MARIANNE WILLIAMSON AND RELIGION: A MATTER OF TECHNIQUES OR RELATIONSHIP?

Sceva had seven sons, who were itinerant Jewish exorcists. They apparently had been very impressed by the techniques Paul had used to cast out demons and attempted to use them in their own exorcisms. However, things went bad:

·       Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. (Acts 19:13-16; ESV)

Techniques are not enough. I trust that these exorcists had been trying to implement the exact technique of Paul, but to no avail. Why not? The demon gave them the best explanation: “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”

They lacked a saving relationship with Jesus, and this made all the difference.

When religion becomes a matter of technique and methodology – visualizations, imaginations, meditations, or repetitions of words – there is an expectation that, if done correctly, the practitioner will mechanically tap into the blessings of God. The assumption is that God is passively and mindlessly offering his blessings to all. We just have to hit the bull’s eye in order to win the stuffed doll.

I was reminded of the distinction between technique and relationship when listening to Marianne Williamson, the leading advocate for a Course in Miracles. She opened the session by instructing her audience to imagine a golden light, a temple, a garden, and a stream flowing through it. She then invoked the crucifixion and the resurrection, admitting that she uses Christian terms in non-traditional ways.

For her, the crucifixion is no more than a concept, which represents a victim mentality, a place where you don’t want to be. Meanwhile, the resurrection represents freedom from the victimization prison into the reality of God, where all is love - no blame, guilt, or unforgiveness.

How do we get there? Not by believing in Jesus, confessing our sins, and repenting, since these things aren’t real, at least not in God’s world. Instead, it’s just a matter of making a decision and practicing a new mentality – the realization that God (love) is in you.

Consequently, it is all up to you and your practice of a set of techniques. It appeared to me that her god does not need to be satisfied, since there is no sin and no necessary payment for sin. Her god seems to be devoid of personally and moral character, an impersonal force, which anyone can access with practice and patience.

Her god is love, but what does this love look like? Can we understand love from our own relationships? Since we are created in the likeness of God, I think that we can. In fact, Scripture assures us that our marriages (among other relationships) serve as a shadow of our relationship with God:

·       “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” [Genesis 2:24]. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:31-33)

What is love, and how do we love our wives? There is a right way and a wrong way. I cannot love my wife by abusing her or by forcing her to do exactly what I want her to do. Nor do I love her by allowing her to have relationships with other men. If she countered that love should just be a glowing feeling for her in my heart, I would respond that love is more than a feeling and passivity. Love can also be indignant, morally vigilant, protective, and even possessive when the object of love is threatened.

What does it mean for God to love us? It is more than just a warm feeling. It is a total engagement with His children, so total that He is working everything for our good. We can therefore find rest in him.

Have you ever watched a hen around her chicks? She is fearless. This once timid feathery creature will attack anything that threatens her chicks. She will attack anything that threatens her chicks. I saw one ascend into the air to intercept a hawk, talons poised to grab her chick. This is the power of relationship.

This is the way my God is. I know that no one can hurt me unless He allows this, but if He does, it is to teach me a valuable lesson.

What does it mean to love God? There is also a right way and a wrong way. Since He is a righteous God who can be grieved, I must love Him by acting in a way that pleases Him. In order to do this, He requires that we obey His words.

In this manner, He calls us to stay close to him. When there is danger lurking, the hen calls to her chicks who know well enough to flee to safety under her wings. There, she makes room for all of them.

However, Williamson’s god seems to have no personality or character. It is amorphous, distant, and uncaring about the moral realm and the suffering, since it dwells in the steady glow of love.

Nevertheless, Williamson talks a lot about forgiveness. Why? Not because her god requires this or anything else, but because we need to forgive in order to escape the captivity of the crucifixion, the mentality of victimization. It is merely a mental exercise unconnected to the concerns of her god, who is just love and who lacks any connection to this world of pain.

In contrast, our God cares about every detail of our lives. Therefore, Jesus encouraged us to not worry:

·       “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

Does Williamson’s god suffer as we suffer (Hebrews 4:15-16; Romans 8:26)? Apparently not! Suffering doesn’t exist for it. Instead, her god seems to be little more than gravity, which can be harnessed for our own purposes.

How do we harness this god? Through our thought life! Apparently, this is what the Course of Miracles is all about.

My wife loves me and cares about all aspects of my life, not only my thought life. She cares about my sleep, my diet, my joys, and my pains – everything. Although I tease her about being a force-of-nature, she is even more than that.

We have a relationship. If I hurt her, I must make up for it. I must respect her and honor her, and she deserves it. Relationship is more than just getting out of her what I want. It is also about giving and adoring.

Techniques are not enough. It is not enough to bring her flowers and take her out for the evening because I want something from her. I must also put her before all other women. My God also cares about this, as my God should.

