Pride and Power: Occultism’s Rebellion Against Divine Order
Experienced occultists explain the negative attitude of religions toward occultism by asserting that the occult doctrines themselves contain a fundamental error – mankind’s aspiration to imitate God, a desire for omnipotence and the elevation of one’s own personality. In their view, such an approach breeds pride, which is the source of the original and most grievous sin.
As one author notes, “Occultism precisely fosters in people the desire for power over the world, the forces of nature, and over other humans; and power immensely elevates the soul of the individual – that is, it develops pride, which is the beginning and end of all sin. It is through pride that the Daystar – the devil – fell, and it is through being tempted by pride that the first humans on Earth, Adam and Eve, sinned. The serpent, in whose form the devil was concealed, instilled in Adam and Eve: ‘God knows that on the day you taste them (the fruits of both good and evil) your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods…’ That is the essence of sin: disobedience and pride – ‘You will be like gods’” (source: link txt).
Additionally, another author emphasizes that the path of occultism is not only dangerous in itself but also represents a “sinful path,” since it is in the pursuit of possessing supernatural powers that a person is driven by pride and selfishness. This, in turn, opens the door for the devil, deprives the individual of the protection granted by the Lord, and casts him into the realm of evil spirits (source: link txt).
Thus, from the perspective of occultists, the negative attitude of religions toward occultism is explained by the fact that occult practices provoke a person to deviate from the paths established by God, inciting pride and an insatiable thirst for power that essentially repeats the original sin – the desire “to be like gods.” This deviation from the true path, as seen by religious traditions, leads only to spiritual bondage and dangerous contact with the forces of evil.
Supporting citation(s):
“…Occultism precisely fosters in people the desire for power over the world, the forces of nature, and over other humans; and power immensely elevates the soul of the individual – that is, it develops pride, which is the beginning and end of all sin. It is through pride that the Daystar – the devil – fell, and it is through being tempted by pride that the first humans on Earth, Adam and Eve, sinned. The serpent, in whose form the devil was concealed, instilled in Adam and Eve: ‘God knows that on the day you taste them (the fruits of both good and evil) your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods…’ That is the essence of sin: disobedience and pride – ‘You will be like gods’” (source: link txt)
“…This is the same desire of the first humans ‘to be like gods’, to take the place of God, to subject everything to their own will. Therefore, the path of occultism is not merely a dangerous one, but above all, a sinful path, and sin never leads to God; sin inevitably leads to the devil. We have devoted so much discussion to the nature of occultism in order to understand why people find themselves most easily under the sway of the devil in this realm. We discovered, firstly, that the very foundation of occultism – the desire to engage in it – is a consequence of human pride and selfishness. By turning to sin, a person opens himself to the devil. And, secondly, he rejects the protection given to him by the Lord and intrudes into the realms of the spiritual world. By his own will, he enters into contact with evil spirits (since he is incapable of communicating with the Angels of Light), effectively handing himself over to the power of Satan. And while occultism calls for mastery over spirits, the reality is quite the opposite. Even the occultists, deep down, understand this, and sometimes even consciously acknowledge it.” (source: link txt)