article for our parish mag - some feedback please?

[super slug]

Does a Spiritual realm exist? – A view from the underside.



Atheists say there is no spiritual world that the world we live in is logical and can be totally explained by science. The Atheist views the manifestation of Gods Holy Spirit as group hysteria and that the possession by evil spirits as mental illness.



The atheist and humanist view would have some credibility if the World we lived in lived up to the Logical and scientific ideal.



But today a visual and obvious spiritual manifestation is there for all to see. But it seems to be hidden from view. It is not found amongst organised or new religious groups. It does follow any doctrine or theology. But it is illogical and unscientific.



Can the atheist explain away with science, economics and logic the following, non-scientific, illogical and uneconomic facts?

• Almost 1 million Tutsis murdered in a frenzy in Rwanda ( by neighbours, friends and classmates)
• Billions of dollars spent on the arms race to ensure a mutual destruction capability
• Millions of pounds spent on farm subsidies so that excess crops can be grown and then destroyed, to keep prices up while 30,000 people die daily from starvation.
• Billions of pounds of peoples hard earned wealth wiped out on a stock market crash. ( peoples savings and pensions decimated overnight)
• A Fourfold increase in personal debt, to ensure that the latest computer, DVD, car or holiday is obtained before the person next door.
• The rush to ensure that designer babies are available or that GM foods are available now without proper research into the consequences.
• The 10lbs of grain needed to feed the beef cattle to provide 1lb of steak.
• The 114,000,000 to 1 chance of undreamed of wealth undertaken primarily by the poorest of our nation each Saturday, to ensure institutions like the Royal Opera House are maintained.

I could go on.



Why is humanity acting like this, is this just human nature, a survival instinct or a need to improve individuals circumstances. If so surely these are all illogical, unscientific and uneconomical methods of achieving these goals.



It seems to me that there is some supernatural force influencing people and nations in their decision making here, a spiritual possession, which is ensuring people act in an illogical and unscientific manner.



Either this is gross stupidity on the grandest scale (from the most educated, scientific and aware generation in history) or the most obvious manifestation of the spiritual world. Either way the Christian must respond to this.



Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

 

[yakkmeister]

You fail to actually prove any of your points.
Not to mention that every one of those situations you described can be explained logically, scientifically and/or economically.

Almost 1 million Tutsis murdered in a frenzy in Rwanda ( by neighbours, friends and classmates)

What was the social and political enviromnet at the time?
We will most likely find that a political or social change or tension was present in this situation.

Billions of dollars spent on the arms race to ensure a mutual destruction capability

Weapons R&D is expensive. That this is economically viavble is shown through the growing rise in terrorism and global political tension. Who will win in the end? he with the best weapons and most troops to use them.

Millions of pounds spent on farm subsidies so that excess crops can be grown and then destroyed, to keep prices up while 30,000 people die daily from starvation.

Economically; they will make more money. Not very hard to understand. The excess food should surely be re-distributed to said empoverished people; humanitarian concern, or lack therof is not an indicator of spiritual activity.

Billions of pounds of peoples hard earned wealth wiped out on a stock market crash. ( peoples savings and pensions decimated overnight)

Economic mismanagement.
People make mistakes: this is a good example of that fact.

A Fourfold increase in personal debt, to ensure that the latest computer, DVD, car or holiday is obtained before the person next door.

Again: people making mistakes.
We are looking more at a sociological disorder: the king dollar, than a spritual all out manafestation.

The rush to ensure that designer babies are available or that GM foods are available now without proper research into the consequences.

This is immediately hard to believe; but then plausable nonetheless.
Again this is a matter of the rich simply trying to get richer. It is economically viable because it covers cost quickly and the former is a status symbol; no more than a designer wife/husband/house/car/clothes.

The 10lbs of grain needed to feed the beef cattle to provide 1lb of steak.

I really fail to see hoe this is in anyway a problem to any but vegans and vegitarians.
Grain-Fed beef is simply a higher quality product than the grass-munching variety. it's perfectly viable since the cost of feed is easily offset by the higher price attracted by higher quality product.

The 114,000,000 to 1 chance of undreamed of wealth undertaken primarily by the poorest of our nation each Saturday, to ensure institutions like the Royal Opera House are maintained.

The what?
I assume you are talking about a lottery?
I wonder if you'd prefer that cost added to your tax bill?
Lotteries are not compulsary; nor are they exclusive to the lower members of the socioeconomic strata.

Your bias is painfully obvious and you don't make a single point that directly favours your view.
There are plenty more items of actual spiritual activity avalable:
Look for;
Aimee Semple McPherson (if I remember correctly; she healed many ... check out 'foursquare'; the movement she founded)
Smith Wigglesworth.
er ... I have drawn a blank on others... billy grayham is another ...
look for healings and the like.
I can't think of any other way to actually prove the existance of the spirit realm.
Perhaps a topic change is needed?