Of course magic is an art, and of course that art can be - should be - used for the purpose of entertainment.
However, as has been pointed out, there is the potential in any artform to express a point of view about the world and to get other people to think about that point of view. Now there is absolutely no way ever that I would start yakking off about my world view at a paid gig - it's not the time or the place. I would also never randomly approach someone to show them magic unless I was being paid for it. In fact, under no circumstances would I take it any further than entertainment...yet; because I don't know how to do so in a socially acceptable manner.
Take the effects that you can do with a marked deck. This is serious freakin' psychic mind-reading territory. I cannot bring myself to present it that way though! Because I don't want anyone, not even for a second, to believe that I may have done something...paranormal. In fact, I tend to stay away from that particular effect, because I am uncomfortable with the effect it has on some poeple. But presenting this effect in the way that OwnerM suggests has the opposite effect. By informing the audience that you are about to show them something that looks like mindreading, you get them thinking about other "supernatural" happenings that may be just another trick.
This example also illustrates how subtle this application of the artform can be. You don't need to say "what do you believe in? If I can do this, and this is just a trick, what about your beliefs?! Hey? Hey!?". Just leave them thinking. Jonraiker, I believe this addresses your concern about magic being used to "lead" people to a conclusion. A rational view of the universe isn't about "leading" anyway; it is about independant thought, open-mindedness and the willingness to question what others take on faith. Getting someone to think in that way about a subject is much easier than attempting to indoctrinate them into a specific set of ideas. Sure, there may be people out there who try and convince others that there is no God, but they strike me as being just as fanatically religious as the Jehova's Witness knocking on my door. I'm sure the Evangelists would protest that they can do their thing subtely; I submit with confidence that the rationalists can do their thing more subtely still.
And, of course, we should always remember that magic is supposed to be fun and entertaining first! I'd hate to turn into Mr. Serious Atheist Magician Man.
However, as has been pointed out, there is the potential in any artform to express a point of view about the world and to get other people to think about that point of view. Now there is absolutely no way ever that I would start yakking off about my world view at a paid gig - it's not the time or the place. I would also never randomly approach someone to show them magic unless I was being paid for it. In fact, under no circumstances would I take it any further than entertainment...yet; because I don't know how to do so in a socially acceptable manner.
Take the effects that you can do with a marked deck. This is serious freakin' psychic mind-reading territory. I cannot bring myself to present it that way though! Because I don't want anyone, not even for a second, to believe that I may have done something...paranormal. In fact, I tend to stay away from that particular effect, because I am uncomfortable with the effect it has on some poeple. But presenting this effect in the way that OwnerM suggests has the opposite effect. By informing the audience that you are about to show them something that looks like mindreading, you get them thinking about other "supernatural" happenings that may be just another trick.
This example also illustrates how subtle this application of the artform can be. You don't need to say "what do you believe in? If I can do this, and this is just a trick, what about your beliefs?! Hey? Hey!?". Just leave them thinking. Jonraiker, I believe this addresses your concern about magic being used to "lead" people to a conclusion. A rational view of the universe isn't about "leading" anyway; it is about independant thought, open-mindedness and the willingness to question what others take on faith. Getting someone to think in that way about a subject is much easier than attempting to indoctrinate them into a specific set of ideas. Sure, there may be people out there who try and convince others that there is no God, but they strike me as being just as fanatically religious as the Jehova's Witness knocking on my door. I'm sure the Evangelists would protest that they can do their thing subtely; I submit with confidence that the rationalists can do their thing more subtely still.
And, of course, we should always remember that magic is supposed to be fun and entertaining first! I'd hate to turn into Mr. Serious Atheist Magician Man.
