Lately, my interest in old Hebrew texts has been sparked. Call me a nerd (and I know many of you will), but I find this stuff fascinating. All of these discoveries, while not necessary for my faith in the trustworthiness of Scripture, are encouraging testimony to the divine preservation of God's word. Tracing the development of alphabets, languages, governments, movements of people, and more, are only a few of the things that these discoveries help us to understand and help us to flesh out the stories of Scripture in many cases.

According to this article (http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE49T52620081030?feedType=RSS&feedName=scienceNews&rpc=22&sp=true), the oldest Hebrew text ever found was discovered just recently. For more commentary, check out this blog: http://wfiprestoncondra.blogspot.com/2008/10/archaeologists-find-oldest-hebrew-text.html

Exciting stuff! It makes me wonder what else might be discovered in the next few years. I'd love to see more things from the reign of David found.

In a surprising move, Richard Dawkins was filmed as basically explaining how he could understand if we were designed by a higher intelligence...like aliens? To see his exact comments, view this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxsQrBa0ECE
Also be sure to check out this blog for more commentary on Richard Dawkins' comments: http://wfiprestoncondra.blogspot.com/2008/10/famous-atheist-argues-for-intelligent.html

Even in commenting that higher beings or a higher intelligence could have designed earth and its inhabitants, as evidenced by certain "chemical signatures" that may suggest a designer and not a random accident, that still only deals with a theory of development, a theory of evolution. There are still no real answers on where we came from, according to science; there are only attempts to answer how things developed into what we now see. Interesting.

In watching the whole documentary, I found that it lost sight of its purpose to argue for equality in teaching all views of origin and development, instead slipping into an argument regarding creation vs. evolution and eventually coming down to whether or not there is a God. This I found a bit disappointing, as I felt the original premise of equality in teaching to be a good one.

While in Northern England this past July, the hot topics of conversation were the Episcopal church in America and its tolerance of homosexuality amongst the bishops, as well as the attempt to establish Shariah law within Britain. I did not realize that the Church of England had strayed farther away from orthodox doctrine in trying to make amends with Charles Darwin and promoting his theory of evolution. However, I suppose it should not surprise me. Apologizing to the late Charles Darwin seems almost tame in comparison when you consider many of the other agendas the archbishop is promoting.

Part of the apology issued reads:

“Charles Darwin: 200 years from your birth, the Church of England owes you an apology for misunderstanding you and, by getting our first reaction wrong, encouraging others to misunderstand you still. We try to practise the old virtues of 'faith seeking understanding' and hope that makes some amends.”


To read more about the Church of England and its apology, read http://www.cofe.anglican.org/darwin. Also check out this blog for more commentary on the incident: http://wfiprestoncondra.blogspot.com/2008/09/church-of-england-to-apologize-to.html

While on a vampire hunt, I accidentally came across an article on role-playing games. These days it's incredibly easy to become involved in role-playing games, with applications on Facebook even including various forms of role-playing games (RPGs). Having many friends involved in games like Dungeons and Dragons and other friends having been caught up in other RPGs online, I decided the article was worth a read. It was fascinating to learn statistics about the connection between violence and certain RPGs. I think what's even more concerning to me is the addictive nature of RPGs and its eventual result of being disconnected from reality at some level. While the article talks at great length about violence and its connection with these games, it only briefly talks about the addictive nature of the RPGs. At any rate, with more and more of our entertainment being rooted in the digital world and more and more people seeking community via digital means, I think Christians should be aware of the effects of these games mentally, physically, and spiritually. They may not lead to random acts of violence in all people who play them, but they definitely have the potential to replace God as the most important thing in one's life if not careful.

For more information, search http://www.watchman.org/ or read this article: http://www.watchman.org/occult/frpgames2.htm

Regardless of whether or not we celebrate Halloween, we all know the tag lines, the catch phrases, and can spot the decorations a mile away. (I want to know why we must now suffer from the sight of blow-up contraptions on our neighbors' lawns, not only during Christmas, but also during Halloween too! When will the decoration madness end?! When we have blow-up baby Cupids for Valentine's Day?! But I digress...) So, as familiar as we are with trick-or-treating and other traditions around Halloween, do we really know where they come from? And I mean REALLY know, as in more than giving the standard, "Well, it's pagan so it's evil and I don't celebrate Halloween!" Watchman Fellowship put out several helpful articles on this very thing. Without further ado...

