A Dream

This is a dream that I had not too long ago. The timing of the dream is important. It occurred while taking a Philosophy class. I and a partner being Christians had to take on the role of Atheists. As an Atheist, I had to research, write a paper, and hold a formal debate against two Christians that held to Calvinistic doctrines. The premise of the debate/paper went something like this:

The Problem of Evil

McCloskey states that, “there is evil in the world; yet the world is still said to be the creation of a good, omnipotent God. How is this possible? Surely a good omnipotent being would have made a world that is free of evil of any kind. ‘Either God cannot abolish evil or He will not.; if He cannot, then He is not all-powerful; if He will not than He is not all good.’”(187). If God is good, than how could there be evil in the world? There seems to be a contradiction when it comes to how God can be a wholly-good and omnipotent creator, yet evil exists in his world and creation and if this is so then the Christian theists God, according to the Calvinists description cannot exist.

The premise was based around the problem of evil, God being wholly good, omniscient, omnipotent, and completely sovereign. As the Atheist, I had to attack this claim and the Calvinists had to defend it. During the research, I was personally challenged in what I believe about God and what I have been taught about Him. My world began to unravel and I began to panic. This dream has a lot of metaphors that relate to my life and past, but it was also in direct correlation with what I was struggling with in my beliefs about God. It definitely made me reevaluate my theology. I have not posted the paper because as I said, it was written from an Atheistic worldview and I do not want to hinder anyone’s faith because the findings are very convincing. On the other hand, there is a lot that can be gleaned from the paper and it could really challenge Christians in what they believe, why they believe it, and help prepare them to answer or defend these types of attacks. Comments on whether or not to post the paper are welcomed. Now the dream…

A Dream

I was with another guy, who was Jewish. I cannot recall his name or face. He was on a pursuit to find out how the Jewish Temple had been destroyed. Somehow I knew that he was searching for something else. Somehow I knew that it was not only the physical temple that he was investigating, but it also represented the church. I do not remember his final theory on how the temple was destroyed, but I remember that it had something to do with an earthquake.

We were at the temple and the temple itself lay in ruins. Half of it was on dry land and the other half had fallen into a lake. The half that was in the lake had pillars protruding out of the water in a circle. I stood holding onto the outside of one of the pillars looking into the circle. A sudden fear came over me as I realized that this was the holy of holies where God dwells. The thought of even placing my hand between the pillars into the circle made me tremble. I began to weep and repent to God. I repented for doubting who he was and all that he had done. Suddenly, whereas before everything had been in black and white, now everything was in color and God’s presence was no longer just inside the circle of pillars, but he was everywhere yet, it was strongest right where I was standing. He told me in some non-communicable (none that I am familiar with anyway) that he is, always has been, and always will be with me. My fears dissipated and they were replaced with the pure tranquility of just knowing that He is who He is.

I began to look around me and everything had changed. The water was crystal clear where as before; it was dark and menacing, the colors were vivid some of which I had never seen before. Also, there were birds, fish, and other animals that I had never seen before and as I gazed at all of the world’s beauty God said, “I (God) created all of this.” I could see and feel God’s presence in his creation. Dare I say that it felt and looked like heaven on earth?

Suddenly, my attention was drawn back to the person that I was with at the beginning of the dream. I looked to the left and he was ascending a staircase on dry land. The stairs and all that lay around it were in ruin. I began to follow him. As I ascended the stairs, I began to see colorful dolls and other strange woven trinkets such as those that you would find at a street market perhaps in Africa or the Bahamas. The dolls were rather new yet; they were also broken and strewn about. Somehow I realized that they had something to do with the Church and its brokenness. And it was God who destroyed the temple and the dolls. When we reached the top of the stairs, I realized that we were looking at the alter where sacrifices had been made to God. There were also more broken dolls and such strewn around it. The guy in front of me was trying to climb to the top of the alter, suddenly there was a voice that told him that he was hurt by his father and he was searching in the wrong place—he began to weep bitterly.

This is where the dream drastically changed. Perhaps I had woken up and fallen back to sleep but now we were in a war. Again I was with a guy, but I do not know if he was the same person that I was with at the temple. He was wounded and laying on a bed. The war resembled the Vietnam War. We were in some sort of hut inside of a jungle. The hut seemed more modern than I would have expected. The doors slid open and shut and they were left open just enough so that I could peer outside. Directly in front of the hut was a river and there were people floating down it as well as walking by the hut. Some of the people had been wounded and had to be helped along by others. I was crouched in the corner of the hut with a machine gun and I aimed it at every person that went by the hut so that I could blow their heads off at the first sign of danger. I was not only trying to survive this war, which I and the other person had been in for so long, but I was also concerned about protecting the person that I was with. I also knew that this other person desperately longed to find and be with his father.

I felt reduced to an animal that had only a desire and instinct to live. It was kill or be killed; trust No One! As time went on the people in the river began to change. They were no longer wearing camouflaged army gear but they were in suits and other modern day clothing. The river was now a hallway and the hut that we were in had been expanded into some sort of modern day business office while at the same time keeping the resemblance of a hut. Suddenly someone was calling out a name (a name that I cannot recall) but it was the name of the person that I was protecting. I suddenly realized that this was the person’s father so he must be safe. I called him into the room. The father had also desperately been searching for his son and desiring to embrace him. When the father saw his wounded son lying on the bed bleeding, he picked him up and carried him as if he was a child and they both began to weep.

I suspiciously eyed the father and kept my gun trained on him but then lowered it. The father asked me what I was doing and I explained that we were trying to survive the war. He told me that the war had long been over and that it was safe to come out. I could not or would not believe him! I stepped into the hallway and began to slowly and suspiciously walk down it. There were other people walking around and as usual I aimed my gun at them not knowing who they were or if they could be trusted. At first, I was in shock and dismay that the war was over then I became enraged that no-one had told me that it was over. As I realized the truth of the matter, I became angry toward the people around me because there were so many others still in a war that did not exist and none of these people told them or cared to find them. They had simply gone about life as if there was nothing left to say about the war. Wrought with anguish, I crumbled to the ground and wept bitterly. I cradled the gun and began to sob so hard that my body was in convulsions. When I woke up I felt all of these emotions as if I had been experiencing them in real life.

