WARNING AGAINST THESE TWO POPULAR BOOKS: THE SHACK,
AND A COURSE IN MIRACLES.
THE SHACK, BY
WILLIAM P. YOUNG IS A BEST SELLER AVAILABLE IN
CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORES EVERYWHERE, BUT IT IS FILLED
WITH HERESY:
Portrays God the
Father and the Holy Spirit in human form
• Portrays God the Father and the Holy
Spirit as female
• States that God the Father and the
Holy Spirit incarnated as flesh and
blood
• States that God and the Holy Spirit
became God the Son
• A demeaning of God's majesty
• Undermines sin and the price Christ
paid on the cross
• Undermines God's righteous wrath and
justice
• Undermines the Bible, the authority
and written word of God
• The book's Jesus character rejects the
label "Christian" for those he will
"join in their transformation"
• Sophia presented as a real person with
divine powers
• Statements reflecting problematic
views of Paul Tillich
• Implications of inclusivism
- Source:
What's At The Back of The Shack? A Look
At William, P. Young's The Shack
Marcia Montenegro
APOLOGETICS INDEX
DESCRIBES A COURSE IN MIRACLES BY MARIANNE
WILLIAMSON:
A
channeled, three-volume book that claims the
world, sin and sickness are just illusions. This
New Age belief system uses Christian
terminology, but among the stated purposes of its
publisher, the
Foundation for A Course In Miracles
®, is "correcting the errors of Christianity..."
The
Course is said to have
been "dictated" to
atheistic psychologist Helen Shucman by "an
inaudible voice," who, she claimed, later identified
himself as "Jesus". The Bible, however, emphatically
forbids the practice of
spiritism (see
Deuteronomy 18:9-12 )
- which is exactly what Ms. Shucman was engaged in.
|
THE INFORMATION BELOW IS
AN ALERT AGAINST THESE TWO POPULAR, BEST SELLING BOOKS.
TAKEN FROM
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/08/shack.htm
By Berit Kjos a respected
Christian researcher and author.
|
 |
Deceived by a counterfeit "Jesus"
The twisted
"truths" of The Shack
& A Course in Miracles
By Berit
Kjos - February 14, 2008
|
 |
"God, who is the ground of all
being, dwells in, around, and through all things....”
[panentheism]
--The Shack's "Jesus."
[1,p.112]
"Those who love me come from
every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons,
Baptists or Muslims.... I have no desire to make them
Christian, but I do want to join them in their
transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my
brothers and sisters.”
--The Shack's "Jesus."
[1,p.182]
"The esoteric spiritual
traditions -- whether Christian mystics, Hebrew Kabbalists,
Zen Buddhists, Islamic Sufis, or Hindu yogis -- all have
specific practices to help individuals overcome this great 'illusion
of separation' and to experience the One True Self,
which is in us all."[2,p.149]
--A
Course in Miracles, as "dictated" to channeler Helen
Schucman in 1977 by her spirit guide who claimed to be "Jesus."
"Jesus... said
to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you. For
many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and
will deceive many."
Matthew 24:4-5
Two books (one new, one old) have
suddenly grabbed public attention and captured the hearts of
multitudes. One is long and instructional -- a dictation from a
channeled spirit guide. The other is a fictional testimony full
of tear-jerking dialogue. A Course in Miracles (ACIM) is
obviously occult, while the more subtle message of The Shack
by William P. Young has been widely accepted in postmodern
churches.
The two books share a common
message. I saw a stark preview of it back in 1992. Skimming
through a magazine called Well-Being Journal, I noticed
this New Age "insight" from the author's "inner guide:"
"Many people believe in evil,
sin, and dark forces. It is your purpose to teach the
opposite which is the Truth: there is no devil, no
hell, no sin, no guilt except in the creative mind of
humankind."
I heard similar deceptions at
Gorbachev's 1997
State of the World Forum. At the time, keynote speaker
Marianne Williamson was touting the
Kabbalah, not
A Course in Miracles (ACIM). While those
New Age "insights" would fit both, they are best expressed
through ACIM, which Williamson is now popularizing
through Oprah Winfrey's weekly radio program.
