Q. Could you please send me the Synod's official statement regarding horoscopes?

A. Luther explained the Second Commandment ("You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God") in this way: "We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks." The explanation in the official catechism of the Synod further states that using "satanic arts by God's name" includes "depending on horoscopes or similar ways to foretell the future." Thus, using horoscopes is included among sins against the Second Commandment.

We may add that the Commission on Theology and Church Relations has in its files writings on the topic by theologians in the Synod. These writers have placed the practice of astrology into the category of the occult. They have pointed out that since astrology is a form of divination it comes under the condemnation of such passages as Deuteronomy 18:9-14 and Isaiah 47:14-15.

These writers also point out that Christians are urged to entrust themselves and their lives to their all-powerful and gracious God, in whom the Psalmist places his heartfelt trust by declaring, "My times are in thy hand" (Psalm 31:15; see Eccl. 7:14). Christians remember that neither the daily course of their lives nor their future lies in the hands of unseen forces or movements of heavenly bodies. Rather, they are urged to believe that everything in their life is directed according to His gracious purpose: "In everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28; RSV). In light of these considerations, Christians who consult horoscopes "just for the fun of it" need to be aware of the spiritual dangers involved in such a practice.