Modern Day Angel Appearances, Micronesia Phenomena, and Quantum Particles

By Lisa Grace

Disclaimer: For those who may have missed my previous articles for EOTP, I believe science proves the Holy Scriptures (Bible) are 100% correct.

Some of the first scientists to visit the Micronesian islands (or so the account goes as re-told in Small Miracles for the Jewish Heart) noticed a peculiar phenomenon. The natives assumed the scientists electronic equipment worked by magic. Which is not such an unusual assumption when observing something beyond the realm of someone’s experience. You know it’s real, because you saw it. It doesn’t mean you can explain it, or that others who did not “see” it, will believe it.

When the same scientists looked out to sea, they could clearly see a fleet of ships approaching, but when they pointed the fleet out to the islanders, who had never seen a fleet of large modern ships before, the islanders could not “see” them. They insisted nothing was there.

The scientists thought this “blindness” to something they could not relate to, fascinating.

I noticed this phenomenon in myself. A few years ago, we went to a beach littered with shark’s teeth. My relatives who came to the beach frequently after every big storm, could spot and find the teeth easily. However, even when knowing what I was looking for, I still had a hard time perceiving what was right in front of me.

In most modern day angel appearances, I’d like to think we don’t “see” what is right in front of us, because we don’t know “how” to look or even how to perceive “what” we are looking for.

One of the most fascinating aspects in quantum physics, is the ability of particles to re-act differently when they are being observed. You can Google any number of articles about it, but here is one: http://rickzepeda.hubpages.com/hub/Quantum-Physics-Wave-Particle-Duality-Consciousness

On the particle level, this shows an “awareness” that makes many scientists uncomfortable.

The problem is—we, modern man, are still very much like the Micronesian Islanders of the past, who encountered modern electronics and fleets of modern ships for the very first time. It’s easier to ignore and dismiss what we readily can’t explain. It’s easier not to “see” what is right in front of us.

Those who have experienced an encounter with an angel, demon, or even G-d, know a different dimension, world, or form of matter (such as plasma) beyond what we know, exists. Can we explain it, or even show others how to experience it?

For many who have not seen, it requires faith. For those who have had an experience, their faith has been rewarded with proof. Or the proof itself makes them a believer.

Part of the problem is knowing what to look for, and how to “measure” it. This area of exploration is very much in its infancy.

As our instruments for “detecting” these intelligent creatures improve, so will our understanding.


Lisa Grace is the author of the best selling eBook Angel Series, which is currently in movie development.

Issue 133 – Burying Ed & Lorraine Warren’s Credibility

By Kirby Robinson

Tonight’s show begins at 7 PM [PST] or 10 PM [EST].  The topic is:

The Myth-Busting Continues! Amityville Horror, The Haunting in Connecticut and The Conjuring

See this page for more information:

http://www.goddiscussion.net/2013/08/31/the-myth-busting-continues-amityville-horror-the-haunting-in-connecticut-and-the-conjuring-wednesday-september-4-2013/

If you tuned in last week, you know we didn’t finish debunking the Amityville Horror case. We still have at least 30 minutes of information to share with you before moving on to the Haunting in Connecticut case--which will take up the rest of the show. The show we had lined up for September 11, debunking the claims in the book The Harbinger, is being pushed back to the 18th of September. As you may/may not know, the book focuses on the events that occurred on 9/11 because God was angry at the USA due to sin and not being closer to Israel.

We’ll then take a detailed look into the Perron case The Conjuring, or what I like to call The Concocted.

Ed Warren -- If Only I Knew How Deceptive You Were…

…and that includes Lorraine as well. Sometimes I’m hardheaded and freely admit that when I give my loyalty it takes a lot for me to regret doing so. However, after our investigation into the three cases we’re debunking on the radio show, there are many similarities.

~ All occur in New England

~ All feature families with two parents and two [or more] children

~ All feature families in transition. A blended family in Amityville; health crisis in Connecticut; and family in need of a new location in the Perron case.

~ All claim demonic activity

~ All claim something odd went on in the house prior to moving in. Amityville and the Conjuring claim it was murder. In Connecticut, the funeral home employees practiced necrophilia.