The Shack calls for a
similar denial of reality. Yet countless pastors and
church leaders are delighting in its message. By ignoring
(or redefining) sin and guilt, they embrace an inclusive but
counterfeit "Christianity" that draws crowds but distorts the
Bible. Discounting
Satan
as well, they weaken God's
warnings about deception. No wonder His
armor
for today's spiritual war became an early victim of this
spreading assault on Truth.
Roger Oakland, author of
Faith Undone, hinted at this transformation in his
article "My
Trip to the Rethink Conference:"
"For nearly two thousand
years, most professing Christians have seen the Bible as the
foundation for the Christian faith. The overall view at the
Rethink Conference, however, is that Christianity, as we
have known it, has run its course and must be
replaced.... Speakers insisted that Christianity must be
re-thought and re-invented if the name of
Jesus Christ is going to survive here on planet earth."[3]
No
room for the historical Jesus? Must we
reimagine God to make Him fit the rising universal church?
That seems to be
the aim of The Shack's female "God." Here she is speaking
to the main character, Mackenzie (Mack for short):
"For me to appear to you as a woman
and suggest that you call me Papa is simply to mix
metaphors, to help you keep from falling so easily back into
your religious conditioning." [1,p.93]
"Religious conditioning?" Is that how Mr. Young views Biblical
Christianity?
It's easy to be persuaded by his clever
arguments. The Shack is written as a personal testimony
that draws readers into virtual dialogues with a playful,
culturally relevant "God." In contrast to the dry, occult
lessons in ACIM, The Shack leads readers into
vicarious experiences in a world of revelations
and sensations. The only sin-like issue here is independence
-- what ACIM calls "separateness"
-- a refusal to accept universal oneness with "God" and man.
Unhindered by Biblical guidelines, The Shack offers no
standard for right or wrong, so there's no real need for
Biblical repentance. It fits right into the popular vision of a
unifying, non-judgmental church.
"So how do I become part of that church?" asks Mack.
"It's simple,"
answers the fictional "Jesus." "It's all about relationships and
simply sharing life... being open and available to others around
us. My church is all about people, and life is all about
relationships." [1,p.178]
That sounds
partly true, as do
most
spiritual lies! For example, Jesus criticized the Pharisees
who "searched the Scriptures" but refused to "come" to Him.
Today's postmodern seekers are just as foolish. They ignore
unwanted Scriptures, and then flock to the culturally attuned
"Jesus" of their imaginations.
In The Shack,
readers meet a permissive "God" that "submits" to their human
ways. They look through the veil between life and death, see the
joy beyond, and communicate with loved ones -- subtle examples
of "calling
up the dead," which the
Bible bans
(Deut. 18:11).
Mack "sees" the colorful "auras" that show spiritual maturity
among the dead-but-alive. He even practices astral travel
-- what The Shack calls "flying"
-- a word popularized by Maharishi Yogi long ago.
"Such a powerful ability, the imagination!" said The
Shack's fictional "Jesus." That power alone makes you so
like us." [1,p.140]
Here the boundaries of the church
are broadened to include almost everyone. The only exception
seems to be "independent"
folk who refuse to "come" to this universal "God." This isn't
Christianity -- and this false "Jesus" would agree. When
Mack asks him what it "means to be a
Christian," he answer:
“'Who said anything about
being a Christian? I’m not a Christian.' The idea struck
Mack as odd and unexpected and he couldn’t keep himself from
grinning. 'No, I suppose you aren’t.'"[1,p.182]
Of course, he's not! The word
"Christian" refers to Christ's followers -- not to Jesus -- and
it has always clashed with trendy cultures. Even when
'the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch"
(Acts 11:26), that word was a derogatory label used by enemies
of the Church. But that didn't keep faithful Christians from
joyfully claiming that name and sharing His
Word!.
Reimagining the Trinity
The Shack opens in the
context of tragedy. Four years have passed since the cruel
murder of Missy, Mack's precious six-year-old daughter.
Enveloped in grief, he receives a strange invitation. "I've
missed you," it says. "I'll be at the shack next weekend if you
want to get together. Papa." What could it mean?
