cell phones.

 

[ChibiViolet]

I know such things are of grave matter and dangerous; what I want to know is if all such things really are agaisnt the first commandment and why.

 

[Layp3rs0n]

Possibly because it involves teusting a source besides God. One attempts akso to BE God througj occult practices.

 

[ChibiViolet]

Possibly because it involves** teusting **a source besides God. One attempts akso to BE God througj occult practices.

Testing or trusting?

Keep in mind, we’re talking about sins that involve the occult for entertainment purposes alone–not trying to get answers to big questions (via demons) or anything like that.

 

[Deo_Volente]

Grace & Peace!

Testing or trusting?

Keep in mind, we’re talking about sins that involve the occult for entertainment purposes alone–not trying to get answers to big questions (via demons) or anything like that.

There is nothing in the occult that lends itself to entertainment. While you wouldn’t necessarily know it from today’s New Age feel-good nonsense, the occult makes no sense apart from the very specific religious context in which it arises, and generally speaking, dabbling in spiritual things for fun and entertainment is not to be recommended under any circumstance. Someone could easily get hurt–and the injury that can be done to one’s faith and walk with God is no less wounding than any grievous physical harm, and can possibly be even more devastating.

The relation of the prohibition against the occult to the first commandment is clear: recourse to spirits and powers that are not of God is a demonstration of a lack of faith in God. Moreover, there is much in the occult that is aimed toward coercing spirits to do the will of the operator–the danger here is manifold: 1) in focusing on our own will, we neglect to do the will of God or begin to confuse our will with God’s; 2) the attempt to coerce spirits involves appropriating goods or perceived goods (which include the end we would acheive, as well as the spirits’ own offices) which we would be better off receiving according to God’s good will for us; 3) coercion implies violence which is another way of saying death–and death, with all its instruments and accoutrement, is not God’s plan for us, which the Resurrection of Christ clearly indicates.

Moreover, the spiritual technologies of which the Ouija board claims to take advantage are related to the mechanisms of ceremonial magic but are employed without any real context. In other words, using a Ouija board is, potentially, the spiritual equivalent of making a call to all the phones in the world announcing that your front door is open. Most folks receiving such a call wouldn’t really care and would disregard it…but who knows who or what might respond to such an invitation? (All of that assumes that the Ouija board does as advertised, which it may very well not.)

At any rate, instead of playing with the occult, you would do better to devote yoursef to the life of prayer.

Under the Mercy,
Mark

All is Grace and Mercy! Deo Gratias!

 

[Irishgal49]

I know such things are of grave matter and dangerous; what I want to know is if all such things really are agaisnt the first commandment and why.

You are relying on any entity out there to give you guidance, direction, entertainment and not relying on God for your well being.

I “played” with those things and had horrible problems with it. When I came back to the church I had to have my priest come and bless my apartment and go through my books and things to ensure I got rid of it all. It was purely “for fun” but became much more.

Remember the devil doesn’t see it as “fun” he sees it as an entryway into your life and a way to get you to go against the Church and it’s teachings.

Lorrie

 

[ChibiViolet]

Thank you for your responses and thank you Irishgal49, for answering my question.

Please don’t be worried; I was not intending to fool around with the occult (although contrary to what you say, it can be entertaining, although I already knew that the demons themselves do not want to be “played with,” but only wish to lead us astray and hurt us.)

 

[thistle]

I was told once by a priest that all sins that involve the occult are against the first commandment. How is that true exactly? I mean what if someone for example uses a Ojai board for sheer entertainment? (This exact example has nothing to do with me as I would never touch a Ojai board.)

False premise. Occult and entertainment are incompatible. Those who dabble in things like a oujia board are NOT doing so for entertainment purposes.

 

[ChibiViolet]

False premise. Occult and entertainment are incompatible. Those who dabble in things like a oujia board are NOT doing so for entertainment purposes.

Then why are Oujia boards in stores placed among the board games? Most people who use them, at least at first don’t even believe in their power. Even ones that do might use them for entertainment purposes, especially goths and I used to want one for such a purpose until I found out that it’s a mortal sin.

In the past, I’ve been open to demons for entertainment, but not via a Oujia board.

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

Ouji boards are dangerous because for one…they work!

Are you expletive kidding me suggesting something like that?

PROVE IT.

 

[presidentjlh]

If I recall an article I read correct, Quija boards work because people, in groups, tend to converge on certain focal points in these types of things, thus, they subconsciously create their own answers.

This is the reason I don’t use Quija boards. Not because a demon might pop out of one, but because they’re a joke.

 

[thistle]

Then why are Oujia boards in stores placed among the board games? Most people who use them, at least at first don’t even believe in their power. Even ones that do might use them for entertainment purposes, especially goths and I used to want one for such a purpose until I found out that it’s a mortal sin.

In the past, I’ve been open to demons for entertainment, but not via a Oujia board.

You really think because stores put them among board games that means people don’t take them seriously??
Nobody gets involved in any occult things for entertainment purposes. That is simply untrue.

 

[Holly3278]

I am really not sure but if a priest told you so then it is probably true.

 

[ChibiViolet]

You really think because stores put them among board games that means people don’t take them seriously??
Nobody gets involved in any occult things for entertainment purposes. That is simply untrue.

I didn’t say that no one takes them seriously–just most people don’t; it’s a very skeptical world we live in.

As to “Nobody gets involved with occult things for entertainment purposes,” I’d like to ask, how would you know? As stated before, I have been open to demons for entertainment purposes–for getting a kind of odd spiritual high. (I don’t do that anymore though.)

 

[thistle]

I didn’t say that no one takes them seriously–just most people don’t; it’s a very skeptical world we live in.

As to “Nobody gets involved with occult things for entertainment purposes,” I’d like to ask, how would you know? As stated before, I have been open to demons for entertainment purposes–for getting a kind of odd spiritual high. (I don’t do that anymore though.)

In my opinion anybody who claims they have dabbled in occult things (such as the ouija board) for entertainment purposes are either deluding themselves or simply lying.

 

[AHapka]

Which might very well be possible the first time or even the tenth time…

But as time goes on, you might be tempted to try contacting a spirit “just once…” Then again…and again…and then you are deep in serious sin.

It’s like talking to that married woman about something you shouldn’t just once…then having that conversation again…then having lunch next week…then six months down the road you wonder how you got there.

The devil rarely asks you to commit the most serious sins…he just asks you to go a little farther every day into sin…after all, what’s just a little bit?

 

[AHapka]

Moreover, there is much in the occult that is aimed toward coercing spirits to do the will of the operator

And don’t forget that it’s possible the spirit lets you think you are controlling it when it really ends up controlling you…

 

[ChibiViolet]

What if someone is open to a demon simply because they got a strong urge to do so–an urge that came from a demon? How is that against the first commandment?

 

[thistle]

What if someone is open to a demon simply because they got a strong urge to do so–an urge that came from a demon? How is that against the first commandment?

The Church teaching:

Divination and magic

CCC 2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.

CCC 2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

CCC 2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity.