Many times in the past I have wondered if I was the only one noticing what was happening to the world in general and the United States in particular. Of late I have been pleasantly surprised to find that there are others who are not only seeing what I am seeing, but are writing and speaking about it. Before my retirement from the classroom I would often warn my Sociology students of what was coming in the near future. My prognostications, which always went against the social, political and spiritual current, were routinely met with skepticism. Rejection of my visions of the future came as no surprise. If anyone had told me in my early 20’s that such things as the murder of millions of human babies, gay marriage, illegals demanding and receiving gifts from American taxpayers, the breakdown of law and order, the public use of addictive drugs, etc. would not only be accepted by the society, but would be legislated from the highest courts, I would not have believed it. Just as I would have been proven wrong, so will my students. The main difference between then and now is that no one was predicting what we see happening to this society today. An added concern is that the changes are taking place at an ever-increasing rate. Changes that were 40 years in the making today take 5-10 years as the social media speeds up changes to the nation’s social fabric.

In the early 1990’s I noticed that supernatural themes were beginning to make their way into the social life of the nation, particularly in the entertainment world. I noticed that, though most Americans do not believe in the devil (Satan), there was developing a fascination with supernatural entities such as demons, zombies and vampires. This was accompanied by a growing interest in such things as magic, demon possession and witchcraft. Today those themes dominate the movies, television, video games and books. A Newsweek article (Oct. 24, 2013) noted that a high percentage of millennials (18-to-30 year-olds) routinely dabble in such things as astrological charts, tarot, seances, full-moon ceremonies, etc. Others have gone beyond those themes and are actively practicing sorcery. As a minister of God I have personally dealt with people who were involved in such practices. I can assure you that they are just as real as the power behind them–Satan.

The reason we do not see mention of the occult on the evening news is because the supernatural has gone mainstream. We can thank author J.K. Rowling for this. Her Harry Potter book series, which has sold over 400 million copies, along with a number of  witchcraft-themed movies has placed Harry the Wizzard in the bedrooms of hundreds of millions of children world-wide. An indication of the popularity of Rowling’s productions is the fact that her Harry Potter brand is estimated to be worth $15 billion. Not only are the books and movies globally popular, entire theme parks and a number of video games feature Harry and his supernatural costars.

Those of us who openly criticize the Satanic, God-condemned theme are considered heretics whose goal is to rob young people of hours of innocent pleasure. The books, movies, etc. are reportedly filled with joy, love, helpfulness and other such “moral themes.” However, even a casual observer will notice that the major theme is witchcraft. Children who read the books, watch the movies and play the video games learn about demons, werewolves, vampires and such supernatural acts as spell casting, crystal gazing, astral projection–mental space travel–and necromancing–communication with the dead. I have a friend who was for many years actively involved in such activities. He assures me that what we hear about this dark area of social life is real. His testimony simply confirms what the Bible and my ministerial experience tell me is true–THE OCCULT IS NOT ONLY REAL, IT IS DEADLY.

Many millennials, and even older adults, consider any reference to the Biblical God to be a sign of mental instability. Yet these same people profess that participation in the occult is not only normal, but is the wave of the future. They believe that as mankind becomes more sophisticated and in tune with reality belief in a mythical God will eventually fade from the human psyche. Once freed from the shackles of God-thought, mankind will be free to develop an understanding of and an appreciation for all things supernatural. And I agree. I believe that the internet will introduce even more supernatural themes to both children and adults. The people’s rejection of God, combined with a powerful, rapidly growing screen addiction will ensure that Satan will have plenty of customers for his otherworldly attractions. L.J.