The Separation Of Church And State Of Mind

Correspondent: Michael O'Brien

According to a recent CNN poll 1 in 4 young American people are currently, "unaffiliated," with religion. Additionally, a staggering 59% of young adults ages 18 to 29 with a solid Christian background have left the church all together.

When asked why, the most common responses cited by today's youth (depending of course upon their individual belief system) regarding their choice of theological separation were that:

● "The church is anti-gay."
● "The church is anti-doubt."
● "The church is anti-female."
● "The church is anti-science."
● "The church is anti-abortion."
● "The church is too judgmental."
● "The church only wants my money."
● "The church is anti-sexual education."

Upon my interviews with the 18-30 demographic (which was in no way scientific with less than 150 subjects) I noted the same criticisms. However, I was afforded clarifications. Here are some expansions offered by our participants I felt noteworthy due to their repetition and consistency. Out of respect and professionalism I've excluded the profanities.

● "As a good Christian I was told by my Bishop at 14 that I needed to actively shun homosexuals, liars, thieves and adulterers but pray for them. That they alone were the root of all evil. At 16 we found out that my Bishop was every one of those. It knocked the wind out of me, and the religion too." Karen D., 19

● "If I'm forced to demand proof in my work, my field, science, I'm going to demand it in a religion. "Believe it because I said so," just doesn't fly anymore." Devon M., 28

● "It has been my experience that the more religious, especially political and religious you claim to be the more corrupt you are." Peter P., 22

● "Christianity (prayer) never offered me any real answers to my issues. However doctors, psychiatrists and pharmaceuticals did. Science saved me, a deity

did not." Sam R., 25

● "I am sick to death of all of this puritanical BS! Where are all of these religious people at the local shelters or local food banks that I volunteer at every weekend and twice during the weekdays? Not there that for sure!" Tracy O., 24

● "I was raised Mormon. My family was expected to faithfully offer the church 10% of our gross earnings even when we couldn't. Now 20% is required to remain in good standing. Someone please tell me, why does it cost money in order for (this) God to like, accept or respect me?" Tammy A., 22

● "I can't come to grips being force fed that I'm supposed to worship a God who is more consumed with who I've chosen to love instead of who I've chosen to hate or harm. Why is it that I'll be forgiven for deliberately hurting or even killing another if I find Christ and ask for forgiveness but not for being gay?" Melinda Z., 21

● "Personally I'm bored with tradition and ceremony. I don't enjoy it at all. Besides, I think the only difference between being a religious person or being a spiritual person is that one person who is more willing to give up a Sunday." Timothy K., 27

● "My parents were hell fire Baptists. Every Sunday I remember thinking, am I the only person who thinks it's weird to force a kid to believe in an all powerful, unseen yet ultimately anthropomorphic entity who I should fear at all times with every fiber of my being? Also one who can't cure my MS but can apparently take Sunday attendance? Get real." Katelynn B., 24

● "The second I find out that someone is a preacher, priest or bishop I'm automatically suspicious. I don't mean to be but I can't turn on my TV anymore without hearing about one of these guys lying, manipulating, cheating, stealing money or molesting a child. If that's the godly level I'm supposed to be striving for then it's no wonder I'm a freaking atheist." Jacob L., 25

● "If I'm to understand this racket, God only focuses on what I do wrong and how he'll eventually punish me in eternal hell. And this is supposed to motivate me how?" Ally G., 18

● "I really don't get this whole Christian or Catholic thing. I think it's about a bunch of self righteous zelots who pick & choose what biblical passages we should all live by. But then gloss right over those passages that allow me to own slaves & beat adulterous women to death with rocks. I especially don't get the part where their God says do not judge, that's my job, but they ignore him anyway. Isn't HE supposed to be their authority? I swear they're more confused than I am. #toomanychiefs" Victoria R., 19 (this portion was extracted from an extended email by the author).

In the studies on atheism I'm familiar with it would appear many younger people are literally screaming the church is suspect if not outright hypocritical and outdated. With that, they seem to feel they are being forced to choose between their intellectual integrity, ideology and their faith. Unfortunately, at 59% intellect may be winning that battle.

I should quickly add this compilation of data gathered isn't offered solely by pollsters but by churches as well. Churches themselves report a substantial decline in attendance based upon baptismal records and their current congregational attendance. Some churches have even reported a variance as substantial as 69%.

