Fortune Tellers

QUESTION: Are fortune tellers reliable?

ANSWER:

Fortune Tellers (or fortunetellers) are a form of divination. This term derives from the ancient Greek manteia (divination), or the word "scopy" from the Greek skopein (to look into, to behold). Fortunetelling or divination is an attempt to foretell the future by using paranormal or supernatural powers.

The items listed are just a few of the practices used in fortunetelling. Note that many of these terms end with "mancy," which means divination.

• Aeluromancy: dropping wheatcakes in water and interpreting the results
• Oneiromancy: interpretation of dreams
• Rhapsodmancy: divination by a line in a sacred book that strikes the eye when the book is opened after the diviner prays, meditates or invokes the help of spirits
• Tasseography: reading tealeaves
• Tiromancy : interpreting the holes or mold in cheese
• Necromancy: communicating with spirits of the dead to predict the future
• Chiromancy: palmistry, reading the lines in a hand to predict the future
• Catoptromancy or crystallomancy: telling the future by using mirrors, lenses, or crystal balls
• Cartomancy (Tarot Cards) or Major Arcane: use of special cards to predict the future
• Astrology: the using of celestial bodies (the moon, the stars, sun, and the planets) to predict the future

People turn to fortunetellers for many reasons. Many people are insecure about the future and want answers. Others believe that by dabbling in the occult they are empowered by the various practices. Some people are very superstitious want to blame every bad thing on the forces of evil rather than natural causes. They believe that knowing the future they can control these bad things. Many people are curious and fall into the lure of the occult. Others follow the crowd and get involved by conforming to the ideas of others. The bereaved may have lost a loved one and want to contact him or her.

No matter what the reason, one thing is for sure. God has condemned all practices of the occult. God judges and condemns all who dabble in the occult. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you."

Many occult followers are insecure of the future. God says we can be confident that He is in full control. Matthew 6:30-34 says, "If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."