A couple of geezers

Last month I attended a Christian men's convention. It was there that I picked up a promotional flyer for this podcast from Christian Vision for Men (CVM). Based in London, it is a ministry aimed at developing the spiritual growth of Christian men, just as its name implies.

Having listened to a few episodes, it's good content. Some of the other international Christian podcasts I listen to can be too parochial, but you can get something out of this wherever you live in the world. I also like the down to earth style of the hosts. They seem like the sort of blokes you'd hang out and watch Match of the Day or Premier League with.

https://cvm.org.uk/podcasts/

Eight channel stereo sound

This is a nice piece of nostalgia. Using 16 bit animated pixel art, a creative person has created an animated video of the battle scene between Kylo Ren and Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi. It reminds me of the Super Star Wars games that were released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System between 1992 and 1994.

Clickbait

I'm shaking my head and chuckling softly to myself as I write this. There are people out there that seriously think that a prospective dog owner should choose a dog based on their star sign.

Nonsense. Your choice of dog should be based on your lifestyle and ability to adequately care for it. Occultism should not enter into it.

http://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/home-and-garden/what-is-the-best-dog-breed-for-your-zodiac-sign/ss-AAf8Fh5#image=1

Dogmatic bigot

Part of tertiary education involves developing critical thinking skills, and learning to engage with ideologies and beliefs differing from your own. The library collection of any tertiary institution represents a spectrum of scholarly opinion. In plain English, just because an item is held in the library, it does not mean that the institution, its faculty, or library staff endorse the viewpoints of its author, authors, or contributors.

It is unprofessional for librarians to refuse to hold resources just because they disagree with the opinions expressed in them. I write this wordy disclaimer because my library holds literature both supportive of, and hostile to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as the Hare Krishnas. 

Some of this literature was written by ISKCON's founder,  (1896-1977). I noticed that he went by the title of "His Divine Grace." It strikes me as blasphemous that the late Swami, a mere man, would consider himself to be divine in any sense. He was an ordinary man, just like I am, and in need of salvation from Jesus Christ, just like I am (Romans 3:10, 23, 7:18).

The Bible consistently attests that Jesus is the only sinless man who ever lived. (2 Corinthians 5:21, Colossians 2:9, Hebrews 4:15, 9:14, 1 Peter 1:19, 2:22, I John 3:5). I wouldn't want to entrust my eternal destiny to another fallen, sinful human being such as A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, or indeed any other spiritual leader of his ilk. It would be pure folly.

http://www.ibtimes.com/swami-prabhupada-founder-hare-krishna-movement-virulent-racist-anti-semite-1412102

More sonorous emanations

When I was a kid, I listened to and sang children's songs such as The Wheels on the Bus, Ten in the Bed, Twelve Green Bottles, and I Wish I Were a Windmill. Not being a father, I don't have my finger on the pulse of the contemporary children's music scene, but it seems that these songs aren't as innocuous as the ones that I knew in the past.

On Sunday morning, I was channel surfing when I came across a children's program on a community radio station. I don't know who the artist was, but I caught a snippet of a song with lyrics along the lines of, "When you're feeling down, remember that you are good and the universe loves you." That grated with me. "Oh, really?" I thought.

Due to the shortcomings of search engines I have no idea who the composer and performer of this song is. Regardless, this concept was popularised by the best selling self help book, The Secret. by Rhonda Byrne. It also got occasional mentions in the TV comedy How I Met Your Mother. In a vague sense, the Universe is analogous to the Judeo-Christian God. Only rather than the personal being of the Old and New Testaments, the Universe is an impersonal, collective spiritual force that permeates everything.

It shapes the course of your life, and you can also tap into its energies to receive good things and success in life. In which case, where's my house with home theatre room, and a large back yard with room for a dog and my private golf driving range, which I share with a wife and 2.3 children, you know, all the trappings of a comfortable first world, middle class existence?

Jesting aside, this song is just another example of consumer driven spirituality. A child hearing this song may be encouraged to be selfish in their thinking, receiving the message that the world revolves around them, and that they can have whatever they want in life. In this expression of spirituality, where is the ethic of serving others and making a positive difference in the world?