We're all aware of the strict traditional stances of the church so what is fueling this sudden separation between church and the newest generation's state of mind? Are our youth seeking a greater education and spiritual understanding while the church seems content resting upon their standard catechism? Or are our youth genetically programmed to question everything about the generation before them? After all, there is substantial evidence that each generation brings with it deeper philosophies and greater knowledge. Evidence to that would be found in how even our generation (40+) perceives the generation of the 1960's.

While there are countless reasonings offered, I believe the true premise to this epidemic is that men of God are no longer respected leaders in our moral and ethical universe. And those that are have been undeniably sullied by the others.

Based upon documented hypocrisy, most have failed in their calling to become a moral compass for any of us. It's also unfortunate that these well known, so called, "spiritual leaders," have become the poster boys of modern religion. Listed below are only a few examples of my hypothesis.

● Westboro Baptist Church - who's premise is anti-gay and regularly frequents military funerals to mock the deaths of fallen heros.

● Reverend Gerry James - charged with misapplication of insurance funds of $450,000.00, DUI and possession of marijuana.

● Pastor Mark Driscoll - who commonly proclaims that women are “inferior vessels.”

● Pastor Rick Warren - who has consistently preached a disparaging anti-gay agenda.

● Pastor Ed Young Jr. - accused of living an overly opulent lifestyle courtesy of low income church member contributions.

● Pastor Eddy Long - an anti-gay preacher who won the top 10 Worst Pastors In America for underage homosexual assault and misuse of funds by The Preacher Bureau of Investigation.

● Reverend Travis Smith - who was charged with raping two teenage girls.

● Priest Eric Dejaegar - who served a five-year sentence beginning in 1990 for nine sexual assault charges of boys and girls ages 9 to 14.

● Pastor Matthew Kidd - charged with homosexual molestation of children.

● Preacher Travis Smith - charged with the molestation of under aged girls.

● Bishop Anthony Jinwright - who will spend the next decade in prison as punishment for more than 2 million in tax fraud.

● Reverend Peter Popoff - a televangelist found wearing an earpiece so that his accomplices could feed him personal information on people in his audience while he was claiming to get those personal messages directly from God.

Now scramble this knowledge in the mind of a spiritually confused or emptied person. Just look at the messages they send and what children may take from them. Obviously I could have gone on for pages with documented accounts of clergy gone bad but I won't. However, I will say the behavior of Catholic clergy alone would have turned this report into an exhausting novel.

This is what our youth are dealing with daily so is it any surprise that like untamed energy they've decided to take the path of least resistance? Again, I'm reminded of Karen D., age 19 who submitted:

"As a good Christian I was told by my Bishop at 14 that I needed to actively shun homosexuals, liars, thieves and adulterers but pray for them. That they alone were the root of all evil. At 16 we found out that my Bishop was every one of those. It knocked the wind out of me, and the religion too."

Face it, the youth of today not only out educate these false prophets on the pulpit but when it comes to purity, social equality, fairness and open mindedness, they obviously feel confident being their own spiritual guides. In their epiphanies they have chosen to abandon organized religion and have either opted for apathy, atheism or to simply exercise their spiritualism independently. Religious home study and volunteerism appear to be an option since both are steadily on the rise.

Apparently this isn't just an unfortunate U.S. movement. In 2005, a WIN-Gallup International poll was submitted and was based on interviews with 50,000+ people from 57 countries and 5 continents. In this poll participants were asked, "Irrespective of whether you attend a place of worship or not, would you say you are a religious person, not a religious person, or a convinced atheist?"

This poll entitled, "The Global Index of Religiosity and Atheism," found that the number of Americans who say they are "religious" dropped sharply from 73% to 60%. Listed below is some surprising and interesting additional information on what their study returned.

● Besides Vietnam, Ireland had the greatest change in religiosity, down from 69% to 47%.

● China has the most "convinced atheists," at 47%, followed by Japan at 31%, Czech Republic at 30% and France at 29%.

● The most religious countries are in Africa (Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya), South America (Brazil and Peru) and Eastern Europe (Macedonia, Romania and Armenia).

● Countries with the same percentage of atheists as the U.S. are Poland, Moldova and Saudi Arabia.

Each of these reports are disturbing to say the least and they would seem to ask these questions.

● "Are we becoming a godless nation?

● "Is religion itself the problem or is its representation?"

● "Can the youth of today return to a salvationist belief and abandon their fringe philosophies? If one can call the absence of faith a philosophy."

For what it's worth, my answers are,  "Yes." - "Yes." - "I certainly hope so."

