Baptist Views on Astrology

I sure wish you had put an "other" catagory.

Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

In light of this verse, what I believe is that astrology began as a way to interpret the "signs and seasons" that God in His wisdom placed in the heavens. However as with everything this world what God gave us for good has been perverted into godlessness.

The tool isn't the problem, its the manner in which man uses it that is the problem. Horrerscopes (intended mispelling) and palm reading and the like only serve to give man a "run-around" instead of relying on the faith God gives us. As such, the modern study of "astrology" is nonsensical.

 

I do not believe God intends for us to rely on astrology to guide our lives when the Holy Spirit is our Guide. I do occasionally read my horrorscope (spelling intentional) for a laugh. They read like a fortune cookie, which is another source of man's nonsense.

 

Astrology is not the same thing as astronomy. Astronomy studies the stars and other heavenly objects. Astrology is more a belief that the stars are signs that indicate how we should live our lives, or "foretell" events in our lives. Big difference. I believe as Christians we should have nothing to do with the works of darkness, and astrology is certainly that.

 

We can all understand if astrology is a hoax. That's one reason to ignore it.

But if there is something to it, then we have a bigger problem. Then we're dealing with the supernatural, and possibly demonic forces.

It's the same with psychic stuff, with tarot cards and ouija boards. I don't think we should blow them off as frauds.

 

"...let them be for signs, and for seasons..."

And they-- the stars, planets, and moons-- are that, in fact. If you can identify a certain point at which an outstanding star is at a certain time of a certain day in the year, you can count the days to discover how many are in a year. You see different constellations in the early night sky at different times of the year. And the tides, obserant persons noted in ancient times, 'follow' the moon. So the different seasons are 'connected' to the stars and the moon does, in fact, influence a worldly phenomenon. Fine. But then, according to human nature, the whole idea is carried further. That same flaw in human nature today can too often be seen in, for example, sports teams. A baseball player has only one dirty cap, and he has asked for a new one; then in the next game he gets 5 hits, and now refuses to quit wearing his "lucky" cap. Or a lot of teams have a picture of an old team hero on the locker room wall, and each player touches it as they go out to play the game. To make illlogical assocations and connections is IMO what accounts for many superstitions... plus, of course, the convenience of authority figures to see this and use it to their advantages. William of Normandy used an appearance of Halley's Comet to encourage his army that a kingdom is going to fall and, of course, he would become the conqueror to usurp it.

 

I'm glad to see the unanimity. In this area. It is very clear this practice is contrary to God's word.