Showing posts with label evangelism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label evangelism. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Thinking Futher About Marxism




Breese continues another chapter in his book Seven Men Who Rule The World From The Grave on Marxism. This chapter is devoted to the critical analysis of the philosophy of Marxism. Breese concludes that in the end, Marx's arguments are unconvincing; they error in four ways:

  • It is poor economics. Marx preached that there were laws of economics that could not profitably be violated but if obeyed would produce a classless society and consequent utopia. This argument is unconvincing because it lacks a basis for reality in economics. For example, in Das Kapital, Marx asserts that the value of a commodity is derived from the cost of labor and the cost of raw material used to produce the commodity, not the utility in the real world. Marx completely ignores this fact, "no matter what a thing costs to manufacture, it is valueless if no one will pay to buy it" (79). So, no matter the price assigned to a product, it is worthless if no will pony up the money to pay for it. Everything else is irrelevant. Today, in the Soviet Union, because of Communism, there is a stable control of prices but their currency lacks a connection to demand and productivity, so it only works within a closed system. And even then, it is not very effective. When there is no state mandate to use currency as a medium of exchange, it becomes even more useless, losing more value, "so again, value is not derived by a declaration of the Party but from utility in the real world" (80). In Das Kapital, Marx addresses value in great length and concludes that the ultimate problems of the world come from the stolen "excess value" or profit from the Bourgeoise from the Proletariat. Because of this, the Proletariat labors in hopelessness and is driven deeper into despair and discouragement from Capitalist exploitation, "Marx saw the possession of the value as the natural right of the Proletariat" (80). Slave workers are changed into world changers (Marxist men) the minute the stolen profit of the Bourgeoise is put back into their hands. By taking this view, Marx is making profit the driving force by which the world is run, "profit is the Promethean fire" (80). Marx is no different than Freud and Darwin, the other humanist philosophers, who saw man driven completely by impersonal forces. For Marx it is profit, for Freud it's libido, for Darwin it's natural selection. All soulless and Godless. No one in honesty can say this is economics. Rather, it is "good hysteria" or bad psychology (80).

  • It is bad psychology. It is an illusion to think that most people are ready to drop everything or are "trembling with ecstasy in anticipation of the prospect of laboring each according to his ability so that they can give to their fellow man each according to his need" (80-81). Man is born inherently selfish. Observe any child, always crying for their needs to get met and always grabbing for what is theirs. On the contrary, children have to be taught NOT to be selfish or at least less selfish if they want to make a difference in the world for good. This fact alone reveals the truth that man is inherently selfish, ergo, there is no evidence to suggest that Marx's thoughts on human nature are correct. Rather, they are erroneous. As Breese points out in his usual concise style, "Russia, a very large country has a national product only 25% that of the United States. Why is this? It is simply that the competent will not work extensively and dependably to support the incompetent" (81). They also will not support a tyrannical state whose leaders live in splendid wealth while they grind the people into poverty. This was made evident in 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell and many were dancing with ecstasy over their newfound freedom. When the Communist government of East Germany was disposed Erich Honecker, the leader, was found to have incredible wealth. He owned 32 homes and imported 100 tons of grain every year from the West to feed his stags for his private hunting reserve for him and his cronies. The press brought this report (81). This hypocritical man had preached for years that his people must make sacrifices to bring the Communist paradise (utopia) to pass, "few E. Germans suspected that Honecker had created his own paradise in the present" (81). In Romania, as in many other Eastern European Communist nations, Nicolae Ceausescu was executed on Christmas day in 1989 for subjugating the Romanians in one of the cruelest and most oppressive dictatorships on earth. Thousands were killed for not obeying his commands. After his death, the press aired the same reports as Honecker that he built a bigger palace than Versailles. Its splendor was unimaginable. Shocking as this was, one should consider that a building this big with such splendor would be a potential bomb target for the dictator's enemies, surely as Speer advised Hitler on not constructing an elaborate building for the Fuhrer's headquarters. Based on this evidence, it is clear to see that Communist dictators are hypocrites. They impose draconian measures of severe austerity on their people calling for great sacrifices while they themselves live in "splendor beyond the imagination of most of the inhabitants of earth" (82). The Communist objectives: political control, ideological influence, propaganda, and subversion, only succeed by force.

  • It is bad futurism. The ideology of Communist thought has arrogantly boasted of its ability to predict the future: no one knows what the day or the hour will bring. But the idea that the Communist man will be produced after the state fades away and utopia emerges has been repeated over and over, "this baseless boilerplate [has been repeated] for more than a 100 years, while all the while the opposite is actually taking place" (83). There is no utopia. The concept is ridiculous in a sinful, fallen world. Consider what Breese states definitely, "one of the great lessons to be learned about life is that any given situation comes to pass from multiple causes and produces multiple consequences. That elementary truth escapes many foolish people who think that they can predict the exact outcome of a given individual, action, or group activity. No matter how genuine he may be, the intentions and how thorough-going the preparations, the outcome of anything is in the last analysis, unknown to us" (84). Here Breese makes a lucid point, one in which many fail to heed as a warning: we are not omniscient. Only God is and we are finite in this mortal flesh. Much was hidden from the world in these aforementioned Communist regimes that were eventually taken down only to reveal an oppressed people who at last had the freedom to speak the truth. Their stories of what the parental state had done to them in order to bring about social conditioning was nothing short of genocide. Futurism must be present with humility and the Communist certainly suck at both!

  • It is pitiful theology. Communist thought has at times asserted theological positions such as God, destiny, future, human shortcomings, etc., comparing it to Christian theology. But no such comparison can be made, namely that Communists assert that there is no God, whereas Christians assert that there is a God (monotheistic) who is Lord over all Nations. Marxist thought also denies the existence of sin, whereas Christians know that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" and that "the wages of sin are death" (Romans). The Communists insist that man becomes enlightened (conversion experience) because of the transport of discovering dialectical materialism, whereas the Christian knows the conversion experience as being born-again through faith in Jesus Christ. The Communist believes that the world changes (stays viable) because of revolutionary activity against the vestiges of bourgeois mentality. On the contrary, the Christian knows the true well-spring of rebirth when a person becomes a new creature after he receives Christ as his personal savior and his/her continuing viability is a consequence of God's promise of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Finally, the Communist has only an atheistic dystopia, whereas the Christian knows the future is in God's hands. Utopia will only come when Jesus Christ comes again. The juxtaposition of these contradicting thoughts can not even make Communism theology. It is beyond pitiful! (84).

    Surprisingly though, a development had taken place in the Christian/Marxist coalescence called Liberation Theology (more on this down below). In the early 60s, a conference was held at the Vatican. The theme of the conference was, "Peace on Earth" and "the call was for a rapprochement- a détente between Catholicism and Communism" (85). Never was this heard before, a dialogue between two hostile enemies for the purpose of affecting the future. Similar in thought to the recent mergers of ECT (Evangelicals and Catholics Coming Together) and the Manhattan Declaration, since when is this possible or even rational for there is no theological construct by which such an arrangement could be justified! It should be repudiated. These views grew out of Latin American Catholicism and hold the masses captive, including the Protestant left, leaving its influence on much of Evangelical Christianity. Liberation Theology is a view that claims Christ came into the world to be our economic liberator. It also asserts that Christ was sent to free the poor and the oppressed from the chains of poverty. The reality is that Liberation Theology "redefines sin" and "sin is to possess wealth in the face of the world's poverty. Righteousness therefore is to redistribute that wealth, giving it to the poor" (85). Sounds quite familiar doesn't it? In fact, climate change is all about grabbing wealth by taxing nations that emit fossil fuels and taking that tax and redistributing it to impoverished countries. But this never seems to happen, does it? No matter how much money is collected, the poor are still with us and their numbers are growing exponentially. Reading between the lines or small print, codified in these cap and trade bills (ex. Copenhagen Treaty), show the emergence of Liberation theology-a smokescreen used for political ambitions (power grab), and even worse, using God and religion as a means for evil control and oppression. Evangelism is also redefined: these oppressed people are liberated to join the revolution. Liberation Theology also claims that possessing money is the essence of sin, therefore Capitalism (the most sinful system in the world), must be destroyed and the Satan of the world (the President of the U.S.) must also as well (86). With this twisting of logic and rationale, "Liberation theology joins the Marxist cause and advocates the overthrow of the United States in an upcoming Marxist revolution. Liberation theology and it's subversive ideology has remarkably become strong in many parts of the world. It is not only a serious threat to the stability of the world, but it is also a serious spiritual subversion of Biblical Christianity.



"There is no God" produces instant intellectual vertigo. Having no first principle, no epistemological foundation, it can not prove secondary assertions, tertiary thoughts, or even up, down, or around. lLogic that begins in midair can not finally demonstrate the truth or falsity of anything. The Theological propositions of Communism are not more dependable than the wind in the willows. Surely the test of time proves this to all thinking people. Unfortunately, many must endure the test of time who will not early on force themselves to apply the test of logic or the test of the Holy Scripture"...…...Dave Breese (84). These points are useful to ponder given our current world situation. Ignorance is not bliss! It is so important to be aware of the times in which we live.




*quotes and paraphrases from the book, Seven Men Who Rule the World From the Grave, by Dave Breese. Moody's Press. Chicago, Ill. 1990.


**next post we will cover the philosophy of John Maynard Keynes (the last man in Breese's book) and how his philosophy of macroeconomics (profligate spending) has indebted and enslaved the nations of the world using the IMF and the Central Bank.









Tuesday, November 13, 2018

"Christian" Psychology



There is nothing Christian about psychology even though such terms as soul and spirit are used and there is no compatibility with psychology and biblical Christianity. Since Psychology is grounded in the occult as I mentioned in my previous post, it is contrary to the Bible and it offers an unbiblical diagnosis and a godless cure for many human problems that are spiritual in nature. Simply put, "Christian" psychology is not biblical and it is antithetical to the scriptures. In fact, religion should not even be integrated into psychology. Even Rollo May expressed deep concern about psychology's link to religion (Hunt 457). The Bible is the perfect guide divinely inspired by God and all the instructions for Godly living and all the wisdom for our human problems, whether they be emotional, mental, or relational, are contained therein. As a Born-Again Believer, if you believe the scriptures are not sufficient enough for your problems, and if you seek extra-biblical counsel, you are admitting that the Bible is not enough for your spiritual concerns and worse, you are denying the power of God in your life. Based on Dave Hunt's book, Occult Invasion, and building upon my previous post, we will discuss "Christian" Psychology, how it's contrary to the Bible, and the men who influenced it's integration into Christianity.

