Billy Graham: Why Does God Warn Against Horoscopes?
Christians should look to God instead of horoscopes for guidance, the Rev. Billy Graham advises for those who are lured by things that claim to predict the future.
Graham, founder of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said in a column for the Kansas City Star on Wednesday that although God created the stars and the universe, believers in Christ should not use these cosmic entities for guidance.
This includes referencing horoscopes and other methods, such as sorcery, omens or magic, as a source of guidance other than God, Graham continues.
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"God did make the stars (as well as everything else in the universe), but He intended them to be a witness to His power and glory, not as a means to guide us or foretell the future," the evangelical leader writes.
The 97-year-old Baptist minister points specifically to Deuteronomy 18:9-13, in which God forbids His people from looking to such things for direction.
"Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you," the verses read, in part.
One of the reasons God forbids us from using such alternatives as guidance is because they are dangerous, deceptive and unreliable. Graham points to the story of King Saul in 1 Samuel 28-31, who seeks to consult with a dead person about his future and ultimately commits suicide.
Instead, Graham concludes his message by encouraging Christians to look only to God for guidance.
"God loves us, and we know this because He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to give His life for our salvation. Even when the future is unclear, He can be trusted to guide us," the evangelical leader says.
Graham has decried the use of astrology before, saying in a blog post for the "My Answers" section of the BGEA website that God alone should be our guiding light.
"[God] alone is our guide, and we are to look to Him alone for the wisdom we need. Nothing else is to take His rightful place," the evangelical leader explains.
"The Bible teaches that we should have nothing to do with occult practices, including [horoscopes and astrology]. I realize you may not think of them this way — but they are, because they all involve mystical attempts to foretell the future (which the Bible rejects)," Graham continues, referencing Isaiah 47:13-14 in which Isaiah mocks those who choose astrology over God.
"Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you," the verses read.
The preacher encourages Christians to build "[their] life on the truth of His Word, the Bible, because it alone is 'a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.'"
