Bishop Barron on “The Shack”
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- Опубликовано: 14 июн 2009
- NOTE: This commentary is on the book version, not the film.
“The Shack” has become an international phenomenon, sitting atop The New York Times bestseller list for months and now inspiring a blockbuster movie. It's a modern retelling of the Biblical story of Job, of a good and righteous man who confronts the problem of suffering. Though it has its faults, it's a book worth reading, especially if you've experienced serious suffering yourself.
Find more video at wordonfire.org!
@wolf1750 Where do you think Catholic missionaries, nurses, doctors, and pastoral ministers go? They specialize in hanging out at hospitals where kids are dying, at nursing homes where old people are lonely, in villages in Africa and Asia where there is no food. They go there because they believe in a loving God, who identifies with the suffering of the world. Why does God permit evil? Take a good long look at the book of Job, and then at the cross of Christ.
Peter Goldman Job is, in a sense, a foreshadowing of the persecution righteous christians would have to face, and it's also a testament of God's trust in mankind, as He allows Job's suffering to prove a point to the Enemy. Ever watched The Dark Knight (2008)? Imagine if it was Batman that gave the trigger to the bombs in the boats to the passengers because he trusted they'd male the right decision. The Enemy is like the Joker. Specially when proven wrong, all he can do is attempt to destroy the vulnerable parties involved a.k.a. us.
@@BWS952 Jesus also did nothing. He was a scapegoat.
@@lalaithan only in a Protestant understanding. Jesus is not a scapegoat Jesus doesn’t take on our sins in our place but rather pays for them on the cross.
There is a difference between penal substitution (what you’re talking about) and satisfaction theory
More so both of those are a tad different from the orthodox perspective
@@BWS952 the point of a Job is that God permits things to happen for greater goods and we can’t persevere that sometimes because we’re not omniscient but he is.
I would even say the Gospel ads even more so to that point, as an ex atheist I used to ask “why would a God punish infinitely for finite transgressions.” However one can now flip that logic here and ask
What is finite transgressions to the infinite reward of heaven? Anything bad that has ever happened, God can and will undo (in a sense). We just gotta get there.
Thank you Bishop Robert Barron for all your evangelization, wisdom and collaboration. I like all of your teachings. God be with you always.
I had never heard of the book or movie before a few months ago. I saw the movie at my church. I just completed reading the book. I don't care about others opinions on this. It had a major impact on me an I didn't have that much problem with this. I cried myself half way through the film
Nice to hear the Bishop's rendition on the book. I have read it and now I will see the movie! I had some questions myself as a Catholic but Bishop Barron was able to articulate this in a way I could not.
Bishop Barron- I think that the section of the story that deals with forgiveness is very well done. Thanks for your review- - Michael :)
Thank you, Bishop. You always get it right.
As usual Bishop Barron that was excellent and thank you
Awesome, wonderful, beautiful! Sometime i'll try to find this for read. Thank You so much 😇😇😇 thank You to God!
Bishop Barron, so grateful to see this critique. You see the good and the things you don’t agree with, you explain your views clearly. Thanks
Thank you Father Barron for confirming my intuition about this book...I got to some really ridiculous parts and got so angry that I threw the book out before finishing it! Maybe I should've just spit out the seeds instead.
sanchmargar I did this!
Sanchmarger, Being a novel and being that I know my Bible, I appreciated the different take the author presented. Too many critics act like it’s heresy and the author never presented it as a historical novel such as the DaVinci Code, which was serious heresy. Shalom
Love this - makes me, who is beginning to think of becoming christian, think.!
And, are you a Christian?
Be careful with that, Christianity is not always what you see in movies
Great read, as well, the movie also is well worth watching. Makes you look differently at your own humanity and how we can change our attitudes towards others.
I grew up with no religion and and still finding my way back. I think questioning his healthy and I do not conform to any sort of strict fundamentalism. I believe in God but still struggling with what the total essence is. I still enjoy reading anything from William Young to Sam Keen, Christopher Hitchens and Phillip Roth. Through reading I'm able to connect to the immense complexity of what God is and what he/she means in my life. I find "The Shack" is a great phenomenon.
I saw the movie and recently purchased the book. Waiting for the right mood to read it. I enjoyed the movie but it does have some tear jerking moments.
Sure. God is, in himself, a play of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, precisely because God "is" love. There must be, from all eternity, a play of lover, beloved, and love within the very essence of God. Jesus makes the Son iconically available to us within history, just as the Church makes the Spirit iconically apparent.
Bravo Bishop Robert! You are an epitome if spiritual intelligence. You have spoken well of our God. It's been seven years since you posted this, glad taking the time rereading and listening to your comments over and over again. You see, I'm always open for correction. This is the best way to learn about God. Kindly teach me more!
Bishop Robert Barron I believe your commentary was done very well sir. With all the different denominations of Christianity, there’s a great deal of confusion and even conflict among God’s children. But I will say as a Christian, I don’t believe God’s law goes against his grace. I believe they do work hand in hand. I have heard people talk about that stating Christ came and changed everything. I don’t believe that though, I believe he simplified the law. If we do as Christ told us we would be within the law. We should love God with all our heart, our mind, and our spirit; and we should love one another as he loves us. He even showed love to those who crucified him setting an example of how we should be.
god bless you father the church needs more like you.