We all need counsel at some point in our lives. The question that should be asked before one seeks counsel is, what kind of counsel do you need? You certainly would not seek counsel from an auto mechanic if you had blurry vision, a low-grade fever or some other kind of physiological symptom. Instead, you would quickly make an appointment with your doctor. Similarly, you would not consult a financial advisor if you were having relationship problems in your marriage and you certainly would not consult an electrician if you were having plumbing related issues in your home. In terms of the Bible, you certainly would not utilize it on how to construct a high-rise office building or how to understand the open and closed loop cycle in your car's engine and what the PCM does. The Bible is inadequate in these matters because it was not written for such matters. It would be foolish to think that the Bible has answers to such matters as engineering or auto-mechanics or diabetic retinopathy. So where does one seek counsel on spiritual matters of the soul such as eternal salvation and hope and emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, and fear? These points are important to reiterate and ponder because there are advisors specific to their field and their specialty. When you integrate all these subjects, you are left with not only bad advice, but confusion as well and before you know it, your life is littered with debris from so many bad choices, "therefore it does make good sense to go only to the Bible with regard to those matters in which the Bible instructs us" (Hunt 463). And it makes sense because the Bible is the instruction manual on matters that concern our spiritual life; our souls, our emotions and our minds. It is the highest authority on the subject. The only counsel a person needs to live up to God's standard and to be all that God desires is found in His word.

So now that we understand from whom we should seek counsel let us consider this idea of the integration of man-made psychology and biblical Christianity. Can the wisdom of this world in the medium of man-made psychology enhance Christianity when the Apostle Paul flat out rejected the wisdom of this world in I Corinthians 2: 5-14? And is not the wisdom of this world foolishness to God that is clearly stated in I Corinthians 1:20? Man can not understand himself because he did not create himself. God did. Therefore how can he know the inner workings of his soul and spirit, his mind and his emotions? Yet psychology "unlike any other profession, claims to deal with the very matters which the Bible deals with: the soul and spiritual side of man" (Hunt 462). Even Carl Jung admitted that "no one knows what the psyche is" (462). Hunt points out succinctly, "psychology is man's futile attempt to understand himself and to adjust his behavior" (462). Christian psychology has brought the wisdom of the world, which is foolishness to God, and has integrated it into Christianity and as a result, it has offered a supplement to scripture deceiving many. The Divinely inspired scripture does not need man made wisdom and it certainly does not need an integration with humanism, especially humanism that is grounded in the occult and is clearly antithetical to scripture. The Bible firmly states that it is concerned with the "things that pertain unto life and godliness" and we have all that we need in that regard in Christ (II Peter 1:3-4). Christ, "who is our life" (Colossians 3:4), needs no psychological counseling. Since God knows our hearts as Jeremiah 19:9-10 states, He can do the best job searching, analyzing, and guiding our lives than anyone else. And just as David relied on God to search his heart in Psalm 139:23-24, so can any other modern day Christian. The Bible is just as relevant today as it was many years ago and it's applications and remedies are just as effective as they were for the saints of God 2000 years ago.

Up until recently when psychology started to infiltrate the church, the people of God looked only to Him for their spiritual and emotional needs and overcame victoriously. Consider the early martyrs. They did not need extra biblical counseling to endure the Roman arena and all the heroes and heroines in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews chapter 11 triumphed gloriously without any help from psychological counseling or expensive therapy sessions and pharmacological aids. Job, who suffered immensely, did not seek counseling for his suffering and Joseph, who endured many nights being abandoned, falsely accused, and rejected did not seek therapy for all the abuses he endured. The early church withstood the onslaught of the enemy and even proliferated without the help of extra-biblical counseling. These people of God and their lives are recorded in the Bible for us to see that trials must be endured for our own good. They are meant to refine and mature us. The Bible also instructs us that in the weakness of our trials and hardships, God will be with us as He becomes our strength. These lessons are meant to teach us that it is only through our weakness that we experience the power of God in our lives as the Apostle Paul so eloquently states, "nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Romans 8:37) and "now thanks be unto God , which always causeth us to triumph in Christ" (II Corinthians 2:14). It would be laughable to think that Job, Joseph, and Paul could not have survived unless they sought inner healing and therapy from a psychologist! No, quite the contrary, these men survived and triumphed over their trials because of the power of God that sustained them as they learned to trust and depend upon God for help, not some extra-biblical therapy or counselor. Tragically, the Bible is neglected by many today because they turn to and trust in extra-biblical sources. So why has psychology invaded so many pulpits and why is it a large part of the curriculum in Christian Universities that encourage students to get degrees when the saints of the Bible clearly demonstrate that this was and is superfluous? The answer is simple really. The men who influenced its infiltration and its proliferation.

Psychology claims to be the study of the soul (psyche) and it claims to provide additional expertise that the Bible lacks, even though that claim contradicts the clear testimony of scripture. Despite this, the Christian masses flock to it. One man in particular pioneered the pop-psychology movement founded on positive thinking and his name was Norman Vincent Peale. The seminal influence of this man can not be overstated, "Peale, a 33rd degree mason, who called the virgin birth of Christ, 'some theological idea,' established a one-psychiatrist clinic at his church which grew to more than a score of doctors and ministers" (Hunt 459). This essentially became the inspiration behind "Christian" psychology and the thousands of clinics associated with it. Peale was even worse than a liberal because he openly acknowledged that his ideas came from leading occultists: Religious Science founder Ernest Holmes and Unity cult cofounder Charles Fillmore (Hunt 460). Peale's regular disciple Robert Schuller became another leading man of influence of Christian psychology as he brought acceptability of this destructive belief into the fold, "in reporting upon his attendance at the World Psychiatric Congress in Madrid in 1967, Schuller gave the impression that psychology and psychiatry were right in line with Christianity" (Hunt 460). This is stated in Schuller's book, Self-Esteem, The New Reformation (21-22). Many of Schuller's books promote this delusion and Schuller also accepted the International Viktor Frankl Logotherapy Award ["logotherapy encourages the patient to recognize an existential meaning to this life on earth, with no regard for heaven or hell, involving spiritual values minus any religious connotations and based upon the Good, the True, and the Beautiful, but not God" (Hunt 460)]. Logotherapy is anti-Christian and is grounded in Humanism. Both these men, Peale and Schuller, had an enormous influence in the church and were seen as vanguard, but it wasn't until Billy Graham, who wholehearted endorsed Peale and Schuller, that "Christian" psychology and "Christian" psychiarty really began to take over in Evangelicalism. The few Christians who do not endorse these men and resist this occult invasion are seen as prudes, lagging behind the times, and not keeping up with the evolving church, "in their book The Integration of Psychology and Theology, Christian Psychologists John D. Carter and Bruce Narramore write,

"The typical conservative minister is 20 or 30 years behind his liberal colleague in being aware of the contributions of psychology to the understanding of personality" (37) (Hunt 460).

Today in the Evangelical Church, there are more Christian psychologists who openly admit the humanism behind psychology that has nothing to do with biblical Christianity. James Dobson said, "Christian psychology is a worthy profession for a young believer to pursue, provided his faith is strong enough to withstand the humanistic concepts to which he will be exposed" (Focus of the Family, Dec. 1988). As Hunt states to which I agree wholeheartedly, "why must one be exposed to humanistic concepts in order to learn "Christian" psychology when psychology was invented by humanists and cannot be separated from the humanism upon which it is founded" (461)? Integrating the two creates a godless partnership and is antithetical to scripture as it is verboten in II Corinthians 6:14-18 and Amos 3:3. This whole idea of integration is not only unbiblical, it's illogical! Was the church shortchanged for 1900 years? Can humanism add to the power of God? Is God defective? Oh, but humanists think they are evolving into godlike creatures who are infallible while God is fallible and so Christians, they say, need additional insight, "Christian psychology claims that the Bible lacks insights which have lately been provided by atheistic humanists coming to the rescue" and yet "psychotherapy consists of hundreds of conflicting and unproved theories, so no one need be concerned about lacking its counterfeit wisdom" (Hunt 464). Surely God in His omniscience has not overlooked what may befall us or has failed to provide the complete instructions and navigation for this life nor has He failed to provide the appropriate remedy for our spiritual problems in His Word. So what has caused these influential men to promote such a godless partnership? The answer is in one word: selfism.

At the very core of the occult is selfism and as Freud built his psychological theories on occultism and a very narrow, myopic, inward focus, the overwhelming emphasis became self and what emerged what a menagerie of selfisms that "invaded not only the world but the church: self-love, self-acceptance, self-improvement, self-worth, self-confidence, self-esteem, self-ad nauseam" (Hunt 467). Self is the heart of human potential (humanism) and it is the pride of life despite the fact that the Bible implicitly affirms us to put no confidence in the flesh, "thus saith the Lord, cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm, whose heart departeth from the Lord" (Jeremiah 17:5 and Philippians 3:3-7 KJV). Contrast this with what Schuller praises in Self Love, The Dynamic Forces of Success, 

"Self love is a crowning sense of self worth. It is an ennobling emotion of self respect.....an abiding faith in yourself. It is sincere belief in yourself. It comes through self discovery, self discipline, self forgiveness, and self acceptance. It produces self reliance, self confidence, and an inner security, calm as the night" (32).

Self is mentioned nine times in this brief quotation. Is it any wonder why psychology has created more selfish people? Instead of self being denied like the Bible instructs a disciple to do in Mark 8:34, self is promoted, esteemed, and loved more than anything, including God. One now must bow at the alter of his/her own ego. In many pulpits today, self is at the center. The Christian is taught that what is needed more than anything is to develop their self-love, self-esteem, and self-worth. Dobson states in his book, Hide and Seek, "in a real sense, the health of an entire society depends on the ease with which the individual members gain personal acceptance" (12-13). But self was the reason for the fall in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve heeded the voice of the serpent who wanted to be God. The serpent planted a seed of doubt in their minds regarding the authority God had over their lives, "oh but yeah, hath God really said" (Genesis 3:1)? It is the love of self that has caused the destruction of so many marriages and it is the love of self that has caused more heartache and suffering in the world. Tragically, this self esteem delusion and the destructive folly of psychology has swept through the church like a tsunami carrying with it sound, biblical teaching, "let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves" (Philippians 2:3 KJV). Romans 12:3 warns us not to think more highly than we ought to think and nowhere does the Bible warn us against thinking poorly of ourselves. The Bible tells us the opposite which should manifest an attitude of humility, "but we are all as un unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6 KJV). "Christian" psychology wants to take the unpleasant truths in scripture that are negative and put a positive spin on it so we view ourselves as supremely important. It is designed to help us escape the reality that needs to be confronted in our souls....the darkness that lurks there and the Bible is that very magnifying glass that looks deep into our souls so that we can not escape the truth, "for the Word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12 KJV). When a person seeks psychological counseling because they are having anxiety, not only will they throw their money down the drain for expensive counseling but then they are given an expensive drug to ease their anxiety. Yet the Bible has the perfect remedy in Philippians 4:6 that doesn't cost a penny, "be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." Anxiety is sin because God is able to take care of all your tiny problems that you have magnified in your life instead of God. If anxiety is crippling you, then you need to get down on your knees and humble yourself before the mighty hand of God and acknowledge your lack of faith and ask God to help you. And He will! Because God wants to set you free from anxiety. And the same applies to fear. The Bible instructs us in 2 Timothy 1:7 that "God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" and David said "what time I am afraid, I will trust in the Lord (Psalm 56:3). And the same applies to depression. The Bible is implicit that we are to cast down any thought that rises itself against the knowledge of God whether that be fear, anxiety, or depression "casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). This is not to say that you will never feel those feelings, it's just that those feelings should not be ruling in your soul because Jesus said it succinctly, "Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free" (John 8:32). There are numerous scriptures to seek that address these emotional problems that psychology claims to have the remedy for but the worst part about "Christian" psychology is its misapplications and misquotations of scripture.

