Essay – Magic Should Be Experienced By Everyone

I believe that knowledge is power. So when I am free to pick a topic for a school project, I always try to pick a topic in magic. I learn about my craft and perform a school assignment at the same time – now that’s multitasking! Below is an essay I wrote that is for those who might believe that the magic I perform or other magicians perform is dark or against the Bible. Likewise, this essay is for magicians who wish to defend their art. Sorry for the weird formatting. WordPress didn’t like my formatting too well.  Enjoy!
Magic should be experienced by everyone.

With years of practice under his belt, the magician is ready to break into

the profession. His first paid show is in a field for a benefit fair held by a local charity. In

this booking, the magician will perform walk around magic to entertain the attendants.

After entertaining a dozen people, the magician sees a couple that looks like they are

enjoying themselves because of their chuckling. The magician remembers a piece of

advice from professional magicians, “approach people who appear to enjoy themselves.”

The magician walks up to the couple, introduces himself, and asks if they would like to

see some magic. The wife says firmly, “We will not see magic because our faith.” The

husband adds, “I hope the Lord lets you know you are misled.” The couple turns on their

heels and trots off across the field to another booth. The magician, after all his effort to

brighten that couple’s day, moves on to entertain other people. He feels sorry for people

who do not support the art of magic. He believes they miss out on great experiences.

A person might believe that performing magic for audiences revolts

against the Bible and gets advocated by Satan. This viewpoint is perfectly acceptable.

The United States permits a person to display his beliefs. However, if one studied the art

closely, he would discover that performing magic for audiences does not rebel against the

Bible and is a great tool for Churches to use. Because of being an important addition to

life, magic need not be excluded from a person’s existence. In fact, by the various

churches, magic needs to be encouraged.

Some individuals might believe that magic is Satanic. No matter the

method presented, magic is synonymous with witchcraft. The truth is two types of magic

exist: heathen/witchcraft and performance/sleight of hand magic. These types of magic

become utilized for entirely different reasons. The types often get mistaken for one

another. Larry and Sue Richards, commentary writers of the Teen Study Bible, say, “Real

magic involves the use of charms, spells or rituals to influence people or events” (1493).

A person who turns to this type of magic does so because he wants to be in control of his

destinies and does not trust God (Teen Study Bible, New International Version 1493).

Someone should not turn to magic for these reasons. He must completely rely on God to

make choices for his life. Because, after all, God’s plan is ultimate and should not be

tampered with. Thus, this type of magic does not follow the Bible.

Performance/sleight of hand magic, on the other hand, is a form of

entertainment. Each trick or illusion holds a secret to make the effect seem real. These

secrets are based on optical, theatrical, and psychological principles. Even the most

convincing illusions clasp a secret. No matter how incredible David Copperfield’s Statue

of Liberty vanish looked like, a method became engaged to create the effect. The method

involved visual and perspective principles. The magicians who perform this type of

magic do not possess any supernatural powers to perform their magic. Many magicians,

including the great Harry Houdini, have admitted publicly that their magic becomes

expedient without the aid of any supernatural means. Christian-based magicians even

belong in this category.

These magicians use magic to illustrate and teach stories and truths from

the Bible to influence others. The Fellowship of Christian Magicians, the FCM, is an

international organization for Christian magicians that supports various magic ministries.

On the organization’s website, the society states it is, “dedicated to the ‘encouragement

and promotion of a high standard of presentation of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ , and to the winning of souls to Christ” (“Who are we?”). One great

Christian magician stated, “In everything I do my primary goal is to present the Lord

Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit in such an attractive and meaningful manner

that people will be drawn to Him” (“Magic and the Bible”). These magicians do not rebel

against the Bible. On the contrary, they help to spread God’s word.

On the other end of the spectrum, some magicians exist that perform both

forms of magic. When one visits the websites of these available-to-book magicians, he

will find pentacle and demon graphics and foreign sounding words. He may also discover

heathen products sold on such websites. The website may contain new age sounding

stories and themes. Such a magician’s magic seems to be presented in a dark manner. Not

many magicians perform both types of magic. If one was to type “professional magician”

on an internet search, his results would conclude that not many magicians subsist that

perform both types. In fact, he would find a good number of Christian magicians in the

results. The average person holds an extremely low chance of seeing a magician who

practices both types. However, these magicians prove to be an element to be aware of.