Horse crap. This is esoteric smoke and mirrors and sounds more like the new age mysticism teachings than anything in the bible. Jesus, isn't some icon. Nor is God a "play" three beings. It's real, not a story, not a concept, not an iconic revelation. Jesus Christ is a person. The Holy Spirit is a person. the Father God is a person, . . .one God. God is love, yes, . . .but Luciferians are big preachers of love and peace and unity. . . looking forward to the antichrist that will unite the "church" on earth, yet their "love" their 'christ' is a false one. I take issue with this garbage generalist and esoteric breakdown of truth because the vocabulary and truth of scripture is being hijacked by Satan and decieve unsaved people like yourself preach a counterfeit Jesus. Now this may be innocent misunderstanding on your part, but it's clear indication that you do not know the gospel or the living Lord, Jesus Christ. This rhetoric is sweet to the religious who hide behind the illusion of abstractions and the false hope that "love" is feeling that makes all people justified before God. . . .but it's not true.
"essense of God" . . .what is that a new fragrance?
Jesus said, "I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father but through me." He spoke literal truths, not whispy flits of ambiguous garbage. He said all sorts of wild divisive stuff, like. . ."don't think that I came to bring peace, but a sword" . . . your enemies will be the members of your own household. A father will turn a son over to be killed, a child their parents, etc. You really need to read the Word, get saved and stop preaching a false gospel . . . .because it not only leads other people to hell by decieving them on the requirements for salvation, . . but your eternal soul will spend an eternity in hell. I share this with you out of love. Yes, . . .L O V E. The same love that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees calling them sons of Satan, and brood of snakes, liars because their father was a liar. And they in their pious knowledge and misconceptions about what love really looked like, decided to eliminate Jesus. So they killed him for speaking the truth, . . . IN LOVE.
You fall for Paul Youngs teachings, and the antichrist messages in THE SHACK, because the devil comes as an angel of light and he decieves those who do not have a love of the truth in them.
Did you know that only 4% of professing Christians have read the Bible. Did you know that only a fraction of those that have read the bible actually believe the fundamental truths about what it teaches. . . .YET THEY THINK THEY ARE CHRISTIANS. HOW can a person dismiss God's requirement for salvation and reject basic truth and be saved. Want to know the answer? They can't.
@@DT175Enduro Amén! I was looking for someone that thought like me! very deceiving! May God continue to use you!
The book does point out that there is great suffering in the world, like "The Great Sadness" in the book. Some super tough questions are asked and treated with great respect. I find great hope in the book and hope that people are able to pick out the good parts of the book without being too picky. I think Young does a great job of portraying God as all knowing and with infinite compassion, hoping that the best turns out for the human race, but based on our choices. We can choose like JC.
jeffreydebra1 I saw the heart of the father in the book and movie. I find it sad to see so many reviews by people focused on everything but the spirit and the message. People nowadays have no time to spend with the spirit so they twist and defile the message by leaning to their own understanding.
Absolutely Burton, Paul portrays the God he found in his own dark night of the soul and I find it a wonderful portrayal of the Trinity, which 40 odd years of strict teaching in a fundamental church never gave me. I just feel so much closer to Jesus, and to the Father and the Holy Spirit... they are now my life, not just icons on a wall.
I am Catholic. I loved the book and the movie. Here is my question to people “What did you get from it?” I saw God’s love, compassion and mercy reaching out to a suffering man. One can not look on the Father without dying, “PaPa” appears in a different way to Max. Also Max did not have a good relationship with his earthly dad, where he could have closed up to “Father” in his pain. God works with us individually, this book and movie is an awesome testament to God, in my heart anyways. It is probably a stepping stone for someone to seek out our real Father, Son and Holy Spirit! I say take it in the context is was meant for.
True about the law. I am an Adventist, and agree on the unity of law and grace. That unity is in God, law is for love.
Excellent review. You articulated my own opinions about the book much better than I could ever have done.
The book is great for talking of Divine Mercy in a language that most people can understand, but all the "religion vs relationship" discussion at the end was much less significant.
I'd like to see your take on the film Bishop!
Hi Bishop the movie is great.
Thank you Fr. I liked your metaphor at the end.. "is like eating a good watermelon but spitting out the seeds" I am currently reading this book and I find it very interesting.
take from any book that which u can use, and discard the rest.
HA! I didnt even realise it was a retelling of Job!
From my understanding as a Catholic and a Protestant is that mankind sinned before God gave us the law. Though impossible to keep except by God's grace I believe our attempts to keep the law to ask God what to do in prayer to listen to be obedient shows our love for him and mature and grows us in love and character if you love me obey my Commandments. So the law gives us structure on asking God what to do to clarify which is what Adam and Eve did not do when listening and talking to the devil which was probably why they became so ashamed and thought they were bad and naked.... which is why God said who told you you were naked I think that is the plight of the whole human race which is talking to the devil instead of talking to God...
It is an impressive book.
