| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
the bending continues,
By Dan E. Nicholas "gotta have a book" (Scotts Valley, California, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Mind Benders (Paperback)
I reviewed a couple of personal experiences recently which brought me back to this book this week, two chapters at least. Several of the interviews included in this book were conducted in my home in Ukiah in the 70s; the Jonestown chapter. Fr. Jack wanted to do a 2nd Edition to include the Local Church and Jim Jones, where 909 people died in a still hard to believe junk religion story gone wrong. In the 70s I also attended a funeral of a family member sucked into the Local Church at the time; a whack job event if ever I saw one. And a whack job now defunct church as well. The damaged fruit does the telling, as it will soon appear on any tree if the root is bad. That's what the recently reposed Fr. Jack Sparks seemed to be saying. I drove by the People's Temple property in Redwood Valley, California, a couple days ago, maybe so I wouldn't forget. I'm told this week that many in the GOP are counting on perhaps electing the first Mormon President in the months ahead. Many are thinking that theology isn't important I guess. I knew Fr. Jack and I'm certain if he were alive today he would put Mormonism in the cult class, even though it is such a pejorative word these days and few use it..."cult". Sounds harsh...like tears maybe. Heterodoxy or heresy is the old word, the better word. Sparks explained this well in Mind Benders. I was in a church community with Fr. Jack at the time. When Thomas Nelson caved in and settled out of court in a lawsuit mentioned by another reviewer here. Several of us kicked in $20 or $30 a month for years toward a legal defense fund to keep fighting, supporting the author. The Local Church only sued because they were in a book with Jim Jones, which brought big attention to all fringe faiths at the time; 909 lives worthy of attention, including the life of a Congressman. By now the Local Church is dust on the page as is the work of Jim Jones. Dust mingled with tears, however. That's what Sparks was trying to get at. Ignore all this and tears will follow. The irony is that Fr. Jack Sparks and his Evangelical Orthodox Church (EOC)was almost at the same time of his writing being accused of cult behavior by an angry Protestant faction called the Spiritual Counterfeits Project. Odd but true. Overwrought zeal and runaway fundamentalism was indeed a hallmark of the EOC at the time. The pot and the kettle in conversation? Thankfully, most of the EOC (including Sparks) matured and dovetailed in with the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, becoming canonically Orthodox. Much of history is not pretty; and revisiting history can be painful. Like driving past a Redwood Valley "church" where I remember chain link fences, barbed wire and armed guards. But the ancient saw remains true. We will repeat old stuff that didn't work if we don't take the time and the journey to revisit. Another history message: zeal worth anything must be tempered. Our children's children will tell the story best, of what faith was true and what was bent. Out of print, old copies bought up by Thomas Nelson lawyers in a settlement, I hope this book does not go forgotten. I'm dusting off mine.
5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Mindbenders Is a Great Read,
By
This review is from: The Mindbenders: A Look at Current Cults (Paperback)
The Mindbenders goes over the history of several prominent cults including The Unification Church, The Way, Hare Krishna's, Divine Light Mission and the ever elusive Witness Lee and The Local Church. The second edition added a chapter about Jim Jones and the People' Temple affair. Jack Sparks explains their different practices and uses the Bible to refute their warped teachings.
One interesting thing about this book is that it is one of the few books that describes The Local Church as being a cult. After the book was published, Witness Lee & The Local Church sued Jack Sparks and his publisher Thomas Nelson Publishers. Rather than go to court, Thomas Nelson settled out of court and pulled all copies of the book off of the shelves.
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Mindbenders,
This review is from: The Mind Benders (Paperback)
Many modern religious cults, says the author, not only preach heresy but capture converts by bending their minds. This powerful book wages hand-to-hand combat with seven of the most visible mindbending cults of today.
To establish a basis for looking at these cults, Sparks first sets up a "Yardstick for Truth." This he identifies as historic Christian orthodoxy, the teaching of Scripture as interpreted by the believing Church throughout the last 2,000 years. He then examines three Hindu cults - Transcendental Meditation, Divine Light Mission, Hare Krishna - and four cults which have Christian heritage - the Unification Church of Sun Myung Moon; The Children of God; The Way, International; and The Local Church of Witness Lee. In each instance he introduces the cult, gives its history and theology, shows its method of operation, and presents a systematic refutation of the cult. This timely book should be read by the general Christian public, by parents, relatives, and friends of people who have been dragged into these cults, and by people who are considering joining one of these groups. It will also prove to be an invaluable study manual for Christian college and high school groups, and for collegiate-level comparative religion classes. --- from book's back cover
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
