Two Conflicting Worldviews—Oneism vs. Twoism

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)….biblical worldview

“In the beginning was the universe/energy/consciousness…”    “In the beginning the universe created the universe.” The OTHER worldview…….the pagan worldview.

 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.(Romans 1:20-23)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)

Many people don’t realize that America has experienced a Second Revolution, beginning in the 1960’s. It was similar to the French Revolution it that its goal was to bring radical change to the forms, structures, values, and ethics of the status quo. It had to destroy before ushering in utopia. It is seeking to bring in a New Age with the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. However, the dawn of the New Age is now at its high noon. Though this revolution, in its inception, was relatively bloodless, its consequences have been brutally bloody. 60 million unborn children have died in this ‘enlightened’ age…and this is just the USA. And for the New Age worldview to succeed, Christianity has to be neutralized.

Neo-paganism has led to neo-barbarianism. We stand at the graveside of western civilization and we must weep and wake up! In order to speak the timeless truth of the gospel in a meaningful way in our changing culture, we need to understand what the underlying assumptions or worldview is of those around us.

 One of the reasons people seem to talk past each other when debating issues like: earthbound spirits, poltergeists, residual energy, abortion etc. Is that the underlying worldview is rarely addressed. Every person has a worldview which acts like spectacles through which they view all of reality. It affects how we think, how we act, and how we feel.If that is not discussed then we will unlikely persuade people on any deep level.

I want to begin a series which contrasts the two conflicting worldviews of today. Though it may appear reductionistic, this is a simple but accurate way of summarizing the only two worldviews that have existed since the dawn of time.(in my book I mention several worldviews, but they all can be boiled down to two, and just two).

Why is there something rather than nothing? And what is the nature of that something? Where did we come from? Colin Gunyon stated, “There are, probably, ultimately only two possible answers to the question of origins, and they recur at different places in all ages: (either) that the universe is the result of creation by a free personal agency, or that in some way or other it created itself. The two answers are not finally compatible, and require a choice, either between them or an attitude of agnostic refusal to decide.”

I want to gently ask—how can you live with yourself if you have not taken the time to understand why you are here? How can you expect to experience a meaningful life if you don’t care what the meaning of life is—its origin and its explanation?

For the sake of simplicity, Dr Peter Jones says that there are only two ultimate worldview explanations of origins—what he calls Oneism and Twoism. These are two mutually-contradictory ways to think about the world. Let me let Jones explain what these terms mean. I highly recommend this book by Dr Jones, a brilliant scholar who is an astute observer of what is happening in our culture. (see below)

Oneism—“sees the world as self-creating (or perpetually existing) and self-explanatory. Everything is made up of the same stuff, whether matter, spirit, or a mixture. There’s one kind of existence, which, in one way or another, we worship as divine (or of ultimate importance), even if that means worshipping ourselves. Though there is apparent differentiation and even hierarchy, all distinctions are, in principle, eliminated, and everything has the same worth. This is ‘homocosmology’, a worldview based on sameness. The classic term for this is ‘paganism’, worship of nature.” (pg. 12 The Other Worldview, Peter Jones)

In other words, there is ultimately only ONE reality…..creator and creation are compressed. Hence, Oneism. This false worldview takes on many different faces, but the bottom line is the same—ultimately, there is only one kind of ultimate reality.

