Our Dark Side

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about dark influences in Western culture. This follows this post about a happy marriage, which is not only good for yourself, but also for society.  For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Our Dark Side

A commentary by Sean Yarbrough



Marketing experts know there's something strangely appealing about the dark side of human nature—and they are capitalizing on it.



"Get in touch with your dark side," urges Toyota in an ad for the Matrix VCAM.



"Go ahead, indulge your dark side," Nestle says of its dark chocolate caramel Treasures.



Marketing experts know there's something strangely appealing about the dark side of human nature—and they are capitalizing on it.



Goth and Halloween

One example of this strategy is the successful promotion of Goth characters such as Emily the Strange that are rapidly gaining popularity with preteens. As Karyn M. Peterson of Playthings magazine reports, "Fuzzy zombie teddy bears wielding weapons, cuddly-yet-creepy skeletal pets, designer dolls with ghostly death-mask faces—toys and collectibles like these that embrace dark (and even macabre) themes...are increasingly finding younger and younger fans."



Another example is the annual marketing blitz surrounding Halloween. According to Businessweek , "Halloween is the second-biggest holiday behind Christmas in home-decorating sales, and the sixth-biggest retail holiday for overall sales." Between all the parties, TV shows and special events that accompany this holiday, themes of fear and death have now become normalized as entertaining traditions.



Desensitizing games

Does popularizing evil desensitize us to the true nature of the human heart?



A 2007 Iowa State University study of video game players found that even brief exposure to violent media has a measurably desensitizing effect. The authors of this study expressed the following concerns regarding the way popular media is presented to the public over our lifespan:



"Children receive high doses of media violence. It initially is packaged in ways that are not too threatening, with cute cartoon-like characters, a total absence of blood and gore, and other features that make the overall experience a pleasant one, arousing positive emotional reactions that are incongruent with normal negative reactions to violence. Older children consume increasingly threatening and realistic violence, but the increases are gradual and always in a way that is fun. In short, the modern entertainment media landscape could accurately be described as an effective systematic violence desensitization tool."



Desensitization often starts when we are very young, whether through the surrounding culture and related media or via family experiences. This may lead to a decreased appreciation—or even subtle acceptance—of the evil and all too typical violence that permeates the world such as:



•The attack that occurred in Beijing just after the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

•The practice of slavery —still a problem all over the globe.

•Terrorist plots to overthrow entire national or religious cultures.

Cure for a sick heart

How dangerous is our world to us? The common thread among these and other evils we see today is a sick heart—and we're all vulnerable to infection.



"Who can understand the human heart? There is nothing else so deceitful; it is too sick to be healed" (Jeremiah 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?



See All..., Good News Bible).



God says we all have the capacity to deceive ourselves into thinking good is evil, and evil is good. That's a frightening revelation. Given the right circumstances, we have the ability to commit evil and justify doing so. If we desensitize to the point that we can no longer recognize evil, is it possible that we, too, could become agents of evil instead of just spectators?



Our Creator warns us to carefully guard the thoughts and motives of our heart to avoid falling prey to self-deception. With His help and careful vigilance as to what we allow into our minds, we can prevent the dark side of the human heart from controlling our destiny.



To find out more about how to overcome your dark side, read "The Battle for Your Mind." VT

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Discerning Between Good and Evil

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/  about items such as Vampire books. This follows this post about an opium farming valley.  For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Discerning Between Good and Evil


A commentary by Darris McNeely



I am learning to discern between good and evil. Are you?



No, I am not a rabid book-burning, narrow-minded fundamentalist.



But I am learning to discern between good and evil. Are you?



The March/April issue of World News and Prophecy contains my article, "Twilight on the Land." The Stephenie Meyer books of vampire teen romance have captivated millions of readers. Reader comments on the article are coming in, and there are mixed reactions, which is what I expected.



One writer comments in appreciation: "Thank you so much for your article on Twilight in World News and Prophecy . Several of my Christian friends are reading these books and are excited about the movies. One friend in particular is against Harry Potter and The Golden Compass, but she embraces these vampire novels. I have had discussions with my daughter about the danger that resides within these kinds of stories after she had heard about the supposed coolness of Meyer's books.



