American Society 'Submerged' in the Occult, Says Ex-Satanist
An ex-Satanist who is now a Christian and oversees a ministry that reaches out to occultists believes that American society is "submerged in the occult."
Jeff Harshbarger, head of Refuge Ministries and author of the book Dancing With the Devil, told The Christian Post in an interview that characteristics of occult belief are commonplace in American culture.
"Our society is submerged in the occult; Harry Potter has filled the minds of our children for a decade and vampirism meets our teens with the illusions of grandeur. Witchcraft went mainstream decades ago, and Wicca is its offspring," said Harshbarger.
"'Christian' witchcraft is on the up-rise and new age spirituality fills the church pews. Time has come for the church to be equipped and be effective. This is why I wrote Dancing With the Devil."
Harshbarger does not consider this to be a recent problem, as he sees occultism as being "introduced in the Garden of Eden, when Satan tempted Adam and Eve to seek hidden knowledge, instead of walking in obedience to God."
Personal Experience With the Occult
Harshbarger's own experiences with the occult led him to open a ministry meant to reach out to those involved in practices like Satanism and Wicca.
These experiences were written about by Harshbarger in detail in 2005 with the book From Darkness to Light and also mentioned in his more recent book Dancing With The Devil.
Harshbarger began his entry into the occult via the usage of a Ouija board. By the late 1970s, he was a practicing Satanist who lived with a group of likeminded people in Indiana.." from the article: American Society 'Submerged' in the Occult, Says Ex-Satanist
Mitch Horowitz: Occult America
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Author and Lecturer Mitch Horowitz speaks on occult America at the University of Philosophical Research May 10, 2018
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The Occult In American History: More Than Just Bumps In The Night
"Whatever interests you at age eight or nine tells you who really are. It's a time when you are old enough to start thinking independently but young enough not to feel the full grip of peer pressure. Growing up in the 1970s in Queens, New York, my tender interest was the occult.
Paperbacks on ESP, Bigfoot, and " true" hauntings adorned the pages of the Arrow Book Club catalogues at my elementary school. Friends huddled in basements for séances and Ouija sessions. The Exorcist was the movie that no one on the block was allowed to see. On TV, Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas chatted with clairvoyants, astrologers, and robed gurus. Everything seemed to hint at a strange otherworld not so far away from our own.." from the article: The Occult In American History: More Than Just Bumps In The Night