Issue 132 – Murder Bordello Parts 1-3 & Amityville Horror, Haunting in Connecticut & The Conjuring DEBUNKED

By Kirby Robinson

Doubtful News.com has now picked up the Murder Bordello story. We’ve been told that other websites will be issuing their reports on this whole scandalous affair.

Here are parts 1-3 of the Murder Bordello:

Murder Bordello, Part 1

Murder Bordello, Part 2

Murder Bordello, Part 3

In the short history of our show, we’ve already brought into question the credibly of some well known psychic-mediums like Theresa Caputo and Sylvia Browne, and TV ministers like Jim Bakker and Cindy Jacobs. We’ve also shown the fakery of PRS [Paranormal Research Society] and the exorcist Andrew Calder.

Tonight we’ll go where few, if any, radio programs have ever gone. We’ll shine the spotlight on what most consider one of the most compelling cases of demonic and ghostly activity in recent history and the case has spawned numerous books, movies and TV specials. The case is the Amityville Horror/Haunting. In 1976, the world was gripped by the news coming out of Amityville, New York as the Lutz family fled from their home after living there for 28 days. They’d become victims of such severe demonic attacks the whole story could not be told. Noted ghost hunters and demon chasers Ed and Lorraine Warren became part of the story. Due to the popularity of The Exorcist, the public couldn’t get enough. The legend grew as countless movies and books came out. But the truth was buried and the lies were told to cover up the fact that nothing paranormal happened in the house.

The two other cases, The Haunting in Connecticut and The Conjuring, will probably be discussed next week due to the amount of material there is to cover.

Over the course of our 2 hours together, we’ll study as much information as we can. This is information that the supporters of these hoaxes DON’T want you to know.

Tune in learn the truth and make up your own mind.

Showtime begins at 7 PM [PST] or 10 PM [EST].  See this page for more information: http://www.goddiscussion.net/2013/08/24/amityville-haunting-in-connecticut-the-conjuring-debunked-wednesday-august-28-2013/

Keep current and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/eyeonparanormal

EARN EXTRA MONEY! If you have a website, forum or blog you can set up an Amazon Associates Affiliate Program link and sell the Kindle version of our books. "Is the Long Island Medium the Real Deal?" [Now in paperback], "Never Mock God: An Unauthorized Investigation into Paranormal State's 'I Am Six' Case" [also in paperback!], "Investigating Paranormal State," "Paranormal State Exposed" and "Paranormal Teachings: The Best of Shedding Some Light" and earn money. You can also sell other books and products that Amazon offers. Here's the link: https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/

Dalai Lama Explores Concept of Soul

The Dalai Lama urged respect for all faiths and stressed the role of education in creating tolerance as his visit to Washington, D.C., culminated on Oct. 10 with a teaching on Buddhism at American University.

Tibetans in traditional garb filed into the 6,000-seat arena to mingle with AU students, Western Buddhists, and hundreds of curious Washingtonians who came to the see the spiritual leader and head of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

“Every time I see him, it’s like seeing him for the first time,” said Tsering Lamo, of Vienna, Va., of the self-described “simple monk” who has won the Nobel Peace Prize and U.S. Congressional Gold Medal. “He’s inspirational. He’s a role model. Because of him, many Tibetans go to non-violence.”

Lamo, who is Tibetan, came to the AU teaching with a friend from China, Vicki Wang. All political differences aside, “there is no border in Buddhism. It is such an honor to see him,” said Wang, spinning a Buddhist prayer wheel.

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, sat cross-legged on a large gold armchair under a towering thangka, or painted religious banner, that stretched from the ceiling of Bender Arena to the floor of the dais. Around him sat dozens of monks in maroon and saffron robes. It was the Dalai Lama’s second time at AU, where he also gave a teaching in 1998.

The teaching, “The Heart of Change: Finding Wisdom in the Modern World,” began with chanting in Sanskrit, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tibetan.

“To build religious harmony, we must know different traditions and their concepts, and through that, we can develop respect, which is the foundation for harmony,” said the Dalai Lama, who spoke mainly in English but sometimes with the help of a Tibetan translator.

He explored the concept of a soul, which in the Buddhist tradition, cannot be viewed separately from the body and mind, but also cannot be said to have a beginning or an end. The talk revolved around what he called the three fundamental questions: What is the “I”? Does it have a beginning? Does it have an end?

“This, my body, now is over 70 years old,” he said, but it is not the same body he had as a child. Just as the body has changed, so has the mind. Even on the atomic level, the physical self is in constant flux.

