8 Wrong Ways To Read the Bible And 1 Way You Should

Maybe one of today's most deceptive Christian traps is illicit Bible reading methods. These methods are easy and common, but so seductive. Sadly, many have learned these methods through "Christian osmosis" and at times these ideas are taught. Almost all of us have probably used some, if not most of them at one time or another. However, these make for weak Christians, Christians who don't have a solid foundation. That is why I'm sharing the below list of eight to help slow down this runaway "bad Bible reading method" train.

The Truth Ain’t Enough. Why You Should Inoculate, Not Isolate

Click for credit.

Just The Truth Please?

A counterfeiter once walked into a gas station, slapped down a seven and asked for change. Without skipping a beat, the attendant handed him a three and four dollar bill and said “good day.”

One of the most annoying "Christian" myths is that many think law enforcement, who deal with counterfeiting, only memorize the "real McCoy" to spot the fake. I want to scream every time I hear this. Yes, you need to know truth, for sure. Since the false is deviations from truth, you can’t know the false until you know the truth. However, it is not the only thing cops learn, they also learn classical examples of the counterfeit.

3 Essential Tools to Own Your Knowledge for Deception Prevention (And Why Doubting Is Not a Sin)

Car in snow. Public Domain. Click for credit.

The air was cold and crisp as I started driving home. The roads were clear so I zoned out. About the same instant as I noticed white flakes in the air and the white fluffy stuff on the road, was when I started losing control. Going down an incline, I started to veer. Yes, in one instant the road changed from clean to slick. My speed was just too fast and the car started to spin out of control. While providence may have been the ultimate cause of stabilization, I also feel that experience on ice may have helped.

Back on the road, I was grateful for previous experiences, not during the time of emergency, but rather safely on open slick parking lots. I want to stress this point; I had experience, experience during a time of safety and low stress situations for practice.

This point is essential for the prevention of deception. You need to interact with truth and wisdom in low level situations and practice your knowledge. Here I want to talk about asking questions to address your doubts, and help you affirm your understanding by writing and speaking. This way you own your beliefs.

Doubting is not sin

Garrett Hardin, click for credit.

Late Garrett Hardin, a scientists who was an agnostic, told a story of his teenage years, it is so depressing to me. He was out hunting with his father and there was small talk. Garrett asked who made God. Sadly his dad, with fervor, told him he must never ask that question. This experience was a major step towards Garrett’s agnosticism. However, this conversation did not just effect him, but many others because of his influence! How much better it would have been if his dad would have allowed Garrett space to ask questions and try to give a response or be willing to research the answer if he did not know it.

Was Jesus' Resurrection Fiction? (Plus A Great Short Video!)

One of these days, if it has not yet happened, one will inform you that the New Testament account of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is “fiction”. Plus, he or she will say that the accounts are late dated, generations after Christ, when myth is made.

This is a real concern, because if the account of Jesus is false, it means that Christianity falls! In fact, the apostle Paul pointed out this exact possible weakness in 1 Corinthians 15. If Jesus did not raise from the dead…our faith is in vain.

Maybe he was also saying to the skeptic “OK, here you go, you want to disprove Christianity, you want to destroy it, than feel free to take aim at the resurrection and Christianity is DEAD if proven false”! If one wants to falsify Christianity, here is the “Achilles heal”.

Why Billy Died Even Though He “Trusted” God! (Why Truth Ain’t Enough to Protect you from Error, Here’s What Else is Needed.)

Flash floods. Bad storm. The dam overflows…then brakes. Billy hears the rush of water hit his house as he awakes. Floods rise as he climbs on his table, but the water is getting higher. Standing upon a chair on the table he grabs the beam, he swings, smashing the window that leads out to the roof. All the way he prays for his life. Faith wells up in him. He knows God will spare his life. Climbing up to the peak, sitting on the gable, he awaits for the salvation of God -- for a miracle. The water continues to rise, creeping up the roof nearing his feet, his faith wavers.

What Are Cultic Type Groups And Why Is There "Trouble In Amish Paradise"?

Cults vs. Cultic type Groups

We have been talking about spotting deception for a number of posts now, and there's more to come. However, here’s a ripe example of how a little knowledge can help prevent deception: understanding the cults and, specifically for this post, cultic groups.

While many abuse the word "cult" without proper justification, there is a real concern. A cult of Christianity is usually defined, by Christians, as a group that deviates from core Christian theological doctrines along with displaying characteristic sociological attributes. Today we see many groups like that, those who deviate from classical Christianity. Many “cult watch” organizations delineate these reasons (1).

