Strange Occurrence 1995/The Horror

For my current more academic article please see: esb

1. The following is seemingly the most strange occurrence in my life outside of an episode with exorcism (not of me!) when I was a child where I witnessed someone demonized and the beings were apparently cast out in Jesus' name. This person exorcised was not told they were a demon and so I doubt it was hypnotism as opposed to exorcism and I know key people involved well enough that it was not a staged event.

I am not however, an expert in exorcism or hypnotism.

A professor of mine did do exorcisms and told me that my experience seemed legitimate in light of his experience and the New Testament.

I reason that finite spiritual beings exist Biblically. They do influence people at times, myself included.

At times some are under very heavy demonic influence which could be equated with demonization.

It is the summer of 1995, I had just graduated from Bible College. I wanted to visit Britain and Ireland because I had not been to the United Kingdom since 1976, as a little boy, and I also wanted to see if I could tolerate Britain in the context of potentially doing a PhD there. I returned in 1997 and did a University tour. Both trips took place with my good friend and Blogger commenter Saint Chucklins of Ridge.

Sir Chucklins and I agree that the 1995 trip was an excellent one. My only other trip as fun was in 1976 with the family. My 1997, 2004 (February) and 2004 (December) trips as well as my 2009 trip were mainly business/academic trips with plenty of stress involved. I also lived in Manchester from 1999-2001 and that was very stressful although I made some very good lifelong friends.

I have mentioned this story previously on this blog, but this writing is all new with more detail.

stupid questions

In 1995, Chuckles and I spent a week in London, which is one of my favourite places to spend a week or so in. While on the Tube/London Underground I saw a bearded lady in tears making out with a man that was trying to console her by kissing her. Now, I am making no firm judgment on this woman, or her everlasting destiny, but I have to be honest and state that I felt like I could vomit looking at her. She made a negative physical impression on me.

After our good week in London we kept the tour going and ended up in Birmingham, which at the time, at least, was the second most populated metropolitan area in Britain. Chuck and I were in our hotel rooms and he was shaving while I was watching television. There was a show featuring the Edinburgh International Festival which we viewed personally later in the trip. Chucky was stating that if he did not shave he would look ugly, and I stated that he would not look as bad as that bearded lady. At that point I looked at the television and within a few moments that bearded lady was introduced as a presenter at the Edinburgh International Festival. Bizarre!

The theological lessons?

Pray that one is ready for the unexpected. It is one lesson anyway.

2. As mentioned in blog comments, on Friday we had a small Halloween party here and watched The Last Man on Earth (1964) with Vincent Price. It was a reasonably artistic movie of the horror/suspense/thriller genres, I would give it 4/5, and it did not feature gratuitous violence. I think the four of us that watched it all perhaps pondered on the end times as a result of viewing the film. In the past, especially prior to being an adult, I watched some classic horror/suspense/thriller movies with Vincent Price such as Pit and the Pendulum (1961), The Raven (1963), The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) and Theatre of Blood (1973). I have no desire to ever watch the Phibes films or Theatre of Blood again as they are too gross, and I have seen the Phibes films twice each. But I have to admit that the Price films do have some artistic merit.

Seems to me Pit and the Pendulum (1961), and The Raven (1963) were quite artistic and not near as gross as the other ones I just mentioned.

I have no stomach or patience for modern 'slasher' films whatsoever.

I reason:

Horror/suspense/thriller films can reasonably show evil and suffering.

These films can show evil and suffering as bad things, which they are.

Films that depend on gratuitous violence can limit their potential audience.

Therefore, the apparent or actual glorification of evil is not needed in these films.


Alnwick Castle, England

Atheistic praxis and should I seek an interview with Oral Roberts University?

Christ's Chapel at Oral Roberts University, Tulsa Oklahoma (Looks nice)

1. I have had many major formatting difficulties with this post!

2. I am interviewed at...

examiner.com

3. A dear relative satirically suggests that due to my debt I should pursue a career as a televangelist via a job as a professor at...

oral roberts university

-Would it work for me to work there with my Reformed views?

-Would you support me as a televangelist? I think I have a face for radio.

-I do not know much about the University and I am not presenting or implying any firm opinion.