The self exists due to the body and mind, yet “we could trace material continuity of our body to conception, and then back to the big bang. We can find material causes of our body even at the beginning of the universe,” he said.

Buddhism calls on its followers to recognize the self as impermanent as “an antidote to reduce extreme self-centeredness.” Other religions have different beliefs, but aim towards a similar effect by different . . . In each case, the philosophical framework serves to move the faithful away from self-absorption.

Yet, he said, there are contradictions between religions and within religions. Buddhism has multiple sects, and the world’s major religions have different notions of an afterlife, soul and creator. This serves the purpose of addressing the “different mental dispositions” of the world’s people. “There are six billion human beings. Just one religion is simply not sufficient,” he said.

Becoming educated about other religions helps to develop tolerance without undermining faith, because understanding and belief are different, he said. “All people in this room should know (about other religions), so we can develop respect for all traditions. But faith is a different thing. I’m Buddhist, my faith is Buddhist,” he said, yet that doesn’t keep him from respecting other traditions or seeing similarities.

For most people, it is best to keep to the faith of their birth, he said, because they have a deeper understanding of it. A few people may be convinced that another religion suits them better and may be moved to practice it seriously, but for most, “it’s very important to keep one’s own tradition.”

As he spoke, the arena was bright with hundreds of strands of prayer flags created by children at the Katzen Arts Center or in projects at D.C. public schools with teachers mobilized by AU’s School of Education, Teaching and Health.

The morning’s teaching was followed by a symposium with leading Buddhist thinkers.

Dolma Tsering of Derwood, Md., who grew up in Nepal as the child of Tibetan refugees, saw the day as a time for people from many backgrounds to learn from the Dalai Lama’s example.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for not just Tibetans, but for Washington to learn about peace.”

By Sally Acharya, October 12, 2009, American University, Washington, DC

Amityville, Haunting in Connecticut & Conjuring DEBUNKED– Wednesday, August 28, 2013

By Kirby Robinson

In the short history of our show, we’ve already brought into question the credibly of some well known psychic-mediums like Theresa Caputo and Sylvia Browne, and TV ministers like Jim Bakker and Cindy Jacobs. We’ve also shown the fakery of PRS [Paranormal Research Society] and the exorcist Andrew Calder.

This week we’ll go where few, if any, radio programs have ever gone. We’ll shine the spotlight on what most consider the most compelling cases of demonic activity and ghost haunting in recent history.

The Amityville Horror/Haunting. In 1976, the world was gripped by the news coming out of Amityville, New York as the Lutz family fled from their home after living there for 28 days. They’d become victims of such severe demonic attacks the whole story could not be told. Noted ghost hunters and demon chasers Ed and Lorraine Warren became part of the story. Due to the popularity of The Exorcist, the public couldn’t get enough. The legend grew as countless movies and books came out. But the truth was buried and the lies were told to cover up the fact that nothing paranormal happened in the house.

The Haunting in Connecticut case focuses on demonic activity taking place in a house that had formerly been a funeral parlor. It was surmised that workers took part in necrophilia [sex with dead people] and necromancy [raising the dead]. When the parlor went out of business the spirits of the dead stayed along with a host of demons.

In the 1980s, the Snedekers moved into the home so Carmen, the mother, could take her cancer stricken son to a nearby hospital for daily treatment. Almost as soon as the family moved in the haunting began. Ed and Lorraine Warren along with John Zaffis were called in to investigate the case. It was brought to a close once an exorcism was performed.

Unlike the Amityville case, this one had the benefit of the internet and the growing interest in the paranormal to help build up lots of smoke. The books and a successful movie stoked the fires but has the truth ever been told? Have independent researchers ever had a chance to look at the evidence?

The case behind The Conjuring. Not since The Exorcist has a horror film that had any ties to a real case [outside of maybe the Texas Chainsaw Massacre] captured the attention of America. The Perron family moved into an historic home in rural Rhode Island, enduring 10 years of haunting by dark spirits.

Ed and Lorraine Warren once again play a part in it.

How legit are the case notes? Are the Warrens even legit?

Over the course of our 2 hours together, we’ll study as much information as we can. This is information that the supporters of these hoaxes DON’T want you to know.

Tune in learn the truth and make up your own mind.

NOTE: Due to the overwhelming amount of information, this may be a 2-part series.

