Greetings!

Some Christians have a problem with regular playing cards (with the regular suits - hearts, diamonds, etc). Are there any other kinds of cards (not expensive) that a Christian magician could purchase to use with card tricks?

Thank you so much!

The obvious answer would be alphabet cards or cards children play games with, like Old Maid or Go Fish.

Doc Haley Gospel Magic. Steve Varro has plenty of different cards to fit your needs. http://www.gospelmagic.com

Thank you so much, Rickfcm and Darkwing! Great options!

Are there any more suggestions, anyone?

Creative Magic has flash cards that are church and family friendly. They have them in gimmicked and just a non-gimmicked.

Interesting! Thanks!

I was thinking about possibly using a deck of Uno cards for Gospel purposes too. You could use card controls with certain cards and use their numbers to explain different aspects of the Gospel. 3 for rising on the third day, 9 for the ninth hour, etc. Red cards for the blood of Christ. With a little imagination I'm sure you could come up with some neat applications.

I also have a Doc Haley Gospel Svengali deck. The deck is ok, probably better suited for use with children as it is quite obviously a gimmicked deck. There are some neat things you can do with it though, and it can easily be used with the Eternal Assurance policy which is similar to a Magician's Insurance policy trick only uses Gospel cards. The policy needn't be read in entirety, you can shorten it to get right to the point of the Gospel and omit some unnecessary stuff.

Or you could explain to your audiences that there is nothing evil or satanic about playing cards. That they appeared in Europe around the middle of the Fourteenth Century and their only purpose was for playing card games. The deck that was to become known as the Tarot appeared around seventy-five to a hundred years later and too was created for a game that was to become the precursor to bridge.
The suits of Cups (hearts), Staves (clubs) Swords (spades) and Coins (diamonds) represented the four classes of society in the middle ages The Church, The Peasantry, The Knight or Nobles and the Merchant classes respectively.
Their association with the devil had more to do with their association with idleness and gambling and the laws passed prohibiting their use were due in a large part because people were spending time playing cards instead of tending to their archery practise, thus endangering th safety of the state.
Their association with divination only started in the Eighteenth Century when a charlatan in France declared them to be an ancient fortune telling device. A fact he made up completely out of whole cloth without a grain of truth in it.
Playing cards are a harmless object made out of paper with no supernatural powers whatsoever.

Excellent information Payne!

Great Payne! Some that I knew and some I didn't!

Tony Brent
Outta Control Magic Show
Orlando

I've bought the Creative Magic cards and they're excellent. They are made by US Playing Card Company, and seem to be exactly the same quality as Bicycle Cards.

Ron

Thanks for the info Payne.

If you actually think that your audiences will have a problem with using playing cards, you might consider whether they would appreciate a "deceiver" or a "magician" reproducing what could conceibably be done through demonic power. Of course, you also might consider whether to have a calendar in your home as the days of the week are named after pagan deities.

Thank you, everyone, for the help and useful information!

I am not sure, but I think some people might have problems with playing cards due to their association with gambling and the like. I don't think they would automatically be against illusionists, though.

Anyone else have any ideas on that? We are not trying to convince each other whether they are good or bad. I would just like to know why some people might have qualms about regular playing cards. It doesn't seem like they have problems with UNO and other family game cards.

Well, personally if I know the audience doesn't like, or is against playing cards I simply don't use them. Why create a problem or argument when you can avoid it by simply not using them.

No cards Please no Cards! regardless of your genre of magic or who you are performing for, no cards! that's punishment on the audiences part. The only excemption would be if you are doing a very very humours routine or a quick effect.

What's wrong with cards? Try performing a "PRODIGAL SON" stacked deck routine. It has a bit more of an inspirational message than Sam the Bellhop.
-=>Doug<=-

Kif Anderson (FX4Christ) has a "Parables" routine with a stacked deck. You can look him up here on The Magic Café.

I agree with Ethan. If the group finds 'playing cards' offensive for some reason, then perform effects that don't use cards. You are showing grace and wisdom by not doing something that would offend those around you.

If you are looking for other types of 'cards' to use, Rick, David, Terry, Preston and Ron provided alternatives to standard playing cards. Lots of great suggestions if you are looking for different types of cards.

Please let us know what you come up with!

That PRODIGAL JACK routine may or may not be available on a tape called "Sharing The Light" To purchase the tape or for more information contact Ned Way at:

Ned & Joan Way
c/o Evangel Christian Life Centre
P.O. Box 19229
Louisville, KY 40259

Thank you so much, everyone, for the very useful comments and suggestions! I am checking into the Creative Magic cards to use with groups that might find regular playing cards offensive.