Twoism—“The only other option is a world that is the free work of a personal, transcendent God, who creates ex nihilo (from nothing). In creating, God was not constrained by or dependent on any pre-existing conditions. There is nothing exactly like this in our human experience of creating; our creative acts are analogous to God’s. There is God, and there is everything that is not God—everything created and sustained by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This worldview celebrates otherness, distinctiveness. We only worship as divine the distinct, personal, triune Creator, who placed essential distinctions within creation. This is a ‘heterocosmology’, a worldview based on otherness and difference. This is often called ‘theism’. (pg.13) (Islam and Judaism are deficient attempts at Twoism, but ultimately are Oneist due to lack of Trinity)
 In other words, there are ultimately only two kinds of reality—The infinite/personal Creator, and His creation (visible and invisible)…..Twoism
 Phrases you may have heard that express Oneism
 I’m not religious, but spiritual (this has different meanings but I suggest that Christians not use this verbiage)
 Breaking or denying boundaries
 Breaking taboos
 Abolishing ‘either/or’ thinking
‘As above, so below’ (no distinction between divine and human)
Non-duality
Oneness—all is one
Enlightenment, chakra, it’s all relative, synchronicity with the Universe, raising energy/consciousness levels, affirming/afforming changes in reality, sending positive thoughts, innate human psychic powers etc, etc.

Whether implicitly or explicitly embraced, these two world views are antithetical….mutually exclusive. One is true and the other is false.  In the moral worldview of the bible knowledge is never ‘neutral’. That is why Paul calls one of these worldviews ‘the truth’ and the other worldview ‘the lie’ (Romans 1:25)

Oneism is the lie, and Twoism is the truth.

From the opening line in Genesis to Revelation (see above texts), the bible insists that there are two, and only two, kinds of reality…..the Creator, and everything else…the creation. But paganism merges the two into an idolatrous one.

 From time of gestation (mid sixties) to full birth (mid-nineties), a pagan Oneist worldview has virtually overrun and taken over our culture.  Pop culture (movies, TV shows, books/novels, spirituality, sexuality, ect.) has been both a cause and symptom of this Oneist juggernaut. For those who are sensitive, the amount of change that has occurred in the last 30 years has been staggering and heart-wrenching—nothing short of a second American Revolution…that has spread worldwide.

Secular humanism and pagan spirituality are both Oneist worldviews. For quite a while secular humanism was the dominant enemy of Christianity, but it is sputtering due to its lack of explanatory power and its consequences (two world wars). Ironically, our culture is not becoming less spiritual, but MORE spiritual…..but this spirituality is from hell. It denies the Creator (see Romans 1:18 ff) and deifies the creation.

We shall look at this in more detail in the coming weeks. But we must ask: is it over? Is it too late? The answer is not a nostalgic return to the 1950’s. We need a generation of spiritual warriors who are valiant for truth and are aware of this worldview shift…to bring the biblical worldview back and pray for revival/reformation.

 For now, my main goal was to make folks aware of the two competing worldviews.

 Next week we shall look at Carl Jung’s  massive contribution to this paradigm shift.

Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.  

Two Conflicting Worldviews—Oneism vs. Twoism

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

Recently I had the immense honor of being interviewed several times by Laura Maxwell from Scotland. She is a good friend and I consider her a world leader in communicating biblical truth to those lost in occultic darkness.
To listen to three interviews with Laura Maxwell see this blog: http://eyeontheparanormal.blogspot.com/2015/07/rev-mark-hunnemann-interviewed-by-laura.html

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)….biblical worldview

“In the beginning was the universe/energy/consciousness…”    “In the beginning the universe created the universe.” The OTHER worldview…….the pagan worldview.

20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.(Romans 1:20-23)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)

Many people don’t realize that America has experienced a Second Revolution, beginning in the 1960’s. It was similar to the French Revolution it that its goal was to bring radical change to the forms, structures, values, and ethics of the status quo. It had to destroy before ushering in utopia. It is seeking to bring in a New Age with the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. However, the dawn of the New Age is now at its high noon. Though this revolution, in its inception, was relatively bloodless, its consequences have been brutally bloody. 60 million unborn children have died in this ‘enlightened’ age…and this is just the USA. And for the New Age worldview to succeed, Christianity has to be neutralized.

Neo-paganism has led to neo-barbarianism. We stand at the graveside of western civilization and we must weep and wake up! In order to speak the timeless truth of the gospel in a meaningful way in our changing culture, we need to understand what the underlying assumptions or worldview is of those around us.

