Tuesday, May 10, 2011
The Watchman Expositor: Youth-Oriented TV and the Occult
Youth-Oriented TV and the Occult
by Jason Barker
Two girls sit on a park bench in the dim penumbra of a streetlight, quietly talking about how to identify true love. The peaceful scene is broken, however, as one girl glances behind the other, grimaces, and says, “Buffy, there’s a demon behind you.” The other girl leaps into action, dispatches the demon with its own sword, then nonchalantly asks, “Now where were we?”
Casual demon-slaying is just another ordinary occurrence in the life of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The popular television series on the WB network airs Tuesdays at 7 p.m. (CST), a time slot commonly referred to as “the family hour.” Set in a suburban California high school and featuring a cast of young adults, Buffy is a prime-time example of the growing marketing of the occult as an entertainment and lifestyle option for young people.
The trend of blending the occult with mass media is not new. The book and movie, The Exorcist, in the early 1970s was a benchmark in horror fiction, followed in the late 1970s and 1980s by such movie series as Halloween, Friday the 13th (which also became a television series), and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Many parents in the 1980s reacted against the satanic lyrics in some “heavy metal” and “death rock” songs. The vampire novels by Anne Rice have been extremely popular in the 1980s and 1990s (the first novel, Interview with the Vampire, was made into a movie with Tom Cruise in 1994).
A key difference between the aforementioned trends and the newest trend is that, while many horror movies and novels are marketed to a general audience, the latest trend is to market occultic entertainment and practices directly at young people. One of the foremost ways in which this occurs is via the television.
Occult-Based TV Programs
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, mentioned above, is one of the most popular occult-based programs on television. Buffy earned a 3.7 Nielsen rating for the week of November 30-December 6, 1998, meaning that approximately 3,677,800 households watched the program that week.1 A search on Excite for web sites about the program turned up 4,756 pages.
The premise of the program is simple: once each century a single teenaged, female warrior (called a “Slayer,” also called a “Chosen one”) is born to combat vampires, demons and other supernatural beings. When a Slayer dies, the next is chosen and trained by a Watcher (the Slayer’s mentor in supernatural and esoteric practices). Buffy Summers, the series’ heroine, is the current Slayer; she is trained by a somewhat bumbling British librarian and Watcher named Rupert Giles. These two, and a small group of friends, live in the suburban town of Sunnyvale, which also happens to be the mouth of Hell. Each week is thus spent with the group battling demons, vampires, werewolves, and other creatures.
The monsters inhabiting the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are a syncretistic blending of numerous religions and mythologies. The vampires, whose presence is at the heart of the series, are derived from four sources. The primary source, to which the need for blood and the distorted features of the monsters can be traced, is the legend of the nosferatu of Eastern Europe.2 The concept of vampires as sexual creatures is taken from the 1819 novel The Vampyre, written by Dr. Polidori, an associate of the poet Lord Byron.3 The debonair vampire, best seen in the character Spike, is heavily influenced by Bram Stoker’s Dracula, just as the romantic relationship between Buffy and the vampire ironically named Angel is influenced by the novels of Anne Rice.4
The series initially began in a similar vein to the movie on which it is loosely based: a stereotypical suburban California girl fights monsters by night while being a popular high school student by day. The early episodes were a commentary on the social life of American teenagers: an unpopular student who is rejected as a cheerleader uses supernatural powers to exact her revenge; a trip to the zoo results in the clique of popular students being possessed by the spirits of hyenas and eating the principal; an ignored student invisibly takes revenge on the popular students.
In the last two seasons, however, the series has taken a much darker twist. After a sexual encounter with Buffy, Angel is stricken by an old curse that destroys his soul. Despite later being freed from this curse, Buffy kills Angel and sends him to Hell in order to save her friends. Willow, Buffy’s shy friend, studies witchcraft; she also becomes romantically involved with Oz, a werewolf. It is also revealed that one of the recurring villains, a vampire named Drusilla, was turned into the undead in the Middle Ages by Angel, who killed her entire family and attacked her on the day that she was to take her final vows as a nun.5
The official web site for the program is a sign of Buffy’s growing popularity. A heavily-used message board allows viewers to post their comments about the program. An online store will soon allow viewers to purchase program-related merchandise. Most significantly, a free interactive game, Moloch’s Revenge, is available to viewers. Individuals can manipulate Buffy and three friends to prevent Moloch, a villain in an early episode (and the chief deity of the Ammonites,6 to whom Solomon erected an altar on Mount Olivet, and to whom Manasseh sacrificed his son7) from opening the Hellmouth and escaping. The individual, through Buffy and her friends, does battle with Moloch until one side is defeated. A “Trick Bag” containing magic spells and esoteric knowledge temporarily enables the individual to gain an advantage over Moloch.
Sabrina the Teen Age Witch
Far less bleak is Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. Part of ABC’s “TGIF” lineup, and based on a series of Archie comics, Sabrina is the most popular youth-oriented program involving magic and the occult on television. In the fall of 1997, Sabrina was viewed by approximately 7,952,000 households each week.8
Sabrina is highly reminiscent of the program Bewitched, in which a well-meaning domestic witch dealt with her supernatural extended family while using her magic to harmlessly assist her mortal husband. Sabrina is a teenager who, on her sixteenth birthday, learns that she (as well as her mother and live-in aunt) is a witch. She’s welcomed into the family coven with the gift of a black cauldron, to which she responds, “A black pot? Doesn’t anyone shop at the Gap anymore?”9 In addition to her family, Sabrina is tutored in the art of witchcraft by Salem, a warlock doing penance as a black cat.
Early episodes involved Sabrina’s inability to control her magic leading her into zany situations. She turned a rival into a pineapple; she made her boyfriend pregnant, turned him into a bowling pin, and also into a frog. More recent episodes have attempted to send moral messages to viewers by tackling such topics as gambling (Salem begins gambling), drug abuse (Sabrina becomes addicted to pancakes), and irresponsible behavior (Sabrina spends time with a “life of the party” aunt).10
Like Buffy, Sabrina is also the basis for a video game. Unlike Moloch’s Revenge, however, this CD-ROM is on sale in stores. Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Spellbound begins with Sabrina asking Salem to give her a spell that will make a boy her boyfriend forever. The spell backfires, however, turning Sabrina into a pumpkin. The player then attempts to save Sabrina by using her “Spell Book” to cast spells, while wandering Sabrina’s home and interacting with characters from the program.11
ABC is currently developing a spin-off to Sabrina. The program will be about two self-centered, spoiled witches who lose their supernatural powers after their mother falls in love with a mortal plumber. The series will be initiated with a tie-in to an episode of Sabrina in February 1999.12
Charmed
Charmed is only slightly less popular than Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series, which debuted this season, attracted 3,081,400 viewers during the week November 30-December 6, 1998.13 It follows the phenomenally popular teen-oriented drama, Dawson’s Creek, on WB’s Wednesday night lineup.