Father, I think both of those views on Grace and Law are compatible with one another. A moral creature who is not living under the awareness of grace can never live up to the perfect moral law and, in a sense, it will always crush them if they are trying to do it by their own efforts. But, when coming under the awareness of God's grace for us and as we abide in that love, we naturally live out perfect being in the world. It all depends on grace. If we try by our own efforts, we will always fall short of moral perfection. But, when we know of the love that God has for us we are compelled to live a life of love for others! Grace and peace!
PREACH!!!
GOD works in mysterious ways,that we cannot comprehend at all,because we are not God
Balogna. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father but through me." Can you comprehend that?
God gave us his perfect inspired Word in the Bible. Read it and you can absolutely know God. Yes, he's bigger than us, but the message of the Bible is that we not only can know the truth and facts about God, but we can and MUST have a living relationship with Him in order to be saved. Jesus said, you must be born again. Nicodemus responded, "how can I be born again, I can't enter my mother's womb". . . . Go find a bible and read it my dear. You will find Jesus clear and definitive answer and many more definitive truths.
@@DT175Enduro Sola Scriptura isn't the right way my dear
@@gabrielv8767 If Jesus is the living Word and also the way, the truth and the life, than yes... in conclusion "Sola Scriptura" is the only right way!
hey bishop baron can you review the movie version that just came out?
one of the things that struck me hard was its take on God loving us EQUALLY no matter what. What's your take on that particular approach?... the story is beautiful, difficult to grasp such a possibility but welcoming enough to just stop reading and feeling this really personal relationship with the Trinity.
Some comments here are astonishing. If you read The Shack or any other book and it doesn't altogether please you that's life. A mature christian can surely recognise important themes or messages and value them whilst also saying some parts were not for me. Comments like 'it is the devils work' or similar only illustrate rigid intolerance. If you didn't like the book after reading it what have you lost? Nothing. You have gained valuable experience. If your faith is strong you have nothing to fear by listening to someone else's perspective. I wonder how many folk here have actually read the book.
Edward kirkhope Would that everyone had your breadth of spirit.
Thank- you Father I had wondered about the book. I really appreciated your comment about the watermellon! It made me laugh.
@wolf1750 Friend, believers in Christ are those who look, every day, at the crucified Lord. We look right into the face of the God who accompanies us in our deepest anguish. There is no religion that looks away from evil less than Christianity!
There's your trouble...you need to look to a risen Christ. That is where the old order was removed, and the New order given through the gift of the Holy Spirit. I don't in any way mean to lessen the work of Jesus on the cross, but that was only a part of it. Had He not risen, then we would all have died in our sins.
I don't look at Christ crucified every day, I remember He was crucified for us and look to Him in all His glory, strength, power, triumph, Lordship, and grace up in heaven no longer suffering for us! Look at the risen Christ or you are looking at an imaginary Christ!
I'm a born again Christian...used to be Catholic..still love my people..we are on in Jesus....1Lord..1 faith..1spirit..1baptism..1God..that being said..you hit the nail on the head! Thanks for your truth and knowledge!!
You are brainwashed.
dvalahelvete yeah I know...it changed my life for the Good though...no more anxiety or depression...so what's wrong with that! No need for medication or therapy 💖...sending you love and hope to experience the euphoric joy in Jesus!
“Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.
This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.”
1 Corinthians 1:21-22, 25, 27-28 NLT
bible.com/116/1co.1.21-22,25,27-28.nlt
Good for you. You could link verses from the quran as well. Or any other religious books. It's not real.
dvalahelvete yes you can because we worship the same Father...they are Judeo rooted....it really is amazing when one ponders on it....have you read the Bible in its entirety? If you have have you studied? If you have not than it would be ignorant...in my humble opinion to critique what one does not know.
dvalahelvete by the way...I'm not a Trump supporter....I was a Bernie girl for whatever that's worth toward any Christian preconceived notions u may have 😉
The movie is coming out soon.
Law is a friend of grace because Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. He is also the giver of grace and mercy. Without Jesus’ gift of his sacrifice of himself for us, there is no hope. He is the structure of the “ moral” law that we continue to struggle to grasp. As ol’ C. S. Lewis said, nature is but a glimmer of what’s truly to come. So true, our understanding of God’s Love and purpose is like dipping a teacup in the ocean.
This is what I would hope God is! I was raised Catholic but after I was Confirmed I have not stepped foot in a Roman Catholic church.
Too much Hypocrisy
When your told by a Priest that only Catholics go to heaven.....somethings wrong.
I suggest two resources for you to read. The first is paragraphs 15 & 16 of the V2 document, "Lumen Gentium". The second is the 2009 article, "Can Non-Catholics Be Saved?" by Mark Shea, which is on the Catholicity site. Hope this helps, God bless.
The movie was way to new age for me
Yes, well said.
Yes true...
The depiction of God the Father as a motherly black woman was interesting just because it was completely opposite of the traditional imposing bearded older man that's become the standard.
@@JLovrak
And yet to be honest.
God does not have a gender.
And he has never appeared to anyone.
I liked it but i can completely understand where you're coming from. A bit too much new age for me but still a good flick
The Shack is not a book on doctrine or theology. It's not a biblical documentary on the life of Christ. It's a fictional book/movie about a man's tough upbringing and his great loss and how God reaches out to him to help him learn to forgive and love as God does. No doctrine here... just a great movie.
