Why does God allow people to develop 'forbidden' special powers?

SM62

Something I have been wondering about lately.

Whether you believe in God or not, are a Christian or some other religion or no religion at all, I'd be interested in your opinion.

According to those who believe in the Bible including most Christians, God condemns the use of 'special' powers/abilities. For example, ESP, tarot, astrology, consulting a medium, spells etc. However, If God created us, did he not give us the ability to develop and use such powers? I am convinced some people have some sort of special gift - they can see/do things that others can't. They can't all be charlatans or head-cases, can they? Why would God give us the ability to develop these special powers, and then condemn us to destruction for tapping into such things? It doesn't really make sense. If he created everything, he created these powers also. Why allow humans access to such things if we aren't allowed to go near them or even research them, for fear of the 'demons'. Also, for those who have no beliefs, would you shy away from such things out of fear, and if so, fear of what?

Also, according to the Bible, God allowed humans to use special powers in the past, such as phrophesying, healing the sick, raising the dead, speaking lots of languages. If it was ok for them to do it back then, why can't we look into the paranormal now, or am I being really dense?

Basically, what I am rambling about is this - Why give humans special abilities and then destroy them for using these abilities?

Ta

Terri

Gopher

Why would God give us the ability to develop these special powers, and then condemn us to destruction for tapping into such things?

Perhaps because Jehovah (or whatever you wish to call the Creator or the great spirit) is jealous that such activities would take attention away from him/her/it.

Remember in the NT when Herod impressed a crowd while speaking, and the Bible god struck him down for not assigning him proper glory?

plmkrzy

I've heard many different reasons but the one I heard most while a JW was because we, as imperfect humans, are too stupid to know the difference between a special power and a trick imposed on us by a demon. In a nutshell that is. We would be gambling with our faith in a sense by not putting our complete trust in god but instead looking to the stars or the dead for answers because we do not yet have the maturity to understand such powers and keep them in there proper place. Just like that fruit tree .

gumby

If it was ok for them to do it back then, why can't we look into the paranormal now, or am I being really dense?
Basically, what I am rambling about is this - Why give humans special abilities and then destroy them for using these abilities?

First of all.......I have never seen a person with a special gift as you mention. There are many who claim to have these gifts.......but have YOU ever met such a person? Do you have PROOF they have a gift? Name them and what they do that is special if you could.

As for your question of it being right or wrong......it seems it was OK if god gave the ability to someone. If they had a gift apart from gods backing, then it was evil and the powers were suggested as coming from Satan. Silly eh?

It seems there must be some truths in astrology or god could have said....."go ahead and gaze away and see if these stars of mine contain any truths....your wasting your time".

If you DO find an authentic person with a special power.....I'd like to know in all seriousness. I too always wondered if any of these claimed special people have ANY validity to them.

Gumby

Thirdson

I hear Michael Jackson has a friend who can bend spoons through special powers.

3rd

BTW I can bend spoons by over use of my limited physical power. Now if I could do it on the sly maybe I could get rich by claining special finger rubbing and mind talents. See some skeptics sites too

Nathan Natas

People who chose to believe the claims of metaphysicians turn the world upside down.

Are there people who really have special powers?

Yes but none of them are phoney metaphysicians, whose "powers" can solve the world's unbent spoon shortage or who tells us that dead Aunt Tilly wants us to remind her what her favorite color was.

Real special powers come from the development and use of the rational analytical mind, not from the mojo bag of some superstitious shaman.

There is no "spirit realm" populated with any sort of immaterial intelligent creatures.

God is a sock puppet who speaks only when he has a priest's arm run up his ass.

gumby

God is a sock puppet who speaks only when he has a priest's arm run up his ass.

Boy oh boy would I hate to be your sorry ass when armaggeddon strikes!

Gumby

Simon

hmmn ... seeing as no one seems to have any of these claimed special powers when they are actually tested scientifically I'd have to say that God isn't really 'allowing' people to develop them.

Having said that though, I think the existence of God is on pretty much the same level - lots of people claim to have evidence but non one can ever produce any !

I guess both come down to blind faith.

SM62

Gopher - that's an interesting point about God being jealous - it does say somewhere in the Bible (wish I'd paid more attention at the meetings) that God is a jealous God, but I never thought of it the way you put it, that he wants all the attention for himself like a spoilt child.

Plmkrzy - I was never given that reason as a JW. I can see their point though - what if you were dabbling with something that seemed harmless. but which wanted to harm you? I am sure that I wouldn't be that daft, though. I would check things out first.

Gumby - I have never had a supernatural experience, and I get annoyed about that sometimes. If there are special powers, why don't I have them? But having said that, the last time there was a post about people who have had strange experiences, or had seen a ghost or something, there were so many who had seen strange things. They can't all be liars can they? I know loads of people who say they have seen people who have been dead for years. I would like to go to a clairvoyant or something one day, just to see if they can tell me accurate things about my past - I wouldn't want to hear vague stuff such as 'The letter J figures predominantly in your life' or 'I have an old man here in a grey suit' or rubbish like that - I would want names, dates etc.

Thirdson - I have never believed in Uri Geller - plus he always bored the pants off me.

Nathan Natas -

There is no "spirit realm" populated with any sort of immaterial intelligent creatures.

How do you know this? How do you account for all the weird sightings around the world? Are you saying the millions of people over the centuries who have had paranormal experiences such as seeing dead people are lying? Or are they all mad? I don't really know what to believe, but I always keep an open mind.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Terri

SM62

But Simon, loads of genuine people have seen ghostly sightings. These are people who are not seeking attention or anything - most of them weren't even thinking about seeing a ghost - things just appeared to them. Why does that happen? How can you scientifically 'prove' what someone is seeing, if you can't see it yourself?

There are people who can take an object belonging to someone, and they can give details about that person - really accurate details. How do they do that? And why is it wrong to try to develop such powers? If it is possible to develop psychic powers, such as telepathy, why is it wrong? I don't understand that. You are not harming anyone by doing it, so why does the Bible condemn it?

Terri

Why does God allow people to develop 'forbidden' special powers?

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