JUST OPEN YOUR HEART, DAMMIT!

[Athene]

Relax, Sparky...take it easy, before you burst a vessel. I don't get your Holy Spirit fetish, or what it is that you seem to need for me to say......what's my line here?

You as a Christian, are in fact promoting Biblical magic. Christians, hypocritically refuse to call it magic, but face it GC...that's exactly what it is. The Bible clearly says that your god spoke the world into existence....no mistaking it. That is a spell. A magic spell. Without a tremendous belief in magic, it is impossible to be true believer. All that you seem to be pushing is magic beliefs. You shouldn't get bent out of shape because people can't accept that
magic is real. Come on, GC. Be reasonable.

Words mean things, and they have connotations that can be positive or negative.

Atheists like to use the word "magic" because it demeans God because of its connotations of things that are false or done by some form of trickery that is not understood by the audience but to the magician alone. Now, if you are referring to magic as in Wicca, etc. well, yes, there are ways of tapping into supernatural powers, but fooling with the "Dark Side" is not very wise in the long run.

While the authority and power of God are not really understood by us, either, the parallel is of limited value generally, and I think we both know that you use it because you know it is offensive to theists. That's my bet, anyway.

You bet wrong, Randy Carson. Some Christians choose to apply the term magic to Wicca, paganism and the darkside alone.  Almost everyone understands that magic can be defined as illusion or trickery used in showbiz. Magic is most commonly defined as any event that occurs through supernatural means and/or having supernatural powers. Supernatural events and powers are things that take place outside  the laws of nature. Clearly, the Bible describes oodles and oodles of shit that takes place outside of the laws of nature. That is by definition, magic. I'm sorry, but it just is. It doesn't matter that you don't like that particular definition of magic, or that you only want it to be used in reference to The Darkside. Christianity requires a belief in magic. I don't say that to offend you. It's simply a statement of fact.