Mankind’s Hopeless Pursuit of Self-sublimation

Humanities desire to sublimate itself, is clearly seen in its insatiable pursuit for perfection. This is especially true in today’s Western culture; it is a culture that has become so evil and morally corrupt that it is out of control. Instead of looking to God, people look to themselves and their finite ideas of flawlessness. Today’s pursuance of goodness through the desire to be perfect is the same pursuit that writers, Edgar Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote about in their works in-titled, Berenice and The Birthmark. These writers wrote during the Age of Dissent. The thought was that all mankind is corrupt and hopelessly depraved; yet they were obsessed with obtaining goodness through perfection. Mankind has always attempted to obtain and control that which it cannot have or have power over. During the Age of Dissent, mankind viewed people as objects, scientist yearned for the opportunity to experiment on humans and use any discovered knowledge to quench its mania for perfection. Today, this mania still exists, but now mankind has actually begun the horrifying human experimentation. Today’s society has a cacoethes for physical and moral perfection that is sought after through surgery, chemicals, and twisted religions-without an alternative answer, mankind will continue to destroy itself.

After reading Berenice and The Birthmark, I thought to myself, “These guys are twisted by their need for perfection.” But then I turned on the television and realized that this same unquenchable “need” is more twisted and sought after in today’s culture. In Poe’s, Berenice the main character, Egaeus becomes fixated on his cousins, Bernice’s “perfect” teeth and he must obtain them at all costs. This fixation becomes so controlling that by the end of the story; Egaeus has become so delusional that in a dissociative state, he kills Bernice by ripping out her teeth (Poe 151). In the beginning of both stories the victims of the obsessed are seen as people, whom are cared about then as the obsession for controlling and obtaining the good increases, they become objects to control and experiment on.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Birthmark one example of people being viewed as objects is evident when the main character, Alymer refers to his wife, Georgiana as a “case,” “Your case refers a remedy that shall go deeper” (Hawthorne 36). In The Birthmark, Hawthorne touches on the aspect of mans desire to have control over people in order to obtain goodness, wholeness, and perfection as if those in control could be like God; he writes, “…until the philosopher should lay his hand on the secret of creative force and perhaps make new worlds for himself. We know not whether Alymer possessed this degree of faith in man’s ultimate control over Nature” (Hawthorne 27). Both elements of becoming fixated on obtaining goodness and the desire to control and make man good and perfect are seen in today’s culture.

The desire for perfection in today’s world is an all-encompassing need to control every area of a person’s life. Richard Winter in his book, Perfecting Ourselves to Death writes, “All-around perfectionists are concerned with high standards of excellence in every area of life. Performance, appearance and morality are all extremely important. Their motto might be ‘I am perfectly in control, therefore I am’” (40). Although the pursuit for all-around perfectionism is true, one of the major and most grotesque means of obtaining perfection is sought after through physical perfection. People actually believe that by becoming physically faultless, they will obtain perfection in all areas of life. Mankind has begun to execute horrific scientific and surgical procedures in its attempt to obtain and control goodness through perfection.

The Western culture in particular is infatuated with physical perfection and science has taken the gauntlet created by it and run amuck with methodical research and human experimentation. Scientists have not stopped and considered the horrible effects its experimentations have caused or the unknown affects that it is going to cause. Not only do people now mutilate their bodies with cosmetic surgical procedures, they are also turning to pharmacology and genetic technology to make them “feel” good, slow the aging process, and to create children that have the potentiality for perfection before they are even conceived. Winter writes:
Not only can we get rid of wrinkles and affect brain transmitters with chemicals to get rid of anxiety, depression or aggression, but all sorts of things,… become possible with genetic engineering, stem cell research and cloning. Genetic engineering promises to produce ‘stronger babies, sharper memories, greater intelligence, and happier moods.’ (19-20)
Mankind is attempting to become the creator of life.

The media is no less innocent in the part that it has played in this abominable way of thinking and obtaining perfection. Street-signs, magazines, television, radio… (The list could go on) are all saturated with the pressure of how men and women can and should look. Not only do both visual models and role models set the standard for what beauty is, there is also pressure to partake in the rituals of self-mutilation. This pressure is seen and promoted in television shows such as, The Oprah Winfrey Show and Extreme Makeover. Oprah Winfrey is the epitome of where such extreme thinking on self-perfection and self-actualization can take a person. She promotes a religion, which boasts claims that a person can will him or herself and their life into perfection. Unfortunately, she is considered one of the most “influential” people in the world.

The push towards taking control and obtaining perfection in a person’s life has led society into an abyss. The abyss of attempting to gain that which it cannot, perfection. Today’s generation echoes the same claims of success that Hawthorne asserted over a century ago, “’Nay, richest, happiest, most favored!’ exclaimed he, ‘My peerless bride, it is successful! You are perfect’” (42)! But in reality these claim should not be celebrated with “’so high and pure a feeling’” the culture has, “’rejected the best the earth could offer’” and it is dying because of it (42)!

These deaths are not just physical, but they are also a spiritual and moral death. The further down the path of self-perfection people travel; the more separated they become from the truth and answer that is available:
Despite our great advances in almost every field, it seems as if the human heart has not changed much (If at all). The utopian dreams of a peaceful and prosperous earth are far from reality. The achievements of technology raise our hopes and aspirations, stimulate our desires and longing for perfection, but they often leave us frustrated and disappointed… (Emphasis added, Winter 22)
Despite all of these advancements and enhancements in human perfection as well as the arrogant claim that perfection is “in-fact” within humanities grasp, everyone still feels dejected and unfulfilled.

The philosophy in both of these books has had a profound effect on my view of the people, the media, and the world. While reading the stories, the notion that perfection can only be obtained in death arose as part of my interpretation. This is true for the believer, but unfortunately for the un-believers that die and are separated from their bodies the opposite is true. Their agony only increases as they become aware of the truth that all mankind is uncontrollably depraved apart from Christ and that they are now and forever cut off from the One that could have made them perfect. With the realization of this mania for perfection; an alternative answer must be given.

My major is Compassion Ministries and I hope to continue my education in the field of psychology or Social Work. After reading and researching the stories and philosophies of, Berenice and The Birthmark, I have a better understanding on the issues surrounding self-perfectionism. Now when I look at the secular world, I see not only a depraved and hopeless people that can only be saved through Christ, but I also see victims. This culture is the victim of duplicitous pinstripe bosses, who through the media promote a kind and caring face but in reality are heartless and money driven, who care only for themselves and the bottom line. The sight of a reconstructed now plastic person use to stupefy me, now the sight and knowledge of such people encourages me to love, accept, and share with them, the truth.

As I learn to better understand humanities desire for perfection, I am reminded of the fact that it is directly related to the fall of man. As I serve and encourage others, I will attempt to bring them to the realization that people cannot and never will be perfect until reunited with Christ. The hope is that people will begin to find their worth in Christ and who he says they are. And that there is nothing that this world can offer mankind in the way of obtaining goodness or perfection. Only in Christ and the truth of his word can a person find contentment. David realized this and wrote, “I have seen a limit to all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly broad. O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation” (Psalm 119:96-99 NASB). Only in Christ and His word can a person become perfect.

