Really have no problem with it. JRR Tolkien used plenty of theological influence in his creation of the fantasy world Middle Earth, and it is jam-packed with Christian philosophy. The characters like Golem/Smeagol have a lot to teach about the consequences and addictive alure of sin, for example. Not to mention plenty of these films, barrow, a thing or two from Tolkiens creation, sometimes unwittingly. another RUclipsr Pax actually, pointed this out in one of his own videos.
In both Tolkien and Frieren magic is background and not foreground. Frieren is primarily about timeless human virtues such as kindness, loyalty, bravery, generosity, and compassion. Frieren's mission is to understand these things by retracing her previous journey with her two new companions Fern and Stark.
I have lived my whole Christian life being told that magic is not okay. I can see why magic wouldn’t be okay, since magic is usually a forbidden power given to you by an unknown source (Aka the devil), therefore it shouldn’t be entertained- so if someone is able to do something “magical”, or unnatural, like voodoo or whatnot, it’s deemed as demonic (rightfully so, since demons are biblically able to provide ‘abilities’ to people.) I wouldn’t say that all anime or shows with magic in it is okay to watch, as most magic IS black magic and demonic, such as summoning circles, but if something you want to watch or read has magic in it, pray to God and ask him what he thinks. Don’t just decide on your own whether you should watch or not. It’s not up to us, we don’t know what’s good for us, so just ask God.
Magic is likely not just demonic. If Magic is available to the likes of Lucifer, then surely other Angels (and Fallen Angels) can harness it as well. It may very well be a heavenly ability we, as mortals, fallen from the times of Adam and Eve, no longer have access too
@@thalmoragent9344 that’s a good theory. I wish the Bible went more into what the world was like before satan fell from heaven. I do know that when we go back to heaven, we’ll be able to direct angels (I forget what verse), but I wonder if we’ll have other abilities as well.
I'm Pentecostal, but I have to say...I mostly agree with this take. Frieren is a beautiful anime that deals with the beauty and importance of everyday life and has an absolute moral standard in which dark spiritual forces are unquestionably evil. The whole story is about Frieren and friends looking for heaven while she remembers her friend Himmel (which, in German, literally means "heaven"). And there are surprisingly religious-friendly moments, such as when the story's "corrupt priest" encourages everyone to pray in a moving scene that, at the very least, says that heaven is something worth believing in. The evil of magic in the real world is that you are trying to access spiritual power outside of a proper relationship with Christ, which is the only proper path for us humans to access the spiritual. When you attempt to go outside the created order to assert your own will over creation through supernatural means, you are opening yourself up to other supernatural beings to assert their will over you. But magic in fiction can be just fine. My own litmus test is: 1) is this trying to indoctrinate me into a non-Christian worldview? and 2) is this trying to teach me how to practice magic myself? If the answer is no, I'm usually fine with depictions of magic. (I do have a zero tolerance policy for pentagrams, however, which I believe are even set apart from other magical symbology through their real-world connection to the explicitly demonic. I read the Frieren manga but I do deface the pentagrams whenever they show up.) Sorry for the essay, but I've been thinking about this topic for some time.
Magic is very complex and diverse, but in general it affects three facets of reality. The most common form of magic effects probability. Things like the rabbit's foot or placing curses on people. In general, curses usually work by unfortunate circumstances and not like it's betrayed in pop culture that violates the physical realm. The second form of magic manipulates emotional and psychological. Example would be by demonic influence such as fiery darts of the enemy, or being indwelled by the holy Spirit by focusing on him daily. The most complex form of magic which is the third form that generally could be used only by the most powerful and rare demonic powers would be the magic of manipulating physical matter. Baalberith a powerful fallen Angel that also was a god of the Canaanites, and is also given the title the Duke of hell with 26 lesions of fallen angels beneath him was believed to be so powerful he was able to manipulate the physical reality wilding the third type of magic. Materializing gold and all sorts of things. Most Spirit guides, which in reality are demonic agents exercise the first form of magic, stronger ones have more mastery of manipulating hearts and minds threw intrusive thoughts or influence. It is believed by some that the very powerful ones that could influence the state of matter itself are usually smaller in numbers, and are most likely in position of authority just below Satan.
I've never read Frieren so maybe my opinion isn't valid. The pentagram shape itself isn't evil, it's the intention behind it. The US flag is covered in 50 of them. The shape can even be found in old churches to symbolize Christ's 5 wounds. The shape is indeed used in the occult and therefore is not something I would use in a magic system in any of my stories. At the same time I don’t like the idea of defacing a manga. The author most likely used it because she simply thought it looked "magical".
Just dropping my 2 cents as an Orthodox Christian from Eastern Europe, but this whole Magic vs Christianity conflict seems to be a Western thing. Like, in my country we have fairy tales where the hero has all sorts of magical powers like turning into a mosquito, having a talking horse, resurrecting people using the water of life etc. And at the same time, the hero is a God-fearing Christian who builds churches after his victories. If you ask any priest about these stories, they'll tell you they are just stories and ask what's the problem? I'm just sharing my experience.
As long as the anime or game doesn’t promote said magic, you can see the Biblical principles in them. Like for example: Kingdom hearts has a lot of biblical principles in it like “there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for another” and you can see a great example of this principle in action in the scene where Sora ‘releases’ his heart (he practically stabs it out…) to save his friend, Kairi. Forgiveness is another biblical principle that kingdom hearts shows very well. Loving your enemies is also a good topic.
I'm taking a course on CS LEWIS right now. ... You should consider watching the film "The Colors Within". It's directed by the same woman who directed "A Silent Voice". I saw it in Theaters. Very wholesome!
Romans 14 is a good illustration of this concept, though it talks more about food. Do not judge your brother for what he eats. No food is unclean of itself, but if one of weak faith considers some food unclean, then for him, it is unclean. On the other hand, do not eat anything that causes your brother to stumble. (Paraphrased) In other words, we’re really fine to watch whatever. (It is fiction, you’re not endorsing anything) But don’t try to tempt someone into it if they feel it IS wrong. It is for God alone to judge these matters.
Unlike food, media can intrinsically be an occasion of sin. Christians should not consume media that are inherently blasphemous or pornographic. Unlike food, evil entertainment can corrupt the mind and soul. The advice you cite applies to things that are not intrinsically evil.
I disagree. Well, kinda. It depends on what DOES corrupt the mind. If you can watch it without this (theoretically, in heaven, with sin erased forever, you could watch anything) then it’s not a problem. Granted, pron is designed FOR sinful behavior, so that’s practically always going to be bad. Theoretically, if it doesn’t affect you, and there was some other reason to watch it, even that would be fine. (Of course, that’s not… even faintly realistic) I guess it’s more about what will corrupt you and what won’t. And that depends on the person, though there’s a lot of commonality and general things that apply to most of us. I think it was either Aristotle or Plato who said it takes a wise man to entertain an idea without accepting it. I think most of us are mature enough to enjoy fantasy and even themes we vehemently disagree with.
I personally don't agree with this completely, the reason why is because even though the stories are fictional, we still have to be careful what we consume. Especially when there's certain symbolism used. As for if Bible stories literal? Well some are and some aren't, but I believe the Genesis account could be taken as literal cuz God can do anything lol. A lot of the stories in the old and new testament are real in a literal sense. We just have to look at what type of literature it is. Is it historical? Is it poetic? That type of thing. I 100% agree about shows like Oshi no Ko, because the message of the overall story is what you're supposed to be paying attention to not the small stuff like the reincarnation aspect. I personally love Oshi no Ko and shows like it that really make you think.
That's all good, thanks for sharing your input. I do still see certain symbolism as important to be careful to watch out for, but we also gotta be careful not to be conspiratorial about it.
The problem is if it's if the consumer that is corruptible, not if the content itself is "corrupt". There are things that can be completely fine to you or others that a specific group of people can be severely influenced by. Don't bar yourself from something that you won't let affect you, it's unreasonable.
Okay, we all get that, but you have to keep in mind that God himself said that if something is evil, you must cut it out completely, whether it can corrupt you or not. If God sees magic or sorcery as evil, then we must cut it out at all costs, no questions asked.
@@FloofyPanic With that logic, you shouldn't socialise with anyone because every human is innately evil. How is that fair? Please don't demonise something that isn't malicious because of the way it tells its story. Questions are how we reach God in the first place. Blind faith is bad, like trusting a friend who takes your money and never pays you back. Research is needed to build trust in God, the whole reason we have the choice to follow God or not shows his want for us to have free will, and he wants us to choose him because he's the truth and not just because it's our family's religion.
@ You didnt understand what I meant. Yea, God gave us free will, but he still has expectations for us to try and do what is right. We can only know what is right by reading our Bibles. Leviticus 20:27 says, “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.” There are other verses in the Bible that go against magic and stuff, so based off of this fact, I’m just going to avoid all magic because God obviously isn’t okay with is. Period.
As a Conservative Baptist with a grammatical-historical hermeneutic, I grew up understanding the line between reality and fiction. If stalwarts like Tolkien and Lewis can write about other worlds with evil witches and talking lions, forgotten magical histories with wizards, dwarves, elves and orcs, or a space story in the vein of John Carpenter, then I can watch similar parabolic stories with virtuous themes compatible with the faith. Before I can get to magical stories again, though, I'm in the middle of Vinland Saga right now as part of a personal project needing the researching Viking stuff, and it's amazing.
amen. You don't have to have a progressive hermeneutic like Christian Anime Podcast's bad exegesis of Genesis to understand the difference between actual fiction and biblical reality.
@@TheCastleKeeper Thank you for the kind words. I actually wasn't intending to critique his position on Genesis. Merely wanted to show solidarity in the main point of the video, despite our differences in that area. That isn't to say I don't believe it's important. My personal service is in line with the GH hermeneutic of Genesis, in fact. It's just that even if there are some (crucial in the bigger scale of things) points of contention, I widely agree with the main thrust of the video, especially concerning anime.
From a biblical perspective, magic is generally associated with the occult, which is warned against in scripture (Deuteronomy 18:10-12, Revelation 21:8). Ellen G. White also speaks against anything that desensitizes Christians to spiritual dangers. So, if an anime glorifies sorcery, the occult, or portrays supernatural power apart from God, then it’s something a Christian should probably avoid. That said, some anime have “magic” that’s more like fantasy-world mechanics rather than actual occult practices (e.g., elemental powers, alchemy in Fullmetal Alchemist). Some might not view that as dangerous, while others prefer to stay away entirely to avoid any potential influence. Being realistic, a lot of Christians watch magical anime without thinking much of it, just like how many read fantasy books with magical elements. But if you’re serious about filtering content through faith, it’s good to ask: • Does this anime promote something that conflicts with my beliefs? • Is it desensitizing me to something God warns against? • Would I feel comfortable watching this with Jesus beside me? Ultimately, it’s a personal conviction. If the Holy Spirit convicts you to avoid it, then it’s best to listen. If it doesn’t trouble your conscience and doesn’t pull you away from God, then that’s between you and Him.
