I went to McDonalds the other day and ordered a happy meal for my daughter. The happy meal toy was a "fortune telling" device/toy. Being a Christian, I went back to the cashier and asked her for another toy as divination/ witchcraft toys are against my religion. She looked at me strangely and gave me another toy. Upon opening the second toy, I discovered it was a "psychic cellphone," another "future predicting device." You can imagine my frustration.

Come to find out, all the happy meal toys for girls are from the television show "That's So Raven" and include a crystal ball, various "fortune predicting" devices/toys, and the psychic cellphone. I am disgusted at McDonald's for encouraging children to play with divination, a form of witchcraft, and promoting it to children.

While I am aware that these toys have no power in and of themselves, they are very bad doorways to open into our children's lives. Playing with divination should never be encouraged or promoted as a toy to our children. Far too many Christians take divination too lightly, and now our children are being targeted to become involved through "play" into acceptance of this demonic practice.

I encourage other Christians to spread the word about the new girl happy meal toys at McDonalds and contact McDonalds to express their disgust and outrage for this open practice of witchcraft.

Thank you Sharon for posting this. Parents always have to keep their eyes open for who is influencing their children.

You are so right to be angry at this - another attempt to infiltrate the minds of innocent children with the appearing innocuous !!!!
Harry Potter books being promoted , TV programmes filled with the supernatural, Halloween celebrations even in schools ....all these things and others like them....are filling a spititual void in the hearts and mind of children.
Taking away prayer at assemblies but allowing other "malpractice" is another sign of a humanistic society who have set God on a "back burner" and are being controlled by the one who goes about like a roaring lion. I think it is time Christians stopped being so pacifist and did a bit of "roaring" back ! These are our children/grandchildren and in my case great-grandchildren being quietly lured away from all that is good and pure. I'm so glad you let the McDonald's outlet know your feeling on the matter, Sharon...and for making us aware of their insidious and devious lures. I will be sharing your input with family and friends ! Thankyou and keep protecting your family with prayer and insight.

You're right Ellar. Christians need to be speaking out and stop trying to 'fit in.'

ok i have a question what is the difference between divination and prophesy? I when to a church and they had people pray and prophesie over you and the Bible talks of prophets. And a prophet tells whats going to happen Right? so can someone explan the differance to me?

Good question free bubbles.

The only answer I can give you is one is from God and one is from Satan. How to tell the difference, look to your heart for the ring of truth and ask God to direct you. Sorry that's all I have.

I am a Christian and a strong one. However I see very little wrong with what your going on about. I view situations like this as a chance to talk to my kids about the difference in fun and Satan practices.

I watch Harry Potter with my 7 year old. Afterwards I talk to him about witchcraft and sorcery and what it really is. We talk about the movie and the various good and bad scenerios that go through it.

Great Christian Authors used Fantasy as a way of telling the story of Good and Evil. What story could be more famous as a children's story than C.S. Lewis' The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe? Did you know the very first book of the Chronicals of Narnia series was the Wizards Nephew?

What about Tolsten's the Lord of The Rings Triology and the Hobbit? Magic and Wizards abound.

Get your head out of the sand and use these tools to educate your children on the reality of these Satanic rituals and how innocent games can lead to worse. Otherwise they'll learn it from society and then your screwed.

I agree that there are more and more shows and toys that glorify satanic practices and I do monitor what they watch, but I also meet the [censored] that soceity is dishing out head on and use it as a tool to teach my kids about what God wants and how to follow him.

No, I think you'll find that story in the Chronicles of Narnia was actually The Magician's Nephew....

C.S. Lewis' own Stepson, Douglas, who has inherited his Stepfather's estate and royalties, stated categorically that the Narnia stories in no way were supposed to bear or convey a Christian message. The stories and tales were hyjacked by doubtless well-meaning but completely misguided and mistaken individuals. There is nothing in any of Lewis' writings to say that their lesson was in any way purposely related to Biblical or Christian teachings. Much of what is vaunted today, about his being a devout Born-again Christian, and covert Christian writer is greatly exaggerated, although as with everything, there is a grain of truth....
I know this to be so, because you see, I have met Graham personally.

We all see, perceive and interpret things the way we want to...
A bit of common sense will tell you when something is intentionally influential (either way) or merely supposed to be a bit of escapist harmless fantasy. "You" can take some things a bit too far.... ('you' in the Generic sense, not the Specific sense, before anyone may assume I am singling them out personally for criticism...)

By the way, though:

DIVINATION; the skill or act of saying what will happen in the future.