Relationship is as fundamental to love, as my eyes are to sight. Without relationship, love is unthinkable. If I treat my wife wrongly, God will turn His back on my prayers:

·       Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. (1 Peter 3:7)

Relationship is wholistic. It involves every aspect of our lives, as it should. In comparison, techniques are superficial manipulations. These have their place in chiropractic but fall short of what is necessary between husband and wife, parent and child, and even God and His people.

IF WE HAVE THE SPIRIT TO GUIDE US, DO WE NEED TO CLING TO THE DOCTRINE OF THE “INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURES?”

This doctrine reflects the teachings of Scripture that the Bible, in its original writing, is without error and is therefore entirely trustworthy. Paul put it like this:

• All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

• For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)

If all Scripture is God-given, then it is “useful” and able to “thoroughly equip [us] for every good work.” If it is not God-given in its entirety, then its errors will mislead.

However, some theologians and preachers claim that this understanding is not essential. Instead, they claim:

·       We don’t need “inerrancy,” but Spirit-led group discernment to direct our understanding of Scripture.

Truly, the Spirit does give discernment, but this discernment is based upon, and not apart from, the inerrant Scriptures, which He has authored:

• Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20-21)

Even though Scripture bears the markings of its human writers – vocabulary, style, and affiliations – it is, above all else, the product of the Spirit, as its authors have claimed:

·       For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. (1 Thess. 2:13)

This was also the testimony of Jesus, who regarded every Word of Scripture as God-given and necessary for life:

·       Jesus answered [Satan], "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4)

In contrast, the late theologian, Clark Pinnock, disparaged Scripture:

·       “God uses fallible spokesmen all the time to deliver His Word, and it does not follow that the Bible must be otherwise” [other than fallible].

However, although they understood their own fallibility, the writers of Scripture did not regard Scripture as fallible. Why not? Because they knew that they were guided by the Spirit:

·       Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. (1 Peter 1:10-12)

Knowing that they didn’t entirely understand what they were writing, they sought the Spirit for illumination. However, they were informed that it wasn’t for them to entirely understand it. Instead, it was intended for us.

How can we trust the Spirit to guide us into His truths after we have rejected His fountain of truth – the Scriptures? We cannot. We have already proved that we have closed our minds to His revelation.

Instead, we require the light of the inerrant Scriptures. Israel had thought that they were correct as they pursued other gods. However, in the 18 year of the reign of the godly King Josiah, the priest Hilkiah approached the King with a Book that had just been found in the Temple:

·       When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant: "Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD's anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us." (2 Kings 22:11-13)

This discovery led to a great revival. Without the “Book of the Law,” the people would have continued with what they had discerned to be godl, but wasn’t.

Even if we haven’t closed ourselves off to Scripture’s influence, group discernment of the guidance of the Spirit, without His Scriptures, has historically proved untrustworthy.

It seems that all of the Apostles had abandoned the teachings of Scripture at the time of the Crucifixion and directly afterwards. According to their intuitions, Jesus was dead, and it was all over. However, after Jesus appeared to them, as they hid behind locked doors, He brought them back to the truths of the Scriptures:

·       He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:44-47)

Mere discernment of the events had failed them. Consequently, Jesus brought them back to the Scriptures.

After rejecting the means (Scripture) to discern between what is fleshly and what is spiritual, we are left without any absolute measure to decide whose “spiritual” discernment is correct.

Pinnock was right about our fallibility. This is why we need an inerrant Bible. We need it to judge us rather than we judging Scripture, taking from it only what seems right to us.

We do not have the freedom to neglect or discard what doesn’t seem right to us. History shows that the Church will discard many teachings about hell, miracles, and sexual sin and anything that doesn’t feel right. Instead, we are required to live by the entire Word of God, as Jesus had proclaimed:

·       "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4)

THE “SUPPORT” FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

A woman wrote me that her son is gay and, in defense, argued that:

·       “the people who wanted to make same sex marriage illegal wanted to prove it was bad and harmful ... but they couldn't. The evidence just doesn't exist.”

I responded that there is really a tremendous volume of evidence showing the many costs of same-sex sex. However, the media, the universities, and Hollywood are very biased in their presentation of the “evidence.”

She also claimed:

·       “there was insufficient evidence in scripture to condemn a loving, monogamous same sex relationship.”

This is simply not true. Whenever the Bible mentions homosexuality, it is ALWAYS to condemn it. Here are just a few of the verses:

·       Leviticus 18:22-24: "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion. Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.

·       Leviticus 20:13-16: 'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

·       Romans 1:21-27 Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened… Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

·       Cor. 6:9-11 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

There is not a single verse that gives the slightest encouragement for homosexuality. Mercifully, God warns us against behaviors that will destroy us and destroy those around us. Therefore, love requires us to warn and to shed light.

A CONVERSATION ON THE VIRTUOUS LIFE

AL: There is nothing like gratefulness! Ah, just to breathe in its message. It reminds me that life is worth living. It puts a smile on my face. When I am grateful, I feel great and others are drawn to me. But I think that there are even greater rewards. Gratefulness enables me to live the life of virtue proactively. It is empowering. I awake with a purpose, even if it is to help that elderly woman with her shopping bag across the street. Gratefulness is the greatest elixir for the negativity that has taken our age captive. Consequently, I have no time for bitterness. Not when you’re no the move, pushing forward, your eyes focused on what you can do for the needy.