The Bible does discourage the practice of magic. As Rev. Dr. Stewart,

pastor of Portmore Covenant Community Church in Jamaica, says, “The Christian Bible

clearly warns against involvement in all forms of occultic activity, including magic

(regardless of how we redefine it)” (Dawes). To not support the performance of

magic because of the idea that it goes against the Bible is understandable. However, the

idea not to see a magician perform because of this conception is simply a

misunderstanding. The Bible classifies a person who performs supernatural feats to

control events as: Magician, Necromancer, Witch, Charmer, and Sorcerer (“Magic and

the Bible”). Therefore, a person may believe that these words are the same as “magician”

used to classify magical performers. Andre Kole, world renowned Christian magician,

thoroughly researched magic in relation to the scriptures. In his study, Kole applied

words used for the classification of such people and stated, “Once a person has done any

amount of study of these and other related Scriptures and has any knowledge of the

theatrical art of illusion, he would immediately realize that the practices defined by the

above English and original Greek and Hebrew words are completely foreign to anything

anyone in my profession does today who uses the title ‘magician’” (“Magic and the

Bible”). The magic mentioned in the Bible, the heathen/witchcraft type discussed earlier,

is not affiliated with the performance art form.

After exploring magic and the Bible, what exactly is magic about? Why

do we need it? Magic, ahead of time, is conceptually the future of science. Today,

scientific breakthroughs show how a solid can go through another solid. Theories like

this seem impossible today but will be a way of life in future years. For example, an

efficient flying machine, only fantasy in the eighteenth century, became reality in 1903

when the Wright brothers flew the first airplane. In the present, impossible sounding,

future concepts seem like magic. Magic will always be performed because of the ground

breaking developments in the industry. As a result, magic will never fade out as science

catches up. The reason why people like to view magic is interesting. A person views

magic so he can escape reality, venturing to fantasy and good times. This way, he will

have a delightful experience and think about the finer ideas in life. Magic provides

fundamental fascinations that keep us going-the impossible. If a person knew all ideas

and concepts and not possess mystery and interests, he consequently would not explore

new ideas and objects. Albert Einstein said, “The most beautiful thing we can experience

is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion

is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as

dead: his eyes are closed” (qtd. in Harris). Magic is the art form that puts people in a

state of wonder at the world around them. People need magic.

Magicians are great assets to churches. A Christian magician performing

an hour of illusions and magic to an audience is a great example of a magician put to use

for a church. During such a performance, the magician will inspire, tell truths from the

Bible, and encourage the audience. Toward the end of the show, he can invite people to

join the Lord. In an event like this, many people will be saved. By not accepting the art of

magic, a church may not save as many people as they could. Some churches and church

organizations need to be made aware that magic does not oppose the Bible. Not only this

fact, churches need to know that putting a magician to use will help them provide people

to God. When churches accept this fact, so will its people. The people will support magic

and live the wonders and delights the art has to offer.

The magicians who pull rabbits out of hats are not rebelling against God.

Their magic is confused with that of the Pagan’s. The idea that these performers are

going against the Bible is simply a misunderstanding. Churches need to accept the fact

that magicians are not rebelling the Bible and need to utilize magicians. People need to

accept and support magic because the art helps them to escape reality and be entertained.

Works Cited

“Apologetics Index – M.” Apologetics Index. 4 April 2005. 1996-2005.

< http://www.apologeticsindex.org/>

Dawes, Mark. “Andre Kole’s million-dollar challenge.” Jamaica Gleaner 2 Dec.

2003. 13 April 2005.

<http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20031202/mind/mind1.html>

Harris, Kevin. “Collected Quotes from Albert Einstein.” Stanford University

Residential Computing. 1995. 11 March 2005.

<http://www.rescomp.stanford.edu

“Magic and the Bible.” Andre Kole Productions. 1997. 9 March 2005.

<http:// http://www.andrekole.org/>

Teen Study Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,

1998.

“Who are we?” Fellowship of Christian Magicians. 24 March 2005. 9 April 2005.

<http://fcm.gospelcom.net/>

~ by Sammy Cortino on May 16, 2007.