A Psychic Refund
If people trusted in God or read the Bible, they could avoid situations such as the one described in the Orlando Sentinel on March 8th, 2013. The story title on page B1 says: “Psychics to Refund Woman’s $50,000.”
Sharon Stevens and her niece Peaches Stevens (whose professional names are Sarah Stevens and Miss Starr) fancy themselves to be psychics, in which case this article may come as no surprise (but it will since they have no psychic powers). They charge people for their “counsel,” and in the case of one woman they collected in cash and merchandise $135,898.60. This pair operated the Meditation and Healing Center in Windemere (near the police station) but have since moved to Winter Garden as Zodiac Gallery (B3).
Understanding the legalities of this case must be fascinating. What did the psychics do that they could be charged with criminally? No one forced the woman to go to them and get their advice. The charges filed were for scheming to defraud and grand theft. Okay, but why couldn’t those charges be filed against them every day? Do people not expect to be defrauded when they go there? Do the police think that psychics are legitimate and that paying customers are going to find out something useful? They are in business to separate people from their money.
The woman who was cheated was beset by many problems; so she went to a psychic to find out why or what she should do to quit having such troubles. Miss Starr confided to her that there was a curse on her family. Now most people might respond by asking incredulously, “Say, what?” She might have reacted negatively by saying, “I don’t believe in family hexes. Try again.” But instead, the woman started paying the psychic big bucks to remove the evil spell. The problem is, “At what point did these transactions become absurd?” When did they become fraudulent? The victim did not have to believe Miss Starr. Probably no one reading this article would.
Did the woman not become suspicious when she was told to put eleven $100 bills and eleven relatives’ names on a piece of paper under her mattress? And did she not question the relevance of putting a grapefruit under her bed while she slept? Did her husband not question any of these antics? Being asked to pay $19,000 apiece for seven “tabernacles” should have served as a wakeup call.
Why do people do things like this? Haven’t they ever seen any episodes of The Mentalist? Sure, it’s a fictional program, but the lead character knows that psychics are fake because he used to make his living that way and knows what the tricks of the trade are. He vociferously denies that anyone has psychic powers. Have they not seen Psych? Shawn uses observation and deduction to solve crimes but passes it off as having psychic ability, which is just for show.
The charges were dropped and the money repaid, but most probably wonder how someone would be so gullible as to fork over so much money. “There’s a sucker born every minute,” is certainly an accurate assessment whether P. T. Barnum actually said it or someone else did. It is the case that some people will believe just about anything (but the truth).
Anyone might be tempted to think that the woman who spent all this money is uneducated and very superstitious. Well, the latter description might be true, but in fact she is a college graduate (and therefore reasonably intelligent), a mother (who should have the ability to detect a con), and a business (which she nearly lost) owner. How can one explain such an individual being so gullible?
The article does not state what her personal beliefs are—if she belongs to some religious group, is a New Ager, or what. The sad thing is that she could belong to a manmade denomination and still have bought into these psychic shenanigans. Many would never say anything against such things, and many members of denominations would not know there is anything wrong with tarot cards, Ouija boards, or psychics.
While it is the case that God worked through prophets in the Old Testament, they did not generally give private readings to tell somebody why they were having problems. They spoke to the evil that people were committing and called upon them to repent. If they refused to do so, they could look forward to the judgment pronounced by the prophet.
Under the Law of Moses, the people were warned against those who practiced witchcraft, soothsaying, interpreting omens, sorcery, conjuring spells, or spiritism. Being a medium (channeler), or calling up the dead was also forbidden (Deut. 18:10-12). Leviticus 19:31 commands: “Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them; I am the Lord your God.” All such individuals were to be shunned—not because they have any genuine power—but because they deceive people.
Although spoken by one of Job’s critics, it is nevertheless true: “Yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). Everyone has his share of problems because people have free will. Sometimes they come in waves and can seem relentless. The Biblical solution is to trust in and pray to God (1 Peter 5:7). He is always aware of what we face daily and can provide strength during trials. And it doesn’t cost $160,000 to learn these truths. Anyone can read them for free in the Scriptures that God has revealed to us all.
Psychics do not have answers, but they do know how to be sympathetic, compassionate, and, seemingly helpful. They can also read people, but they do not have answers, nor do they possess the truth.