Works Cited
Poe, Allen Edger. “Berenice” Edgar Allen Poe: Complete Works and Poems. Comp. Edward H. O’Neill. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1992. 145-151.

Nathaniel, Hawthorne. “The Birthmark.” The Oxford Book of Short Stories. Comp. V.S.
Pritchett. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981. 27-42.

Winter, Richard. Perfecting Ourselves to Death: The Pursuit of Excellence and the Perils of
Perfectionism. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005.

Integrating the Christian Worldview in Psychological Practice

Christian counselors, both in-training and professional, must be grounded in their faith and ready to deal with many complex issues stemming from Christian beliefs and other world-views. At times, it seems that widely accepted secular thinking permeates psychology, and conflict with God’s truth. To navigate these issues, six foundational elements of Christianity must be fully understood: theology, epistemology, anthropology, ontology, axiology, and logic. These explanations can provide a proper context for how the Christian psychologist is to approach divisive issues such as modern notions of self-esteem or, the problem of pain and suffering when one believes in a loving God. These issues demonstrate how in the course of studying the human soul, it is imperative to rely on God as both the starting point and framework for all study.

The theology of God, or the first approach, is what a Christian believes and knows about God. Knowing God is imperative in a confused world, where people are looking for an answer that is beyond human understanding. Man’s knowledge of God comes from none other than God Himself. Through various methods, God has revealed himself as an ultimate being, comprised of three parts while simultaneously united as one. God the father, God the son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit are all distinct, but at the same time united, never acting independently from one another (Deut 6.4, John 14.26).

In addition to revealing the knowledge of what he is, God demonstrated his character and nature as mighty, powerful, purely good, and perfect. God is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful), and omnipresent (permeates all things at all times). God is the Alpha and the Omega all things come from him and end with him (Rev 22:13). There is no other God or source of creation. Anything that was created was created through God and ultimately for God (Col 1.16). God was not created; he has always been and will always exist. God is perfect and holy throughout. Anything that comes from God was and is made perfect; thus no evil or corrupt thing can come from him (Deut 32:20). Thus as the perfect creator of love, his love is perfect.

God’s love is the original, self-sustaining version of love. The human version of love is imperfect, often loving out of expectation for reciprocal gain such as mutual emotional sustenance. This imperfect love stems from man’s rebellion against God’s original design to be the one true source of love, pouring into His creation for His glory.

The origin and condition of mankind leads to a discussion of the second approach, anthropology. Man is made up of a body, soul and spirit (1 Thess 5.23). God created man out of the dust of the earth and breathed his spirit into man (Gen 1.27, 2.7). Man was originally created without sin. Adam and Eve walked in the presence of God with no knowledge of evil (Gen 2:16, 3.5). Out of God’s great love he gave man free will to obey or rebel. Adam and Eve chose to rebel; they disobeyed God and ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. This action introduced sin, the corruption of God’s perfect creation and purpose, into the world. The consequences of this separation from God are deadly.

Disease, suffering, and other evils spread and infected the entire human race and all of creation (Gen 3.19 Rom 5.14). Instead of good resonating in human beings, only evil came from man’s heart (Gen 8.21). Yet because God is all-loving and merciful, he had a plan to redeem man (Gen 3.15). Through the sacrifice of God’s son, Jesus God provided a way for man to be redeemed and made righteous before God in Christ (Rom 5.19). It is only through Jesus that man can be made righteous. Mankind’s banishment from the Garden of Eden is why humans live in a corrupted world today. The evil originates from man’s sinful acts as well as God’s adversary in the unseen world (Psalm 51.4, Eph 6.12).

The discussion of the unseen world may best be explained by ontology. Man was not the first of God’s creation to commit an evil act. This ignominy goes to Lucifer, also called the evil one, who is an angel that sinned against God due to pride (Isa14.13-14, Eze 28.17). He is God’s adversary, and reigns temporarily in the material (seen) world and seeks to thwart God’s purposes by keeping man separated from God, and preventing Christians from carrying out God’s will to further His kingdom. Christians are aided directly by God’s Holy Spirit and angels. Many aspects of the spiritual world are not fully known to man, but God’s Word points them out as truth and they must be received by faith (1 Tim 3.9, 2 Thess 2.13).

The fourth foundational component is axiology, which distinguishes what is worthy and valuable. For the Christian, God alone is wonderful and worthy to be cherished and glorified. Christians are to value God and his commandments (Matt 6.33, Deut 6.13). They should seek to be reunited with Gods presence, and obey God’s commands as revealed through the Bible. Christians worship and cherish God when they discard the corrupt values of the world and flesh and instead seek God’s absolute truth and righteousness (1 Tim 6.11). They value creation, people, justice, righteousness, godliness, peace, and love (1 Cor 10.33). These values are absolute because they are grounded in the fact that God is absolute truth.

The question of truth, further leads to an epistemological view of Christianity. Mankind’s search for an answer to the question “What is truth?” is pointless outside of God. God is truth and has presented his truth for man to see and know (Isa 65.16, Ps 31.5, Ps 57.3). God’s Word, the Bible, is where Christians and all people can find truth (John 17.17, Mk 7.13). Since all truth is from God then truth must point to its origin to be valid. If “truth” contradicts who God is or his Word then it is a lie and evil (Job 9.2). Hence mankind’s independent search for truth has not revealed answers we seek. God is truth; he is also the ultimate authority residing over all things (Rom 13.1). Christians are to look to God for any final say in what is right or wrong and submit themselves to his authority (1 Kings 17:24). This implies, logically, that ideas of right/wrong with a non-God origin cannot be truth. Secular psychologists have supported the notion that right and wrong is determined on an individualistic level. The Christian counselor must vigilantly guard against this assumption.

As the previous paragraph alluded, logic is an additional component of the Christian worldview. Since mankind is created in God’s image, they are created with the ability to reason (Gen 5.1). Logic is bestowed to man so that man can know God, His truth, and right from wrong (Rom 2.14-15, Dan 4.34-37). Like all things, man’s logic has been corrupted and skewed since the fall. Logic that is not grounded in God’s truth will always draw a person away from God and into a maze of lies and corruption (Mark 2.6). There can be no assumptions when dealing with right from wrong or truth and deception. If point A always begins with God’s word then it will always lead to the correct point B and so on. Logic that is grounded in God’s objective truth will always enable a person to navigate through this deceitful, corrupt, and sin-filled world. Deceit, sin, and corruption bring to light the issues of self-esteem and man’s predisposition to horrendous pain and suffering caused by evil. Only when equipped with a proper understanding of God, as described by the above six approaches to Christianity, can the Christian psychologist begin to address these issues.