The program involves three twenty-something sisters who, after one finds a tome called The Book of Shadows in their attic, discover and develop their supernatural powers. The oldest, Prue, has the power to move objects. The middle sister, Piper, has the ability to freeze time. The youngest, Phoebe, can see into the future. The sisters use their new-found powers in the premiere to destroy Piper’s boyfriend, who turns out to be an evil warlock and serial killer (a dream in a later episode raises the possibility that Piper is pregnant with the warlock’s child). Central to exercising their power is their incantation, “The power of three will set us free.”
Romantic and/or sexual involvement is central to numerous plots in this series. In one episode Phoebe becomes involved with a demon named Javna who maintains his eternal life force by draining the life force from young women. Another episode involves Piper falling in love with a ghost, whom the sisters must help to bury his body to keep his soul from going to hell. In still another episode, a demon attempts to marry a man in order to create demon offspring.
The X-Files
Unquestionably the most popular television program dealing with the occult is The X-Files. The program was seen in 9,900,000 households during the week of November 30-December 6, 1998.14 The movie based on the program, The X-Files: Fight the Future, grossed $83,900,000 in the U.S. alone. A search for web sites about the program on the Internet turned up 26,686 pages.
The mythology of the show is among the most convoluted in television. The central theme is that two FBI agents — Fox Mulder and Dana Scully — investigate UFO and alien appearances, paranormal encounters, and governmental conspiracies. The two slogans of the program, “The truth is out there” and “trust no one,” emphasize the show’s premise that the government is working to cover up the evidence of genuine supernatural occurrences in the United States.
In addition to its occult-based content, Mulder and Scully frequently encounter viruses and parasitic creatures in the series. Numerous other episodes involve UFOs and aliens, a favorite subject for many involved with the occult and New Age. The occult activities in X-Files episodes include astral projection, satanic rituals, transmigration, werewolves, a gargoyle, channeling, and psychokinetics.
The spiritual element is crucial to the success of X-Files. Chris Carter, creator and producer of the program, explains that "The X-Files’ popularity points to a certain sense of longing, and more openness now about extra-scientific possibilities. The ‘I Want to Believe’ poster in Mulder’s office sums up a personal longing. I’m a skeptic, and I want to be challenged. I want to believe in something. That’s the heart of the show and what infuses the characters."15
The program thus serves as a cathartic outlet for people who are inclined towards occultic beliefs, but are intellectually or socially inhibited from directly engaging such beliefs.
A difference between X-Files and the programs mentioned above is that X-Files is not explicitly oriented towards youth. The main actors are adults; beyond a few episodes dealing with abductions, children are seldom a part of the X-Files universe. Nonetheless, a large number of the program’s tie-ins are oriented toward youth. Over 100 million X-Files gaming cards have been sold.16 Card-maker Topps sells six different series of collectable X-Files cards. A series of action figures is available, including one each of Mulder and Scully with a corpse on a gurney. A video game, in which the player assists Mulder and Scully by sifting through crime scenes, following clues, and interviewing witnesses and suspects, is also available.
THE SOTERIOLOGY OF THESE PROGRAMS
In addition to their occult-based content, these programs share a similar soteriology (method of salvation): properly understanding supernatural powers gives one the ability to save oneself and others.
In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy defeats hordes of vampires and demons purely through her prowess in the martial arts; other monsters require spells and other rituals taught to her (and her friends) by the Watcher, Giles. Also in this series, characters can both send others to Hell, and rescue them from damnation (e.g., Angel, who was sent to Hell by Buffy, returned to Sunnydale after spending 100 years in torment). The witches in Charmed use their magical powers to defeat assorted demons; they also saved a ghost from going to Hell by burying his body. Sabrina has yet to face a life-or-death situation; however, she uses her magical powers to improve social situations.
Jesus’ disciples were given authority over spirits.17 This did not mean, however, that the disciples were to exult in this ability; instead, they were to exult in the fact that their names are written in heaven.18 The authority given to Christians comes only because God “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”19 Furthermore, ultimate victory over Satan and his demons will be accomplished by Christ and His angels, not through human fighting ability or esoteric knowledge.20
This illustrates a central difference between the soteriology in these programs and true biblical soteriology: the Bible clearly teaches that Christians are saved apart from any actions they perform.21
IS IT WRONG FOR CHRISTIANS TO WATCH SUCH PROGRAMS?
Is it inherently wrong for Christian youth to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Is it impossible for a Christian to watch The X-Files solely for the entertainment value without somehow undermining his or her dedication to Christ?
Programs such as these can be very entertaining. Buffy and X-Files are well-written and produced; their gripping storylines easily draw viewers to each episode. Likewise, Sabrina is largely harmless, inoffensive entertainment with a moral lesson for children woven into many episodes.
Nonetheless, it is important to consider whom a Christian is following when watching such programs. Dick Rolfe, head of the Dove Foundation, “When you spend that much time watching something [the average American family watches six hours of television per day], you have just developed new role models and a new window on life.”22 During the time a Christian spends focusing on plots concerning subjects that are condemned by God,23 that person is tacitly following the occult rather than God. Instead of being entertained by the occult, Christians should follow the words of Paul: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”24
A LETTER FROM AN EX-WITCH WRITING ABOUT HARRY POTTER
It was during that decade of the 1960's, in the year 1966, that a woman named J.K. Rowling was born. This is the woman who has captivated the world in this year of 2000 with four books known as the "Harry Potter Series." These books are orientational and instructional manuals of witchcraft woven into the format of entertainment. These four books by J.K. Rowling teach witchcraft! I know this because I was once very much a part of that world. Witchcraft was very different in the 1960's. There were a lot fewer witches, and the craft was far more secretive. At the end of that spiritually troubled decade, I was miraculously saved by the power of Jesus Christ and His saving blood. I was also delivered from every evil spirit that lived in me and was set free. However, as I began to attend fundamental Christian churches, I realized that even there witchcraft had left its mark. Pagan holidays and sabats were celebrated as "Christian holidays."
As time went on, I watched the so-called "Christian" churches compromising and unifying. I also watched with amazement as teachings from Eastern religions and "New Age" doctrine began to captivate congregations. It was a satanic set-up, and I saw it coming. Illuministic conspirators were bringing forth a one-world religion with a cleverly concealed element of occultism interwoven in its teachings. In order to succeed in bringing witchcraft to the world and thus complete satanic control, an entire generation would have to be induced and taught to think like witches, talk like witches, dress like witches, and act like witches. The occult songs of the 1960's launched the Luciferian project of capturing the minds of an entire generation. In the song "Sound Of Silence" by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, we were told of seeds that were left while an entire generation was sleeping, and that the "vision that was planted in my brain still remains."
