Archie's Cultural Snapshot

There are so many in our world today who are seeking answers to the dilemmas they are facing, and unfortunately, the lure of deviant behavior and occultic practices have attracted many to journey down a path that leads far from God.   Here are the words of the prophet Isaiah in chapter 8:

18Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the Lord of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion.19And when they say to you, "Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?20To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

I love this picture of the prophet and his family, aligning with the Most High God and determined to preserve and practice the truth.  We must stand in the gap and stand before God not only for ourselves but also for the generations to come.  In the 19th verse, the prophet has encountered the recommendation to seek those who do not follow the ways of God, who in fact are involved in occult practices and a wrongheaded fascination with the afterlife.  We have to be careful that we do not allow mindsets contrary to Scripture to creep into our thinking and to guard against the enemy's lure to walk contrary to the time-honored, reliable principles of God's Word and the life-changing nature of a relationship with Christ.

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In Colossians chapter 3, we see a powerful template regarding the type of behavior we are to turn away from and what we are to embrace.  Verses 5 and 6 say:
5Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.6Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
And, later in the chapter, in verses 12 through 14, we read:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;13bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.14But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

The annual gathering of entertainment fans has ended in San Diego, as the Comic-Con event drew high-profile actors who made appearances, served on panels, and gave the scoops on upcoming releases.   Leading up to the grand event, one of the events in the comic book world had to do not with a superhero, but with an enduring hero from Riverdale High - Archie.

As Larry Tomczak writes on the Barbwire.com website:

On July 16, everything changed. In the words of progressive Archie comic publisher and CEO, John Goldwater, “A new Riverdale is born!”

Suffice it to say, our freckled-face friend is fatally shot saving the life of his homosexual buddy, Kevin, who is now part of the gang. Kev’ enjoys his gay marriage and serves as a senator, solidly pushing gun-control and modeling diversity for all the young readers.

But wait, there’s more!

Archie Comics also offers its youthful and impressionable audience a hard-core horror series, “Afterlife with Archie” plus the chilling adventures of “Sabrina” the teenage witch.

This 16-year-old role model for young daughters is born of a warlock. Her aunt Salem is a witch that turns into a talking cat. Madame Satan is the villain and there is a Witches Council and abundant curses for all to enjoy.

The writer of this series, Roberto Agquirre–Sacasa, describes the comic as a “story about witches and witchcraft, demonology and occultism…”

He boasts, “I am really good at making things dark and ominous.”

Are you kidding me?  This is yet another example of the way that entertainment culture is making inroads to shape behavior.  Not only are the creators of Archie pushing the gay agenda, but now presenting witchcraft and occult practices.  As Tomczak writes, "There are deep and dangerous powers of darkness at work through the occult and seemingly innocent comic books like this open the door for naïve and unsuspecting children.  He goes on to say that, "This tragic example from Archie Comics is but one of many alarming developments in our society. We can either throw up our hands in despair or respond to the current wooing of the Holy Spirit to pray and get engaged in courageously bringing the gospel and truth to this generation."

Tomczak, along with noted Christian leaders, is part of the "Pastors and Patriots Initiative," which includes Mat Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, Mike Huckabee, David Barton, Samuel Rodriguez, James Robison, Dr. Alveda King, and others who are passionate about awakening America.  Tomczak relates a warning from former President Reagan, who said, “History will record with the greatest astonishment that those who had the most to lose did the least to prevent its happening.”

I think it's important to embrace the phrase which serves as the title of the DVD, "Silence is Not an Option," that is being distributed through this consortium of church leaders.   We are witnessing the continued moral decline in our culture, to the point that those who disagree with what the Bible calls immoral behavior, i.e. homosexuality, are being ridiculed and face being intimidated into compliance.  The bottom line is that we cannot be forced to accept the normalization of sinful behavior.  The insidious advance of the homosexual agenda and the intolerance that is demonstrated by so many of its proponents has to be met by the overpowering truth of the gospel message, delivered with clarity, conviction, and certainly with compassion.  But, on this and other issues of the day, including the rise of and spread of occultic practices, we continue to recognize that God has established certain standards for righteous living, and we do well to line our lives up with those best practices which lead to abundant life.