The scripture in Proverbs 23:7, "as a man thinketh in his heart," is often mishandled by "Christian" psychologists. The use of visualization, which is part of ancient occult practices, encourages patients to believe whatever they want and so they will get it, "Eastern mysticism and shamanism converge in visualization at the center of the occult world. This is the essence of all mysticism, whether practiced by yogis or Roman Catholic "saints." It is the heart of the spiritual exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. Yet is is used by hundreds of Christian psychologists and even evangelical leaders" (Hunt 474). Gary Collins who is a Christian and a licensed clinical psychologist with a PhD from Purdue University (**my father's college buddy was a professor there.....they went to college together at the University of Kansas in 1959 and I still have a picture of them from out west...my father became a dermatologist, M.D. and Charles Rutledge became a professor....Chip stopped correspondence with me once he found out I was a Christian just as he did with my father) debunks any concerns in his book Can You Trust Psychology, "many who fear the entrance of occult practices into psychology nevertheless draw invalid and illogical conclusions about current counseling practices. In their often sincere desires to purge occult influences form counseling, some writers have condemned visualization, self-talk, the healing of memories and other frequently used therapeutic methods (104-105). Instead of warning Christians about the occult practices in psychology, Collins endorses them and as a result, scripture is misapplied, taken out of context and used to reinforce visualization. The problem "as a man thinketh is his heart," is that it is not accurately interpreted. It doesn't tell the whole story, which is common for those who do not understand the Bible and so they cherry pick specific scripture that suit their liking. This specific scripture is actually about "Solomon warning his son that when he becomes king other rulers may invite him to a feast, but their pretense of friendship may not be sincere" (Hunt 469)......don't be deceived, for "as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee." It is a warning (which the Bible is filled with) that a man (or woman for that matter) who uses kind and pleasant words may not accurately reflect his or her true feelings and what is really going on inside their heart. Consider also the scripture "love your neighbor as thyself," God didn't say "love your neighbor as your inadequately love yourself. God already knows we all love ourselves more than we should so that scripture is admonishing us to share the love, care, and attention that we give to ourselves already in abundance (469). Don't we all need that admonishment? And when people say "I hate myself," has any man or woman really hated themselves? Sure they may hate their clothes, their neighbors, their car, their low-income or their job, their co-workers, their appearance but no man has ever hated himself....."for no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cheriseth it, even as the Lord the Church" (Ephesians 5:29). If a man or woman really hated themselves, they would be glad they were abused, or lived in poverty, or were homely looking in appearance, or drove a crappy car. The fact that he/she complains about these things only proves that he/she loves themselves which is exactly what the Bible says (470). The integration of psychological concepts such as a sense of belonging, sense of worth, and a sense of competence have also invaded the church.

Josh McDowell wrote a book titled His Image, My Image. In this book, McDowell presents three specific psychological concepts that should exists in a well-integrated personality:
  • A sense of belonging (acceptance by others)
  • A sense of worthiness (feeling good about oneself) 
  • A sense of competence (confidence in oneself)
As Hunt in his most candid style so perfectly articulates, "most if not all of the heroes and heroines in the Bible lacked all that Josh McDowell says one needs. Moses, for example, was rejected by his own people and considered himself to be both unworthy and incompetent (Exodus 3:11, 4:10-13). If there was ever a man with an abysmal self-image and self-esteem, it was Moses. But instead of prescribing months of Christian psychological counseling to raise his self-image, God said, "I will be with you!" In fact, God chose Moses because he lacked self-esteem. God chose the meekest man on earth (Numbers 12:3) to confront its mightiest emperor to deliver His people from that tyrant's grip so that God alone would have all the glory" (470-471). The Apostle Paul was rejected and hated by the Jews. In 2 Timothy 4:16 Paul says, "at my first answer no one stood with me, but all men forsook me" and in 2 Timothy 1:15, Paul also says, "all they which are in Asia be turned away from me." He also called himself The chief of sinners in I Timothy 1:15 and in Romans 7:18, he said that in me, there dwelleth no good thing. According to psychology, which claims to have more insight than the Bible, Moses and Paul are severely lacking in self-worth and self-esteem, "Christian psychology has promoted the lie that God loves us because of some value in ourselves" (Hunt 471). And so psychology not only promotes the self esteem theory but also the concept called self fulfilling prophecy which is used to avoid negative self-talk and instead use positive words to love yourself. Yet Christ did not die for our righteousness, He died for our sins. He did not come because we were worth saving, He came because apart from Him we have no hope for the whole human race is ruined, worthless, and undone because of sin. He did not come to earth for any reason that was in us, but solely because of the reasons He took from the depths of His own divine love (Spurgeon 68-69). Jesus came to fulfill the law and He came as a promise from God to deliver the people from their sins and yet "Christian" psychology is teaching the exact opposite and the consequences have been disastrous.

The harm of psychology infecting Biblical Christianity can not be understated, "numerous studies by secular psychologists and psychiatrists have demonstrated that the higher one's self esteem, the more likely one is to be immoral, violent, and prone to trample on the right's of others" (Hunt 472). Even Newsweek featured a major article in their February 1992 issue titled, "The Curse of Self-Esteem: What's Wrong With The Feel Good Movement" and in it the researcher declared that self-control is most important and he argued to drop the whole self esteem nonsense. Another featured article in the newspaper The Oregonian says,"If we could cross out self-esteem and put in self-control, kids would be better off and society in general would be much better off" (Nov 1995). Despite the numerous studies and these statements, "the fallacious and destructive self-esteem theory continues to be the very bread and butter of Christian psychology" (Hunt 473). Simon the Pharisee, who no doubt was in love with himself as his high and mighty attitude looked down in condescension on the prostitute who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears and dried them with her hair, was completely unaware of his own wretchedness, hence his name Simon the Pharisee. Contrast that with the sinful woman who was well aware of her sinfulness and unworthiness. Jesus acknowledged the magnitude of the woman's love and noted the coldness of the Pharisee. The more we realize our own guilt and wretchedness, the more acutely aware we will be of our gratitude for the One who came to our rescue and saved us from our sin. Clearly, "Christian" psychology is spreading a cancerous disease throughout the Church as so many Believers are trusting in secular counsel rather than the counsel of God.

The decided factor remains: what is Truth? For the Born-Again Believer there is no argument no matter how many theses are written in the support of integrating secular psychology and biblical Christianity. The two decided factors should be: what is true in psychology and what is God's Truth? You can not argue for the integration of the two because, "psychologists can't agree among themselves. There are hundreds of conflicting theories and many opposing schools of psychology. Because it is not scientific, there is no objective standard by which to measure truth in psychology. But even if it were science, no matter how well established, it is not God's Truth" (Hunt 479). And God doesn't need any other truth. Jesus said, "I am the Truth" (John 14:6). He did not say, "I am part of the Truth and you should look for more truth." This statement separates God's Truth from everything else, including science and psychological theories. God has written His law upon the conscience of every person, "which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another"(Romans 2:15) and to the extent that man heeds their conscience, they will know of God's Truth. Even if psychologists know some of God's Truth, "what is the point of dredging through the muck and mire of their false teaching for a truth which can be found clean, clear, and readily available in God's Word" (Hunt 479)? Jesus promised us He would help us with the Holy Spirit for that is the ministry of the Holy Spirit: to guide us into all Truth and to comfort us. So why do we need Freud and all these other psychologists? It's an honest question to ask yourself, "preventing God's people from believing in the sufficiency of scripture is essential for Christian psychologists if they hope to remain in business" (Hunt 481). There is no justification for the integration of psychology and biblical Christianity. If God said it in His Word, that settles it for all Eternity!


Paraphrases and quotes taken from:
Hunt, Dave. Occult Invasion. Harvest House Publishers. Eugene, Oregon. 1998

Collins, Gary. Can You Trust Psychology? Endorsed by Bill Hybels. InterVarsity. 1988

Schuller, Robert H. Self-Esteem, The New Reformation. World Books. 1982

Schuller, Robert H. Self-Love, The Dynamic Force of Success. Hawthorne. 1969

Spurgeon, Charles. All of Grace. Moody Press.




Thursday, October 25, 2018

Psychology and the Occult





Building upon my last post and based on Dave Hunt's book, Occult Invasion, I want to delve into the occult origins of psychology and the dangers that lie therein and why this is a very important matter to discuss. Many are unaware of how much psychology is grounded in the occult and so they take psychology at face valve, never investigating whether or not the theories presented are correct. As a result many have been deceived. The worst part being of course is that many believe psychology is an actual science! So yes, there is a secret behind psychology and the secret that no one wants you to know is in one word: the occult, "the attempt to deal with human behavior scientifically has opened the door to occult seduction" (Hunt 437). In man's desire to understand complex human behavior, he has opened the door to the seduction of the occult; he is more than willing to accept theories that have no basis in objective truth and has allowed his/her mind to be seduced, manipulated, and controlled by occult practices.

Most know Psychology is a discipline in the 'medical field" and it is used in an attempt to understand the psyche or the soul of man. There was a stubborn insistence that the psyche was the sum total of psychological reactions to physical stimuli and it was held onto by experts. For over a century, psychologists and psychiatrists, held onto Freud's medical model and B.F. Skinner's behavioristic theories, both of which tried to explain thought, emotions, and personality in terms of the physical body alone, all without common sense, (these statements are not unknown because they are well documented in Psychology 101 courses. I know because I took the class. It is part of the core curriculum in a Liberal Arts degree as well as many other degrees, particularly allied health). This deception and delusion however held on longer than it should have because of the proud determination to establish psychology as a science (Hunt 436). The problem lies in the very fact that man is a spirit and his spirit lives in his flesh body through which he participates in physical events and when his flesh body dies, his spirit goes either to Heaven or Hell, "the spirit shall return unto God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:7 KJV). Man is unlike the animal in that an animal is not a spirit. This distinguishes animals from man. The spirit of man enables him to know God, unlike an animal, and when the spirit is separated from the body, it remains conscious, whether in Heaven or Hell. The spirit also imparts thoughts to the soul which causes the brain to act or will. It is important to note that brain cells do not think. If you have even taken a biology course, you must study the cell. The cell has many organelles that have very specific functions. There is no organelle in the cell that is responsible for thought processes, even though the so-called scientific community will tell you otherwise: in psychology, a person is taught that every thought and emotion is merely a chemical or electrical synaptic exchange in the cranial vault, "he must hold that the difference between Shakespeare and some village pornographer is created by accidental connections of cells within the human cortex" (Breese 50). Breese also points out, "if all things, including human thought and spirituality are determined by electrochemistry in the human cranium, we have a mechanistic universe" (50). This belief evades the truth that man is a spirit and since science can not observe spirits, it is impossible to claim that psychology is a science.

