Download File - FWC Apologetic Ministries

Session 4 - Practices in the Occult
In this session we will be looking at the most
popular practice associated with the occult:
the practice of astrology.
We will look at statistics on astrology, why
people do it, what the scientific case is
for and against it, and what the Bible
says abut the topic.
Don’t Confuse Terms
Astrology: the study of the movements and
positions of the sun, moon, planets, and
stars, and the skill of describing the expected
effect that some people believe these have
on the character and lives of people.
Astronomy: the scientific study of the
universe and of objects that exist naturally in
space, such as the moon, sun, planets, and
stars.
In the early history of humanity, astrology
and astronomy were closely related.
The latter dealt with
the movements of
heavenly bodies, while
the former attempted
to interpret the
possible effects that
these might have upon
earth's inhabitants.
Statistics on Astrology
Of all the practices
associated with the
occult, astrology is by
far the most popular
(among both
Americans and people
around the world).
There are approximately 7,000 astrologers
in America today.
33% of Americans (and a large portion of the
peoples of other countries) believe in
Astrology today.
One in three
people believe
in astrology.
That works out to be somewhere
around 100,000,000 people who
believe in astrology.
Astrology has influenced history (even in our
culture) in many different ways.
The names of the days are based on it:
Monday – Moon day
Tuesday – Mar’s day (day of Tiw, the Norse “Tyr”
Martian god of war)
Wednesday – Mercury’s day (Woden’s day – Norse
Odin)
Thursday – Jupiter’s day (Thors day)
Friday – Venus’ day (Frigg’s day, wife of Odin)
Saturday – Saturn’s day
Sunday – Sun Day
Why astrology?
People give several reasons for being
involved with astrology.
People seek help from astrologers because
of emotional pain or turmoil in their lives.
People seek help from astrologers because
they give commonsense advice, and
encouragement that things can go better for
them in the future.
People seek help from astrologers because
they do not offer moral advice.
People go to astrologers because they are
seeking meaning for their life and the things
that happen to them.
People use astrology because it’s becoming
more socially acceptable and is interesting.
Astrology claims to give people control
over their future.
Where did it all begin?
We don’t know how
much happened before
the flood, but what we
do know is where it
started after the flood.
After the flood God tells
Noah and his family to
spread around the
world.
Instead, man decides
to stay in one area,
and they build the
tower of Babel.
Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves
a city, with a tower that reaches to the
heavens, so that we may make a name for
ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered
over the face of the whole earth.”
(Genesis 11:4)
Understand the tower of Babel had nothing
to do with literally reaching heaven
(high into the sky).
This is where worshipping of the heavens
and focusing on the heavens and
connecting with (reaching) the heavens first
originates in history.
Astrology has been around for a very,
very long time.
About 4,000 years ago, Babylonian
astrologers drew up horoscopes indicating
what might be expected to happen in each
month. The superstitious Babylonians also
devised the Zodiac, a division of the celestial
sphere into twelve equal parts known
as signs or houses.
The stars and planets were believed to be the
signs of the most powerful gods, and, in
some cases, were actually gods themselves.
By the late fourth century B.C.,
Mesopotamian astrology had spread to
Greece, and about a century later was
adopted widely by the Egyptians.
When Greek culture was absorbed by the
Romans, astrology assumed the form of a
religion, and its practitioners began to
design individual horoscopes.
Different types of astrology exist; you can’t
narrow it down to one form.
When we talk about
ancient astrology, we
are talking about the
belief that the stars
and planets were gods,
and because they were
gods, they had
influence on those
here on planet earth.
This was the belief of the Babylonians (and
many others historically), and is still the
belief of some occultic groups today
(although this idea is less popular today).
One of the more popular views is what’s
called material astrology.
This is the belief that there are “influences”
or “emanations” from actual planets in our
solar system.
Another category, called humanistic
astrology, believes the entire thing is
symbolic (symbolic astrology).
The planets are believed to be symbols for
different energies that exist and influence
humans here on earth.
It’s interesting that different views within the
realm of astrology disagree and contradict
each other, but we usually don’t hear about
these different views.
How does it “work”?
The twelve Zodiac signs work as a means to
predict the future. One's birth date falls into
a Zodiac sign, and this is used in determining
predictive events in relation to the astral
body positions.
The twelve signs are Aries, Taurus, Gemini,
Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio,
Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.
The idea is to map the sky at the point you
were born, and that way know where the
earth was in the solar system, and where the
planets were.
Not only do you have the 12 signs, you also
have houses associated with them, and
the houses are where the planets move
around (and supposedly effect your
life and destiny).
Does it actually work?
General arguments given in support (and as
evidence) of astrology working:
1. Astrology is true because it is widely
accepted and found in many cultures
2. Many great scholars have believed (in the
past) and do believe (today) that astrology
works and has merit to it
3. Astrology is true because it has great
antiquity and durability. If it weren’t true, it
wouldn’t have lasted this long
4. The planets are already known
scientifically to influence planet Earth and
those who live on it (like with tides)
5. Astrology is true because it’s based on
observation and has been proven by
scientific research (and statistics), AKA, it’s
true because it works
Scientific research proves astrology?
A few studies have been presented as
proof that astrology works.
The Mayo - White - Eysenck Study
This study set out to determine if astrology
could predict who would be introverts and
who would be extroverts in a large group of
people surveyed based on their chart.
They had results they
claimed couldn’t be
accounted for by
chance alone.
Did they prove astrology?
Five additional studies were performed in the
same area, three of these studies did not
support the M-W-E findings, and two did.