Doubtful, but drawn to the
meeting, Mack heads for the Oregon wilderness and finds the
dilapidated old shack. "God" miraculously transforms it into a
cozy cottage, and Mack meets his supposed maker:
"...the door flew open, and
he was looking directly into the face of a large beaming
African-American woman. Instinctively he jumped back, but he
was too slow. With speed that belied her size, she crossed
the distance between them and engulfed him in her arms...."[1,p.82]
"Just as she turned... a
small, distinctly Asian woman merged from behind her.... He
then glanced past her and notices that a third person had
emerged... a man. He appeared Middle Eastern."[1,p.84]
"When they finally stopped
giggling, the large woman... said, 'Okay, we know who you
are, but we should probably introduce ourselves to you.
...you could call me what Nan [Mack's wife] does: Papa.'...
“'And I,' interrupted the man, who looked to be about
in his thirties.... 'I am Hebrew....'
“Mack was suddenly staggered by his own realization.
“Then, you are....”
“'Jesus? Yes....'
"Mack stood dumbfounded....
Just as he was about to crumple to his knees, the Asian
woman stepped closer and deflected his attention. 'And I am
Sarayu [the Holy Spirit, Creativity].' she said...
"Thoughts tumbled over each other as Mack struggled to
figure out what to do.... Since there were three of them,
maybe this was a Trinity sort of thing.... 'Then,' Mack
struggled to ask, 'which one of you is God?'”
“'I am,’ said all three in unison.'"[1,p.86-87]
Their ongoing dialogues reinforce
this new view of God. They immerse Mack in spiritual
re-education, for each comment contradicts his previous
understanding of God. For example, this new "Jesus" never
returned to heaven. Was there no real resurrection? Not
according to the female "God":
“Although by nature he is
fully God, Jesus is fully human and lives as such.
While never losing the innate ability to fly [which
he demonstrates in the book], he chooses moment-by-moment to
remain grounded. That is why his name is Immanuel, God with
us...."[1,p.99-100]
But the Bible tells us
that Jesus did return to His heaven after His
crucifixion. Besides, neither God our Father nor the Holy Spirit
made themselves finite or visible to man.
"No one has seen God at any
time," said the true Jesus.
(John 1:18) Yet, here we see
all three in human form -- on earth! "God" explains:
"'By nature I am completely
unlimited... I live in a state of perpetual satisfaction as
my normal state of existence:’ she said, quite pleased.
'Just one of the perks of Me being Me.’
"That made Mack smile. This lady was fully enjoying
herself...
“We created you to share in that. But then Adam chose
to go it on his own, as we knew he would, and everything got
messed up. But instead of scrapping the whole Creation we
rolled up our sleeves and entered into the middle of
the mess—that’s what we have done in Jesus.... When
we three spoke ourself into human existence as the Son
of God, we became fully human. We also chose
to embrace all the limitations that this entailed. ...flesh
and blood."[1,p.98-99]
Denying
sin, guilt and God's authority
Unlike the true God, this false
trinity exercises no authority over man. That should please
today's postmodern church leaders! They seem to shun words such
as "sovereignty"
and "authority."
After all, a reigning God who sets the moral standard for all
time could cause division. He could impede their main
purpose: inclusive relationships and "authentic
community."
No wonder Mack is confused when
he asks, "Why would the God of the universe want to be
submitted to me?"
"Because we want you to join us
in our circle of relationships," answers "Jesus."
[1,p.145]
Together the "trinity" explains:
"Authority, as you usually
think of it, is merely the excuse the strong use to make
others conform to what they want.... We carefully
respect your choices...."
[1,p.123]
"'Are you saying I don't have to
follow the rules?'...
"'Yes. In Jesus you are not
under any law. All things are
lawful.'
"'You can't be serious! You're
messing with me again,' moaned Mack.
"'Child,' interrupted papa, 'you
ain't heard nuthin' yet.'...
"'...enforcing rules [says
Sarayu] ...is a vain attempt to create certainty out
of uncertainty. And contrary to what you might think, I
have a great fondness for uncertainty. Rules cannot
bring freedom; they only have the power to accuse.'"[1,p.203]
[ACIM uses
the word "attack" instead of "accuse."]
Are God's guidelines really
"a vain attempt to create certainty?" Of course not! To impress
God's unchanging values in the minds for faithful believers is
no "vain attempt." But there's plenty of uncertainty for
those who believe in evolving Truth and adaptable Scriptures.