You’ve said well. No doctrine whatsoever, and doctrine matters.
Love the watermelon analogy. Gonna have to use that
Yes
Good review. I read this book not too long ago and was wondering what other catholics thought of it.
@@kingston163 How can a protestant do "biblical theology" if he can't know which books to include in the bible?
maybe the point of all the controversy this book/movie has created was the point. How many people started wondering about God and how many conversations began because of this book or movie? Maybe, just maybe that was the point😊😉
My opinions sorta echo Fr. Barron. I went into it knowing it was "Protestant"-based, and I was pleasantly surprised to find most of it is aligned with 'mere' Christian theology common to both Catholicism and Protestantism.
@sterlingrose33 I know your question isn't for me, but I would like to try answering. When we say God is a Trinity, we don't limit Him even though the only idea we have of "persons" is finite. He can be only Himself--"I am who am." God said He's a Trinity, not us; we simply believe what God has told us. This is the most sublime mystery of Christianity that you have touched upon. If it seems to limit God to you, perhaps you misunderstand it. See the Summa Theologica, First Part, questions 27-43.
I liked the book, Good enough to add to the bible. The portion where it got wierd is it takes a accusitory stance against organized religion, which a bit contradiction of where reliance is placed. It felt like it was almost shoved in there in a wierd way, especially since the advice God gives before you even get there involves not depending on blaming and faultfinding, but just trusting God.
I am not a Christian in any way but boy does American cinema know how to capture your emotions. I read the book years ago. It captivated me. I WANT there to be something or someone better than this world but I always go back to sayin what type of so called God would allow a human to be murdered by a stronger human and cause pain to another human FOREVER. You as a priest I would believe has never given birth to a child or fathered a child 'I hope' so who are you to know the PAIN
Finally. A review of the movie by someone who believes the Bible.
What did this mean in the bible? "And the very legal ordinance which was designed and intended to bring life actually proved [to mean to me] death. [Lev. 18:5.]"
Romans 7:10 AMPC
Hope you can clarify more on the law part. Thank you Bishop!
@Bugeda Hello stranger. You'll be pleased to know that the Church's position is that those who have never heard God's word are not necessarily damned, but those who have heard and reject it are.
Also, decorating churches might seem hypocritical, but it is done with the intention of giving glory to God - just as we do when we do charitable works. In fact, the Church is the largest charitable organisation in the world, and has recently been running at a loss - purposefully.
/watch?v=Vs6qZd_xP1w
Dante's Divine Comedy redone?
@wolf1750 I would praise you as just and kind because I certainly know I deserve worse for what I've done with my life. Such a God is exactly beyond everyone's understanding. He's infinite. We're not supposed to understand but to believe. That's why He's a mystery--"I am who am." What's impossible to believe is that the evil we so really and profoundly experience is meaningless dust that resolves into nothing. Who would believe in a comprehensible God? That's a projection. God bless you.
I find it interesting that Mac's father was there with other 'Angel's even though he was abusive and terrible. What Message does this give us? Why would God who loves us and created us, form this exclusive club where you have to learn the 'secret handshake' to get in? Seems silly. This book made it much easier to pray and feel God's compassion.
@jimmo42 The problem is, that these children will NEED help for the rest of their life, even just for emptying their bowls! Why do you only look at the helpers and not at the children? And as I said above, the helpers either do it for gaining credits in heaven ... or simply because they could not find a less depressing job. As for Mother Theresa, take a look, what Christopher Hitchens had to say regarding her ... Just for fun. -
The book is fiction, not a new gospel, it's a story, not heresy.
All that pious talk of Father Barron doesn't help me one bit. I went yesterday to a "Matsuri" (folk-festival) here in Kyoto. Everyone seemed to have a great time. - Then I saw something, that ruined everything for me: A group of "volunteers" pushing on wheelchairs deformed children with pale little faces, unable to walk for life! Seeing this, it is inconceivable for me, how ANYONE can believe in a kind, personal, just God. The believers are masters in "looking the other way".
Have you read his new book lies we believe about God? Heard some interesting things about it!!
John David Jones, I don't think that anyone is running the book down or looking down on anyone else. This was presented as an open forum and people have opinions. Have you ever belonged to a book club? Everybody reads the same book, meet up to discuss it and then find that everybody had different perspectives? Nobody is above anybody else....and yet everybody comprehended it differently? I think that that is what has happened here....differences of opinion. With as many people as there are in this world, and God having made us all unique....how can you expect us all to see eye to eye? That is what discussion is for. But, your comment is a dig towards all who disagree with you. I am not saying that you are wrong....but I am not saying that you are right either. I guess that we will all have to respectively agree to disagree. Bless you brother.
Our Mother?
@Jugglable Yes. Jesus was there when Earth and Heaven were created according to what Jesus claims for Himself.
If I have to spit out the seeds, its not truth. A very new age interpretation. Not sure what U mean as Christian?
