Editorial August 15, 1977 Issue

Government by God-Not Stars

Naomi Price

After a brief commentary on the stormy weather, a young man in the elevator said comfortingly, "But the stars are favorable today!" The response came quickly from another passenger, "Who cares?" Still the young man was not put off. "Watch it," he said. "The stars are all-powerful." "Indeed they are not," replied the other. "God is all-powerful, and He has given man dominion. The stars and man are under God's government." She was thinking of the statement in the Bible that says God crowned man "with glory and honour" and "put all things under his feet."^{ Ps. 8:5, 6;}

According to a recent Gallup Poll, one American in five expresses belief in astrology. Probably many more, from curiosity or for fun, make a fairly consistent habit of reading the syndicated horoscopes appearing in their newspapers. What effect does this have on the human lives and actions of the nation and the world? It may be serious. If a minimum of forty million people of one country look to the stars for guidance and believe astrological predictions enough to act in accordance with them, the probability is that millions more are also unknowingly to some extent thereby influenced.

With these facts in mind, many thinking people believe that the commonly tolerant attitude toward popular astrology—dictated by the feeling that it is merely harmless fantasy, not to be taken seriously —should be hardened and replaced by enlightened resistance to its subtle influence, just as it was advised by the prophet centuries ago. The Bible tells us that in ancient times the great city of Babylon was renowned for astrology and magic, yet despite the claims of the practitioners of the occult arts the city was destroyed. The prophet spoke of the all-power of God and the divine judgment against the wickedness of the city, saying, "Let now the astrologers, the star gazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee."^{ Isa. 47:13;} But history shows that they could not.