Now it is the year 2000. All of the foundations for occultism and witchcraft are in place. The Illuminists have to move quickly, because time is running out. It was the Communist revolutionary Lenin who said, "Give me one generation of youth, and I will transform the entire world." Now an entire generation of youth has been given to a woman named J.K. Rowling and her four books on witchcraft, known as the Harry Potter Series.
As a former witch, I can speak with authority when I say that I have examined the works of Rowling and that the Harry Potter books are training manuals for the occult. Untold millions of young people are being taught to think, speak, dress and act like witches by filling their heads with the contents of these books. Children are obsessed with the Harry Potter books that they have left television and video games to read these witchcraft manuals.
The first book of the series, entitled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", finds the orphan, Harry Potter, embarking into a new realm when he is taken to "Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." At this occult school, Harry Potter learns how to obtain and use witchcraft equipment. Harry also learns a new vocabulary, including words such as "Azkaban", "Circe", "Draco", "Erised", "Hermes", and "Slytherin"; all of which are names of real devils or demons. These are not characters of fiction! How serious is this? By reading these materials, many millions of young people are learning how to work with demon spirits. They are getting to know them by name. Vast numbers of children professing to be Christians are also filling their hearts and minds, while willingly ignorant parents look the other way.
The titles of the books should be warning enough to make us realize how satanic and anti-christ these books are. The afore mentioned title of the first book, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", was a real give away.
The second book was called "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", while the third book was entitled "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." Nothing could be more obvious than that Harry Potter books are pure witchcraft and of the devil.
This is the oldest con game ever hatched out of hell. As a real witch, I learned about the two sides of "the force." When real witches have sabats and esbats and meet as a coven, they greet each other by saying "Blessed be", and when they part, they say "The Force be with you." Both sides of this "Force" are Satan. It is not a good side of the force that overcomes the bad side of the force, but rather it's the blood of Jesus Christ that destroys both supposed sides of the satanic "Force."
High level witches believe that there are seven satanic princes and that the seventh, which is assigned to Christians, has no name. In coven meetings, he is called "the nameless one." In the Harry Potter books, there is a character called "Voldemort." The pronunciation guide says of this being "He who must not be named." On July 8 at midnight, bookstores everywhere were stormed by millions of children to obtain the latest and fourth book of the series known as "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." These books were taken into homes everywhere with a real evil spirit following each copy to curse those homes. July 8th was also the 18th day (three sixes in numerology 666) from the witches' sabat of midsummer. July 8th was also the 13th day from the signing of the United Religions Charter in San Francisco. Now we have learned that the public school system is planning to use the magic of Harry Potter in the classrooms making the public schools centers of witchcraft training.
What does God have to say about such books as the Harry Potter series? In the Bible in the book of Acts, we read the following in the 19th chapter, verses 18 - 20: "And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed."
Harry Potter: ‘Making Evil Look Innocent'
Issue Date: November/December 2001
What are kids saying about Harry Potter?
Here are some samples:
"I want to go to wizard school and learn magic. I'd like to learn to use a wand to cast spells." Dylan, age 10.
"If I could go to wizard school, I might be able to do spells and potions and fly a broomstick." Mara, age 12.
"It would be great to be a wizard because you could control situations and things like teachers." Jeffrey, age 11.
"I'd like to go to wizard school and learn magic and put spells on people. I'd make up an ugly spell and then it's pay-back time." Catherine, age 9.
"I feel like I'm inside Harry's world. If I went to wizard school I'd study everything: spells, counterspells, and defense against the dark arts." Carolyn, age 10.
"I liked it when the bad guys killed the unicorn and Voldemort drank its blood." Julie, age 13.
"The books are very clever. I couldn't put them down. When I was scared I made myself believe that it was supposed to be funny so I wasn't so scared." Nuray age 11.
These are the comments of young readers of the Harry Potter wizard books quoted on a new video by Jeremiah Films. On the video, called Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged, Making Evil Look Innocent, author Robert S. McGee explains: "Children as young as kindergarten are being introduced to human sacrifice, the sucking of blood from dead animals, and possession by spirit beings."
Courts have banned the teaching of Christianity in public schools but Wicca, which is recognized by the U.S. courts as a religion and given tax-exempt status by the IRS, is taught freely. Harry Potter has become the method of introduction of Wicca to the very young.
Harry Potter materials have become much more than a hand full of children's fantasy books. Warner Brothers, Coca Cola, Minutemaid, and Mattel have used the Potter materials to launch games, puzzles, toys, backpacks, and every possible merchandizing product.
Scholastic, Inc., a major supplier of public school teaching aids has added the Potter literature to its line of curriculum materials. When the name "Harry Potter" is keyed into the Scholastic.com web site search engine, it returns 268 matches. "Jesus" returned only 23.
And now, a major movie is about to break on the scene called "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Millions of dollars are being spent on pre-release hype.
Once introduced to the world of wizards, spells, and dark arts, readers of Harry Potter can advance their knowledge and skills in witchcraft and paganism by visiting the hundreds of web sites available on the internet.
Or, they can purchase more books on the subject from the well stocked Wiccan sections in local book super stores. Or, they can find over a thousand volumes on witchcraft available at Amazon.com.
Harry Potter books have taken the world of children's fantasy literature by storm. Over 200 million have been sold in 40 languages. One study shows that over half of the children in the western world have read at least one of the Potter books. Many reported rereading each book several times.
But is it just fantasy literature like Snow White and Cinderella? In the Harry Potter video, cult expert Caryl Matrisciana points out that in the older stories, evil never prevails.
There are no absolutes in his world. What is right depends on the situation.
Witchcraft now has a complete package. Starting in kindergarten with Harry Potter and TV witch shows, children are led on to the horror movies and hundreds of Wicca and pagan web sites. When they thirst for more power, high school and college Wicca covens are available. In the adult world, corporations are hiring New Age practitioners to provide seminars in sensitivity training, stress relief, and self improvement for employees.
Former Satanist William Schnoebelen points out in his book, Wicca, Satan's Little White Lie, that, "I finally learned in the most graphic fashion imaginable that the difference between witchcraft or Wicca and Satanism is actually non-existent."
Before he was saved he found himself cruising the streets looking for a lone female to assault, not for sex, but to drink her blood.
The bottom line is a hunger for power. Harry Potter and the rest of witchcraft promises that power. But in the end they discover that Satan is really in charge of the power and only uses it like cheese in a mouse trap.