~ All the families made money off their cases

~ All families freely went public with their claims

~ None of the families can produce any proof that there was anything going on

~ All were made into feature film franchises

~ From the information that’s available, none of the cases are real

~ Ed and Lorraine Warren were involved in these cases and they cashed in, laughing all the way to the bank. I personally doubt that Ed is laughing any longer, as God won’t be mocked. I wonder if anyone with real spiritual discernment has ever brought the $109 package where you get to eat dinner with Lorraine. What’s on the menu? EVP entrees and demonic desserts? This is followed by a tour in her basement Occult Museum and ends with a walk to Ed’s grave. Do you hear Ed begging for forgiveness for all the fakery he took part in?

Throughout my career, I heard it wasn’t Ed that was full of a desire to be rich and famous it was Lorraine. Was that just a way to ignore what was really going on?

Have you ever dug into how these two got their start in the business of demonology?

It wasn’t a calling from God to do this for His glory. It’s important to note that Ed didn’t call himself a Christian demonologist but a religious one. Religion can’t cast out a single demon. Demons enjoy leading people down the religious path--religious people were responsible for killing Jesus Christ. Today, the same self-righteous religious people want to stamp out Christianity. You just don’t decide that dealing with demons is what you want to do. God decides if He wants you to deal with the demonic.

Apparently, Ed felt he knew more about art and he could paint better than anyone else could. So Ed would paint a picture of a house and in the painting he’d add ghosts floating out of the windows. Lorraine, the used car salesperson [like Jim Bakker], was the one that would tell the homeowner they had a demon issue. Not a small problem, but a big one.

That kept the pair happy for a while. In the mid-1970s public awareness on the dark side increased due to the book and movie version of The Exorcist. The Warrens knew how to work the P.R. circuit, doing lectures at every turn. Then came the Perron case and the Amityville Haunting. There was no turning back. It became less about helping people and more about helping themselves. No longer would it be a 30-second news spot. More books about these cases populated library and bookstore shelves. Ed told Ray Garton, author of the book about the Haunting in Connecticut case, to “make the shit up and make it scary.” The truth no longer mattered. Maybe it never did. Have you ever seen any tape about their cases, or any photos that couldn’t be explained away? Like the demon boy photo from the Amityville haunting…that was a young man, not a boy. He worked for the Warrens and posed for the picture in order to make more money for them.

It didn’t stop there. Many of the current crop of para-fakes like Ryan Buell copied her schemes, selling it to a new generation of suckers. Ed and Lorraine would host a class at a nearby restaurant and charge $20. They also made the student fork over a percentage of the food and drink tab.

Now that Ed is gone, Lorraine hasn’t slowed down a bit from her wacky appearances on fake TV shows like Paranormal State to the movie The Conjuring which is rumored to have two sequels in the works. How’s that? Well, they’re based on the case files of Ed and Lorraine Warren that no one has ever seen.

It’s interesting to note how Lorraine has difficulty grasping the truth. She claims an exorcism was performed on the Amityville home. None was ever done. [She also said that the haunting there was from the bowels of the earth. I think it was from someone’s bowels.]

She claims that every time she went into the house she carried a photo of Padre Pio with her. If you want to be inspired by someone who exhibits all the traits of genuine compassion, please read this: http://padrepiodevotions.org/a-short-biography/

When you say every time that means every time you are in the house you have that photo in your hand. She even shows how she held it in the documentary My Amityville Horror. So we decided to take a look at all the photos of her in the house that we could find and take a close look at them. There were some photos where you couldn’t see her hands, or only one hand. But the majority of the photos we could examine and see if she was holding anything in them. Turns out that the number of times Padre Pio’s photo was seen is zero.

Charles Lutz stated in the documentary that everyone in the home was saved and baptized. This fact must have slipped by Lorraine. No one who is saved can be possessed by the demonic. God and the devil can’t be in the same body at the same time. This simple fact is learned in demonology 101.

When I get back to LA, which, knock on wood will be soon, all the books about the pair or written by Ed Warren will go sailing out the door. They won’t land on the curb for some unsuspecting person to find, read and be deceived, but into the trash where they belong.

Nowadays there are so many like Ed and Lorraine running around in the paranormal field. Some want to help, but they still want the gravy train and all the fame baggage that follows. Others just want to hop aboard that train, as they don’t give a damn.

To me that’s scarier than any demon I’ve ever encountered.

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/

The Six Perfections

By The Dalai Lama

1. Generosity
The first among the six perfections is generosity. Generosity is of three types: giving material aid, giving dharma, and protecting from fear. "Giving dharma" refers to the giving of teachings to other sentient beings out of the pure motivation to benefit them. The phrase does not only refer to high lamas giving teachings seated on high thrones. You should not have the notion that dharma teachings should be preceded by impressive rituals such as the blowing of conch shells and the like. Rather, any instruction given out of compassion and a kind heart by anyone is considered generosity of the dharma.

