Several movies are coming out with a common theme that reveals the rising popularity of spiritism in our culture.
The previous century was the hallmark of modernism where science and materialism was supposed to be the end all and answer to all of mankind's problems. Examples of modernism in the culture would be things like Sherlock Holmes or Scooby Doo, where, due to people's superstitions, they believe that something supernatural is taking place. However, the scooby gang comes along and unmasked the villain who is really using some kind of technology to fool people.
After two world wars, people have become disillusioned with the concept that modernism, science alone, and materialism can solve all their problems. Hence, the rise of "post-modernism", which reintroduces the supernatural into culture.
What we see in many of the movies coming out in early 2011 are examples of skeptical modernists having to come to terms with confrontations with the supernatural.
(Please note I have not seen the movies referenced below nor recommend anyone see them, this commentary on societal trends is based only on press releases made by the producers.)
In "Season of the Witch", Nicolas Cage's character, Behmen, is a disillusioned knight, who questions his own faith, returning home from the crusades to find his homeland ravaged with the plague. He is given the task of escorting a girl accused of witchcraft to what will probably be her death. Behmen doubts that witchcraft even exists, but later is confronted with and has to fight against the supernatural.
In a similar vein "The Rite" involves a seminary student, Kovak, who has doubts about faith and the supernatural, believing that things like demon possession are really psychiatric problems that should be dealt with using medical treatment. He is then confronted with very "real" manifestations of the supernatural and demon possession that are dealt with using exorcism.
Both of these examples show a trend of converting skeptics into believers in the supernatural, and then the heroes fighting evil using their "faith" and inner strength.
This is the new age, emergent spiritism, where seeking supernatural experiences and seeking out your own "inner star" are the promoted practices.
Of course, evil can only be defeated by Jesus. Faith in anything else is idolatry.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Homophobia
It's official, I'm not "homophobic"
43 - Your score rates you as "non-homophobic."
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/etc/quiz.html
It has never been about hating people, it has always been about hating sin.
People that choose to succumb to temptations and participate in homosexual acts are sinners in need of a savior the same as myself and everyone else.
What is most important is that we do not call, for any reason, something acceptable that God has declared in His Word to be an abomination.
No I do not hate or fear anyone, instead love insists that I do anything and everything I can to share the Good News that everyone can be delivered from the bondage to sinful behaviors through belief and trust in Jesus.
Psychology does not make right
The Frontline article referenced in the link above states that "For much of this century, homosexuality was defined by the medical and scientific community as a psychiatric disorder."
This is true. The APA changed its position not based on scientific research or data, it changed its position in 1973 due to political pressures and infiltration of its leadership positions by homosexual activists.
Homosexuality continues to become accepted more and more as "normal" and it is religion that is seen as the "mental illness".
Researchers treating religious, moral obsessions
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=13855078
The recongized "father" of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, believed that people who follow their "natural" desires (read "sin nature") that are truly sane. Dr. Benjamin Wiker in the book "10 Books That Screwed Up theWorld: And 5 Others That Didn't Help" explains:
Since psychology/psychiatry is limited to man's "wisdom" and man's determination of what is right and wrong, psychology can be used to redefine anything in service to a purpose.
There is ample evidence that Psychiatry has been used for political purposes by communist countries. Basically, political and/or religious dissenters are labeled as "mentally ill" and imprisoned in maximum-security psychiatric hospitals.
Political Abuse of Psychiatry in the Soviet Union and in China
http://www.jaapl.org/cgi/reprint/30/1/136.pdf
We are already seeing this happen in the U.S., and can expect it to wax worse.
Those of us who look to God's revelation as to what He considers to be right and wrong are being labeled, marginalized, and more and more demonized. This is in fulfillment of prophecy as the world comes together under one universal religion that leaves no room for God.
Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
3 John 1:11
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.
Romans 12:9
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
43 - Your score rates you as "non-homophobic."
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/etc/quiz.html
It has never been about hating people, it has always been about hating sin.
People that choose to succumb to temptations and participate in homosexual acts are sinners in need of a savior the same as myself and everyone else.