Harry Potter provides a basic initiation into witchcraft for a whole new generation. Imagine what the world will be like when they grow up.
Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged Making Evil Look Innocent
Millions of American schoolchildren have a new subject in school: witchcraft!
Through the Harry Potter series, the ancient occult religion of Wicca is being introduced in almost every public school in America. This video explains how Scholastic Inc., the largest publisher of children's books in the world, is supplying Harry Potter materials to millions of schoolchildren. Scholastic Inc. is using its unrivaled position in the educational system to flood classrooms and libraries with witchcraft, repackaged as "children's fantasy literature." Teachers are encouraged to read the Harry Potter books aloud in class, and millions of children are being densensitized to the dangers of the occult spirit world.
Through Harry's world of sorcery they are learning what tools today's witches and pagans use -- supernatural imagination, spiritual concentration, wands, brooms, spells and curses. Warner Brothers new film based on Harry Potter has been called an accurate portrayal of witchcraft. And indeed it is.
In this video, you will see how completely occult is the world of Harry Potter. After reading the Harry Potter books, millions of children will demand to see Warner Bros. new movie, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."
Christian parents have faced a similar problem for years with the teaching of evolution in their public schools. They have responded by teaching their children that they cannot believe everything they are taught in school. Now, with the Harry Potter books on witchcraft becoming part of public school curriculum, parents need to know enough about it to also teach their children that the spell-casting and other activities of Harry Potter are also forbidden territory. This video will help.
Harry's books are about a young 11-year-old generational wizard, Harry Potter, who attends the prestigious 1000-year-old occult boarding school, Hogwart's School of witchcraft and Wizardry. All his teachers are practicing occultists, and tutor their students in the dark arts of sorcery and divination: fortune telling, astrology, potion mixing, spell weaving and curse casting. Harry's world says that drinking dead animal blood gives power, a satanic human sacrifice and Harry's powerful blood brings new life, demon possession is not spiritually dangerous, and that passing through fire, contacting the dead, and conversing with ghosts, others in the spirit world, and more, is normal and acceptable.
Satanism: The World of the Occult
Probe Ministries
Satanism: The World of the Occult
Russ Wise
The Growing Problem
The occult is on the rise; many young people are seeking their spiritual identity through Satanism.Satanism has become an issue of great concern in our society. It is a phenomena that crosses the city limits into the rural areas of our nation. Satanism is not just a big city problem. The news wires carry story after story about young children being kidnapped, only to be found later as victims of some bizarre ritualistic crime. To help us gain a balanced perspective of the subject, C. S. Lewis in his book Screwtape Letters, says this about Satan:
There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe and to feel an unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.As satanic involvement among our youth increases, we begin to see the primary goal of such activity. It has become clear, according to the data thus far analyzed by those who investigate satanic involvement, that the primary goal is to alter people's values and turn them against themselves, their beliefs, family, God, and society.
When we begin to take a close look at the occult, it becomes necessary to define terms. There is a great difference between cults and the occult. The term cult refers to a group of people polarized around one individual who is often a magnetic personality. This individual has his or her own understanding of truth, who God is, man's relationship to God, the existence of heaven and hell, as well as a number of other issues of faith. In most cases such individuals incorporate some degree of biblical truth into their teachings in order to gain a certain amount of credibility and in order to deceive the unwary.
The term occult means "hidden" or those things or teachings that are "unknown" or secret. So, the occult is the seeking after knowledge of unknown information, knowledge that is gained beyond the five senses. Therefore, knowledge is received by some supernatural involvement or connection.
Anton LaVey of the First Church of Satan in San Francisco, California, says that
Satanism is a blatantly selfish, brutal religion. It is based on the belief that man is inherently a selfish, violent creature... that the earth will be ruled by those who fight to win.Satanism challenges the biblical teaching regarding man's relationship to others. We are to esteem others better than ourselves, and we are to be team players. In 1 Corinthians we read about being a part of the body of Christ, whereas, Satanism esteems the "self" over others.
Young satanists believe that the strong will rule with Satan. Once they are sufficiently involved, they often make a pact with Satan. They commit themselves to a future date when they will take their own lives by suicide. They believe that if they submit themselves to Satan in death, they will come back in another life as a stronger being and rule with him forever. According to recent statistics, fourteen young people a day take their own lives. A major concern for those who uphold a Judeo-Christian world view is that this generation is becoming detached and is losing all sense of morality. Many have lost their mooring. It is imperative for the church, as a corporate body, and we as individuals, to share the message that Jesus Christ is the only possible solution to our emotional and spiritual needs.
The Power that Entices
Power has become an obsession with young satanists. It is sought after on the physical, mental, and spiritual levels. According to one former occultist, the greatest lure into the occult is "power" and "knowledge." Not just corporate power but personal power. Gaining knowledge that others do not possess is another aspect of the occult. When an individuals have more knowledge it affords them a degree of power over those who do not have access to that knowledge.Likewise, Satanism offers its lure to the youth in our society. Drugs and sex have become the bait that so often ensnare the unsuspecting.
With the increase of satanic activity, a profile of those involved in Satanism has emerged. They are generally from a white, middle to upper-middle class family. In most cases they are bright and do well in school; however, they are often bored and are not challenged to meet their full potential. They tend to have a low self-worth and are unable to distinguish between right and wrong because of their relative ethical system. They often have problems in the home and in relating to other people around them. They use drugs and are sexually promiscuous. It is a rare occasion when these last two elements are not present in the mix.
Abuse, both physically and emotionally, is another aspect of this mix. Young satanists are often abused children who know no other way to relate to people. Some are a part of a multi- generational family involved in worshiping Satan as savior.
Anton LaVey, Satanist High Priest of the First Church of Satan in San Francisco gives us a glimpse of how Satan is seen in his book The Satanic Bible:
We hold Satan as a symbolic personal savior, who takes care of mundane, fleshly, carnal things.Satan has attempted to usurp the place of Christ in redeeming mankind. He has endeavored to establish himself as a god who is equal to or greater than Jehovah and in a sense render God ineffective. LaVey goes on to say that "God exists as a universal force, a balancing factor in nature, too impersonal to care one whit whether we live or die."
Therefore, the Judeo-Christian God is inaccessible and has no compassion. Thus, Satan becomes the solution to man's deepest needs.
Satanism leads one into bondage through mind control and fear, whereas Christianity allows the individual the freedom of choice. We have the opportunity to either accept God's free gift of life or reject Him and simply exist separate from God's love.