"...where did the rituals come from? Why do people carve jack-o-lanterns? Why do children dress in costumes? Where did the tradition of bobbing for apples at parties originate? Why, when children approach a strangers door, do they enthusiastically exclaim, "trick or treat?" How did the custom of orange and black as the colors of Halloween get started? Where did these rituals originate?" Watchman Fellowship's article on Halloween is a helpful place to find out more...

Costumes- this comes from Druidism and believing that dead spirits had been transformed into animals, thus the Celts would dress up as animals. This evolved, obviously, into dressing as other spooky things also associated with death and evil spirits, later turning more benign as the Catholic church tried to Christianize the holiday.

Trick-or-Treating- originally, the belief was that dead spirits would visit the houses of people and they needed to be appeased, otherwise they'd play tricks on the inhabitants of the house or town. Offering food to them on this night of Halloween was common practice and eventually trickled down to our custom of dressing up and going door to door asking for candy or appeasement.

Jack-o-lanterns-  once upon a time, a shifty Irish criminal named Jack lived... it is said he was so wicked that neither Heaven nor Hell would take him, thus condemning him to an endless existence of moving from place to place, his only warmth being found in a candle inside of a potato. The original jack-o-lanterns were made from carved out potatoes, but when the traditions came to America, pumpkins were so bountiful people quickly began carving them out instead.

Halloween colors- ever wonder why black and orange are traditionally the colors of this holiday? I never stopped to think about it, but orange is the color of the harvest and black is the color of death. They naturally became associated with this day over the course of history.

Regardless of the presentation today, many of the common customs come from very old rituals found in the rituals of ancient Druidism and other pagan practices. Instead of throwing our hands up and refusing to participate in anything "Halloween" just because it's "pagan," I would encourage people to study for themselves and know exactly where things originate and what our Christian response should be. For more information on Halloween and other occultic practices, check out:

http://www.watchman.org/profile/halwnpro.htm
http://www.watchman.org/

"[Psychologist] C.G. Jung discovered that the Goddess was a potent force in the unconscious. Jung's theory of the feminine principle as a universal archetype, a primordial, instinctual pattern of behavior deeply imprinted on the human psyche, brought the Goddess once more into popular imagination." -Elinor W. Gadon, The Once and Again Future Goddess (p. 228)

"The rediscovery of Goddess in the West in the late 1960s coincided with the women's movement, the ecology movement, and the beginnings of the so-called New Age movement." -Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Harper's Encylopedia of Mystical and Paranormal Experiences (p. 240-241)


In reading for class this week, I was interested to learn more regarding this thing called Goddess worship. I've heard various things tossed around in discussion, but never any clear teaching on it. After reading the Watchman profile on it (http://www.watchman.org/prOfile/godsspro.htm), I could understand how it might be confusing to nail down a clear and concise definition or actual teachings, since, like so many other New Age practices, it's very much a pick-and-choose type of theology. Even so, it is very prevalent in many areas of life, some surprising and some not.

Social agendas- naturally, the first thing to come to mind in regards to Goddess worship of any kind would be the emphasis on the female in general and that directly ties to feminism.

Science- in the early 1970s, a British scientist again brought goddess worship to the forefront, claiming his hypothesis on the earth - the Gaia hypothesis - would revolutionize science. Mother Earth is thought to be the goddess Gaia. The hypothesis claims that the earth is a living, breathing being, determined to create and sustain life. All other things on this planet are organisms, including humans, that are merely part of the systems of this living entity.

Schools- as strange and "out there" as the above hypothesis sounds, it actually made its way into at least one accepted elementary school textbook as another viable explanation for the earth, its systems and its inhabitants.

Psychology- the part of this article that interested me the most was probably the appearance of Carl Jung, noted psychologist, throughout. I am interested in reading more on the research of Carl Jung, as I'm finding just how heavily involved he was in many of the New Age practices today, ranging from goddess worship to astrology and beyond. As a student looking to become a Biblical counselor, I know that many of the principles of modern psychology have been formed through Jung and his work. I'm curious to see what the connections are between those principles and the Occult.

For another resource on goddess worship, check out: http://www.watchman.org/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=52

So this class is ruining my ability to watch anything with the sole purpose of being entertained. (Just kidding. Mostly.) Just last week, my siblings (also Criswell students) and I had some friends over to watch the show Heroes with us. At least once during the hour-long episode, one of the guys, who is also in my New Age class, exclaimed, "Ohhhhhhh! That's the New Age! It's like what we've talked about in class!!" I can't remember the exact reference made in the show, but this isn't the first time the two of us have watched television together since the class started and we've made similar comments before.

