5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Research - Same Answer, July 20, 2008
Have you ever wondered about the weird stuff the kid next door was into? Is Satanism really evil? How about witchcraft? Do UFO's really exist?
In Dark Side of the Supernatural: What is of God and What Isn't, Bill Myers and David Wimbish have put together a fairly comprehensive book covering everything from vampires to channeling to Wicca. For the most part the authors come to the conclusion that the vast majority of the supernatural and paranormal are directly the work of Satan and demons. They take seriously the possibility that people who become fascinated and intrigued with much of the paranormal, or worse yet, participate, take seriously or act as a witness to its practices, are opening themselves to demonic possession.
That having been said, the chapter dealing with angels didn't necessarily follow the same mold as the subsequent chapters in that the authors have informed us that there really are angels who come to earth. But just to make sure that those who claim to be angels aren't actually demons, the authors gave a series of tests for the angels to pass (to prove they aren't demons).
I would imagine that the authors of this book would say that the book is for anyone who is interested in the occult, UFO's, extra sensory perception and the like, but from the parameters set in each chapter - describing the supernatural subject of each chapter and then "uncovering" it as a sham, then giving a Biblical explanation and Biblical remedy - the people most likely to read this book are evangelical Christians.
The book was well written and very interesting but at the same time the authors could have saved us the time reading it by putting in the first chapter the statement "All of this is from Satan and demons - Beware! Keep your interest in the paranormal at your own peril!"
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17 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Dark Side of the Supernatural, May 7, 2000
This review is from: The Dark Side of the Supernatural (Paperback)
I found it biblically sound in it's facts. This was inspired and informative, fresh and innovative. Any good Christian would have to agree with the authors of this book. Cleanly written and easy to understand.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Cheated and lied to! lol, September 9, 2011
This review is from: The Dark Side of the Supernatural (Paperback)
I give this book one (lovely) star. I am quite fond of this book. It brought me a lot of thrills and sensationalism when I was teen. How people who are into vampire things (like Twilight) can lose their minds and suck your blood any minute! How a day playing Dungeons and Dragons will have you shooting up the school and thinking your Dungeon Master abilities actually apply to real life (without needing to roll dice!) How spiritual contact with angels and ghosts are really contact with Satan deceiving the planet! It's one of those things that makes you want to wear a "Superman" t-shirt whilst informing the world of "Truth"!
Haha, fortunately, I'm not a teenager any more. And I've done a lot of sinful things: like read Twilight and (*GASP*) play Dungeons and Dragons (with the correct ambiance and everything!) Have I shot up a school? No. Do I think I really AM Dungeon Master to real life even though I'm told I make an awesome one in the game? No. The only thing even remotely unhealthy in my engagement to D&D is my attraction to the Elves. xD (Little joke.)
But seriously, this book is highly misinforming. Basically, anything from New Age to video games is Satanic in nature. A lot of the claims made can be researched in Google, only find they are completely void of validity except for Christian websites. In the examples like with D&D, a LONG list of tragedies were given with horrendous graphics like "DM slits a 13 year old girl's throat and rapes her!" but no names or accounts are given that such an event even occurred. OR, if it was done *because* of the game. Again, absolutely horrific and thrilling for a horror movie... but c'mon... give me some actual validity here.
Also, a lot of the claims are mindlessly tacked with irrelevant things. Like, "A group of thieves and murderers, with an interest in the occult, murdered a young girl on the street!" Um.. yeah. That's like me saying "A group of hoodlums, with an interest in Christianity, slaughtered some guy on the street!" The implication is heavy that because of said interest, the crime was committed. Lol
Imagine seeing that claim about Christians and then going online for more information about the crimes, only to find that the only information you come across are poorly made MUSLIMS sites! Something would be highly suspect. x)
Anyway, the book is good for Christians with a specific set of mind. It does exercise the Christian values like
1."Turning to Yahweh"
2."Turning to Yahweh"
3."Turning to Yahweh"
My only problem is that many people can "turn to their god" in many different forms. There's nothing wrong with customizing the world to suit your religious needs. I've seen Christian campaigns of Dungeons and Dragons, for example. (I imagine they don't summon demons or deal with other gods other than Yahweh, or play darker characters.. lol)
I know Christian goths, Christian occultists, Christian Jews, hell even Christian Witches! So what? Humanity is diverse. It would be a crime to label us, as I just did in the small list above.
This book does exactly that.
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