What does the Bible say about black magic?
God despises witchcraft, sorcery, and all kinds of magic (“white” or “black”), and He warns against our involvement in such practices. Black magic, also called dark magic, is the use of supernatural powers for selfish purposes, often involving the casting of spells to control other people or to bring about evil. Practitioners of black magic…
What is the definition of a cult?
When people hear the word cult, they often think of a group that worships Satan, sacrifices animals, or takes part in evil, bizarre, and pagan rituals. However, in reality, a cult rarely involves such things. In fact, a cult, in the broadest sense of the word, is simply a religious system with particular rites and…
What is the Hindu Trimurti?
Hinduism is a complicated religion with multiple gods who may or may not all be just avatars (representatives) of the tasks performed by a single supreme lord. Different sects within Hinduism emphasize the worship of different gods based on proclivity, leading, and needs; and different Hindu teachers interpret the same writings with different meanings. The…
Who is the angel Moroni?
The angel Moroni does not appear in the Bible, but he is a featured character in the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), or Mormonism. According to LDS teaching, Moroni is the angel that appeared to Joseph Smith on several occasions, beginning in 1823. A bronze statue of the angel…
What is Priscillianism?
Priscillianism was founded in the fourth century by Priscillian, a Spanish bishop. The movement emerged in the Roman province of Hispania, corresponding to modern-day Spain and Portugal. The teachings of Priscillianism combined elements of ascetism, mysticism, and dualism. As such, they were condemned as heretical. Priscillian, born around AD 340 in the Roman province of…
What is exaltation in Mormonism?
Mormonism, whose adherents are known as Mormons or Latter-day Saints (LDS), is a pseudo-Christian cult founded by Joseph Smith in the nineteenth century. One of their teachings is the doctrine of exaltation or theosis, the belief that man can become god. According to Smith’s testimony, God charged him with the task of restoring the true…
What is Sikhism?
Sikhism arose as an attempt to harmonize Islam and Hinduism. But viewing Sikhism as a harmonization of the two religions does not capture the theological and cultural uniqueness of Sikhism. To call Sikhism a compromise between Islam and Hinduism would be taken as an insult akin to calling a Christian a heretical Jew. Sikhism is…
I am Jewish, can I become a Christian?
What a wonderful question! Here is my story; the story of another Jew, like yourself, who had asked this very same question many years ago: I grew up in an orthodox Jewish home in New York, and several years ago I came to believe that Yeshua (Yeshua is the Hebrew way to say the Greek…
I am a Mormon. Why should I consider becoming a Christian?
Anyone from any religion—or no religion at all—who asks, “Why should I consider becoming a Christian?” should consider the claims of Christianity. For a Mormon asking this question, the differences between the tenets of biblical Christianity and LDS philosophy should be the primary area of inquiry. If the Bible is the Word of God (both…
What is The Way International?
The Way International was founded in 1942 by Victor Paul Wierwille as a radio program, then was renamed the Chimes Hour Youth Caravan in 1947. The name became “The Way” in 1955, no doubt a reference to Jesus’ statement that He is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). In spite of its…