Saddam -– Magicians and fortune tellers

The man dies and the spirit lives
on…

Daniel 2:1-2
“…Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his
spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. Then the Kind
commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the
sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the King his
dreams…”

Recent reports tell us that in
keeping with his ancient predecessor, Saddam has also sought
magicians and wizards to assist with ‘hidden
knowledge’.

Apparently dabbling in the occult
is commonplace in Iraq. Iraqi academics say that Saddam’s
brutal rule fostered a fascination for dabbling with the
‘magical arts.’ “When you are weak, when you
are oppressed, where can you go? You can’t go outside. You
go inside yourself” said al-Haareth Hassan al-Asadi, who
studies parapsychology at Baghdad University.

Incidentally, one of
Saddam’s regular wizards – who is absolutely scared
for his life, has predicted that Saddam is hiding in
“Dhuluaiyah”, and will be found soon, dead.

In African cultures witchcraft
plays a very strong social role.

Deposed Liberian leader Charles
Taylor is believed to have been practising human sacrifice, and
drinking the blood of captured prisoners to increase his power
and maintain control. It is reported that Taylor belonged to a
secret society for men called the Poro Societies – which
uses magic, charms and spirit mediums to talk with the dead.

The bible refers to manipulation
and control as witchcraft – making people do things they do
not wish to do, a violation of free will. This can mean
manipulating people through casting spells on them OR plain
old-fashioned ‘mood manipulation’ where we hold
people hostage to our moods, making them respond according to our
will – or we go quiet on them…we’re not to do
this.

Free will is a God-given right!
Our yea is to be yea, and our nay, nay. We are to communicate
openly to avoid the deceitful work of manipulation.

One day, God will ask us to give
account for what we have done with our free will.