However, while deviations from classical Christian beliefs define cults, there is another area of concern that needs to be addressed because it’s pervasive throughout many different groups, even mainline Christian denominations. This concern is “cultic” groups, or groups that have cult like tendencies in their sociological structure. While cultic groups share very similar sociological structure with cult groups, cultic groups usually hold to orthodox Christian teaching. Cult watch organizations will note these characteristics of sociological structures as cultic in nature (1).

3 Sure-Fire Ways To Build Your Knowledge ‘Mental Filter’

The cold “clickety-clack” sound, the motion, the rolling down the hall on the cart, you shiver. Eyes on the ceiling, studded cold bright lights flash past, you turn the corner into the elevator. Exiting the ‘cave’, your gurney is shoved past streams of scrub clad humans flying around. A ruptured appendix, you feel sick with pain, and now this. Surgery. You shiver again as you enter Pre-Op. The nurse-anesthetist comes and introduces himself, another nurse is giving you some meds and questions are flung at you from all sides. Your abdomen is in pain and you feel sick, and cold. Another shiver. More questions, questions that you’ve already answered a hundred-million times.

Then quiet.

3 Essential Tools to Build Your ‘Mental Filter’ In The Art Of Deception Prevention

Should Christians approve same-sex marriage? This was the question that one book author was trying
to address. His answer was in the affirmative. While I only got through the first chapter or two, what I read stunned me. What struck me was not his arguments or even his position, he did not bring anything new or compelling to the table, rather his case was all emotional. Unsurprising, his arguments were not biblical nor based on biblical precepts. It seemed that he was trying to change people’s minds with emotions first, then when (or even if) he would come to the arguments, people would be more likely to be persuaded. While he was a great writer, I could see right through his superficial emotional arguments. I already knew the truth of the Scriptures, I knew proper thinking skills and logic, and I also knew how rhetoric works. In a previous post (see here) I gave an overview of knowing how to prepare others, and yourself, against deception. The first and main step in helping build a “bulletproof” mind is to know the truth and why it is true. However, knowing the truth is just one aspect of a whole package that needs to work together for deception prevention.

The Art of Discernment, the Tools That You'll Want to Know for Mind Protection

Ideas Have Consequences

Let's call him Joe. He was armed with a charming and charismatic personality. He was smart, bold and confident. In addition he was a follower of Christ. He came from a “sheltered” Christian home.

I still can remember it like yesterday, he would sit at the college library's desk checking out books for patrons. However, he was not alone. I'm really not sure why I thought his coworker was an atheist, maybe it was something to do with the words on his shirt or maybe it was the books he read. But I would see these two in deep conversation from time to time. A couple years later, Joe became an atheist. I'll let you make the mental connection if you want, did this other guy plant seeds of doubt? Was Joe too confident trying to deal with strange philosophies that he was not prepared to deal with?

Colossians 2:8 comes to mind “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

When Does Life Begin? The Answer According To A Biologist.

We all know human life is valuable. But when does it begin? "If the unborn is not a human person, no justification for abortion is necessary. However, if the unborn is a human person, no justification for abortion is adequate" [1]. What evidence can we find from science?

First we know that the first stage of life is alive. In fact even gametes (reproductive cells from the male and female, sperm and egg respectively) are alive (biologically speaking) even before they unite to form the zygote. In other words, even though gametes carry half the genetic code, they are still biologically alive.

After the union of the two gametes, they morph into the zygote, caring a full set of genes, the start of a new person. One at day one of conception, one year old, ten years old, or a hundred years old will have the same DNA code as those first cells in the zygote stage of human life (besides accumulated mutations). In other words, your DNA as a zygote has the same sequence now, only now you have many cells containing that same DNA code. The DNA and cell type is not any animal, plant, bug or bacteria, it is human.

This demonstrates a number of items, first life is continuous, a human zygote is alive, made from the union of two living cells. Second, the zygote has a specific DNA finger print, meaning that it is a distinct entity from its mom and dad. Third, the type of DNA and cell type is human.

We know human life is intrinsically valuable. This leads us to the conclusion that taking an innocent human life, including a zygote or fetus, is terribly wrong. It is human, so it is wrong kill the baby at any stage of development.


[1] Greg Koukl

The One View Some Christians and Some Atheists Agree On - And Why It is Wrong!

Interestingly, prominent agnostics, atheists [1] and Christians of various persuasions agree on at least one thing, philosophy is of little worth. Other Christians are afraid of the enterprise. Our Western culture downplays classical education – such as philosophy. Even so, philosophy is pivotal, yes pivotal. Especially for our days.

