Tuesday, May 26, 2009

The Secret vs. Christianity Pt 2 Revisited: You Are God

In the original Part 2, I dealt with Rhonda Byrne's claim that each one of us is God and I contrasted that with what the Bible says about who we are and who God is. But I really left something out that further refutes Byrne's belief about 1) her own deity, and 2) The Secret's alleged compatibility with Christianity.

The following three verses emphasize God's omniscience:

Psalm 139:1-4

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.


Proverbs 5:21

For a man’s ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths.


Matthew 10:29-31

Aren't two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's consent. But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.


So, if Rhonda Byrne (or anybody else) believes that a) she is God and b) The Secret is compatible with Christianity, then they ought to be able tell me how many hairs are on my head (a task which, I admit, is getting easier and easier every day) and she also should be able to tell me when a sparrow has fallen to the ground. And she should be able to know my thoughts from far away and she ought to know every word I speak before I speak it.

If she (or anyone else with her understanding) does not know these things then her belief that she is God is false. Now if she were to insist that she IS God in spite her obvious lack of omniscience, then she has a view of God that is, by definition, contrary to what Christianity (via the Bible) teaches about God.

So if she claims to be God, but lacks omniscience, then either she is not God or she has an understanding of God which is incompatible with and contrary to Christianity. She can't claim that "The Secret" is compatible with Christianity and then claim that she is actually God while at the same time demonstrating that she lacks the Christian God's attribute of omniscience.

Rhonda Byrne is not God, and neither are you.

4 comments:

  1. "Rhonda Byrne is not God"

    Color me WAY THANKFUL for THAT

    ReplyDelete
  2. Uncle Mike:

    Gotta do somethin' about your handle there. Whenever I see "UM" I can't help but picture someone (not you) poised at their keyboard, not knowing what to write, and saying "UUHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM…"

    He, he.

    Yeah, I think I'm board with you… thankful that Rhonda Byrne's not God. Or that God's not Rhonda Byrne. Or whatever.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey Pete, Funny you should mention my handle.. I thought the same thing the other day.

    FYI.. I check you blog daily. I'm really enjoying your posts. The other day after reading your Part I post on James 2:17 I navigated over to Robbies website and listened to his lesson on the same verse, just so I'd be prepared for your Part II post. Both Robbie's lesson and your posts were very enlightening. Thanks.. and obviously, Thanks to the Holy Spirit bringing it all together. Keep it up! You're very good at this.

    Oh, and I can't help but bust your chops a little regarding the JW boys that frequent your neighborhood. You are WAY more patient that I'd be. Oh My Goodness, I'm afraid I'd be downright rude. Kudos to you. I wonder if those boys are scratchin' their heads now after having the benefit of your wisdom. I do beleive that those little events (them coming to your door) are very purposeful. If nothing else, it helps to solidfy your beliefs and gives you an opportunity to utilize your Priesthood. Like I said. Keep it up.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks, Mike! Regarding James 2, Robert Dean and all o' those guys have a good understanding of most of it… but Dean's the only one I've heard teach the thing about the quotes being in the wrong place… (James 2:19) never heard anyone else mention it. And it makes SO MUCH SENSE that way. Kudos to Dr. Dean.

    Far as the JWs are concerned, you've gotta have a tough question or two for 'em. Mormons, too. I love it when the JWs come knockin' 'cuz I always challenge their teaching that 1)the body and the soul are really the same thing and 2)you cease to exist when you die (to be resurrected later).

    And here's where Conner comes in… maybe I told you 'bout this. But after I get them to agree to the characterization I just offered above, then I tell 'em about Conner. And in particular, I tell them that we were holding him when he died. And then I point out to them that Conner's body didn't vanish… he didn't pull a Yoda on us.

    If the body and soul are one in the same, and if you cease to exist when you die, then we should expect a person to simply evaporate before our eyes when they die.

    One husband and wife couple who came by once were really flummoxed by that question. They promised to return the following week with an answer. I'm still waiting, and it's been two years.

    ReplyDelete