In an article written by Catholic writer Patti Maguire Armstrong, the cute little collectibles, also known as string dolls, are sold with a bell, a keychain clip and a cell phone attachment.
"The Saan Ha Corporation based in Thailand, claims to be the originator of the doll and warns on their website that there are imitators," Armstrong writes.
"Regardless of the brand, these dolls are around 3-4 inches in height and made from a yarn-like string. Each one portrays ideas and categories such as teens, in-love, careers, witches, zombies and much more. They come with little accessories and are placed in a small packet with a note explaining their special powers. . . . "
The dolls are marketed to fulfill human desires and accommodate the lives of modern people, Armstrong reports. "They are purported to relieve stress and tension and care for spiritual needs. According to the website, 'Every child and teenager who bought Voodoo dolls and String dolls not only bring home their own Voodoo dolls and String dolls but dreams and hopes that come with them.”
The dolls come in a variety of categories, such as "Love Prisoner", "Witch" and "Devil." There are even "Angel" voodoo dolls (talk about an oxymoron).
Armstrong contacted an exorcist, Father Patrick (not his real name for obvious reasons) about these so-called "trinkets." Needless to say, he was not impressed.
“Lucky charms are superstitious in the first place,” he told her. “It places faith in something that has no power. If the object is connected to any spirits, people are going to be giving those spirits power.”
He goes on to urge Christians to discern what is going on when something is supposed to have power. “If they believe in God and angels they should believe in demons too—fallen angels,” he said. “Whether they like it or not, they are accessing the other angels. Instead of accessing the Holy Spirit, they are opening themselves up to whatever power is connected to the object, and it’s not the Holy Spirit.”
God allows people to have freedom even if it’s to make a bad choice, he said. “If they are dumb enough to summon demons, then that’s what they get."
But what if the kids are buying the dolls just because they're a fad and everyone wants to show them off on their book bags and cell phones?
"Fr. Patrick said that such a choice reminds him of the commercial against drinking and driving in which a guy says, 'But I’m just buzzed, not drunk'. Unfortunately the woman he accidentally hit with his car, is still dying," Armstrong writes.
"Fr. Patrick explained that it can be a fine line between owning something occult and using it for occult practices. 'So why go there at all?'”
Click here to read Armstrong's full report.