We all have a philosophy and use it, the question is do we do it well? Simply, philosophy is the love of wisdom, it stretches back millennia, notably from the Greeks. However, one can't ignore the elegance and power of Scriptures support for knowledge and wisdom from Proverbs 4:5-11

Why Critical Thinking Skills are Essential, But Not Sufficient

For one like me, whose mind never seems to rest, there is a burden that I call “the thinker's bane.” You see, as thoughts increasingly swirl around in my mind my brain at times aches some. It's genetic. Writing helps releases those thoughts. But there is a concern when one thinks, one needs true knowledge and proper thinking skills so errors are avoided. Proper thinking skills are called logic or reason - these aid with truth. However, one needs more than just proper thinking, ones needs something to think about. Whether you are a deep or shallow thinker, you still need the two: knowledge and logic.

Martin Cothran, a classical education proponent, once told a story of a debate he took part in. A college biology professor and the chairman of the Kentucky State House Education Committee took the position that, instead of memorization, students should be learning "critical thinking skills" [1]. While Martin was not against "critical thinking", he said there needed to be more memorization in education as well.

He notes what he told his opponents, "I said that I doubted whether they even knew what 'critical thinking skills' were. And as it turned out, they couldn't give a definition." He went on to say "[w]hen the moderator of the debate asked me what my definition of critical thinking skills was, I answered: 'Logic.'"

Logic is given a bad rap by many post modern Christians, but this is confusing to me. Feel free to check out the first chapter of the biblical book of John, Jesus is called the "Logos!" The word logic is derived from logos and they have similar meanings. Think about this, as far as I know Jesus never made a logical error! Ah, now it makes sense.

In Martin's same piece, he made an interesting statement, "We can’t teach children thinking skills if we don’t know what they are—and we can’t teach them how to think if they don’t have anything to think about." Interestingly, this seems to be very similar to the teachings from the book of Proverbs, from the first chapter. Knowledge and wisdom are greatly praised.


[1] The Critical Thinking Skills Hoax
[2] The proper use of knowledge, in which logic is its main tool.
Image source: Flicker/Sodanie Chea

What Is The Difference Between Shannon Information and Specified Complex Information? And why it's important.

Information is interesting, here I want to specifically discuss Shannon Information verses Specified Complex Information. I know, you may be saying "so what, it sounds boring to me." Maybe so, it may even zip over your head, in that case duck so it will hit the person behind you! While being of an esoteric philosophical nature, I think it's significant because of its implications.

The Difference Between Shannon Information and 

Specified Complex Information

There's a view that information in DNA and biological systems contain just Shannon Information - this is not true. Yes, biological systems do contains Shannon Information, but it is more specific than that - it contains Specified Complex Information. Let me first define the two and then tell you why biological systems have Specified Complex Information and why this discussion is so important.

Shannon Information verses Specified Complex Information

Shannon Information is only concerned with the improbability or complexity of character strings. In other words, it's just mere complexity or it has information-carrying capacity. Specified Complex Information on the other hand, is complex, but also has patterning significance. This is functional information that carries meaning. 

Let me put it this way, all Specified Complex Information is Shannon Information, but not all Shannon Information is Specified Complex Information (see bottom half of the meme). For example, Shannon Information just means that a string of characters are complex and improbable in their arrangement, but it does not define if this string carries significant meaning. Again, Specified Complex Information is specified and always carries meaning.

For example, this is Shannon Information:

“dfsad sdaf oije .zvsdlkfjas sdlfj” and also can be “Learning about information is fun!” 

However, Specified Complex Information always carries meaning: 

“Learning about information is fun!”

“dfsad sdaf oije .zvsdlkfjas sdlfj” is not specified functional information - at least as far as I know, it holds no meaning to an English speaker!

In case you did not get that, let me put it this way. Consider a key and lock. You can take a key blank and file down any pattern on the key blade - that is Shannon Information. However, if you want the key to fit the lock, you have to cut the key blade to specified sequences, shapes and depths for proper key-lock fit. Now that is Specified Complex Information.

Biological Systems and Text on the Page

Now both the text you are reading and DNA are improbable and complex. However, both carry meaning. The text you are reading is telling you something in English. DNA contains information that transcribes to RNA that gets translated to protein. In fact those sequences must be in a specific order else the organism will not produce the correct protein, a protein that does not function well or maybe none at all! The organism's enzymes must be able to transcribe it, if there is no correct sequence, there is no transcription.

Why Know the Difference?

Oh, by the way, just so you know why this distinction is so important, Specified Complex Information is only generated from a mind. In fact, that is the only source we know of that produces this type of information! Think of the text you are reading now, it has come from my mind. Thus this leads to the conclusion that life's specified informational core is grounded in intelligence - an intelligent mind!