With all the New Age references being made in movies and on t.v. now, I decided to search Watchman Fellowship's website to see if they'd written anything helpful on the New Age movements/the Occult and media. Originally, I was actually curious to see if there were any articles written specifically about cartoons and the New Age, but I quickly gave up. There were a lot of references to Saturday morning cartoons made and their detrimental influence on youth, but nothing very concrete and specific. Finally, I found an article that dealt with a slightly older audience, but more what I had in mind.

In this article (http://www.watchman.org/youthandoccult.htm), the author tracks several popular television shows and their growing influence on teens. The shows included were Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, and The X-Files. After a brief explanation of the shows, the author of the article makes an interesting comparison between all the shows, connecting them through their view of soteriology and how it's so different from a true Christian worldview. (Naturally, this is just one of many things that could be highlighted with regard to the shows and their contrast to Christianity.) Whereas these shows all focus on how gaining knowledge of one's special powers and abilities will save one's self and others, it is clear from Scripture that it is nothing we do that saves us, but what Jesus has done for us that brings salvation.

The article also asked the very question I'm still wrestling with- is it so wrong for Christians to watch these programs? I've been wondering more and more just what a Christian approach should be to shows promoting these ideals. And how far do we take this too? The more I began to look around, the more I realized just how prevalent New Age ideas are in even the most harmless of shows. (It occurred to me that this type of thing has become a huge emphasis on the Disney Channel lately, with shows such as That's So Raven, highlighting a psychic teenager, and Wizards of Waverly Place, highlighting a family of young wizards, becoming ever more popular.) It's really easy to say certain shows are harmless and point fingers at the more adult shows, but are they not equal when it comes to the messages they're promoting?

So what do we do about these shows? This particular article suggested that, "During the time a Christian spends focusing on plots concerning subjects that are condemned by God, that person is tacitly following the occult rather than God. Instead of being entertained by the occult, Christians should follow the words of Paul: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

I'm not fully satisfied by that statement/conclusion. I'm not entirely positive that by watching these shows, I'm inadvertently a participant in the occult. But then again, maybe it's my own sinful heart wanting to stay blind/unconvicted as to what's in these shows just so that I can continue to be entertained. By that, I mean that I do know the messages being portrayed, but I still don't want to admit that it might have some repercussions on my choices of entertainment. Maybe later on it will? I don't know. Obviously, as a Christian I don't want to support the occult and if I finally came to the conclusion I could not watch these shows/movies in good conscience, I'd stop. So I'm still thinking about all of these things, but the article made some good points. I'm just torn on its implications...

Other articles I found that talk about this subject are:
http://www.watchman.org/occult/teenwitch.htm
http://www.watchman.org/na/jeopardy.htm
http://www.watchman.org/na/mediums.htm

About a week ago, my mother was at the doctor's office being treated for her chronic back pain. Upon seeing her physical therapist, the man casually remarked she was a "good candidate for yoga" and explained how it would help with the muscles in her back that were causing so many problems. He assured her that the place he would recommend "didn't have any of that funny stars-and-moon stuff involved." We had a good laugh, but it made me want to read some of the articles found at http://www.watchman.org and see what more I might learn about yoga.

Yoga, meaning 'union' or 'yoking,' is an Eastern religious practice involving many stretches and breathing exercises with the goal of becoming one with the life force in and around you. However, here in the West, yoga has become very prevalent as a beneficial form of exercise, downplaying the philosophical elements in favor of its physical results. It can be found in nearly all fitness centers and universities across the nation.

I read several articles, including:
http://www.watchman.org/reltop/taichi2.htm
http://www.watchman.org/na/yoga.htm
http://www.watchman.org/na/yogareligion.htm

I might have to re-visit this topic in later blog entries to fully deal with everything, but for now I'll share a few thoughts.

It was mildly disturbing to me how poorly written at least one of those articles (the second one) was. I felt that, while it provided good introductory information about the nature of yoga, it made a claim at the end that it didn't support at all. It basically talked about the various kinds of yoga and then, without any basis, simply commanded Christians to have yoga removed from as many places as possible. This is fine and dandy to say, but why? Why should we have yoga removed from places as Christians? According to this article, the only credible reason would be, "Just because." I really felt it should have detailed a little better Christian response if the author felt so strongly about the need to fight against yoga practices in public places.

