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Watchman Expositor Christian Magazine

Youth and the Occult

by Jason Barker 

As the next article shows, the occult is becoming an increasingly common component of television programs oriented towards youth. The increased exposure of witchcraft and other occultic practices is increasing the acceptance of these practices by youth as exciting, exotic alternatives to mainstream religion (particularly Christianity).
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Also in this Issue Youth-Oriented TV & the Occult 
Nation of Islam Profile 
Games: Fantasy or Reality 
Piecing Together the First Vision 
Jehovah's Witnesses & the Soul
 

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An informal study of local teenagers by the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader in 1997 showed that “Most said there’s a subculture at nearly every school that includes Anne Rice-influenced gothic kids, faux vampires and outcast kids who dabble in the occult. After all, in the Bible Belt, what could be more shocking than experimenting with witchcraft, vampirism or Satanism?”1  The study concluded that most signs of teenage involvement in the occult (such as satanic symbols on book bag or bumper sticker) are merely a superficial sign of temporary rebellion against societal boundaries. 

A small percentage of teens who show signs of occultic interests, however, become heavily involved in serious occultic practices.2  The results of their involvement in the occult can be tragic.
 

Youth and the Occult: A Worst-Case Example

The study by the Herald-Leader was motivated by the murder of two people on November 25, 1996, by a vampire cult led by Kentucky teenager Rod Ferrell. 

Ferrell claims that, as a young child, he was exposed to occult rituals and human sacrifices by his father and first stepfather.3  More plausibly, Ferrell also claims to have been exposed to the occult and vampirism as a child through playing Dungeons & Dragons.4  He began to engage in serious occultic practices following his mother’s second divorce, walking in cemeteries at night, cutting himself and offering his blood to others, and pretending to be a 500 year-old vampire named “Vesago.”5

In addition to more typical acts of teenage rebellion (such as using drugs and avoiding school), Ferrell became involved in a role-playing game called Vampire: The Masquerade. Masquerade players physically engage in the actions of their characters, much like they would do if performing in a play, whereas traditional tabletop role-playing games involve dice, playing cards, and other components used by players to imagine the action being described.

 
 

Ferrell began walking in cemeteries at night, cutting himself and offering his blood to others, and pretending to be a 500 year-old vampire named "Vesago."
 


 
 

The judge at Ferrell's sentencing described him as "a disturbed young man" who proves "there is genuine evil in the world."

Ferrell’s pretense at vampirism eventually led him into contact with a young man named Stephen Murphy, who led Ferrell towards “crossing over” and becoming a real vampire.6  This friendship ended in 1996 after Murphy attacked Ferrell; shortly after, Ferrell’s mother was charged with soliciting a minor (Murphy’s 14 year-old brother), whom she begged to “‘cross her over’ and have her as his vampire bride.”7

During his friendship with Murphy, Ferrell began his friendships with Charity Lynn Keesee, Howard Scott Anderson, and Dana Cooper. These three constituted the members of Ferrell’s “vampire cult,” engaging in group sex and drinking blood as part of their vampire rituals.8  The four youth allegedly killed Richard Wendorf and Naoma Queen at the behest of their daughter, Heather Wendorf, so that Heather could join the cult. The cult was captured in Baton Rouge, Lousiana, allegedly while travelling to New Orleans to meet Anne Rice.9

Ferrell was sentenced to death for the murders of Wendorf and Queen. At his sentencing the judge described Ferrell as “a disturbed young man” who proves “there is genuine evil in the world.”10
 

“Mainstream” Occultic Activities for Youth

The above example is admittedly a worst-case scenario; few youth join vampire cults and murder their parents. By positing such a horrifying scenario as the extreme pole of occultic activity, with conservative Christianity (or at least opposition to occultic activity) marking the other pole, it is reasonable to consider where the “middle ground,” or most popular forms of occultism for youth, can be found. What are some of the more popular forms of occultism being marketed for youth? 

