W W W. H I G H E RT H I N G S . O R G
/ SUMMER / 2003
from
the
editor-in-chief Who you gonna call? As a pastor
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, I am sometimes involved with teenagers and their families who are going through “difficult times.” This may be everything from trouble at school, grades, relationship problems, running away from home, even drugs and alcohol or worse. Humanly speaking, some of the solutions are simple, while others are incredibly painful. Sometimes it seems like there is no solution at all. It just keeps getting worse. These can be terribly hard times for both the teenager and their parents. Frustration can lead to resentment which leads to anger and hatred. How does one get out of these messes of life? This, of course, isn’t just true for young people. We adults sometimes like to box the problems and challenges of youth into a separate category that require special answers. But when we do so, oftentimes what is lost is the basic reality of sin and forgiveness. Sin is what causes all of the problems in life, whether you’re thirteen, thirty-three or ninety-three. It destroys relationships, breaks down communication, and causes anger and hatred to well up toward the people we love the most. It should never surprise us that life stinks, or that terrible things happen. That’s what sin does. But what Christ does is forgive sins and bring life and salvation to us. That is always His work. He longs to see you come into His presence, cast your cares upon Him, raise you from the dead, and bring you up out of the depths to continue in your life. There is no problem too great that He can’t solve. Now that doesn’t mean that the problems will go away. Some problems are only solved in eternity. But they will be brought to an end. That is what Christ does for you. When I work with the members of my parish, no matter what their age, I share with them this message of sin and forgiveness, Law and Gospel. If you are faced with messes you can’t fix and problems you can’t solve, talk to your pastor. If he is anything like this pastor, he wants to give you Jesus. And that is who you need the most. Yours in Christ, Pr.Todd Peperkorn Editor-in-Chief Higher Things: Dare to Be Lutheran
FEATURES 4
The World of Cults and the Occult
T A B L E
O F
CONTENTS
By Rev. Larry Nichols
What are the marks of a cult? What are different types of occult practices? Rev. Larry Nichols defines the basics, while focusing on God’s Word for direction.
7 What I Thought I Knew By Rev. Dr. Kent Heimbigner
An ex-Mormon describes the lure of the cults and the saving grace of Jesus Christ for those who stray.
12 Role-Playing in the Heavenlies: How Giving Up Dungeons and Dragons Turned Me into a Nerd By Rev. Daniel Woodring
Are demons lurking behind role-playing games? Rev. Daniel Woodring reflects on spiritual warfare and the victory of the conquering Christ.
14 God Armeth the Patriot By Kathryn Ann Hill
Does God give special blessings to war heroes? A Scottish hero’s story helps us ponder faith and patriotism.
17 Choosing a College: What Are Your Priorities? By Joanna Veith
Which college to attend can be a life-changing decision. Instead of relying on glossy flyers from the admissions office, search for a great congregation where your faith can be nourished during college years.
18 War Is Hell By Rev. Scott E. Stiegemeyer
The common phrase “war is hell” describes the horror of the battlefield. But is war as bad as hell gets?
20 Living in Christ on Campus By Prof. John T. Pless
College years are not a time to put your Christian life in storage but instead can be time for growth in the knowledge of Christ Jesus.
22 Never a Dull Moment By Rick Baue
What is college life really like? Rick Baue does undercover work to find the skinny on what college students do in their free time.
24 Anchors Aweigh! By Rev. Marcus Zill
Sailing on uncharted waters to college this fall? Prepare for the journey with some advice from a campus pastor.
COLUMNS 11 News and Notes 26 PULSE: TV Shows By Rev. Eric R. Andrae
29 Ex Cathedra: From Advice to Absurdity 30 The Catechism: The Person of the Devil By Rev. David Petersen
HigherThings Volume 3/Number 2 Summer 2003 Editor-in-Chief REV. TODD PEPERKORN Assistant Editor JULIE STIEGEMEYER
Editorial Associates REV. TIM PAULS REV. DAVID PETERSEN REV. SCOTT STIEGEMEYER DR. GENE EDWARD VEITH Art Director STEVE BLAKEY
Business Manager LYNN FREDERICKSEN
Bible Studies Editor REV. ERIK ROTTMANN Subscriptions Manager CYNTHIA HALL
Marketing and Grants Director PAM KNEPPER
HIGHER THINGS, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS President REV. KLEMET
PREUS
Vice President REV. MARCUS
ZILL
Executive Director REV. DANIEL WOODRING
Secretary SANDRA
OSTAPOWICH
Treasurer LYNN FREDERICKSEN
REV. BRUCE KESEMAN SANDRA OSTAPOWICH REV. TODD PEPERKORN REV. KLEMET PREUS JEFF SCHWARZ DR. GENE EDWARD VEITH MOLLIE ZIEGLER REV. MARCUS ZILL Higher Things Magazine ISSN 1539-8455 is published quarterly by Higher Things Inc., 2026 22nd Ave., Kenosha, WI 53140. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the editor-in-chief of Higher Things Magazine. Copyright 2003. Printed in the United States. Postage paid at Fort Wayne, Indiana. For subscription information, write to: Higher Things Magazine, P.O. Box 8098, Fort Wayne IN 46898 or e-mail to Subscriptions@higherthings.org. For general information about Higher Things, Inc., please e-mail info@higherthings.org.
