Deceptively Beautiful

                                                                

                                                                                                                           

The beautiful giant “corpse  flower” is about ten to fifteen feet (3.1 to 4.6 meters) tall, blooms for about one to two days every seven or more years, and smells like rotting meat. In a Christian context, the flower may be seen as a visual metaphor for evil, which can often seem to be beautiful but inside is stinking and vile. 

Definition: Casuistry.

Yesterday, I spoke about casuistry in relation to Mark 7:10-13. The word, casuistry, is derived from the Latin word casus, which means “event” or “case.”  The benign definition of casuistry is that it is a discipline within ethics which deals with ambiguous issues of right and wrong.  The most common use of the word today is more sinister: it is described as sophistical reasoning used in matters of ethics.

Sophism (from the Greek word Σοφία = “wisdom”) comes from the ancient Greek Sophists who developed elaborate philosophical and rhetorical arguments to teach excellence and virtue to young men.  The catch was that they charged for their teachings.

Socrates refused to take any money for teaching and considered the practice by the Sophists to be deceptive and specious.  From this developed the modern English use of the word: a specious argument used to deceive and to obscure one’s true intent.  There are many modern examples of this practice.

Magic For Jesus

{Some videos will not play properly when you click on the triangle.  Instead,  click on the title line in the picture and the video will begin .  When the video is completed, close the You Tube pop-up window to return to this blog.} 

This is magic (sleight of hand) not Magick or Sorcery.  It is not supernatural but is based on making you think you see something which you do not see.

Magic for Jesus is a ministry to Sunday Schools and youth groups presenting visual lessons about biblical truths.  Many people, children especially, are visually oriented and will understand a point if it is in the form of a story, or, in this case, a magic trick.

Jesus used this approach in his parables.  The Kingdom of God is like …”

Magic for Jesus is non-denominational and from their short statement of faith, appear to be doctrinally orthodox.  They state that “We believe kids are the church too; not the future church.  They are the church right now.”

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One commenter was concerned that sleight of hand is based on deception and, therefore, could be viewed as dishonest.  I would say that this is a needless concern.  Magic for Jesus never tells children that the magic is real.  The tricks are used to make spiritual truths understandable.

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Magick and Sorcery are a different thing entirely.  They are ceremonial magic based on occult concepts and amount to attempts to influence events and people by the use of rituals, ceremonies, and secret or hidden knowledge.  Some claim that Magick and Sorcery may be White (good or benign) or Black (evil or malignant).  The Christian view is that all magic which attempts to influence people or the world is based on man's rebellion against God.   
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A magic trick which looks stunningly real, but it is not.  The magician offers to sell you the information on how to perform the trick.
http://www.youtube.com/user/dreamlandmagic?v=bc7wJA8fhKg&feature=pyv&ad=6923422215&kw=magic%20tricks