Giving away one's own possessions without even the slightest touch of miserliness and without any hope for reward is part of the practice of generosity. It would be very beneficial, if you want to practice generosity, to make offerings to sick patients and also to the monastic universities which have philosophical study programs and which train many young monks for the practice of dharma.

The practice of generosity should be undertaken by giving away what you can afford. You should enhance and develop your thought of generosity to such an extent that eventually you will be able to part with even your own body which you hold most precious, without the slightest trace of apprehension or possessiveness. As in any practice, it is important right from the beginning never to be discouraged, never to think that you will not be able to do it.

Protecting someone from fear or danger is the giving of fearlessness, as is saving people from illness and so forth. The practice of rituals for the purpose of overcoming illness could also justifiably be called the giving of fearlessness. Basically one's own karmic actions are responsible for one's harm and suffering. If you have definite indications of being harmed by certain spirits, then — instead of doing rituals — the most effective way to overcome the difficulty is to practice compassion towards the forces that harm you. Such occasions give you new opportunities to practice your compassion, which is far more powerful than performing rituals.

Although we Tibetans talk about the law of cause and effect and the Buddha's doctrine, when a difficult situation really presses us we often like to blame it on the harm of spirits. It is far better to have fewer superstitions and more faith in the law of causality.

2. Morality
Next is the practice of morality. Lay people should engage in the practice of morality by abstaining from the ten negative actions — if possible, all ten. But if this is not possible, then at least taking the life of others, telling lies, and indulging in sexual misconduct should be avoided; these are very detrimental, not only for the individual but also for the peace and calmness of a community. Divisive talk is very destructive; it causes a lot of conflict and misunderstanding within a community, and between different communities and different people. Therefore, it is a great obstacle to peace and happiness of mind. The same is true of telling lies. Senseless gossip, although not so destructive from one point of view, is seen from another to be very harmful, as it wastes so much of your precious time. You should also avoid harsh speech and covetousness, as well as harmful intent and holding perverted views. "Perverted views" refers to incorrect views that deny the existence of life after death and the law of causality.

Also, as Nagarjuna recommends in his Ratnavali (Precious Garland), it is important to avoid taking alcoholic drinks. In Tibet, because of the lack of relaxation available under the repressive Chinese rule, some people indulge in taking alcohol, which is very injurious. Buddha himself has said that those who regard him as their master should never take an alcoholic drink, even as little as fits on the tip of a blade of grass.
Gambling is also very injurious; it involves all sorts of negative actions like telling lies, being covetous, and using harsh speech. Because many negative actions ensue from gambling, Nagarjuna taught that gambling is very destructive.

The same is true of smoking. Even the modern doctors speak of the destructive effect of smoking on one's health. Smoking is an addiction; it is not as if we could not survive if we did not smoke. Nor is it like taking tea. Because tea is a key part of our diet, if we are told by the doctor not to drink it, we have to find something as an alternative. But smoking is completely different: we do not need to smoke at all. Because of their misconceptions and the bad habit of smoking, some people even find the smell of tobacco quite nice. Smoking is very bad for the purse, too. Rather than smoke, it would be better to go for a picnic and enjoy a nice lunch or dinner. This is not religious talk —the issue is one of health. It would be better right from the beginning not to indulge in and develop the addiction to tobacco.

3. Patience
There are different types of patience: the patience of being indifferent to the harm inflicted by others, the patience of voluntarily accepting hardship, and the patience developed through reasoned conviction in the dharma. Practitioners of dharma should have these types of patience — they should be able to endure hardship — but adopting such patience does not mean that they should not take precautions for their health.

When you have a sickness, right from the beginning it is better to treat it by going to doctors and taking medicine. It is no good leaving matters to the last moment, which is, in part, a habit of Tibetans. Because in Tibet there were very few doctors, when someone became sick, people would advise the person to take more food and have a good rest. This is inadequate advice. It is more important to look into the causes of the illness and apply corrective measures. Taking care of your health is very important.

At the same time, meditators and students should have the patience which can voluntarily accept hardship; without such patience they will never be successful in their studies. Gungthang Jampeyang said:

Should you wish to be learned in the ways of avoiding delusions and attaining liberation,

And achieve the glory of an eloquent scholar confident amidst any assembly,

Accept with patience the hardships involved. For the leisurely lifestyle of the present,

Totally attached to the pleasures of delicacies, drinks and excessive sleep,

Will get you nowhere.

