Of Spells and Gods

By: Andrew Sakach

Topic of Choice: 1

In classroom discussion about Martin Buber's I-You, I-It relationships magic and religion were brought up. It was said that an I-You reflected religion because it was a treating of the other object as an entity of it's own and that treating as such you would beseech it for help. Contrarily magic was the manipulation of the spirits instead of a relationship, by performing something right you would invoke the intended result, an I-It relationship of utility.

I can't help but think that some religious experience is much like magic is. Such as, do this this and this and you'll go to heaven or you'll escape samsara, or whatever. That seems like there's no real relationship between the practitioner and the deity or You, it seems much like a steptual process leading to a desired result, magic. Granted you could say that it's through the grace of God that it allows you to go to heaven, not the procedure, however you could also say the elements or forces or spirits are allowing you to manipulate them even though you invoke them to do something. It all seems very... hmm... dichomatic for my liking when comparing magic and religion in this way.