“Gothic” Music and Dress

The Gothic (or Goth) movement started in 1981 at a London nightclub called “The Batcave.” Goth devotees, named after the medieval Gothic period, “were pale-faced, black-swathed, hair-sprayed nightdwellers, who worshiped imagery religious and sacrilegious, consumptive poets, and all things spooky.”11  The movement reached the height of its popularity in Great Britain in the late 1980s, when such “pop-Goth” bands as the Cure and Depeche Mode created a synthesis of pop music and Goth-inspired attire, topping music charts and filling stadiums for their concerts. 

The action-horror movie, The Crow (released in 1996), is an example of stereotypical Goth imagery: actor Brandon Lee wears black leather costumes, has long black hair and black eye shadow, and has his face painted a death-masque white. He frequented a dank, mausoleum-like abode (redolent of the haunts of the vampires in Anne Rice’s novels) lit with ornate candelabra and punctuated with religious iconography. 

The Goth movement, while somewhat reduced in popularity, is still a thriving countercultural niche for many teens. In its most basic form, Goth is an expression of alienation from societal expectations. J. Gordon Melton explains, “The goth culture is made up of a lot of people who are wounded souls, who feel alienated in some way.”12  The attire, musical themes, and décor are an expression of nihilism; Goths “celebrate the death of things like dreams and hope and humanity for our culture.”13

As the Goth aesthetic has crept into the mainstream, it has divided into three cliques. The first and smallest clique are those described above, for whom Goth is essentially an existentialist statement. The second and most visible clique are those who have temporarily adopted Goth music and attire as a rebellion against the expectations of their parents and community leaders. The cynical cultural index, Alt.Culture, describes the orientation of these individuals by claiming that Goth provides “a highly stylized, almost glamorous, alternative to punk fashion for suburban rebels, as well as safe androgyny for boys.”14  This is the market towards whom Marilyn Manson targets his act. Despite a “Marilyn Manson Awareness” training seminar being offered in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which claims that Manson and other Goth and pseudo-Goth adherents should be classified as gang members, police and school districts largely consider the “suburban rebel” clique of Goth to be innocuous.15

It is the third clique that poses the greatest concern: the small number of Goths who, inspired by the imagery of religious decay they have adopted, begin to dabble in vampirism and the occult.

 
 

Goth provides “a highly stylized, almost glamorous, alternative to punk fashion for suburban rebels, as well as safe androgyny for boys.” 


 
 






 
 

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Vampirism

Melton identifies two groups of vampires who are involved in the Goth scene: “the metaphorical vampires, who adopt such trappings as sleeping in coffins, wearing fangs, and keeping nighttime jobs; and the ‘real’ vampires who drink blood and exhibit a psychosis. Many cross the lines of these groups, but almost all of them are adults with marginal incomes ‘who appear to be living out a fantasy world.’”16  The Los Angeles Times notes that the second group of vampires’ “lifestyle is beyond mere trend. They avoid the sun at all costs. Some drink blood and perform ritual magic. Most claim to possess psychic abilities. Some say they are tormented by wandering spirits.”17

The line between “playing” at being a vampire and actually believing oneself to be a member of the undead is crossed less frequently than some alarmists claim. Nonetheless, youth with emotional problems occasionally cross that line. Community services director Helen Carter states, “A lot of kids will do this, and they're just playing, but other kids get into it and lose their sense of reality… It can be just one of those adolescent things. But if you get a kid who has emotional problems involved, it can be deadly.”18

Rod Ferrell’s murderous vampire cult is an example of the danger of emotionally unstable youth dabbling in the occult. Carter claims that there are nine vampire cults in Arizona’s Paradise Valley. In most such groups a young adult is the leader, and followers are typically 14 to 18.19  A group in Arizona is led by a 20 year-old named Angel, who promises his followers will receive eternal life and unimaginable power, and follows an occult book called The Book of Nod (which allegedly describes the first vampires).20
 

Witchcraft

One of the most notable practices being marketed to youth is witchcraft, or magic, frequently in the form of Wicca (Profile available). The 1996 movie The Craft picked up on the trend, inaccurately presenting a coven of high school students who use magick to fulfill their personal desires. 

