Gone are the days of forced atheism. Today we have not only freedom of religion, but also freedom, shall we say, of all kinds of devilry.
All sorts of psychics, soothsayers, witches swarm on television screens. From the newspaper pages, they promise us deliverance from corruption and evil eye, as well as wealth and success. Who are they: scammers or people who really have a connection with the spiritual world and influence on it? This is what our conversation with the clergyman of the Novosibirsk Mennonite community Andrei Peters is about.
- Andrey Vasilyevich, law enforcement agencies have finally become interested in psychics and "non-traditional healers". In most cases, criminal cases against them are initiated under the article “fraud”. This is so: they are scammers, and nothing else?
- In the overwhelming majority of cases, yes, scammers. However, one must bear in mind that nothing arises from a completely empty place, and if there is a fake, then there is an original. In other words, among the people who claim that they communicate with the other world and receive their extraordinary abilities from it, there are some of those who really communicate and really receive.
- Do you have specific examples to prove this?
- There is. For example, one person told me that at one time he discovered some supernatural abilities. With a glance at the knot, he tied the cabbage knots, moved various objects from place to place with the power of thought - well, and so on. I got a job with these abilities in a circus, where the audience both impressed and frightened. And then he was frightened himself - when he noticed, he lost control over this power.
Another example: when I was working as editor of the journal "The Way of Salvation", a letter came to our editorial office from a girl. She writes that she has lost the meaning of life, is ready to lay hands on herself. I calmed down as best I could, we started a correspondence, and then she herself came to the editorial office. It was then that it turned out that she was a hereditary sorceress, and her father was directly connected with some kind of satanic cult. But she decided to end it all, expressed a desire to become a Christian. I was delighted - but, as it turned out, I was happy early. This girl disappeared somewhere, and then she sent an SMS message: they say, the devil ordered me to kill you.
Promotional video:
- Frightened?
- Yes, not really: everything is in the hands of God, and by no means this girl. But I began to feel some kind of taste of death quite realistically. And then the dog under the windows of my apartment started howling every night. Disgusting sensation. However, the girl disappeared somewhere, and nothing terrible happened. But the most interesting thing is that one Christian, who, as everyone recognized, had the gift of clairvoyance, knowing nothing about this story and not knowing this girl, said: “I know, Pastor Andrey, what is happening to you,” and in some detail described to me the whole course of events.
- And he has this gift of clairvoyance from whom: from God or from Satan?
- Frankly speaking, I don’t know. I adhere to the recommendation of the Apostle John: “Test the spirits, whether they are of God,” and I am suspicious of the manifestations of such abilities, regardless of whether the person who possesses them goes to church. My principle: always doubt! If a particular person has a supernatural gift from God, he will not be offended by these doubts. And if he is offended - the first bell, something is wrong with him, and he received his abilities not from God, but from Satan and his demons.
- Does a person with supernatural powers know exactly from whom he got them? Or he may be delusional: he thinks that it is from God, but in reality - from the devil?
- Maybe. The majority are mistaken - for the time being. But over time, everything becomes extremely clear to each of them. And after such an insight, some seek to get rid of both this tutelage of dark forces and these abilities, while others are quite happy with the current state of affairs, since it gives them strength, power, and money. But even such people will not say directly: we, they say, serve Satan and his demons! Say this - you will scare away all the clientele. Therefore, many of them hide behind a Christian entourage: crosses, icons, quite Christian prayers. But such ostentatious piety should not lull the vigilance: in fact, these people are by no means serving God, but their womb and Satan.
- But it happens that they really heal?
- Not. Temporary relief can be given, but nothing more.
- Can they do harm?
- Easy. But not to everyone, but only to people who do not believe, far from God. The Christian is reliably protected from the influence of dark forces.
- And if someone does not believe in God, and does not believe in witchcraft and witchcraft?
- So what if he doesn't believe. Witchcraft and witchcraft do not depend on belief or disbelief in their existence - they are real, that's all.
- Therefore, the evil eye, and corruption, and the "crown of celibacy" are real?
- And much more. The Bible calls it one word - "curse."
- And there are people who claim that they can remove all this negativity - for a lot, however, money. Is it wise to ask them for help?
- It is extremely unreasonable and useless. Only the church, only prayer, only repentance will deliver from such things.
- Can a demon take possession of a person and completely take possession of him?
- Maybe. This state is called "obsession." But here's what is extremely important to know: a demon cannot possess a person against his will. And God endowed man with reliable protection from demons. But man himself breaks and destroys this defense. Moreover, he often does this unnoticed, even for himself. Begins to be interested in occultism, begins to take part in spiritualistic séances - this is how he opens the door to the devil himself. For the time being, all these actions seem to him some kind of fun. But if it were fun, God in the Bible would not have imposed the strictest prohibition on communication with sorcerers, soothsayers, fortunetellers and would not have ordered all these sorcerers and witches to be stoned.
- So you need to beat?
- There is no need to beat - other times, other means of protection against them and their neutralization. Staying away from them, not making any contacts is quite enough to protect yourself, at least. But if the first persons of the state, positioning themselves as believers and churchgoers, banned the "Battle of Psychics" and other occult TV programs, they would have protected many, many of their gullible fellow citizens. After all, it is television that creates widespread fame and popularity for all these "women of the tenth generation" and other healers and witches.
Andrei Peters is not alone in his claims. Orthodox priest Vasily Biryukov, assistant to the rector of the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord, also answered several questions on this topic.
- Are there people in reality who really communicate with the other world and get some superpowers from there?
- You mean: communicate with the dark forces? Yes there is. And they get it.
- Can they use these abilities to benefit someone? Well, say, heal a person?
- No, they cannot.
- And do harm?
- Quite.
- To harm anyone, or a certain category of people?
- They can harm only people who do not believe in Jesus Christ.
- Many fortune tellers and sorcerers read some spells before coming into contact with the dark forces. Are they able to force Satan and demons to submit to them with these spells, to fulfill some of their desires?
- Of course not. But Satan and his demons can pretend to obey. "The give-away game", which Satan himself will interrupt as soon as he sees fit.
Catholic priest Gratian Piotrovsky, rector of the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and church judge of the Transfiguration diocese, commented on the issue of spells as follows:
- Spells are a kind of prayers addressed not to God, but to the devil. And just as God answers the prayers of believers in His name, so Satan answers spells, fulfills the requests of people who turn to him. But it fulfills for the time being, for the time being - the end of people who rely on Satan is always tragic.