Have you heard materialists say the "DNA is just Shannon Information" so it can arise by chance? What do you think, have you gained a new level of respect for "Information theory?"

Should Christians Bury Their Head in the Sand?

The Index Librorum Prohibitorum was a list of banned books by the Roman Catholic church from centuries ago. It included two notable books: Johannes Kepler's Epitome astronomiae Copernicanae, which was on the index from 1621 to 1835. The second notable book was, in various editions of the index, some translations and editions of the Bible. Now I’m not going to judge them for what they did at that time, however, looking back, it must be an embarrassment. For us, we too have some who want to "ban books." However, instead of "banning books", maybe a stronger approach would be to educate people on truth, wisdom and common deviations from the truth. This will help arm the common follower of Christ prevent deception.

To build a foundation, I want to note that in a previous post I gave some steps to deflect brainwashing - including knowing truth and intentionally building a broad background in different works (click here). When one puts undue faith on one or even a small group of men or women for opinions, there is impending disaster. In another post on technology, I noted how to bolster oneself against online deception - knowing truth and understanding good sources (click here). Lastly, I noted in a training post that one needs to disciple oneself, or others with, what I called, inoculation (click here).

Just as some parents have concerns about diverse perspectives attacking their children, some leaders of Christian fellowships have the same concern -- for real reasons. However, just as in my previous post on inoculation, isolation is not the key to growth. It makes one much more vulnerable to deception. Isolation is not the key to purity in teaching, but rather it’s the road to a weak or an absent spiritual immune system. Knowing truth and having wisdom is like having a healthy body and nutritious food. When a healthy body is inoculated the body prepares for the defenses. When arguments do present themselves against truth, one will already have heard and been prepared to succinctly and efficiently counter the arguments -- in both one's mind and verbally if needed.

When I hear about Christian leaders insisting that only limited texts and literature is advised, or that one should not read things outside of a certain gathering, red flags raise and concerns accumulate in my mind. This is for two reasons. Just like in III John, we read of one Diotrephes who loved dominance and control or as it is put “preeminence”, it seems that some in our time may desire the same.

Another is that one will not be prepared for the attacks that are increasing every day, they are coming closer to even the sheltered believer. Many types of literature help give rejoinders against the bad arguments that attack the follower of Christ. After one knows the truth and has a strong mind, one needs to sit down and compare what is being said in society to the truth. This can’t be done if one positions one’s self in a vacuum. In addition, not knowing also hampers ones ability to answer the skeptic.

Why would we allow ourselves to be sidelined by weak arguments when we have good sources and arguments to demonstrate they these fail? Maybe we ourselves will not succumb, but what about our children and grandchildren?

The Bereans, in Acts 17, were praised when they listened and then searched out whether or not the Apostles were speaking truth. It's not if one will be presented with dubious arguments against their faith, it's when. The best time to form rejoinders is when one has time to read and think. In this case, the best defense is a good offense, not hunkering down with the "head in the sand".

You will not want to miss the next posts. If you found this one helpful, you will want to keep an eye open for others. The best way is to click here, because you can get them straight to your inbox so you don’t miss out! (Click here.)

What do you think? Can you give any examples when you were prepared the give a defense in your own mind or to another? How did you prepare?


Image source: Flicker/Peter

The Call To Action

As a troop with no training, as a military with no will, as a soldier who has dropped his weapons for naught, many Christians have grown strong in apathy. Many shun dialogue, promote the degenerate view of ignorance as a higher plane of spirituality and simple faith is touted as turning a blind eye to knowledge and clarity. Spiritual weapons are dropped and shunned. Backs are turned, society is not engage and Christ's teachings are not defended.

Christian intrawars on silly topics of culture and topics Christ must have overlooked have taken precedence. Just mentioning some of these topics, even here, would cause a stir. Extra biblical rules are demanded and biblical commands are left ignored. Gossip is king, gain is godliness and the focus on self is the preoccupation.

A call to to clarity goes out! Ignorance is not a virtue. Truth has not been debunked. Let's change our concentration! Let's get active.

Grow in knowledge. Know the truth. Be bold and intentional. Grow in obedience and righteousness. Increase in love.

Read. Write. Speak. Interact. Dialogue.

Go out there and give them heaven!

I’m No Luddite, But I Do Have Some Concerns With Technology

In a previous post, I acknowledged arguments that some Christians give in opposition to new technology (Click here). In that post, I elucidate a double standard on technology and dismantle each argument. It seems that in the cross-hairs of some resides the cell phone, ebooks, social networking and the internet. Even though I’m no luddite, I do understand the risks and have concerns. When wisdom, knowledge and priorities are not grounded, there is real abuse and hurt. There are at least four major concern categories when discussing novel technology: deception, security, health and social issues.