As a weekly feature, Kirby will also share some book reviews and recommendations, as well as his infamous incredible "BAD BAD Thing Awards."

Showtime begins at 7 PM [PST] or 10 PM [EST].  See this page for more information:

http://www.goddiscussion.net/2013/08/24/amityville-haunting-in-connecticut-the-conjuring-debunked-wednesday-august-28-2013/

Here’s last week's show—Bad Psychics – with Even Worse Intentions: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/god-discussion/2013/08/22/bad-psychics-with-even-worse-intentions

Keep current and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/eyeonparanormal

EARN EXTRA MONEY! If you have a website, forum or blog you can set up an Amazon Associates Affiliate Program link and sell the Kindle version of our books. "Is the Long Island Medium the Real Deal?" [Now in paperback], "Never Mock God: An Unauthorized Investigation into Paranormal State's 'I Am Six' Case" [also in paperback!], "Investigating Paranormal State," "Paranormal State Exposed" and "Paranormal Teachings: The Best of Shedding Some Light" and earn money. You can also sell other books and products that Amazon offers. Here's the link: https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/

"Angelology" What Are Angels And What Do We know About Them?

Please note that this is Biblical/my opinion. There are so many sub topics to go over in order to produce “Angelology” in a nut shell. I could go on for days and days. Many people view the Bible differently or not at all. I’m just barely putting a knot in it.

Angels are spirit beings created by Christ. They were created holy and with the ability to choose to remain in that state or to follow Satan (Lucifer, the morning star, son of the dawn) in his fall.  Demons came from among the group of angels that fell with Satan and they are actively at work in the world today working against God and Christians. Angels are very active in the Bible  and God used them as messengers, warriors, and servants. The word "angel" comes from the Greek word "angelos" which means "messenger."  Angels are spiritual beings without bodies of flesh and bones, though they seem to  have the ability to appear in human for (GEN 19 1-22).  Angels had many functions. ), and were sometimes instruments of God's judgment (Matt. 13:49-50).


The Bible tells us that God created the angels and that at some time in the distant past there was a rebellion in heaven and many of the angels fell.  Apparently, it was the elect angels that did not fall (1 Tim. 5:21).  The Bible says that angels were created by Christ (Col. 1:16), that they carry out the will of God (Psalm 103:20; Matt. 6:10), they worship God and Christ (Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 1:6), are The angels who remained faithful to God are confirmed in their holiness and they act as God's messengers being involved with believers. The angels learn from believers and have a ministry with those who shall be heirs of salvation.  Someday believers will take part in judging the angels (I Corinthians 6:3).wise (2 Sam. 14:20), mighty (Psalm 103:20), holy (Matt. 25:31), and innumerable, (Heb. 12:22).  However, angels are not to be worshipped. Believers in Christ  has their own angel. Many  have even encountered angels and not even known about it.  Hebrews says, “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.  Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it“(13:1-2)

Written by Jennifer Auld

Deliverance versus Exorcism

By Evangelist Stephen Piersall
God's Preservation Ministry, sfprs.org

First thing to identify is exorcism is Catholic based, and non-Catholics do deliverance sessions. Both provide the same result in removing demons from people’s lives, by the name of Jesus Christ our LORD and Savior. Deliverance has more focus on the inner healing, starting with Salvation, and ending with Christian counseling with follow-up of how your life is revolving around God.

An exorcism occurs by following the “Ritual Rite of Exorcism – 1999." Turn 1999 upside down and you can see 666. Things that make you go Hmmmmm?

Approval is required at the highest level of the Catholic chain of command before this procedure is accomplished. An exorcism is a specific ritual and is already composed so that the Priest and his assistants can follow in the systematic process.

Only one case has transpired that a person has died during this procedure. Most often referred to as “The Exorcism of Emily Rose," which is the true story of Anneliese Michel from the mid 1970’s. Because her exorcism was heavily indwelled with many top demons, many Priests had been involved over the years, and unfortunately, she eventually died of malnutrition and pneumonia.

Sometimes with difficult cases like this, the Bible tells us, we must pray and fast for a period, until God gives us the wisdom and discernment of how to proceed. Here is a partial list of common symptoms of diabolical possession contrary to psychological sickness; Ineffectiveness of medicine, opposition to what is sacred, susceptibility to holy water and blessings, violent, furious and aggressive reactions.

If a psychiatrist is taking too much time to heal the mentally sick and his medicines seem to be ineffective, it is better for the psychologist to recommend the patient to see an exorcist. Sometimes, demons can impair an individual, which creates a mental illness. The only other option, which is rarely used, is to seek out a Priest.

