Hmm. I was thinking about this issue, a magical toy. Well, see, there are three layers involved in terms of this issue, I'll list 'em in terms of seriousness:
1. Playing with a toy wizard, who in a cartoon or movie uses magic. You imagine it uses magic, though it cannot, as it is a toy.
2. Watching a wizard in a cartoon or movie who uses magic. You're watching a depiction of magic, though it is actually just computer-generated special effects, camera tricks, wire work, and so on.
3. You actually use magic yourself.
Now...how many Witnesses have been expelled for #1 or #2? None that I know of. Only #3 actually falls into the condemnation given in scripture, as it is the "PRACTICE of spiritism" that is one of the 'works of the flesh', not having a toy of a fictional character who practices spiritism or watching a fictional story where spiritism occurs. #1 and #2 are basically guilt by association.
Let's say it's Phinehas, the Violent Israelite Action Figure, then we've got 3 layers again:
1. Playing with a violent action figure. You imagine it kills people, or robots, or whatever.
2. Watching an action star kill people--but he's not actually killing people, thankfully, this ain't an ancient gladiator thing.
3. Actually killing people yourself.
See how that works? In neither #1 nor #2 are people actually being killed. Only in #3. Does that mean #1 and #2 are necessarily good ideas to do? Well, that should be up to the individual. No actual breaking of the commandment has been done in either case, so to say that it is, is equating Caleb as being a magician himself or the Bond movie fan as himself being a murderer. The logic kind of falls apart there.
Granted, no JW will see it that way. I was just thinking...I mean, how does the logic fit together here? Even by what the Bible actually says, we have to assume #1 and #2 are essentially as serious as #3 to use the scriptures condemning #3 as meaning #1 and #2 are wrong in themselves.
I'm just throwing it out there. As always, I may be wrong.
--sd-7