Because secular psychology arises from a scientifically logical approach to humans and their behavior, like any other logical line of reasoning the conclusion drawn will be corrupted if not grounded in God’s truth. The secular practice of psychology is aimed at the treatment of the mind and in doing so correcting the undesired or incorrect behaviors produced from it (Santrock, John 7). For example, psychological study, in the absence of a creator and absolute moral truth, will view the human body as nothing more than a sum of components of a complex machine (Powlison, David 198). The purely psychological approach to self-esteem is promoted to help and aimed at those who view themselves as worthless.

When people view themselves as worthless, it begins to hinder the way they function and their quality of life. This can ultimately lead to disease, addiction, and even death. There are different reasons as to why people may view themselves as having little to no worth. One reason is linked to abusive situations. A child who is beaten, raped, or verbally degraded on a daily basis will believe he/she must be worthless to receive such treatment. People with low self-esteem or feelings of worthlessness typically see and treat themselves as less than human. They may perceive themselves as “trash” or lower than an animal. Low self-esteem is not God’s truth but a consequence of living in a fallen state. Jesus said that people are at the very least worth more than birds (Matt 6.26). In such a case, their self-image, worth, and confidence must be rebuilt and that is the goal of the counselor. The goal of building a person’s self-esteem is to promote a different line of thought and feelings in the afflicted, so that he/she feels confident (satisfied in one-self) and able to function in society. However, in the absence of God, independence and self-competency becomes a sin of pride.

Humans, born with corrupted sin-natured bodies, are inherently evil and cannot do anything good. The world’s standard of worth and what it considers “good” falls short of God’s absolute standards (Psalm 53.3, Mark 10.18). Finding ones worth in God is the goal of the Christian counselor. The goal of the Christian counselor in building up self-esteem is to open the counselees’ eyes to God’s truth, and help them find worth in God. As a Christian, the believer is justified and made righteous through Christ alone. Even this is done for God’s glory (Phil 1.11). Only in Christ are people capable of doing and being good (John 15.5). Our value is rooted in Christ alone and he must be the foundation that a person builds their worth upon (Matt 6.33). When the counselee looks to Christ, truly understands how God loves and values him or her, and experiences a relationship with the one true God, then the world’s views of self-worth become trivial and far from fulfilling. For the counselor, it supports a view where psychological logic must be integrated with Christ as the cornerstone (Isaiah 28.16). The Christian world-view provides the full context for understanding what would otherwise be a corrupt line of logic missing the starting point of truth. It can then be argued that the foundational elements would also assist the Christian counselor in more than one area of complexity.

For example, the counselor may encounter challenges from patients that cannot accept that God is loving in light of the suffering they’ve endured. The issue of “suffering” may be exemplified by the abysmal pain caused by childhood sexual abuse. It is a well-studied area of psychology, giving us a good understanding of current approaches in therapy. A non-Christian psychologist cannot offer an objective answer to the evil behind sexual abuse, rather they focus on “answers and power to change” which, “reside either in the individual, in human relationships, or in medical chemistry” (Powlison 208). With this approach, the counselor attempts to “rewire” the brain while building skills patients need to survive and function in the world (Gartner, Richard 153). Since sin and redemption aren’t explained as the cause of evil and suffering, the therapy provides only partial patches and helps sustain the person through the trauma. Relying on personal experience as evidence, this approach offers no real freedom since “patients” are led to believe that they must limp through life and make the best of it. Rarely do adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse live even a partially normal life. Because of their abuse, most live in a way that seems destined for self-destruction which plays out in the forms of mental illness, addictions, practicing homosexuality, or abusing others (Lisak, David 525-48). The Christian counselor must take a different approach.

Alice James, the famous American diarist, writes, “Physical pain however great ends in itself and falls away like dry husks from the mind, whilst moral discords and nervous horrors sear the soul” (James). The counselor must bring to light the truths of God to the life of a man whose views have been forever changed by the childhood traumas of sexual abuse. Telling a survivor that has been repeatedly sodomized, beaten, tortured, and forced to perform oral sex on his protector that God “loves” him is like convincing a paraplegic that they’ll walk again. The lenses in which this enduring person sees the world, God, and God’s Word have been forever changed. This is the challenge facing the Christian counselor.

To do this, one must first address the problem of evil and suffering. The pain will subside with time if the counselee chooses to accept the truth of the matter. Evil and suffering does not come from God’s original creation of man and the world. By knowing God’s character the counselee will begin to see God for who he is; a loving and merciful God. It is because God is a God of love that he allows his creation the choice to obey or disobey him. Only a dictator forces his people to follow and love him. Evil, pain, and suffering were caused by man’s disobedience. God is faithful and just, he hates evil. The Bible’s theme of redemption must be introduced to show that God has had a plan and purpose throughout all of creation. The counselee must begin to work through the truth and God’s continued redemption in order to resolve questions such as: Does God care? Why do we suffer? Why doesn’t he stop it?

The truth is, God greatly cares and loves his people and all of creation (John 3.16). The evil and wickedness in the world, greatly pains God and he hates it (Heb 1.8-14, John 11.33-36). God also experienced suffering for an unjust cause. God’s son died under the most unjust and undeserved circumstances in human history. He died for humanity, to whom he owed nothing (1Peter 2.23). God finds favor in those who suffer unjustly and he will bring judgment upon those who cause suffering (1 Peter 2.19-20, Isaiah 13:11). As the counselee begins to see the truth of God’s word, he can begin to experience God’s pure love and the process of regeneration and healing can begin (Psalm 31.7). The forgiveness of the person’s offender is imperative during this process (Luke 6.35-37, James 2.13). Only Christ can take what the enemy meant for destruction and evil, and make it perfected, transcendent, and inspirational (Gen 50.20).

The Christian counselor must always be grounded in Christ, who is truth; truth is revealed in His Word. The counselor must also be a light to the truth so that the counselee can return to God’s path (Job 6:14). When counseling, the Christian counselor should always view God’s people (saved or unsaved) as God sees them. Psychology, like any logical or rational thinking must be understood and practiced from the full context of the Christian perspective; as described by the six foundational elements. God’s word is the foundation and any truth (God’s truth) found in psychology is a tool which can be used in the process. The mind is an organ and is susceptible to injury such as trauma caused by abuse (Gartner 15-6), or genetic malfunctions. While a person is undergoing spiritual healing, the mind must be addressed and treated. The mind and spirit affect one another and both must be brought into union with Christ (1 Corinthians 14:15). Counseling those that are suffering is following Christ’s commands to help others through encouragement, prayer, and love (1 Corinthians 12.24-25, Rom 15.5-6). Matthew Henry writes on an often overlooked truth found in the book of Job, “Compassion is a debt owing to those that are in affliction” (Henry). “For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty”(Job 6.14).