Similarly, the patience of being indifferent to harm inflicted by others is especially important, because Buddha's doctrine is rooted in compassion. Therefore, you should be able to forbear and endure the harm inflicted by others. Buddha said that those who retaliate against harm inflicted by others are not his followers. You should also view all the harm that you face and that is inflicted by others — as well as the adverse circumstances that you experience — as a manifestation and ripening of your own negative actions. Doing this will enable you to endure the suffering with greater patience. When facing difficulties such as illnesses and adverse circumstances, it is very important to reflect on the law of causality, and conclude that these are the consequences of your own doings in the past.

This conclusion will protect you from having all sorts of superstitions or unnecessary mental anxieties, but this does not mean that you should not work toward the relief of the problems.

Some people misunderstand the concept of karma. They take the Buddha's doctrine of the law of causality to mean that all is predetermined, that there is nothing that the individual can do. This is a total misunderstanding. The very term karma or action is a term of active force, which indicates that future events are within your own hands. Since action is a phenomenon that is committed by a person, a living being, it is within your own hands whether or not you engage in actions.

There are differing techniques for various types of practitioners. For some it is effective, when facing adverse circumstances, to reflect that these are due to the nature of suffering and are the natural consequences of being in the cycle of existence. Others could view adverse circumstances as the ripening of their own negative actions and could wish that by the experience of these sufferings all other sentient beings will never undergo such experiences in the future.

4. Joyous Effort
If one has the faculty of joyous effort, one will be able to accomplish the task that one has originally set out to do. Therefore, this faculty is very important for a spiritual practitioner. Generally speaking, there are three types of joyous effort: (1) armor-like joyous effort; (2) joyous effort in gathering virtues; and (3) joyous effort in working for others. The main obstacles to the development of these efforts are the different levels of laziness — primarily the laziness of procrastination, and the lazinesses stemming from indolence and from a sense of inferiority.

5. Concentration
Since the practices of concentration and wisdom are treated in separate chapters, only a brief explanation of these is given here.
Generally speaking, concentration refers to a faculty of single-pointedness of the mind that serves as a powerful basis for any given meditation. It is of two types, based on differing functions: mundane and super-mundane concentrations.

6. Wisdom
Wisdom refers to an analytic faculty of the mind that allows a probing into the deeper nature of things. Broadly speaking, it is of two kinds: the wisdom examining the ultimate nature of phenomena, and the wisdom examining the conventional or relative nature of phenomena.

THE FOUR RIPENING FACTORS

The four ripening factors refer to the four principal factors that bodhisattvas employ in attracting disciples and enhancing their spiritual potentials. These are:
(1) giving material aid
(2) speaking eloquently
(3) always giving the right counsel
(4) setting an example by living the principles taught. It is through these skillful means that the compassionate bodhisattvas work for the welfare of all other beings.

The Path to Bliss: A Practical Guide To Stages Of Meditation


This article was excerpted from The Path to Bliss, ©1991,2003, by Dalai Lama.
Thanks to Innerself.com for this article. Original link: http://innerself.com/Spirituality/dalai_lama_53104.htm

Amityville Horror & More - The Stories Behind the Hauntings PART 2 ONLY ON THE EYE ON THE PARANORMAL RADIO SHOW

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.

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/

Here’s last week's show—Amityville Horror & More -- The Stories Behind the Hauntings 
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/god-discussion/2013/08/29/amityville-horror-more--the-stories-behind-the-hauntings

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/

Demons and EVP's

Again, let me say this is just my humble opinion on the subject of EVP's. I've witnessed serious consequences from someone having a unhealthy obsession and doing those a lot. I pray before each one I have to do for a case or investigation however, that is the only time I resort to EVP's. I'm aware this subject has been discussed and many feel they are harmless. Maybe these cases I speak of just had bad luck but it's no different than attempting communication via ouija board or automatic writing. Just because you left a location with nothing going wrong doesn't mean all is well. Demons are very patient and I can assure you they will make themselves known at the worst possible time in your life. This is pure evil, why would anyone risk this? I had a case where said person was constantly doing these. She lost her friends and some family as she only seemed to care about was doing EVP's. At that point she could not be helped. She refused to stop doing them at any cost.


What Are Demons Believed To Be?