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Cults and Scene 1. “Pastor, my friend Joe is into Wicca. I tried telling him about Jesus. He tells me that Jesus was just a man. He says that Jesus is fine for me, but that he has his own religion.” “Oh,” I replied.“What else did your friend say?” “He said that there is no such thing as sin. God is really a goddess! We Wiccans celebrate the life of the planet and believe in the power of magic and the power of ‘whatever.’”
Scene 2. A message on an answering machine one morning:“Hi Pastor. I won’t be coming to church anymore. I am no longer a Lutheran. I’m a true believer now. I’ve joined Campus Advance.”
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Scene 3. “Pastor, could you help my son Steven? He is in a Dungeons and Dragons cult. He got arrested while role-playing a shoplifter. He wants to get out of it, but his friends threatened to kill him.What can we do?”
the Occult By Rev. Larry Nichols
Welcome to the world of the cults and the occult.These three scenarios among many more were the beginnings of actual encounters I have had with people over the years. Many young people reading this no doubt have friends who have gotten interested and involved in some cult or occult group. Cults Cults are groups that exercise dominance and control over the mind. Many times they have a leader who claims to communicate directly with God.They are not accountable.You cannot ask questions. The fastest growing cult on college campuses today is Campus Advance. It was originally called the Boston Church of Christ. It then became known as the International Church of Christ. Members are assigned a “discipler” who checks up on them every day, making sure they are praying, planning to come to church etc. When the new member confesses a lapse to the discipler, this information could be used against them later for further discipline or control. The Occult The word occult, on the other hand, means “things hidden.”This involves the practice of magic. And under the subject of magic comes Satanism and witchcraft. Satanism Satanism is quite different from witchcraft, at least in modern times. 700 years ago, during the middle Ages, some people were accused of being witches by church officials who believed that witches practiced the same craft as Satanists. In today’s world, however, witches are quite different from Satanists.Yet it is important to point out at the same time that all false teaching is inspired by Satan. Jesus said that the devil is a liar and the “father of all lies” (John 8:44). And his biggest lie is his success in convincing many people
today that he does not even exist. There are at least five different types of Satanism.They are called 1.Traditional Satanism; 2.Non-traditional Satanism; 3. Public Satanism; 4.Youth-gang Satanism; and 5.Individual Satanism.Each of these are defined in the accompanying glossary. Most young people who say that they are “into Satanism,” are usually into the fourth type, or “Youth-gang Satanism.”They grow interested in the symbols and words of satanic bands. They really do not understand real Satanism. Power and rebellion are the important themes, and they usually wear black clothes, experiment with drugs and engage in sexual activity. Wicca, Paganism, and Witchcraft Still other young people are involved in Wicca, paganism, and Witchcraft.While Satanism is about being into some form of devil worship,Witches and neo pagans worship “mother-earth.”The life-cycle of the planet is celebrated. The year is divided into “sabbats,” and witches covens gather to celebrate the life and death of the earth with various ritual ceremonies. Power is the key interest in magic and the occult. For witchcraft, the power sought is the ritual magic to control and manipulate the environment.The great contradiction here is that witches and neo-pagans end up worshipping what they are trying to control. Paul writes that the great sin of the human race is worshipping the creation rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). For Satanists, it is the power of the devil that is sought. But Jesus Christ has it
all over on the devil. Jesus said,“All power is given unto me…”(Matthew 28:18) and St. Paul wrote that the Gospel is “the great power”of God (Romans 1:18). In the Bible, demons “tremble”at the very sound of Jesus’ name (James 2:19). Jesus Christ was crucified and raised from the dead.This is a love and a power far greater than that of the false teachings of cults, the evil of Satan and the idolatry of witchcraft. How to Help Interest in the occult is on the rise. How can you help when someone you know is dabbling in a cult or the occult? First, one must earnestly pray for them. Second, learn more about what the Bible has to say about the occult. Show genuine love and concern, and do not be afraid to spend time with and challenge them in the Word. Parents should realize that the less involved they are in the lives of their teens, the more likely they are to “dabble” in the occult. Above all, remember that the powers of darkness were utterly defeated at the cross. Martin Luther understood this when he wrote the third verse of A Mighty Fortress Is Our God: Though devils all the world should fill, all eager to devour us, We tremble not, we fear no ill, they shall not overpow’r us. This world’s prince may still, scowl fierce as he will, He can harm us none, He’s judged; the deed is done; One little word can fell him.