Immorality and deceptive content.

As technology advances, it gains greater capabilities to give much more power to those who uses and design them. Much harm can be done by the promotion of immorality - this is near the top of my concerns. Immorality abounds, if one is tempted by it, there are at least two steps that need to be taken, first are internet filters - thus filter out undesired content. The second is accountability. If these are not options and if there are real issues, refraining from its use is the best option.

Because of the free and organic nature of some technology, anyone can upload content online. Content may be true or untrue. One has to be discerning, knowledgeable and wise. We need to discern legitimate sources, understand primary sources and learn proper methods of research. This is not a proposition for isolation, but rather encouragement for growth in knowledge, wisdom and discernment. As we become more sensitive to good and proper thinking skills, and grounding, we will be less likely to fall into the trap of deceptive information.

Security and privacy

Security and privacy are also great concerns. From those who are just nosy, to the malicious activities of thieves and hackers, to the government intrusion and control - all cause unease. Even though it sounds simplistic, it is true - the best measures one can take is being careful. Being circumspect what gets posted online and what links you press is essential. The use of diverse, but strong passwords, proper software updates along with security software, are all essential.

Health

I can think of a number of health concerns that can be caused by the abuse of some contemporary technology. This list includes possible eye issues, addiction, radiation, body poster issues and exacerbation of carpal tunnel syndrome. Case in point, here's a story of a man texting his girlfriend too much and caused problems for his eyes.

Social

The social aspect can take on many different forms. First, many try to keep up with the rest of society. They want the latest and greatest. It becomes a tool for the feeling of affluence, this mentality is the cause of much money wasted. The entitlement mentality is encouraged - making one forget that it's just a want, not a need.

Along with money waster, there is a time wasting component. Some can get almost addicted to pieces of technology which leads to dependence and much wasted time.

Lastly, the lack of true human interaction can lead to loneliness - even with social networking. Sometimes we need to get out and be with people. This will decrease one’s dependence on a device.

The final focus

As a follower of Christ, we want to be concerned about all of these things. We want to shun immorality, deception, causing others to stumble by what we post or write, and be wise with the body that God gave us. Concerns with most of theses issues are not just isolated with digital technology, even old paper and print technology are susceptible to this as well. But beyond that, what is our focus? Is it to keep up with the latest and greatest? Is it to waste money and time? What about our calling? What about the work of the Kingdom?

Your thoughts.

Can you think of any other real concerns? How can we use technology to have a greater impact on others?

That Evil Pocket Watch!

Seventeenth century Europe, time of progress - the pocket watch evolved. One can only speculate the discussions concerning this technology. Did some want the latest and greatest while others, who were more modest, maybe never embraced this mechanism? Did some decry this technology? Did some say it would change the face of history for ever? Did the contemporary “luddites” opposed this latest technology?

One could say that clocks and watches hurt culture and human nature - arguing that the reliance on them made us less inclined to look up at the natural signs for time. Social interaction became more stiff, people had to keep a tighter schedules. Life became less organic - did this offend others?

Other technology

Now let’s let our mind wander, what about the telegraph, the train, the short wave radio, the phone and the radio? What about recordings, both visual and audio? Did those cause much upheaval in society as well? Even paper, books, hammers and spoons are technology. Anything that extends our human capabilities could be considered technology.

The modern technology

For example, in the critical cross hairs of some resides the cell phone, ebooks, social networking and the internet. However, there is a double standard and lack of knowledge. They are against certain types of technology but not others. Even though I’m no luddite, I do understand the risks, just as there is in any novel technology, there are real concerns that do need to be addressed. However, many are arguments are just silly.

Is Technology Wrong?

The one sentence answer is no, technology is not wrong! It’s the person who uses it who makes it right or wrong. Some, who are of maybe the religious luddite bent, have spoken out against technology. While some argument may have some merit, some sound quite silly.

Satan owns the internet.

I don’t think this is true, like any technology there can be great good but also great evil - it’s the people who use it who do the right or wrong.

Texting is wrong because it brings instant gratification...and we should “wait on the Lord.”

Two things here, talking to another person also brings instant gratification - anything does. I’m not sure why this makes texting bad and not other things. Oh, in case you were unsure, “wait on the Lord” is taken out of context and does not really fit in this situation. It's from Psalms and is talking about when the evil ones come against the psalmist.

It is better to call someone on the phone then text them.

I am left wondering, what’s the difference? Both are technology. It is like saying that the telegraph is better the the telephone. This just does not make sense. Both have their uses and places - it may depend on the type and length of conversation - but one is not better or worse then the other.

There’s no reason to have Facebook.