One of the reasons people seem to talk past each other when debating issues like: earthbound spirits, poltergeists, residual energy, etc. Is that the underlying worldview is rarely addressed. Every person has a worldview which acts like spectacles through which they view all of reality. It affects how we think, how we act, and how we feel.

I want to begin a series which contrasts the two conflicting worldviews of today. Though it may appear reductionistic, this is a simple but accurate way of summarizing the only two worldviews that have existed since the dawn of time.(in my book I mention several worldviews, but they all can be boiled down to two, and just two).

Why is there something rather than nothing? And what is the nature of that something? Where did we come from? Colin Gunyon stated, “There are, probably, ultimately only two possible answers to the question of origins, and they recur at different places in all ages: (either) that the universe is the result of creation by a free personal agency, or that in some way or other it created itself. The two answers are not finally compatible, and require a choice, either between them or an attitude of agnostic refusal to decide.”

I want to gently ask—how can you live with yourself if you have not taken the time to understand why you are here? How can you expect to experience a meaningful life if you don’t care what the meaning of life is—its origin and its explanation?

 For the sake of simplicity, Dr Peter Jones says that there are only two ultimate worldview explanations of origins—what he calls Oneism and Twoism. These are two mutually-contradictory ways to think about the world. Let me let Jones explain what these terms mean. I highly recommend this book by Dr Jones, a brilliant scholar who is an astute observer of what is happening in our culture. (see below)

Oneism—“sees the world as self-creating (or perpetually existing) and self-explanatory. Everything is made up of the same stuff, whether matter, spirit, or a mixture. There’s one kind of existence, which, in one way or another, we worship as divine (or of ultimate importance), even if that means worshipping ourselves. Though there is apparent differentiation and even hierarchy, all distinctions are, in principle, eliminated, and everything has the same worth. This is ‘homocosmology’, a worldview based on sameness. The classic term for this is ‘paganism’, worship of nature.” (pg. 12 The Other Worldview, Peter Jones)

In other words, there is ultimately only ONE reality…..creator and creation are compressed. Hence, Oneism. This false worldview takes on many different faces, but the bottom line is the same—ultimately, there is only one kind of ultimate reality.

Twoism—“The only other option is a world that is the free work of a personal, transcendent God, who creates ex nihilo (from nothing). In creating, God was not constrained by or dependent on any pre-existing conditions. There is nothing exactly like this in our human experience of creating; our creative acts are analogous to God’s. There is God, and there is everything that is not God—everything created and sustained by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This worldview celebrates otherness, distinctiveness. We only worship as divine the distinct, personal, triune Creator, who placed essential distinctions within creation. This is a ‘heterocosmology’, a worldview based on otherness and difference. This is often called ‘theism’. (pg.13) (Islam and Judaism are deficient attempts at Twoism, but ultimately are Oneist due to lack of Trinity)

 In other words, there are ultimately only two kinds of reality—The infinite/personal Creator, and His creation (visible and invisible)…..Twoism
 Phrases you may have heard that express Oneism
 I’m not religious, but spiritual (this has different meanings but I suggest that Christians not use this verbiage)
 Breaking or denying boundaries
 Breaking taboos
 Abolishing ‘either/or’ thinking
‘As above, so below’ (no distinction between divine and human)
 Non-duality
 Oneness—all is one
 Enlightenment, chakra, it’s all relative, synchronicity with the Universe, raising energy/consciousness levels, affirming/afforming changes in reality, sending positive thoughts, innate human psychic powers etc.
 Whether implicitly or explicitly embraced, these two world views are antithetical….mutually exclusive. One is true and the other is false.  In the moral worldview of the bible knowledge is never ‘neutral’. That is why Paul calls one of these worldviews ‘the truth’ and the other worldview ‘the lie’ (Romans 1:25)
Oneism is the lie, and Twoism is the truth.

From the opening line in Genesis to Revelation (see above texts), the bible insists that there are two, and only two, kinds of reality…..the Creator, and everything else…the creation. But paganism merges the two into an idolatrous one.

