I have had several parents march there children out of the magic shop be because I did something (Block and Penny or Cups and Balls) that had to be satanic. These seem to be intelligent, middle class people.

Constantine,

Silly question, but if they are that strongly against it, then they had no business being in the magic shop in the first place!

I was performing for someone once and I saw this guy who was watching us. He looked Indian but I don't know exactly where he's from. After I had finished he came up to me and asked if it was a trick or real. It was the first time someone asked me that and I wasn't expecting it. I told him it was a trick and he said that he knew that some people really did do magic. I told him that I didn't think so but he wasn't completely convinced. I've gotten to know him a little because we both hang out at a coffee shop.

Apart from this incidence, I've never had someone think that I was doing real magic. I do magic at church all the time but I've never had anyone look at me in a strange way or anything. I go to a very small school (a total of 24 kids) and everyone knows me well enough that they're sure it's all tricks. I think that everyone around here accepts that there is no such thing as "real" magic.

"Do Baptists' aversion to magic stem from the same problems?"

I have actually seen a lengthy pamphlet explaining how ventriloquism is physically impossible, the real method is that demons are making the voices ... anything to fool good Christians and trick them into unwitting Satanism, you know?

I performed a version of color changing knives for a woman who came into the magic shop (where I work part-time) to get out of the cold while she waited for a taxi. She had a strange look on her face so I asked what she thought of the magic. She replied reluctantly because she did not want to be rude. She stated that she did not think that the magic came from God, with the implication that it game from the devil. I told her that of course it came from God and that the magic was a talent.

Her taxi came, and she left repeating: a talent, a talent.

Just think ... a few hundred years ago, they would have burned you at the stake! We've come a long way.

I once had a girl show me absolute photographic proof that my tricks were satanic and that I was possessed by a Demon when I performed.

She was a Jehovah’s Witness convert and had a color Polaroid FLASH snapshot of me on stage with RED eye balls! Her whole congregation warned her away!

oooooh.

Doug

What is true may not be believed.
What is believed may not be true.

Well, this is a most interesting thread!

The first defense against anything is the facts.

First, I'm sure all of you are fully aware--although I note it here because it hasn't quite been noted in this thread--that there actual priests, fathers, padres, ministers, rabbis, cantors, parsons and other types of spiritual leaders who perform magic entertainment. That is a fact. In fact, I've met and talked to dozens of them. As one poster did note, there is an entire magic subculture of gospel magic, as well as religion-oriented magic.

Another fact is that, according to the three Orthodox Jewish leaders who I have talked to, there is nothing in Orthodox, Conservative or Reform Judaism that is against the performance of magic as an entertainment and illusion-based entertainment medium. Nothing. In fact, when I asked one of these leaders if magic was against any religious tenet, the rabbi looked at me in a befuddled manner, chuckled, and said, "Why do you ask that?" I explained that some people have this odd reaction to magic, and he just waved his hands and said, "Then don't perform magic for those people!" I thought that was hilarious. These rabbis said that most people understand that modern-day performance magic is entertainment, and there is nothing wrong with entertainment! (I know, this echoes the comments posted by an earlier poster who consulted with a rabbi, so obviously this issue comes up every now and again in the religious community.)

Third, once a woman said something about how she wouldn't like to have magic performed at her child's birthday party because it was "against our religious beliefs." In a very polite, very nice manner, I softly said, "there are priests and rabbis who perform magic, you know!" She stopped, asked if that was true, and when I said, yes, indeed, she said she would have to re-think her opposition and her views about magic.

Maybe that was a spiritual experience!

Yesterday, a couple of magicians and I were standing outside a building, talking about magic. A woman who left the building quickly walked past us and said, "God bless you guys." When one of us asked what she said (he didn't hear her), she just kept walking. Either she thought we were beggars (which I doubt, because one of us was wearing a very nice suit), or she thought we were evil and working with the devil. I still don't know for sure, but it was a very bizarre experience.

:devilish:

Shane Wiker

I'm pretty sure that in her mind it was meant as an insult. Some people have even nicknamed people like her "shuteyes."

While I agree that nothing is wrong with magic according to Jewish law, and likewise agree with the rabbis you asked that you should perform but not for those people, it is incorrect to say that there is nothing in Orthodox, Conservative or Reform Judaism that is against the performance of magic. If you look at my post above from April 22, you'll see that there actually is/was basis for a prohibition, but was overturned in the past century as people grew accustomed to "our kind" of magic.

I have one lady at the riding club I belong to who is so freaked by the sponge balls she won't allow it done to her but keeps bringing others like her daughter along to have it "done to them" so she can witness it again she really is freaked by it.

Great reaction if you can get it.

Great thread!!

Yesterday, I was at Starbuck's practicing my sleights with the cards. This is very normal for me as I like to practice in public as it simulates almost a real performing environment.

This Starbuck's was very small ( the one across from the UN Plaza on Market St in SF ).. so I find myself a corner table in which I place my close-up pad down & start doing the card work.

You guys know how people are in big cities ..there in a rush or have got somewhere to go & kinda defensive.

After about 30 mins, a lady with a very young child sits about 2 tables from me. And the child is looking at me and doesn't know what to think. I smiled back at the child and went on about my business.

Well I should say that I tryed to go on about my business.. the child left the table & came over to my table & picked up the cards with "awe" the mother said" No.. leave those along!" The mother then smiled at me, and I said " It's ok". Then the child looked at me with the same sort of "awe". I did a D/L in which I showed the child a card- then I placed the card in front of the child, yes.. she turned the card over & it changed to a face card. The look on her face was unforgetable!!

She let out a loud laugh.. and gave me the look to do something else. So I did another card transposition, and got a simular result from her. When I looked up the WHOLE coffee house was laughing and watching us.

I don't know if she thought I was doing real magic. But that experience taught me that some things are more magical then magic.
Sincerely

Rick

Rick

Nice story.

Gotta catch them young.
She will remember that magic for a very long time.

Paula

In the early 90's I was in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, working as an Interpreter for the Haitan "boat people". To pass the time I would do simple tricks for the childern. Many of the adults were afraid of me, thinking my powers came from voodoo. One day, I was called to the camp by a large group of Haitains, who began holding out there hands for me to touch. At first I didn't understand what was going on, until one of them explained that a man had stolen some money from one of the tents, and they wanted me to identify the thief with my powers!

I just purchased a "voodoo doll" last week for halloween. The other day I did it in the lobby of a movie theatre for some people going to see a zombie movie (can you guess the patter I used?) When I was done one kid looked at me very seriously and asked "Does it hurt your head to focus your energy into such a small object?) Now that's magic!