I can think of many reasons. However, I understand that some may not really want it, that is fine, but that does not mean there are no good reasons. Let me name a few. First you can be an encouragement to others. Two, you can show others the gospel and evangelize. Three, you can connect with friends and family who have moved away. I’m sure there is more that one could give. Yes, some people do spend too much time on it and get self absorbed, but that is any issue of selfishness and lack of self control - not the technology itself.

Technology like texting and social networking decreases ones interpersonal interaction skills.

While this may be true, from my perspective and experience I have not seen it to be so. Even if someone is on his or her phone texting, they would rather speak to you-to-your face. If you go up to a total stranger who is on his or her phone and say something, they will look up and enjoy the conversation. So, yes, there could be an issue, but from my experience it’s not.

Spelling accuracy is lost with texting.

Many are concerned with one letter words and all lower case text. They claim that this is not having one's life in order. While I understand and agree that’s not how we are to write a professional papers or essays, it's the language of texting. In fact, we can’t hammer texter’s that much, even in our natural language we use acronyms and shortcuts for words. Think of the word car (for carriage), bldg (for building) and DNA (for deoxyribonucleic acid). In addition, ancient Hebrew and Greek also used acronyms and even used only one case of text. In fact we use verbal shortcuts when speaking that wouldn't be correct in an essay format. However, we understand each other because that’s how our language works. Yes, people may try to bring this type of attitude over to professional writing, but just like the rest of education, training is the key.

A cell phone will prevent people to come to Christ.

The argument goes like this, when one has a cell phone, one can fill the emptiness of being without Christ. Now I’m not sure if I should laugh or cry here, yes it is true that one can run from God, but one using a lawn mower could also fill one's life and cause one to ignore the call for salvation. Also, I'm not sure why a cell phone would be a greater block then other types of technology.

We need to “deny self” and follow Christ.

I’m at a loss here. Yes, like anything, if it becomes our focus and takes all our time, then yes we should deny self. Also, we need to follow Christ. However, I'm not sure why this is an argument against technology.

With the advent of new technology we will see the loss of books, newspapers and magazines.

While this may bring us discomfort, I'm not sure what this has to do with spirituality. It may cause concern to the printing industry, but from a biblical perspective it is void. Second, both ink and paper and digital text are types of technology. It is like saying a ball point pen should not be used because we will see the decline of quill pens. This is not wrong. In addition, I do think, as we have seen, that paper products will be in decline, however, I really can't see them being totally removed from our lives.

Technology conclusion

Because of my background, technology is an interesting subject for me. That's why I'm disappointed when those, who don't know what they're talking about concerning history and technology proper, push arbitrary thoughts on others. Technology is all around us, stuff that these people depend on day-in and day-out include technology. What they seem to miss is the fact that the technology is not the issue, rather  we need to train people for its proper uses and wise implementation. In addition, we need to remember, technology is not the thing that's good or bad, it's the people who can use it for good or for evil.


You will not want to miss the next posts. If you found this one helpful, you will want to keep an eye open for others. The best way is to click here, because you can get them straight to your inbox so you don’t miss out! (Click here.)


Your thoughts Do you have some thoughts about technology? Can you think of some good arguments where we should be concerned with the use of novel technology? Enter your thoughts below.

To Build the Spiritual Immune System

Ebola, that deadly virus is rocking parts of the globe. Other diseases throughout history have done the same. There are three main approaches to many diseases, isolation to prevent exposure, succumb to the disease and hope for survival, and with some diseases, inoculate beforehand for greater resistance. We can learn from these approaches and apply the concepts to our faith and lives.

Jesus

Jesus knew the world needed to know the good news of the kingdom. He knew that the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few (1). So he sent out 70 of his disciples to preach throughout the surrounding cities. However, he did not send them empty handed, he taught his disciples about his kingdom and they had saw him interact with others and heard his message. They then went out and emulated that example and his teachings (2).

The act of sending out his disciples seemed to have a three fold reason: 1) so others could hear of salvation and his Kingdom, 2) to prepare the way for his preaching and 3) so the disciples would have hands on experiences sharing the Gospel to prepare for future experiences.

This builds a backdrop for many things we can learn. However, in this post, I want to focus on one aspect, the third main reason for sending out the disciples - to prepare them for future experiences.

Time of Questions

I have some questions. How do we learn? What are some powerful steps for deception prevention? In what way can we prepare for and be protected from the philosophical ugly heads that keep raising against our faith? How do we prepare ourselves, young disciples of Christ and our children from evil attacks on the Christian mind?

Lesson from Biology - Isolation vs. Inoculation

Lets answer this by considering our immune system. We can do two things to prevent ourselves from contagious disease 1) isolation from that infection or 2) inoculate the body to be prepared to defend itself.