From time of gestation (mid sixties) to full birth (mid-nineties), a pagan Oneist worldview has virtually overrun and taken over our culture.  Pop culture (movies, TV shows, books/novels, spirituality, sexuality, etc.) has been both a cause and symptom of this Oneist juggernaut. For those who are sensitive, the amount of change that has occurred in the last 30 years has been staggering and heart-wrenching—nothing short of a second American Revolution…that has spread worldwide.

Secular humanism and pagan spirituality are both Oneist worldviews. For quite a while secular humanism was the dominant enemy of Christianity, but it is sputtering due to its lack of explanatory power and its consequences (two world wars). Ironically, our culture is not becoming less spiritual, but MORE spiritual…..but this spirituality is from hell. It denies the Creator (see Romans 1:18 ff) and deifies the creation.

Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.

Worldviews...Bringing Our Thoughts Under Christ's Lordship

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

Last time we looked at epistemology, which deals with how we acquire knowledge. We noted that it is important to give reasons for why we believe what we believe. When we are not aware of our reasons for believing something, it is difficult to analyze or evaluate that belief, and it is certainly difficult to argue it with someone else (argue in logical sense).

You may not have heard of Sena Naslund as an author, but perhaps you have heard of Dean Koontz. I was surprised to discover that he has devoted an entire novel series on a character named Odd Thomas--a short order cook in a small CA town. He acquired the ability to see and communicate with trapped spirits. In this series he attempts to help spirits who had been treated unjustly. Novels, especially a series written by another bestseller like Koontz, have the ability to substantially alter a person's worldview...without the reader being consciously aware of it. Perhaps before reading his novel/s the reader either did not believe in ghosts or was on the fence, but afterwards it would take a conscious effort to NOT be effected in the direction of belief.

Similarly, I noted Wednesday night that there was a TV show, "Haunted Mine", which I watched--been without TV for several months. What is next: "Haunted Honeymoons"?! This is not a fad and it (the assumption that trapped spirits exist) is particularly compelling when viewed via the medium of TV.  Seeing is believing, right? Not if you misinterpret the data.

                                                                                  

A few nights ago I heard an interview with John Zaffis and another well known demonologist. I always enjoy listening to Zaffis because of his immense learning and experience. Much wisdom was shared, and then the host asked how they make decisions.....determining what is there and what to do. John said they leave after a day or 2 of investigating to do some "diagnosing"--a key word they used several times..."they needed to look over the evidence to discern what is trapped spirits and if any demons" (Zaffis). At this point, I groaned out loud.

Is the diagnosing by a demonologist (or investigator) similar to that of a doctor? Yes and No. Yes, in that both deal with studying symptoms, and then seeking to find the cause and cure for a problem. But even in this regard, a case could be made that the "ailments" a demonologist deals with are much more serious than those which a medical doctor handles--which should give pause to anyone seeking to enter this field. No, in that there is a distinct, explicit spiritual component to the paranormal diagnostic process. Please remember that the paranormal is not ultimately a scientific issue but a theological issue, because science is UNABLE to uncover the identity of supernatural entities.What I want us to see is that during this very important diagnostic process, one's worldview WILL effect how we see and interpret the paranormal facts., and we are almost always unaware of these strong, interior influences.

God rejects the false wisdom of the world and calls His people to radical obedience ( 1 Cor. 1-2)--thinking according to God's norms is a crucial aspect of this radical call to discipleship. In a word, God is an intellectual authoritarian. This is a touchy subject for modern man who is insistent on total freedom of speech and thought. However, God's intellectual authoritarianism is the source of true intellectual freedom. Human thinking must be subject to a norm or criterion. If we reject God as our intellectual norm, then we must either create an idol and find some other ultimate norm, or capitulate to skepticism, which is intellectual death....both are, actually. The philosophical trends of rationalism, empiricism, and subjectivism have been created by non-Christian philosophers in a  futile attempt to justify human knowledge apart from bowing before the God of the bible.

