Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
From Hank Hanegraaff's Blog
Eckhart Tolle and the Death of Truth
It is insightful to recognize that Eckhart Tolle is a number one best-seller. Even now we can see him on the New York Times Best-Seller List in the Paperback Advice books for two books in a row, the number one and two book, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, who is dubbed a "spiritual teacher who is going to help end conflict and suffering," as well as The Power of Now, which is allegedly a guide to personal growth and spiritual enlightenment.
Eckhart Tolle is a man who believes that if you go deep enough in your religion then you will all get to the exact same place. In other words, all roads lead to the same destiny.
Do all religions lead to the same place? Before I answer that question, let me issue a warning. Anyone who answers in the negative may well be ostracized for being narrow-minded and intolerant. That being said, here's my answer: no. Not all religions lead to the same place. It is incorrect as well as illogical to maintain that they do.
When you begin to examine world religions, religions like Judaism or Hinduism or Buddhism, you will immediately recognize that they directly contradict one another. Moses taught that there was one God. Krishna believed in many gods. Buddha was agnostic. Logically they can all be wrong, but they cannot all be right.
Not only that but the road of religion leads steeply uphill. The road of Christianity descends downward. What I mean by that is religion is fallen humanities attempt to reach up and become acceptable to God through what we do. Christianity, on the other hand, is a divine gift based on what Christ has done. He lived the perfect life that we could never live and He offers us His perfection as an absolutely free gift. Jesus taught that there was only one way to God. "I am the way and the truth and the life" said Jesus. "No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Tolle, who is promoted by people like Oprah Winfrey, says that all religions offer only glimpses of truth and no religion has total truth. In the final analysis his final arbiter of truth is subjective experience. As I've said many times on the broadcast, experiences are notoriously unreliable.
Eckhart Tolle says the moment you say "only my belief is true" and you deny other beliefs, then you've adopted an ideology.
That raises the question: What is truth? That was the very question Pontius Pilate asked Jesus Christ. In the irony of the ages he stood toe to toe with the personification of truth and yet he missed its reality. Unfortunately we today, as postmodern people, are in much the same position. We stare at truth but fail to recognize its identity. That's why people like Eckhart Tolle can deceive us. We have to recognize that truth, at its root, is an aspect of the nature of God. So if we're going to put on truth we've got to put on Christ, because Christ is truth and we, as Christians, are called to be the bearers of truth.
Christianity is not true because it works. It's not true because if feels right. It's not true because it's my truth. It's true because it's anchored in the Person and work of Jesus Christ who demonstrates that He is God - the one who spoke and the universe leapt into existence - through His resurrection. Truth is anything that corresponds to reality. It doesn't yield to the size and strength of the latest lobby group. It's not a mere matter of preference or opinion. Truth is true even if everyone denies it, and a lie is a lie even if everyone affirms it. Truth is essential, as such, to a realistic worldview. When sophistry and sensationalism and superstition sabotaged truth our view of reality is seriously skewed.
The bottom line is that the death of truth spells the death of civilization.
Posted by Hank Hanegraaff at 11:43 AM
It is insightful to recognize that Eckhart Tolle is a number one best-seller. Even now we can see him on the New York Times Best-Seller List in the Paperback Advice books for two books in a row, the number one and two book, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, who is dubbed a "spiritual teacher who is going to help end conflict and suffering," as well as The Power of Now, which is allegedly a guide to personal growth and spiritual enlightenment.
Eckhart Tolle is a man who believes that if you go deep enough in your religion then you will all get to the exact same place. In other words, all roads lead to the same destiny.
Do all religions lead to the same place? Before I answer that question, let me issue a warning. Anyone who answers in the negative may well be ostracized for being narrow-minded and intolerant. That being said, here's my answer: no. Not all religions lead to the same place. It is incorrect as well as illogical to maintain that they do.
When you begin to examine world religions, religions like Judaism or Hinduism or Buddhism, you will immediately recognize that they directly contradict one another. Moses taught that there was one God. Krishna believed in many gods. Buddha was agnostic. Logically they can all be wrong, but they cannot all be right.
Not only that but the road of religion leads steeply uphill. The road of Christianity descends downward. What I mean by that is religion is fallen humanities attempt to reach up and become acceptable to God through what we do. Christianity, on the other hand, is a divine gift based on what Christ has done. He lived the perfect life that we could never live and He offers us His perfection as an absolutely free gift. Jesus taught that there was only one way to God. "I am the way and the truth and the life" said Jesus. "No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Tolle, who is promoted by people like Oprah Winfrey, says that all religions offer only glimpses of truth and no religion has total truth. In the final analysis his final arbiter of truth is subjective experience. As I've said many times on the broadcast, experiences are notoriously unreliable.
Eckhart Tolle says the moment you say "only my belief is true" and you deny other beliefs, then you've adopted an ideology.