Isolation is sometimes the essential and only mode to be protected from disease. One separates oneself from the communicable diseases - such as Ebola. However, with isolation comes a down fall, one has no immunity. In the world of ideas, many isolated young people, rebel in their independence. Their views were never challenged in age appropriate situations and settings, so they never were able to build a solid foundation. They had very little experience, foundation and growth. If we isolate ourselves we lose reality and the ability to learn and affect others.

Acquiring the infection is only worse. It would be crazy to go into battle without proper weapons and training. They have had now experience,  and walk into the midst of fire. Most succumb to the disease.

However, while isolation and infection are inadequate, inoculation of one's system build resistance and immunity is of great value. Allow controlled and structured experiences for immunity and growth is the answer Jesus used to prepare his disciples for future evangelism, push-back and persecution.

Using these elementary principles of immunology, let's apply this to our own lives. As humans, we are not usually isolated, nor necessarily should be from each other. Being a Christian does not change this interaction. In fact followers of Christ are supposed to be ambassadors of the Kingdom, being "light" and "salt" effecting those around us (3). But it is a dangerous place out there, so what do we do?

Three Main Steps

I can think of three main steps that will help one build "resistance" and prevent from getting sidelined or discouragement.

1. Construct a firm foundation for life. In a previous post titled "Wrong!" (Click Here) I detailed out how to protect and shelter the young. However, at this time, one needs to be building a healthy and the spiritual "immune system". At our disposal we have tools and weapons - such as the Holy Writ, prayer, the power of God to use our God given wisdom and the philosophy of Christ which builds knowledge and reason to prep for reality. As goes the adage "more sweat in training, less blood in battle."
2. Be real a real follower of Christ. Outlined in a post titled "Christian Narcissism" (Click Here), I describe how we are called to do Christ's commands and shun hypocrisy. We need to love God with our whole being and love our fellow man. Without this foundation, all or efforts are void. How can we be valuable to prevent deception and how can we help the spiritually immature and the sick if we ourselves aren't prepared?
   
3. Three main steps of inoculation. As with any preparation or training there are three main steps to proficiency and mastery. This last step brings everything together. First we need to train to gain in understanding and knowledge. Second is the time of testing and examination, which is where we are put on the spot in difficult situations to give us experience and help drive us to learn more. Third is a debriefing, appraisal or analysis where assessment takes place. We look at our experiences and find our weakness and return back to the training phase. Anyone who takes time to think and learn automatically does these three main steps. However, having them spelled out helps us focus to excellence. This process is also called discipleship. Without this, our spiritual "immune systems" will be weak. 

As we train ourselves and others we must keep this in mind, prepare them for the real world by solid and clear training, let tests present themselves in a controlled manner and then let questions assessment check ones status.  The last step is essential to clear the confusion and indulges in more training. If our desire is to help others, we ourselves must have a strong "spiritual immune system".

What's your thoughts, please post below: 

What experiences do you have in this area? What are some things that you could prepare for? Who in your life do you think you can "inoculate" and how are you going to do it?

(1) Matthew 9:37

(2) He sent them out at least twice, at on time he sent out the 12, at another time he sent out the 70. Matthew 10, Luke 9, Luke 10 and Mark 6.
(3) 1 Corinthians  5:10

Image source: UK Ministry of Defence

WRONG!

The new school year is here – so you want to raise an agnostic you ask? How about an atheist? Maybe a rebel? Now, I'm not saying these all fall into the same category, however, instruction of each are similar. There're many things one can do, but here's some ideas for starters.

Peers

Make sure he's always with his friends. In fact, this must be the most important striving in his life – focus on peers. Peer pressure is great – they'll all help each-other! But wait till you hear this, stay away from him – his group is perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. This means you don't have any family time or even instruct him – these things may be distressing and boring for him. I care less if he's in elementary or high school – friends are supreme!

Media

Ah, let me tell you about the second principle! Think about all the cool things she can do on her computer like games, connecting with friends and watching movies! Encourage all–nighters on that latest game or flipping channels on that television set. Oh, talking with friends all night can be fun as well, don't make a deal about her waking up at two in the afternoon however – think of it – lots of personal time for you! Encourage her to play Grand Theft Auto – it's always fun “acting like" you're killing people and stealing things! And about those movies, ya, um, just let her watch anything – murder and explicit ones are fine – you got the picture – she will learn early won't she? Whatever you do, please, please don't deprive her of a personal smart phone, that would be child abuse – that's a no–no! Yes, that's important – she NEEDS to stay connected with all her friends – she may get distressed and become lonely if she doesn't have it at her finger tips.

