Understanding vs. Control

So this morning I was, in a manner of speaking, asked to defend my interest in astrology and other forms of divinity against the stance of catholic doctrine that contends they are weapons of manipulation and control. 

I hear some people's eyebrows crinkling at the audacity and irony of such a statement...

All that aside...

Initially, I understood how they might feel that way. I even identified with the longing to control my surroundings as a possible motivation but the more I thought about it, I realized that it's not my personal motivation and that there was more to this idea.

This argument of a motivation to manipulate and control was also used by the Catholic Church throughout history to deter people from any form of scientific research in general. 

Who are we to seek to control God's creation? 

Well we are survivors seeking better methods of survival, for one. 

So today, as I'm listening to these podcasts on the social sciences, it occurred to me that the study of astrology is no more insidious or manipulative than the study of psychology. 

The motivation to learn or practice either of these topics could be seen as a desire to manipulate and control or a desire to be useful and of service to others. It ultimately depends on the individual wielding the information. 

Psychology is used by large scale businesses to understand and manipulate the habits of their workers and the desires of consumers. It's used by politicians to understand what motivates voters but it's also used by individual therapists who have a genuine desire to help others heal...if for no greater reason than it gives their life a sense of purpose. 

I honestly never thought of myself as wanting to use astrology to control or manipulate others. I just wanted to understand more about how people worked because it fascinates me. 

When I accumulate knowledge and am able to use it to help others then it gives me the feeling of having a sense purpose in the world and I get fulfillment from that. Usefulness grants me a sense of belonging.  

I can't think of a time when I've ever used someone's astrological information against them...or even really judged them by it. I'm generally just looking for patterns in human behavior that help me gain an understanding of how it all works. 

Perhaps that in and of itself makes me a "control freak" but no more than a mechanic or a doctor longing to understand how a mechanism works. 

Astrology, like psychology, is just a tool and most tools can be wielded for a variety of purposes. You don't stop using hammers because people occasionally use them to bludgeon each other.  

I think it is completely fathomable
that scientifically minded people actually honor God's creation by studying the intricacies of it. Seeking understanding is not synonymous with seeking control. In fact, seeking understanding generally shows respect for the subject. 

If you are Christian and you argue, "But those answers don't come from God. They could come from a malignant source." 

I would say, "Didn't God make the stars and the routes they follow? Is it not just as fathomable that God speaks through the language of stars as through a group of men who compiled a book? Who is more likely to deceive you? A group of men or stars that follow a highly predictable pattern through the heavens?" 

I would even go so far as to suggest that standing between people and their pursuit of understanding is a far worse crime against humanity than any form of divination. 

But sometimes even religious institutions can get mixed up. All institutions are made up of humans so none are infallible. 

In the Holy Bible God asks Job...