" actual occult practices (e.g., elemental powers, alchemy in Fullmetal Alchemist)", how to tell you this, drawing pictures on the floor and saying some random words will not change the subatomic structure of lead, unless these drawings and words are capable of generating as much power as a giant thermonuclear fusion reactor aka the sun, I know you have your beliefs, but some things are just not real, regardless of whether some crazy people have tried them in the past or not
This is a great video. I more recently have been seeing more Christian people that condemn magic in fictional storytelling. I needed a video to explain reasons why magic is just a way to tell a story. I appreciate your video for explaining it to me. For the rest of you people, please stop creating unnecessary barriers to interact with the world and being Christian.
there is a yter called religion for breakfast &he makes vids on all sorts of religions & their practices,history,etc. he has made a vid where he talked about how earrly christians were very prevalent with using magic. in his vid on grimoires,he also showed how christians used certain text written by christ or ppl associated with him on things & places as if those things had magical properties. he had said ppl in ancient times in many places of diffeerent religions saw language itself as some sort off magic.
1- Should Christian avoid the Freiren live action but not the Oshi no Ko live action? 2- Which channel is like a jewish muslim or atheist version of your channel? Or maybe even Hinduism or Buddhism channels on anime especially since Japan is supposedly Buddhist
I love your channel and content, and your arguments and points are well-put. I am genuinely curious, i promise im trying to stir up debate, but if the central miracle of Christianity is Christ's resurrection, how is it hard to believe that God could create the Earth in 7 literal days? To be God, the aspects of being beyond matter, space, time, omnipresents, omniscience, omnipotence, would be required, otherwise, they would not be God.
@@BoneShoulderBro Hi there, thanks for your question. So yes, I would affirm that God could be capable of making the world in 7 days, however, if God has also given us natural laws and provided us ways to find out the truth about how the world was made through nature, then I don't see why we shouldn't rely on that.
Caution to all who watch this video, (No hate to the person that made it) but be careful of most anime or shows that do have magic as not all magic is okay. Pray to God, ask him if it’s okay to watch the show you wanna watch, then go on from there. Never just assume it’s okay to watch something that may have demonic implications in it.
@ I’m completely calm, and I’m not upset or anything. I love fantasy, and I’m fine with it, but I just wanna look out for Christians that may thing evil magic is cool or okay. I know it’s not real, but God still treats this type of stuff seriously, so we should too. That’s like saying “I called you a fat pig as a joke!” But the words are still harmful to people. We have to be careful, that’s all.
@lollalofi3933 Lol, you make a good point, but I think you also missed mine. Evil in a story is fine, because that helps to emphasize how great good is. However, I’m talking about magic here. If someone is able to do something supernatural without God’s help, then that power is not of God- therefore, it’s from another being (demons or Lucifer) 🤷🏽♀ Idk about you, but if the Bible warns me abt something, then I’m gonna be careful around it.
Posting this prior to watching but I've actually been wondering about this exact issue for the past year or two so I look forward with great interest to hearing what you have to say, thank you for speaking on something that has been a big question I've been asking myself for a while
Good video. The fundamentalists who would reject your embracing of old earth and evolution wouldn't click on an anime video anyway. I know the channel is for anime, but I'd like to learn more about how you hold science and faith. I believe that when the curtain is pulled back, it will sense. That the truth is found not in the conflict hypothesis nor in concordism, but it is in the space between.
This guy is the best, he says he's an old Earth creationist and then speeds right by it because he knows that all of us Christ followers end up in the same place where there were new middle or old Earth creationists
This was a very well done video, and I enjoyed it. I think that some Christians--not the ones you mentioned who escaped the occult--get carried away in regards to magic in media and reach a point where they need to get outside and touch grass or something. I know enough to know that magic in any given media is not *innately* evil, but the intent behind it is what matters. For example, in Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files" book series? Its protagonist, Harry Dresden, firmly believes that magic is a means of helping humanity ultimately, and protecting humanity from the supernatural world that they are unaware of for the most part. And Jim Butcher's supernatural world is the way it should be portrayed; a scary and dangerous place for anybody to be involved with. There's nothing cool or sexy or exciting about it. And despite being mostly irreligious (downright atheist, in fact) Harry consistently demonstrates a strong moral streak despite a wisecracking and sarcastic and frequently loudmouthed demeanor. He's a very principled man who firmly stands up for what he believes in and really possesses a good heart in general. Also, among a large cast of excellent supporting characters, one of his closest (if not closest) friends is a man of faith, Michael Carpenter, who Jim Butcher himself told me was intended to be a Christian (Catholic, actually) character who was not a preachy cliche or anything like. He also is a holy warrior in a manner you'd appreciate, I think--the very epitome of the D&D Paladin class. He's a great character because he does indeed impart spiritual guidance to Harry throughout the series whether Harry likes it or not, but not in a heavy handed manner. Anyway, enough of that, and thanks again for a very well spoken video!
2:42 The genealogy from Adam to Christ wouldn't make sense if evolution was true, plus millions of years of death before sin when sin is the reason of death, do you not get legitimacy of creation in Genesis. Even Jesus confirm the creation account in Genesis in Matthew 19:4 “Haven’t you read, that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female" Jesus is the Creator in Genesis, I'll take him at his word.
Yeah, I really don't get his point about how the sun being made after plants means that it's all allegory. God supernaturally made the first plants. He didn't need the sun to do that because it was outside of any natural evolutionary process (also there was light on day 1). I think God did it in that order because it does show that something like the gap theory makes no sense.
I like the video and I agree that magic is only a tool for storytelling and not telling the viewer to do magic and believe in it. But one thing I would like your opinion on is when magic is used in media (not just anime) that depicts pentagrams and other occult imagery in the magic system. Would you still watch the show/movie or would you drop it? The idea being that a pentagram is very satanic and appears often in anime. Anime like sailor moon among others feature pentagrams and other anime feature actual tarot cards. As much as I love JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, I decided to drop it because of all the occult symbolism in the show along with the creator of the manga writing a book called “Manga in Theory and Practice,” which is obviously a reference to the satanist Alastair Crowley’s book “Magic in Theory and Practice.”
@@IED777 I'm not decided yet on kovies with occult imagery because there is definitely a difference between description and prescription. Especially if the context is that the antagonists in the story are using the occult and they're portrayed in a bad light. So those are just my current thoughts.
You’re right. It’s as Paul taught us though. If it doesn’t lead you to sin and you don’t feel convicted according to God’s will whatever it may be AND what is lead up to it, it’s fine.
I overall agree with you, but I do want to bring up what you said about the Genisis account. Your explanations kinda sounds like you believe the Creator of physics/biochemistry is unable to overide the very laws He created. I'm sure you don't mean it in that way, but just wanted to give my input.
@@ArtiomSigma Okay yeah, I know it sounds that way, but of course God is perfectly able to override the laws of physics that he created (otherwise, miracles wouldn't be able to happen). However, if God gave us all of these laws, and it is through these laws that we are able to discover truths about the universe around us, then I don't see the reason why God wouldn't just act through these laws - it actually provides more glory to God because he is actively sustaining and working through the universe through these natural laws.
@ChristianAnimePodcast and I'll say amen to that, even though I'm a young Earth believer myself lol. I mainly made my comment to get you to expand on that comment before someone tries to accuse you of saying something you didn't say.
@@ChristianAnimePodcastwell, I would say we don't have to "discover truths" about events in the past whenever Christians have known what the truth is for millennia because God plainly told us what happened. There's a difference between searching for greater detail and completely changing what the percieved "truth" is by reinterpreting it as allegory. Like, do we need to say that the darkness upon Egypt was just that people were blind due to some temporary disease for three days because it would be odd for the light to be blocked for 3 days in an area while a nearby area was unaffected?
one thing i love oshinoko is that ai was confused about what love is and through her children she learnt what love was and was finally able to say the words i love u not as a way to gain support but as words from her hearts to her children this resonated with me that if i walk with God long enough i would be able to claim with my full chest i love him forwho he is no matter the situation
Magic is very complex and diverse, but in general it affects three facets of reality. The most common form of magic effects probability. Things like the rabbit's foot or placing curses on people. In general, curses usually work by unfortunate circumstances and not like it's betrayed in pop culture that violates the physical realm. The second form of magic manipulates emotional and psychological. Example would be by demonic influence such as fiery darts of the enemy, or being indwelled by the holy Spirit by focusing on him daily. The most complex form of magic which is the third form that generally could be used only by the most powerful and rare demonic powers would be the magic of manipulating physical matter. Baalberith a powerful fallen Angel that also was a god of the Canaanites, and is also given the title the Duke of hell with 26 lesions of fallen angels beneath him was believed to be so powerful he was able to manipulate the physical reality wilding the third type of magic. Materializing gold and all sorts of things. Most Spirit guides, which in reality are demonic agents exercise the first form of magic, stronger ones have more mastery of manipulating hearts and minds threw intrusive thoughts or influence. It is believed by some that the very powerful ones that could influence the state of matter itself are usually smaller in numbers, and are most likely in position of authority just below Satan.
