Dr. Rembert Truluck, a Christian preacher, blasts Pat Robertson’s “prayer offensive” against the Supreme Court justices, calling it a form of idolatry. Truluck argues that Robertson’s actions represent a form of magic, not Christianity.
As a layperson, I read this perspective and recall Hollywood movies’ imaginary worlds of wax-doll curses, often falsely labeled voodoo.
Since I’m not an expert on pagan religions, I asked Ex-Gay Watch reader Dale to comment on Truluck’s essay. Dale writes:
Looking at this quote:
“This makes prayer into a form of idolatry, not spirituality. The chief characteristic of idolatrous religion in the Hebrew Bible was the use of ritual and magic to control
and manipulate the gods to do what the people wanted, not a faith-based
seeking after the will and purpose of God.”To my mind, and speaking as an Out and Consciously Aware Pagan, this is a very good statement.
Looking at most forms of conservative Christianity, I see a great deal of low magic going on. What Robertson is doing clearly looks like low magic to me. I also regard most presentations of the exgay path as a form of operant magic. From this I would exclude Justice and Respect, which strikes me as actually religious.
Coming from a very different place than Rev. Truluck, I feel he has hit this spot right on. How is this different from making little wax dolls of the justices and putting pins in them? I am heartened to hear someone Christians may listen to making this point.
I agree, Dale. While Truluck’s writing is sometimes provocative and accusatory, I share his impatience at the failure of the Christian world to speak out against charlatans like Pat Robertson:
TRULUCK: The manipulative use of religion … is clear proof that their religion is idolatry and not a work of God. Self will is elevated to the absolute level of divine will and replaces God with destructive hollow idolatry. The world needs to wake up to what the Pat Robertsons, James Dobsons, Lou Sheldons and company are really doing with their “Christian” ministries, fundraising and publicity stunts.They are creating panic instead of prayer and selfish pride instead of worship.They are denying the faith that they claim to defend.