Mind Science cults, such as Christian Science, Religious Science, Science of the Mind, have tried to make a science out of spiritual beings and as a result, have opened the door to the occult. Occultism is simply religious science that "purports to utilize a spiritual power that works by certain laws, making it possible to elicit a predictable response from the spirit world" (Hunt 436) and the psychological community is no less different. William James, a pragmatic humanist in the late 19th century wrote, "I wish by treating Psychology like a natural science, to help her become one" (A Plea for Psychology As a Natural Science). Another psychologist, Dr. Tana Dineen said, "the scientism of psychology made grand promises: solutions to societal and international problems, understanding and change of individual and social behavior, and the creation of a safer and better world by eliminating the destructive forces that had brought about the war"(Manufacturing Victims 116). As this delusion took over, the psychological community began to believe that "the social world is knowable, predictable, and controllable and....that breakthroughs in understanding the individual human mind would be basic building blocks for a better society" (Kessen 820). Post WW II society gladly accepted this lie, submitting quickly to experiments and theories. But two discerning men saw clearly that psychology is not grounded in science: Karl Popper, a philosopher of science, declared that "psychological theories have more in common with primitive myths than with science" (Hunt 437) and Thomas Szasz, a famous Jewish psychiatrist, called psychology in his book, The Myth of Psychotherapy, "the clever and cynical destruction of the spirituality of man, and its replacement by a positivistic science of mind" (104-5) (Hunt 437). Most psychologists would admit that there is no science in human behavior and it is important to note that Sigmund Freund, the so-called father of psychology, was heavily involved in the occult as was Carl Jung. Freud collected a large number of ancient Greek, Roman, Oriental, and Egyptian artifacts as consecrated statues that represented spirits so he could engage in magic (Bobgan 58-59). With occult practices integrated in Psychology, these "experts" have failed to recognize the truth, "man's problem is that he is separated from God by sin. Psychology has turned sin into sickness, a sickness of the mind that requires not repentance and reconciliation with God, but therapy and reconciliation with one's 'inner truth' (Hunt 437). And so instead of God's universal truth, psychology is teaching man how to tap into the resources of his or her inner being. (Templeton Worldwide 120). This clearly is occultism/shamanism. And we can see this delusion that has taken over psychology and psychiatry.

"Posing as scientists of the psyche, or soul, psychologists and psychiatrists have taken over as the experts who alone can define normal behavior" (Hunt 438). Martin L. Gross explains:
        
  "As the Protestant ethic has weakened in Western society, the confused citizen has turned to the only alternative he knows: the psychological expert who claims there is a new scientific standard of behavior to preface fading traditions....the citizen-patient has been told, and usually believes, that his tormenting doubts about love, sex, work, interpersonal relations, marriage and divorce, child raising, happiness, loneliness, even death, will yield to the new technology of the mind. Mouthing the holy name of science, the psychological expert claims to know all" (The Psychological Society 3-5).

The result of this being the destruction of society and the family unit. Since the exponential growth of psychology in the 1950s, we have witnessed more rebellion, more crime, and more immorality and we have seen an explosion of psychiatric hospitals with a doubling of psychiatric beds for more patients. It seems more like a growing lucrative industry, "psychology has been rightly called the only profession that creates the diseases which it claims to cure" (Hunt 438). Adding to this of course, is the use of pharmacological aids creating a very large disease care management system which does not want you to die but also doesn't want you to get well. It's called Big Pharma for a reason; there's a lot of money to be made in synthetic drugs that are all petro based. Frontline did a video on this very topic: the medicated child. Based on their investigation, children as young as four are being diagnosed with bi-polar (thanks to the ubiquitous leveraging of Psychiatry) when they are just normal, very energetic children. Some of these children have died from overdosing of popular drugs and some are placed on as many as 20 different drugs, drugs being so toxic to a young human body still developing. Regardless of all these facts, "public trust and media support for this profession continue in spite of the fact that its ranks shelter more moral, emotional, and behavior problems than any other" (Hunt 438). Sigmund Freud committed suicide and other prominent psychologists have as well, including Bruno Bettelheim, Paul Federn, Wilhelm Stekel, Victor Tausk, and Lawrence Kohlberg. Robert Epstein wrote an article titled, Why Shrinks Have So Many Problems, in Psychology Today about Sigmund Freud that he "was a basket case who often fainted, could not control his own sexual impulses, couldn't stop smoking even after thirty operations, and was haunted by superstitions" (59, 62). Freud also said, "patients are nothing but riff-raff. The only useful purposes they serve are to help us make a living and to provide learning material" (Haynal 32). It appears that those who are in the mental health field and the relative psychological field who claim to have the solutions and therapies for the behaviors of the populace have their own mental health problems! Suppose you go to a drug counselor because you have an addiction to drugs. Would you go see a psychologist (with a master's degree) who has a son addicted to drugs or who had a nasty divorce? It shows that those who claim to understand behavior can't control their own child's behavior or even their own. But that hasn't changed the minds of the populace. 

While having an awareness of this evidence against psychology, it has been welcomed by many as the new truth and has given "hope" to many. This overwhelming trust has given the psychological industry tremendous power to wield over the population. It is frightening to see where this could lead, "in 1971 the president of the American Psychological Association proposed that psychologists administer behavior modification drugs to civil and military leaders to reverse their aggression impulses" (Hunt 439). Before the 1970s, psychiatric hospitals performed lobotomies in an effort to control behavior which left the patient a vegetable. Today, so many are on prozac and numb to life itself because some psychologist wrote a script that he was paid generously for by the pharmaceutical company. When patients gladly submit to their psychologist's therapy, they fail to realize that there is a merry-go-round of confusion of psychological theories which has been quite entertaining to say the least: from homosexuality being an unnatural, deviant behavior to a "sexual preference," to it being completely removed from the diagnostic manuals (DSM), is it any wonder why anyone would believe their mental health doctor? This is not science because what people are persuaded to believe and what has actually been proven is quite different (Dineen 151-152). Psychologists have developed thousands of theories with primitive superstitions and/or some newly invented scam and then it suddenly becomes legitimate. The worst part being of course that patients are convinced by their therapists that. "all their problems come from their mothers, the stars, their biochemical makeup, their diet, their life-style and even the "karma" from past lives" (Mills). If anyone would take the time to investigate this looney tune nonsense that comes out of psychology and psychiatry that claims to be science, one would have to consider how it is even taken seriously, especially since psychotherapy is highly suggestive. So why then is psychology given so much clout? Those who study psychology (Stanley Milgram, i.e) realize the power it does have: it is specific in the use of controlling people and as a result, it is implemented in politics, economics, and sociology. It is also seen as the "mecca of human potential."

Humanistic psychology, the mecca of human potential, blossomed in the 60s and 70s when prominent psychologists would gather at Esalen Institute in the Big Sur area south of San Fransisco. Abraham Maslow and his wife, Bertha, were regular attendees as was B.F. Skinner (Hunt 444). Their theories were presented and discussed and Esalen become the New Age center on the West Coast. This New Age center was into channeling spirits calling themselves, "The Nine," and they delivered messages with an uncanny precognitive accuracy (demonic), "for several years the Esalen Catalog offered a course in Gestalt which it promised would be facilitated by "The Nine, a paranormal intelligence" (Esalen Catalog 1980). The biographical entry in the catalog for The Nine describes them as "giant reflectors of yourselves, gestalt practitioners, marriage counselors-pure energy of emergence quality available to all" (ibid). These Nine have communicated with other mediums and other people involved in the occult (the Apostle Paul identified the Nine (archons) over 2000 years ago as demonic enemies of mankind wielding spiritual wickedness [Ephesians 6:12]). The Association for Humanistic Psychology, founded in 1963 which includes the psychologist Rollo May, has been run amok by occultism and as a result, the penetration runs deep. The regular practice of shamanism as key speakers at their annual meetings has given way to so-called altered states of consciousness in an attempt to contact spirits. Ritual practices of mediumistic seances were used as another way to contact and communicate with spirits or 'spirit friends.' The AHP also has been noted as advertising in The Shaman's Drum, and there is a large involvement of psychologists that have endorsed this ancient occult practice. This demonstrates a clear relationship between psychotherapy and shamanism, an ancient, occult religion. One important note about the ad were the obvious words it used to attract other practicing shamans: "Ritual, Meditation....Altered States of Consciousness, Shamanism, and Spirit Healing, Mediumship" (Shaman's Drum). This is not science but rather hocus pocus nonsense! Now some may say, "but wait, we need to respect all cultures and embrace all religions and come together," but being respectful to others doesn't mean throwing logic out the window and being respectful doesn't preclude using common sense: science can not observe spirits. This statement does not need to be reiterated, at least to the rational crowd who truly understand what science is and what it is not. But to those who embrace this delusion, they are opening the door to a massive deception and are believing in lies that are masquerading as the truth. Writing in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, psychologist John Heider acknowledges that a "major catalyst in the development of transpersonal psychology was 'the widespread use and abuse of psychedelic or mind-manifesting substances such as marijuana, LSD, and mescaline.....the psychedelic drugs gave incontrovertible proof that altered states of consciousness had reality and that paths toward transcendent experience existed' (Catharsis in Human Potential Encounter) (Hunt 447). This "hippi-revolution" was so wide spread and it's influence was profound. Drugs became the new epidemic outside of AIDS and caused more crime as many drugs were being trafficked into the Unites States. The demand was great and it's tentacles reached up into the upper echelons of society to the poorest of block communities. The few sensible voices since were noted. One in particular was in the German magazine, Der Spiegel. In the July 1994 edition there was a featured article that "raised the possibility of demonic involvement through Freudian and Jungian psychology" (Hunt 448). It appears that psychology and this so-called psychotherapy have created more problems than have actually cured addictions and behaviors and it has created a society that refuses to take responsibility for themselves.