He means nobody carries the complete truth unless he is Jesus Christ. Nobody has figured it all out except for Jesus. He is the Truth. And about us.. We might have our objective things and looks in our life. And we really need to be humble to realize that all of us are "little bit of heretics" in a sesne, because nobody of us has covered it all. This is one of the reasons we need each other.. God made people dependent. We are His Body and there's something about relationship. There's no any guy having 100% pure perfect theology but Jesus Christ is Perfect Theology. So you have to have some filters on, while digesting even christian information, whoever that guy, priest, preacher, teacher or theologian is. I think that's what he means.
IImar Meldre
The Bible is God's perfect Word of truth!!
If we stick w/ reading that, studying that & meditating on scripture, as Jesus Himself did, then we don't need any filter.
As for The Shack, it's loaded w/ New Ageism even depicting the Holy God as a female diety, much as Wiccans and other systems of the occult do.
This is a dangerous book/movie and has the potential to create a stumbling block for the saved & the unsaved.
Remember what Jesus had to say about that:
“If anyone causes one of these little ones-those who believe in me-to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!"
OK. You worship the Bible, I worship the Jesus and the perfect Word of God. Not the words about the Word. Yes, I love the Bible, but I don't worship my worship of God or my interpreation of the Bible as any one others. The Shack is not loaded with New Ageism, this says person, who does not understand the topic and the theme of this book. If you don't like it, just don't read it, but please don't write stupid things here. God is not female, nor is He male, but He can show as some.. for example He became flesh and He lives in us all, whether we like it or not. Despite what New Age and occult and fundamental evangelical christianity believes in. There's no such thing as "unsaved" in the New Testament. It sounds really excluding, as if you determine everyone on hell and decide for them and ignore the finished work of the Cross, the Grace of God that is able to save every human being. "unsaved" is bad term in evangelical christianity. There's only those, who believe, those, who accepted and those who did not accept. We don't get saved by our prayers and repentances and good works.. it's all God's work. And of course you just put the Bible verse here, but it doesn't prove your saying is write, you can put it together, but that does not always mean your point or your interpretation is right. That's the thing. I have read the Shack and read it again. I know what New Age teaches and it's a big difference. I love this fiction, just as I love parables, dark sayings and symbols, through which God spoke thourghout the Bible and I have seen how the Love of God touched people through this book. If so, then God is really behind it, and He is great to do it, and He alone deserves Glory! And I don't care what haters say.. most of them haven't even read the book or put their own ideas that author does not say, it's easy, just misinterpret someone and label him or her as a heretic, so you can send it all together to hell. BUT HEY, WHERE'S THE GOSPEL IN THAT? I haven't seen!
IImar Meldre:
"But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" - 2 Corinthians10:3-5
I'm addressing this prayerfully & w/ grace in my heart, not contentiously; neither as legalistic nor a Pharisee.
That said, I will advise people that The Shack is flooded w/ New Age teachings! Followers of the New Age movement are absolutely embracing this movie b/c it illustrates much of their belief system. I am someone who not only has been through very horrific and very tragic life lessons; I am also someone who was immersed in New Ageism & as such am well aware of the manner in which they appeal to your emotions then offer a solution to your pain or fear or harmful memories, lifting New Age above Jesus and every other belief system; offering emotional back pats to those of you who they'll claim are now more evolved, more spiritually aware b/c you've bought into the lie. And their approach is ALWAYS very subtle, just like the serpent who beguiled Adam and Eve w/ a mere question.
And just like The Shack, New Age incorporates metaphors in their teachings. "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough."- Galatians 5:9
Just a little false teaching & a little more & a little more...chipping away at the truth until as the Apostle Paul said, "they've exchanged the truth for a lie."
Someone asked what if The Shack causes someone to walk into church for the first time?
What if??
What if it causes them to seek out one of the many churches preaching false doctrine & a false Jesus as The Shack does?
And what if it causes many to fall away b/c they're embracing this other gospel & drawn only to churches teaching the false Christ?
"For there shall arise false Christs" Jesus said, "they shall deceive the very elect."
It's up to us to pray for wisdom & discernment lest we be ensnared by the world's philosophies & vain imaginations!
And it's up to us to pray for people involved in New Age and other branches of the occult. We should be the salt & light, presenting the truth to them just as Jesus Christ shared that truth w/ the disciples. Forgiveness & love are what heals all of anyone's pain as Jesus Christ demonstrated throughout His teachings & on the cross.
Forgiveness is often a process and sometimes love is too, nevertheless our Heavenly Father in ALL of His divine wisdom designed them to complement each other & to wield powerfully when demonstrated in our own lives. He truly is the Great Physician!
Here is unsaved Jesus said except you repent you will likewise perish and he was talking about souls
@wolf1750 He created you as an intellectual because the love that satisfies the longings of our heart isn't just about blind emotions but integrates both the head and the heart. We have a love for both truth and the good; God is thus for everyone--the smart and the dumb, etc.
It depends on what you mean by "one and only." And historically, no, there has never been anything close to the Judeo-Christian God. There have been various forms of polytheism with hierarchies but nothing like this God.
The book and the description is so Catholic, leaving the truth of Christ, the cross and the final and only answer for mans sin soddy and fogged out...The Cricifiction, death and resurection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The truth of Salvation and being born again (Jesus said this) is almost always lost in Catholic tradition drawning out scripture is always the situation.
