Shamans (witch doctors) operate with the goal of manipulating spirits for healing powers.
There's a Hindu sacrifice of 250,000 animals happening now in Nepal. The explanation? "If we want anything, and we come here with an offering to the goddess, within five years all our dreams will be fulfilled." (source)
This is something you might run into in various cultures around the world. But surely we wouldn't have a similar view of God, that he would be so easily manipulated like a genie who has to grant it's master wishes. God has no master, we'd never think in the same way.
However, the same attitude toward spirituality is plentiful in the church. As soon as we believe God is formulaic, we're doing the same thing - believing that we can manipulate the spirits - or in our case, The Spirit.
Have you ever heard something like "if you do these 6 things God will give you these 7 benefits"?
We say Christianity is supposed to be about a relationship, but we often live out the idea that God is ours to be manipulated by formulas. Look for this idea next time you're hearing spiritual teaching - are you being taught that you can and should manipulate the spiritual world?
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