Silver Ravenwolf, self-described as one of the foremost witches in the United States, accurately describes witchcraft as “an earth-centered religion focused on raising an individual’s spirituality. WitchCraft [sic] is not, nor was it ever, a vehicle for Satanic worship.”21  Affiliated with Goddess worship (Profile available), witchcraft is an experiential religion in which rituals and the celebration of seasonal festivals are intended to enhance an individual’s self-awareness and increase the power that person has to influence her destiny without outside influence. Displaying the syncretism that is so much a part of current New Age and occult practices, Ravenwolf teaches that the techniques of witchcraft can be used in any religious tradition.22

Witchcraft is on the rise among young people, particularly high school and college-age females. This author had a student in a technical writing class at a major state university who, for a semester project, developed a manual for the Wicca coven in which she was involved. This project was merely part of the trend of publishing books that market witchcraft to teens. For example, Inside a Witches’ Coven attempts to address the concern students seeking to find or join a coven, describing the beliefs, styles and customs that a witch may choose to consider. 

The most significant new publication for youth is Teen Witch: Wicca for a New Generation by Silver Ravenwolf. Its colorful cover, with a painting depicting four adolescent females (and one male) provocatively posing in front of a full moon rising over a fog-shrouded grove, clearly is intended to attract its target audience (a free poster of the cover is available for purchasers “while supplies last”23).Showing the popularity of the book, Teen Witch was sold out in all but one of five major chain bookstores visited by the author while searching for a copy; he bought the last copy in the fifth store. 

Ravenwolf is well aware that many parents, and particularly Christians, object to witchcraft. For this reason, the first section of the book is addressed to parents and claims (in bold print), “This is an okay book for your children to read. There’s nothing bad in here, and maybe the book will help you understand why WitchCraft is one of the fastest growing religions in America.”24  She further advises parents, “For pity’s sake, don’t ‘tell’ [your children] what religion is and is not. Let them discover spirituality for themselves.”25
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Teens who read Teen Witch are hoping to learn how to manipulate natural forces to end their sense of loneliness and alienation from society and the world.

What is it that teens are supposed to discover for themselves? In its own words, Teen Witch was written so that 

Now, for the first time, [teens] can explore what it’s like to be a real Witch with a book written especially for you. 

  • Find out how the Wiccan mysteries can enhance your life 

  • Begin your journey with the Teen Seeker Ceremony 

  • Combine common herbs from the supermarket to make your magickal formulas 

  • Create your own sacred space 

  • Read true stories of Wiccan teens 

  • Work magick with real spells 

  • Learn the Craft techniques for gaining love, money, health, protection, and wisdom 

  • Discover how to talk to friends, parents, and other people about your involvement with WitchCraft.26 

The contents of Teen Witch are clearly intended to appeal to disillusioned teens who “sense an aliveness or ‘presence’ in nature…They share the goal of living in harmony with nature, and they tend to view humanity’s ‘advancement’ and separation from nature as the prime source of alienation. They see ritual as a tool to end that alienation.”27  Teens who read Teen Witch are thus hoping to learn how to manipulate natural forces to end their sense of loneliness and alienation from society and the world. 

The spells described in Teen Witch constitute a thorough inventory of the concerns of American teens. There are numerous spells for receiving money, a “Hot Wheels” spell for receiving a car, a “Crabby Teacher” spell, a spell for passing exams, a prayer for “Owl Wisdom” (divine assistance in planning for the future), a “Doodle Bug Love Spell” for raising self-esteem, a “Do You Like Me?” spell, a “Call Me” spell (as well as a “Don’t Call Me” spell), and even a “Little Bo Peep Spell to Find Lost Objects.” 

The book concludes with a plan for teens to win approval for their witchcraft from parents. Ravenwolf advises teens to link philosophical and theological difficulties to a need for the existence and practice of witchcraft. Knowing that some parents “won’t get past their fear” and accept witchcraft (she says that such parents “aren’t behaving in an adult manner”28), Ravenwolf tells the children of parents who “still won’t budge [to] pray. The Mother will hear you.”29
 

How Widespread is the Problem?