You would like this book and movie, so full of deceprtion and leads away from Scripture truth...
There is a difference between "Lutheran" (i.e. of or pertaining to Luther himself), and "protestant." The mature protestant position on divine law, developed after Luther's death by the protestant scholastics is somewhat closer to the Catholic position briefly outlined by Fr. Barron. See Ernest F. Kevan's book, _The Grace of Law_
Lutherans are Protestant.
Not sure why so many people find this controversial. God tells us to forgive others, even if they haven't asked for forgiveness. Why would God himself be so different?
It was an ok book.
finalmente um video bom sei q vc n fala pt mas n to nem ai
Why be bothered by God's gender? In the spiritual realm both can be male and female, each possessing the masculine and feminine nature of the other. We call God father simply because we are speaking in human terms and level of understanding. God is so respectful enough so as to let the physical nature express and unfold the personality of God as a loving Male Figure. By the way, in heaven, people don't marry. There, purified souls are married to God alone. On earth, God who is outside of His creation, entered into humanity taking up a gender role as male for, in and through Christ using our human capacity to ponder the incomprehensible trinitarian relationship. By taking up the male role as Son, God brought as closer to our sense of belonging in both spiritual and physical realm. He/She made us realize that we really all are God's children through Christ. Understanding the trinity in terms of human relationship and gender role is just but a small fraction of Who and What this shared love of the Trinity actually is. Succinctly put, God can be a he or she to me. God as a loving black, yellow, white, or brown momma? I see no problem with that at all. Let's go beyond that stupid notion of color, race and gender.
Because people are simple and easily distracted
Pope Benedict beautifully phrased it this way, "the law is the condition of love".
@Jugglable "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." This is John 1:1-2 This tells us that Jesus (the Word) always existed, even prior to when he became man. Also Genesis 1:26 "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." The word "our" is an early reference to the Trinity, it doesn't say "Let me create man in my image." Hope this helps.
hello there! i'm planning to read the book but i feel sorry because i don't know any story in the bible so can i still understand it without any intelligence on the bible stories? it can also be the start for me to read bible stories!
Jhomel Dela Cruz:
Discard The Shack & read the Holy Bible!
The Bible is the ONLY book where you'll find TRUTH!
Jhomel Dela Cruz
Yes, please do NOT read this terrible book. Just read the Bible. You will not understand it in the beginning. But, as God draws you to see Himself through Jesus, you will begin to see that we are all sinners. But, that through repentance and believing that Jesus is our Savior we can be saved from our destiny in hell. And when we start to understand the deep deep love of God, we will begin to worship Him, and trust Him, and obey Him by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit is who reveals the truth of the Word of God to us. So, once you have repented and turned to obedience in Christ Jesus then the Holy Spirit will begin to truly open to you the wisdom of God’s Word in Scriptures. Those who are not believers can not truly understand and that’s how we get false teachers.
@wolf1750: Christopher Hitchens is a man filled with hate. Period. I am even less interested in hearing what he has to say about anything than I am hearing about what Hitler thought about butterflies. If anything Hitchens would say about Mother Theresa is even closely related to "fun" for you, it says volumes about your character.
@wolf1750 Believers do not look the other way on the contrary, they look and see human suffering BUT they also see God dwelling in that suffering while unbelievers look but see only the suffering. So if you looked and saw only the miserable human condition then you must look deeper because God is not far.
@wordonfirevideo There may be many reasons, why these kind people help the suffering mankind, e.g. in order to earn a place in heaven ... But how they manage to believe in a PERSONAL, JUST and LOVING God is beyond my understanding. -
Would you praise me as just and kind, if I would spit into YOUR face?
HEY!!!!!!!!:O--------------------------------->How about the fact
that if he killed his dad he killed HER TOO? After all, how else did he
know where the body was located?
I thought that Mack's portrayal of Sophia in the cave would have given this man enough of the law to satisfy his needs. Sophia didn't spare Mack at all. In the end, she made him see what the law meant when he was asked to choose which child of his he would send to hell, because of His harsh judgement of God over Missy's death.
I think Paul covered it all...I lent this book to a friend of mine who is a spiritual writer, and his comment was "Paul didn't write this, he may have held the pen, but the Holy Spirit wrote it"
I watched the movie and i think itisone of the best christian movie ever
I always find it disturbing when people say "trust in God even if you don't understand what he's doing or why he's doing it." How can you say you follow God or anyone if you don't even know the what or why behind what they're doing? That's how people get exploited. An innocent girl getting brutally murdered is all part of that plan (supposedly) and you're all like "just go with it". Where's the empathy for what that girl just went through? You might surrender your body to God but until you scrutinize Him and ask hard questions you'll never be giving Him your mind or your spirit. You're doing both Him and you a disservice by blindly trusting Him. More importantly you're doing that little girl a disservice. I know I won't change your minds but GAH! it just feels good to shake you people every once and a while.
_The Shack_ has an interesting premise, but I couldn't finish the movie. From what I saw of it, it was crass, sentimental and simplistic to the point where it became really rather embarrassing. It had no sense of mystery.
