Psionica and religion

The relationship between psionica and religion is broad and varied, and not easily explicable in the short span of an article. The views of different religious and faith systems on psionica depends upon several factors, including any specific written statutes, concerns over the origin of psionic phenomena, and often the association of (and sometimes equation of) psionica with magic. For additional reading, you may wish to consult the Wikipedia article on magic and religion.

Prehistory and mythology
Although psionica was not studied in earnest until the 20th century, it can be theorized that there have been instances of psionic activity since the appearance of mankind, if not the birth of the world. Modern psionologists associate many traditional mythical creatures with either psionica-related conditions, or with aetherii.

The earliest recorded tale of psionica, although not verifiable, includes elements and prominent figures from Epirean (ancient Greek) mainstream polytheism. According to the Hē Tē̂s Heaireía Hírysis (Ἡ Τῆς Ἑαιρεία Ἵρυσις, or "Founding of the Order"), a group of psionii living in the 1st century BC or AD in the city of Orikos (now Orikum, Albania) used their powers as the basis of their claims to be Zeus, Hera, and others of the Greek pantheon in human form. After a generation of this deception, members of their priesthood discovered their own psionic talents, exposed the false deities, and created a supervisory fraternity of psionii and priests called Epí Ṓrikos Heaireía, from which the modern Order of Eneryc purports to descend.

In the above origin we see neither that psionica disproved the concept of gods, nor that religion rejected the concept of psionica. No explanation for the powers themselves is ever given in the Hírysis, but priests are found to possess the powers and in response they extend their faculties and duties to study and teach about psionica. Whether the Hírysis is meant to be taken literally or as a cautionary parable is an unrelated point of debate.

Christianity
Often the distinction between magic and psionica is not made by Christian denominations, and so the belief in or practice of psionica is considered a Scriptural taboo. Where psionica is distinguished, however, there are arguments both for and against its place in the Christian church.

Pro-psionica
Supporters of psionica in the church often cite different writings of Paul the Apostle, who talks in many of his New Testament lettersundefined about the variety of spiritual gifts bestowed on people. The most common passage thus referred to is 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, which reads in part (emphasis is the editor's and not from the Bible):"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them[...] Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.undefined"Some Christians believe that psionic phenomena only occur by and for the will of God, while others believe that like any spiritual gift, it is given intended for God's glory but can be misused by a wayward soul.