An Agent of Change
Music has always been at the center of the youth culture. The problem arises when the lyrics promote aberrant behavior. The Night Stalker, Richard Ramirez of Los Angeles, believed that Satan made him invincible. Police say the style of the brutal rapes and 16 murders Ramirez committed resembled the lyrics of the song "Night Prowler" on AC/DC's LP "Highway to Hell."Along with Ramirez' fascination with AC/DC, he used cocaine and PCP in conjunction with a deep interest in Satan worship. He believed that Satan would protect him and not allow harm to come to him. According to a People magazine article as long ago as September 1985,
Rock 'n roll is turning too often to sex, Satanism, drugs and violence for its major themes and corrupting the values and views of unwary young people.The lyrics of the last few years of the 1980s have continued on a downward slope. Rachel Matthews, an artist and repertoire representative for Capitol Records, recruits new groups for her company. Her comments regarding a newly signed band reveal what she, as one individual representing the music industry, is looking for in a band:
I was just going, 'Oh (expletive)! I've never heard anything like this!' I've heard plenty of metal and speed metal, but it was just so intense and out of control, just like this caged psychosis going on. I loved it, because you could actually understand the lyrics. And even if they're morbid and gruesome, it's really cool that you could understand what they're saying. It just makes it twice as evil. I like that." (Dallas Life Magazine, 1 July 1988)The demo that interested Ms. Matthews in the group contained songs like "Die in Pain" and "Foaming at the Mouth."
The music that causes the greatest concern is the various types of "metal" music. Metal has been classified into three types. First, is party metal, and it represents the most popular style of music. Groups like Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, and Def Leppard are representative of party metal. They tend to glorify sexuality and the party spirit.
The second type is "trash metal" represented by groups like Metallica, Anthrax, and Megadeth. The primary focus of "trash metal" is violence and death.
The third type is known as "black metal" and is overtly satanic. The lyrics encourage such activities as incest, necrophilia, rape, torture, and human sacrifice. Black metal is represented by groups like Venom and Slayer.
King Diamond is perhaps the most satanic of all "black metal" groups. He openly professes Satan and incorporates a large amount of satanic activity into his performances.
Music has always been an agent of change in our society. It tends to shape the moral attitudes of each generation. As Christians we should be especially concerned about the lyrics in the music of the youth culture. We cannot afford to allow another generation to become polluted with the immoral themes found in today's music. As parents it is imperative that we maintain open communication lines with our young people. Without open communication it becomes improbable that we can affect the listening habits of our children. Second, we cannot be hypocritical in our personal listening habits. Third, we need to become familiar with the type of music our children listen to and be willing to acknowledge the good and be prepared to positively criticize that which is not appropriate within our household.
Last, we as parents need to recognize that if our child is involved in rebellious music, we must attempt to understand what unmet need in his life is being met by his musical diet. Galatians 5:19-21 says that
The deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery . . . those who practice such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.Therefore, it is imperative for us as adults and youth to only listen to and think upon those lyrics that would honor God and His principles.
The Games of Destruction
Satan has used a number of tools over the centuries to ensnare the naive. The Ouija Board has proven to be particularly useful. According to the Dictionary of Mysticism the Ouija Board is "an instrument for communication with the spirits of the dead." The Ouija Board is an open door into the world of the occult and demonic activity. Disembodied spirits speak to the living through the medium of the Ouija Board. This information is believed to be truth from the other side and is not recognized for what it is: Lucifer's delusion to gain our allegiance.Jane Roberts, the author of The Seth Material, relates her story regarding the Ouija Board. She was about to write a book on ESP, and to stimulate her thoughts, she and her husband used a Ouija Board to gain perspective. After a few sessions they were able to receive messages from someone who later identified himself as Seth. The use of the Ouija Board and the gradual, but ever-growing, influence of Seth in Jane's life brought her to the point of possession. Her mind would enter a trance state and a deep male voice would begin to speak, indicating he had a message to get across to our world the wisdom that it was only now ready for. Over a period of ten years Seth produced through Jane over 5000 typewritten records of alleged higher esoteric truth. Then Seth tried to kill her. Though she had not previously believed in demons, this experience changed her mind.
Internationally-known observer of the occult, Kurt Koch, says that by the use of the Ouija Board revelations from the past and predictions about the future are made.
Edmond Gruss tells us in his book, Cults and the Occult in the Age of Aquarius, that there have been "many cases of 'possession' after a period of Ouija Board use." Supernatural contact is commonly made through use of the board and has become a primary tool of Satan in reaching young people.
The Rev. Donald Page of the Christian Spiritualist Church reports that most possession cases he has dealt with are people who have used the Ouija Board. Francoise Strachan's book, A Company of Devils, states that the Ouija Board is "one of the easiest and quickest ways to become possessed."
The greatest danger of the Ouija Board is that an individual begins to place his trust and future hope in the message the board brings. As a Christian our only source of revelation regarding future things is to be God's Word. We are to look to Jesus Christ and His teachings to properly understand our problems and seek a solution. Deuteronomy 18 tells us to beware of mediums and those who practice divination.
First Chronicles 10 tells the story of Saul who was unfaithful to the Lord and consulted a medium, seeking guidance and did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore, the Lord slew him and turned the Kingdom over to David.
Christians can offer several reasons as to why one should not be involved in the use of the Ouija Board. One is simply that the Bible condemns it as being involvement in the occult (Lev. 19:31, 20:6). Another relates to the tragic experiences of those who have been involved with this medium. And then there's the fact that the messages received are often false and misleading. They are often obscene and contrary to biblical teaching.
The following passages in Scripture give us, and those who would seek God's perspective, where to go for truth.
"And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have familiar spirits and into wizards . . . should not a people seek unto their God?" (Isaiah 8:19)
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, . . . and it shall be given him." (James 1:5)
The Great Delivery
God is able to deliver those who seek Him. Victory is ours. But first, we must receive God's power.We have been discussing the problems of satanic involvement. Whether we become deceived by use of the Ouija Board, music, divination or by Dungeons and Dragons, the end result is the same occult bondage.
Mark Bubeck's Moody Press book, The Adversary, gives us a sound basis for applying sound biblical doctrine in resisting the devil as he attempts to infiltrate our lives. Basic to all victory of the believer over Satan is the absolute truth of biblical doctrine. There is no substitute. The greatest key in warfare against Satan is when we recognize that God's truth is our only offense.
Bubeck refers to "doctrinal prayer" as an effective tool to use in spiritual warfare. The sixth chapter of Ephesians tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces. We cannot effectively engage Satan in warfare on the natural plane; we must enter the spiritual dimension to adequately challenge Satan and defeat him and his host. According to Bubeck, doctrinal prayer
...is the practice of praying or applying the objective, absolute truths of the Word of God as the hope and basis of resolving our prayer burden.Doctrinal prayer presupposes that we have a deep understanding of the Scriptures. Bible memorization is a must for this type of prayer.