Portraying the Blessed Trinity as three affluent Americans with a holiday home in the countryside doesn't really work.
Even if the truth is that this movie portrays falsely about God. The moral that stuck with me is what happened to Mack in the end. Even whatever he woke up from didn’t really happen. The reality is that Mack was a new creation. Willie (tim McGraw) concurs by the change he saw in Mack after he woke up. People change when they really experience God and His Love. Other people can see the change or ‘fruit’ in that person. You can hear story’s of people ‘finding God’ more like, He reveals Himself to us. Take Paul for example. That’s one thing to test from this movie and build up from it. Have you experienced this ?
Why can't people just watch this for a movie and enjoy it. I did. I thought it was believable.. Why must people be so negative if something just doesn't please them. "catholics who have gone through a lot of suffering" . I agree with this.. PATTY S
I enjoyed your commentary. Although I liked the book, when I read it I felt it seemed a bit too protestant. Now I realize why.
Well, that might be because a protestant wrote it.
Heresies are not watermelon seeds. Heresies are drops of poison in the wine.
Go back to the middleages.
@@samsaranknight the Bible is written for ALL time, not just part of time.
Do the conversations with the Trinity solve the main question of this book: Why God allowed the abduction, (most likely sexual) mistreatment, and finally murder of the narrators beloved little daughter to happen? I DONT THINK SO! The basic question of this (otherwise well-written) book, the problem of Theodizee, is not being answered. I
and how do you know this?
@wordonfirevideo If God created us, he gave also SOME OF US the capacity to l think LOGICALLY. For centuries, thinkers of more importance than Fr. Barron and me have been unable to solve exactly this problem (theodize): How to reconcile the UNDESERVED suffering of INNOCENTS with a KIND and LOVING God. IF God created me, then he is responsible for me being just able to smile (painfully) about Fr. Barron's illogical and pious hogwash. SORRY!
@wolf1750 Seeing people caring for one other, loving the despite their physical defects makes it inconceivable to you that people believe in a kind, personal, just God? This kid of selfless love is definitely proof of a loving God. These people were definitely NOT "looking the other way". Nor are people like Mother Theresa. My friend, you seem to have your polls reveresed.
The book bothered me because the book is composed as non fiction instead of fiction. This deception really I find off putting, the average person who read it believed it was a explicitly true account (as the book confesses it to be true)
That's not true. It's listed as fiction, the author clearly and routinely says it is fiction.
Great story. The idea of God being a woman isn't meant to be political or literal or even scriptural. That creative license Is showing that God is giving him what he needs in that moment. He reveals Himself later as a male guide because He realizes Mac can handle the father figure. We know God is FATHER but remember it's fiction and the purpose of the characters are not the main point of thr story. The theology of the trnity is there but hopefully pulls us in enough to turn to scripture for a relationship. When Mac goes back home, the trinity is with him in scripture despite his "dream" experience which could have been just that in the book.
Thank you for that Gloria, Paul explains through Abba in the beginning that if a tall old man with white hair and a beard had appeared to Mack on the doorstep, he would probably have run. I am Very disappointed, that the so called critics are so obsessed with the characters, that they are missing the real message in the dialogue. I am sure all who read this valuable book will realise that it is fiction, but fiction with a point to it. Avenel Grace, Adelaide Sth Aust.
Okay, I get poetic license. I don't get the nonsense that GOD does not punish when scripture is filled with GOD, HIS prophets and YESHUA HA MASHIACH JESUS our SAVIOR our MESSIAH stating; GOD will punish sin!! YESHUA hanging on the cross was punishment for sin. You can't take poetic license on that point, and to deny it is to lie! sin.
@wordonfirevideo Why look so far ... to a person, who either did not exist at all or suffered death VOLUNTARILY? Better look instead in the next hospital at children with bone-cancer or at people slowly starving in Africa and other places and ask yourself, how a PERSONAL, LOVING God can let this happen ! And don't bring up "FREE WILL" as an argument again! Innocent sufferers HAVE NO FREE WILL.
@richgr1123 This reply is the most interesting so far. At least, you admit, that the Christian God (should he exist after all) is incomprehensible. But then I have to ask, why did he create me (or let me develop into) an intellectual? A "seeker"? Is he just a God for the Bible-Belt-Dummies? And do I know, that HE is the ONE AND ONLY ??? As you know, there have been MANY Gods in various parts of the world and history claiming the same ...
I, personally, don't like the extreme example they use in the book and all designed to elicit thrills. Kind of just a way to attract attention. But hey, if it works for the "masses" why not?
Robert Hernandez It wasn't for thrills. You might read further for context before commenting.
I read this book and saw this the movie. I loved BOTH!!!!! It is a wonderful story and gives you the sense of how God is so real and loving (which He is, of course)!!!! It is a very, really feel good book /movie!!! I just don't understand the negative reviews. People just put too much emphasis on how God is portrayed. It doesn't matter, because in the book, God is portrayed as forgiving and full of love. That is what really matters.
Margaret Delisi
Actually Margaret, what really matters is that you understand that God cannot be portrayed. Check out #2 of the Ten Commandments. Feeling warm and fuzzy is blinding you to the truth.