4. Below are edited thoughts on atheistic praxis from my PhD. Views on my Reformed sovereignty theodicy can be primarily found here:

thekingpin68

Critical/Atheistic Praxis

Praxis is concerned with not merely applying theoretical knowledge, but adding to knowledge in the process of practically applying theory.

These three theodicy (free will, sovereignty and soul-making) view evil as part of the end goal praxis of bringing about a greater good and justifying God, his perfect goodness and plans in the end. C. Robert Mesle has noted these types of views that use greater good arguments make God the author of evil and make evil less than genuine. Mesle (1986: 418). Atheist William Rowe states that not all evil can be used for the greater good and certainly some must be gratuitous. Rowe (1990: 1-3). The greater good argument can always be challenged with good counter-arguments. Rowe (1990: 1-3). Mesle (1986: 418). Although I disagree with the concept of gratuitous evil, I accept Rowe’s point that some evil is inscrutable which is evil that cannot be understood reasonably well by human beings. Rowe (1990: 3). An atheistic (possibly agnostic and deistic as well) praxis concerning the problem of evil could be that life has no deeper meaning or purpose beyond physical death, and that all persons suffer and die with no further meaning to life. Darrow (1932)(1973: 453). Science, although very valuable, does not offer humanity an end directed goal of continued life. Darrow writes the best one can do is basically cling to life on earth as we head toward ‘a common doom.’ Darrow (1932)(1973: 453). An atheistic praxis coming from this type of view could be criticized as negative, but science cannot be primarily sought for support of theodicy, and theodicy should be based on solid religious and philosophical reasoning. In the case of free will and sovereignty perspectives, there is a heavy reliance on Scriptural revelation which is based in history. Hick’s view has an understanding that God could begin to be understood to some degree in metaphorical terms through the writings of a variety of religious traditions. Hick (1993: 126). He takes a Kantian understanding that God could not be affirmed as an actual or possible concept, although God can be assumed as possible. Kant (1788)(1898)(2006: 1). Hick takes this idea of Kant’s and deduces that when it comes to religious doctrine the noumena realm that relates to the phenomena realm may have little in common with resulting phenomena. Hick in Geivett (1993: 230).

In contrast, I reason:

God has revealed self in historical Biblical Scripture.

The infinite God can make self somewhat known to finite creatures.

God regenerates the elect (John 3, Ephesians 1, Romans 8).

Salvific knowledge of God is not primarily theoretical.

Christainity is of reasonable faith and philosophy of religion.

Certainly, an idea behind the writing of my PhD thesis has been to make it clear that blind faith fueled theodicy is not intellectually acceptable. Theodicy should be based on research and reason using and considering a variety of perspectives.

DARROW, CLARENCE (1928)(1973) ‘The Myth of the Soul’, in The Forum, October, in Paul Edwards and Arthur Pap (eds.), A Modern Introduction To Philosophy, New York, The Free Press.

DARROW, CLARENCE (1932)(1973) ‘The Delusion of Design and Purpose’, in The Story of My Life, October, in Paul Edwards and Arthur Pap (eds.), A Modern Introduction To Philosophy, New York, The Free Press.

HICK, JOHN (1993) ‘Afterword’ in GEIVETT, R. DOUGLAS (1993) Evil and the Evidence for God, Philadelphia, Temple University Press.

HICK, JOHN (1993) The Metaphor of God Incarnate, Louisville, Kentucky, John Know Press.

KANT, IMMANUEL (1788)(1898)(2006) The Critique of Practical Reason, Translated by Thomas Kingsmill Abbott, London, Longmans, Green, and Co.

MESLE, C. ROBERT (1986) ‘The Problem of Genuine Evil: A Critique of John Hick’s Theodicy’, in The Journal of Religion, Volume 66, Number 4, pp. 412-430. October, Chicago, University of Chicago Press.

PHILLIPS, D.Z. (2005) The Problem of Evil and the Problem of God, Fortress Press, Minneapolis.

ROWE, WILLIAM L. (1990) ‘The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism’, in Adams and Adams (eds.), The Problem of Evil, Oxford, Oxford University Press.