PROPHESY:1 a statement that says what is going to happen in the future, especially one which is based on what you believe about a particular matter rather than existing facts:

2 FORMAL the ability to say what is going to happen in the future

Neither one is Labelled as being from God or from Satan.
That statement is misleading and biased, Carennedy, and to me, demonstrates a desire to influence the questioner, rather than to merely respond or inform.

Never heard of her...was she one of the Hobbits?

Personally I think you should be more worried about the evil [censored] you're putting into your kids physical bodies by taking them to McDoughnuts for their dinner, rather than overeacting to the spiritual effects of a few plastic toys.

I think you'll find it was J.R.R. TOLKIEN....
If you're going to be a literary critic, the least you could do is get the names and titles right....

I'm with familychoice on the food content too... I think the 'food' (I use the term advisedly) is going to have more long term physcial effects than those innocuous cheap objects they try to convince you are 'free gifts'....!

Dito..

For real? What was the theme, a movie or whatever it was tied into.

I just saw this was an old post. Was it the WITCH dolls? I'm not christian but I dont like them either, mostly for the way they are dressed and the dumbing down of the tv show...even my cartoon freak kids wont watch it.

I admit it, we hit fast food like twice a month, balanced at home with real food, of course.

meg

I don't belive a psychic telephone is "witchcraft", nor that wiccan as it truly is intended is bad. It's just pagan mythology, which predates Christian mythology. There is nothing sinister about it, and many of its holidays are now Christian holidays. Neither viewpoint is better or worse than the other, and this country was founded on religious freedom, not any one religion.

That said, yes, McDonald's is not nutrition, and their toys come from many mass-produced tv show or movie tie-ins. Parents should watch what their kids watch on tv and what they are being "sold." To every big business in the world (and that includes politics), we are merely consumers and they like to sell us on anything and everything. McDonald's now has pirate-themed stuff from the new POTC movie. Pirates were lawbreakers and murderers, so surely that is equally bad?

Nevertheless, I believe Lewis did intend the Chronicles to be an allegory to Christian beliefs. He often met with his group of writer friends, the Inklings, and bounced ideas off them. Friend and Inkling member, Tolkien, felt that you could not teach religion by allegory. Lewis did not agree, and he went forward with his allegorical children's book. While he is a favorite literary character of mine (the lion), you also have to be blind not to see Aslan as an allegory to Christ, and the final book as the end of the world. Further up and further in! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Nearly everything written by Lewis has some aspect of a former atheist turned Christian in it, which he was. The Screwtape Letters are a conversation between two demons. Under the original poster's flawed analogy, you should boycott one of the greatest and most eloquent literary minds of the 20th century because there are demons in one of his writings.

He would be the first to turn down the idea that any toy or book or tv show should not be enjoyed because of its purported evil content. He was against scholastic snobbery or Christian censorship. He felt all books and all things should be read and that the human mind contained everything in it capable of deriving its own understanding.

Free thought and even books about magic (for there is magic in Chronicles) do not drive a person down toward Satan; they, in fact, lift him up to God.

Sorry for the spelling issues -- way too early in the morning... I was absolutely exhausted when I posted and too lazy to go into detail.

My dad use to tell stories of he aunt that could use dowsing to find water or a ring on a string. She read tarot cards to get a different veiw of a problem but she didnot believe they told her the furture just posable outcomes. she picked out my dads first wifes son from a crowed playground and she had never seen a picture of him!!! she would look into a mirror and see thing that nobody else could!!! She was a DEVOTE CHIRSTIAN and faithfully read the Bible and prayed and God heard her too!!! when she prayed, you knew without a doubt that God was lissoning weither you believed or not!!! I only met her one time when i was 4 and she told me things that have happen in my life that at the time made no sence and i remember it clearly!!! She died a week later and the only reason she had to come see my dad was to tell me what she did because God told her. So would she be a prophet or a Witch? she used tarot and other "witchcraft" so...

Aslan was a hybrid of metaphors based on Lewis's fascination with the similarities and differences between various religions. The leonine aspects of Aslan represent Vishnu as Narasimha, as does the plot strand where Aslan (solely) defeats and kills the White Witch.

Can you elaborate how Aslans is like Vishnu?

I'm a bit rusty on my Hindu reading, but does Vishnu sacrifice himself to evil forces, is killed after being humiliated, then rises again?

Am curious to know. It has been a long time since I browsed either the Upanishads or Mahabarata.

Also, with the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve having to set Narnia right again....isn't it Vishnu who comes to set things right, not men?

Anyway, very interesting.

ellecreated

C.S. Lewis was a scholar so he may of studied other religions but he was a self proclaimed Christian and a strong one at that.

He wrote many books on Christian Theology, I don't know of any Hindu Theology books he wrote.

