Magic Tricks Are Not a Sin – Fully Explained
Magic tricks can be amazing and convincing. Are they a sin? No, magic tricks are not a sin.
Some Christians assume anything they cannot understand and explain must be supernatural. Magicians DO NOT have supernatural powers, regardless of how badly a trick fools you. I’m going to break this down into greater detail.
Why Magic Tricks Are NOT a Sin
Magic tricks have nothing to do with the “Magic” referenced in the Bible. Magic tricks are not sorcery or black magic where you are casting spells and summoning demons.
They are harmless and don’t involve calling on spiritual powers or anything of the supernatural or occult. That’s why they are called “magic tricks.”
There are biblical references to “Magic” or “Black Magic” saying it is the manipulation of supernatural powers usually associated with conjuring spirits, summoning evil, communication with the devil, and foretelling the future.
Magic in the Biblical context was sinning, yet people using sleight of hand magic tricks are not. The “Magic” being referred to in the Bible is different than the “Magic Tricks” being discussed here.
There is a difference between the magicians spoken of in the Bible and the magicians and illusionists one sees today at parties and performances.
Magicians in the Bible either gained their power from supernatural forces or were charlatans who pretended to:
- Have great knowledge
- Discover secrets
- Tell fortunes
- Predict the future
We will really never know!
The Bible makes it clear that a Christian has no business dabbling in games with the devil because they open the door to demonic influence. The Bible says to “avoid all appearances of evil.”
Examples of these games include:
- The Ouija board
- Tarot Cards
- Horoscopes
- Anything with the Occult
These are NOT magic tricks!
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What are Magic Tricks?
Magic tricks are well practiced and rehearsed sleight of hand illusions that are constructed to fool the eye. The moves and tricks are perfected over time through much practice, performance, and repetition.
A good magician spends hundreds of hours perfecting one trick. Over time he crafts it into a masterpiece that is extremely deceptive and real looking. This makes it very compelling to believe the magician has supernatural powers.
What Would Make Magic Tricks a Sin
Passing off magic tricks as supernatural is a sin. Trying to influence or coerce people or events using supernatural powers, usually with the help of demonic or satanic evil spirits, is a sin.
Calling upon and using these powers to do such things as talk to the dead, reach the spirit world, predict the future, gain hidden knowledge, harm or protect people, give power to inanimate objects (idols) or live beings (including oneself), all are sins.
Is Watching Magic Tricks a Sin?
Watching magic tricks is not a sin. It is important to be comfortable knowing that they are only tricks. Just enjoy the magic presentations and accept them as entertainment.
Don’t worry about being fooled. You don’t need to understand how the tricks are done, it is ok. Even if the magician creates an otherworldly experience in his show, there is no sin in watching because nothing occult is really happening, it’s merely a trick.
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Are Gospel Magicians a Sin?
It is perfectly fine for a Christian to use magic tricks and sleight of hand as long as they are not trying to pass off the tricks as occult. Gospel magicians use magic to deliver a strong message while making it entertaining for their audiences.
Magic tricks are extremely visual, exciting, and fun and are terrific tools for getting some important messages across.
Jesus used object lessons to present Scriptural truths. Sleight of hand and illusion provides a way of teaching some very powerful spiritual messages in a visual way.
A simple color change of a silk (a common magician trick) is a great way to illustrate the change God makes in a person’s life when he trusts Christ. Magic tricks have power to gain and maintain attention.
When sleight of hand and illusion are harnessed for the purpose of explaining Gospel principles, they can be very powerful from a psychological and educational point of view.
Magic tricks serve as visual aids to help demonstrate important principles.
Objections to Magic Trick
In performing a magic trick some Christians say there is much deceit. For example a magician might say his hands are empty, and they aren’t. Or the bunny materialized from thin air, and it didn’t.
Or the white scarf actually morphed into red. It is ok if the magician’s intent is to teach and entertain. Everybody knows a movie is just a movie.
We are not “deceived” by the actor who is playing a part, and in fact we say that he played his part well.
“A magician is an actor playing the part of a magician.”
Howard Thurston (Magician) 1910
Another serious objection when people are amazed and admire the performer is that it leads to pride on his part. This is a possibility, and the Christian performer must guard against pride.
This is true of a singer, actor, magician, ventriloquist, and even a preacher. Let us condemn pride in any form, yet the possibility of pride should not deter from using a skill that can point people to God’s truth and lead them to Christ.
Some Christians fear that a magician’s deceptions are so great that people will be deceived into thinking:
”Oh, magicians do that all the time and it is no big deal.”
For a trick to be amazing the deception has to be great. There is only an issue when the Gospel magician conveys the impression that he is doing supernatural things.
If he honestly acknowledges that he is performing trickery there is no issue. After all is said and done, most people acknowledge that magical entertainers do not actually have supernatural powers.
If the presentation is an accurate lesson of Biblical truth, the audience should be impressed with the message and not concerned with the thought that a person has been doing superhuman feats.
There is a patron saint of stage magicians – Don Bosco. This man performed simple “magic tricks” his whole life for the kids and did a lot of good. He was very clear that he was performing tricks and never tried to say he had any supernatural powers.
Bosco was a great man and that is why he was named patron saint of stage magicians.
Conclusion
Magicians and illusionists are nothing more than entertainers. There is nothing wrong with being entertained. It seems pretty extreme to think that magic tricks could stimulate interest in the occult.
Is the magic being presented as real? If so, it is wise and Biblical to avoid it. Otherwise…enjoy!