Works Cited

The Bible. New American Standard Bible.
Gartner, Richard B. Beyond Betrayel: Taking Charge of Your Life after Boyhood Sexual Abuse. Hoboken, NJ. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2005.
Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Job 6:14
James, Alice. “Pain and Suffering.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Quotations. Springfield, Mass. Merriam-Webster, 1992, S. 301
Lisak, David. “The psychological impact of sexual abuse: Content analysis of interviews
with male survivors.” Journal of Traumatic Stress. 7 (1994): 525-48.
Powlison, David. “A Biblical Counseling View.” Psychology and Christianity: Four Views. Eds. Eric L. Johnson, and Stanton L. Jones. Downers Grove, IL. Intervarsity Press, 2000.
Stantrock, John W. Psychology: The Study of Mind and Behavior. 3rd ed. Dubuque, IA. Wm, C. Brown Publishers, 1991.

The Grateful Dead’s, Throwing Stones: A critical and Analytical Essay from the Christian Perspective

Members of The Grateful Dead and those familiar with their music are no strangers to political rebellion and protest. The band was birthed in the thick of, “the hippie movement” which cried out for political reform and freedom from oppression. They became and still are an icon for the counterculture. The Grateful Dead’s song, Throwing Stones promotes a rabble-rousing cry in support of political reform and a call-to-action for the preservation of the earth before it is too late.

The music of the Grateful Dead is saturated with symbolism. They pull from a variety of forms including but not limited to nursery rhymes, myths, and scripture (Miller). The use of symbols and metaphors found in Throwing Stones will be described throughout the paper. The rhythm and tone of the music itself, alludes to the overall message of the song.

The music starts slow and takes the listener up and down with its beat. Toward the end the pace picks up, stays steady, and is encouraged with lyrics that begin to heighten the pulse. Now the song has a hypnotic fomenting rhythm that begins to stir its listener with a need and urgency to take action against the corrupt controlling powers which are the “cause” of oppression and the earths overall decline. The melody beautifully compliments the lyrics main points which are a call to action and to bring about the awareness of the worlds evil and corruption; inescapably leading to its destruction. Many of the songs principles allude to its cause.

There are five main assuming principles found in, Throwing Stones. The first principle that jumps out is that of a naturalistic world view. The lyrics,”bright blue ball, just spinning, spinning free Dizzy with eternity,” “we are here, and we are on our own,” and “it’s all to clear we’re on our own” makes this evident (Dodd 316-18). One of the main points of the song is that the world’s redemption is up to those who inhabit it and no one else. Another principle is that the earth is on its way to destruction caused by its inhabitance.

The song refers to this by stating, “But afraid we may lay our home to waste,” “If the game is lost Then we’re all the same,” “We can leave this place an empty stone,” and “Ashes, ashes, all fall down” (Dodd 316-18). “Ashes, ashes, all fall down,” alludes to the popular, Mother Goose nursery rhyme, Ring a ring a rosie which according to author, William s. Baring-Gould refers to the sudden death caused by the great plague (252). Another principle found in the song is that of an “unknown” evil and the damage caused by it. The song refers to the evil as a “fear,” that “hasn’t got a name just yet Always awake, always around Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down” (Dodd 316).

The fear also has a possessing affect on people as the song states, “the darkness that never goes From some men’s eyes” (Dodd 316). The song goes on to describe the effects of this darkness and that ultimately; people are the darkness, this is described by their actions. The effects of the evil are depicted as violence, street hustlers attempting to feed their addictions, and finally a corrupt hypocritical government and politicians as-well-as callous commissars and corporate bosses. The topic of politics brings up the next principle.

The corruption of political affairs seems to be the most ubiquitous judgment found throughout the song. One of the most repeated axioms is, “And the politicians throwin’ stones.” The phrase compares politicians to the hypocritical Pharisees found in the New Testament and refers directly to John 8:7, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (Dodd 316). The lyrics continue with a theme of political blame by emotively adverting to its corruptive power, control, and greed.

The government and politicians are referred to as “heartless,” greedy, calculating, and duplicitous. The phrase, “Commissars and pinstripe bosses Roll the dice Any way they fall guess who gets to pay the price” paints them as cold-blooded. The song also paints the people as forcibly indoctrinated and deceived by their government. “Heartless powers try to tell us What to think If the spirit’s sleeping then the flesh is ink,” the last part of this line refers to Matt 26:41, “…the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Dodd 316). There is a call to wake up from the governments “spell” and stand up for what they “know” is right. Political greed is alluded to through a conspiracy theory including the DEA, cocaine, guns, and Bolivia. The lines, “Shipping powders back and forth Singing black goes south and white comes north” refers to the DEA aiding and abetting the smuggling of cocaine into the US and the supply of guns to South America in the early 80’s (Dodds 317). Here deceit and greed are strongly implied without evidence. Finally, a call to action is made.

Throwing Stones predominately places blame on the government and politicians, but it also owns up to and places blame on its listeners or the “civilians” in the world. The song begins by placing the cause of the world’s destruction on the “fear” that’s, “Always awake, always around Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down” then it connects politicians to the “ashes,” and finally, it connects the “kids” to the ashes (Dodds 316-17). Ultimately, it places the reasonability of the world’s deliverance and liberation on everyone and that they are the earths only hope. The kids are referred to as blindly dancing and shaking their bones while the politicians play their games of deceit and blame. Further blame is placed on the “radical” who “rants and raves” but does nothing and the “rich man” saying that there’s no problem, but is caught with his pants down showing his guilt and involvement. Toward the end of the song two options are given, “We can leave this place an empty stone Or that shinin’ ball we used to call our home” (Dodds 318).[1] The song paints a final picture of the earth spinning on its own and, “Dizzy with possibilities” assuming that there are countless ways to redeem the world. If this was all people had to go on, they would be absolutely doomed. Jesus came and died because he knew that “people” can’t redeem themselves; much-less the world.

After the fall, mankind was without hope. Sin, evil, and death held the world captive. As it were, man was completely cut off from God. Through Christ, mankind was released from the bondage of sin and death. From man alone, a call to action is futile; history has proven this to be true as it has only spawned wars, factions, and evil-ideals. Man’s call is to God through Christ. This is the only place that evil can be defeated and the redemption of man and the world can take place. Although man is not ignorant to evil and corruption, many are crazed by it while countless others are oblivious or ignorant to it. Without Christ, the human race cannot define evil know its purpose, or its origin. Evil gives birth to sin and sin, generates evil (Deut 9:18, Psalm 51:4). Any intent even a “sincere moral” intent is evil when it comes from man (Gen 8:21). Only in Christ, can a person be justified and redeemed.