The Narnia Chronicles submit that it is the son of Adam and the Daughter of Eve (Judiac Christian theology) who brought evil into the world and it is the son of adam and the daughter of eve who can defeat it with Aslan.

Adam and Eve according to Judaic Christian Theology (the Bible & Torah) are the first man and woman created by God.

Did C.S. Lewis die?

Yes, in 1963

http://www.cslewis.org/resources/chronocsl.html

Here's a couple of websites on CS Lewis

Into the Wardrobe
CS Lewis Foundation

All of the "Chronicles of Narnia" books were written after lewis became a Christian. The Magician's Nephew was actually the 5th (or maybe 6th) book in the series, kind of a "look back" into the beginning.

Aslan is referred to as "The Son of the Emperor beyond the sea." He also dies for the sins committed by Edmund, then rises again. The stories are written on two levels - great stories for kids, and deeper meanings for for Christians. And then for those of us that are Christian parents we can use the books as allegories to explain things in the Bible to our children.

Also, Tolkien was a Christian as well; and he meant for his Trilogy to have some symbolic meaning to it, too.

As a matter of fact, Lewis came to become a Christian shortly after a discussion with Tolkien and another author. (See the 1st website I listed above)

Boy - this could be its own topic!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I thought that there was symbology in the Lord of the Rings, but its been so long sence i watched it...

[quote]I don't belive a psychic telephone is "witchcraft", nor that wiccan as it truly is intended is bad. It's just pagan mythology, which predates Christian mythology. There is nothing sinister about it, and many of its holidays are now Christian holidays. Neither viewpoint is better or worse than the other, and this country was founded on religious freedom, not any one religion.

That said, yes, McDonald's is not nutrition, and their toys come from many mass-produced tv show or movie tie-ins. Parents should watch what their kids watch on tv and what they are being "sold." To every big business in the world (and that includes politics), we are merely consumers and they like to sell us on anything and everything. McDonald's now has pirate-themed stuff from the new POTC movie. Pirates were lawbreakers and murderers, so surely that is equally bad?"

I have to agree wholeheartedly with you. Actually I am rather suprised there are so many concerned with the toys in happy meals anyways to the point of action towards the company (letter writing etc). Personally if I am going to spend that much energy and outrage it had best be for something that is important. Worry about the criminals out on the streets, drug dealers down the road, etc. Not a toy that is going to be played with once and thrown in the floor and forgotten. But that's just my opinion.

According to the Bible the Heavenly Angels always are looking to God and take their direction from God. You can ask God to send his angels to help you, but if you want to ask other forces....

If you are talking to the spiritual world then you are talking to the unholy angels or demons. They will take direction from someone other than God.

Since we can't see the spiritual world and there are eternal consequences for aligning yourself with the wrong forces, it just safer to stay away from it.

Well if that is true than anytime you speak to God technically you are speaking to the spiritual world and therefore should avoid speaking to god and anything to do with the spiritual world.
Frankly it's all the same whether you speak to god in a phone, an email, over a cross, or thru your local priest it's still a prayer to God. I prefer to my lines of communication open with God, howelse am I to know if he has something important to share with me.

Speaking to God is speaking to the Creator. Any other spiritual creatures you speak to are created things. The Creator is the only One I trust to instruct me.

just to be devils advocate!!! do you not talk to heavenly host? God cant God send His massengers (Angles or who ever He likes)to give you a messege? The bible makes mentchion of many times when He sent His angles to tell people whatever. the Angles met Mary at the tomb,and angle came to Mary to tell her she was pregent and what to call Jesus, Mose's and the burning talking bush... would you say they are differnt from us and God would not send an angle or burning talking bush to us to show us the way? why would they be differnt from us?

Yes, God Sent them. You aren't to pray to angles. They are God's messengers sent for His purpose.

i never said pray!!! but they did talk to the angles!!! BIG difference!!!

Is nt a unholy angle a demon? just wondering

Freebubbles, if you walk into a new age story you will find books that glorify angels and prayers to them.

In prayer you should only talk directly to God and not to something asking them to talk on your behalf. We cannot understand the spiritual world and know who it is we are praying. It is safiest to direct your prayers to God.

You do make a point though, how would we know if the angel God has sent as his messanger is really from God. Any ideas as to what signs allow us to know if the angel is from God or something else?

Yes, here's a link for biblical references to angels & the devil.