Everyone has a worldview--a basic commitment of the heart translated into a way of seeing reality--both Christians and non-Christians have a worldview. Hence, it is simply not true to say that Christians are "biased" or "prejudiced" in their presuppositions (worldviews) in diagnosing of paranormal problems, and that nonbelievers are "neutral" or "unbiased" in the same process. Both groups are equally biased and prejudiced., when interpreting the paranormal facts. Jesus said, "He is who is not for Me is against Me." The non-Christian is as passionate about rejecting the true God as the Christian is in loving Him.

In the 1960's Thomas Kuhn wrote a groundbreaking book, "The Structure of Scientific Revolution". Though not a Christian, Kuhn made numerous very astute observations regarding how we "diagnose" scientific facts. He asserted that nobody is fully objective in their viewing and interpreting of data. The scientific community (think paranormal community) has shared beliefs which act as a paradigmatic grid though which they sift all data. If data or facts arise which are contrary to their basic community assumptions, then they will NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THIS DATA OR EVIDENCE. Their perception has been obscured by a distorted paradigm (worldview) to the point that they actually cannot see certain aspects of reality. It is only when the anomalies multiply to a certain point(says Kuhn)...when the contrary evidence is popping up all over the place, that the scientific community awakens from its slumber and is then be able to. begin to "see" what had been there the whole time. 

This is leading philosopher of science is stating that pure objectivity is impossible. In fact, for a Christian, "pure objectivity" is the last thing we should desire in study of paranormal phenomena. Pure objectivity implies that there are "neutral or brute facts' out there just waiting for us to give them meaning and identity. Not so! Every square inch of the cosmos belongs to the Lord, upon which He has placed His victory flag, and cries out "MINE!!". Every fact--literally every molecule to every star-- is a theistic fact...a fact ordained from all eternity and thus, pre-interpreted by God Almighty. There are no neutral or brute facts, which just exist in an anonymous void or vacuum, waiting for some human to come along and affirm its existence and meaning. God has already done that, and we are to re-interpret the paranormal phenomena as closely as possible to God's original pre-interpretation. Viewing facts or paranormal phenomena through a biblical worldview enables us to be faithful interpreters of God's world. Pure objectivity is not attainable, nor even desirable.

In conclusion, let is re-visit John Zaffis's diagnosis. May I say humbly and gently that Mr Zaffis, simply by virtue of his belief in trapped spirits, will not be able to consistently re-interpret (diagnose) God's pre-interpretation of the paranormal facts. God has made it clear that trapped spirits do not exist, BUT if we believe in them anyway, then we will see what we want or expect to see in the evidence review. God is an intellectual authoritarian, and it is our duty to humble ourselves before him. Otherwise, we dishonor God, hurt the client by giving them bad advice, and hurt ourselves as well.

Demons can mimic ANYTHING. Since that is the case how can one diagnose or find a criterion that would distinguish between a human spirit and a demon? The host asked him what the diagnosis involved, and he did not specify but gave a general response about sifting through data to make decisions. You affirm that you are a Christian John, please...please think like one.

"Seeing Ghosts through God's Eyes" (also in a Kindle edition)...please consider purchasing my book which uses science, logic, and the bible to analyze the true source of power behind paranormal activity.

Two Conflicting Worldviews—Oneism vs. Twoism

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)….biblical worldview

“In the beginning was the universe/energy/consciousness…”    “In the beginning the universe created the universe.” The OTHER worldview…….the pagan worldview.

 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.(Romans 1:20-23)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)

Many people don’t realize that America has experienced a Second Revolution, beginning in the 1960’s. It was similar to the French Revolution it that its goal was to bring radical change to the forms, structures, values, and ethics of the status quo. It had to destroy before ushering in utopia. It is seeking to bring in a New Age with the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. However, the dawn of the New Age is now at its high noon. Though this revolution, in its inception, was relatively bloodless, its consequences have been brutally bloody. 60 million unborn children have died in this ‘enlightened’ age…and this is just the USA. And for the New Age worldview to succeed, Christianity has to be neutralized.