"I am relieved to see someone on the same page as me when it comes to this topic. While I was reading your article, my head kept nodding in agreement. It certainly is a 'subtle deception' with a presentation of good trying to win out over evil. Reading these kinds of stories invites unwanted beings into your life."



Not everyone agrees with my point of view. Another reader says: "I read the article Darris McNeely wrote in reaction to the movie and book Twilight. I was very disappointed with his approach... I think the approach should have been that there is a mix of good and evil—like in most movies and books today. The job of God's people is to discern between these things... Encourage their ability to discern as they take in popular culture..."



Exactly! You and I are to learn to discern between good and evil as we are bombarded with all the elements of our popular culture. The subtlety of evil in today's world is such that we begin to see it as something acceptable to allow into our minds and lives.



You must remember we are in a spiritual war for our minds and lives! We see only the physical and miss the spiritual dimension of this struggle. "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:11-12 [11] Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

[12] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.





See All...).



I said in my article that in my youth I would watch occult-type movies. Over the years I have moved away from that form of entertainment. I am not into burning books or censorship. I believe in the freedom of the individual to choose his or her reading and entertainment. I also believe that God expects us to choose life, not death—to choose what is good and righteous in all areas of our life.



Read the article "Twilight in the Land." Ask yourself how good a job you are doing in raising the spiritual standards of your life. Your peace of mind and quality of life is important. Then write and let me know what you think about the subject.



World News and Prophecy Facebook Page



Those of you who use the social media tool Facebook will want to join our World News and Prophecy page. Through this you can follow the blog we use to comment on topical news each day. It is a growing site for us and one we continue to develop. The March/April issue of World News and Prophecy is also posted online. Keep up with us on these sites and as always...



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Is it wrong to read the Harry Potter books?

An interesting article from www.ucg.org about Harry Potter books. This follows this post about persecution of Christians. For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Is it wrong to read the Harry Potter books?


From what I've heard at camps and in my congregation, the ministers seem to think it's wrong, but none of them have read the books themselves. Please give me an answer from someone who has read them, if possible.



Answer:



Your question about whether it is wrong to read the Harry Potter books is one that many young Christians have faced. In these books the imaginary character Harry Potter attends Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he learns about possession and casting spells on people. Although this series of books is purely imaginary and the witchcraft in them is not technically the same as real-life witchcraft, filling our minds with things that closely resemble insults to God is not a good idea.



In working with ancient Israel, God consistently condemned witches, witchcraft and all things associated with the occult. In Exodus:22:18Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live., God said, "You shall not permit a sorceress [witch, KJV] to live." In Deuteronomy:18:9-12[9]When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.[10]There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.[11]Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.[12]For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee., He adds, "'When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD.'"



God hates these things because they represent people turning to Satan for their needs instead of to Him. It is a violation of the First Commandment in which God says, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Deuteronomy:5:7Thou shalt have none other gods before me.).



In deciding whether to read these books, ask yourself, "Why would a Christian want to learn all about something he or she should never do and something that God hates?" There simply is no good explanation for reading books based upon witchcraft (technically correct or not) if one wants to honor and respect God.



While the answer to this question was prepared by ministers who have studied the Harry Potter books and read portions from them, actually reading bad books or sinning a particular sin is not mandatory before counsel against such practices can be given. When someone learns sufficient information to determine that a particular act is displeasing to God, he or she need not continue doing that thing in order to make sure it really is sin.



If you would like more information about the Harry Potter series, read the article, "The Bible and Harry Potter: Occult Fantasy in Perspective," in the January/February 2002 issue of the Good News magazine.

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Wknd Box Office: Harry Potter & Deathly Hallows 2; A Better Life

Here is an interesting article from http://www.debbieschlussel.com/  reviewing some of the movies that came out over the past weekend. This follows this post some of the movies from last week and  THIS POST about some movies that have been released over the past few years that you might have missed!  This all  follows this post about guidelines to chosing good movies to watch yourself!




Wknd Box Office: Harry Potter & Deathly Hallows 2; A Better Life

By Debbie Schlussel



I did not see “Winnie the Pooh.” But here’s what I saw new at theaters, today:



* “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2“: I saw this in 3D, and it’s a nice summing up and ending to all the Harry Potter movies. I didn’t read any of the books, but I’m told it’s pretty faithful to the written page. If you didn’t see Part 1 (read my review) of this mini-series within a series, you will be very confused and not know what’s going on. I saw Part 1, and forgot what happened in it. Thus, I was a little unsure of what was going on. When I remembered what happened, I was still a little confused. You really have to be a Potter-phile and have read the books.