As far as Christianity meshes with anime (and other Japanese entertainment media), I feel that Mushoku Tensei is fundamentally one of the most Christian-like in storytelling: the MC started out as a wretched sinner who caused great harm to himself through his sin (which itself was largely the product of the evil visited upon him by others), and as the story progresses, he's becoming an accomplished and virtuous man (though still clinging to some vices). He was given a second chance and he's making the most of it. A friend of the main character is a junior member of the clergy for a religion modeled partly after Christianity (though the Church's temporal power is more in display than its theology) and despite some of his flaws, he's an incredibly steadfast and virtuous man, moreso than most other clergymen of his faith. I'd recommend taking a look at the anime and I highly recommend reading the novels. I can name only two characters who are wretched beyond repentance in the entire work, one eventually becomes a victim of his own iniquity, while the other perishes by the hands of those he had wronged. Most others get a second chance or submit to their fate. And if you want a deep dive analysis on the psychology of it, Ed from Psyculturist has done hours of analysis per episode, often even wizarding predictions for the events of the show. The setting is supernatural in that mana is an elementary part of the material worlds and everything is infused with it, except for one character, for whom this has very tangible consequences. Gods existed until they killed each other (except for one, and perhaps another). Devils exist in that they're highly evolved monsters, and the undead are a thing the Church has specialized magic against. Almost every living thing can improve their physical characteristics through mana and magicians fuel their spells with it. Magic exists as a decayed science structured millenia before by another race, often invoking a God figure in the incantations. Mana also poisons areas by turning wildlife and plants into monsters and various caves and crevasses into labyrinths (which themselves can be thought of as giant monsters). Demons exist as a race of beings made of flesh and blood, with that term being literal demonization by humanity rather than indicating a status of them being fallen celestial or invading infernal beings. They exist as their own culture with some other races' tribes assimilated into them and a few of their tribes existing outside of the classification (like the Oni). Even the English term is misleading, since the Japanese term for it can mean "magical folk" with the understanding that they're directly harmful to humans, which they ostensibly have been in the numerous wars that often ended in one side nearly exterminating or subjugating the other.
I disagree on a few points. First, from what i can tell, the bible has two kinds of storys parables, as you said, and historical accounts of what happened and the aforementioned creation story falls in this category. Yes, God made plants before he made the sun and moon, and yes, plants need sunlight to photosynthesis. But don't you think God can sustain plants for one day before he made the sun? Obviously, when making the universe, he had a plan and knew that freshly created plants could survive one day without sunlight. Second, when it comes to magic in any kind of media for me personally, I don't like anything that has pentagrams or other demonic symbols or witchcraft. Now there are a few exceptions like lord of the rings for example the magic in lord of the rings is only really used by Gandalf (which in the storys hes called a wizard but he is more of an angelic being read the Simorillian if you want to know more) and Saruon and the one ring which is evil. So what im trying to say is that if witchcraft in a story is portrait as evil or if the magic isn't really explained e.g "oh that sword is a magic sword" im generally ok with it. As for Oshi No Ko the reincarnation isn't really explored heavily but im still iffy on that one but good show and good story none the less. I didn't mean to write a novel just want to share my thoughts let me know yours or if you disagree.
i disagree. im atheist but i dont think using logic christians cant watch stuff with demonic symbols or witchcraft because it is already mentioned bible.
But it still holds the same problem, why create things that need something you're yet to create? It's like building a car before the wheel was invented. You know whats funny about pentagram, it was the symbol of Jerusalem, Gawain of Arthurian legends had shield with pentagram, for a long time it represented 5 wounds of Jesus, origins of this symbol are credited to Solomon and represent 5 virtues, you have north rose of Amiens Cathedral where downward-pointing pentagram symbolizes holy spirit descending on people, for thousands of years pentagram was a symbol that protected from evil. Pentagram in its negative meaning is maybe max 200years old, and gained a lot of bad fame in especially the last century. And most of these "demonic" symbols are waaaay older than Christianity, and have practically nothing to do with demons, I mean, google Cross of Saint Peter, a legit Christian symbol and tell me it's "demonic".
Good video! I love seeing christians talk about anime, as most anime I believe to be evil, but theres still a lot of good ones, i think. How I judge an anime to be ungodly or not (or any fiction) is to simply look at what is portrayed to be the "good side" and the "bad side". If the "bad side" lines up with evil as described in the bible, and the "good side" lines up with righteousness as described in the bible, green flag ✅️ all good. If its twisted any other way, ❌️🙅♂️not good. For instance, a LOT of anime like to give the heros evil weapons to destroy the bad guys. Usually using demons to kill demons.. obviously both wrong. 2 wrongs dont make a right. Bible says to "Overcome evil with good". Ik theres a lot of nuance, for instance cases of redemption. But this has helped me for everything. Let us deny ourselves & seek Christ. God bless
I do not agree with all of your theology but I really appreciate you taking the time to put this video together. I do agree that books of the Bible especially Genesis are not a literal word for word history book.
2:42 What's your opinion on Answers in Genesis's stance on a young earth? I personally find Ken Ham's explanation very convincing. And by evolution, do you mean living creatures adapting to their environment, or things developing completely new features they where never capable of before?
@@ChristianAnimePodcast Understandable how you may find them cringe, I might see why one would. Personally I find the evidence they present indisputable, or at least I haven't heard any good arguments against them yet. I would love a video from you about your thoughts on the topic of science and creation, and why you believe in what you do, but I don't expect it, as your channel focuses on anime, not apologetics. Besides, what we believe in this matter, doesn't affect whether or not we go to Heaven, so I'll just leave it here. Thank you for your time!
@icemanz09-09 Yeah, I think this issue is on an individual basis and we can totally still be followers of Jesus and disagree on this issue! Not worth dividing over it. I would do a video on it, but only if it ever related to anime as I did in this video.
A side note on old earth creationism; the original texts (whether that's Hebrew or Greek, in Genesis or not) refer to the genesis creation as a literal 7 days, Moses specifically.
Someone like St. Padre Pio would no doubt say anyone tolerating magic in any way, even as part of entertainment, is dancing with the devil. However, not knowing his opinion on Tolkien and C. S. Lewis's approach to magic in their storytelling, unsure. I've watched anime w/ magic before, and unless they're blatantly saying you need to use magic for everything, it doesn't bother me.
It is written: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” It is written: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting, get understanding.” It is written: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” Jesus was tempted. No servant is greater than his master. In regard to Re:Zero Objectively, certain aspects of the story-such as character names and themes-seem questionable: • Emilia/Satella → Emulate/Emmanuel/Satan/Star (A false father figure?) • Subaru (Barusu) → Bar-Jesus (A reference to the Antichrist?) • Puck, Beatrice, spirits → Spirits (A counterfeit Holy Spirit?) • Rem/Ram → Demons • The Gospel → Root of all evil • Gospel followers → Primary antagonists, fanatical like demons • Return by death → Death as power • Overcoming sin → By one’s own grit and gaining power • Sin power → Derived from cute, quirky girls • “Little girl user” → A concerning trope However, another perspective could be: • Love covers a multitude of sins. • Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. • Jesus rebuked the Pharisees-not for their knowledge, but for their hypocrisy. They washed the outside of the cup but remained filthy inside. It is better to pursue God fervently. One can be righteous and yet still struggle, as Jacob did through his deception. What matters most is WHO your whole heart belongs to. There are no coincidences. Everything ultimately points to the cross. 愛 ❤️ - Crown, heart, man. Be like one of the three wise men from the East. Focus on Jesus. Grace, mercy, and love. Maintain the shield of faith.
Yeah mate, you're digging too deep, last time I checked Emilia is just other version of Emily, you know, a normal fking name, where did you get Satan from. Also father figure? A girl? Subaru means unity or Pleiades, Barusu is literally Subaru with rearranged syllables, and by the way, it's supposed to sound like ballsu (Japanese doesn't distinguish between L and R), yes Ram literally calls him balls.
As a Christian I agree, yes magic is not good to believe in or do as a Christian. Watching magic isn't necessarily bad, believing and practising it is. Also, kamusta kayo sa buhay mo with Christ?
Real life restrictions ≠ fantasy world restrictions. In real life, "magic" is one of the following, depending on your personal beliefs. A superstitious waste of time and money, or making contact/contracts with malevolent spiritual entities. In fantasy, "magic" is whatever the author defines it as. An inherent ability. A skill that can be learned and honed. A metaphysical field of science. Generally, using magic in a fictional setting requires an individual to study some esoteric books, and practice moving some internal "spiritual muscle" that uses an internal energy source called "mana". There is no need to make deals with demons, there is no need to make blood sacrifices in fantasy; it might exist as an option, an option that I would not entertain.
oh great, he's a old earther, right when i was about to sub too. i'm not gonna go full essay mode, not like it would change your opinion either i recon, just gonna say plants can go 1 day without sunlight and seeing how light was created on the first day they would already have a source of substances. the sun and moon where added later to give us ways to tell the seasons and govern the days. there purpose wasn't to feed the plants. if someone gonna ask "where the light come from though" God calls himself the light of the world, he was so bright he nearly killed Moses when he just looked at his back, he escorted the Hebrew's as a pillar of light when leaving Egypt, and Jesus when he showed his glory came with a bright light as well. though i am curious how you can rectify God using evolution and you have millions of years of death and over 90% of all living things going extinct to supposedly bring us about and somehow God looked at that and call it "very good"? imo that stuff didn't exist until man sinned and is part of the curse which will be thrown away at the end times as mentioned in Revelations otherwise you are in a position in which God calls death very good among other things like disease, natural disasters, as well as violence and killing so why should we look upon these things as wrong or out of place in any fashion? why would God make the Lion lay down with the lamp in the new world when he evolved them to eat each other in the first place and called such behavior very good? whelp so much for not making an essay
Ok, now give me an example of light without a source and if God is the source of light, then we can conclude that he emits electromagnetic radiation and therefore has a material form, which must be energetically at around the level of sun, at there's a reason why plants use chlorophyll and not other pigment in photosynthesis. Also creating plants before sun is like building car before inventing wheel. "millions of years of death and over 90% of all living things going extinct to supposedly bring us about and somehow God looked at that and call it "very good"?" 1. more like 99.9%, 2. you mean the same God that basically killed millions because he didn't like them and literally eradicated most land animals by creating the biggest natural disaster? Not to mention taking 2 of each is nowhere near the repopulation population (minimum viable population) and leads to incest in the second generation. Also, diseases are technically part of creation, after all god created bacteria, viruses and parasites. "violence and killing so why should we look upon these things as wrong or out of place" Ever heard about that thing called self-preservation? If you need a 2000yo book to tell you that killing and harming others negatively affects your chances of survival and social relationships, like in all other social animals, then I'm seriously worried about your mental state.
Out of all the arguments Old Earth Creationists make, photosynthesis might be the least convincing. Plants can survive 24 hours without light, so if God spawns a bunch of fully formed plants on Day 3, they'll make it just fine until the sun appears on Day 4. (This ignores that God had already created both Day and Light on Day 1 - probably utilizing a temporary source of light until the sun could fill that role - so the plants would be able to photosynthesize on Day 3 anyway.) I'm not saying your position is wrong because of this, just that there are much better arguments you could use to support your position. Besides this, great video man.
Considering the size of the universe, and the distances of old stars being observed, a star that is 30,000 light years from earth would be at least that old for us to be seeing it today. When stars were created, we wouldn't be able to see them until their light reaches earth from their distance. Basically, the bigger the universe, the older the universe. Outlook at it like this; If God is able to make such a grand and massive (possibly infinite) universe in regards to space occupied, why not time?