Since involving yours truly with Deliverance ministry since 2010 and have accomplished many cases since, that evidence bears out that often cases are different from another. Deliverance ministry gets into the root of how it started. With God’s Preservation Ministry (sfprs.org/), we believe in research first. We have every potential client complete a consent form to protect us legally and a lengthy questionnaire of their past. This gives us a solid foundation to start to commence. Often there are hidden issues that are deeply buried within the client and do not appear until the Deliverance session.

Today, because of Satan’s influence with the media: TV, movies, music, literature, video games, etc. We endanger ourselves to evil and on many levels, and you can get your five minutes of fame by becoming one of many Para-celebrities. Which in 1984, the movie “Ghostbusters” came out and everybody wanted to do ghost hunting despite Deuteronomy 18:9-15 showing us it is sinful.

Because of all that, “we” have to be careful and have some certainty with clients coming forward asking for help. Are they seeking fame? Are they mentally ill? Are they really possessed or oppressed? Thus, the in-depth research we do with every single case. Most importantly, we must be right with God, and prepare ourselves with prayer, fasting, and using all of our senses and working with a minimum of two people at all times.

Demonic spirits are all around us every day looking for an opportunity to start trouble. The most common method is they have a “Legal Right” to be within a person. This is a direct violation of the laws of scripture. This “entry point” is because the person is emotionally or spiritually weak. In the case of a person not being a Christian, they are large targets for the demonic to possess them. Christians can only suffer from oppression by evil because of their sins.

If the person decides they need deliverance, they will have to make some lifestyle changes. Daily habits of praying, reading the Bible, forgiving others, doing the best they can at their stage of a relationship with Jesus, try to be Christ like, etc. The person must deal with these areas of sin by closing these entryways, and receive inner healing from God before we can perform a deliverance session.

God loves us, and wants us to demonstrate adulation to him too. Completing the deliverance session and continuing the pursuit of a Christian lifestyle will bring about life changes in our attitude, spiritually, mentally in life. The rewards are many for those who walk the straight and narrow. The main goal of deliverance, or any healing ministry, is not simply to experience the power of Jesus or even to fight against and defeat evil. It is to minister the love of God. Jesus used his power to show his love as illustrated in the four Gospels. Jesus is a great role model for us on how we should conform.

The Foundation of a Biblical Worldview

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

Last time we asked the question: is it possible to access the mind of God? We noted that the beautifully staggering truth is "yes, we can"--that is precisely what the bible is...God revealing some of His mind to us. I wonder, as bible-believing Christians, if we sufficiently appreciate the astonishing wonderment of God speaking to us...revealing His mind to us? As we shall see, this self-disclosure of God provides the foundation for everything--certainly everything pertaining to our worldview.

A provisional definition of a worldview is best conveyed like this: to see with a biblical worldview is to see all of reality through God's eyes...to see it as He does. Or we could put it like this: a worldview is how we view God and the universe, and our relationship to both. I suppose if there is one thing unique about my book, it is that it teaches about the nature and importance of worldviews. Worldviews are like spectacles through which we view the world, and it effects how we think, feel, and behave. We almost always hold them unconsciously, unless we systematically discuss them as we are now. This is not secret knowledge, like gnosticism/occult, but it is rare, even among pastors, to know how to think with a full-orbed biblical worldview

In my book I list what I consider the seven components of any worldview...

1. What is the nature of God or ultimate reality?

2. What is your purpose in life?

3. What is the nature of reality?

4. Is history going anywhere?

5. What is the basis for morality?

6. What does it mean to be human (essential traits of being human)?

7. What happens to us after we die?

Let me ask three questions: do you see how utterly basic these questions are...how divergent the answers would be depending upon whom we asked...and how seriously impoverished and "lost" one's life would be if they lacked certitude regarding them? Sometimes stating a thing negatively can have some shock value which is conducive to learning...like this. "I have no clue as to what God is like...no idea why I should get out of bed because I have no clear purpose...I think reality is all in my head...morality is whatever feels right to me....humans are just apes with little hair...we are annihilated when we die...I think..."  Get my point??!!