The involvement of American youth in the occult is, for lack of a better description, broad but shallow. In other words, occultic activity by teens has been observed across the country in such areas as Nashua, New Hampshire; Dallas; Burlington, Wisconsin; Salt Lake City; and Los Angeles. At the same time, it is only a small percentage of youth who are engaging in occultic practices; Ravenwolf states that teen witches will lose many of their friends, particularly Christians (she sarcastically describes these as “real winners”30).  Goths (both the philosophical Goths, and those who use the movement as a springboard for occultism) register similar complaints.31

Despite the relatively small number of youth currently involved in occultic activity, the growing movement should be a source of concern for Christians. The example of Rod Ferrell, or of an Arizona boy who wrote to his grandparents before committing suicide, “Dear Grandma and Grandpa, please forgive me but tonite [sic] is the night I give my life to Satan. I am going to sacrifice myself… God told me to skin you alive,”32  show the potential dangers for youth who flirt with the occult.

 
 

“Dear Grandma and Grandpa, please forgive me but tonite is the night I give my life to Satan. I am going to sacrifice myself… God told me to skin you alive.”

1.  Barbara Isaacs, “Most Teens Don’t Cross the Line, Say Students,” Lexington Herald-Leader, April 13, 1997 [Online]. URL http://www.kentuckyconnect.com/heraldleader/news/970413/ff2line.html.
2.  Ibid.
3.  “Vampire Cult Slaying Case,” Court TV [Online]. URL http://www.courttv.com/verdicts/vampire.html.
4.  Ibid.
5.  Ibid.
6.  Ibid.
7.  Ibid.
8.  Donald P. Baker, “‘Vampire’ Murderer is Sentenced to Death in Florida’s Electric Chair,” Houston Chronicle, February 27, 1998, A20.
9.  “Vampire Cult Slaying Case,” http://www.courttv.com/verdicts/vampire.html.
10.  Baker, “‘Vampire’ Murderer is Sentenced to Death in Florida’s Electric Chair,” A20.
11.  “Goth,” Alt.Culture [Online]. URL http://www.altculture.com/aentries/g/goth.html.
12.  David Tarrant, “Cape Town,” Dallas Morning-News, July 17, 1997, 1C.
13.  Ibid.
14.  “Goth,” http://www.altculture.com/aentries/g/goth.html.
15.  Chris Nelson, “Texas Schools Offer ‘Marilyn Manson Awareness’ Training,” Sonicnet Music News of the World, December 4, 1998 [Online]. URL http://www.sonicnet.com/news/archive/singlestory.jhtml?id=503432.
16.  Victor Meija and Johnny Angel, “Return of the Vampires,” Los Angeles Times, n.d. [Online]. URL http://www.geocities.com/Area51/2336/article.html
17.  Ibid.
18.  “‘Gothic’ Teens Embrace Vampire Culture,” [Online]. URL http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/2672/gothic/az.html.
19.  Ibid.
20.  Ibid.
21.  Silver Ravenwolf, “A Note to the Parents on Teen WitchCraft,” Llewellyn’s New Worlds of Mind & Spirit, October 1998, 2.
22.  Ibid.
23.  Llewellyn’s New Worlds of Mind & Spirit, October 1998, 5.
24.  Silver Ravenwolf, Teen Witch: Wicca for a New Generation, St. Paul, Mn: Llewellyn, 1998, xiii.
25.  Ibid.
26.  Frontispiece, Teen Witch: Wicca for a New Generation, St. Paul, Mn: Llewellyn, 1998.
27.  Margot Adler, quoted in Bob and Gretchen Passantino, When the Devil Dares Your Kids, Ann Arbor, Mi: Servant, 1991, 57.
28.  Ravenwolf, Teen Witch, 231.
29.  Ibid., 233.
30.  Ravenwolf, Teen Witch, 233.
31.  “Mall Gothics,” New Hampshire Weekly, n.d. [Online]. URL http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/2672/gothic/goffic3.html.
32.  “‘Gothic’ Teens Embrace Vampire Culture,” [Online]. URL http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/2672/gothic/az.html.

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About Sex & Marriage
By Rev. Dale A. Robbins, D.Min.