2:45 I affirm animal evolution and that includes early hominids but at the same time I believe that modern humans (homo sapiens) were created de-novo from the dust as described in Genesis 2:7 (but using the same "template" as the early hominids). Or that at least Adam and Eve were.
"This show/game has SPELLS in it". Ok, here's the thing. A "spell" in fantasy. A specific magical/impossible action. In the context of fantasy or gaming the word "spell" does not necessarily refer to how said action is achieved. Just to the action itself. A spell IRL. An actual real life incantation. These are rooted in superstition and/or the occult. The reason why they are bad is because that's not how real life works. Or the word refers to a curse as in "to be under a spell".
3:06 - 3:11 And to that I read this: “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). Just becuase certain elements of the world’s creation doesn’t make sense to us doesn’t mean we should just disregard it as some simplistic metaphor. I believe God was being quite clear. Whether or not you want to believe what it says, I think you’re leaning lean too heavily in your own understanding by writing it off as some simplistic metaphor U.S. doing a disservice to God. On another note, This might be the first video I’ve heavily disagreed with you on something. It’s a real shame too. Because from the title and intro is sounds like you’re making an excuse for Christian anime watchers to dismiss witchcraft. 0:58 and just because someone may not feel convicted about watching something doesn’t make it right to watch. The fact you felt the need to say this makes it sound like you’re trying to excuse the outwardly pagan stuff from these simply because you like the characters and plot. As an avid watcher of yours who usually loves your content that beginning part was hard to listen to. God Bless and I hope we both continue growing in Christ Jesus.
i understand why almost everyone disagree with him being a earth Creationists, but it doesn't affect his faith at all. (pls see this as christians who disagrees with eachother and not a christian who is ''holier than thou'') it quite literally doesn't do anything with his faith. he still believes that christ died, rose up from the dead and took our sin away. that is christianity, not whatever is in the OT (with all respect to the OT. i reconize that there are stories that lead up to christianity) if a baby christian (or christian in general) watch him and applies the things what he says to his/hers life witout thinking first. it is on them not him. everybody keeps saying to not follow humans blindly.
The way I've always seen it, if the magic in your fictional world is practiced through the intended way (communion with a god, naturally born with it, etc), it's no different than a prophet performing a miracle in our world. The "bad magic" would be supernatural abilities obtained through unnatural methods, which would be an analog for the devil. A story would have to condone this unnatural magic for it to be satanic.
With re:zero specifically, I watched the whole thing from seadon one to season 2 (haven’t seen season 3 yet) and I really enjoyed it and sympathized with the character when he went through his (very justified) mental breakdowns, because mentally, subaru is among the strongest anime characters for going through what he does, and actively choosing to die for people that murdered him. on my rewatch of the show, there was a part were subaru was essentially calling god/gods lazy and seemed to glorify demons in a single sentence, I dropped the show because of that but is this just a 1 Corinthians 8:4-12 kinda moment and am I just overthinking it?
I'm here before seeing this video want to say something,Very simple things,you watching something like sousou frirein or something isekai anime doesn't mean that you need to agree the concept and the thing like magic, reincarnation.
I concur. (And I'm very much a Christian). I love those games so much. I actually like Eternal more than 2016 now, too. I thought the new mechanics were confusing, but they actually help the gameplay feel more fresh and fun.
I wanna see somebody make a bell curve meme that goes like this Low IQ: "Harry Potter is evil because it has magic in it" Mid IQ: "Harry Potter is fine because it's just fantasy" High IQ: "Harry Potter is evil because it's cringe, its worldbuilding is terrible, the author is a liberal feminist, and the fans are creepy"
I think critical thinking needs to be played here. I’m Christian but I don’t hesitate to watch shows with magic or even symbolism in them. (Hell even watched Hazbin Hotel) as long as you understand it’s fictional show set in a fictional setting it’s not trying to influence anybody who is able to think past a 1st grade level.
There is (generally) a difference between fantasy magic and real-world "magic" (usually read as occult and black magic). As far as a work of fiction goes, one has to separate that fiction from reality (something Christians are often accused of struggling to do). What we call "black magic" is nothing more than a form of prayer, albeit directed towards something other than God (which is what makes it 1, Dangerous, and 2, stupid). "Fantasy Magic", in which you make a gesture and something happens, or say a word and the power of just saying that word and making that gesture makes something happen, has no direct real-world equivalent (though in-context it is typically more akin to science than the supernatural). As far as your point about evolution, I would point out that some translations of Genesis contain rather shocking parallels to evolutionary theory (i.e., the first animals God creates are fish; according to paleontology, the first animals were aquatic - so, basically "fish" from the perspective of primitive human beings).
Well, not fish, more accurate would be rather "aquatic creatures" or "everything that lives in water", which at the time of writing this also included crocodiles, dolphins, beavers, otters, ect., and there is also a mention of "sea monsters", which probably refers to whales. I mean, Christian church literally counted beavers as fish until recently.
@@Dread_2137 ... and this contradicts why I said, how? As near as I can tell, you're just rephrasing what I said. As far as beavers as fish, I hadn't heard about that one.
@ well, that any of these came a looooooooong time after fish, yet in ancient times were considered "fish", or rather as I said "aquatic creatures", if we want to apply evolution to this, saying seal came before gecko is a pretty weird statement. As for beavers being fish, I don't remember which one, but some Pope announced that beavers are fish, so they can be eaten during Lent, during which of course eating meat is forbidden (I don't know what they think fish are made of if not meat, but ok).
@@Dread_2137 Recall where we're getting the story from though - a copy of a copy of a copy, like a generational game of telephone, eventually being written down by primitive people lacking modern information. Fish are associated with water in their minds, so they probably wouldn't distinguish between just "fish" and the broader "aquatic creatures". As far as seals and geckos go, I don't know where you get that from.
@@ManFromThePits yeah, that's what I'm talking about, and that's why trying to apply evolution here doesn't work. This is an analogy, seals are mammals, geckos are reptiles, one class is much older than the other.
…what? That makes no sense. King Saul was punished for doing that, and the witch that performed the ritual was put to death. That scene was put in the Bible as a lesson to those that try to connect to the dead: do it and you will be punished.
I wonder what your take on Harry Potter is. As far as I’m aware the magic and world of Harry Potter has loads of influence and replications of what would be considered real witchcraft. I’m up in the air if there is any actual validity or “power” in such things but isn’t it potentially concerning to have it in media? Sort of like if you had a detailed moment of someone making a bomb for example.
generally speaking, i think sorcery is satanic. but im okay with watching an anime and like sorcery is in it. its like a prop or something in it its evil but evil can exist within a world. but call evil evil and good good. seperate yourself from the darkness then you can have fun and enjoy a great story. God bless!
on the days of creation, there is an error assumption in your logic that on day 4, stars includes earth's sun as opposed to what would be referenced by those retelling the story of either the other stars or stars as in the metaphor for the spirits which the metaphor language version for stars in this case is repeated in other sections of the text; furthermore the text starts with creating heavens and earth, what were those heavens were they not the physical stars? then next is "let there be light" this is all day 1, before the stars you claim is a problem on day 4. furthermore one should not view creation as being bound by following the current physical laws during creation. when we create fictional worlds do we start with the particle physics, the gathering mater, the development of organisms the spreading of the first forest? or does the beginning of the story have a world that is fully formed and with a prior history even though that history never happened. rather than assume old earth creationism, why not assume the more likely earth was created in a 'finished' state like we do when we make our own fantasy and virtual worlds?
The problem is more that light is an effect, it literally does not exist without a source, it is like wanting to have sound without the vibration of air or another medium
Hiya i have a request if you do play video games Could you take a look at Diablo 4 im a Christian and i love Diablo but i heard a lot of bad things about it Christianity wise even non religious people ive talked to told me it was very intense and anti Christian witch dosent seem right to me since the series is all about killing demons and all please and thank you
Keep fictional stories as fictional an enjoy them theres some good messages u can take in your life. especially serious emotional themes to overcoming hardships in life. But in real life stay away from sites that do evil / promotes evil and degenerate behavior don't follow it, flee from it, social media sites that that offer negativity remove it off your feed. All it will do is try to destroy your mind. Meditate on Jesus teachings to have a strong mind an you will overcome Amen
Beware of spiritualism and the New age movement. Do not trust those spirits masquerading as deceased loved ones, and stay away from Spirit guides. I know what they are. Don't be deceived.
I don't really agree with you, not because i don't think you CAN watch Anime with magic, but because maybe you are the type to be too concerned with forcing things like censorship on IP you watch. Art shouldn't be forced to conform to the viewer, it should be enjoyed by those open to exploring it flaws and all.
Never heard it in my circles, but we have all heard of "that one mega chuch pastor" who are out to make a name for themselves and bask in praise for theologocal midwittery.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Really have no problem with it. JRR Tolkien used plenty of theological influence in his creation of the fantasy world Middle Earth, and it is jam-packed with Christian philosophy. The characters like Golem/Smeagol have a lot to teach about the consequences and addictive alure of sin, for example. Not to mention plenty of these films, barrow, a thing or two from Tolkiens creation, sometimes unwittingly. another RUclipsr Pax actually, pointed this out in one of his own videos.
In both Tolkien and Frieren magic is background and not foreground. Frieren is primarily about timeless human virtues such as kindness, loyalty, bravery, generosity, and compassion. Frieren's mission is to understand these things by retracing her previous journey with her two new companions Fern and Stark.
I have lived my whole Christian life being told that magic is not okay. I can see why magic wouldn’t be okay, since magic is usually a forbidden power given to you by an unknown source (Aka the devil), therefore it shouldn’t be entertained- so if someone is able to do something “magical”, or unnatural, like voodoo or whatnot, it’s deemed as demonic (rightfully so, since demons are biblically able to provide ‘abilities’ to people.)
I wouldn’t say that all anime or shows with magic in it is okay to watch, as most magic IS black magic and demonic, such as summoning circles, but if something you want to watch or read has magic in it, pray to God and ask him what he thinks.
Don’t just decide on your own whether you should watch or not. It’s not up to us, we don’t know what’s good for us, so just ask God.
Magic is likely not just demonic. If Magic is available to the likes of Lucifer, then surely other Angels (and Fallen Angels) can harness it as well. It may very well be a heavenly ability we, as mortals, fallen from the times of Adam and Eve, no longer have access too
@@thalmoragent9344 that’s a good theory. I wish the Bible went more into what the world was like before satan fell from heaven.