Continuing from Part 1, Harry and his small gang of fellow wizards are trying to find a number of “horcruxes” they must destroy in order to get defeat the evil Lord Voldemort. But apparently Harry himself is a horcrux, so he must be destroyed? And there’s a scene in which suddenly a whole bunch of rioters led by a guy that looks like Adam Ant appears and starts running on a bridge to kill everyone at the wizardry school. Adam Ant made a comeback? Like I said, it’s confusing. And I thought it was weird that a giant snake is named “Negini” (sp?). Who names a snake that? A billionairess, I guess (J.K. Rowling).



Does Harry survive or must he die to save everyone else from Voldemort and the snake? Does the wizard school survive? As I noted, it has a nice and tidy ending, that tells you what becomes of the wizards years from now. I was a little surprised that in a movie aimed at kids, a female professor at the wizardry school screams, “BITCH!” at one of the evil female characters. But that’s the time we live in, and I guess that like the cast and characters of Harry Potter, most original Potter fans are now adults or, at least, in their mid-to-late-teens.



Lots of action and not boring, but make sure you’ve seen the first part or read the book before seeing this. Or you’ll be lost. (And–jihad alert!–don’t forget that Alan Rickman a/k/a Severus Snape, is anti-Israel and anti-Semitic.)



Is it the end of Harry Potter? For fans and cast, apparently so.



TWO REAGANS

BLOGGERS NOTE: I on the other hand give the series four MARXES here!!



* “A Better Life“: It’s no surprise that most movie critics (a/k/a liberals) are gushing over this movie. It’s pure open borders propaganda. Illegal alien porn. Sadly, it’s very well done illegal alien propaganda, and most people who see it will buy what they’re selling here. Extremely manipulative, cloying, and maudlin, the movie sucks you in and makes you feel for the illegal alien father, Carlos (Demian Bichir, who played Fidel Castro in the Che movie), who is a gardener in East L.A. A single father, he struggles to survive and put food on the table for his unappreciative, gangsta-wannabe, American-born, anchor baby son. We see Carlos work so hard to make money and live the American dream. He’s an honest, decent, good guy who does backbreaking work in order to afford to buy a used truck and start a business.



Reality check: many illegal aliens are not like Carlos. Many are criminals, terrorists, and other low-lifes who come here to take advantage of a system that rewards them with a panoply of entitlements. And for those who are honest, decent men like Carlos that just want a good life, there are many far more honest decent people who applied to come here legally and are waiting in line for a long time. They have my sympathy more than the Carloses of the world.



But the movie doesn’t touch on those points, not even vaguely. Instead, it shows us how “mean” American life is to Carlos, even though he “did the right things” (though, how “right” is it to come here illegally?). Carlos meets tragedy after tragedy, some of which is visited upon him by fellow illegal aliens. Some of the “hardship” is visited upon Carlos by the big, bad mean Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which in real life, wouldn’t even detain him, these days, as they only detain aliens with violent criminal records. The movie doesn’t even get the agency’s name right, calling it “Eye-Cee-Eee.” It’s ICE, as in the hard, frozen water you put in drinks.



As I said, this is a well done movie, in that it gets people’s sympathy, where there shouldn’t be any. It’s the same old illegal alien sob story you’ve seen and heard a million times before. I won’t hold my breath waiting for liberal Hollywood to make an honest movie showing us the real story about the hardened criminals and terrorists who come here through the same desert we see Carlos using. I won’t hold my breath waiting for liberal Hollywood to show us how those aliens repeatedly game the system and remain on our soil through immigration fraud, marriage fraud, and phony asylum claims, like that of DSK’s false rape accuser.



If I held my breath for those, I’d already be dead. And sadly, many victims of illegal aliens in our midst are just as dead, or their jobs and dreams are dead, stolen by illegal aliens. That’s the real story. But they never show you that on the big screen.



The tagline on posters for this movie says, “Every father wants more for his son.” But the thing is, many American citizen fathers want more for their sons and can’t provide it because illegal alien dads like the one in this movie have stolen their opportunities to do so.



THREE-AND-A-HALF MARXES