Neo-paganism has led to neo-barbarianism. We stand at the graveside of western civilization and we must weep and wake up! In order to speak the timeless truth of the gospel in a meaningful way in our changing culture, we need to understand what the underlying assumptions or worldview is of those around us.

One of the reasons people seem to talk past each other when debating issues like: earthbound spirits, poltergeists, residual energy, etc. Is that the underlying worldview is rarely addressed. Every person has a worldview which acts like spectacles through which they view all of reality. It affects how we think, how we act, and how we feel.

I want to begin a series which contrasts the two conflicting worldviews of today. Though it may appear reductionistic, this is a simple but accurate way of summarizing the only two worldviews that have existed since the dawn of time.(in my book I mention several worldviews, but they all can be boiled down to two, and just two).

Why is there something rather than nothing? And what is the nature of that something? Where did we come from? Colin Gunyon stated, “There are, probably, ultimately only two possible answers to the question of origins, and they recur at different places in all ages: (either) that the universe is the result of creation by a free personal agency, or that in some way or other it created itself. The two answers are not finally compatible, and require a choice, either between them or an attitude of agnostic refusal to decide.”

I want to gently ask—how can you live with yourself if you have not taken the time to understand why you are here? How can you expect to experience a meaningful life if you don’t care what the meaning of life is—its origin and its explanation?

For the sake of simplicity, Dr Peter Jones says that there are only two ultimate worldview explanations of origins—what he calls Oneism and Twoism. These are two mutually-contradictory ways to think about the world. Let me let Jones explain what these terms mean. I highly recommend this book by Dr Jones, a brilliant scholar who is an astute observer of what is happening in our culture. (see below)

Oneism—“sees the world as self-creating (or perpetually existing) and self-explanatory. Everything is made up of the same stuff, whether matter, spirit, or a mixture. There’s one kind of existence, which, in one way or another, we worship as divine (or of ultimate importance), even if that means worshipping ourselves. Though there is apparent differentiation and even hierarchy, all distinctions are, in principle, eliminated, and everything has the same worth. This is ‘homocosmology’, a worldview based on sameness. The classic term for this is ‘paganism’, worship of nature.” (pg. 12 The Other Worldview, Peter Jones)

In other words, there is ultimately only ONE reality…..creator and creation are compressed. Hence, Oneism. This false worldview takes on many different faces, but the bottom line is the same—ultimately, there is only one kind of ultimate reality.

Twoism—“The only other option is a world that is the free work of a personal, transcendent God, who creates ex nihilo (from nothing). In creating, God was not constrained by or dependent on any pre-existing conditions. There is nothing exactly like this in our human experience of creating; our creative acts are analogous to God’s. There is God, and there is everything that is not God—everything created and sustained by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This worldview celebrates otherness, distinctiveness. We only worship as divine the distinct, personal, triune Creator, who placed essential distinctions within creation. This is a ‘heterocosmology’, a worldview based on otherness and difference. This is often called ‘theism’. (pg.13) (Islam and Judaism are deficient attempts at Twoism, but ultimately are Oneist due to lack of Trinity)
In other words, there are ultimately only two kinds of reality—The infinite/personal Creator, and His creation (visible and invisible)…..Twoism
Phrases you may have heard that express Oneism
I’m not religious, but spiritual (this has different meanings but I suggest that Christians not use this verbiage)
Breaking or denying boundaries
Breaking taboos
Abolishing ‘either/or’ thinking
‘As above, so below’ (no distinction between divine and human)
Non-duality
Oneness—all is one
Enlightenment, chakra, it’s all relative, synchronicity with the Universe, raising energy/consciousness levels, affirming/afforming changes in reality, sending positive thoughts, innate human psychic powers ect, ect

Whether implicitly or explicitly embraced, these two world views are antithetical….mutually exclusive. One is true and the other is false.  In the moral worldview of the bible knowledge is never ‘neutral’. That is why Paul calls one of these worldviews ‘the truth’ and the other worldview ‘the lie’ (Romans 1:25)

Oneism is the lie, and Twoism is the truth.

