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Post by Jeff Gerke on Jan 8, 2010 9:36:43 GMT -5
Yeah, yeah...but I'm just saying it's the kind of idea that is ripe for exploration in stories.
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Post by newburydave on Jan 8, 2010 19:36:15 GMT -5
The Christian has to smuggle himself on-planet as a technician or something, then he starts delivering people. The Psyche-Authorities don't believe it and don't want to admit it. The Christian goes underground with his deliverees to escape the Psyche-Gestapo who want to zombify them all with drugs to eliminate the "evidence". The Christian has to kidnap people to heal them . . . Now that might be a fruitful conflict story. Hey, I like that take Dave! Mind if I steal some of that for a story? Go for it Andy. I've got too many short stories and novels on the anvil right now to follow it up and I think it is a story that should be written. IMHO even the church today is worshipping the false god of Psychology. I was a psychology major in college until I found out that pure psychology doesn't really know anything about how to "fix" human behavior. The only stuff they can do is Behavioral conditioned response. That is the basis of modern advertising and totalitarian brainwashing. Any honest pschyatrist will tell you that they have a success rate of 50%, no they will brag if they have a success rate that high. As a professional statistician I can tell you that 50% is the success rate you get if you do nothing. I guess what I was thinking of as a theme is the superiority of the pure Gospel over the secular gods of psychology and social engineering. Make the Christian Protag. somebody lowly, like a janitor or sanitary technician (ie. plumber) who is just a very earnest Christian that knows the Bible and prays alot. Line him up with a few appropriate Spiritual Gifts like Pastor, Faith, Word of Wisdom; aim him at the Secular Psychological behemoth and let the games begin. If you would like some cheering on feel free to email me or better yet join the Anomalous Sandbox. We can kick ideas around as you develop the story. Write on Bro. and knock em dead (the evil giants that is).
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Post by knightofhyn on Jan 15, 2010 17:05:36 GMT -5
I gotta say, I must be horrible. I just can't imagine healing a pedophile.
I work with kids...we're pretty sure my wife and I can't have any of our own...and the idea of meeting one on the street, knowing what they were, and hearing someone say that they can be saved just makes me twitch a little. I admire those of you with that much grace in their hearts. I will have to strive towards that.
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Post by Jeff Gerke on Jan 20, 2010 10:57:09 GMT -5
It's not love for a pedophile that moves me, knight. I'd prefer to knock the tar out of them (as I did virtually in one of my novels).
What moves me is the vulnerable child who was preyed upon by an abuser--because that innocent child will (without therapy, the grace of God, and right personal choices) himself become an abuser.
At one time, that abuser was himself (or herself) a precious, pure child. Obscene violence was done and his mind was forever damaged.
I don't pity the abuser but the hurt child inside the abuser.
Now, lots of people abuse children because they're just sickos and make perverted choices. But some have a sad story themselves.
Jeff
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Post by newburydave on Jan 24, 2010 8:27:07 GMT -5
A very good point Jeff.
In matters of justice and retribution it is well to remember that God always causes mercy to rejoice against justice and He says that vengence is his, not ours. Spmetimes it's hard to keep that straight when we see the crime as so black and the cause as so right.
One thing that has restrained me the many times that I was tempted to "righteous indignation" (I've come to feel that phrase is an oxymoron) is to consider that even the worst criminal (Put in your own pet hate, or maybe your name here) is a soul that was created by God, that he loved so much that Jesus died for them to put their sins away.
If God gave us justice, instead of his unbelievable long-suffering, forbearance and mercy (read the last chapter of 2nd Peter), we would all be burning in the everlasting flames of eternal vengance right now because of all the "socially acceptable" sins that we have committed and in some cases continue to commit.
Remember in some mainstream cultures of this world violence against women and child abuse (including sexual) is not considered wrong. Our western culture, due to the 'social influence' of believers being salt and light, has demonized most of the more flagrant examples of this categories of sin, but the world is dominated by hypocrisy.
White slavery of women and girls is a growing problem even in the US of A (albeit under the legal radar, but still socially acceptable in some circles). The selling of girls into prostitution by their parents was completely legal and commonly practiced up into the late 19th century in England. It took the legal "martyrdom" of many Salvation Army leaders to stop it.
So just remember, many of our dearly held ideas are only in us because God was gracious that we were born into a Judeo-Christian culture and/or found the truth as it is in Jesus. In India and Japan people still call holy to the gods what men are imprisoned for here in the Anglophone countries as pedophiles.
IMHO we are writing about redeeming grace as Christian Sf authors. Let us not "Santify our culture" as the only righteousness. God's merciful love as revealed in Jesus is the only true righteousness. Look at the practices of the Romans that Paul called brothers. We are a lost race and all of our cultures are fallen. In Christ alone is the only right and salvation. To God be the Only Glory (SGD)
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