B: I love what you said. Just today, I received some bad news about the job. We might have to be relocated to Tulsa, the last place we ever dreamed of living. But I am grateful that I still have a job. Even if I decide to go elsewhere, I’m grateful that I have the health and abilities to make a new start. Gratefulness is the oil that makes my engine hum.

AL: It makes me hum also. Bob, we both have learned that we are not governed by our situation but rather by our attitudes to our situations. With the right attitude, we can scramble hard-boiled eggs.

BOB: Love it! Hard-boiled eggs are whipped cream when we approach life with a grateful spirit. Like you said, this attitude of mind is empowering. When you got it, you can roll. When you got negativity instead, you are stuck in the mud.

CHRIS: I agree. Gratefulness is a necessary tool, but I also think that more is needed.

AL: Of course, more is needed. I think that we need some common sense to maintain gratitude. For instance, if we are not forgiving, we will weigh ourselves down with bitterness. If we abuse others, we will feel guilty and vulnerable. Only by living a life of virtue can we achieve gratefulness.

CHRIS: Al, I certainly agree with you there too. If we abuse others, we will feel like hypocrites when we try to bathe in gratefulness. After all, how can we be grateful when we deprive others of their gratefulness!

BOB: Chris, I don’t get it. You seem to agree with us but you also are saying that we are missing something.

CHRIS: Well, I think that you are. As important as gratefulness, virtue, and forgiveness are in leading a rich and full life, I think that more is required.

BOB: Yeah???????

CHRIS: Look, how can you expect the terminally ill to be grateful, especially if they are in pain, all of their loved ones have died, and they can only look forward to death?

BOB: You always cite these extreme examples.

CHRIS: Well, it’s the extreme examples that help to highlight the fact that more is needed than mental self-control. Besides, dying and death are realities that we all face. But how can we face them when gratefulness becomes unattainable.

AL: We can always find something to feel grateful about, even if it’s only a bowel movement or a glass of cold water.

CHRIS: Al, theoretically, you are correct. However, life presents us with challenges that are overwhelming.

AL: Perhaps for you.

CHRIS: Yes, there are things that I find overwhelming. There is suffering that surpasses my ability to cope. This is one reason why I believe in God. There is only one way that I can remain grateful. It is by knowing that I will be with my Savior forever.

BOB: Haven’t we already warned you against proselytizing! But here you go again.

CHRIS: Yes, I am aware that you find this repugnant.

BOB: Then why do you persist?

CHRIS: Don’t you want me to interact in an honest way with you?

AL: You can’t be honest without invoking your Jesus god?

CHRIS: Well, for me, everything comes back to Jesus, even this conversation about gratefulness. If I would agree with you about the sufficiency of gratefulness and virtue, I would be agreeing inauthentically. I would be misleading you about my deepest beliefs. Is that what you want?

BOB: Well, if your Jesus is everything to you, perhaps you should take him into your church and keep him there!

CHRIS: Is that really what you want?

AL: Look Chris, Bob is trying to tell you as gently as he can that we do not want to hear it anymore. We find this Jesus-talk offensive.

CHRIS: Perhaps you need to reconsider what you regard as offensive.

BOB: We are tired of your forcing your crap down our throats.

CHRIS: How does this differ from the two of your forcing your “crap” down my throat?

BOB: What you are doing is proselytizing. We are not!

CHRIS: I still fail to see how you putting forth your worldview is any different from me putting forth my worldview.

BOB: Don’t you get it, you idiot! You are pushing religion; we are not!

CHRIS: How is it that if I talk about my religion, I have violated some rule? While if you talk about yours, that’s perfectly okay?

BOB: Ours is not a religion. There is no god involved.

CHRIS: Your distinction is immaterial. Instead, it comes down to this – for you it is okay to proselytize me to your worldview, but it is illegitimate for me to proselytize you to my worldview.

BOB: What a lot of crap!

AL: You see, Chris, how your god-talk is just antagonizing Bob. Aren’t you concerned about that?

CHRIS: Al, what would be the consequences if we empowered everyone who felt antagonized to close down needed discussion? Is that the kind of society you really want?

AL: Of course not! I just think that you need to keep your higher power out of it.

CHRIS: And how about your “higher power?” As secular humanists, you have elevated yourselves to the highest position of power. You have convinced yourselves that you have the power, which you don’t have, to always be grateful and even virtuous.

BOB: Al, you see what this son-of-a-bitch is doing. He is now degrading us, laughing at our virtue. Who the heck does he think he is!

AL: Bob, I think you’re on to something. Chris, you are clearly an arrogant and condescending piece of garbage.… This is why they had to put your god Jesus to death. He too believed that he was superior to everyone else, denigrating their religions. Only his mattered. How repugnant! And you are the same way.