Despite the discredit of Freud's theories by prominent psychologists, "two of Freud's theories remain as the major underpinnings of most psychology and psychotherapy: the unconscious and psychic determinism" (Hunt 448), "the most pernicious of these beliefs is that adult behavior is determined mainly by childhood experiences, even very subtle ones, and particularly those that enhance or diminish self-esteem" (Dawes 90) [More of Dawes down below]. What has been the result of this pervasive belief in psychology and psychiatry? As Hunt points out quite lucidly, the one word missing from all of this is responsibility. How many courtroom trials have we witnessed where the offender is exonerated no matter what they did? Without responsibility for oneself and his/her actions, no one is guilty. Crime becomes a byproduct of a bad social problem. Drugs, alcohol, and sex addictions become diseases, "instead of being guilty, we are all victims-not only of what others have done to us but also victims of our own feelings and therefore not accountable" (Hunt 448). What all this has done is only worsened the problem of crime and addictions. There are staggered addictions to opioids and other drugs, alcohol, and porn. When people are taught that it is ok to have these problems (because it's not their fault), they think that what they are doing is not wrong. In fact, I would even venture to say that if you are a person who does not do drugs, drinks excessively, parties, and sleeps around (i.e. responsible), you are almost viewed with contempt. Bad is now considered good and good is now considered bad! These two theories of Freud's psychology have no doubt had a pervasive impact, and with the use of mind-altering drugs, many have unwittingly tapped into the occult. But Freud's impact doesn't end there. His regular use of regression therapy in his practice also opened the door to the occult. Most sensible people know that memories can not be trusted and there is no scientific evidence to prove otherwise. As noted in my previous post on Freud's bizarre psychological theories, memories were a very big part of Freud's psychotherapy and the use of this regression therapy in modern day psychotherapy raises many questions. As the patient is brought into a highly suggestive state, the therapist may also have his own agenda and may pressure the patient to remember what the therapist has already concluded is the problem (without any evidence). Then if the patient can not remember, he/she is accused of either repressing the memory or being in denial. Freud is quoted as saying,

         "We must not believe what they [patients] say [when they deny having memories], we must always assume, and tell them, too, that they have kept something back......we must insist oaths, we must repeat the pressure and represent ourselves as infallible, till at last we are really told something......the pressure technique, in fact, never fails" (Standard Edition).

This kind of therapy not only produces false memories but it can potentially destroy a person's reputation and life. The worst part being that this psychology is used specifically in police investigations and interrogations. How many people have been falsely accused of something when there was no evidence to prove it? Aside from this potentially devastating outcome and the false memories, is the opening of the door to the occult when hypnotized patients are pressured to remember things. Where are these memories of hypnotized patients coming from? In Eastern mysticism, reincarnation, and witchcraft, we can see the connection with the occult. As one is forced to open their mind under a highly suggestive state, they are opening their mind to spirits of unknown origins, "we are forced to the inescapable conclusion that some other mind is providing the data which is surely beyond the knowledge of the hypnotized subject. Using their spirit guides, shamans have engaged in precisely this technique for thousands of years" (Hunt 450). Hypnosis is not scientific, there is no evidence to prove it is reliable in producing objective facts. If anything, it produces the same affects of those who use psychedelic drugs, "hypnotized subjects spontaneously manifest psychic powers, clairvoyance, out-of-body experiences, and the whole range of occult phenomena" (Greenberg and Deherrera). Freud and his hypnosis has made a large impact in the West and has opened the door to the occult but it hasn't just been in hypnosis where we see this occurring. Another belief in psychology has also opened the door to the occult.

Multiple Personality Disorder or MPD segued from Freud's theories of the unconscious and psychic determinism. MPD was recognized in the DSM-III in 1980 as a psychiatric disorder. This belief that a single person can be "inhabited" by multiple personalities is apparently associated with sexual abuse. One of the biggest concepts coming out of psychology is the idea of a "higher self" and that we should tap into it. This reasoning by some psychologists was used to explain multiple personalities. Ralph B. Allison, a former California psychiatrist and one of the leading authorities on MPD promoted this belief, "we each have access to it......we don't have to go to [a channeler].....we can do it privately, quietly." He also referred to his own higher self as "Mike," leaving final judgment on what Mike would do. He also insisted that patients with MPD suffer because they don't listen to their "higher helpers" and so Allison's therapy involved teaching his patients how to listen to their "higher helpers" (Klimo 177). One can only laugh at the idea of this being considered science. Dr. Allison went so far as to refer to these entities as "ascended masters." This clearly is the occult and has dangerously opened the door to demonic possession. The most laughable, to give an example of the looney nonsense coming out of psychiatry and psychology, was with the case of Nadean Cool. She sued her psychiatrist for malpractice claiming that he made her believe that she had 120 personalities and so he billed her insurance company for group therapy. Blue Cross paid 133,000 to her psychiatrist, Dr. Kenneth Olson, and 114,000 to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Wisconsin (Florida Times p. 7A) (Hunt 452). Anyone who honestly takes this seriously is twenty sandwiches short of a picnic!

We could go and on about the delusions coming out of psychology and psychiatry......and we haven't even discussed UFOs. This invasion of the occult has come through the conduit of psychology and psychiatry as all these ridiculous theories have no other alternative to make their claims credible. Certainly science can not make psychology credible because we need proof. And yet the wide spread use of hypnosis, especially in holistic health, and the wide spread use of psychological theories, have opened a "major doorway to the occult and has played a key role in the occult invasion of Western society" (Hunt 455). Without opening your eyes to the truth, these delusions and these myths will continue to spread. Former Carnegie Mellon University Professor, Robyn M. Dawes, indicts the field of Psychology with, "espousing principles that are known to be untrue and with employing techniques known to be invalid" (House of Cards 7). Despite the overwhelming evidence against psychotherapy as a real solution to people's problems, the masses continue to flock to this field and as a result, are easily manipulated by untruths and have opened the door to the occult.



Citations:

Hunt, Dave. Occult Invasion. Harvest House. Eugene, OR. 1998

Breese, Dave. Seven Men Who Rule the World From the Grave. Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL. 1990

James, William. "A Plea for Psychology As a Natural Science." Collected Essays and Reviews. 1892, 1920

Templeton, John Marks. Worldwide Laws of Life: 200 Eternal Spiritual Principles. Templeton Foundation Press. pp. 120-23. 1997

Dineen, Tana. Manufacturing Victims. Robert Davies Publishing. 1996

Kessen, W. "The American Child and Other Cultural Inventions." American Psychologist, 34(10). 1979.

Popper, Karl. Scientific Theory and Falsifiability. p. 343.

Szasz, Thomas. The Myth of Psychotherapy. Doubleday. 1978.

Nicholson, Shirley. Shamanism. The Theosophical Publishing House. p. 58, as cited in:
Bobgan, Martin & Deidre. The End of "Christian Psychology." East Gate Publishers. 1997. pp. 21 & 105.

Gross, Martin L. The Psychological Society. Random House. 1978

Epstein, Robert Ph.D. "Why Shrinks Have So Many Problems." Psychology Today. July/August 1997

Haynal, A. Controversies in Psychoanalytic Method. New York University Press. 1989

Dawes, Robyn M. House of Cards: Psychology and Psychotherapy Built on Myth. The Free Press/Macmillan, 1994

Esalen Catalog. January-June. 1980

Shaman's Drum. Summer 1986. p. 9. Fall 1996. pp. 21-23 & pp. 36-47.

Heider, John. "Catharsis in Human Potential Encounter." Journal of Humanistic Psychology. No. 14, 1974.

Freud, Sigmund. Standard Edition. Vol. 2, pp. 279, 281. Vol. 3, p. 269.

Klimo. Channeling. p. 177.

St. Petersburg, Florida Times. Feb. 12, 1997. p. 7A.

Greenberg. "Close Encounters." DeHerrera. "Hypnosis."

Mills, Roger. "Psychology Goes Insane, Botches Role As Science." 1980

Frontline. The Medicated Child.

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Looking Within: The bizarre psychological theories of Sigmund Freud





As I continue to build upon Dave Breese's book, Seven Men Who Rule the World From the Grave, another man, whose ideas have left such a pervasive impact on not only the individual, but the society as a whole, have inundated just about every sphere of influence, including science.

Psychology is perceived as the answer to all human behavior. The degree to which psychology and psychiatry is utilized can not be measured but for one, it is used to assess just about every human behavior and it is used to control just about every human behavior with psychotropics, anti-psychotics, and anti-depressants. Why the fascination and obsession with human behavior? And why is the field of psychology and psychiatry so popular that there are countless degrees and therapies associated with it and books upon books of diagnoses that have popularized the notion of mental illness or any other kind of personality problem? The answer is simply really: man wants to know what lurks deep in his or her soul. In man's quest to be known and to answer the question of who am I and what am I like, "the true nature of man and the shape of his spiritual being has been defined in more ways, shaped by more theories, and analyzed by more psychic approaches than probably any other entity on the face the earth" (Breese 125). The pursuit to find answers to the questions of human behavior has been infinitely complicated to say the least and has left in it's wake more confusion than absolutes; the quest to unleash the hidden recesses of the soul and the dark mysteries therein have produced the most bizarre analyses, the most strange theories, and the most ridiculous methods that some people have opened the door to the [occult] in their lives and have actually believed more lies than truth.

These impenetrable mysteries, perfect for the insatiable appetite of the hungry soul that can never be satisfied, have opened the door to all kinds of dangerous outcomes and occult practices, namely fortune tellers, mystics, induced hysterias, bizarre hypnosis, strange sexual tendencies, drug addictions and overdoses, and unknown spirits with evil intents. How much of the common folk or lay people depend upon and trust these bizarre theories and psychoanalyses by "authoritative" people? It is true that "man is acutely conscious that there is much he does not know and that no small percentage of that unknown resides in the mysterious depths of personality" (126). In man's quest to be known, he is willing to accept anything even if the answers come wrapped up in bizarre psychoanalyses and strange sexual determinisms. The populace would be more than intrigued, even titillated, removing all common sense thinking from their minds.

And then it happen!

There came a man with what appeared to be the answers to the deep, impenetrable mysteries that lie within the human personality. This man who broke into the silence of that deep mystery and attempted to define the nuances of the human psyche that although at first seemed strange actually became a household name. The man, Sigmund Freud, no doubt gave the world titillating theories that satisfied the curiosity of many but how much of his theories and definitions of human personality are grounded in real science and objective truth? And how much of his theories have left a negative impact on the culture and a stain on the human soul? These important questions should be considered when most people will blindly follow any new trend or idea even though it is not backed by real science.

Sigmund Freud and his bizarre psychoanalysis changed not only the face of science but human behavior as well. His theories even changed the culture in such radical ways that it is safe to say that all has never been the same since. The world gladly submitted itself to his therapy and his influence can be seen in both superficial and profound ways. Few can say that they have not been influenced in any way by Freud's theories of human personality and behavior. Before I go into Freud's theories and the negative impact of those theories on the individual soul and the culture, I will give you a background into Freud's upbringing and how it influenced the trajectory of his life.