A demon is believed to be a force that can be conjured and controlled. They are also believed to have the ability to possess or inhabit the body of humans and the only way to rid the person of them is to conduct deliverance and/or Exorcism. Demons are portrayed differently in different cultures. Some believe demons to be actual physical beings that can take the form of anything, including animals. Others consider the real demons as more of a spiritual force of evil battling for one's soul. They have been feared and written about in almost every culture in one form or another for as long as history has been recorded.

What Is Demonic Possession?

Demonic possession is a common belief involving demons. It involves the act of a demon inhabiting the body of a mortal, living thing. Because Demons are believed by many to be fallen angels and the opposite of all that is good, a priest is usually called upon to perform the ceremony. Skeptics have blamed pre existing mental conditions for reported cases of possession, as opposed to demonic influence. Some cases have baffled everyone. People who are said to be possessed have been reported speaking in foreign languages that they had never even been exposed to. They often become very ill while their faces and bodies will sometimes appear to change. Possessed individuals have been known to speak in reverse dialog and injure themselves and or others.

Demons are “angels that sinned,” spirit creatures who rebelled against God. (2 Peter 2:4) The first angel to make himself into a demon was Satan the Devil, whom the Bible calls “the ruler of the demons.” Matthew 12:24, 26.


Written by Jennifer Auld

Bad Bad Thing Award Goes to Son Who Digs Up Dad’s Body

By Kirby Robinson

When we have to say good bye to a loved one, especially a parent, that can very difficult. Vincent Bright of Detroit, Michigan, dug up his dad's body and put it in a freezer. That’s not too bright, in fact, that’s a bad bad thing.

Read about the man who dug up his dad’s body:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/28/man-stole-fathers-body-detroit-cemetery

Do you know of a para-celeb, psychic, ghost hunter, demon chaser, or false teacher who’s eligible for the award? You can take part by sending us a name and why you think they should receive the BAD BAD THING award. Contact freeallspirits@live.com for more information.

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?" [also 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/

Worldviews ... Different Ways of Seeing

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

In my last very long blog, I asked if you would try to watch a TV show/movie or read a novel through a biblical worldview...knowing that it is best to just start doing it as a means of grasping what a biblical worldview is. Anyway, it is possible to have a ton of biblical knowledge but not have a biblical worldview. All that knowledge is not brought together in a coherent system of thought. I was turned on to thinking worldviewishly in 1974 when I was 18 years old and a new Christian, and have been enormously blessed by 40 years of consciously viewing all of reality through biblical spectacles.

We live in times when discernment is of paramount importance, and thinking with a biblical worldview equips us to think with maximum discernment. The more closely our thinking follows this worldview, the more we will see reality as it really is. Unbelievers reject the biblical Creator and replace Him with idols (Rom. 1:18ff)--which entails creating a dream world--the more a person moves away from a biblical worldview the more they will be distorting reality AS IT REALLY IS. That is the sheer wonderment and beauty of thinking this way, is that it enables us to view God's world the same way He does.

If you look through pink glasses you will see a pink world, if you look through blue tinted spectacles then reality will appear bluish, but if you view the world through the spectacles of a biblical worldview, then you will see God's world as God sees His world (obviously not exactly as He does because He is infinite, but truly nevertheless) Fundamentally, the Word of God is all about application to our lives, and thinking worldviewshly enables one to apply the bible in an extraordinarily rich and comprehensive way.

Everyone has a worldview, including those who say they have no worldview! However, for most folks it is held unconsciously, but it is still having a profound effect upon how they think, act, and feel.

How do folks acquire their worldview? It is a process over a period of time--where their views of God, the universe, and our relation to both--are formed. Some of the contributors to worldview formation are: how we were raised, our experiences, our schooling, books we have read and movies we have watched, and just being in the world--being exposed to all messages that bombard us all day and night. The result is usually a mishmash of various beliefs.

Okay, so this does not become like a chapter in a book, as in last time, let me shift gears and just do it! (Nike would be proud...hehe) I mentioned that I had recently read "Adam and Eve" by Sena Jeter Naslund. I will basically review/analyze the book by sifting it through a biblical worldview grid. And we do that by asking how the book answers the seven components of a worldview...this is to teach you by practice HOW to do this kind of thinking.