I do know that when we go back to heaven, we’ll be able to direct angels (I forget what verse), but I wonder if we’ll have other abilities as well.
I'm Pentecostal, but I have to say...I mostly agree with this take. Frieren is a beautiful anime that deals with the beauty and importance of everyday life and has an absolute moral standard in which dark spiritual forces are unquestionably evil. The whole story is about Frieren and friends looking for heaven while she remembers her friend Himmel (which, in German, literally means "heaven"). And there are surprisingly religious-friendly moments, such as when the story's "corrupt priest" encourages everyone to pray in a moving scene that, at the very least, says that heaven is something worth believing in.
The evil of magic in the real world is that you are trying to access spiritual power outside of a proper relationship with Christ, which is the only proper path for us humans to access the spiritual. When you attempt to go outside the created order to assert your own will over creation through supernatural means, you are opening yourself up to other supernatural beings to assert their will over you.
But magic in fiction can be just fine. My own litmus test is: 1) is this trying to indoctrinate me into a non-Christian worldview? and 2) is this trying to teach me how to practice magic myself? If the answer is no, I'm usually fine with depictions of magic.
(I do have a zero tolerance policy for pentagrams, however, which I believe are even set apart from other magical symbology through their real-world connection to the explicitly demonic. I read the Frieren manga but I do deface the pentagrams whenever they show up.)
Sorry for the essay, but I've been thinking about this topic for some time.
@@benevolentremnant2949 Thanks for the response! It's really good to see that you've also thought about this issue too and come to this conclusion :)
@@ChristianAnimePodcast
Could you do a video about Christianity through mecha anime?
Magic is very complex and diverse, but in general it affects three facets of reality. The most common form of magic effects probability. Things like the rabbit's foot or placing curses on people. In general, curses usually work by unfortunate circumstances and not like it's betrayed in pop culture that violates the physical realm. The second form of magic manipulates emotional and psychological. Example would be by demonic influence such as fiery darts of the enemy, or being indwelled by the holy Spirit by focusing on him daily. The most complex form of magic which is the third form that generally could be used only by the most powerful and rare demonic powers would be the magic of manipulating physical matter. Baalberith a powerful fallen Angel that also was a god of the Canaanites, and is also given the title the Duke of hell with 26 lesions of fallen angels beneath him was believed to be so powerful he was able to manipulate the physical reality wilding the third type of magic. Materializing gold and all sorts of things. Most Spirit guides, which in reality are demonic agents exercise the first form of magic, stronger ones have more mastery of manipulating hearts and minds threw intrusive thoughts or influence. It is believed by some that the very powerful ones that could influence the state of matter itself are usually smaller in numbers, and are most likely in position of authority just below Satan.
Honestly, if Magic truly exists out there, mayhaps this is indeed the way that Christianity would have navigated it in our own world history
I've never read Frieren so maybe my opinion isn't valid.
The pentagram shape itself isn't evil, it's the intention behind it. The US flag is covered in 50 of them. The shape can even be found in old churches to symbolize Christ's 5 wounds.
The shape is indeed used in the occult and therefore is not something I would use in a magic system in any of my stories. At the same time I don’t like the idea of defacing a manga. The author most likely used it because she simply thought it looked "magical".
Just dropping my 2 cents as an Orthodox Christian from Eastern Europe, but this whole Magic vs Christianity conflict seems to be a Western thing. Like, in my country we have fairy tales where the hero has all sorts of magical powers like turning into a mosquito, having a talking horse, resurrecting people using the water of life etc. And at the same time, the hero is a God-fearing Christian who builds churches after his victories. If you ask any priest about these stories, they'll tell you they are just stories and ask what's the problem?
I'm just sharing my experience.
As long as the anime or game doesn’t promote said magic, you can see the Biblical principles in them.
Like for example: Kingdom hearts has a lot of biblical principles in it like “there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for another” and you can see a great example of this principle in action in the scene where Sora ‘releases’ his heart (he practically stabs it out…) to save his friend, Kairi.
Forgiveness is another biblical principle that kingdom hearts shows very well. Loving your enemies is also a good topic.
I'm taking a course on CS LEWIS right now.
...
You should consider watching the film "The Colors Within". It's directed by the same woman who directed "A Silent Voice".
I saw it in Theaters. Very wholesome!
Romans 14 is a good illustration of this concept, though it talks more about food.
Do not judge your brother for what he eats. No food is unclean of itself, but if one of weak faith considers some food unclean, then for him, it is unclean.
On the other hand, do not eat anything that causes your brother to stumble.
(Paraphrased)
In other words, we’re really fine to watch whatever. (It is fiction, you’re not endorsing anything) But don’t try to tempt someone into it if they feel it IS wrong. It is for God alone to judge these matters.
Unlike food, media can intrinsically be an occasion of sin. Christians should not consume media that are inherently blasphemous or pornographic. Unlike food, evil entertainment can corrupt the mind and soul. The advice you cite applies to things that are not intrinsically evil.
I disagree. Well, kinda. It depends on what DOES corrupt the mind. If you can watch it without this (theoretically, in heaven, with sin erased forever, you could watch anything) then it’s not a problem.
Granted, pron is designed FOR sinful behavior, so that’s practically always going to be bad. Theoretically, if it doesn’t affect you, and there was some other reason to watch it, even that would be fine. (Of course, that’s not… even faintly realistic)
I guess it’s more about what will corrupt you and what won’t. And that depends on the person, though there’s a lot of commonality and general things that apply to most of us.
I think it was either Aristotle or Plato who said it takes a wise man to entertain an idea without accepting it.
I think most of us are mature enough to enjoy fantasy and even themes we vehemently disagree with.
I personally don't agree with this completely, the reason why is because even though the stories are fictional, we still have to be careful what we consume. Especially when there's certain symbolism used. As for if Bible stories literal? Well some are and some aren't, but I believe the Genesis account could be taken as literal cuz God can do anything lol. A lot of the stories in the old and new testament are real in a literal sense. We just have to look at what type of literature it is. Is it historical? Is it poetic? That type of thing.
I 100% agree about shows like Oshi no Ko, because the message of the overall story is what you're supposed to be paying attention to not the small stuff like the reincarnation aspect. I personally love Oshi no Ko and shows like it that really make you think.
That's all good, thanks for sharing your input. I do still see certain symbolism as important to be careful to watch out for, but we also gotta be careful not to be conspiratorial about it.
The problem is if it's if the consumer that is corruptible, not if the content itself is "corrupt". There are things that can be completely fine to you or others that a specific group of people can be severely influenced by. Don't bar yourself from something that you won't let affect you, it's unreasonable.
Okay, we all get that, but you have to keep in mind that God himself said that if something is evil, you must cut it out completely, whether it can corrupt you or not. If God sees magic or sorcery as evil, then we must cut it out at all costs, no questions asked.
@@FloofyPanic With that logic, you shouldn't socialise with anyone because every human is innately evil. How is that fair? Please don't demonise something that isn't malicious because of the way it tells its story. Questions are how we reach God in the first place. Blind faith is bad, like trusting a friend who takes your money and never pays you back. Research is needed to build trust in God, the whole reason we have the choice to follow God or not shows his want for us to have free will, and he wants us to choose him because he's the truth and not just because it's our family's religion.
@ You didnt understand what I meant. Yea, God gave us free will, but he still has expectations for us to try and do what is right. We can only know what is right by reading our Bibles. Leviticus 20:27 says, “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”
There are other verses in the Bible that go against magic and stuff, so based off of this fact, I’m just going to avoid all magic because God obviously isn’t okay with is. Period.
As a Conservative Baptist with a grammatical-historical hermeneutic, I grew up understanding the line between reality and fiction. If stalwarts like Tolkien and Lewis can write about other worlds with evil witches and talking lions, forgotten magical histories with wizards, dwarves, elves and orcs, or a space story in the vein of John Carpenter, then I can watch similar parabolic stories with virtuous themes compatible with the faith. Before I can get to magical stories again, though, I'm in the middle of Vinland Saga right now as part of a personal project needing the researching Viking stuff, and it's amazing.
amen. You don't have to have a progressive hermeneutic like Christian Anime Podcast's bad exegesis of Genesis to understand the difference between actual fiction and biblical reality.
@@TheCastleKeeper Thank you for the kind words. I actually wasn't intending to critique his position on Genesis. Merely wanted to show solidarity in the main point of the video, despite our differences in that area. That isn't to say I don't believe it's important. My personal service is in line with the GH hermeneutic of Genesis, in fact. It's just that even if there are some (crucial in the bigger scale of things) points of contention, I widely agree with the main thrust of the video, especially concerning anime.
From a biblical perspective, magic is generally associated with the occult, which is warned against in scripture (Deuteronomy 18:10-12, Revelation 21:8). Ellen G. White also speaks against anything that desensitizes Christians to spiritual dangers. So, if an anime glorifies sorcery, the occult, or portrays supernatural power apart from God, then it’s something a Christian should probably avoid.
That said, some anime have “magic” that’s more like fantasy-world mechanics rather than actual occult practices (e.g., elemental powers, alchemy in Fullmetal Alchemist). Some might not view that as dangerous, while others prefer to stay away entirely to avoid any potential influence.
Being realistic, a lot of Christians watch magical anime without thinking much of it, just like how many read fantasy books with magical elements. But if you’re serious about filtering content through faith, it’s good to ask:
• Does this anime promote something that conflicts with my beliefs?
• Is it desensitizing me to something God warns against?
• Would I feel comfortable watching this with Jesus beside me?
Ultimately, it’s a personal conviction. If the Holy Spirit convicts you to avoid it, then it’s best to listen. If it doesn’t trouble your conscience and doesn’t pull you away from God, then that’s between you and Him.
God did create the world in 6days and has sustained it since, failure to humanly comprehend is to show how infinitely great a being He is.
This!!!
" actual occult practices (e.g., elemental powers, alchemy in Fullmetal Alchemist)", how to tell you this, drawing pictures on the floor and saying some random words will not change the subatomic structure of lead, unless these drawings and words are capable of generating as much power as a giant thermonuclear fusion reactor aka the sun, I know you have your beliefs, but some things are just not real, regardless of whether some crazy people have tried them in the past or not
This is a great video. I more recently have been seeing more Christian people that condemn magic in fictional storytelling. I needed a video to explain reasons why magic is just a way to tell a story. I appreciate your video for explaining it to me. For the rest of you people, please stop creating unnecessary barriers to interact with the world and being Christian.
there is a yter called religion for breakfast &he makes vids on all sorts of religions & their practices,history,etc.
he has made a vid where he talked about how earrly christians were very prevalent with using magic.
in his vid on grimoires,he also showed how christians used certain text written by christ or ppl associated with him on things & places as if those things had magical properties.
he had said ppl in ancient times in many places of diffeerent religions saw language itself as some sort off magic.