Another aspect of our spiritual warfare is that of resistance. We are called to resist the devil. The term "resist" basically means to stand, to stand invincibly or successfully. We can stand firm and remain invincible because of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. Jesus was victorious over Satan at the cross. As God's people, we are victorious over Satan because of Jesus. We can successfully resist Satan as we stand in right relationship with Christ. Since we are in Christ, and He has all authority in heaven and earth, we are in the only place of victory.
Ephesians 6 speaks of our spiritual armor. With the exception of the sword, this armor is defensive in nature. We have the victory; it has been won we simply need to stand our ground. Satan has been defeated at the cross (Col. 2:8-15) and made powerless (Heb. 2:14-15). The believer needs to stand in his rightful position in Christ as victor; Jesus has already won the battle.
The Holy Spirit of God shows us the way to righteousness and restoration. Satan attempts to convince us that we are so bad that God wouldn't want anything to do with us. He seeks to convince us that there is no forgiveness for what we have done or that we have committed the unpardonable sin.
The Holy Spirit uses God's Word to give us hope and assurance of God's love and forgiveness, whereas Satan creates despair, doubt, resentment, and anger toward God, His Word, and His people. Satan intends for us to feel as though no one as bad as we are could ever really be saved.
Doctrine and right understanding is important to our spiritual welfare. It is the foundation upon which everything stands. Without it we are subject to every wind that blows, every false teaching that Satan would use to lure us.
As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who have trusted in His blood atonement, we have a vast number of tools to render the enemy ineffective. Power, position, authority, total victory over Satan's world belong to us. All that remains is for us to appropriate God's promises and recognize our position in Christ, focus our attention against the devil's work, and to rest in what our Lord has done for us.
Satanism is a growing concern in our culture. With this growth comes a great deal of confusion and a lack of understanding. The following information is designed to help you understand the problem by clearly defining the different aspects of the occult and giving you concise information that you can use.
Defining the Occult
- Cult
- A cult is a group of people polarized around an individual with a magnetic personality, who deviates from orthodox Christianity by distorting the central message of the Bible by additional revelation or by introducing their personal understanding of primary biblical doctrines such as the person of Jesus Christ, heaven, hell, salvation, atonement, the virgin birth, etc.
- Occult
- Secret or hidden knowledge. This knowledge is not discerned by the five senses and is therefore, supernaturally received through the practice of divination.
- Witchcraft
- The use of scripturally forbidden supernatural powers to manipulate people and events. Commonly known as the "craft of the wise" or "wicca," the worship of nature and feminine energies mother nature. Witchcraft is manifested in two opposing views: white magic, and black magic or witchcraft (see Deut. 18:10)
- White Magic
- The use of supernatural power to manipulate a person or an event to bring about good. The practice of divination is used to bring about "positive" results such as knowledge, healing, etc.
- Black Magic
- The use of supernatural power to manipulate a person or an event to bring about evil or destruction. Manipulation is achieved by use of rituals and the casting of spells.
- Satanism
- Unlike Witchcraft, Satanism is the worship of Satan, formerly known as Lucifer, and the practice of Black Magic. Satanism is a reaction against the Christian church and the Word of God in particular. Satanism promotes a do-what-you-want attitude and is ultimately the worship of oneself.
Categories of Involvement
Individuals involved in satanic activity fall into one of four categories:
- Multi-generational international organization
- National organizations
- Independent self-styled groups
- Individual dabblers
The larger concern is not in the number of young people involved in satanic activity but what they are capable of doing when they become absorbed in the worship of Satan.
Satanism centers around involvement in animal sacrifice, blood ritual, sex, the use of drugs and sometimes murder. According to "The Addiction Letter" (1/89),
Most Satanism revolves around a drug and alcohol dependent lifestyle which glorifies violence, hate, lying, stealing, and vandalism. The involved youngster craves a higher power to validate . . . chemical dependence and Satan fills the spiritual void.
The Mental Profile of the Dabbler
- Rebellion
- Boredom
- Low self-worth
Warning Signs of the Dabbler
The dabbler is likely to have difficulty relating to peers and in most cases, they have withdrawn from their family and religious heritage. They tend to become involved in a variety of the following:- A drop in grades
- Burglary
- Drug use
- Physical and sexual abuse
- Mind control
- Animal mutilation
- Increased hatred
- Murder
- Suicide
Characteristics that may indicate satanic involvement
- Avoiding family members
- A change in friends
- Becoming secretive about activities
- Loss of interest in extra-curricular activities
- Personality changes
- An unusual interest in books, movies, videos, etc. with an occult theme
- Use of drugs and alcohol
- Lack of attendance of worship with family
Individuals are recruited into satanic groups by any number or combination of the following:
- Free drugs or sex
- Companionship
- Power
- Money
- Pornography
- Personal choice
Satan's Goal
According to scripture (Matt. 4:9, 2 Cor. 4:4, Rev. 12:9), Satan's goal is to deceive man by blinding him to the truth of the gospel and to receive worship for himself (Isa. 14:12-14). On a more practical level Satan desires to alter an individual's values and turn them against themselves, their beliefs, family, God and society.The Church of Satan
Anton Szandor LaVey formed the Church of Satan in 1966. LaVey, the author of The Satanic Bible is perhaps the most common source of satanic ritual and understanding available to young people today. It can be found in most large secular bookstores. The Satanic Bible has sold more than 600,000 copies since it was first published by Avon Books in 1969.Secret things
Another common denominator in satanic groups is secrecy. Individuals keep a journal of activity, rituals, charms, or messages in a notebook, blank book and sometimes even a floppy disc. This information is often written in an alphabet that is not widely known. Alphabets commonly used by occultists are: the witches alphabet, the celtic alphabet used by the Druids, the Enochian alphabet, the Egyptian and others.Personal Initiation
Initiation plays a major role in group activity. Through initiation an individual is given a chance to declare total allegiance to Satan by participation. Often one will sever a portion of a finger or a toe to indicate their commitment to the unholy one.Other acts include being a participant in a ritual where mutilation of an animal or human is a part of the activity. These acts are usually video-taped to be used at a later time to keep the individual in line if need be. In some cases a criminal act is perpetrated where the initiate is involved in a key role. An unholy communion of sorts is taken during initiatory rituals where a cup or chalice (usually stolen from a church) is used containing a mixture of wine, blood (human or animal) and urine. Satanism is not for the faint-hearted.
Other methods of initiation include body markings. An inverted cross may be burned into one's forearm or chest, etc.