First, just a few words of introduction to the book...Thom Bergmann, a world renowned astrophysicist, is married to Lucy Bergmann, an art therapist. Lucy was born into an evangelical family, but her parent left her with grand mom when she was a mere ten years  old in order to be missionaries to Japan. She felt betrayed and abandoned and she turned against the faith of her parents. Hence, there is an overt, hostile attitude toward biblical Christianity. Theirs is a lovely marriage...true devotion. He has been researching for other life forms "out there" and one day Thom shares with Lucy that he has found conclusive evidence of alien life in deep space. Along with this earth-shaking discovery, another one occurs as an archaeologist finds evidence that Moses was not the author of Genesis. Both finds are seen by them as victories over the dangers of moronic religious "literalism" (read, bible believing). Thom dies in a suspicious accident and Lucy becomes the literal bearer of the evidence of both of these discoveries. What follows is gripping plot which was thoroughly entertaining, and as one reviewer put it, Naslund writes "lush and luminous" prose. As I put the book down after finishing it, I said to myself, "Wow, that book will significantly shape of the worldviews of those who read it." As a best-selling author, I am sure of it...Time for a quick analysis.

1. What is God or ultimate reality like? Instead of an infinite/personal Creator, who is revealed in Scripture and supremely in Jesus Christ, Lucy tends to see God as ineffable. As I mentioned last time, she and her husband had a distaste for the arrogance of claiming we "have access to the mind of God." Sadly, the result is that He then becomes totally unknowable. In the end, she embraces some form of energy as ultimate reality. In that regard, and many others, this is a thoroughly modern novel.

2. What is our purpose in life? The Great Commandment---loving God with all of our being--is supposed to be our main priority. However, without access to the mind of God via His revelation to us, then we have no way of deciphering what our purpose is. Lucy, who is the narrator in the book, seems to assume that relationships with other people are our purpose. While hers is more noble than many, still it is idolatrous--as I read I could not help but feel like she was lost in more ways than one.

3. What is the nature of reality? There are two types of reality in biblical worldview--the Creator and His creation-- the latter including the visible and invisible. In Lucy's mind, energy plus time plus chance, has produced only one form of reality...the "creation"...but again, energy is the prime component of reality.

4. Where is history going? Biblically, history is His-story, the unfolding of the drama of redemption in space and time...it is moving meaningfully toward the The Second Coming. According to this novel, there is no meta-narrative (big story) to history. Earth is not the palace of the Great King, but space and time are mere products of the evolutionary forces of energy. History is going nowhere.

5. What is the basis for right and wrong...how do we determine morality? God's unchanging character and His revelation to us, forms the foundation for Christian ethics. Lucy has imbibed long and deeply from the post-modernist well of deconstructionism...words and morals can be defined according to our own interpretation. Lucy proceeds to affirm the beauty of love as the guiding principle for her life choices.. Right and wrong are subjective and relative, and they are human constructs. Without the law of God to define love, then she/we are left to our devices to what love looks like in each situation (a form of situation ethics).

6. What is the essence of being human? We have enormous dignity and worth which is extrinsic in nature. Only God has intrinsic worth and He made us in His image, and assigned immense value to us....we are God's highest creation! However, in a sense, the main point of the book is that we are nothing but the products of energy, plus time, plus chance. In one place Lucy mentions that all of us are damaged, which mirrors a biblical view of the fallenness of all reality, which much modern "happy preaching" ignores. The two discoveries (alien life and non-Mosaic authorship of Genesis) herald that man is NOT special after all. And she finds this liberating....but she can only feel that way by being inconsistent with her presuppositions.

7. What happens to us after we die? Scripture teaches that after death, we are immediately ushered into our eternal destinies, after judgment. When contemplating the death of her beloved, she is agnostic regarding where his consciousness is, but oddly optimistic anyway.

I would say that her worldview is generally that of optimistic humanism, which is irrational. Why? According to this view, the cosmos has a meaningless beginning, and an equally meaningless end, but somehow between these two poles of meaninglessness, she imbues deep meaning into the present moment! That, my friends, is an irrational leap of faith.Compare this with the more realistic assessment of life without God in Ecclesiastes.--"vanity of vanities..." The atheistic existentialists Sartre and Camus were brilliant in their sensitive portrayal of the meaninglessness of modern man.

I read this book with a notebook at hand, with the seven components written down...consciously searching for an explicit or implicit message relating to each worldview component. When I saw one, I made note of it...page number and so on. Please consider doing something similar this week....homework! I need to add that when I read or watch a movie, I do so on two levels: on the one hand, I read/view simply for enjoyment, but simultaneously, on the other hand, sifting the unfolding sequences and verbiage through the grid of a biblical worldview. It makes the experience all the more rich and stimulating...and I believe, glorifying to the Lord.