1- Should Christian avoid the Freiren live action but not the Oshi no Ko live action?
2- Which channel is like a jewish muslim or atheist version of your channel? Or maybe even Hinduism or Buddhism channels on anime especially since Japan is supposedly Buddhist
I love your channel and content, and your arguments and points are well-put.
I am genuinely curious, i promise im trying to stir up debate, but if the central miracle of Christianity is Christ's resurrection, how is it hard to believe that God could create the Earth in 7 literal days? To be God, the aspects of being beyond matter, space, time, omnipresents, omniscience, omnipotence, would be required, otherwise, they would not be God.
@@BoneShoulderBro Hi there, thanks for your question. So yes, I would affirm that God could be capable of making the world in 7 days, however, if God has also given us natural laws and provided us ways to find out the truth about how the world was made through nature, then I don't see why we shouldn't rely on that.
Caution to all who watch this video, (No hate to the person that made it) but be careful of most anime or shows that do have magic as not all magic is okay. Pray to God, ask him if it’s okay to watch the show you wanna watch, then go on from there.
Never just assume it’s okay to watch something that may have demonic implications in it.
Bro calm down. Its just fantasy. It's not real.
@ I’m completely calm, and I’m not upset or anything. I love fantasy, and I’m fine with it, but I just wanna look out for Christians that may thing evil magic is cool or okay. I know it’s not real, but God still treats this type of stuff seriously, so we should too.
That’s like saying “I called you a fat pig as a joke!” But the words are still harmful to people. We have to be careful, that’s all.
then stop reading the bible lmao. since there are plenty of demons in it
@lollalofi3933 Lol, you make a good point, but I think you also missed mine. Evil in a story is fine, because that helps to emphasize how great good is. However, I’m talking about magic here. If someone is able to do something supernatural without God’s help, then that power is not of God- therefore, it’s from another being (demons or Lucifer) 🤷🏽♀
Idk about you, but if the Bible warns me abt something, then I’m gonna be careful around it.
Last time I was this early the Salem Witch Trials were taking place
@@TheStarshipGarage 💀💀💀
Im glad someone else has a similar view on Genesis
Posting this prior to watching but I've actually been wondering about this exact issue for the past year or two so I look forward with great interest to hearing what you have to say, thank you for speaking on something that has been a big question I've been asking myself for a while
Good video. The fundamentalists who would reject your embracing of old earth and evolution wouldn't click on an anime video anyway. I know the channel is for anime, but I'd like to learn more about how you hold science and faith. I believe that when the curtain is pulled back, it will sense. That the truth is found not in the conflict hypothesis nor in concordism, but it is in the space between.
You make a good argument for old earth creationist. You should do a video going more in depth.
This guy is the best, he says he's an old Earth creationist and then speeds right by it because he knows that all of us Christ followers end up in the same place where there were new middle or old Earth creationists
This was a very well done video, and I enjoyed it. I think that some Christians--not the ones you mentioned who escaped the occult--get carried away in regards to magic in media and reach a point where they need to get outside and touch grass or something. I know enough to know that magic in any given media is not *innately* evil, but the intent behind it is what matters. For example, in Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files" book series? Its protagonist, Harry Dresden, firmly believes that magic is a means of helping humanity ultimately, and protecting humanity from the supernatural world that they are unaware of for the most part. And Jim Butcher's supernatural world is the way it should be portrayed; a scary and dangerous place for anybody to be involved with. There's nothing cool or sexy or exciting about it. And despite being mostly irreligious (downright atheist, in fact) Harry consistently demonstrates a strong moral streak despite a wisecracking and sarcastic and frequently loudmouthed demeanor. He's a very principled man who firmly stands up for what he believes in and really possesses a good heart in general. Also, among a large cast of excellent supporting characters, one of his closest (if not closest) friends is a man of faith, Michael Carpenter, who Jim Butcher himself told me was intended to be a Christian (Catholic, actually) character who was not a preachy cliche or anything like. He also is a holy warrior in a manner you'd appreciate, I think--the very epitome of the D&D Paladin class. He's a great character because he does indeed impart spiritual guidance to Harry throughout the series whether Harry likes it or not, but not in a heavy handed manner. Anyway, enough of that, and thanks again for a very well spoken video!
2:42 The genealogy from Adam to Christ wouldn't make sense if evolution was true, plus millions of years of death before sin when sin is the reason of death, do you not get legitimacy of creation in Genesis. Even Jesus confirm the creation account in Genesis in Matthew 19:4 “Haven’t you read, that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female"
Jesus is the Creator in Genesis, I'll take him at his word.
Amen
@Bobzilla2023 God bless you!
Preach! If he believes in evolution, he doesn’t believe in the true Jesus or God.
@@FloofyPanic Yeah
Yeah, I really don't get his point about how the sun being made after plants means that it's all allegory. God supernaturally made the first plants. He didn't need the sun to do that because it was outside of any natural evolutionary process (also there was light on day 1). I think God did it in that order because it does show that something like the gap theory makes no sense.
I like the video and I agree that magic is only a tool for storytelling and not telling the viewer to do magic and believe in it. But one thing I would like your opinion on is when magic is used in media (not just anime) that depicts pentagrams and other occult imagery in the magic system. Would you still watch the show/movie or would you drop it? The idea being that a pentagram is very satanic and appears often in anime.
Anime like sailor moon among others feature pentagrams and other anime feature actual tarot cards. As much as I love JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, I decided to drop it because of all the occult symbolism in the show along with the creator of the manga writing a book called “Manga in Theory and Practice,” which is obviously a reference to the satanist Alastair Crowley’s book “Magic in Theory and Practice.”
@@IED777 I'm not decided yet on kovies with occult imagery because there is definitely a difference between description and prescription. Especially if the context is that the antagonists in the story are using the occult and they're portrayed in a bad light. So those are just my current thoughts.
@ What about when occult symbolism is engrained into the magic system so even the heroes use it?
@@IED777 Very good question and I think this requires discernment. 1 Corinthians 10 is relevant here
Elves in fantasy stories are functionally (whether the author intends it or not) a stand-in for angels.
Depends on the setting, but often they're either stand-ins or directly are fey.
Or then they're flesh and blood with a few power ups.
You’re right. It’s as Paul taught us though. If it doesn’t lead you to sin and you don’t feel convicted according to God’s will whatever it may be AND what is lead up to it, it’s fine.
I overall agree with you, but I do want to bring up what you said about the Genisis account. Your explanations kinda sounds like you believe the Creator of physics/biochemistry is unable to overide the very laws He created. I'm sure you don't mean it in that way, but just wanted to give my input.
@@ArtiomSigma Okay yeah, I know it sounds that way, but of course God is perfectly able to override the laws of physics that he created (otherwise, miracles wouldn't be able to happen). However, if God gave us all of these laws, and it is through these laws that we are able to discover truths about the universe around us, then I don't see the reason why God wouldn't just act through these laws - it actually provides more glory to God because he is actively sustaining and working through the universe through these natural laws.
@ChristianAnimePodcast and I'll say amen to that, even though I'm a young Earth believer myself lol. I mainly made my comment to get you to expand on that comment before someone tries to accuse you of saying something you didn't say.
@@ChristianAnimePodcastwell, I would say we don't have to "discover truths" about events in the past whenever Christians have known what the truth is for millennia because God plainly told us what happened. There's a difference between searching for greater detail and completely changing what the percieved "truth" is by reinterpreting it as allegory. Like, do we need to say that the darkness upon Egypt was just that people were blind due to some temporary disease for three days because it would be odd for the light to be blocked for 3 days in an area while a nearby area was unaffected?
one thing i love oshinoko is that ai was confused about what love is and through her children she learnt what love was and was finally able to say the words i love u not as a way to gain support but as words from her hearts to her children this resonated with me that if i walk with God long enough i would be able to claim with my full chest i love him forwho he is no matter the situation
Magic is very complex and diverse, but in general it affects three facets of reality. The most common form of magic effects probability. Things like the rabbit's foot or placing curses on people. In general, curses usually work by unfortunate circumstances and not like it's betrayed in pop culture that violates the physical realm. The second form of magic manipulates emotional and psychological. Example would be by demonic influence such as fiery darts of the enemy, or being indwelled by the holy Spirit by focusing on him daily. The most complex form of magic which is the third form that generally could be used only by the most powerful and rare demonic powers would be the magic of manipulating physical matter. Baalberith a powerful fallen Angel that also was a god of the Canaanites, and is also given the title the Duke of hell with 26 lesions of fallen angels beneath him was believed to be so powerful he was able to manipulate the physical reality wilding the third type of magic. Materializing gold and all sorts of things. Most Spirit guides, which in reality are demonic agents exercise the first form of magic, stronger ones have more mastery of manipulating hearts and minds threw intrusive thoughts or influence. It is believed by some that the very powerful ones that could influence the state of matter itself are usually smaller in numbers, and are most likely in position of authority just below Satan.
I always considered that when light was created. It was the concept of light being conceived.
The problem is, light needs a source of emission
As far as Christianity meshes with anime (and other Japanese entertainment media), I feel that Mushoku Tensei is fundamentally one of the most Christian-like in storytelling: the MC started out as a wretched sinner who caused great harm to himself through his sin (which itself was largely the product of the evil visited upon him by others), and as the story progresses, he's becoming an accomplished and virtuous man (though still clinging to some vices). He was given a second chance and he's making the most of it.
A friend of the main character is a junior member of the clergy for a religion modeled partly after Christianity (though the Church's temporal power is more in display than its theology) and despite some of his flaws, he's an incredibly steadfast and virtuous man, moreso than most other clergymen of his faith.
I'd recommend taking a look at the anime and I highly recommend reading the novels. I can name only two characters who are wretched beyond repentance in the entire work, one eventually becomes a victim of his own iniquity, while the other perishes by the hands of those he had wronged. Most others get a second chance or submit to their fate.
And if you want a deep dive analysis on the psychology of it, Ed from Psyculturist has done hours of analysis per episode, often even wizarding predictions for the events of the show.