I also have to disagree with the common thread running through every article I read this week- that yoga is an evil practice and should not be used at all, especially by Christians. The articles cite how yoga cannot be practiced aside from its philosophical and religious roots; even if you think you are just doing yoga for health benefits, the articles seem to say that you're involving yourself unwittingly in Eastern mysticism.

While I agree that we should avoid those elements which are blatantly mystic, like "centering our chakras" and what not, I also think that we have to remember all things have some basis in Truth. Stretching is not bad in and of itself. If yoga, with its breathing and stretching exercises, has found something beneficial, it is not inherently evil; it has stumbled upon truth that God uses in governing the universe. Paul says that physical training is of some benefit, but obviously spiritual training is of much greater value. We experience greater quality of life when we are spiritually, emotionally, and physically healthy. Yoga hits on this principle, but it's not the first practice to do so. I think yoga is merely another example of where Truth has been twisted and misused. Satan is not original and even his lies merely twist God's existing truth.

Now, I don't necessarily recommend or even condone using yoga/stretching/whatever as a means of meditation for the Christian. However, I don't see how wrong it is to use the stretching exercises. Ultimately, almost any stretch we do can be traced back to a similar yoga posture. There are just universal ways our body moves and yoga systematizes it. In short, I suppose I have nothing wrong with finding a place that teaches proper stretching exercises, whether it's called yoga or not, and improving your health via those methods. Be aware of the religious elements of yoga and certainly avoid those places which outright teach them, but I wouldn't write off all yoga/stretching. 

Part of this week's assigned reading was over the Church of Satan. While I've studied this before, I found it an interesting refresher and it occurred to me while reading just how often Christians tend to joke about Satan worshippers or those who attend "the Church of Satan." It's evident from many of the jokes that most people are under one primary misconception- in the official Church of Satan, people are not actually worshipping Satan! In fact, they don't really believe Satan as a real being even exists, nor do they think anything supernatural exists. Satan is merely the mascot, if you will, of the entire movement which promotes a form of atheism and self-indulgence of any and every kind. There's a Satanic creed, constructed by Anton LaVey, the leader of this movement, which, in nine declarations, explains the core belief system of followers of the Church of Satan. These nine statements explain what Satan represents, but, again, followers do not actually believe Satan is an entity unto himself, merely the representation of all these things.

Other resources on the Church of Satan can be found here:
A cassette put out by Watchman Fellowship- http://www.watchman.org/store/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.display/product_id/486/index.cfm
Another article explaining the Occult and mentioning the role of the Church of Satan in it-
http://www.watchman.org/occult/occult2.htm

More times than I can count, I have had a conversation that went a little something like this:

Friend: "Ugh, I have a horrible headache right now!"
Me: "Well, have you taken anything for it? I have ibuprofen if you want some..."
Friend: "No, thanks. I don't really like taking medications. Taking man-made pills just doesn't seem natural to me. God didn't create those pills..."

With this in mind, I decided to search http://www.watchman.org for an article that might address the use of holistic or alternative medicine and what our Christian response should be to such practices. Is taking "man-made" pills really so bad? What about "natural" remedies?

In very little time I landed on this article: http://www.watchman.org/na/altmed2.htm

The author explains how many of the so-called natural remedies available on the market today have their origins in the New Age. Practices like acupuncture and reflexology, commonly accepted among many Christian circles, are rooted in ancient mysticism and related New Age spirituality.

So why is it that so many Christians seem to turn to alternative medicines, rather than trusting qualified doctors? This article cites the fact that so many of these holistic approaches are actually promoted by Christian leaders and laymen, claiming their own experience as validation for the results of the treatments in question. Another reason, and one that particularly struck me, was the common mentality, "If God made it, it must be good. Whatever man creates is not necessarily of God and therefore bad...or at least less than good." (I'd like to point out that God also created the marijuana plant and poison ivy, but that doesn't mean either is necessarily healthy or beneficial for us!)

It seems, as I do more research, that most New Age spirituality is bound up in personal experience. This experiential view of the world is extremely subjective and unbiblical. As Christians, we are to constantly refer back to God's Word, relying on His revelation rather than our personal, subjective feelings. Scripture reveals God to be a God of order, governing the universe systematically. The article makes the point that when religious claims are made, we refer them back to Scripture to test their validity. In a like manner, Christians should also be responsible to test the validity of alternative medicines and treatments using God's discoverable scientific laws. Personal experience does not replace God's objective truth.