How God ‘Transferred’ This Former Teen Witch to the ‘Kingdom of Light’
By Movieguide® Contributor
In the past, Sarah Anne Sumpolec found herself drawn to the occult and witchcraft. However, years later, she is opening up about how God saved her from a dangerous path.
Sumpolec described how her father was the one to get her interested in the occult. He talked about how the house they lived in was haunted, and even gave her a book about witchcraft.
She shared that a lot of her interest in the occult was because she felt closer to her father through this shared interest. However, things came to a head when Sumpolec’s father had a breakdown and pointed a gun at her.
“[It] shattered my trust in him,” she said. “I was lost … but because I had this altar in my room and the witchcraft stuff, I was like, ‘OK, you know, I’m gonna just dig down here.’”
As she got deeper and deeper into witchcraft, Sumpolec found herself feeling lost and scared. She even attempted suicide, but luckily, was unsuccesful.
“I think I was rescued. I honestly think I was rescued because I woke up. I don’t remember stopping my car. I don’t remember getting out of my car,” she said, referring to her attempt to die via carbon monoxide poisoning. “I literally woke up on the ground next to a tree. So I fully believe an angel got me out of that car.”
Sumpolec was at her lowest, but once she went to college, she found herself meeting new people, including Christian roommates. Her new friends convinced her to attend a Christian gathering on campus, and Sumpolec’s life was changed.
“I still remember the whole sermon … it’s been 30 some years now … because it was about altars,” Sumpolec remembered, drawing a parallel between the sermon and the altars she once had devoted to occult figures.
“I was searching,” she explained. “I wanted truth. I wanted things that were true, and I fully believed that what I had found in witchcraft was true. So when I heard that sermon … I realized that … if this is true, then this was off. And maybe this is the truth that I’ve always been looking for.”
Today, Sumpolec is a devout Christian and credits her faith for saving her life.
“I should be dead. I would have been dead,” she concluded. “I was truly transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.”
Sumpolec is not alone in her experience with witchcraft. Mainstream media has recently exposed consumers to the dark occult world in movies and on social media.
“I think that witchcraft has always been present in media. Every single movie that we saw as children, there was always that wicked person that would use magic or spells and things like that to try to destroy the hero,” says Jeannie Ortega-Law, a pop-star-turned-minister who wrote about her experience with the occult in her book, What Is Happening To Me? “Now what’s different than when we were growing up is it’s celebrated. Witches are now the main character. It’s not just the supporting role. Years ago, we had an understanding that some of these witches and then people in cartoons that were evil, they were evil. We understood that we were told it was evil, and now it’s glamorized.”
Movieguide® previously reported on a rising trend of witchcraft on TikTok:
Furthermore, on social media platforms like TikTok, the fascination with the occult is growing at an alarming rate everyone from young teens to adults first passively consume — and then seek out — videos about witchcraft.
“While the most watched TikTok videos may appear asinine to anyone who doesn’t enjoy teenagers lip syncing to popular songs, some surprising subcultures have arisen since the platform’s inception in 2017. One of these is the ‘WitchTok’ community. Videos labelled #WitchTok have so far clocked up an impressive 18.7 billion views,” Rebekah King writes for The Conversation.
And in DOCTOR STRANGE: IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, the hero devastatingly uses witchcraft to achieve his victory.
According to the Movieguide® review:
What you have in DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS is a clash of Non-Christian worldviews or false religions. Also, even though the hero, Doctor Strange, is trying to do the right thing by protecting the teenage girl and by stopping Wanda from killing the other mother and stealing her children, like Wanda, he uses occult powers too. For example, he uses occult magic, or sorcery, against Wanda, magic that includes elaborate hand movements. Also, at one point, he consults the same evil occult book that Wanda was using to reawaken the dead version of himself from the opening scene and use his powers against Wanda. By doing this, however, he also causes some demons to be released from Hell, demons that everyone has to fight.
Media-wise consumers must be aware of the kind of effect this has on children.
Movieguide® Publisher and Founder Dr. Ted Baehr warns against children consuming occult content in his book, FRODO & HARRY: Visual Media and Its Impact on Our Youth. Baehr, along with Movieguide® Editor Tom Snyder, writes:
The Bible is very clear about the evils of witchcraft, sorcery and other occult practices.
In Deut. 18:10-13, for example, Moses clearly says, “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God.” Also, in Rev. 21:8, Jesus Himself says, “The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Furthermore, in Galatians 5:19-21, the Apostle Paul says, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
All of these biblical passages – and more besides – show us, beyond all reasonable doubt, that God wants us to avoid completely witchcraft and sorcery.
You must protect your children and grandchildren, therefore, from the occult evils promoted [in media].
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
