Table of Contents:
WordBytes on Overcoming the Occult

All of us are in search of truth. Searching is good, but those of us who try the occult are lulled into thinking we have found ultimate reality. We are influenced into believing we no longer need to search for truth.

This actually goes against our inborn desire to persevere until we find the truth that totally satisfies our craving for love. Pope John Paul II addresses this in his encyclical letter The Splendor of Truth. He says that our curiosity cannot ignore the obligation to ask the highest and purist of all questions. This is especially necessary when we’re hearing the lies of the occult. He adds:

Rather, it spurs us on to face the most painful and decisive of struggles, those of the heart and of the moral conscience. No one can escape from the fundamental questions: What must I do? How do I distinguish good from evil? The answer is only possible thanks to the splendor of the truth which shines forth deep within the human spirit, as the Psalmist bears witness: “There are many who say: ‘O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord,’” (Psalm 4:6)…. Consequently the decisive answer to every one of man’s questions … is given by Jesus Christ, or rather is Jesus Christ himself.

(Excerpted from In search of supernatural power)

• In search of supernatural power
  It started with a Ouija board. My search for supernatural power began at the same age when many people first become entranced by the occult–I was almost a teenager. I assumed the Ouija board was just a game. I believed what I’d heard: that it worked by releasing hidden answers from my subconscious mind.

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• Does it seem like a war zone?
  We Christians live in a war zone. Whether we like it or not, Satan and his aides and followers are trying to sneak in and confuse us to lead us away from God and His power. We must acknowledge that we are in the middle of spiritual warfare and use the power of God to overcome the power of the occult. We must pay attention to Ephesians 6:10-13

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• God and the new age movement
  The New Age movement is full of deceptions. Many of its teachings sound good, and some even speak of God and Jesus, but the truth gets twisted. People are tricked into believing lies that lead them away from God, away from His Lordship. That’s why God warns us to test everything rather than believing blindly (1 Thes. 5:21,22).

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• Halloween: Questions answered
  A student in a fourth grade religious education class looked up from her drawings of jack-o-lanterns and asked, “What does Halloween have to do with All Saints Day?” The teacher answered, “The word ‘Halloween’ comes from ‘Hallowed Evening.’ Hallowed means holy, so Halloween is a holy evening that prepares us for All Saints Day.” The girl considered the answer. “If Halloween is holy, then God must like devils and spooky games!”

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• How does my horoscope not work?
  Question: Astrology is about our different characteristics, careers, pastimes, family life, and health. What confuses and amazes me is that what it says fits so perfectly to me… that it’s like someone looked inside me and wrote it down. All my emotions, attitudes, feelings towards others, careers/goals, everything fits exactly with what I’ve felt and determined about myself a long, long time ago. It’s strange because I’ve been told by that this stuff is fake and all a big hoax. If it is… then why is it so true to myself? This confounds me…. can you explain any of this?

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• The future is reserved to God: Pope Saint John Paul II on astrology
  Saint John Paul II warned against futile attempts to divine the future. In comments during the celebration of solemn vespers on New Year’s Eve, the Pope acknowledged that all of us are curious about the future. Even the apostles asked Jesus if the time had come to establish the Kingdom. John Paul II observed that Jesus was not prepared to answer, replying that only the Father knows the time or dates (Acts 1:7).

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• The Dark Secret of the Ouija (online novelette for kids)
  Haunted by the mystery surrounding her father’s death, Jenny Seker is searching for answers. When her best friend, Carol, suggests that she consult a Ouija board, Jenny believes it may be the answer to her prayers. Does the Ouija really have powers? Does it really know the secrets of the past? The future? Can the Ouija make things happen? Find out for yourself the truth about the Ouija’s “dark secret” and discover the truth that finally sets Jenny free!

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• The Ouija board: Just a game?
  As he drifted off to sleep, he sensed an eerie presence nearby. It seemed to be near the closet. Suddenly, he felt pinned to the bed, pressed down, and it was difficult to gasp for breath. “Just because you’re a Christian,” a sneering voice resounded through his head, “you think you have it easy now. Well, I’m going to be on your case the rest of your life.” Matt thought he also heard a few other voices in the background, cackling at him. He tried to call out for his dad, but the pressure on his chest made it impossible to shout. He’d never been so scared in all his life.

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• Guidelines for Evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy
  PDF, by the Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops