The Shack Bible Project

I got this in my email this morning from "Friday Church News Notes".

This is pathetic... just like The Shack.

Krispy

A fan of the non-judgmental father-mother god presented in the popular novel The Shack is re-writing the Bible to conform to his idol. It’s called The Shack Bible Project, and the author says:

“In talking with people about the book, I heard one thing over and over again: ‘Wow, THE SHACK’S vision of God is awesome! Too bad it doesn’t sound much like the God of the Bible...’ I got tired of hearing that, so I decided to so something about it. ... In The Shack, Paul Young gave us a new lens through which we might see God more clearly. In The Shack Bible Project, I am trying to read the Bible afresh through that lens.”

Here’s a little taste of the Shack Bible’s blasphemous garbage: “Jesus said ‘Three years together, Philip, and now you say you’ve never seen me? Dude, I know you’ve already seen Papa because I know you’ve seen me. Don’t you get it? I am in Papa, and Papa is in me. The words I speak are Papa’s words. The works I do are Papa’s works. I don’t do it on my own. Papa who lives in me does it. She is in me, and I am in her. If you can’t believe it just because I say so, then believe based on what you’ve seen her do through me’” (The Shack Bible Project, John 14:9-11).

The Shack is resonating loudly with a wide range of professing Christians because they have never been born again and they have rejected the God of the Bible for a figment of their own imagination. It is a direct fulfillment of Bible prophecy:

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

I can not tell you how many people I know in the church (not the one I go to, I mean in general) who thought THE SHACK was awesome. And no joke, every single one of them said something to the effect of: "It made me look at God in a whole different light!"

Ummm... if you read a book other than the Bible that causes you to look at God in a "whole new light", that should be a red flag. I'm just sayin'...

Sure, we can read a theological book that God will use to reveal more of Himself to us. But if a books changes the basic truth of God into something more palatable for you... problem.

Truth is NOT palatable. Thats kind of an unlying theme in the Bible.

The problem is no one reads their Bible. No one studies their Bible. We have new translations of the Bible into modern English coming out on average about every 9 months in the English speaking world. All designed to make the Word of God "more accessible", and yet we have more Bible illiteracy than ever before since William Tyndale's time.

Even here on SI, where generally the crowd is vastly more mature in the Lord and the Word I have noticed that lately I'm catching a lot of flak for standing for the truth of God's Word. I understand some of it is how I come across to some folks, but frankly most of it is from some folks' total disregard or ignorance of the Bible.

First the Message "bible"... and now The Shack "bible".

Surely we are living in the end times.

Krispy

Shocking doesn't begin to scratch the surface of an understatement. Blasphemous doesn't seem to do it full justice either. Last days is probably the only adequate thing I can think of to say.

"Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "when I will send a famine on the land-- not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it.
(Amos 8:11-12)

Let me do my own paraphrase of this:

"They shall wander from church to church, and from Christian bookstore to Christian bookstore; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it."

Krispy

TongueS in cheek... lol

...yet, kinda serious.

Krispy

Let me start out by saying that I think the Shack bible project is a bad idea mainly because the author and the others involved with the publishing and distribution of the book have always maintained the book was not an attempt at theology. You can view just about any interview on youtube and hear them arguing that the book is an allegory and nothing more. Paul Young wrote the book originally for his kids. Young was a missionary kid who was sexually abused and raised in an evangelical fear-based religion. He wanted to present a different God in print for his children. Just go on youtube and watch any interview with him. There are plenty.

I read the book. I would not have read the book a year ago...6 months ago. In fact, over a year ago I saw a former co-worker of mine reading the book, and I almost tried to "save" her and tell her about all the blasphemies contained in it. All having never read it. I'm glad I never had the chance.

Before I read the book I watched some interviews with Paul Young. Bottom line is...he knows God. He is a brother. He is in Christ, and he knows Christ. After getting to know him through interviews, I read the book, and I know it helped me to appreciate the book. I did not agree with everything I read, but neither do I agree with everything in the Chronicles of Narnia, which is also written as an allegory. Jesus is not a lion you know...

Again, I completely agree that this Shack Bible project is a bad idea. Just as a Narnia Bible project would be a bad idea. Allegory is not theology.

On a side note: Krispy...if my memory serves me correctly, you used to have some very strong opinions AGAINST reformed theology at one point, right? But now, if I have read correctly, you wholeheartedly embrace it. What happened? Did your views change?

Is it appropriate to condemn (never been born-again) those with whom The Shack resonates? What if your views change? Again? I know mine have.