School

So this last one is kinda a dandy – think about it, what if he could go to a place for about eight hours a day to be trained by materialistic and atheistic only curriculum and thought patterns (teaching God is a no–no)? A place where all beliefs are equal (but - no theism please, that would be bigotry). Think of it, a place like this would be great for teaching that there's no grounding for morals and all people have subjective truth! You know, public learning institutions are great for his elementary mind, its young and malleable. Whatever you do, don't give him what you believe, that would be wrong, never give him the arguments of what you believe – never prepare him – he should be allowed to chose any path he wants. Oh, after school programs are great as well, less time with you, you have more time for yourself, perfect– hey, it keep him out of your hair – right?

Review

OK, let's review here – help her focus on having friends and getting in the “in–group”. Give her all and any media she want, music, movies, phones, games – unrestricted! Lastly, support the local public children's tutelage centers – every school day brings her closer to being that rebel you wanted her to be. Don't give her reasons and preparation for these ideologies. You know, agnosticism or even atheism would be great to augment with tolerance and relativism – as you know– we all make up our own rules anyhow!

Well that's it for now, hope this helps for a new school year. Only three easy steps to that freethinking rebel!

The Brainwashing

Are you being brainwashed? In a post by Stella Morabito (see source below, it is worth the read), she tells the story of Patricia Hearst, who within two months was brainwashed into a totally different person. There were a number of things that she went through but here are some of the techniques her kidnappers ("Symbionese Liberation Army") used:

Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patty_Hearst.

• Formed a cycle of "...isolation, threats, and humiliation, punctuated by a little peace (reward) for compliance [this] broke down Hearst’s sense of self." She lost freewill.
• "stimulated in her an overwhelming sense of dependency"

Marabito goes on and notes what Singer, a psychiatrists who eventually became involved with Patricia's recovery, says on how people are brainwashed:

• "Keep the person unaware that there is an agenda to control or change the person and their thoughts"
• "Control time and physical environment"
• "Create a sense of powerlessness, fear, and dependency"
• "Suppress old behavior and attitudes"
• "Instill new behavior and attitudes"
• "Put forth a closed system of logic"

The following are things that people use to brainwash groups of people. These are used by governments, social group leaders, some religious leaders and many charismatic leaders. Sadly these work, usually for devious outcomes.

• "The atmosphere of coercion is reinforced by peer-modeled behavior." This is the good old peer pressure technique. Go into any group gathering or school and you will see this in practice.
• "...you are exposed to a slogan often enough, you will repeat it, even if you don’t understand what it means." I'm convinced that this point alone is very dangerous. There are many slogans that may have some good and some truth, however, many that are used are used for devious purposes and used to shut people up and stop questions from being asked.
• "...a climate in which the agenda is seen as an elitist movement for those who are enlightened. Those who oppose the agenda are labeled as lesser beings." Usually this is not stated outright, but a culture of ignoring one or placing one at a lower level with a derogatory label is often used.
• “collective belief formation –describing how implausible opinions can be manufactured through a system of social/reputational punishments and rewards." Even illogical conclusions are twisted to sound logical. If one dissents, one is punished.

So what are the best ways to protect yourself? Again, Marabito gives some tips to prepare yourself and help guard against mass brainwashing:

• "techniques 'should be studied and revealed so that citizens can be taught countermeasures in order to avoid being exploited by such groups.'" In other words, know the techniques.
• "Education, information and vigilance are constantly needed if we are to keep us, and our minds, free.” The more you know the truth, stronger you will be.
• Expand your "one-on-one personal relationships and conversations. This is where our power lies..." Form connections. You will find you are not alone in your defence. 
• "...remaining silent about our beliefs when we are being abused is that we actually dig our own hole deeper. Every dissenter feels alone, perhaps even in a roomful of dissenters. Every fence sitter resigns himself to signing on with the perceived 'majority.'" In other words, speak!
• "When unanimity is punctured, the group’s power is greatly reduced." The power here lies in the fact that when there is an outcry, the brainwasher's loses some of the control.

In your life watch out for others pressuring you to keep quiet, telling you not talk to others about topics, discouraging you from asking questions, the use catch phrases used without definitions given and "norms" that you are expected to hold to even if they make no sense. Be concerned if your pursuit of knowledge and information is discouraged against. Use the tools given here to prepare yourself for the war on your mind. Know the truth, gain knowledge, ask questions, talk to others and understand the techniques people use to brainwash others. Last but not least, pray for wisdom and discernment!



All quotes came from the following source: http://thefederalist.com/2014/04/15/cults-in-our-midst-patty-hearst-and-the-brainwashing-of-america/