From the opening line in Genesis to Revelation (see above texts), the bible insists that there are two, and only two, kinds of reality…..the Creator, and everything else…the creation. But paganism merges the two into an idolatrous one.

From time of gestation (mid sixties) to full birth (mid-nineties), a pagan Oneist worldview has virtually overrun and taken over our culture.  Pop culture (movies, TV shows, books/novels, spirituality, sexuality, ect.) has been both a cause and symptom of this Oneist juggernaut. For those who are sensitive, the amount of change that has occurred in the last 30 years has been staggering and heart-wrenching—nothing short of a second American Revolution…that has spread worldwide.
Secular humanism and pagan spirituality are both Oneist worldviews. For quite a while secular humanism was the dominant enemy of Christianity, but it is sputtering due to its lack of explanatory power and its consequences (two world wars). Ironically, our culture is not becoming less spiritual, but MORE spiritual…..but this spirituality is from hell. It denies the Creator (see Romans 1:18 ff) and deifies the creation.

We shall look at this in more detail in the coming weeks. But we must ask: is it over? Is it too late? The answer is not a nostalgic return to the 1950’s. We need a generation of spiritual warriors who are valiant for truth and are aware of this worldview shift…to bring the biblical worldview back and pray for revival/reformation.

For now, my main goal was to make folks aware of the two competing worldviews.
Next week we shall look at Carl Jung’s  massive contribution to this paradigm shift.

Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.

Worldviews...Bringing Our Thoughts Under Christ's Lordship

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

Last time we looked at epistemology, which deals with how we acquire knowledge. We noted that it is important to give reasons for why we believe what we believe. When we are not aware of our reasons for believing something, it is difficult to analyze or evaluate that belief, and it is certainly difficult to argue it with someone else (argue in logical sense).

You may not have heard of Sena Naslund as an author, but perhaps you have heard of Dean Koontz. I was surprised to discover that he has devoted an entire novel series on a character named Odd Thomas--a short order cook in a small CA town. He acquired the ability to see and communicate with trapped spirits. In this series he attempts to help spirits who had been treated unjustly. Novels, especially a series written by another bestseller like Koontz, have the ability to substantially alter a person's worldview...without the reader being consciously aware of it. Perhaps before reading his novel/s the reader either did not believe in ghosts or was on the fence, but afterwards it would take a conscious effort to NOT be effected in the direction of belief.

Similarly, I noted Wednesday night that there was a TV show, "Haunted Mine", which I watched--been without TV for several months. What is next: "Haunted Honeymoons"?! This is not a fad and it (the assumption that trapped spirits exist) is particularly compelling when viewed via the medium of TV.  Seeing is believing, right? Not if you mis-interpret the data.

                                                                                  

A few nights ago I heard an interview with John Zaffis and another well known demonologist. I always enjoy listening to Zaffis because of his immense learning and experience. Much wisdom was shared, and then the host asked how they make decisions.....determining what is there and what to do. John said they leave after a day or 2 of investigating to do some "diagnosing"--a key word they used several times..."they needed to look over the evidence to discern what is trapped spirits and if any demons" (Zaffis). At this point, I groaned out loud.

Is the diagnosing by a demonologist (or investigator) similar to that of a doctor? Yes and No. Yes, in that both deal with studying symptoms, and then seeking to find the cause and cure for a problem. But even in this regard, a case could be made that the "ailments" a demonologist deals with are much more serious than those which a medical doctor handles--which should give pause to anyone seeking to enter this field. No, in that there is a distinct, explicit spiritual component to the paranormal diagnostic process. Please remember that the paranormal is not ultimately a scientific issue but a theological issue, because science is UNABLE to uncover the identity of supernatural entities.What I want us to see is that during this very important diagnostic process, one's worldview WILL effect how we see and interpret the paranormal facts., and we are almost always unaware of these strong, interior influences.