Although there is some truth in this song, it is ultimately rebellious and denies the world’s creator both of which need to be brought before God in repentance. Christians are to submit to the governing authorities not act out of rebellion (1 Peter 2:13). Christ also teaches that people are to love their enemy and not judge them but instead be a light for the whole world to see bringing glory to God (Matt 5:16). Throwing Stones denies God as Lord and creator. Denying God moves people away from him and promotes ungodliness; ultimately leading people to the slaughter (Isaiah 59:12-11).

I am no stranger to, The Grateful Dead. I admit with shame and embarrassment, that I use to fervently follow and idolize, “The Dead.” During a time of hate, rebellion, and addiction, I was blind to the evil and sin that surrounded The Dead, its people, and the culture. As a Christian, pride and arrogance is replaced by sorrow when listening to this song. Instead of a spirit of rebellion there is a desire to help lift the blindfold of confusion off of a lost people’s eyes and hearts. It echoes the anguishing cry for deliverance that all people desperately want. When a person, looks at the world and the evil within it from a misconstrued perspective, it only promotes ignorance; as they try to make sense of it and fix it. Although the world is corrupt, full of evil doers, deception, and oppressors; Christians should take the opportunity to point out the truth of evil. As evil is illuminated, they can begin to awaken the lost, present the truth, and bring people to Christ.

As Christians, this song can be used to help point out that even without the belief in God, evil exists and there is something terribly wrong with this world and the people in it. People are not a product of nature, simply attempting to pass on genes nor are people left to their own post-modern preference which liberates them from the consequences of their choices. As a Christian, I would not encourage anyone to regularly listen to this song. Throwing Stones is a good tool which can be used to teach and promote truth but the spirit of the song and the underlying theme of godlessness and rebellion can only bring about the same attitude. Music media is highly influential second only to electronic image media. Any media that ultimately undermines God and promotes sin should be approached with caution.

Works Cited

Baring-Gould, William S. and Ceil Barring-Gould. The Annotated Mother Gosse: Nursery
Rhymes Old and New, Arranged and Explained. Illus. Walter Crane, Randolph Caldecott,
Kate Greenway, et al. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1962.

Dodd, David. The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics. Illus. Jim Carpenter. Eds. Alan
Trist and David Dodd. New York: Free Press, 2005.

Miller, Bryan. “Biblical Symolics of the Grateful Dead” Essay. 8 Nov. 2007
.

[1] “used” is sometimes sung as “can”

The Spiritual Life of the Believer: The Goal, Obligations of the Believer, and the Disciplines that Nurture it

This was written as a final paper in, Spiritual Life and Community spring semester 2007.

Man has been compelled to seek and experience a higher spiritual understanding of self since the fall of Adam and Eve. Without any guidance from God, we see throughout the Old Testament, man worshiping images, creating religions, and worshiping gods that they created. Man knew that there was something higher than self and sought to find it. The need to fulfill the spiritual desires of man has been sought through many different religions. Author, Elton Trueblood describes man’s spiritual quest as, “…a particular type of religion which we are historically justified in calling “spiritual” (1). Trueblood writes, “This spiritual religion was already implicated in the dim beginnings of the religious tradition and has never been entirely lost” (2). From the beginning up until today, we still long to fill the spiritual need within ourselves. All one has to do is turn on the T.V. or walk down the street and they are bombarded with advertisements for different religions, spirit guides, and palm readers. As noted in Dr. Koessler’s class, we are all spiritual beings (Koessler). A human knows directly or indirectly that he is a spiritual being. The Bible shows evidence of this in I Corinthians 2:11, “For who among man knows the thoughts of a man except the mans spirit within him” (NIV)? As Christians, we have come to know that this irresistible draw from the spirit is of God and designed for God. The spiritual life is the essence of all believers; it must be nurtured and trained through spiritual disciplines in order for the believer to fulfill the goal of Christ likeness.
God created man with a spirit. Genesis 2:7 says that when God created man, He breathed the breath (pneuma, spirit) of life into his nostrils and then the man became a living being (NIV). When, God did this with Adam, his spirit was perfect, without sin, and able to commune directly with God. Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s commandment to not eat of a certain fruit or they would die (Gen. 2. 16. 16-17). Adam and Eve were now subject to physical death but their disobedience also had a much more horrific effect, sin entered and they died spiritually making communion with God, impossible. The sin that entered Adam caused all of mankind to inherit a sin nature separating man from God (Rom. 5. 14).
As discussed in class, spiritual death is the result of Adams sin (Koessler). Although this is true of all people from birth, God made a way for us to be redeemed through, His son Jesus. Through Christ’s final sacrifice for our sin we are able to have life in Christ. Jesus made it possible that we may have life again, and a direct relationship with the father (Eph. 2. 5-6). When someone puts their faith in Christ, it is at that very moment that the sin nature no longer controls the spirit but we are controlled by the spirit where God now dwells (Rom. 8.9). It is at this point that the believer begins the “spiritual life”.
The spiritual life is the core of who a believer is. The New Testament is saturated with evidence pointing to the spiritual life and its importance. Author, George Gritter writes, “It is true that the term “spiritual life” is not found in scripture, but it does embody and represent a Biblical idea” (12). One such verse that embodies the meaning of the spiritual life is found in, Romans 7: 4-6,
“So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” (NIV).
The church does not place much importance on the spiritual life nor does it seem to totally grasp its meaning. Placing a precise definition on exactly what the spiritual life is or what its goals are is easier said than done, but it is of utmost importance in the life of the believer. The ultimate goal is to mature so that the image of Christ is seen in all that the believer does. Gritter describes the “aim” of the spiritual life as follows, “Of course, the aim is the perfection of the individual and the full maturation and glory of the body of Christ, the church” (78). If the believer struggles spiritually and does not nurture and purposely aspire to mature, he will not affectively fulfill his calling nor will he represent Christ to those that are lost.
Although the gift of life is given freely, the believer has obligations to which he is liable. When a believer first gives his life to Christ, he is like a new born baby, vulnerable, weak, and in need of guidance. Peter describes the obligations of a new believer in 1 Peter 2:1-3,
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (NIV).
The believer is still subject to the temptations of sin, we are obligated to move away from these sinful desires and towards Christ likeness. Paul used himself as an example when describing this to the church in Corinth, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ (NASB 1 Cor. 11.1). As discussed in class the obligations of the spiritual life takes “spiritual efforts”. The believer must resist evil desires, pursue holiness, concisely initiate a relationship with God and the body, and finally begin to imitate Christ in all we do (Koessler). To reach the goal that believers are called to takes practice, discipline, and nurturing. Paul describes reaching the “goal” in Philippians 3:12, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me (NIV).
As we discussed in class, discipline is usually thought of as, “trying harder,” to be like Jesus (Koessler). The believer is expected to, “train yourself to be godly” (NASB. 1 Tim. 7-8). Discipline is one of the biggest challenges that Christians face. Most Christians become ensnared in the mindset that God uses the amount or type of discipline we do as a gauge in which to measure our “spirituality”. Author, John Ortberg writes, “Many people become burdened because they think God measures their spiritual performance on the basis of certain disciplines” (49). Approaching the spiritual disciplines from this viewpoint will always lead to exhaustion and frustration. Ortberg, defines discipline as, “Any activity I can do by direct effort that will help me do what I cannot now do by direct effort” (51). Discipline is a benefit that helps us reach our goal of Christ likeness which does not come naturally. When a person start a new job and not go through training so that they know how to do what they are expected to do, to the best of their ability? It is the same with spiritual disciplines; our flesh knows only one way of being, sinful. A believer must learn how to be godly; it does not come naturally (NIV. Rom. 12. 2).
Gritter writes, “But the mind of Christ can and must be cultivated. We must not simply learn to think the thoughts of God, but it must become increasingly natural for us to do so in every situation (24). What does spiritual discipline look like? There are many references in the Bible, but the believer must know which ones to focus on. As discussed in class, the three objectives used to train well is knowing what the goal is, what your weaknesses are, and knowing what techniques will help most (Koessler). Some of the disciplines mentioned in the Bible are prayer, abstinence, solitude, fasting, and study of God’s word just to name a few (Koessler). I previously mentioned what the goal of the believer is; it is to be like Christ. The believer must now recognize the areas of weakness and start there. If a believer’s weakness is in prayer yet is strong in abstinence then, it is easy to conclude that the spiritual discipline of prayer should be a focus. Now that the believer has recognized that prayer should be a focus, he must know the techniques that will help him learn the discipline of prayer. Let’s discuss what, “training” for the spiritual discipline of prayer may look like.
A good place to approach the discipline of prayer is, through scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Bible focuses on and emphasizes prayer. Even the disciples had to be taught how to pray (NASB. Luke. 11. 1). Jesus gave examples as well as warnings about how one should and should not pray (NIV. Matt. 6. 5-10). Acts 1:14, 2 Thessalonians 1: 11, 2 Timothy 1:3, and 1 John 5: 14-15 show that believers should pray often and according to God’s will (NIV). Now that the believer has seen what God’s word teaches about prayer, other believers should be an example and available to mentor and hold him accountable to this discipline. Now the believer in training can begin to implement these things and practice the discipline of prayer. There are different techniques that a person can use to help them train in any particular discipline. The one training must decide what technique best suites them.
The mark of a believer who is spiritually mature reflects Christ in their actions. Ask the question, “Do I see Jesus when I look at this person?” The marks of spiritual maturity are walking in the spirit, being led by the spirit, and producing the fruits of the spirit (Koessler). The Holy Spirit is crucial when walking out a spirit filled life. The Holy Spirit guides us and prompts us when we are going in the wrong direction. Author, Ortberg describes the guidance of the Holy Spirit as, “promptings,” he writes, “These promptings may come as conviction of sin, an assurance of God’s love, or a call to action. But they are crucial to the spirit guided life” (134). The Holy Spirit is also important in equipping the church. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts that are used to support and further the church through instruction, administration, and service (Koessler). If the above virtues are not seen in you or in the life of another believer, then there is need for spiritual training and discipline.
The spiritual disciplines should be ongoing in the life of all believers. Our goal is to, “be like Christ” (NIV. Phil. 3.10). Though we benefit from the spiritual life, it is not about us. The Apostle Peter writes,
“If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter. 4.11).
Unfortunately the church has been taught that the spiritual life is for and about them. When we begin to understand that the spiritual life and all that we do is to glorify God and advance His kingdom, the church will begin to selflessly serve, love, and more effectively minister in all areas. Author, George Gritter says it best in writing, “Through the completed redemption of His people and the recreation of all things, it will become evident that all opposition to God has been unavailing. In the end God has been robbed of nothing but receives all praise and honor (74). God receives all praise and honor through His servants; the salvation of man is for God’s glory.