Sigmund Freud was born in 1856. He was the eldest son of his second father's wife. His father was married before and had two sons and his father's second wife was as old as his two step-brothers. This large family of Freud's shaped many of his theories and determined the direction of his life as noted by many of Freud's biographers (Lauzun 27). It was Freud's memories that meant more to him than anything (which became a big part of his hypnosis and psychoanalysis). When his family moved to Vienna, Freud obtained most of his education there but before his move to Vienna, his family moved a couple times which would be considered normal by most standards, but it was these moves however that became the premise or basis of his "phobias" of traveling and trains. Despite his phobias, Freud was known by his colleagues as having an unusual amount of self-confidence, as this became one prevailing characteristic of his reputation, "he seemed relatively uninterested in conforming, pleasing others, or fitting in and was relatively unperturbed by being thought odd or iconoclastic" (Breese 127). Although Freud was Jewish, he never practiced or adopted the Jewish religion. The idea of a personal God intimately involved in his life was not a part of his thinking and this fact alone is important because it also shaped many of his theories. After Freud finished his education, he received his degree in medicine but it took him three extra years to complete his studies because of his intense interest in related subjects that he pursed in addition to the requisites of his medical degree. Freud eventually opened a neurology practice specifically for an income-producing activity even though he was more interested in theory and experimentation. It was in this neurology practice of his that he encouraged the use of cocaine with his patients to cure depression and even indigestion. He was so certain that cocaine was innocuous that it could be considered equal to morphine as an answer in psychotherapy. After this came a wave of cocaine addiction in Vienna and Freud was held responsible for this new drug affliction. This was his first encounter with controversy which in turn revealed his noted characteristic trait of not caring what others thought of him, not even his colleagues. As Freud was banned from classical medicine even as his friend and colleague, Joseph Breuer, deserted him, "he maintained his theories with astonishing stubbornness" (129). Another fascinating fact of Freud's life as many of his biographers noted, was that his marriage to his wife, Martha Bernays, was uneventful, unassuming, and unruffled, and for a man who promoted the most bizarre sexual theories, it was more than likely assumed that his private life would be just as bizarre and kinky.

Before Freud was banned from classical medicine, his practice in Vienna began at a very interesting point in European history when a wide variety of neuroses proliferated and at the same time the bourgeoisie had the money to pay for it. Freud's first therapy used was hypnosis and this characterized the first phase of his medical practice. He became familiar with this mental phenomenon when he was in Paris studying under Charcot. This French neurologist induced hysteria in his patients causing them to recall lost memories and then caused the hysteria to cease all under the guise of hypnotic suggestion. Fortunately there were some sensible and reasonable doctors who were skeptical of this therapy and saw it as an activity of a charlatan. There is no science to back up hypnosis, namely because memories can not be trusted and there are too many variables that can potentially alter the memories of individuals. Memories are subjective, inconsistent, and can be interpreted in many ways. Despite many objections to the use of hypnosis in therapy by his colleagues, Freud was determined to press though those objections and in turn became its champion. As noted by Freud himself,

                         "there was something positively seductive in working with hypnotism. 
                          For the first there was a sense of having overcome one's 
                          helplessness; 
                          and it was highly flattering to enjoy the reputation of being a miracle 
                          worker" (Lauzun 38).
                    

Freud's own arrogance is quite apparent. With the further use of his hypnotic technique, he became convinced that as memories surfaced with his patients, many had suffered severe sexual abuse which was the cause of their current aberrant behavior. Eventually he came to believe that "the cathartic method," or the recall of childhood memories, was the answer to neurotic behavior. As he continued with his therapy sessions, he noted that behind the neurosis of his patients there was one or more aberrant sexual practice, meaning the patient was molested by a person close to them like a family member and this gave way to his theory called the Oedipus Complex, as in Greek mythology (one of Sophocles' tragedies) where the son has an incestuous relationship with his mother. This theory and his method of hypnosis left damaging and lasting effects on individuals and families and sadly for his patients who trusted him, his bizarre theories started to break down when he began to have doubts about what his patients had said. Upon further research, he realized that most of the seductions the patients reported had never really happened. In The History of the Psychoanalytic Movement Freud said,

                         "In the end I told myself that one has, after all, no right to despair if 
                          one's expectations turn out to be wrong; they must simply be 
                          reexamined" (50).

Freud admitted to the breakdown of his own theories. He later wrote that "four factors particularly bothered him about the theory: his continued unsuccessful attempts to bring his analysis to a conclusion, the impossibility of believing that so many fathers were sexual perverts, the definite realization that there is no "indication of reality" in the unconscious, and the absence of memories of sexual assault in serious mental illness when the personality is invaded by the unconscious" (Breese 132, Lauzun 49). Unfortunate for his patients, Freud used them as guinea pigs in his experimental lab.

Eventually, Freud abandoned the idea of hypnosis because he did not trust it's conclusions and he felt it was a weak method to use in psychotherapy. And so he went more and more into the method of free association which to this day is strongly associated with Freudianism. Clearly we can see that Freud just had ideas that were constantly changing and were not reliable or grounded in objective truth. Most of his results with his patients were inconclusive and much of "his 'data' came from unconfirmed and quite unconfirmed testimony of his privately interviewed patients" (Breese 139). So much confusion and far from being the father of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy but rather the father of pop psychology and despite this, Freud became a household name in the West!
This impact of Freud's had more damaging effects, not just in the individual, but in the culture as a whole, particularly in the area of the libido.

Libido was everything to Freud as were memories. With the same vigor applied to his patient's  memories, he integrated libido in all his bizarre ideas and methods. The term libido for Freud was the sexual instinct and "so fundamental was the libido to Freudian thought that a modern dictionary, incorporation with Freud, calls libido 'psychic energy generally; the driving force behind all human action" (135). This of course is one of the most extreme statements ever made in the history of man and has turned a culture upside down with pervasive sexual deviance. It is amazing that this could even be considered real science, "psychic energy?" Just another case of pop psychology and you can observe the consequences in the culture as Freud's other idea of sexual determinism was the cause of the 1960s sexual revolution. Sexual determinism was the driving force behind most of Freud's philosophy and he was more than serious when he said in Civilization and its Discontents that libido is the universal motivation for all things,

                       "This struggle between individual and society, however, is not derived from the antagonism of the primal instincts, Eros and death, which are probably irreconcilable; it is a dissention in the camp of the libido itself, comparable to the contest between the ego and its objects for a share of the libido; and it does eventually admit to the solution in the individual, as we may hope it will also do in the future of civilization-however gravely it may oppress the lives of individuals at the present time" (Hutchins 800).

There are many other statements made by Freud that "clearly demonstrate Freud's capacity to translate his ideas of human personality to the societal level, for in them he seconds the notion of cultural evolution and holds that society itself has a superego and is vying for a piece of the libido. This truly is comical and outright laughable and would be much better served in a script for a late night comedy show and yet Freud was absolutely convinced that his ideas were right especially when he attempted to define the personality in three overlapping components: id, ego, and the superego. For lack of time and space I am not going to go into depth on these three components but it is important to mention that Freud, being obsessed with sexual thoughts, postulated that "behind these entities lay a pair of instincts that decide the nature of life itself" and those instincts he called life and death instincts. These two instincts in the personality are in conflict with one another and produce a fluctuating energy that feeds into the id and becomes accumulated there (Breese 135). Freud then asserted that the death instinct could become loaded with erotic charges and as it combined with the libido, it would manifest in sadism and masochism. This is science? It sounds more like science fiction than anything! These cryptic and bizarre, ridiculous notions of Freud's didn't stop there, he even claimed that the libido in masochism turned inward upon itself and the libido in sadism turned outward as it was made manifest in aggressive and dramatic interactions with others. In all honestly, we can not say this is true objective science when Freud really just "created arbitrary delineations in his own mind and then proceeded to superimpose them on the personalities described in the reports of his interviews with patients, many of which interviews he destroyed" (Breese 138). Certainly, these ideas will ignite curiosity but just because an individual peddling titillating ideas has the credentials of a doctor, does not mean he is right. Many times, we wrongly assume that they are a deep thinker and although we may not understand their ideas or assertions, we still treat them with due difference; who are we to disagree with what they say. Instead, we should be suspicious that these ideas are not scientific. Many of Freud's colleagues (at least the one's who knew better) broke with him because of his addiction with, and overemphasis on, sexual motivation and the professional world of neurology was greatly divided by a man whom so many could not understand (139). So deeply is Freudianism ingrained in the human psyche that the human soul has been radically changed resulting in sexual depravity on every level of the culture.

This sexual depravity is played out in the daily lives of so many people who believe that all their successes or failures in life reside in their cooperation with, or opposition to, the forces of the libido. In the civilized world up to the mid-twentieth century and still under the influence of orthodox Christianity, sexual matters were not to be addressed in public. There was a clear discretion and clear manners associated with proper and prudent public behavior. Not so the case today. We have witnessed the destruction of family values, more divorces from adultery, more children born out of wedlock, and more children abandoned by their parents with no moral figure or example to guide their lives into adulthood. We have witnessed more unplanned pregnancies, more abortions, and more sexual transmitted diseases as so many, under the influence of Freud, have abandoned a moral conscience and a moral volition to stay within a healthy boundary. We have witnessed open flagrant displays of sexual behavior, orgies, and practically unclothed figures, especially the female figure, in an attempt to sell a product. These visuals do more than spark a desire, they create the very destruction of a culture, "what careers have been blasted, what potential melted into nothing, what great accomplishments never achieved because of our generation's incredibly nonsensical preoccupation with that never-to-be-achieved will-o'-the-wisp, that ever-unfulfilled pseudo-promise of sexual fulfillment?" (143). How has our society become so gross and so stupid at the same time? Our culture is a clear indication that unbridled sex produces not just a destruction of the flesh, but a deterioration of the mind and yet in our present generation the one who chooses to possess their vessel with honor is considered pitiful, no fun, boring, and prudish! Some actually think it unfortunate that society in the Victorian days missed out on all the fun by not dragging sex out into the streets and so we witnessed the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Funny it is that "the person who has a recalcitrant attitude toward the sexual revolution is the one who needs a psychiatrist, our pundits say" (142)! Reducing life and the soul to some sort of sexual determinism is the grossest form of reductionism. Freud can not only be the great reductionist, but he is a great deceiver as well. These  ideas of Freud's only draw foolish conclusions. In a real sense, Freud should be considered an artist, not a doctor of medicine. But if a doctor of medicine, we can only call him Frankenstein, especially when Freud (regarding his critics) was quoted as saying,

                                 "My inclination is to treat those colleagues who offer resistance
                                          exactly as we treat patients in the same situation"    


Freud's practice of treating his colleagues as dissenters was picked up by a previous totalitarian society. Another of Freud's biographers, Paul Johnson, states in Modern Times, 

                                 "Two decades later, the notion of regarding dissent as a form of mental sickness, suitable for compulsory hospitalization, was to blossom in the Soviet Union into a new form of political repression" (6).


And Johnson also said,

                                 "after eighty years experience, his methods of therapy have proved, on the whole, costly failures, more suited to cosset the unhappy than to cure the sick" (6).