Such "uncertainty" can lay no firm foundation for either peace
or confident faith! In fact, many "Christian" pastors today
suffer from agonizing doubts -- even about the existence of God!
Small wonder, when they build their ministries on the shifting
sands of people-pleasing "truths," not on the solid Rock of
God's Word.
In this new story, sin no longer
separates unholy people from our holy God. It fits right into
postmodern churches that ignore Biblical commands such as "Do
not be conformed to the world" and "Abhor
evil" (Romans 12:2,9). Chipping away at the reality of sin,
guilt and God's just judgments, this transformational process
undermines any real understanding of our need for
discernment,
repentance or the
cross. Even God's amazing
grace becomes meaningless!
Notice how The Shack's
false "God" mocks our true God by minimizing His
sovereignty and
judgments:
"I'm not a bully, not some
self-centered demanding little deity insisting on my own
way. I am good, and I desire only what is
best for you. You cannot find that through guilt or
condemnation...."[1,p.126]
"You don't need me at all to
create your list of good and evil. But you do need me if you
have any desire to stop such an
insane lust for independence....
Mackenzie, evil is a word we use to describe the
absence of Good, just as we use the word darkness to
describe the absence of Light. ...evil and darkness
can only be understood in relation to Light and Good; they
do not have any actual existence."[1,p.136]
That's a lie! Though the wonders of
God's love and promises are vastly beyond our comprehension, He
has told us His standard for good and evil -- and He will
punish those who minimize sin (and thus the need for the cross)
or reject
His ways and warnings. :
"They are
foolish; for they do not know the way of the Lord, the
judgment of their God...."
Jeremiah
5:4
"You thought
I was altogether like you, but I will rebuke you..."
Psalm
50:21
"...the wrath
of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness.... Professing to be wise, they became
fools..."
Romans 1:18, 22
"Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people— the
fruit of their thoughts, because they have not heeded My
words...."
Jeremiah
6:19
A Course
in Miracles [ACIM] echoes those views of authority, sin and
guilt:
"Sin is
insanity.... Sin is the home of all illusions....
There is no sin."[4]
"...guilt is always
totally insane, and has
no reason...."[5]
"The Holy Spirit never
commands. To command is to assume inequality, which...
does not exist."[2,p.103]
"...you have let the
belief in darkness enter your mind and so you need a
new light.... The voice of the Holy Spirit does not
command, because it is incapable of arrogance. It does
not demand, because it does not seek control."
[2,p.76]
"There is no guilt in you.... Your
only calling here is to devote yourself, with active
willingness, to the denial of guilt in all its
forms.... We are all joined in the Atonement....
So will the world of separation slip away.... For peace is
the acknowledgment of perfect purity, from which no one is
excluded. Within its holy circle is everyone whom God
created as his Son."[2,p.282-283]
These absurd claims remind me of Ray Yungen
wise words, "Satan is not simply trying to draw people to the
dark side of a good versus evil conflict. Actually, he is trying
to eradicate the gap between himself and God, between good and
evil, altogether."[6]
But God says,
"Do not be unequally yoked
together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness
with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?...
'Come out from among them and be separate,' says the
Lord.”
2 Cor. 6:14-18
"Whatever I command you,
be careful to observe it; you shall
not add to it nor take away from it."[7]
Deut.
12:32
Unconditional Forgiveness
Both books demonstrate a perverted kind of forgiveness -- the
world's way of promoting unity and healing apart from the cross.
Not only does Mack learn to "forgive" all who have hurt him, he
also forgives "God." As if God had done
something wrong!
Following the same reasoning,
ACIM's "Jesus" offers this bit of twisted theology:
"Forgive, and you will see this differently.... These are
the words which end the dream of sin, and rid the mind of
fear. These are the words by which salvation comes to all
the world." [8]
It may sound loving to claim universal salvation through
human forgiveness. But it's not Biblical! This counterfeit
"Jesus" has totally divorced himself from God's Word -- the
living Word which is the true Jesus.