So did they prove it or not?
Eysenck himself in later research (confirmed
by other researchers) concluded that “the
entire astrological effect [of the original
study] was due to the subjects’ expectation
and familiarity with the characteristics
associated with their Zodiac signs.”
They said the minimal predictions that were
made could be explained by other factors,
and did not necessarily support astrology
and the zodiac having any effect.
The Guardian-Smithers study
This study used census records to test 2.3
million people, comparing their occupations
with their sun-signs.
The results were reported in The Guardian.
Although a mild correlation was noted,
Smithers himself remained unconvinced. He
decided that most of the data “can be
explained in other ways”.
Later on, a reevaluation of Smithers’
research claimed design flaws in the study.
Nelson Radio Research
He allegedly demonstrated
that certain planetary
configurations were
responsible for improved
shortwave radio
transmission or the
lack thereof.
His study was heralded as evidence of a
physical influence exerted by the planets.
Another study examined 25 years of Nelson’s
daily forecasts, and failed to find any
evidence of a correlation between planetary
positions and radio broadcast quality.
Even if they were true, this does nothing to
prove that the positions of the planets at
your birth influence your future.
Gauquelin’s studies
Michael Gauquelin has done more research
on this topic than probably anyone else,
and is cited more in support of astrology
than anyone else.
Most people don’t know that Gauquelin has
also fully discredited traditional astrology
more than anyone else. It would be
equivalent to citing Karl Marx in support of
capitalism.
He did his “Mars effect” research to see if
the birth dates of 2,088 sport champions
were “statistically significant” to astrology.
They reported that a statistically significant
number of sports champions were born
when Mars was situated between the
eastern horizon and the celestial meridian (a
correlation of 21.65% of those athletes). It
was expected to only have a correlation of
17.17% (so it was 4% higher than expected).
If you ask me, that doesn’t seem like a
very convincing correlation.
People fail to mention, however, the other
studies he did that disprove astrology.
He did a study with 15,560 subjects to test
the alleged influence of the Zodiac in
relation to professional success, and he said
the results were “entirely negative”.
At this point people said he should have
tested personality, not personal success.
Gauquelin obliged the astrologers and
tested their claims in another study.
52,188 personality traits were systematically
collected from 2,000 subjects, and after
examining the results, he said that
astrological predictions have received
“a fatal blow”.
Gauquelin admits that he has personally
tested astrologers over the years.
“Over the years, I have tested astrologers,
generally at their own request. The basic
model is to present them with 20
horoscopes, 10 belonging to people who
have some striking characteristic in
common, the other 10 to people with the
opposite characteristic….
“The astrologer has to match the horoscopes
with the characteristics in question as
correctly as possible . . . I have to admit that
astrologers regularly fail these tests and are
sometimes so disillusioned that they accuse
me of rigging the cases.”
He is recorded saying that “zodiacal
influences still continue to be not
vindicated”.
These were just the studies that are to
support it!
What does the Bible say?
Some try to draw parallels between astrology
and the Bible (saying it supports it).
Some have asserted that the twelvefold
blessing pronounced by Jacob on his
sons (Genesis 49:1-18) had some
astrological significance.
The problem? There is absolutely no
mention of or connect to astrology.
Other areas where the number twelve is
significant in the Bible are used to draw
this (non existent) parallel.
Twelve tribes of
Israel and the
twelve disciples are
other examples that
people will use to
draw parallels
(basically anything
with a twelve).
The Bible talks about astrology quite a bit,
and it’s never in friendly terms.
The Israelites were forbidden to worship stars
( Deuteronomy 9:14 )
Amos condemned the northern kingdom's
worship of Saturn ( 5:26 )
Jeremiah also referred to the pagan
veneration of Ishtar or Venus ( 7:18 ; 44:1719 ), as well as celestial bodies generally
( 8:2 ;19:13 ) in a negative way
Daniel seems to have been familiar with
astrologers ( 2:27 ; 4:7 ) and with their
inability to interpret the king's dreams.
Daniel repudiated their
supposed abilities by
declaring that only God
can be regarded as the
true source of
revelations concerning
the future (5:14-16 ).
“And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to
heaven, and when you see the sun, the
moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven,
you feel driven to worship them and serve
them, which the Lord your God has given to
all the peoples under the whole heaven as a
heritage.” (Deuteronomy 4:19-20)
Jeremiah 10:2 “Do not learn the way of
the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the
signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are
dismayed at them.”
Now, the Bible is not saying not to pay
attention to weather patterns.
That was one of their purposes.
“Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the
firmament of the heavens to divide the day
from the night; and let them be for signs
and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and
let them be for lights in the firmament of
the heavens to give light on the earth’; and
it was so. (Genesis 1:14-15)
Astrologers Can’t Save You
“You are wearied in the multitude of your
counsels; Let now the astrologers, the
stargazers, And the monthly prognosticators
Stand up and save you From what shall come
upon you. Behold, they shall be as stubble,
The fire shall burn them; They shall not
deliver themselves From the power of the
flame; It shall not be a coal to be warmed by,
Nor a fire to sit before!...
“Thus shall they be to you With whom you
have labored, Your merchants from your
youth; They shall wander each one to his
quarter. No one shall save you.”
(Isaiah 47:13-15)
Can you predict the future by the heavens?
Well in a way, but not the future of people.
The Bible never speaks of astrology in a
positive way, and condemns it over and over.
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 10:2 “Do not learn the way of
the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the
signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are
dismayed at them.”