Before I proceed any further, I believe that one of the best ways we learn is just by doing. So, the next time you read a novel, go to an art gallery, watch a TV program or movie, and so on, please ask yourself how they/it are "answering" each of the above seven questions. Obviously, the movie director is not going to have one of his cast say, "Hey, this is the worldview of this film...god is energy, pleasure is our purpose...and so on...!" It takes listening carefully to dialogue, and other factors, to pick up the explicit or implicit expressions of the seven worldview components. That is, put into practice the habit of viewing everything through a biblical worldview.   But that involves being able to spot the distortions in one's worldview spectacles,as they are presented on the silver screen or in the novel, ect...After awhile it becomes second nature. We need to develop a distinctively Christian mind if wish to have a substantive impact on our culture (Rom 12:1-2)

I want to introduce a philosophical term--epistemology--a branch of philosophy which deals with the validity, nature, and extent of human knowledge. Put another way--it deals with how we know, and how we know we know..Christians should know this term because it lies at the heart of what ails our country We are not experiencing a generation gap, but instead we are experiencing an epistemological gap (which at root is spiritual in nature). Which has led to what some call "culture wars"Let me explain.

One-hundred years ago there was a basically Christian ethos in our country.. If you were to ask the average person off the street any/all of the seven questions above, most would have given an answer that was roughly based on the bible. If someone disagreed with them in conversation, it was understood that one of them was wrong...or both were. Today the responses to the above questions would be all over the map, leaning heavily toward New Age/neo-gnostic beliefs. And to even gently assert that someone is wrong is taken as an offense...absolute truth lies bleeding in the street. Yes, it is an epistemological gap. How we acquire knowledge regarding basic issues has radically changed.

The seven questions above, which comprise one's worldview, are either answered by God's revelation or man's autonomous speculation. These differing presuppositions lead to radically differing conclusions..as we shall see. Is it not instructive that the first temptation was epistemological in nature? Says Satan/serpant, "C'mon Eve, use your autonomous mind to determine right and wrong...and you'll also discover that YOU are the real god....be a big girl and THINK FOR YOURSELF." How we gain knowledge is the key to everything...we either fear God and attain true knowledge of reality or we trust in ourselves and distort reality.

Where do you go to answer these questions? What is your final court of appeal in answering life's most basic questions? Do you look inward...to your intuition...your experience...what your heart says--or do you look outside of yourself to the Living God who created heaven and earth, who in His kindness and love, has spoken true-truth to us in His written Word?

Let's go to Psalm 119 to get just a glimpse into what the biblical worldview is. Our epistemic assumption is that we can access the mind of God, and this is done via His special revelation in the bible. ALL knowledge, certainly all the knowledge pertaining to the seven questions above, can only be answered by accessing the mind of God--because we are incapable of ascertaining the answers autonomously...

Please read these verses carefully, and in light of these basic questions. As a philosophy major, it was a beautifully stimulating experience to see the basic questions philosophers had been asking for millennia, and how the bible fit like hand-in-glove in answering them!

"Oh how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day." (119:97)

"I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts." (vv. 99-100)

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."(v. 105)

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your Word." (v.9)

"I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not Your commandments from me." (V.19)

"Righteous are You, O Lord, and right are Your rules." (v. 137)

"The sum of Your Word is truth, and every one of Your righteous rules endures forever. (v.160)

"Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding that that I may learn Your commandments." (v. 73)

"Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You have established the earth, and it stands fast. By Your appointment they stand this day, for all things are Your servants." (vvs. 89-91)

Please forgive my repetition, but these concepts are new to some, and they are vitally important for us to understand (for a whole slew of reasons) Epistemology accents the wonderment of having God's personal revelation to us--explaining who He is....who we are....the nature of the universe--and our relationship to both. Using just Psalm 119 let us give a brief review of a biblical worldview.

1. What is the nature of God or ultimate reality? (119: 89-91, 137) The word used for God throughout the psalm is LORD....which is Yahweh in the OT--this is the covenant Name of God. He is infinite/personal God who created the heavens and earth...all creation is His servant. Energy is not ultimate reality.

2. What is our purpose in life? Frankly, had Yahweh not revealed this to us, our lives would be utterly meaningless. (v.97) speaks of loving the bible of God, and the God of the bible..the Great Commandment is our noble purpose as redeemed humans. (v.73) God Himself made and fashioned us...we are not cosmic accidents or descendants of monkeys. And of course Jesus Himself declares that loving God is the greatest commandment. Think of all the alternatives we have come up with to replace loving God as our purpose (or dominant life value, as some put it)...as Calvin said, we are idol factories.