As a pastor for many years, I have received many questions from Christians about marriage, as well as matters that pertain to sexual behavior. The following are summarized answers to five of the most commonly asked questions on these matters, based from scripture and my pastoral experience.

1. Is Premarital Sex Acceptable to God?

Despite our permissive society that suggests that everyone should be sexually active, God considers premarital sex to be sin. In the Bible, the word “fornication” (Greek, PORNIEA) is used to describe premarital sex and other acts of sexual impurity. According to the Bible, God created sex to be a blessing of the union between a husband and wife, but He clearly and absolutely disapproves of all other sexual activity, including premarital sex. “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4). In this age of worry about sexually transmitted diseases, there is something better than a condom that can be worn to prevent AIDS: It’s called a wedding ring! The Bible says, “...because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband” (1 Cor. 7:2).

The Bible warns that those who continue a life-style of fornication and adultery will not inherit God’s Kingdom. “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19-21).

2. Is it Acceptable for Couples to Live Together Without Marriage?

As we know, in our present society this is a common practice by many couples. However, this is not considered acceptable to a Christian life-style for the following reasons:

(1) SEXUAL IMPURITY -- Unmarried couples who live together usually have a sexual relationship. As already mentioned, premarital sex is sin condemned by God’s Word. If a believer wishes to be obedient to God and His will, they will refrain from sexual impurity. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thess. 4:3).

(2) THE APPEARANCE OF SIN -- Not only does the Bible teach that believers are not to live a life-style of sin, but they are even to avoid the “appearance” of sin (1 Thess. 5:22). Even if a couple does not have sexual relations while living together, sleeping in the same dwelling gives every appearance that they do.

Regardless of whatever innocent intentions that some couples might have, the appearance of living together tends to endorse sexual impurity and sets a bad example to other Christians. We all have an obligation to our brethren, not to provide a stumbling block to their faith. “But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak... when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ” (1 Cor. 8:9, 12).

(3) EXPOSURE TO TEMPTATION -- Even if an unmarried couple plan to refrain from premarital sex, living together could allow temptation to compromise those standards. The Bible teaches us to flee lusts and other temptations which could cause us to sin (2 Tim. 2:22). When we give our desires over to lust and temptation, it leads to sin, and the Bible says that sin leads to death. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15).

We are taught to avoid temptation for our own sake, but should also comply as a good example for others. Even if a couple living together were strong enough to abstain from sexual relations, would those who follow their example also be able to be strong enough to overcome temptation? Set a good example for other couples in the body of Christ.

3. Is it Permissible to Entertain Sexual Fantasies?

The Bible says that through Christ we should bring discipline and control to our thought-life. Our thoughts should not control us, but we should rule over our thoughts. “Cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). Sexual fantasizing is a symptom of lust and is not pleasing to God. It stimulates and promotes sexual anxiety, which can lead to impure behavior and fornication. Get your mind out of the gutter and discipline your thoughts on good, and holy things. “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28). (Read Mark 7:21-23, Eph. 4:8.)

4. Should a Christian Marry an Unbeliever?

The Bible teaches that Christian believers should not enter into any type of permanent partnership with unbelievers. “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” (2 Cor. 6:14-15). The yoke that is referred to means the “wooden yoke” that was used to place on the necks of a team of oxen, to bind them together. Since marriage is a type of yoke which bonds two people together as one team, a marriage between a believer and unbeliever would place them in an “unequal yoke.”

The Bible teaches that a house divided cannot stand. The success of any marriage depends on the unity and harmony of the two people. If one spouse is committed to the Lord Jesus, but the other isn’t, it will create division. “...Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand” (Matt. 12:25).

5. How Should a Marriage Companion be Selected?

Next to your salvation, your choice of a wife or husband is the most important decision you will ever make in your life. Marriage can be one of life’s most wonderful blessings, but it can be an endless nightmare to those who have chosen carelessly.