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dmitting that I was into Dungeons and Dragons as a teenager will undoubtedly make obvious the nerdy tendencies of my youth. Still, I must admit it. It was fun, and I had a fascination with dwarfs, elves, and warriors since I’d read The Lord of the Rings. We knew that it was make-believe, and it seemed quite harmless. It was just a game. When my friend Erik told me that D & D was satanic, I could hardly believe it.But after hearing stories about players who became murderers and Satan worshippers, I was convinced. Suddenly, being a nerd was the least of my worries; I could go to hell! Erik had gotten rid of his D & D books a couple of years earlier, and convinced me to do the same. But simply tossing my Advanced D & D Dungeon Master Guide and other materials into the trash couldn’t possibly counteract the evil they contained. Into the burning fire they went, and I was surprised not to hear blood-curdling screams as my D & D stuff burned to ash. Thus ended my days as an elvish warrior. However, I found myself a “warrior” of another sort that was just as exciting. No longer was I wandering through make-believe caves and castles looking for treasure and orcs. Rather, I entered into a “spiritual” world where demonic forces were lurking behind every corner and controlling cities, territories and even buildings. No longer armed with swords and wizardry, I could combat these forces by prayer, claiming authority over them, and rebuking them “in the name of Jesus.” Encouraged by the novels of Frank Peretti, I stepped upon the battlefield of spiritual warfare, where modern-day believers like me could help the good angels fight against demons. Twenty years later,“spiritual warfare” is still the rage among many “evangelical” Christians, a system of belief about good and evil in which God struggles in a cosmic battle against Satan and enlists our help to defeat him. Don’t misunderstand me: I am not denying the existence of the devil or the power of evil in our world. However, Scripture never talks about Christians going to war against the armies of hell. Even in Ephesians 6:13-17, the prominent “spiritual warfare” passage, the armor of God is not given to us so that we can fight, but to enable us to “stand.” In this passage, St. Paul is using the language of Isaiah about Christ:“He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head” (Isaiah 59:17), and “truth will be the sash around His waist” (Isaiah 11:5). The armor of God is God’s armor, worn by Christ.We also wear it, but only because we, through Baptism, are in Christ Who wears it. Being far from a manual for “spiritual warfare,” Ephesians 6 simply teaches that because we are baptized into Christ, we have His protection from the devil because we are clothed in Christ’s truth, righteousness, salvation, faith, and Word which enable us to stand. In The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis writes,“There are two equal
and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve their existence.The other is to believe and feel and excessive and unhealthy interest in them.They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist and a magician with the same delight.” Ironically, I became more interested and focused on the devil and demonic forces after giving up D & D. In the same way, many Christians give the devil undue credit and attention when they see satanic conspiracies behind Halloween, Harry Potter, D & D, the card game Magic: the Gathering, the television series Sabrina, the Teenaged Witch, and even The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Certainly, Holy Scripture admonishes God’s people to avoid witchcraft and satanic arts, just as it also forbids murder, greed, and selfishness. Does this mean playing monopoly is sinful because the object is to drive your opponent to bankruptcy while you take possession of his property? Would we really suggest that reading Snow White and the Seven Dwarves or The Wizard of Oz to children is seducing them into the occult because some of the characters are witches? As Christians who live in the world, we are surrounded by books, movies, games television shows, and music shaped by a way of thinking that runs counter to what the Word of God teaches. Watching a movie characterized by vengeance and killing is one thing, but it is sinful when, in real life, you fail to love your enemy and do good to those who persecute you. In the same way, reading stories or playing games in which sorcery plays a part is not necessarily evil unless you engage in blasphemy and witchcraft in real life. Many Christians fail to make a distinction between things which are part of the occult in the real world, and things that are harmless and innocent because they are make-believe. Often, as it was in my experience, this leads to even more dangerous errors.The first is to believe that there is a cosmic struggle between God and the forces of hell. In reality,“even the devil is God’s devil” (Luther), and is powerless to counter God and His will.The second error is to believe that evil is the result of these battles in the spiritual realm, rather than the hereditary sin which infects all children of Adam, and results in mankind’s rebellion against God. It turns out, that my journey from fighting dragons in makebelieve dungeons to spiritual warfare was a step in the wrong direction—a step away from Christ and the all-availing victory He has already won. I substituted one fantasy that I knew was makebelieve, for that I was totally convinced was real. If that isn’t being a nerd, I don’t know what is. Rev. Daniel Woodring is the executive director of Higher Things.
The armor of God is God’s armor, worn by Christ. We also wear it, but only because we, through Baptism, are in Christ Who wears it.
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Frans Floris, The Fall of the Rebellious Angels (detail), 1554, Oil on panel, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp
By Rev. Daniel Woodring