Body Markings
Commonly used markings include the following (it is important to note that body markings can be used for the preparation of a sacrifice, as well as initiation into a group):- Goathead
- Inverted cross
- Skull
- Pentagram
- Baphomet
- MENA (amen)
- Black rose
- Swastika
WHAT IS CHRISTIAN ROCK?
WHAT IS CHRISTIAN ROCK?
"One of my first experiences with Christian rock music came a few years ago when a Christian rock group, representing a small Christian college, came to town to present a 'contemporary sacred concert' in the local high school gymnasium.
"It was typical of the scores of similar groups that were springing up all over the country in colleges and church youth groups. The phenomenon of 'Christian' rock was then just getting a start. I had never heard one of these groups and thought it might be interesting, though I really didn't know what to expect.
"The concert was scheduled for 8:00. By 8:20, with no sign of the performers, the audience began to get a little restless and noisy.
"I noticed a young fellow of about 19 or 20 dressed in a white T-shirt and faded jeans, whom I supposed to be the janitor, still setting up chairs in the back. Then, suddenly, the 'janitor' took a running leap onto the stage and introduced himself as the leader of the group. He was joined by the other members who were all about his age, and dressed in the same faded jeans and T-shirts.
"The leader began his introductions, telling everyone how glad they were to be there and that the only reason for their coming was to glorify God.
"Then, suddenly, the concert began. The first chord exploded over the audience, ricocheting off the walls in an ear-splitting roar. We were off like a rocket hurling into space!
"The group had two levels: loud and louder. The audience clapped along, talked among themselves, and were obviously enjoying it. My ears hurt.
"What few words they were singing that could be heard over the loud accompaniment didn't seem to relate in any way to the music—or to anything godly. Although some lyrics mentioned God, they didn't go with the earthly, sensuous style of the musical delivery.
"I left the gymnasium that night with my ears ringing, my senses dulled, and depressed about the whole thing."—Lowell Hart, Satan's Music Exposed, 1980, pp. 19-22.
Hart then described the next "Christian concert" he heard that year:
"Later that same year, another contemporary group came to town. They called themselves The Hallelujah Sound, representing the Salvation Army. The only Salvation Army groups I had known played stirring arrangements of hymns. This one was different.
"They were an ensemble of six . . with two electric guitars, electric organ, drums, alto sax, and one trumpet. The audience was about equally divided between youth and adults.
"The spokesman for the group announced that the concert would be in two parts: the first, the more formal and traditional; the second, informal and contemporary. They said they 'just wanted to praise the Lord.'
"With that the concert began. As with the previous concert, it began with another loud explosion of sound—which traveled over the audience, bouncing off the walls . .
"Hearing a rock version of 'The Old Rugged Cross' is a shocking experience! It is, frankly, hideously secular.
"After the intermission came the 'informal part.' It was. During one song the trumpet player took off on a 'hot ride,' hips swinging back and forth as he played. What this had to do with the 'gospel song' he was supposedly playing, I didn't know.
"Before the evening was over, the entire audience was swinging and swaying to the glorious beat. If you have never watched a group of middle-aged people swaying back and forth in the pews and clapping their hands to the music, you've missed something.
"This was the Salvation Army? What would General Booth have thought?"—Ibid., pp. 22-23.
Here is another description of a rock concert:
"Audio Adrenaline, one of those I have seen advertised in Christian college student newspapers, hauls in huge speakers, band equipment, synthesizers, and smoke devices.
"When the show starts, everyone goes wild. While a singer (if that is the proper word) is screaming into the mike, other mikes are picking up the noise of the band. All of it is piped through the huge speakers. The mesmerized audience hears decibels so loud it damages their eardrums, and sound waves literally beat on their chest. All the while (especially if it is an outdoor event) four smoke machines, evenly spaced across the stage, are sending billowing clouds of white smoke into the air, where floodlights illuminate them."—Demon Possession and Music, by Dr. Juanita McElwain.
Juan Carlos Pardeiro, who has since found Christ as His Saviour and has totally abandoned his former life, recalls what it was like at the rock concerts he used to give, when he was the leading rock singer in his nation:
"In my youth I was a nationally famous rock star in Uruguay, my home country. God has brought me a long way. I especially remember a particular evening long ago:
"The air was warm and radiant; the screams could be heard several blocks away. Thousands of cars overflowed the parking lot of the huge stadium. Inside, the voices of the wild audience mingled with the screeching of electric guitars and the lead singer's intense yelling. Smoke rising through colors flashing from the strobe lights, along with the fans' frenzied dancing, helped create a bewitching atmosphere. Every movement the rock stars made was watched by thousands of intently adoring eyes. As the sounds burst from the stage, a wave of screaming and uncontrolled crying flooded back.
"From the outside, the scene in the stadium resembled a cage of demons. Inside, the sensual atmosphere made everyone lose command of self-respect and sanity.
"Everyone was caught up in a single torrent of emotions, as if guided by invisible hands toward an abyss of endless ecstasy.
"Everyone, that is, except the lead singer. He was there watching it all, unable to understand it. I was that lead singer. I was a major cause of the madness."
In the 1960s, Louis Torres, now an evangelism instructor, was the bass player in Bill Haley and His Comets. Looking back on those days before he was converted, Torres says this:
"I recalled the effects of the music I once helped produce in nightclubs. I remembered seeing sensuality, uncontrolled emotions, rebellion, violence, and what I would now call devil possession. I heard people on drugs blurt out 'Wow!' as they experienced highs stimulated by our music. I also saw extreme lethargy. I confess with shame that our ability to produce these different reactions and sensual responses to our music filled us with glee. Yes, we knew we were manipulating people's minds."
A crucial decision was made early in 1980. Several of the major, secular recording companies announced the signing of Christian singers, to introduce "gospel music" into the mainstream of the nation's churches.
The final step in the secularization of contemporary Christian music had begun, as records, tapes, radio stations, and local concerts blared this "new Christian sound" to the public.
The effect was not the changing of worldlings into Christians, but Christians into worldlings. Why did the secular music industry do this? The reason was the money they would haul in! In an article about the Christian recording industry, a major trade journal explained the reason:
"Gospel music is a flourishing multibillion dollar enterprise. Prominent artists can realize more than 756,000 unit sales for a given album."—The Music Scene magazine, January-February 1980 issue.
The situation continues on down to the present day. The secular music companies want to continually increase their profits. If they destroy genuine Christianity in the process, who cares? —They surely don't.
In 1979, Paul Baker in his book, Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music? wrote this:
"In 1964 there was no rock equivalent in the gospel realm . . By 1979, every secular form of music, short of punk rock, had its counterpart in Christian music. Both contemporary gospel and Jesus music had added extensively to the variety of Christian music available."
