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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Are curses and spells real?	Sara	Monday, March 9, 2009
Question: My friend and I got into a discussion as to weather curses and spells are real or not. While I hold that they are, he is not so convince. Can you give me some scriptural evidence to tell me what paragraph it is under in the Catechism? Thanks.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Sara: Sorry for the delay in responding. Curses and spells are certainly real. Witchcraft is real. Satan is real. A curse is, in essence, a prayer -- to Satan, even if the curse-caster doesn't think so -- that seeks to bring the power of Satan to bear upon the target for some detriment. A spell seeks to bring occult powers to bear to manipulate others to our desires or to cause harm. The use of magic and spells of all kinds is based on the belief that it is possible to enlist the support of the superhuman beings (demons) to persuade them to carry out the suppliant's wishes. It has been suggested that spells were written on pieces of parchment and cast to the winds in the belief that they would find their way to their proper destination--that some demoniac being would act as postman and deliver them at the proper address. In Zec (5:1-3) the "flying roll," with curses inscribed on it "goeth forth over the face of the whole land." It would find its way into the house of every thief and perjurer. But it was not always possible to commit curses to writing, it was enough to utter them aloud. Deuteronomy 18:9-12 says: When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: 2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity. There are many Old Testament passages referring to curses, such as Genesis 4:11; 9:25; 12:2-3; 27:29; Exodus 20:4-5; Deut. 28:45-46; 32:9-10; Zech. 2:8-9; Ps.17:8; Job 3:1-3; Num 22-24; 1 Samual 17:43; Joshua 6:26-27; 9:22-24; Prov 28:37; Malachi 3:10. Jesus refers to those who curse us and how we should respond to the curse in Luke 6:28: “Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you”. Also in Matthew 5:43-44 Jesus taught: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you”. Paul repeats this to the church in Romans 12:14-15: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” In Mark 7:8-13 (also Matthew 15:3-5) Jesus said to the Pharisees who neglected their family feigning their dedication for the things of God, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban” (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.” At this time they were still under the law which punishment was death, as Jesus reminded them to show that they were not obeying the law. James speaking on the right use of our tongue, he explains, (3:9-10) “With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.” Obviously there was a lot of cursing going on. Cursing is something we humans seem to do well, then and now. I hope this helps. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Are curses and spells real?

Sara

Monday, March 9, 2009

Question:

My friend and I got into a discussion as to weather curses and spells are real or not. While I hold that they are, he is not so convince. Can you give me some scriptural evidence to tell me what paragraph it is under in the Catechism?
Thanks.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Sara:

Sorry for the delay in responding.

Curses and spells are certainly real. Witchcraft is real. Satan is real. A curse is, in essence, a prayer -- to Satan, even if the curse-caster doesn't think so -- that seeks to bring the power of Satan to bear upon the target for some detriment. A spell seeks to bring occult powers to bear to manipulate others to our desires or to cause harm.

The use of magic and spells of all kinds is based on the belief that it is possible to enlist the support of the superhuman beings (demons) to persuade them to carry out the suppliant's wishes. It has been suggested that spells were written on pieces of parchment and cast to the winds in the belief that they would find their way to their proper destination--that some demoniac being would act as postman and deliver them at the proper address. In Zec (5:1-3) the "flying roll," with curses inscribed on it "goeth forth over the face of the whole land." It would find its way into the house of every thief and perjurer. But it was not always possible to commit curses to writing, it was enough to utter them aloud.

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 says:

When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.

There are many Old Testament passages referring to curses, such as Genesis 4:11; 9:25; 12:2-3; 27:29; Exodus 20:4-5; Deut. 28:45-46; 32:9-10; Zech. 2:8-9; Ps.17:8; Job 3:1-3; Num 22-24; 1 Samual 17:43; Joshua 6:26-27; 9:22-24; Prov 28:37; Malachi 3:10.

Jesus refers to those who curse us and how we should respond to the curse in Luke 6:28: “Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you”.

Also in Matthew 5:43-44 Jesus taught: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you”. Paul repeats this to the church in Romans 12:14-15: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”

In Mark 7:8-13 (also Matthew 15:3-5) Jesus said to the Pharisees who neglected their family feigning their dedication for the things of God, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban” (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.” At this time they were still under the law which punishment was death, as Jesus reminded them to show that they were not obeying the law.

James speaking on the right use of our tongue, he explains, (3:9-10) “With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.”

Obviously there was a lot of cursing going on. Cursing is something we humans seem to do well, then and now.

I hope this helps.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.