Professional magicians are the first ones to tell you that there is no such thing as "magic," only illusion. Many have spent years researching and chasing down reports of so-called "real magic" - but not a single example has ever been found. There are some amazing, and in some cases, unexplainable examples of visual trickery. In most cases, even the most amazing magic can be explained with a little research.
An excellent movie from 2006, "The Illusionist," starring Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti, demonstrates this quite well. Harry "Houdini" spent his life looking for evidence of real spiritism and unexplained magicians' tricks. I've seen some amazing tricks on YouTube and in other videos that defy explanation, but in every case it always boils down to slight-of-hand, misdirection, or some mechanical prop that makes everything work.
When I was younger I worked for the telephone company in Hollywood, California. On at least two occasions I had to make service calls at famed Magic Castle in the Hollywood Hills. This was in the late 1960s, so things may have changed a lot since then, but in those days the telephone equipment was located near a workshop-storage room. I seem to recall having to sign a form agreeing to keep anything I saw confidential. If I was found to have given away any professional secrets, both my company and I individually could be sued for breach of confidence. When our technicians had to go there, most of the devices were carefully hidden away or covered with sheets or tarps. Anything visible was usually just a plain aluminum frame or a table of some type.
Uri Geller, self proclaimed psychic, used common magician's tricks to convince millions that he was something special and that he was not using magic. The "Amazing Randi" is noted for his work of exposing so-called "real magicians, psychics, mind readers, and holy men" - all who use basic parlor tricks to convince their audiences that they have a special gift that can not be purchased by anyone with $10 at a magic store located in a nearby strip mall.
The Watchtower is acting in a criminal manner by suggesting that a simple plastic toy could have any special power or satanic influence. You can now add Sparlock to Watchtower's fairy tales of Adam and Eve, the talking snake, Noah's ark, and Jonah and the "big freaking fish" (but not a whale).
I watched a preacher on TV one night proclaim that any version of the Bible that was not the Authorized King James of 1611 was "written by the Devil himself!" He went on to say that Jesus said everyone of the words as printed in that Bible just as they were written - even the "thees" and "thous"! He went on to say that if you read one of the modern translations you will instantly be possessed by Satan. Any sane person would recognize that the preacher was either insane or a total liar in every sense, and yet his followers nodded their heads in agreement along with their constant "amens" to every word he said.
And thus sayeth the Watchtower Governing Body. "If we say that plastic toys made in China or India can act on the Devil's behalf and can some how influence or weaken Jehovah's powers, that is 'the truth' as given us by holy spirit."
F'ing ridiculous and f'ing fraudulent.
JV