As for the notion that we are "good," nobody is truly good. To the extent that human beings are capable of being or doing good, it is because the grace of God enables them to be (Philippians 2:13, Hebrews 13:21). Some Christian traditions believe in the age of accountability, where for the purpose of salvation, a child is covered by God's grace until mature enough to understand and thus be responsible for obedience to God's moral law. After that, all of humanity is accountable to God in how we live our lives, and need to consider where we stand before Him.

God is not an impersonal force. He is personal and knowable (Jeremiah 9:23-24, John 17:3, 1 John 2:13), Because God is love (John 3:16, Romans 5:8, 1 John 1:9), He wants all of humanity to come to saving faith in Him (1 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Peter 3:9). We are here to serve Him, and not the other way around. I'd rather know a loving, holy God than some vague, fuzzy concept of a universe.

Back at the spiritual supermarket

"Simply love yourself." A slogan that endorses spiritual narcissism

I'd like to offer some brief impressions on the recent Mind Body Spirit Festival that I went to in mid November. I haven't been to this for many years, but the first thing I noticed was how much little had changed from previous years.

One section of the exhibition hall was set aside with rows of tables and chairs for people to receive tarot readings. Aside from this, there was an assortment of stands offering self help and positive thinking books, most of which frankly are not worth the paper they're printed on. A cursory glance of their titles and contents pages seemed to show that these books are full of vacuous platitudes and lacking in substance. To this can be added a plethora of alternative healing practitioners, which from a Christian point of view, need to be either used cautiously or avoided altogether, traders selling crystals that are purported to have healing properties, and others selling occult themed products sold by creepy looking women wearing long, flowing dresses made of velour.

My mind traveled back to my childhood. Before convenience stores and 24 hour supermarkets put them out of business, I sometimes went to the local milk bar and bought a small bag of mixed lollies with my pocket money. In more recent years my family and relatives occasionally visit a smorgasbord buffet restaurant for family gatherings. In a similar way, rather than confining themselves to one particular system of belief, people often pick and mix elements of different systems of belief to come up with their own.

On the whole, Australians may be disinterested in organized religion, but if this festival is any indication, interest in spirituality remains strong. The problem with the new age movement is that it makes spirituality a private matter. Its emphasis on individualism encourages selfishness. Based on what I saw at the festival, it is largely focused on individual fulfillment. It is a consumer driven spirituality that demands nothing of the practitioner. It is about taking and not giving. There is no notion of caring for others or alleviating suffering in the world, of the concept of sin, or of accountability to God for how one lives their life.

Contrary to human nature, which seems naturally inclined towards selfishness and narcissism, the Biblical ethic calls us to give of ourselves to others, time, money, hospitality, skills and abilities, in short, modelling the character of Christ by wisely helping others with whatever resources we may have at our disposal.

http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-selfishness.html
http://www.mbsfestival.com.au/index.htm

I never thought of it that way

Naturally in the weeks leading up to Christmas, some of my devotional reading of the Bible has been from Genesis. Sometimes you can read familiar stories, but it's also at times surprising that you can dig up new nuggets.

To say the least, the Genesis 3 account of the fall of humanity is not very uplifting reading. In the garden of Eden, the serpent deceives Adam and Eve into disobeying God by eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, bringing upon themselves and all of creation the curse of sin.

Through some creative exegesis, some persuasions of Christians have attempted to blame Eve for the fall, since she was the one who led Adam astray. Never mind that we can deduce from the text that Adam passively observed as the serpent talked to Eve, and failed to intervene to protect her. When God confronts them about their actions, Eve blamed the serpent, and Adam blamed Eve, but there's more to it than that.

This is the aspect of the story that I overlooked until the writer of the devotional book I'm reading commented on it; Adam became defensive and blamed Eve, but he also tried to blame God for putting Eve with him. He failed to take responsibility for his actions.

Human nature hasn't changed since then. Following Adam and Eve's example, Christian people still often try to run away from God or seek to blame others or external circumstances for their sin. For the Christian, how much better would it be to come before God and deal with it honestly?

Something to ponder

This morning I attended my first Anzac Day dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. Thousands of Australians attended similar events in most Australian capitals, not to mention numerous smaller services held at memorial halls and RSL clubs around the country, and military bases both in Australia and overseas. It was a very moving experience to take part in a time of solemn reflection and commemoration of our war dead.