Angels & the Devil a Biblical look at who they are

I believe everyone has to decide for themselves what God wants for them. I personally can't watch alot of those shows and I don't allow my children to because I don't think it is right. There are some like horror flicks that I don't like that my daughter and husband do and they watch them without me. If they have demonic things in them I do not allow her to watch them and I prefer not to have them in my house.
A person can be used of God to give prophesey if they are spiritually right with God. Satan can also use people if they are willing to be used, and some people I believe are more suseptible to that than others. We as parents have a hard job to decide which is right for our children and which are not. As christians we should not judge another because they choose something different than what we would do.

Thank you J.Bull. Those are very good points.

I'll give you one reason why. Because those people were spiritual people. What I mean is they practiced spirituality not christianity. These people lived and breathed their religion. As they cooked they prayed or chanted, offered blessings/sacrifices of food etc, as they worked they prayed/chanted, when they awoke they prayed/chanted and offered blessings, everything they did was for their God it was their entire way of life. He was not some far off being that was never seen or heard he was a daily-all day part of their lives, not just someone to go to church and hear about every Wednsday and Sunday. He was everyday all day. They spoke to him often, they understood their religion and where it came from and how to worship. Spirituality was a way of life.
How many people do you know that live like that today? How many people do you know that have studied their religion and knows where it came from and how it came about? (I'm not talking about reading the bible either, but people who have really studied their religion)?
Let's do a quick quiz just on general christianity without looking up answers; just answer on what you know or believe. Everyone join in with their answers.
1. Jesus was born to a virgin, who after his death goes to heaven as a divine being. Was he the 1st?
2. Was Easter origianlly a christian holiday?
3. Was Christmas originally a christian holiday?
4. Was Jesus the 1st divine being to be crucified for the sins of his people or to be resurected?
5. Is baptism originally a christian practice?
6. Jesus's miracles healing the sick, exorcism, bringing the dead back, helping the fishermen, feeding the hungry with little food, etc. Was he the first to perform these miracles?
7. Are there more books to the bible than what you get nowdays?
8. Is the cross a christian symbol?
9. Are the fish (vesica piscis) a christian symbol?
10. Was the catholics the 1st christians?

I think we should get some interesting answers looking forward to reading them and giving my answers.

Actually, I know quite a few.

If anyone decides they should take their time and answer your quiz, I ask you to be very friendly in your answer. We are not about debating here. I like this to be a place where Christians and others can chat without stress.

First I have absolutely no intention of being unfriendly. Nor are the questions unfriendly. And why would answering a little quiz cause stress? I am not debating I am simply making a point and at the same time trying to answer a question that was asked. People always give their opinions easily as answers but to really teach one must encourage the one asking the question to try to find the answer themselves and not just take the first person who answers word for it. Encourage them to ask others, to do research, to really learn. That is one of the main problems with alot of kids and adults, nowdays is that everything is handed to them without showing them how to get it themselves. Everyone should try to learn something new everyday whether they agree with it or not.

Secondly stated you knew "quite a few" but to which question?

That's my answer to the questions in the quote box. I know many people who spend a great deal of time studying the Christian belief. Thats their main focus in life - growing closer to God and knowing their belief.

I am sorry if I jumped the gun, thinking that you were being inflamatory. I've seen a few too many people who just want to argue and put down Christians. Their are Believers in all stages - from new to seasoned - who come to this forum. I want them to be encouraged here.

Ahh well the fist question kinda goes with the above part and then the second was just a general question to go with the quiz. But really today people just don't live like that not in they way they did spiritually probrably the ones tha live closest to that are nuns and monks. Does that make us wrong or less? No, I don't think so. It gives us something to strive towards though. Whether or not one is new or seaseoned in their beliefs it never hurts to encourage them to learn something that could bring them closer to their sprituality, God, etc. It is the close minded one track thought that prevents most people in my opinion from living the way we were discussing, and thats why angels and messengers were common place in that time period and not today.

A good way to know if something is coming to you from God and not something else (Satan)is to see if thew word you are getting lines up with scripture.

If it doesn't, then it is not from God

I still think God can and will use whatever he wants to get his message across...I have seen the books that say to pray to the angels and that is just weird to me because God speaks english just like me so why do I need or want an interperter?

I have also seen books on praying to or through Saints and Mary... I dont understand this either

the onlything I can think of is that the saint, Angel or Mary represents something and helps you focus on what your pray is about or for you to be mindful of your intentions...

For Example (please forgive this my Catholic reader)

I want to pray for help in being more kind and loving to others so I think about Saint? Mother Terissa and how she lived her life and how she loved God. So I pray something like Dear Lord Help me to Live like Mother Terissa and remember that there is power in ever small thing we do and dont do for others in your name. Amen

I have no idea if this is what they mean by praying through or to a Saint angel or Mary.... but I think God can use us in any form we come to him in anyways!