God rejects the false wisdom of the world and calls His people to radical obedience ( 1 Cor. 1-2)--thinking according to God's norms is a crucial aspect of this radical call to discipleship. In a word, God is an intellectual authoritarian. This is a touchy subject for modern man who is insistent on total freedom of speech and thought. However, God's intellectual authoritarianism is the source of true intellectual freedom. Human thinking must be subject to a norm or criterion. If we reject God as our intellectual norm, then we must either create an idol and find some other ultimate norm, or capitulate to skepticism, which is intellectual death....both are, actually. The philosophical trends of rationalism, empiricism, and subjectivism have been created by non-Christian philosophers in a  futile attempt to justify human knowledge apart from bowing before the God of the bible.

Everyone has a worldview--a basic commitment of the heart translated into a way of seeing reality--both Christians and non-Christians have a worldview. Hence, it is simply not true to say that Christians are "biased" or "prejudiced" in their presuppositions (worldviews) in diagnosing of paranormal problems, and that nonbelievers are "neutral" or "unbiased" in the same process. Both groups are equally biased and prejudiced., when interpreting the paranormal facts. Jesus said, "He is who is not for Me is against Me." The non-Christian is as passionate about rejecting the true God as the Christian is in loving Him.

In the 1960's Thomas Kuhn wrote a groundbreaking book, "The Structure of Scientific Revolution". Though not a Christian, Kuhn made numerous very astute observations regarding how we "diagnose" scientific facts. He asserted that nobody is fully objective in their viewing and interpreting of data. The scientific community (think paranormal community) has shared beliefs which act as a paradigmatic grid though which they sift all data. If data or facts arise which are contrary to their basic community assumptions, then they will NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THIS DATA OR EVIDENCE. Their perception has been obscured by a distorted paradigm (worldview) to the point that they actually cannot see certain aspects of reality. It is only when the anomalies multiply to a certain point(says Kuhn)...when the contrary evidence is popping up all over the place, that the scientific community awakens from its slumber and is then be able to. begin to "see" what had been there the whole time. 

This is leading philosopher of science is stating that pure objectivity is impossible. In fact, for a Christian, "pure objectivity" is the last thing we should desire in study of paranormal phenomena. Pure objectivity implies that there are "neutral or brute facts' out there just waiting for us to give them meaning and identity. Not so! Every square inch of the cosmos belongs to the Lord, upon which He has placed His victory flag, and cries out "MINE!!". Every fact--literally every molecule to every star-- is a theistic fact...a fact ordained from all eternity and thus, pre-interpreted by God Almighty. There are no neutral or brute facts, which just exist in an anonymous void or vacuum, waiting for some human to come along and affirm its existence and meaning. God has already done that, and we are to re-interpret the paranormal phenomena as closely as possible to God's original pre-interpretation. Viewing facts or paranormal phenomena through a biblical worldview enables us to be faithful interpreters of God's world. Pure objectivity is not attainable, nor even desirable.

In conclusion, let is re-visit John Zaffis's diagnosis. May I say humbly and gently that Mr Zaffis, simply by virtue of his belief in trapped spirits, will not be able to consistently re-interpret (diagnose) God's pre-interpretation of the paranormal facts. God has made it clear that trapped spirits do not exist, BUT if we believe in them anyway, then we will see what we want or expect to see in the evidence review. God is an intellectual authoritarian, and it is our duty to humble ourselves before him. Otherwise, we dishonor God, hurt the client by giving them bad advice, and hurt ourselves as well.

Demons can mimic ANYTHING. Since that is the case how can one diagnose or find a criterion that would distinguish between a human spirit and a demon? The host asked him what the diagnosis involved, and he did not specify but gave a general response about sifting through data to make decisions. You affirm that you are a Christian John, please...please think like one.