Driving home afterwards, I listened to ABC radio’s Anzac Day coverage. They interviewed the great grandson of a war veteran. He said something very profound when he described this day as “sacred” to him.  Sacred is a spiritual word. I dare say that many Australians would feel the same way as this man. The service itself had quasi-religious elements, with choral music and a responsive reading. The atheist movement tells us that religious belief is declining. In particular, some of its proponents are presumptuously and arrogantly forecasting the end of Christianity. Australians are typically apathetic about organised religion, but social researchers tell us that Australians’ level of interest in spirituality remains healthy and shows no signs of dying out.

This is not an original observation, but based on what i saw this morning, surrounded by thousands of people, and seeing how moved they all were by the ceremony, it seems to me that this day has a deeper spiritual meaning that binds people together and transcends whatever differences they have. While some people try to deny or denigrate it, spirituality is an intrinsic part of humanity. Perhaps this is part of the reason why Anzac Day resonates so powerfully with ordinary Australians who are compelled to get up early on a cold, dark Autumn morning and participate in its rituals.

The spiritual supermarket

The picture on the right was taken last Friday night in Federation Square in the city. It's a piece of public artwork illuminated to look like the sun. I had no idea what it was until I saw a newspaper advertisement in a newspaper on the way home. I forget the name of it or the artist responsible, but it was erected to commemorate the Winter solstice. Since this was an important pagan festival before Christian times, which may possibly have even been commemorated by some of my ancient Celtic ancestors, it seemed to me that it was a remarkable coincidence that this should be on display on this particular weekend. Every Queen's Birthday long weekend thousands of people flock to the Melbourne Exhibition Centre for the Mind Body Spirit Festival. This is one of the largest spirituality, personal growth and alternative medicine events in the southern hemisphere. Such is its popularity that it is now held twice a year. I've reflected on the reasons for the popular appeal of these events elsewhere, and what I as a Christian make of all this. On the one hand this popularity shows that people are looking for spiritual answers to life's questions. They've found that science, consumerism, sport, and other things that people in the Western world fill their lives with cannot answer these questions. As far as Christianity is concerned, it seems that many people think that Christianity has nothing to offer them. It's not that it doesn't, but perhaps it's fair to say that the church has failed to adequately communicate Jesus to them. It's hard not to feel disheartened about this situation, and to feel almost helpless to change it. I'll leave the question of how to engage new age seekers with Christianity to the experts.

The one where I bag out the new age movement

This posting is an assignment I wrote for the Postmodernism and New Age Spirituality class I took at Kingsbor this semester. Read on if you feel so inclined.

Geelong is much like any other town in Victoria, with a diversity of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, and a mixture of affluence and poverty. Certain areas of the city are popular with its more affluent residents. Pakington Street is one of the city’s most fashionable areas. In worldly terms, the people who visit this area and its upmarket eateries, cafes, and shops are well educated, successful and have comfortable lifestyles. My impression is that behind this façade, perhaps we can discern a yearning for something of greater significance, and that some of these people have found that career attainment and materialistic consumerism have not brought them the fulfilment they sought, not to mention the need to find ways of coping with the stresses of modern life. People are looking for greater meaning and significance in the spiritual realm. To see evidence of this, we need look no further than the Universal Insights New Age expo, held in the Geelong West Town Hall over the Melbourne Cup long weekend.

Judging by their appearance, most expo visitors were affluent middle class people, which as I have observed previously, fits the demographic of most new age seekers. It was interesting to note the mix of singles, couples, and families with young children. As it was held in a small venue, it did not take long for the casual browser to peruse the variety of stalls. In the past I have visited similar events with the intention of learning more about new age beliefs, but also to try to carefully and tactfully share my Christian faith with others if the opportunity arose. From past experience, I have found that challenging their beliefs too strongly makes them defensive. On this occasion I decided to quietly observe instead, keeping my reasons for being there to myself.