The setting is supernatural in that mana is an elementary part of the material worlds and everything is infused with it, except for one character, for whom this has very tangible consequences. Gods existed until they killed each other (except for one, and perhaps another). Devils exist in that they're highly evolved monsters, and the undead are a thing the Church has specialized magic against. Almost every living thing can improve their physical characteristics through mana and magicians fuel their spells with it. Magic exists as a decayed science structured millenia before by another race, often invoking a God figure in the incantations. Mana also poisons areas by turning wildlife and plants into monsters and various caves and crevasses into labyrinths (which themselves can be thought of as giant monsters).
Demons exist as a race of beings made of flesh and blood, with that term being literal demonization by humanity rather than indicating a status of them being fallen celestial or invading infernal beings. They exist as their own culture with some other races' tribes assimilated into them and a few of their tribes existing outside of the classification (like the Oni). Even the English term is misleading, since the Japanese term for it can mean "magical folk" with the understanding that they're directly harmful to humans, which they ostensibly have been in the numerous wars that often ended in one side nearly exterminating or subjugating the other.
Remember, evolution is not a position which puts your salvation at stake.
Meanwhile me chilling as agnostic:
I disagree on a few points. First, from what i can tell, the bible has two kinds of storys parables, as you said, and historical accounts of what happened and the aforementioned creation story falls in this category. Yes, God made plants before he made the sun and moon, and yes, plants need sunlight to photosynthesis. But don't you think God can sustain plants for one day before he made the sun? Obviously, when making the universe, he had a plan and knew that freshly created plants could survive one day without sunlight. Second, when it comes to magic in any kind of media for me personally, I don't like anything that has pentagrams or other demonic symbols or witchcraft. Now there are a few exceptions like lord of the rings for example the magic in lord of the rings is only really used by Gandalf (which in the storys hes called a wizard but he is more of an angelic being read the Simorillian if you want to know more) and Saruon and the one ring which is evil. So what im trying to say is that if witchcraft in a story is portrait as evil or if the magic isn't really explained e.g "oh that sword is a magic sword" im generally ok with it. As for Oshi No Ko the reincarnation isn't really explored heavily but im still iffy on that one but good show and good story none the less. I didn't mean to write a novel just want to share my thoughts let me know yours or if you disagree.
i disagree. im atheist but i dont think using logic christians cant watch stuff with demonic symbols or witchcraft because it is already mentioned bible.
But it still holds the same problem, why create things that need something you're yet to create? It's like building a car before the wheel was invented.
You know whats funny about pentagram, it was the symbol of Jerusalem, Gawain of Arthurian legends had shield with pentagram, for a long time it represented 5 wounds of Jesus, origins of this symbol are credited to Solomon and represent 5 virtues, you have north rose of Amiens Cathedral where downward-pointing pentagram symbolizes holy spirit descending on people, for thousands of years pentagram was a symbol that protected from evil. Pentagram in its negative meaning is maybe max 200years old, and gained a lot of bad fame in especially the last century. And most of these "demonic" symbols are waaaay older than Christianity, and have practically nothing to do with demons, I mean, google Cross of Saint Peter, a legit Christian symbol and tell me it's "demonic".
Good video! I love seeing christians talk about anime, as most anime I believe to be evil, but theres still a lot of good ones, i think. How I judge an anime to be ungodly or not (or any fiction) is to simply look at what is portrayed to be the "good side" and the "bad side". If the "bad side" lines up with evil as described in the bible, and the "good side" lines up with righteousness as described in the bible, green flag ✅️ all good. If its twisted any other way, ❌️🙅♂️not good. For instance, a LOT of anime like to give the heros evil weapons to destroy the bad guys. Usually using demons to kill demons.. obviously both wrong. 2 wrongs dont make a right. Bible says to "Overcome evil with good". Ik theres a lot of nuance, for instance cases of redemption. But this has helped me for everything. Let us deny ourselves & seek Christ. God bless
I do not agree with all of your theology but I really appreciate you taking the time to put this video together. I do agree that books of the Bible especially Genesis are not a literal word for word history book.
@@modrell86 💎💎💎
Really interesting and thoughtful take! Thank you for making this video, I think about this dilemma from time to time. 🙏
2:42 What's your opinion on Answers in Genesis's stance on a young earth?
I personally find Ken Ham's explanation very convincing.
And by evolution, do you mean living creatures adapting to their environment, or things developing completely new features they where never capable of before?
@@icemanz09-09 My take on Answers in Genesis is that it's kinda cringe.
@@ChristianAnimePodcast Understandable how you may find them cringe, I might see why one would. Personally I find the evidence they present indisputable, or at least I haven't heard any good arguments against them yet.
I would love a video from you about your thoughts on the topic of science and creation, and why you believe in what you do, but I don't expect it, as your channel focuses on anime, not apologetics.
Besides, what we believe in this matter, doesn't affect whether or not we go to Heaven, so I'll just leave it here. Thank you for your time!
@icemanz09-09 Yeah, I think this issue is on an individual basis and we can totally still be followers of Jesus and disagree on this issue! Not worth dividing over it.
I would do a video on it, but only if it ever related to anime as I did in this video.
@@ChristianAnimePodcast💎💎💎
One of my favorite anime is Jewelpet. It's full of important life lessons that align with God's word.
A side note on old earth creationism; the original texts (whether that's Hebrew or Greek, in Genesis or not) refer to the genesis creation as a literal 7 days, Moses specifically.
Someone like St. Padre Pio would no doubt say anyone tolerating magic in any way, even as part of entertainment, is dancing with the devil.
However, not knowing his opinion on Tolkien and C. S. Lewis's approach to magic in their storytelling, unsure.
I've watched anime w/ magic before, and unless they're blatantly saying you need to use magic for everything, it doesn't bother me.
2:45 but you still believe Adam and Eve were real historical people right?
Cause without them none of scripture makes any sense.
It is written:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
It is written:
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting, get understanding.”
It is written:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
Jesus was tempted. No servant is greater than his master.
In regard to Re:Zero
Objectively, certain aspects of the story-such as character names and themes-seem questionable:
• Emilia/Satella → Emulate/Emmanuel/Satan/Star (A false father figure?)
• Subaru (Barusu) → Bar-Jesus (A reference to the Antichrist?)
• Puck, Beatrice, spirits → Spirits (A counterfeit Holy Spirit?)
• Rem/Ram → Demons
• The Gospel → Root of all evil
• Gospel followers → Primary antagonists, fanatical like demons
• Return by death → Death as power
• Overcoming sin → By one’s own grit and gaining power
• Sin power → Derived from cute, quirky girls
• “Little girl user” → A concerning trope
However, another perspective could be:
• Love covers a multitude of sins.
• Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
• Jesus rebuked the Pharisees-not for their knowledge, but for their hypocrisy. They washed the outside of the cup but remained filthy inside.
It is better to pursue God fervently. One can be righteous and yet still struggle, as Jacob did through his deception.
What matters most is WHO your whole heart belongs to.
There are no coincidences. Everything ultimately points to the cross.
愛 ❤️ - Crown, heart, man. Be like one of the three wise men from the East.
Focus on Jesus. Grace, mercy, and love.
Maintain the shield of faith.
Yeah mate, you're digging too deep, last time I checked Emilia is just other version of Emily, you know, a normal fking name, where did you get Satan from. Also father figure? A girl? Subaru means unity or Pleiades, Barusu is literally Subaru with rearranged syllables, and by the way, it's supposed to sound like ballsu (Japanese doesn't distinguish between L and R), yes Ram literally calls him balls.
As a Christian I agree, yes magic is not good to believe in or do as a Christian. Watching magic isn't necessarily bad, believing and practising it is.
Also, kamusta kayo sa buhay mo with Christ?
Real life restrictions ≠ fantasy world restrictions.
In real life, "magic" is one of the following, depending on your personal beliefs. A superstitious waste of time and money, or making contact/contracts with malevolent spiritual entities.
In fantasy, "magic" is whatever the author defines it as. An inherent ability. A skill that can be learned and honed. A metaphysical field of science. Generally, using magic in a fictional setting requires an individual to study some esoteric books, and practice moving some internal "spiritual muscle" that uses an internal energy source called "mana". There is no need to make deals with demons, there is no need to make blood sacrifices in fantasy; it might exist as an option, an option that I would not entertain.
oh great, he's a old earther, right when i was about to sub too. i'm not gonna go full essay mode, not like it would change your opinion either i recon, just gonna say plants can go 1 day without sunlight and seeing how light was created on the first day they would already have a source of substances. the sun and moon where added later to give us ways to tell the seasons and govern the days. there purpose wasn't to feed the plants. if someone gonna ask "where the light come from though" God calls himself the light of the world, he was so bright he nearly killed Moses when he just looked at his back, he escorted the Hebrew's as a pillar of light when leaving Egypt, and Jesus when he showed his glory came with a bright light as well.
though i am curious how you can rectify God using evolution and you have millions of years of death and over 90% of all living things going extinct to supposedly bring us about and somehow God looked at that and call it "very good"? imo that stuff didn't exist until man sinned and is part of the curse which will be thrown away at the end times as mentioned in Revelations
otherwise you are in a position in which God calls death very good among other things like disease, natural disasters, as well as violence and killing so why should we look upon these things as wrong or out of place in any fashion?
why would God make the Lion lay down with the lamp in the new world when he evolved them to eat each other in the first place and called such behavior very good?
whelp so much for not making an essay
Ok, now give me an example of light without a source and if God is the source of light, then we can conclude that he emits electromagnetic radiation and therefore has a material form, which must be energetically at around the level of sun, at there's a reason why plants use chlorophyll and not other pigment in photosynthesis. Also creating plants before sun is like building car before inventing wheel.
"millions of years of death and over 90% of all living things going extinct to supposedly bring us about and somehow God looked at that and call it "very good"?" 1. more like 99.9%, 2. you mean the same God that basically killed millions because he didn't like them and literally eradicated most land animals by creating the biggest natural disaster? Not to mention taking 2 of each is nowhere near the repopulation population (minimum viable population) and leads to incest in the second generation. Also, diseases are technically part of creation, after all god created bacteria, viruses and parasites.
"violence and killing so why should we look upon these things as wrong or out of place" Ever heard about that thing called self-preservation? If you need a 2000yo book to tell you that killing and harming others negatively affects your chances of survival and social relationships, like in all other social animals, then I'm seriously worried about your mental state.
Out of all the arguments Old Earth Creationists make, photosynthesis might be the least convincing. Plants can survive 24 hours without light, so if God spawns a bunch of fully formed plants on Day 3, they'll make it just fine until the sun appears on Day 4. (This ignores that God had already created both Day and Light on Day 1 - probably utilizing a temporary source of light until the sun could fill that role - so the plants would be able to photosynthesize on Day 3 anyway.) I'm not saying your position is wrong because of this, just that there are much better arguments you could use to support your position. Besides this, great video man.