(See John 1:14)
Our God is Judge as well as Love. And since He
is also sovereign and holy, he must deal with the reality of
sin. It can't simply be dismissed or justified. His salvation is
only through the Biblical
cross, in spite of ACIM's denials and The Shack's
deceptions. We partake in His atonement (not a New
Age atONEment) through Biblical
faith, not positive presumptions.
"...if anyone
preaches any other
gospel
to you than what you have
received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or
God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men,
I would not be a bondservant of Christ."
Galatians
1:9-10
An
evolving process hides the unchanging truth
"There is a new world emerging...." writes Tamara Hartzell,
author of
In the Name of Purpose. "This new world stands
against the truth, against the Lord Jesus Christ, and against
God. Its rise is coming about in the power and authority and
deception of the god of this world (angel
of light), who will easily lure the spiritually-prepared
masses into worshipping him and his Coming One."[9]
Her
insightful report on "The
New Age Ark of Oneness" gives us an
overview of this spreading deception:
• relativism is replacing truth
• worldliness is replacing righteousness
• the New Gospel of peace with the world through Oneness is
replacing the original Gospel
of peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ
• the New Spirituality is replacing the true faith that
comes from the Word of God
• the unity in diversity of Oneness is replacing the
salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ
• unity-seeking dialogue and spiritual experiences are
replacing the Word of God. [9]
It's not surprising that so few Christians notice or resist
this process. Ever since
John Dewey and
Julian Huxley began to replace
factual
learning with
subjective
socialization, our ability to discern error has been undermined.
As
Donna Garner said, "We now have twenty years of
indoctrinated people." [10]
Leaders inside and outside churches have
discovered that facilitated group experiences create
new perceptions, which produce corresponding
feelings that establish new beliefs. These steps
are key to change. The Shack's "God" agrees:
"Paradigms power perception and
perceptions power emotions.... So check our perceptions, and
beyond that check the truthfulness of your paradigms -- what
you believe." [1,p.197]
"...religion is about having the
right answers.... [in contrast] I am
about the process that takes you to the living
answer."[1,p.198]
"You cannot see in your mind's eye something that
you cannot experience." [1,p.201]
"It is impossible not to believe what you
see," says ACIM's "Jesus," "but it is equally impossible to see
what you do not believe. Perceptions are built up on the
basis of experience, and experience leads to beliefs.
It is not until beliefs are fixed that perceptions stabilize. In
effect, then, what you believe you do see."[2,p.207]
Like other virtual
experiences, reading The Shack stirs the imaginations of
the gullible. It plants perceptions that shape new
beliefs in "open" minds. What few realize is that the end of
this process will be a bit like Pinocchio's experience. The
cruel tempter had promised Pinocchio all kinds of fun and food
on "Pleasure Island." But when he arrived, he changed into a
donkey and became a slave.
In the midst of today's deadly deceptions, the true God
offers hope:
"If you abide in My
word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
John 8:31-36
See COMMENTS on
this
page.
From God's Truth to the "New Spirituality" [chart] and
New Spirituality for an Emerging New Earth
The Shack
Author Rejects Biblical Substitutionary Atonement
You may want to read our
rebuttal to an
article dealing with the same issues.
Endnotes:
1.
William Young, The Shack (Windblown Media, 2007),
www.theshackbook.com
2.
A Course in Miracles, "dictated" by a demonic spirit
guide who called himself "Jesus" (Foundation for Inner Peace,
1976), 149.
3.
Roger Oakland,
"My Trip to the Rethink Conference," January 2008,
http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c73.shtml
4.
A Course in Miracles,
What Is Sin? at
http://acim.home.att.net/workbook250a.html
5.
A Course in Miracles, Release
from Guilt at
http://acim.home.att.net/text-13-11.html
6.
Ray Yungen, A Time of Departing (Silverton, OR:
Lighthouse Trails Publishing Company, 2002), page 101.
7.
http://www.crossroad.to/HisWord/verses/topics/Word.htm#alter
8.
Workbook Lesson 193,
http://acim.home.att.net/workbook193.html
9.
Tamara Hartzell,
"Are you '"Being led away 'with the Error of the
Wicked' to the New Age Ark of Oneness?"
February 2008.
10. "Process
over content,"
www.crossroad.to/Quotes/brainwashing/2008/process-content.htm
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