This article (VL-129) is copyrighted © by Dale A. Robbins, 1990, and is a publication of Victorious Publications, Grass Valley, CA 95949. Unless otherwise stated, all scripture references were taken from The New King James Bible, © Thomas Nelson Inc., 1982. You may download this article for personal use as long as you retain credit to the author. Obtain permission before reproducing copies for any reason, by filling out our simple permission form. This writing is also available as an attractive tri-fold pamphlet, which can be downloaded for reproduction from our Online Catalog. For media reproduction rights, or to obtain quantities of this title in other formats, e-mail us at Victorious@comports.com.

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Focusing On The Cross

by Awiusdi Darnell  12/16/1999

When we focus on the cross of Christ, we realize just how much torture and pain Christ has gone through to be able to provide the healing that hides in the power of the cross.

I want you to imagine for a minute that you were a totally innocent person who is standing at the foot of the Cross, during the time Christ has been on there and I want you to look up at that cross and see the man who suffered, who was betrayed, who was abused. and I want you to look at the blood that flowed down that cross. Can you imagine how you would have felt?

I want you to imagine for a minute that you were a person full of darkness, full of shame with no reason to feel that Christ is there on that cross as healing for you.

I want you to sit at the bottom of that cross and let the blood of Christ that was shed for your life and for you healing to cover you with the hope of tomorrow.

I know there are times when you feel betrayed, I know there are times when you  feel defeated, I know there are times when you feel like there is no reason to go on but  there is.

There is so much for you to do in your life. And you have got to let Christ show you what it is you need to do in your life to live in his hope, his healing and his reason.

So many people have been betrayed and abused  but you cannot focus on that. Christ was on that cross, in your place and he offers you the only real peace and healing that is going to enable you to go on.

How many times do people have to keep going through all this? I wish I could tell everyone that they would never have to suffer in any way again, but all both know the reality of life.

No one has that answer but the one thing I can tell you is, that you have to keep right on tapping into the power of the Lord. He is the only strength people have that will really help.

Many times I have told people over and over and over to believe in the power of Christ and I know people who are at the depth of their pain; must be asking themselves, where that power is.

But inside their soul, they know where that power is.

And I keep asking people to have just a little bit of faith in an unseen God who loves them enough to die for them and a God who can restore the hope that has been taken away from them.

I know this is strong and I know that it will take some people a lot of time to work through all that is in this and to be able to put all of this to use.

While you are sitting there at the cross, I want you to imagine that every drop of blood that is dripping down over you is covering all the pain, all the things that have gone wrong and I want you to realize that those things have no power in your life anymore, because the blood of Christ is taking those things away.

Meditate on the power of the cross.

IN His presence and power,

Awiusdi Darnell  Awiusdi's Christian Connection index.html

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil 4:13

In '24/7' wired culture, you're always in touch -- except with God - By Erich Bridges 05/13/2000 from imb (International Missions Board).

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- From one of those lists that get forwarded around the Internet, here are several warning signs you may be a little too "connected":

-- You try to enter your computer password on the microwave.

-- You have a list of 15 phone and pager numbers and e-mail addresses to reach your family of three.

-- You e-mail your kid in his room to tell him dinner is ready. He e-mails you back: "What's for dinner?"

In the future, predicts one business forecast, the Net will connect everyone through miniature units combining computer, telephone and other functions -- all integrated into your clothing. Sit down for this one, guys: Shopping will consist of "almost effortless thought-pattern ... requests."

That's old news for folks who grew up watching "The Jetsons" and reading science fiction. Sci-fi writers predicted brain-implanted, computer-chip telepathy decades ago.

The question is: Do you really need to be that connected?

Disclaimer: This is not another anti-technology diatribe. The Internet may be the greatest new communication tool for Christian missions and evangelization since the printing press -- certainly since the introduction of radio and television. Its potential for mission education, communication and mobilization are limitless.

Like a drug, however, it must be handled with care.

The addictive nature of electronic interactivity is well-documented. One recent report from the e-front: Mitch Maddox of Dallas legally changed his name to "DotComGuy" and promises not to leave his house for the entire year 2000. He's communicating with the world almost exclusively through the Internet to illustrate its possibilities (and make a healthy profit through e-commerce sponsorships).