That raises the question: What is truth? That was the very question Pontius Pilate asked Jesus Christ. In the irony of the ages he stood toe to toe with the personification of truth and yet he missed its reality. Unfortunately we today, as postmodern people, are in much the same position. We stare at truth but fail to recognize its identity. That's why people like Eckhart Tolle can deceive us. We have to recognize that truth, at its root, is an aspect of the nature of God. So if we're going to put on truth we've got to put on Christ, because Christ is truth and we, as Christians, are called to be the bearers of truth.
Christianity is not true because it works. It's not true because if feels right. It's not true because it's my truth. It's true because it's anchored in the Person and work of Jesus Christ who demonstrates that He is God - the one who spoke and the universe leapt into existence - through His resurrection. Truth is anything that corresponds to reality. It doesn't yield to the size and strength of the latest lobby group. It's not a mere matter of preference or opinion. Truth is true even if everyone denies it, and a lie is a lie even if everyone affirms it. Truth is essential, as such, to a realistic worldview. When sophistry and sensationalism and superstition sabotaged truth our view of reality is seriously skewed.
The bottom line is that the death of truth spells the death of civilization.
Posted by Hank Hanegraaff at 11:43 AM
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Does Obama ever give a direct answer or is it always...."I may do this or I may do that."
McCain wants the prisoners tried at military commissions, or war crimes courts, which are allowed under a 2006 law that he supported. These commissions act as criminal courts run by the U.S. armed forces to try those considered enemies during wartime. So far, 19 Guantanamo detainees have been charged in such commissions.
Obama, the presumed Democratic nominee, said he would close Guantanamo and move the detainees to both civilian and military facilities in the United States, including Leavenworth, according to campaign spokesman Reid Cherlin. Obama wants the detainees to be tried in federal criminal courts or in military courts martial.
Obama, the presumed Democratic nominee, said he would close Guantanamo and move the detainees to both civilian and military facilities in the United States, including Leavenworth, according to campaign spokesman Reid Cherlin. Obama wants the detainees to be tried in federal criminal courts or in military courts martial.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Westminster Shorter Catechism
Upon misplacing my WSC booklet to study with the children, I resorted to the computer for our nightly devotions which have been seriously neglated as of late. I stumbled upon this site for help. It was too neat not to share. It has lots of links with each questions with tid bits of history and information. I was very excited by my find and wanted to share.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
EOD Memorial in May- family of Brad A Clemmons KIA Aug 2006
Becca Clemmons with Isabelle and Gabrielle
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Monday, May 05, 2008
Friday, May 02, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Finally we made it out to the beaches. It was a great time for all. The sunset pics are from the North Shore near Sunset Beach and the others are from Bellows(an Air Force recreation beach). The kids got to really Boogie Board this time. I noticed I didn't get any pictures of Sydney up close. Guess she stayed too busy to stop and smile. Next time.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Easter Dinner
Cole and Sydney decided to dress up for our fancy scrambled egg and english muffin dinner. They danced to Johnny Cash. Mack finished off our night by kicking Cole in the nose and blood all over. Had Cole been doing KP duty as earlier instructed he would have not been close to Mack's foot. Go figure!!
paint job
Ok I did not straighten up before I took the pics but you can see what it looks like much of the time. Not much room to take in the whole area but you can see the colors on the wall that my Dad put up for me.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Hawaii
The Post below was taken on Jan 16 just after we got off the plane. Our happy faces soon disappeared when they told us this is what we would have to live in. I admit downsizing so you have less work is appealing but I did not realized I would be in the middle of sixplex!!
working backwards
I am working backwards to catch up. Here are some photos from Germany-the beaches of NC.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The Westminster Catechism
Q 81 Are all true believers at all times assured of their present being in the estate of grace, and that they shall be saved?
A. Assuance of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith, true believers may wait long before they obtain it; and,the enjoyment thereof, may have it weakened and intermitted, through manifold distempers, sins, temptations, and desertions; yet are never left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God as keeps them from sinking into utter despair.
A. Assuance of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith, true believers may wait long before they obtain it; and,the enjoyment thereof, may have it weakened and intermitted, through manifold distempers, sins, temptations, and desertions; yet are never left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God as keeps them from sinking into utter despair.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
I really did it
There are no antlers to prove it but I did bring a camera. It was one of the hardest activities I have ever tried. It was cold and uphill!
Better Late Than Never
Yes we went to Rome in August. Yes it is Novemeber! What have I been doing. Well, we are trying to get ready to move from Germany to Hawaii, not miss hunting season, finish shopping here in Europe. Let's just say we have had Christmas for the past few months. We will soon be without the guts of our house. The movers come next week and we will live here until after Christmas.
So my computer will be gone next week and my project is to get my pics organized so that I can get lots of Grandmas and family to take me off the hit list.
Christmas will be small. I am looking forward to that.
So my computer will be gone next week and my project is to get my pics organized so that I can get lots of Grandmas and family to take me off the hit list.
Christmas will be small. I am looking forward to that.
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