Scriptures answer unequivocally no

The Rev. Stephen Koberlein, associate pastor, Lawrence Heights Christian Church, 2321 Peterson Road:

Whether watching TV, surfing the Net or even just standing in a grocery store checkout line, we can be inundated with promises from astrologers or psychics to tell us what the future holds for our love lives, finances, health or even our pets. But is it OK for believers to participate in astrology?

The exciting thing about this question lies in the fact that the Scriptures are very clear and unequivocal in response. I love how the Living Bible paraphrase succinctly constructs our answer: “Don’t act like the people who make horoscopes and try to read their fate and future in the stars! Don’t be frightened by predictions such as theirs, for it is all a pack of lies. Their ways are futile and foolish” (Jeremiah 10:2-3).

The prophet Zechariah structures his answer with remarkable candor: “How foolish to ask the idols for anything like that! Fortune-tellers’ predictions are all a bunch of silly lies; what comfort is there in promises that don’t come true?” (Zechariah 10:2a).

I would also be remiss if I failed to share the edict God issued within the Ten Commandments: “You may worship no other god than me. You shall not make for yourselves any idols: any images resembling animals, birds or fish. You must never bow to an image or worship it in any way; for I, the Lord your God, am very possessive. I will not share your affection with any other god! And when I punish people for their sins, the punishment continues upon the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those who hate me; but I lavish my love upon thousands of those who love me and obey my commandments” (Exodus 20:3-6).

Seeking God’s will through prayer and studying his word provides the clearest direction for our lives. We can rejoice knowing that he truly holds the future in his hands.

– Send e-mail to Steve Koberlein at steve@lawrence-heights.org.

Look to stars’ maker to see your future

The Rev. Shaun LePage, pastor, Community Bible Church, 906 N. 1464 Road:

Allow me to dissect the question first.

“Is it OK:”? If you just want someone to affirm your choices, you can easily find someone who will say any behavior under the sun is “OK.” Homosexuality, extramarital sex, drugs, cheating on your taxes, astrology – whatever. But, if there really is a creator God (and I believe there is), then his opinion is the only one that really matters when the question is, “Is it OK?”

“People of faith” literally describes every human on the planet. We all put our “faith” in something – ourselves, some type of manmade religion or the creator God. Astrology is a matter of putting your “faith” in a self-contradictory, illogical, fatalistic system of predicting the future, which is based on an ancient misunderstanding of the Earth, the solar system and the stars.

The fact is, astrology is clearly unbiblical – therefore, it is not “OK.” If the Bible is truly from the creator God, then astrology is a false religion (see Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:2-4; Jeremiah 8:2 and 19:13). Not only is it not “OK,” it’s just plain foolish. God – through the prophet Isaiah – mocked the idea that astrologers could predict the future (see Isaiah 47:13).

The stars are not telling you who you should marry or whether you’re going to have a bad hair day. “The heavens are telling of the glory of God:” (Psalm 19:1). And the writers of the Bible – speaking for the creator God – have predicted the future hundreds of times and have always been right. Why not look to the maker of the stars for what the future holds?

– Send e-mail to Shaun LePage at shaun@community-bible.org.