Considering the size of the universe, and the distances of old stars being observed, a star that is 30,000 light years from earth would be at least that old for us to be seeing it today. When stars were created, we wouldn't be able to see them until their light reaches earth from their distance. Basically, the bigger the universe, the older the universe. Outlook at it like this; If God is able to make such a grand and massive (possibly infinite) universe in regards to space occupied, why not time?
In regards to the Sabbath...
[Rest on the Sabbath day,] for in six days, The Lord made Heaven and Earth and all that in them is.
Really good vid! Very insightful 😊❤🎉
God bless y'all in Jesus name, amen. ♡
2:45 I affirm animal evolution and that includes early hominids but at the same time I believe that modern humans (homo sapiens) were created de-novo from the dust as described in Genesis 2:7 (but using the same "template" as the early hominids). Or that at least Adam and Eve were.
"This show/game has SPELLS in it".
Ok, here's the thing.
A "spell" in fantasy.
A specific magical/impossible action. In the context of fantasy or gaming the word "spell" does not necessarily refer to how said action is achieved. Just to the action itself.
A spell IRL.
An actual real life incantation. These are rooted in superstition and/or the occult. The reason why they are bad is because that's not how real life works.
Or the word refers to a curse as in "to be under a spell".
3:06 - 3:11
And to that I read this:
“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).
Just becuase certain elements of the world’s creation doesn’t make sense to us doesn’t mean we should just disregard it as some simplistic metaphor. I believe God was being quite clear. Whether or not you want to believe what it says, I think you’re leaning lean too heavily in your own understanding by writing it off as some simplistic metaphor U.S. doing a disservice to God.
On another note, This might be the first video I’ve heavily disagreed with you on something. It’s a real shame too. Because from the title and intro is sounds like you’re making an excuse for Christian anime watchers to dismiss witchcraft.
0:58 and just because someone may not feel convicted about watching something doesn’t make it right to watch. The fact you felt the need to say this makes it sound like you’re trying to excuse the outwardly pagan stuff from these simply because you like the characters and plot.
As an avid watcher of yours who usually loves your content that beginning part was hard to listen to.
God Bless and I hope we both continue growing in Christ Jesus.
i understand why almost everyone disagree with him being a earth Creationists, but it doesn't affect his faith at all. (pls see this as christians who disagrees with eachother and not a christian who is ''holier than thou'') it quite literally doesn't do anything with his faith. he still believes that christ died, rose up from the dead and took our sin away. that is christianity, not whatever is in the OT (with all respect to the OT. i reconize that there are stories that lead up to christianity) if a baby christian (or christian in general) watch him and applies the things what he says to his/hers life witout thinking first. it is on them not him. everybody keeps saying to not follow humans blindly.
The way I've always seen it, if the magic in your fictional world is practiced through the intended way (communion with a god, naturally born with it, etc), it's no different than a prophet performing a miracle in our world.
The "bad magic" would be supernatural abilities obtained through unnatural methods, which would be an analog for the devil. A story would have to condone this unnatural magic for it to be satanic.
With re:zero specifically, I watched the whole thing from seadon one to season 2 (haven’t seen season 3 yet) and I really enjoyed it and sympathized with the character when he went through his (very justified) mental breakdowns, because mentally, subaru is among the strongest anime characters for going through what he does, and actively choosing to die for people that murdered him. on my rewatch of the show, there was a part were subaru was essentially calling god/gods lazy and seemed to glorify demons in a single sentence, I dropped the show because of that but is this just a 1 Corinthians 8:4-12 kinda moment and am I just overthinking it?
I've been wondering for awhile if the story of creation and the fall of man should be taken literally.
She's basically Doom Slayer.
I'm here before seeing this video want to say something,Very simple things,you watching something like sousou frirein or something isekai anime doesn't mean that you need to agree the concept and the thing like magic, reincarnation.
Magic is real, but it's nothing like it is in anime or Harry Potter. FYI. My Father's side practiced witchcraft.
As long as Summons are not seen as good. I'm watching you, Slayers.
I concur. (And I'm very much a Christian).
I love those games so much. I actually like Eternal more than 2016 now, too.
I thought the new mechanics were confusing, but they actually help the gameplay feel more fresh and fun.
I wanna see somebody make a bell curve meme that goes like this
Low IQ: "Harry Potter is evil because it has magic in it"
Mid IQ: "Harry Potter is fine because it's just fantasy"
High IQ: "Harry Potter is evil because it's cringe, its worldbuilding is terrible, the author is a liberal feminist, and the fans are creepy"
I think critical thinking needs to be played here. I’m Christian but I don’t hesitate to watch shows with magic or even symbolism in them. (Hell even watched Hazbin Hotel) as long as you understand it’s fictional show set in a fictional setting it’s not trying to influence anybody who is able to think past a 1st grade level.
There is (generally) a difference between fantasy magic and real-world "magic" (usually read as occult and black magic). As far as a work of fiction goes, one has to separate that fiction from reality (something Christians are often accused of struggling to do). What we call "black magic" is nothing more than a form of prayer, albeit directed towards something other than God (which is what makes it 1, Dangerous, and 2, stupid). "Fantasy Magic", in which you make a gesture and something happens, or say a word and the power of just saying that word and making that gesture makes something happen, has no direct real-world equivalent (though in-context it is typically more akin to science than the supernatural).
As far as your point about evolution, I would point out that some translations of Genesis contain rather shocking parallels to evolutionary theory (i.e., the first animals God creates are fish; according to paleontology, the first animals were aquatic - so, basically "fish" from the perspective of primitive human beings).
Well, not fish, more accurate would be rather "aquatic creatures" or "everything that lives in water", which at the time of writing this also included crocodiles, dolphins, beavers, otters, ect., and there is also a mention of "sea monsters", which probably refers to whales. I mean, Christian church literally counted beavers as fish until recently.
@@Dread_2137 ... and this contradicts why I said, how? As near as I can tell, you're just rephrasing what I said.
As far as beavers as fish, I hadn't heard about that one.
@ well, that any of these came a looooooooong time after fish, yet in ancient times were considered "fish", or rather as I said "aquatic creatures", if we want to apply evolution to this, saying seal came before gecko is a pretty weird statement.
As for beavers being fish, I don't remember which one, but some Pope announced that beavers are fish, so they can be eaten during Lent, during which of course eating meat is forbidden (I don't know what they think fish are made of if not meat, but ok).
@@Dread_2137 Recall where we're getting the story from though - a copy of a copy of a copy, like a generational game of telephone, eventually being written down by primitive people lacking modern information. Fish are associated with water in their minds, so they probably wouldn't distinguish between just "fish" and the broader "aquatic creatures".
As far as seals and geckos go, I don't know where you get that from.
@@ManFromThePits yeah, that's what I'm talking about, and that's why trying to apply evolution here doesn't work.
This is an analogy, seals are mammals, geckos are reptiles, one class is much older than the other.
Thank you (I got nothing to say)
If Christian cant watch magic then we shouldnt read that time King Saul called Samuel from the afterlife, before David becomes the King.
…what? That makes no sense. King Saul was punished for doing that, and the witch that performed the ritual was put to death. That scene was put in the Bible as a lesson to those that try to connect to the dead: do it and you will be punished.
I wonder what your take on Harry Potter is. As far as I’m aware the magic and world of Harry Potter has loads of influence and replications of what would be considered real witchcraft. I’m up in the air if there is any actual validity or “power” in such things but isn’t it potentially concerning to have it in media? Sort of like if you had a detailed moment of someone making a bomb for example.
generally speaking, i think sorcery is satanic. but im okay with watching an anime and like sorcery is in it. its like a prop or something in it its evil but evil can exist within a world. but call evil evil and good good. seperate yourself from the darkness then you can have fun and enjoy a great story. God bless!
If the Genesis account isn't literal and was actually metaphorical, what is its meaning?
It genuinely feels weird to have you talking about ReZero in one of your videos
@@NotsewTheGreat you wot m8
on the days of creation, there is an error assumption in your logic that on day 4, stars includes earth's sun as opposed to what would be referenced by those retelling the story of either the other stars or stars as in the metaphor for the spirits which the metaphor language version for stars in this case is repeated in other sections of the text; furthermore the text starts with creating heavens and earth, what were those heavens were they not the physical stars? then next is "let there be light" this is all day 1, before the stars you claim is a problem on day 4.
furthermore one should not view creation as being bound by following the current physical laws during creation. when we create fictional worlds do we start with the particle physics, the gathering mater, the development of organisms the spreading of the first forest? or does the beginning of the story have a world that is fully formed and with a prior history even though that history never happened. rather than assume old earth creationism, why not assume the more likely earth was created in a 'finished' state like we do when we make our own fantasy and virtual worlds?
The problem is more that light is an effect, it literally does not exist without a source, it is like wanting to have sound without the vibration of air or another medium
Hiya i have a request if you do play video games
Could you take a look at Diablo 4 im a Christian and i love Diablo but i heard a lot of bad things about it Christianity wise even non religious people ive talked to told me it was very intense and anti Christian witch dosent seem right to me since the series is all about killing demons and all please and thank you
Keep fictional stories as fictional an enjoy them theres some good messages u can take in your life. especially serious emotional themes to overcoming hardships in life. But in real life stay away from sites that do evil / promotes evil and degenerate behavior don't follow it, flee from it, social media sites that that offer negativity remove it off your feed. All it will do is try to destroy your mind. Meditate on Jesus teachings to have a strong mind an you will overcome Amen
Beware of spiritualism and the New age movement. Do not trust those spirits masquerading as deceased loved ones, and stay away from Spirit guides. I know what they are. Don't be deceived.
I strongly disagree with your view on creation but other than that sold video 👍
Haven't watched any of the anime you discussed in this vid
No Kaguya and no Oshi no Ko why?
r u filipino?
@@turbochad7038 Filipino-Australian
I don't really agree with you, not because i don't think you CAN watch Anime with magic, but because maybe you are the type to be too concerned with forcing things like censorship on IP you watch.
Art shouldn't be forced to conform to the viewer, it should be enjoyed by those open to exploring it flaws and all.
Basically copium the video.
H o w
Isbthis really a topic of discussion in Christian circels...Jesus Christ
Never heard it in my circles, but we have all heard of "that one mega chuch pastor" who are out to make a name for themselves and bask in praise for theologocal midwittery.
Christian Anime Podcast, are you a Filipino or Australian or both?