This is not surprising coming from a man who did not believe in God. Man in his wisdom, apart form God, can not know the heart of man, not even his own heart. Freud's poor relationship with his own father was "projected" (using his own concept) onto the living God and his atheistic gleanings fueled his ridiculous notions of sexual determinism and godlessness. One can only imagine the inevitable despair of Freudianism and yet his psychoanalysis became the new revelation and his psychotherapy became the new salvation. Despite these "mysterious" deep findings in the human psyche and the nuances of human personality, Freud was much more simple than most realize. It is a gross insult to say that man is merely a collection of psychological forces that he has no control over. Man being tripartite, possessing his body, soul, and mind, capable of sound moral judgment and intelligence, reveals the image of God, not an animal. Freud reduced man to an animal with purely instinct alone. How empty and how sad to make man conditioned by his environment and the pressures of life. Is not man so much more capable than that? Is not man so much more intelligent and can not man show much more restraint than instinct alone? Man rising above and reaching his potential in a thrilling sense resembles the image of God and man using his mind capable of making intelligent decisions manifests the nature of God in man. But this cold wind of Freudianism, along with Darwinism, has reduced the world to "concentrate on libido to the point of addiction and it has legitimized the creation of determinisms, thereby opening the door for the invention of the plethora of other determinisms that are being concocted in the minds of the would be pied pipers of our time" (Breese 146). How sad!



Gerand Lauzun, Sigmund Freud. The Man and His Theories. Fawcett, Greenwich, Conn., 1962

Robert Maynard Hutchins, Freud, vol. 54. Great Books of the Western World. Chicago. Encyclopedia Britannica. 1952

Paul Johnson. Modern Times. Harper & Row. New York, NY. 1983






                 

Monday, September 17, 2018

Is Biology really destiny as Darwin would have us believe?

                    
 Once I was a monkey swinging tree to tree, now I am a professor with a PhD


Today some of the most reasonable, sensible people believe this. This theory [the theory of evolution] has captured and hijack the minds of so many, "because biology is destiny for many, this "principle" has become for them a way of life" (Breese 31). One consideration, of course, is our public education system as previously pointed out in my last post that essentially crams evolution down our throats. Practically the whole world is spoon fed Darwin's theory, which is only a theory, not a fact. All theories have holes, but some would argue that a theory is a "well-tested hypothesis" so it is now a proven fact. But great claims such as evolution require great evidence and unfortunately, science can only prove what is observable in the present moment and no human was alive to observe monkeys changing into humans and walking upright. Natural selection can not prove "survival of the fittest", the fossil record does not show any empirical evidence of transitions in a linear fashion and for a theory to be true, we need to see consistent empirical evidence and we do not, but most importantly, Darwin's theory still does not explain or answer the origin of life and the origin of the universe, which is the foundation by which all your beliefs stand or fall.

It is important to understand that evolution did not actually start with Darwin or any scientific theory. It had always been an established religious belief at the heart of occultism and mysticism long before the Greeks. Just as the serpent beguiled Eve and caused her to believe a lie through the use of sophistry, man has believed the lie that he is evolving upward into godlike status. W. L. Wilmhurst, a mason who wrote the book, The Meaning of Masonry, integrates this thinking in his very words, "This-the evolution of man into superman-was always the purpose of the ancient mysteries...occultisms....Man, who has sprung from the earth and developed through the lower kingdoms of nature, to his present rational state, has yet to complete his evolution by becoming a god-like being and unifying his conscience with the Omniscient" (Hunt 19). This thinking that man had evolved from amoebas and is now ascending into godhood is also at the "esoteric" core of many ancient perennial philosophies such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism (Hunt 20). In Darwin's book The Descent of Man he wrote, "Man may be excused of feeling some pride at having risen.....to the very summit of the organic scale; and the fact of his having risen, instead of having been aboriginally placed there, may give him hopes for a still higher destiny in the distant future" (254). It was this philosophy that perpetuated his belief in evolution that helped build the inadequate framework of his whole theory. The worst part of Darwin's theory is that it was used to justified the means of evil. The Nazis worshipped the occult and Himmler led the systematic slaughter of over 6 million Jews under the auspices of natural selection and survival of the fittest using Darwin's concepts in the theory of evolution, which gave way to eugenics. So we can see that evolution has been around long before Darwin. But how can something so evil be immortalized in our classrooms and all over the world? How is it that we see evolution, a soulless ideology, everywhere?

The answer is simple really: the field of science and academia today has been run amok by atheists and science has been given uncritical respect. Darwinism is given unquestioned acceptance and usually goes unchallenged by the masses. The reason for this, of course, is that if you are a scientist or a professor in academia and you believe in God, you will at best be considered incredulous or laughable and at worst, you will be fired, demoted, or not given tenure; you are not allowed to question the Darwin paradigm if you want grants and if you want to be given credibility in peer-review academic journals and publications. The result of this is that the other side of the argument (creation) is not even considered when in fact it is much more logical and rational due in large part to the many holes in Darwin's theory of evolution that isn't even credible science. British astronomer and mathematician, Sir Fred Hoyle said, "the scientific world has been bamboozled into believing that evolution has been proved. Nothing could be further from the truth" (Hunt 26) and Michael Denton, an Australian biologist who wrote a book titled Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, basically agreed that Darwin's theory should be discarded (27). Even Richard Dawkins, the well-known God-hating atheist, states in his book The Blind Watchmaker that, "biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose" (Hunt 28). So we can see that man is not capable of ignoring the evidence in front of him, but unfortunately, he still chooses to be willingly ignorant of the facts that prove evolution is a fraud.

When Darwin boarded the ship called Beagle that sailed to the Galapagos, his objective was to collect as much data as possible on a myriad of "species." Out of this expedition came his diary called The Voyage of the Beagle by which he then drew his own myopic assumptions which led to his theory of evolution based in his 1959 publication of On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection. Darwin's numerous data collecting and observations in the Galapagos were just that...observations.....or at that time, present data. Just the sheer volume of his works and data collected from so many "species" impressed the scientific community that they believed his theory was correct. We have another classic case of Proof by Verbosity. What's even more remarkable though is that Darwin, who was candidly humble, professed his lack of certainty in his own conclusions, "I am well aware that scarcely a single point is discussed in this volume in which facts cannot be adduced, often apparently leading to conclusions directly opposite to those at which I have arrived" (Origin of the Species 28). Despite his lack of certainty in his conclusions, the scientific community ran with it and out of that came their version of the origin of life which Darwin really never intended. His intent was only to study the variations in different "species." Nevertheless, Darwin drew his conclusions on outward appearances which has only proven to be embarrassingly superficial. His myopic approach was/is based on faulty logic, "each of the anatomical steps and structures that Darwin thought were so simple actually involves staggeringly complicated biochemical processes" (Behe 22-25) [more on Behe down below]. It is a fact in science that no two birds are alike and no two mammals are alike. Yes, they have similarities, but once again this does not prove a whole new species as Darwin strongly argued as evidence for what he called "variation under domestication" out of which came his concept of natural selection (it was Herbert Spencer who later coined the phrase survival of the fittest, not Darwin). As Darwin observed all the slight variations of "species" on the Galapagos, he drew an assumption that only the strong survived and this gave way to not only the origin of each species but to the origin of life itself. These assumptions in no way prove the origin of a species or of life itself, "the scientists so impressed with Darwin's theory seemed to forget or ignore the fact that no way presently exists whereby data from the present can prove, of itself, anything about ultimate origins. Proof, to live up to its name, must mean demonstrating that something we do not know conforms exactly to something we do know. Consequently, there is simply nothing we know either by observation or through logical proof concerning the origin of individual species or the origin of life itself" (Breese 30). From this statement of Breese's, you can conclude that since man has been observing and recording history, no man has ever observed modern-day monkeys turning into humans. If evolution were true, you would literally be observing monkeys turning into humans and there would be no need for humans to give birth! Darwin's observations at that time were just that-present data-but present data could not tell Darwin about past data. As a result, Darwin's conclusions about the past from his present data were subjective considerations, not proof and so can not be considered real science. Another consideration is that no one even knows what a "species" is, not even the scientific community and it has not been answered to this day. Assuming the same identity based only on similarities is a common mistake many a man makes, "one can easily argue that a species exists only by human definition and not in exactly provable objective fact" (Breese 30). This statement is perfectly logical, one of which I wholeheartedly agree. We are all guilty of making assumptions just like Darwin did, but for something to be a fact, we need hard evidence and proof and clear definitions not troubled logic and inexact science.

Another problem with Darwin's theory is in natural selection, which he called a Law. It does not prove survival of the fittest, which is a ridiculous notion. As Breese points out, if natural selection were true, then there would only be one strong person left on the planet for men are stronger (therefore more fit) than women and so they would have to kill all the women. In the case with animals, the male lion would kill all the female lionesses and the offspring too because they are less fit than the male lion. But the Darwinist would argue that the law of natural selection is conditional upon filial forbearance so we don't kill our relatives. But what about the strong lion killing the relatives of another lion's family? The Darwinist would then answer, "oh but the lion does not always eat the other lions because he is not always hungry so now we have another condition of the law of natural selection. The problem with this so-called law is there is an infinity of conditions that could go on and on with no end in sight because you would also have to factor in natural causes of death such as sickness, lightning strikes, falling trees, earthquakes, hurricanes, and on and on. Therefore it is only a logical deduction to conclude that there is no one person who can say with certainty that "he will survive because he is the strongest. The only way to determine a survivor is to observe those who in fact did survive, "the survival of the fittest only means survival of the survivors. A survivor can only be defined ex post facto. Therefore, to make natural selection the determining factor in history is to make a false assumption. And even if the assumption were true, it could not be proved to be true" (Breese 33). So here we see again that assumptions rule out in science, not provable, objective facts. And we see this occurring not just in natural selection but the fossil record as well.

