The appearance of evil.

[missmuffet]

[Running Gator]

[Fidei Defensor]

The Appearance of Evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22) is very subjective and situational. For example in the US and most western cultures, if a person were to show their breasts it would be considered exhibitionism and public nudity which is finable and grounds for arrest. But in a poor remote village of Africa, there are tribeswomen who have their breasts exposed, but there is not sensuality and promiscuity to it. Another example, a person may drive an expensive car in the West out of the pride of life (1 John 2:16), while another may have nice and expensive car they drive missionaries around in, and picked it because it will have best features for their work and even ministry. 

Then there is the off limits subject of alcohol. There are those who drink some wine with their dinner, and others who think a drop of alchole is sin. I am not going to get into debate here over this, but if you are with someone who thinks drinking is wrong, then you need to abstain that night you share a meal (Romans 14:21, 1 Corinthians 8:13). Abstaining from evil is tricky, because it has hand in your convictions , "But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning," (Romans 14:23), and "So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves." (Romans 14:22).

I do worry about appearance of evil. A good example is Star Wars. When I was growing up the Jedi were like the Military Orders of the Crusades, warrior monks with supernatural powers. There even was some allusions to Judeo-Christian values. But now the Jedi are more like New Age and White Magic Paladins, they even must mediate on their lightsaber crystals and become one with them (which is New Age teaching). Here is the problem, this new way of the Jedi makes a former fan like myself appear to like something evil, New Age doxology and mysticism, but the Jedi I like are from olden days. The problem is society and impressionable relatives are judging on basis of the latest interpretation (approbation) and so I had to hang my Jedi cape and lightsaber up.

Edited May 1, 2017 by Fidei Defensor

[Fidei Defensor]

18 minutes ago, Davida said:

 I recognized the new age spirituality, eastern mysticism and the  occult influence in Star Wars. Most are not aware of everything old age i.e. little bit many ancient pagan religions & native spirituality , with some occultism that the New Age spirituality actually encompasses. George lucas  I've read was raised Methodist& studied eastern mysticism and native spirituality, he describes himself as a Buddhist Methodist & was friends with the author Joseph Campbell who came with his own set of spiritual influences & eastern religious studies. I repented of my fascination with the whole star wars thing, I know what influences created it.

Fascinating. I become aware of the Force's demonic powers when George Lucas during The Prequels revealed that he invented the Force from Shinto Monks who could hover with demonic powers (this was on TV docu). I then became concerned with how in Star Wars, the Death Star is in shape of Globus Crusiger (orb Jesus holds in Renaissance Paintings to denote He is Salvator Mundi, Savior of World and King of Kings), the Death Star is the exact shape, with the line around center of it to sunking in creator as what the Savior holds in the paintings. Then you have Kylo Ren (The Force Awakens) has the only cross shaped lightsaber and he's the villain? Then in Revenge of Sith Obi-Wan tells now Darth Vader, "Only a Sith deals in absolutes," uh actually Christians are absolutists, there is only one way to be saved: Jesus Christ (John 6:40, John 14:6, Acts 4:10-12) Is Disney and George trying to say something? It seems to me its antichristian. Then you have Stephen Spielberg, George Lucas' best friend, who in Jurassic Park 1993 has the only Catholic Christian praying on a toilet be eaten in most memorable way by the T-Rex, then you have in The Lost World: Jurassic Park in 1998 the only Christian, Dieter an Eastern Orthodox Christian eaten by the little green raptor like Troodon compys. Then Stephen Spielberg in His Indiana Jones films does this, in Raiders of Lost Ark he makes Jehovah (Adonai) appear as creepy God who burns you faces off (in Bible the worst incident was man touched the Ark and died, like instantly no pain), then in Temple of Doom its Astec ritualistic heart sacrifice, then in The Last Crusade Jesus is made to look creepy with the many cups of Christ (Holy Grails), and finally in The Crystal Skull Spielberg tells "Chariots of the gods" for umpteenth time.  

[Fidei Defensor]

1 hour ago, Davida said:

I agree with you on this totally!

I am glad to not be alone in my perspective. I frankly am greieved how many years and hours I gave to Galaxy, gfar, far away... The only consolation is when I share something like this it comes not from outsider naysayer, but a former die hard who can tell you who Mara Jade is, Dash Randar, Revan, Prince Xizor and more. People tend to listen when you've been there and warn them about its perils and pitfalls. 

[Fidei Defensor]

2 minutes ago, Davida said:

I hear ya! There is a few things I've felt like that about , after I got saved ....and went ...what was I thinking???

I believe Christ uses everything for good. We both have a testimony of coming out of A Galaxy, far, far away... and can warn people of the sorcery wrapped in The Force clothing. 

[Fidei Defensor]

7 minutes ago, Davida said:

Before I was saved I went spiritually seeking looking for God in many spiritual philosophies and spiritual writings so I have a testimony coming out of that study too.   I regret all the time that I could have spent instead studying the Bible.

Well, the good news is you are now written in Lamb's Book of Life.  

[Fidei Defensor]

We should never lose the joy of our salvation (Psalm 51:12, John 6:40). We should marvel that God humbled himself, became a Man (John 1:15), limited his powers (Philippians 2:5-11 NLT), suffered (1 Peter 2:21), and carried the weight of our sin upon his shoulders (Isaiah 9:6). He wrote love in blood, writing a new covenant with nails in his hands, and saying to our sin, "It is Finished." ().  No other gods humbled themselves, limited their powers, lived in weakness, and died for man. Jesus Christ says to mankind, "They say, all others say you must prove yourself and earn God's favor, I say to you I have proved myself to you and earned you favor. Where those fallen demand, I say decide, where the fallen say grovel, I bore your sins with shovel, where devils say bow, I the Divine bowed myself low on a cross to set you free."