3. What is the nature of reality? It is not an illusion. Matter/energy is not eternal.

(v.89-91) Again, we see that there is a distinction between the Creator and His creation. There are two basic types of reality--the self existent and eternal Creator, and His creation which He created ex nihilo. The physical world is not the full circumference of reality--there is an unseen, spiritual dimension as well. I finally saw The Conjuring movie last night--about Ed and Lorraine Warren who were pioneer demonologists. The movie did a surprisingly good job of expressing the reality of supernatural evil.

4. Where is history going? LORD...Yahweh is the faithful God of the covenants--the flow of history (including your personal history) has meaning because history is His-story. The whole psalm points to a God who will hold us accountable for our thoughts, words, and deeds. (v. 19) that we are sojourners here, means that we are preparing to go home! Eastern thought tends to see history as moving in endless, meaningless cycles..NO!

5. What is the basis for morality...or how do we distinguish right from wrong? (v 9, 137, 160) A young person can discover right and wrong by meditating on God's word, which is entirely truthful. Because God is righteous, His laws are righteous..forever. We know that right and wrong are based on the unchanging character of God, as expressed in his written Word. If energy is ultimate reality, then there is no adequate basis for morality. Or if we base it on anything other than God's Word, then it is not a sufficient basis for morality.

6. What does it mean to be human (essential traits)?  v.73 God made us and fashioned us in the womb ( see Ps. 139--fearfully and wonderfully made!) Human beings are not self-referential...As John Calvin said, knowledge of ourselves and knowledge of God are inextricably bound together in a thousand different ways, since we are made in His image. We are certainly not animals or glorified monkeys. We are noble, but we are sinners as well.

7. What happens when we die? Again, we are called "sojourners on earth" (v. 19) We are just passing through this time/place before we enter our eternal rest. We are a body/soul composite, and when we die our soul immediately goes before the Holy Judge of heaven and earth. Death is determinitive of our eternal destiny--either eternity in heaven or hell. At the Last Judgment we will be reunited with our glorified bodies. Hence, any notion of "trapped souls" is repugnant to scripture and to God's holy character. Ed and Lorraine Warren got this issue wrong--unfortunately. Annihilation is also wrong-headed.

(89-91, 99-100,160) All of this discussion would be for naught if it were not for the truth of these verses.The infinite and personal God of the everlasting covenant is really there, and He has not remained silent. His Word is true truth (forever His Word is fixed in heaven) Every one of His righteous rules endures forever. Amen!

Have you ever heard someone say, "I have 35 years researching the paranormal."? I certainly have, and it is often (not always) used as a fact to buttress the force of their argument against what I or someone else has said that contradicted a claim of theirs. Here the psalmist states that he has more true knowledge than his teachers BECAUSE it is grounded in the granite of revealed truth, and not in the shifting sands of man's autonomous speculation.

I have mentioned this example before but it bears repeating: an unbelieving friend of mine, who specializes in getting rid of spirits who are hostile (and they stay busy all year), loudly proclaims two things: they have nearly 40 years of experience, and they have never, ever seen a demon! This is usually followed by a sarcastic, withering criticism of those who stupidly believe that all ghosts are demons. This person is my friend and it grieves me that they are so blind that they cannot even recognize demons when they are attacking or harassing them. Every classic criteria used to determine demonic presence has been met many times over, and yet they still refuse to see reality clearly...tragic, but quite common.If our worldview glasses are distorting our perception of reality, then decades of experience will only make one more foolish in their understanding of the world.

There are no answers to the seven questions above if our epistemology is not grounded in the Word of God. That is, if we do not look to God's revelation to learn what: God is like, the nature of reality, our purpose in life, what is right and wrong...and so on, then we have no adequate foundation for acquiring any knowledge. This may not be exciting, but please know that this is bedrock foundation for building a biblical worldview...reason for getting out of bed and not committing suicide. I am baffled by this optimism which is grounded in a worldview in which impersonal energy is Ultimate reality....that kind of optimism has both feet planted firmly in mid-air.    

Each question is SO basic...if only one is wrong or even partially distorted, it will seriously impact ones life. Yet the majority of people in the world have all of them (seven questions above) partially or totally wrong! Why? Because their epistemology is wrong. This is not rocket science...we either humbly look to God to answer life's most basic questions, or we pridefully look to ourselves...revelation or speculation. We DO have access to the mind of God through the Holy Bible--and that is the foundation of a biblical worldview! Please do try to watch and read with these questions in mind this week...

P.S I still need someone to help revamp my website...please! Thank you...   mark