In the above statement, he said that every secular musical form is now being played in Christian churches and in Christian concerts.
At last, the world in all its worst sordid musical forms has permeated Christianity. Surely, we are nearing the end of time.
Contemporary Christian Music magazine has this definition of Christian rock music:
"A screaming, syncopated style of music used to glorify Jesus and edify the young ones."—Contemporary Christian Music, November 1982, p. 71.
In the November 1982 issue of Contemporary Christian Music, one of the feature articles was entitled, "Rock Artists Look at Gospel Music." Here are several quotations from it:
William King (of the Commodores) is quoted as saying:
"Contemporary Christian music is what we call a pop sound, yet with gospel lyrics. But any song that people would normally dance to—because of the beat—is now coming into the churches . . Everyone is not comfortable with God, but contemporary music is a way of making them comfortable."—Ibid.
Any "gospel" which makes sinners "comfortable" is not the genuine Gospel of the Bible!
Alan O'Day (singer/musician and composer) wrote this:
"To me, Contemporary Christian music is the station that I tune in on the radio, thinking that I'm hearing secular music because it sounds so hip—until I catch the words and realize the lyric has a slightly different intent. I'm happy to see that Christian music is moving into the 20th century, and that in some cases, the distinction between Christian and secular music is being blurred."—Ibid.
Laurence Juber (former lead guitarist for Paul McCartney):
"Christianity is a point of view that's been around for a couple thousand years, and over the last few years it's been quite good at adopting contemporary styles of music. I'm not terribly religiously motivated, but I'm sure that contemporary Christian music is going to become more commercial because the better the music is, the better it is going to get sold."—Ibid.
Richard Harrington, writing in the Washington Post, says that the religious record industry recognizes the terrific sales potential in pushing more "positive pop" into the churches. He says it is capitalizing on its opportunity to make big sales by fusing current popular musical styles with religious words.
Harrington mentions a statement by John Styll, editor of Contemporary Christian Music magazine, which says that "the record companies realize they are dealing with a commercial product and they have to consider the entertainment factor of the record in order to increase sales."
The rock music industry recognizes that "entertainment" is the key to penetrating the churches. And in doing that, it is changing church congregations into church audiences.
In his book, Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music? on page xv, Paul Baker says "Jesus music has emanated from people for whom rock music has been a natural language."
Elsewhere in his book, Baker explains that "Christian rock" entered the churches—not through Christian musicians who sought to glorify the Lord—but by unsaved, secular rock performers who capitalized on religious themes.
What is today hailed by church administrators, pastors, and youth leaders as a great victory—something that will energize the youth of the churches and bring in young people from the streets,—is actually a device of the devil to destroy everyone in the churches!
Rock music, by its very history and what it does in the lives of those who tamper with it, is unholy. To attempt to use it "to glorify God" is blasphemy.
Rock music began as a rebellious sexual style of music. It remains that today. It is offensive to God and to genuine Christians who love Him and seek to obey His Word, the Bible.
From its inception, rock music has been associated with sex, perverted sex, drugs, rebellion, and immorality of every kind. It is associated with nightclubs, disco halls, dance halls, and barrooms. Any music which is at home in such places cannot be used to the glory of God.
Trying to unite a holy message with the unholy music of the world is an abomination in the eyes of God.
Inside Rock Music
UNVEILING A MASTER PLAN
The Whispers on the Jet Stream: Unveiling a Sonic Conspiracy
Recovered Transcript – Declassified 2025
FILE #A1985-347 – SOURCE: UNIDENTIFIED EVANGELIST
"This account is transcribed from the handwritten notes of a youth evangelist following an unexpected encounter aboard Flight 227, en route to a revival crusade. These notes were never published, buried under fear and doubt—until now."
March 1985 – Somewhere Over the Atlantic
The engine’s hum was a constant drone, a rhythmic pulse against the silent tension in the cabin. The evangelist, weary from months of travel, loosened his tie and exhaled. Just another flight. Just another soul to save.
He turned to the man beside him—a polished figure in a crisp suit, his fingers adorned with rings that glinted under the cabin lights. A casual greeting turned into small talk, then a conversation that would haunt the evangelist for the rest of his days.
“What’s next for the music industry?” the evangelist had asked.
The man—later identified as the manager of one of the world’s most influential rock bands—smirked. He leaned in slightly, as if revealing an inside joke too dark to share in full daylight.
“They think it’s just music,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “But it’s a carefully crafted spell.”
Phase One: The Seduction (1955-1965)
The manager’s voice was calm, his words precise, like someone who had rehearsed this confession before.
“Everything starts with desire,” he said. “You soften the target first. Make them feel something primal.”
He spoke of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and the birth of rock and roll—not as mere entertainment, but as an engineered cultural shift. A calculated dismantling of innocence. The rhythm, the movements, the pulse—it wasn’t just rebellion. It was an invitation.
“Get them hooked on the feeling, and they’ll never ask where the road leads.”
The evangelist’s hand trembled as he jotted down notes.
Phase Two: The Rebellion (1965-1970)
A shift. A new weapon.
“They needed to break more than just morals,” the manager continued, eyes gleaming. “They had to break the mind.”
Psychedelic rock. Eastern mysticism. The Beatles retreating to gurus. The explosion of anti-establishment anthems.
“They started searching for something deeper. We made sure they found it.”
Cults. Rituals. Subconscious triggers.
“We gave them the soundtrack to their awakening.”
The evangelist’s heart pounded.
Phase Three: The Addiction (1970-1980s)
Then came the beat.
Raw. Loud. Overpowering. A sound so intoxicating that it bypassed reason entirely.
“Music isn’t about melody anymore,” the manager had said, voice dripping with satisfaction. “It’s about submission.”
The evangelist’s grip on his pen tightened.
Phase Four: The Trojan Horse (1980s Onward)
And finally—the great deception.
The church doors were opening. The pulpit was becoming a stage. The lyrics changed, but the rhythm remained.
“We learned the final trick,” the manager admitted. “What’s the one thing people won’t question? Their faith.”
A pause. A wicked grin.
“Blend the two together, and they’ll never see it coming.”
The Evangelist’s Final Words
The transcript ends abruptly. The last words scribbled in a frantic scrawl:
"I see it now. The whispers in the sound. A war fought in the unseen. If you find this… stay awake."
Postscript:
The evangelist vanished from public life shortly after this flight. Some say he abandoned his mission, others claim he was silenced. His notes, found decades later in an unmarked box, remain a chilling testament to a question that still lingers:
Was it all just a coincidence? Or had he truly uncovered something never meant to be known?
Inside Rock Music
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