I would like to describe some of what I observed. Numerous psychic artists were available to sketch a pastel portrait that is claimed to be the customer’s personal spirit guide. These psychic artists claim to be working under the influence of an unseen spiritual force. I briefly viewed some of this artwork, and noticed that these spirit guides were usually human, and often from different ethnic groups, but they might also take the form of an animal, such as a tiger or wolf. The belief in animal spirits is common in the animistic beliefs of various indigenous groups around the world. It is common to see elements of indigenous spiritualities appropriated for the Western world.

Pantheism is another key new age belief. This is the idea that God is everywhere and in everything. Rather than a Supreme Being, such as the God of Judeo-Christian belief, new age belief holds that there is a divine force that inhabits and penetrates all living things, binding them together, so that all is one. Crystals are purported to contain this universal energy, so that wearing a piece of crystal jewellery or having a crystal ornament in your home helps to create a sense of wellbeing and harmony. Pantheism is also the underlying belief behind many new age healing practices, such as Reiki, for example. I watched a Reiki session. The client lay down on a massage table, with a cloth placed over her eyes, while three Reiki healers placed their hands on the soles of her feet, waist, and around her neck. Perhaps she was being treated for a musculoskeletal condition.

An event of this kind, in which people are open to discussing spirituality, provides a fertile environment for the promotion of cults, such as Eckankar and Scientology. Considering the negative media coverage that Scientology has received, it is little wonder that books and other materials available from the Scientology stand went under the cult’s alternative name of Dianetics, as if to deliberately mislead the unaware. The Church of Scientology uses free stress tests as a recruiting tool. The tests are designed to reveal alleged personality flaws that can only be corrected through the Church’s lengthy and expensive auditing programs. On a more positive note, a group of Christians, known as the Community of Hope, has been an active presence at new age events for many years. This ministry has been quite successful in presenting the gospel to new age seekers, who would normally be unlikely to set foot inside a church building.

It can be confronting for a Christian to decide how to respond to all this. Christians understand that they are made in the image of God. We are not merely physical beings; we are also spiritual. To deny this is to deny a significant part of our humanity. It is this aspect of our humanity that compels these people to explore the spiritual side of life. At one level Christians can affirm that it is positive that people are looking for spiritual answers to life’s questions, and to find meaning and significance. On the other hand, there are many objections that Christians must raise against new age spirituality.

Stated briefly, there is undoubtedly a supernatural power at work behind the new age practices on display, including energy healing, tarot, clairvoyance, and psychic art. Regardless of whether or not new age practitioners realise it, this power is not benign, but actually very dangerous. That is why God forbids us from exposing ourselves to it. Nor is there in new age spirituality any notion or concept of sin and accountability to God for one’s actions, or anything that compels the individual to feel obligated to do anything to alleviate pain and suffering in the world. It seems largely geared towards enhancing the life of the individual, and makes no demands upon them.

Finally, the appeal of the new age is that it asserts that all expressions of spirituality are equally valid, being different paths up the same mountain, which the Christian cannot accept. The God of the Bible makes it clear that there is only one God, just as Jesus Christ, his son, made it clear that he is the only way to know God. We must come to God on His terms, and not our own. Christians are compelled to uphold this message; that the same God who created the universe provides humanity, uniquely created in his image, to have a relationship with Him through his son. In responding to new age seekers, we are also compelled to follow the advice that the apostle Paul gave to Timothy, and share our faith with them with gentleness and respect, so that they might come to realise the truth of the gospel, and in so doing, realise their need to come to a faith relationship with God. Making the wrong choices about our spirituality has grave consequences for our eternal destiny.

Words from the wise

Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) was a Dutch Catholic priest and author. He wrote 40 books on spirituality, and was also known for his theological teaching, and his work with mentally handicapped people. I stumbled across this little piece of inspiration the other day.

Finding Solitude

by Henri Nouwen

All human beings are alone. No other person will completely feel like we do, think like we do, act like we do. Each of us is unique, and our aloneness is the other side of our uniqueness. The question is whether we let our aloneness become loneliness or whether we allow it to lead us into solitude. Loneliness is painful; solitude is peaceful. Loneliness makes us cling to others in desperation; solitude allows us to respect others in their uniqueness and create community.

Letting our aloneness grow into solitude and not into loneliness is a lifelong struggle. It requires conscious choices about whom to be with, what to study, how to pray, and when to ask for counsel. But wise choices will help us to find the solitude where our hearts can grow in love.