In response, intrepid Chicago newspaper columnist Eric Zorn dubbed himself "NotComGuy" and swore off his computer, phone and fax machine for a week.

The winner? No contest. DotComGuy is still clicking after four months. NotComGuy, meanwhile, barely made it through his measly seven days of self-imposed disconnection.

"You kind of get addicted to being in touch with everything at all times," he admitted to Time magazine, sounding like a traumatized prisoner who's just escaped solitary confinement.

Even for those of us who don't spend 18 hours a day online, the Net joins the legion of other media that compete for our every conscious moment. What time is left for the One who commands us to love Him with all our heart, all our strength, all our mind?

Despite reports to the contrary, God doesn't have a Web site. He doesn't even have e-mail. A mind driven by interactive distraction and instant chat, a mind possessed by the compulsive need to check e-mail or phone mail or CNN, cannot love Him with undivided devotion. It has become afflicted with spiritual attention deficit disorder.

Even missionaries aren't immune to the malady, regardless of how far away from high-tech centers they serve. The old stereotype of the missionary armed with a Bible and a pith helmet is giving way to the stereotype of the missionary wielding a laptop, mobile phone and global positioning system.

Modern communication technologies have given us many gifts -- staggering amounts of information, enormous vistas of opportunity, and connections to the whole world Christians of earlier eras never could have imagined. But they rob us -- if we let them -- of a more precious gift: the interior silence God alone inhabits.

"Abide in Me, and I in you," Jesus says. "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. ... For apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:4,5 NASB)

The vital connection between abiding and doing is clear. We must love God before we can love our neighbor -- or the nations -- for he is the source of transforming love.

The Psalms, Scripture's great songs of praise, open with the promise that the righteous person's "delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season...." (Psalm 1:2,3 NASB)

If you never disconnect from the incessantly beeping inbox of modern life, how do you delight in the Lord and meditate on His law day and night? You don't.

Turn off your machine of choice for awhile and think about that. Quietly. 

Holy MP3: A Downloadable Bible by Brad King  3:00 a.m. Jun. 13, 2000 PDT - Wired News

Something good is coming out of the MP3 craze after all.

David Williams couldn't find an audio version of the Bible on the Internet that he could download, so he decided to record one himself in MP3.

Using his desktop PC and Goldwave, a shareware software-editing application, Williams began recording himself reading the Good Book. With all of the New Testament now available online (http://www.audiotreasure.com) and work begun on the Old Testament, he is in the process of completing the first free and downloadable Bible.

"I got to looking out there on the Web for an audio Bible and couldn't find anything," Williams said. "I thought it was ridiculous that you could find anything else in the world on the Internet but you couldn't find a free Bible."

He did find sites like audio-bible.com, which offers a streaming version, and plenty of sites selling CDs or tapes, but nothing that offered the ability to download the content.

William's audio version is currently available only in MP3 format, although he said he will be encoding the entire collection in both RealAudio and Windows Media in the near future.

When wasn't working as a computer systems operator at an oil refinery in Hampton, Virginia, Williams spent the past four months recording all the books from the New Testament himself.

Before he could get started though, he had to find a version of the Bible that was free of copyright. Similar to the quagmire the recording industry is facing, Christian copyright holders were concerned that giving away a free version of their product might cut into their business of selling text and audio copies of God's word.

Williams tracked down a public domain volume called World English Bible, which is based on the American Standard Version that was first published in 1901.

"It's been exciting to see something that met a need," Williams said. "How often do you get to work on something that nobody else has really thought about doing?"

Williams has just completed the books of Psalms and Proverbs of the Old Testament. His goal is to continue adding one book a month until he is finished.

The work has been paying off. He says he gets roughly 500 visitors a day from all over the world and nearly 50,000 people have downloaded books from his site. Williams will sell the collection on CD-ROM for $6 in case people don't want to spend time downloading it.

Williams does wish he could change one aspect of his project, however.

"I put a copyright on it, but I kind of regret that," he said. "I don't care how anyone uses the downloads. I'm not trying to make a business out of it. People are just grabbing this off the Internet because it's free, and that is how this should be."

Last Revised July 02, 2006
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