What is most important is that we do not call, for any reason, something acceptable that God has declared in His Word to be an abomination.
No I do not hate or fear anyone, instead love insists that I do anything and everything I can to share the Good News that everyone can be delivered from the bondage to sinful behaviors through belief and trust in Jesus.
Psychology does not make right
The Frontline article referenced in the link above states that "For much of this century, homosexuality was defined by the medical and scientific community as a psychiatric disorder."
This is true. The APA changed its position not based on scientific research or data, it changed its position in 1973 due to political pressures and infiltration of its leadership positions by homosexual activists.
Homosexuality continues to become accepted more and more as "normal" and it is religion that is seen as the "mental illness".
Researchers treating religious, moral obsessions
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=13855078
The recongized "father" of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, believed that people who follow their "natural" desires (read "sin nature") that are truly sane. Dr. Benjamin Wiker in the book "10 Books That Screwed Up theWorld: And 5 Others That Didn't Help" explains:
He [Freud] claimed that psychological disorders were the result of the unnatural repression of our naturally unholy and anti-social desires, and that some people just couldn't handle the repression... Therefore, neurotics are the only sane people because they react to unnatural frustration by training to reclaim their original, natural, asocial and amoral state. The result: the anti-social psychopath who kills without conscience is the most natural of all. The interesting effect of Freud's proclamation that evil is natural was the seemingly unintended consequence of making psychopathic insanity natural.
Since psychology/psychiatry is limited to man's "wisdom" and man's determination of what is right and wrong, psychology can be used to redefine anything in service to a purpose.
There is ample evidence that Psychiatry has been used for political purposes by communist countries. Basically, political and/or religious dissenters are labeled as "mentally ill" and imprisoned in maximum-security psychiatric hospitals.
Political Abuse of Psychiatry in the Soviet Union and in China
http://www.jaapl.org/cgi/reprint/30/1/136.pdf
We are already seeing this happen in the U.S., and can expect it to wax worse.
Those of us who look to God's revelation as to what He considers to be right and wrong are being labeled, marginalized, and more and more demonized. This is in fulfillment of prophecy as the world comes together under one universal religion that leaves no room for God.
Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
3 John 1:11
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.
Romans 12:9
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
Friday, January 07, 2011
Out of an Infinite Universe
Question: Isn't it prideful and against christian "humility" to believe:
1) that out of the infinite size of the universe, the millions of stars and planets we think we are special?
2) out of all that, how can we presume to think that God should love us?
This line of questions presumes on at least two fallacies:
1) Love is based on "what's in it for me"
2) That the Christian wordlview should have anything to do with the size of the universe
The truth is:
1) What Christians say is based on what God Himself has chosen to revealed to us in His Word. God's Love is based on His choice and His convenent to us. He chose to love us when we were unlovable. So when Christians talk about God's love for us, it is not out of some haughtiness or prideful self worth thing, it is about God's grace extended toward us as revealed by God Himself!
2) The size and majesty of the universe is not there to reflect on our value or earth's value or position in it -- the size and majesty of the universe is there to reflect the magnificence, power, and glory of God!
True humility is to put God's Word and His wisdom ahead of our own vain philosphies and limited wisdom.
1) that out of the infinite size of the universe, the millions of stars and planets we think we are special?
2) out of all that, how can we presume to think that God should love us?
This line of questions presumes on at least two fallacies:
1) Love is based on "what's in it for me"
2) That the Christian wordlview should have anything to do with the size of the universe
The truth is:
1) What Christians say is based on what God Himself has chosen to revealed to us in His Word. God's Love is based on His choice and His convenent to us. He chose to love us when we were unlovable. So when Christians talk about God's love for us, it is not out of some haughtiness or prideful self worth thing, it is about God's grace extended toward us as revealed by God Himself!
2) The size and majesty of the universe is not there to reflect on our value or earth's value or position in it -- the size and majesty of the universe is there to reflect the magnificence, power, and glory of God!
True humility is to put God's Word and His wisdom ahead of our own vain philosphies and limited wisdom.
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