Concerning the fossil record, here is what Darwin himself said in Origin of the Species, "why if species have descended from other species by insensibly fine gradations, do we not everywhere see innumerable transitional forms" (321)? Here Darwin freely admits that evidence is necessary for a theory to be correct. Real empirical science, not conjecture, is necessary to prove evolution is true and once again, we do not see real science in the fossil record. From pre-Cambrian to Cambrian layers, we see the sudden appearance of complex creatures (pre-Cambrian explosion) created after their own kind (morphology) but that is all the data we see. This fact alone refutes natural selection and genetic mutation. If genetic mutations occurred in the form of evolution as Darwin believed, we should see the empirical evidence in the form of billions of intermittent stages filling the fossil record; a gradual linear change over the course of time. Instead, all we see is the sudden appearance of fossils (pre-Cambrian explosion). So where are all the copious amounts of transitions in a linear fashion necessary for empirical science to prove evolution is true? "Science" has yet to produce the evidence, "given the "fact" of evolution, one would expect the fossils to document a gradual steady change form ancestral forms to the descendants. But this is not what the paleontologist finds. Instead, he or she finds gaps in just about every phyletic series" (Mayr 14). At least Dr. Mayr, a former Professor Emeritus at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, was intellectually honest. The "missing links" have not been found to this day and so the fossil record only gives us outward similar appearances (morphology) and we haven't even accounted for the biochemical structure of all the trillions of cells that came together to create that shape or form, "anatomy is irrelevant to the question of whether evolution could take place on the molecular level,......so is the fossil record that tells us nothing about whether the interaction of 11-cis-retinal with rhodopsin, transducin, and phosphodiesterase could have developed step by step" (Behe 22-25). Darwin's approach was seriously flawed because he only looked on the outside. Fortunately, there are some who see this lack of evidence. Once, such man was Colin Patterson that although deceased, made a profound statement to the many biologists at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as he asked them to tell him one thing they knew about evolution, "I tried that question on the geology staff at the Field Museum of Natural History and the only answer I got was silence. I tried it on the members of the Evolutionary Morphology Seminar in the University of Chicago, a prestigious body of evolutionists, and all I got there was silence for a long time and eventually one person said that they do know one thing and that is that evolution should not be taught in high school" (Hunt 27). Darwin's theory has this substantial problem, the origin of life, to overcome and neither Darwin or all his worshippers can answer it. Not only do we not see any empirical evidence of evolution in the fossil record, but as we pry deeper, the fossil record also does not account for the molecular structure of life, of every living cell. But before we go into that we need to look at another question that evolutionists can not answer and that relates to the origins of the universe. This honest question is essentially the foundation (starting point) or framework on which you can build everything else, otherwise, you are building a foundation on permafrost!

To fully understand the beginning of life, one must ask the question, "where did the matter come from that makes up our cells?" (apologetics requires you to not only ask logical questions but sensible ones too). Without an answer to this question, you are starting with an inadequate framework on which to build your belief system. All living cells are made up of matter-hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, etc.,-and this had to come from somewhere. For an evolutionist to believe it just banged into existence is to believe in a miracle and that requires faith, faith which is anathema in science, "The universe burst into something from absolutely nothing-zero, nada. And as it got bigger, it became filled with more stuff that came from absolutely nowhere." (Guth 35). This is remarkable when something simply can not create itself out of nothing for that would violate the Law of Cause and Effect which states, for every effect there must be an equal cause and the effect can not be greater than the cause as Mike Riddle points out in his you-tube tutorial Four questions for evolutionists. There are professors with phd's that openly admit with intellectual honesty that, "it is only fair to say that we still have a theory without a beginning" (Silk 15) and "astronomers have not the slightest evidence for the supposed quantum production of the universe out of a primordial nothingness" (Odenwald 120). In just about every science textbook we see The Big Bang and since this Big Bang, based on the Law of Thermodynamics, the useable energy is continually wearing down. But if the universe has been continually wearing down for over 14 billion years, there would be virtually no molecular energy left. Simply put, based on both of these laws, The Law of Cause and Effect and the Law of Thermodynamics, you can logically deduce that the universe did not create itself (can something create itself? can nothing create something?) and the universe did not always exist but rather it was created. Mike Riddle states this succinctly in his tutorial, "If evolution is unable to explain the origin of matter and energy through naturalistic means, then it is without a foundation." Since evolution can not answer logically where matter came from, it can not answer the origin of life. You can't just start with a single cell and move up the tree of diverse life that inundates every science textbook without explaining where the cell came from and/or how did the cell come into being. By doing so, you have just passed over a quantum reality: the incredible complexity of a single living cell.

This quantum leap that evolutionists make and expect you to believe is in the matters of the origin of the cell. There are only 2 possibilities: life evolved through natural processes as Darwin wants us to believe or life was created. For Darwin and the evolutionists however, the origin of life has not been answered, "the origin of life is also a stubborn problem, with no solution in sight" (Harold 235). These men who have admitted this still refuse to acknowledge that evolution is not based in real science. Without logical answers, you would think that people would start questioning this whole evolution theory. Instead, we have in science textbooks what is called the Stanley Miller experiment. Stanley Miller is proclaimed as creating life is his laboratory with chemicals such as methane, ammonia, hydrogen, etc., He left out oxygen because based on repeated, observable science, he knew that life can not begin in the presence of oxygen for it destroys molecular bonds. But at the same time, oxygen is necessary to sustain life. Miller did succeed but the textbook does not tell the whole story. Miller created amino acids, the building blocks to life, but he created a combination of both right and left-handed amino acids, which are toxic and poisonous to life. Although both right and left-handed amino acids are mirror images of each other (this is called chirality in chemistry), only left-handed amino acids create life and sustain life and you have trillions of them in your body. When we die, all those trillions of left-handed amino acids revert back to a combination of right and left-handed amino acids. Even though the textbooks claim Miller created life, he did not succeed at creating life but rather he succeeded at creating death. This evidence simply can not be ignored and yet it is repeatedly ignored by the masses. Adding to this evidence is the fact that the early atmosphere contained far more amounts of oxygen than previously thought, "the only trend in the recent literature is the suggestion of far more oxygen in the early atmosphere than anyone imagined" (Thaxton, etc., al 80). Based on this evidence produced, there is no way possible for life to have evolved through natural processes or by chance. The complexities of the oxygen atom, and the specific left-handed amino acids necessary for life to begin, give the overwhelming evidence of an intelligent designer. And these complexities arrive at the biochemistry level of a single cell which further shows evidence for a creator.

"The mathematical odds against life beginning and developing by chance are so astronomical as to render it logically impossible" (Hunt 29). When you consider the complexities of a single cell, not to mention each strand of protein in perfect sequence that if not in perfect sequence the cell will not function, it is impossible for it to have evolved. And we are not even mentioning the enzymes which act as catalysts for cellular function; without enzymes, your cells do not function. A single protein coming together by random chance is 10 to the 191st power and a single cell comprised of proteins coming together by random chance is 10 to the 40,000th power. Out of 2000 proteins, only 20 are essential for life and the odds of this perfect sequence defy the Law of Probabilities, "the simplest living cell could not have arisen by chance" (McFadden 85). This mathematical impossibility is well known to many geneticists but they still cling to evolution. As Dave Hunt points out quite clearly that not only do we have 3000 proteins coming together in perfect sequence but they are folded into precise structures (primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary) and if everything isn't in perfect order, it does not function (29). This truth is obvious to most rational thinking people. The cell and it's methods of communicating with specific receptors (molecules present of the surface of each cell) is beyond comprehension: if a cell is DNA damaged, diseased, infected, superfluous, or has not passed "boot camp" in the bone marrow it is destroyed through a process called apoptosis. Michael Behe, Professor of Biochemistry at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, wrote a book called Darwin's Black Box and in his book he described the complexity of a cell in a concept called Irreducibly complex. The inner complexities of a cell completely unknown to Darwin when he was alive have only recently been discovered with the advent of the electron microscope, "the typical cell contains about 2000 mitochondrion compartments......each of the little compartments contains machinery necessary to capture the energy of foodstuffs and store it in a chemical stable, yet readily available, form......the system uses a flow of acid to power its machines, which shuttles electrons among a half-dozen carriers, requiring an exquisitely delicate interaction between many components" (Behe 188-193). The entire cellular system, it's engineering processes, it's methods of communication, and it's overall design, especially the immune system, is so complex and profound it shames even the most sophisticated computer system in the world and yet a single cell cannot even be observed with the naked eye. How is it then that these tiny little organisms contain the blueprints (RNA and DNA inside the nucleus of each microscopic cell tantamount to one gigabyte of information) that communicate design and life in such an organized fashion? No one in the evolution camp can answer these questions and the prestigious Journal of Molecular Evolution still has not given an answer or proposed a detailed model for the evolution of a complex biochemical system, "no one has a clue how the AMP pathway developed....no one has written about the obstacle posed by the need to regulate a cell's metabolic pathway immediately at its inception....AMP is not the only metabolic dilemma for Darwin. The biosynthesis of the larger amino acids, lipids, vitamins, heme, and more run into the same problems and there are difficulties beyond metabolism" (Behe 142-151). After realizing all the difficulties that arise when considering Darwin's theory of evolution, to believe in evolution is to show that you do not need a preexisting intelligence to do all the work in creation.

And so it is with the many people who still believe in evolution even though there is no evidence to support it. They have built their belief system on an inadequate framework. In academia and science, the old proverb that says publish or perish is required to establish credibility and dare I say, popularity. How much garbage comes out of science claiming to be scientific? So much so that you have to weed through the garbage to find the truths that are backed by real science and evidence, "if a theory claims to be able to explain some phenomenon but does not generate even an attempt at an explanation, then it should be banished" (Behe 185-186). Such is the case with Darwin's theory of evolution. But because of this apotheosis of evolution, it is readily and widely accepted even as the lack of evidence to support it is unequivocally ignored. No one would even consider that the internal combustion engine just banged into existence and anyone looking at a beautiful piece of artwork on a canvas would assume is just magically appeared, even so, the incredible complexities of a living cell and the beauty of the majestic mountains didn't just bang into existence. Dave Hunt quotes C.S. Lewis in his book Occult Invasion, "If minds are wholly dependent of brains, and brains on biochemistry, and biochemistry on the meaningless flux of the atoms, I cannot understand how the thought of those minds should have any more significance than the sound of the wind." We can conclude as Hunt concludes, "this simple logic destroys Darwinism. If man is the chance product of impersonal evolutionary forces, than so are his thoughts-including the theory of evolution" (21).


"For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, invisible and visible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him"........Colossians 1:16 (KJV).



Citations:

Behe, Michael. Darwin's Black Box. Free Press (Simon & Schuster), New York, NY. 1996.

Breese, Dave. Seven Men Who Rule the World From the Grave. Moody's Publishing, Chicago, Ill.     1992

Darwin, Charles. The Origin of the Species. Castle Books. 1859

Dawkins, Richard. The Blind Watchmaker. W.W. Norton & Norton; Norton Co., Inc., New York, NY. 1996

Denton, Michael. Evolution: A Theory in Crisis. Adler & Adler; Adler Publishers, Inc. Chevy Chase, MD. 1985

Guth, Alan. Guth's Grand Guess. Discover, vol. 23, Apr. 2002, p. 35

Harold, Franklin. The Way of the Cell. Oxford University Press, NY. 2001

Hunt, Dave. Occult Invasion. Harvest House Publishers. Eugene, Or. 1998

Mayr, Ernst. What Evolution Is. Basic Books, New York, NY. 2001

McFadden, John J. Quantum Evolution: The New Science of Life. W.W. Norton & Norton; Norton, Co., Inc., NY. 2000

Oldenwald, Sten. The Astronomy Cafe. 1998

Riddle, Michael. Four Power Questions for Evolutionists. Answers in Genesis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJwwCItBFEM

Silk, Joseph. The Big Bang. Henry Holt & Co.,  LLC. New York, NY. 2001

Thaxton, etc. al. The Mystery of Life's Origin: Reassessing Current Theories. Lewis & Stanley,   Dallas TX. 1984