I agree 100% with you Margaret!!---Paul Young has said over and over that the book/story is FICTION and not 100% true to the bible. As with everything now days, people have to make something out of nothing and are finding lots of faults about the book.. I loved the book!!---haven't seen the movie. I loved the way the author made those 3 people to be the trinity. It was very entertaining and humorous. I envied Mack being able to walk on water with Jesus and talk to him like he was a good friend just hanging out having fun with. I believe that in order to really get into and enjoy the book, if you truly are a follower of Jesus and have studied him and accept him in your heart, you will totally enjoy the book---haven't seen the movie!
scmarriner-------That was meant for REAL life scenario-----NOT a fiction book
It's FICTION!
Margaret Delisi Margaret please read the Bible God is not an overweight Black woman and Jesus is the ONLY way to God.
As Biblically stated "All male child are holy unto God" to the word Father.
Even as said of the manner that when men become weak, women rule over them.
Now the author shows his underlying anger against God by portraying him as a woman, his anger come out of the sexual corruptions he faced in his younger days, but falls into the delusion to subtly attack God instead of contending against sin & satan, only to become as a devils advocate. As far as the details of the story is concerned it can be said to his anger "Intelligently portrayel"' even philosophically,
In short, where God is Holy there is nothing holy about the Shack other than to the holy cow, would make his so called god as its high Priestess.
Apostle Paul tells us clearly that the law helped us to realize sinfulness... And it couldn't save us from sin, but only increased it, while grace impoweres us with righteousness and brings total freedom from sin! (Paul even called the commandments the deadly letters that bring death to men). Big difference! Luther was absolutely right in that area... He read the letters of Paul very accurately. And Paul influenced 2/3 of the New Testament, so may be we should pay close attention to his words? Some scholars say that the Gospels were wrote to back up the words of Apostle Paul and his testimony about the mystery of Christ, not backwards. If you think I'm elevating Paul over the words of Jesus, then may be you haven't considered that the words of Paul ARE the words of Jesus. He himself received revelation through Divine encounter. There's a big difference with living under law and grace.. we see that in Romans, we see that especially in Hebrews and Galations (which is the most harsh book on that topic, signed up by the Apostle himself, may be even written as some scholars assume). Disagree on that point! But nevertheless, thanks for good comments on "The Shack". Much repesct, peace and love in our Lord!
Thoughtful comment. Two perspectives: use an understanding of the gospels to interpret paul or use an interpretation of Paul to interpret paul. I support the former. Seems the shack prefers the later.Pax
Im surprised that you never adressed the controversy that follows this book. Many believe that this book portrays the trinity in the wrong way. What is your take on this?
@wolf1750 Nonsense to you since you ignore your faith. Dont you realize that in Christianity God love and sense of justice is crucified with the victims. This was God answer to human injustice and suffering: The cross.
Before Jesus came to earth, was God already a Trinity? This may sound smart-assed, but is not intended to be.
Jugglable yes yes!
this man needs prayer for discernment help him lord...........
Continuation ("Shack"):
t is rather washed away in a lot of talk about the love of God for us and us loving God and each other. The book is basically sentimental, but its sentimentality is cleverly disguised behind common sense humor and the ordinariness of its protagonists. The great echo this book has found is only indicative of our despair.
The world will not love the true followers of Christ. The Lord's Prayer says "Our FATHER which art in Heaven" not "Our MOTHER which art in Heaven." In John 15:18, Jesus says, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." This movie is well received for a reason. There is a false ecumenical church which is emerging today, where the pastor preaches "feel good" sermons to make people "feel" good about themselves, a church that will one day become the One World Church and the Bride of the antichrist. Then there is the true church, the persecuted church, which will go up in the Rapture, where you may not always come out of church "feeling good about yourself", but will come out closer to God. With the true church, it's not about "your own spirituality", it's about God's Spirituality.
Richard Wilkins
Amen!! You've spoken truth just as a disciple of Jesus Christ ought to.
Ty!!
I was raised Catholic. Given ancient people and their social structure, father would be the only thing that would fit, because in their world, a man was everything. I don't know too many men who create life in our existence. Women create life, of course with the help of God, not a man. God has no gender, but could it be possible that God could have the patterns of a mother and father? Take Jesus, he was born a male, do you think a woman during that time could achieve anything? One example is Mother Teresa for instance, because now we can embrace a woman doing the work of Jesus for God.
Donna6255:
Jesus always referred to God as Father. Nothing else! He's our heavenly Father, not our daddy nor our "papa".
God creates life & men and women procreate only by the grace of God.
That's the Biblically based, gospel *truth*.
N. Joy I hate to break it to you, but "Abba," which we take to mean "father," is better translated as "daddy" or "papa." You should do some research into the etymology of the word.
I haven't see the movie or read the book, but I have a friend who saw it. God the Father (which is spirit) is 1st portrayed as a female because God tells Matt he need a mother-figure, but then later God the Father is portrayed as a man. The spirit is neither male or female. Only Jesus (the son) is male because he chose to be born and come into the world and was male. When he rose and then ascended into heave, he took his glorified body with him. Therefore, He is a HE.