Works Cited

The Bible. New American Standard Version.

Gritter, George. The Quest for Holiness or the Development of Spiritual Life. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eardmans Publishing Co., 1955. 12, 74-8.

Koessler, John. “God’s Gym: Training for Godliness.” Lecture. Moody Bible Institute, Chicago. Apr. 2007.

Koessler, John. “Growth & Effort,” Lecture. Moody Bible Institute, Chicago. Mar. 2007.

Koessler, John. “The Ministry of the Holy Spirit.” Lecture. Moody Bible Institute, Chicago. Feb. 2007.

Koessler, John. “Spiritual Death and Spiritual Life.” Lecture. Moody Bible Institute, Chicago. Feb. 2007.

Koessler, John. “The Spiritual Disciplines.” Lecture. Moody Bible Institute, Chicago. Apr. 2007.

Koessler, John. “What does it mean to be ‘spiritual?’.” Lecture. Moody Bible Institute, Chicago. Jan. 2007.

Koessler, John. “You’re Learning Styles.” Lecture. Moody Bible Institute, Chicago. May. 2007.

NIV [New International Version] Study Bible. Eds. Kenneth Barker, et al. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.

Ortberg, John. Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People: The Life you’ve Always Wanted. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997. 49-51, 134.

Trueblood, Elton D. The Essence of Spiritual Religion. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, Inc., 1964. 1-2.

Suited for Battle

This was written in response to the, The Knight in Rusty Armor, Psych class spring 2005.

