All of us are looking for answers. We want to know the reasons behind our predicament or the troubles that haunts us.  We search everywhere - through other people, places, books, movies.  These thirst for the truth and for answers that most of us have, our desire to find meaning, is perhaps one of the reasons why there is the abundance of self-help books in the market.  Books that claim that they have the answers.  And who can give us the best answer other than the One who created us and knows us by name?  Our God.  Yet, even if others claim that they have the answers, how can we know that their answers are  true?  That they did not write the book just for the sake of profit - promising us the answers that we so desire.  That the author is not an instrument of deception?  Against this, we must be vigilant.  As Christians, we are fully aware that the devil roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).

One good example could be the book Conversations with God written by Neale D. Walsch.  It has a teen edition called Conversations with God for Teens.  As one concerned Christian wrote in the October 2008 edition of Emmanuel:

-quote-

These books are devastating.  They sound harmless enough by their titles alone.  They have been on the New York Times best sellers list for a number of weeks, and they make truth of the statement, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover or title’.

The author purports to answer various questions asked by kids using the  ‘voice of God’.  However, the  ‘answers’ that he gives are not Bible-based and go against the very infallible Word of God.

For instance (and I paraphrase), when a girl asks the question ‘Why am I a lesbian?’  His answer is that she was ‘born that way’ because of genetics (just as you were born right-handed, with brown eyes, etc).  Then he tells her to go out and ‘celebrate’ her differences.

Another girl poses the question, ‘I am living with my boyfriend.  My parents said that I should marryyou him because I am living in sin.  Should I marry him?’  His reply is, ‘Who are  you sinning against?  Not me, because you have done nothing wrong.’

Another question asked about God’s forgiveness of sin.  His reply:’I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive.  There is no such thing as right or wrong and that is what I have been trying to tell everyone, do not judge people.  People have chosen to judge one another and this is wrong, because the rule is ‘judge not lest ye be judged.’

-unquote-

Let this serve as a wake up call to parents, to priests, and religious ministers.  Let us be vigilant.  Our youth is in danger, unless we guide them and guard them from these schemes.  Teenagers can be passionate, with great hunger for answers and belongingness.  Let us bring them to where they belong - in our family, with God.

Categories : Books, Faith