"The South was fertile ground for my fiction, but the novel was also affected by my spiritual and psychological pursuits and study. I did'n’t set out to put a black Virgin Mary in my novel; it just happened."
"For a lot of years, I explored archetypal feminine images and stories from different cultures and religions, and particularly what happens to women when connections with these images are missing or devalued. One thing that became clear to me is that images of a divine mother are surprisingly important in the psychological wholeness of women, especially in the process of women taking up residence in their own authority. It was through this study that I became intrigued with the ways that Mary has quietly, even subversively, functioned as the feminine dimension of God in much of western religion. I read an essay by author Kathleen Norris in which she made the amazing statement that Mary is particularly suited to post-modernism. She didn’t elaborate on the reason, but my guess is that Mary, fresh with feminist appropriations, has the potential to undergird women’s reformations."
"As I began the novel, I wanted the driving impetus in Lily’s life to be the search for home and for her mother. But clearly in the back of mind, I knew there was a less tangible, more symbolic search for home and mother that needed to take place: a coming home to herself and the discovery of the mother within. I knew Lily would have to find an undreamed of strength, and that she would do it the same way the powerful black women around her did it – through the empowerment of a divine feminine presence, in this case a Black Mary."
"I felt that any image of Mary in the novel would have to be black. Not only because the women who revered her were black, but because historically Black Madonnas have often been at the root of insurgence. I first became aware of the Black Madonna in my late thirties through the writings of Jungian analyst, Marion Woodman. It was a revelation to me that hundreds of very old Black Madonnas exist in Europe and elsewhere, and that their darkness is a legacy of ancient black goddesses. I think of the Black Madonna as the White Madonna before the church scrubbed the really interesting stuff out of her. I began to study the Black Madonna, and to travel to her pilgrimage sites, especially in France. I discovered that many of her stories and history reveal a Mary who is openly defiant in the face of oppression. In Poland, South and Central America, and other places, she has been a symbol of revolution. I decided I would create a Black Madonna for the novel, who had existed during slavery in the South, and that she would be a symbol of freedom and consolation."
Keep in mind Carl Jung was a Swiss psychologist who was deeply involved in the occult. Much of his writings were inspired by his so called "spirit guide" (demon!) named Philemon. This is a picture of 'Philemon' that is found in Carl Jung's "The Red Book" (click to enlarge picture) can't help but notice that serpent in the right hand corner--also google egyptian 'winged sun disk'-- it looks an awful lot like the "wings and halo" behind this so called 'angel of light'
And now that brings me to Purpose Driven Pope, Rick Warren. In his Purpose Driven life, Rick Warren pushes the unbiblical belief of pantheism when he quotes as "the bible says" using an inferior version of the bible for Ephesian 4:6. The New Century Version (NEC) Compare what Warren's abominable version compared to the King James or other legitimate version say
(NEC) "There is one God and Father of everything. He rules everything and is everywhere and is in everything."
now read the CORRECT translation
(NKJV) "one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all"
And if you read the entire chapter in context, you will see that the Apostle Paul is speaking to beleivers not unbeleivers and God trascends ABOVE his creation He in NOT "in" everything...that worldview is PANTHEISM/PANENTHIESM which is utter HERESY and should be rejected! Back to Rick Warren who on his website promotes the book The Shack (and books by the same contemplatives like Henri Nouwen) ..whose blasphemous portayal of the trinity...God the Father "Papa" being portrayed as a black madonna- Aunt Jemima figure and ironically also the Holy Spirit portrayed as another female called "Sarayu" which ironically the Sarayu river plays an important role in Hindu mythology, according to the great Hindu epic, the Ramayana, is where "Rama", the seventh "Avatar" of "Vishnu" immersed himself to return to his eternal, real Mahavishnu form (trascending to Supreme Godhood). I find it highly suspicious that W. Paul Youngs portrayal of the holy spirit using in his book the very name would coincide with a Hindu river that a so called hindu deity got baptised in and trascended to godhood. I also find it quite fascinating also that Rick Warren not only promotes the Shack but his so called S.H.A.P.E. program parellels Jungian personality tests based on teachings from his Philemon spirit guide.....
More on this by Lighthouse Trails Research ---
"Sue Monk Kidd would agree with The Shack's definition of God: in her book, First Light, she says God is the graffiti on the building (p. 98).
"It is possible that a key to understanding The Shack could actually lie with Monk Kidd who was once a conservative Southern Baptist Sunday school teacher. She began studying the teachings of mystic Thomas Merton, which eventually led her out of the Southern Baptist arena and into the New Age. Today, she follows goddess spirituality (Sophia) and has said in one of her books that God dwells in all things, even excrement (The Dance of the Dissident Daughter)."
"There is perhaps a striking similarity between The Shack's "God" the Father and the Black Madonna used in Monk Kidd's best selling novel, The Secret Life of Bees (coming out soon as a movie). Monk Kidd says the Black Madonna she chose is "a powerful symbolic essence that could take up residence inside of [the novel's character, Lily] and become catalytic in her transformation."4 The fact that both Sue Monk Kidd and William Young have chosen a Black Madonna figure as representing "God" and that both talk about the ground of all being (God in all things) cannot be ignored. Episcopal priest (panentheist) Matthew Fox says: '
"Today the Black Madonna is returning. She is coming, not going, and she is calling us to something new (and very ancient as well).... "
"The Black Madonna archetype awakens in us and ... she is so important for the twenty-first century.... The Black Madonna invites us into the dark and therefore into our depths. This is what the mystics call the "inside" of things, the essence of things. This is where Divinity lies. It is where the true self lies.... Because she is a goddess, the Black Madonna resides in all beings. She is the divine presence inside of creation."
"The gap between the New Age and Christianity is being narrowed, and The Shack is another disastrous and deceptive tool that will bring this about. When David Jeremiah favorably quoted and referenced Sue Monk Kidd in his book, Life Wide Open, we knew this would further close the gap that gave Christianity its distinctness. It is this distinctness that allows sinful man to see his need for a Savior. When that gap closes, the Gospel message will be hidden from view from even more people than it is today. The Shack has brought about some huge strides in causing this to take place."
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man” (Emphasis mine, Romans 1:21-23a, KJV).
Please Christians, throw out these books, reject these false teachers. We are living in the most dangerouse deceptive times in all of world history....
Are you a hardcore Christian? Very interesting post. Please e-mail me!
ReplyDeletewhereisdrhouse@aim.com
:)