I can relate in many ways to the man in The Knight in Rusty Armor because I also have a suit of “armor” that protects me from emotional vulnerability. Growing up in an unpleasant and harsh environment, I developed coping mechanisms in response to emotional hurts. I used addictive/self-destructive behavior to help me escape from the unpleasant reality of poverty. While it was easy to acquire the armor, it has been a long journey to free myself of its constraints. I should begin by telling you how I received my armor. I began acquiring it from a very young age.
No one chooses their family relations, and the rejection I experienced very early in life gave me my first layer of armor. My birth mother was married at twelve; by the time she was seventeen, she had three children. She was too young to be a responsible parent, and I was taken from her when I was two and placed into state custody. I moved from foster home to foster home, never experiencing the parental love and acceptance I saw in other kids’ relationships. In three of these homes, I endured multiple forms of abuse ranging from moderate to severe. In my youth and ignorance, I believed my mother had given me up to endure abuse. In response, I withdrew out of fear and anger at the people around me.
At this young age, my first suit of armor was strictly for protection from grown-ups. It consisted of an emotionless quiet boy who simply complied and tried to draw as little attention to himself as possible. I knew that these “grownups” used my emotions to manipulate and lie to me. So I showed no emotion, no matter what the circumstance.
By the age of eight I knew that I would never have a “normal life” with parents. I isolated myself and came to the conclusion that I would be alone the rest of my life. The isolation became another layer of armor. I believed that as long as I didn’t get close to anyone, they couldn’t hurt me and I wouldn’t disappoint them. I made very few friends, and even those select few were kept at an arms length. I was a loner by the age of thirteen.
I also began smoking marijuana and drinking around the same age. Unlike others who try drugs to seek acceptance by peers, none of my friends were users at this age. I liked drugs because it made the ugliness of my life not matter. Drugs provided instant gratification and masked the depressed hopeless teenager that I had become. By the time I was sixteen, my armor was permanently stuck as a part of me.
I had no intention of removing any of this armor as the years went on. I spiraled into an abyss of drugs and alcohol, and I didn’t intend to make it out alive. For many years, I kept anyone that I knew at arms-length. I purposefully used sarcastic, angry, or hurtful comments until they could not be around me any longer. When strangers met me, they saw what looked like a kind loving person. I seemed calm, quiet, and accepting of others. This was true to a certain degree; I did care about others, perhaps too much. But as people got closer to me, I couldn’t allow them to hurt me or change me. I would begin to attack any close personal relationship. The spontaneity and suddenness of my shift in attitude confused everyone. Finally, if the hurtfulness of my words did not work, I would retreat and disappear.
By the time I was twenty-two, I had moved far away from anyone who cared about me and took refuge in Seattle, Washington. One night, I purposely increased the amount of heroin I used in an attempt to end my existence in an evil world. Strung out and not knowing night from day, I waited for death to pick me up and comfort me. Instead, I was picked up by Federal Drug Enforcement Administrators, and charged with conspiracy to distribute LSD. I was sitting in a federal prison twenty-four hours later. It was the beginning of my nightmarish journey of sobering up “cold turkey”.
In prison, I saw just how thick and cold my armor had really become and I made a decision to try and remove it. Like Sam, the character in Knight, it would not budge. I came to know a power that is greater than me, and I surrendered my life to Jesus. Though I served two long years in prison, the only armor that I removed was my use of drugs/alcohol. Similar to Sam, I also rested to regain my strength for the road ahead.
I began counseling shortly after my release. After seeing numerous psychologists and psychiatrists, I was told that I had psychological disorders because of what I experienced as a child. This made me even more depressed and hopeless. I was given a barrage of medications to use, and found that they added to all my armor. I knew this couldn’t be the only answer, and I began to seek Christian counsel. God introduced me to my modern day Merlin; he helped me be free from my rusty armor. I shed a lot of tears and prayed for strength, and like the book, the armor slowly came off. I also had to learn who I was, and not be afraid of becoming that person.
It has not been easy, and I occasionally find myself wearing chain mail. However, I am married now, and my wife lets me know when I am wearing a random piece of armor I have acquired. For example, meeting people is still hard for me. It has recently come to my attention that I use my moustache and goatee as armor. It gives me more confidence around other people, since I sometimes experience anxiety when meeting strangers. I force myself to meet new people every week. When I can’t, my wife takes me by the hand and helps me. I am glad that I have her.
Recently, my Merlin has prompted me to be quiet and listen. It feels similar to the nights that Sam spent in the Castle of Silence. I have tuned off news-talk radio, unnecessary web use, and television. This is a very hard task but it showed me just how much I used them to escape or procrastinate. In the silence, I have to start listening to myself and The LORD, which is not always fun. Though I do not know when all of my armor will be fully removed, I know I am going in the right direction. It took some time to put the armor in place, and I suspect that it will take a while to fully remove. I know that I like the person under the armor a lot more. (So do my family and friends) This encourages me to keep the armor off.

A "Doomed" Society

On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold entered Columbine High School and opened fire murdering 13 and wounding 23. They then committed suicide. This became known as the Columbine shootings.
Both Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold played the violent video game Doom religiously. Doom is a highly graphic first person shooter game where the player carries weapons killing people and creatures. According to “Issues and Controversies” the investigating authorities found journal writings that compared the massacre to the game Doom as well as evidence that one of the gunmen named his gun after a Doom character.
What kind of society sends the message of glorifying and acting out murder, sex with prostitutes, and selling drugs through violent video games like “Doom” and “Grand Theft Auto” while at the same time imprisoning and sending these children to the gas chamber when they do it in real life?
There is ample research and evidence that indicates playing violent video games raises the level of aggression in children. In the April issue of the American Psychological Associations Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Dr. Karen E. Dill indicated that playing violent video games can raise the player’s level of aggression: “Even a brief exposure to violent video games can temporarily increase aggressive behavior in all types of participants.”
We are becoming a depraved society as violent video games are causing more aggression, desensitizing, and morally corrupting our children.
We’re using the same video game training that the military uses to teach their soldiers to kill which desensitizes them as they play. According to an article in “Issues and Controversies” the Marine Corps has used the same popular video game “Doom” to simulate actual warfare training.
We’re training children to kill by the age of fifteen. Does anyone else see that this is morally wrong?
Some claim that violent video games release aggression and serves as a place to safely act out their violent tendencies in a safe environment instead of real life.
To this I ask “Why do they have these violent tendencies in the first place?” It’s not natural to feel these sorts of aggressions towards one another. So where are they coming from?
I pray that my son who is almost three will grow up with the natural feeling of violence not sitting well with his stomach. I hope that our generation will begin to see the foolishness in playing these games and the damage that they are causing to our children and society.
I grew up with the birth of video games and was an avid player through the years. In my experience, playing these games caused me to act out my aggressions in real life towards my friends. While we were playing, if I lost a game or was being taunted by a friend then I would lash out without thinking twice about it and physically hurt him. This was not the case when I was in a normal situation with my friends. After playing these games for many years, it saddens me that I do not even blink at horrific images and stories that I see or hear. I quit playing violent video games three years ago and I have been left with the feeling of being dirty-as though some part of my innocence was taken through them.
We need to consider what these games are saying to our children. We also need to ask ourselves, “Why do some parents encourage playing these games and even play them with their children?” Laws that are stricter and do not allow these games to fall into the hands of children must be put in place.
Parents let me ask you this; would you allow your child to watch a pornographic video and then watch as the man beat and murder the woman?
If you answered yes; well it’s illegal and you need therapy. If you answered no which I’m assuming that most did, your children are seeing the same thing in some of these games but what’s worse there actually acting it out and choosing to do these things as the first person action allows them to do so.
We as parents have the power to stop this corruption of our children and society. It starts with you and your morals. I challenge you to truly search your heart and consider the love that you have for your children and what we are teaching them-your love should be enough to prompt you in making the right choice.