This year’s Fort Worth lectureship book is a volume well worth having–even if the reader has comparable books. Last year’s Power lectures on Dangerous ‘Isms covers much of the same ground as this book does, but the material scarcely overlaps at all: both books contain a wealth of information.
This effort approaches false doctrine from the aspect that error is darkness while truth is light–thus the first three chapters are “Darkness and Light,” “Christ the Light of the World,” and “The Prevailing Darkness.”
Following these introductory exhortations is “The Darkness of Judaism,” “The Darkness of Buddhism, Shintoism, and Confucianism,” and “The Darkness of Islam.” These are all world religions whose sincere adherents are actually walking in darkness. The origin and history of Buddhism is delineated, along with some of its key teachings. Shintoism is one of the oldest religions, but it is mostly followed in Japan and not on a worldwide basis. Confucianism is “mainly an ethical system dealing with getting along with one’s fellow man” (79).
There is a great deal of attention given to “Islam,” and for good reason: It is worldwide and spreading in America. Several teachings from this religion are quoted from the Koran (Qur’an). Also cited are several contradictions within this alleged “holy” book. Additional information is provided elsewhere in the book dealing with “The Life of Muhammed” (419-26), “The Koran” (427-33), and “The Tenets of Islam” (434-38).
There are two sections on “The Darkness of Hinduism.” Unusual in this system is that it “is the only religion in the world without a definite founder, without a single book which all of its followers recognize as a definite source of authority for what it believes and practices” (326). Dharma and karma are explained as well as the importance of “the caste system.” The effects of Hinduism are particularly horrible for women, as it pertains to the dowry system, arranged marriages, and “suttee” (379-87).
One chapter deals with “The Darkness of the Watchtower and Adventism”; another covers “The Darkness of Mormonism.” One will get a much better perspective of what happened in Nauvoo, Illinois, from reading this chapter than visiting the actual location. Mormons do not hesitate to revise history at every opportunity. Joseph Smith, the founder of the cult, had instituted the practice of polygamy but denied the practice publicly (in other words, he lied about it). Some of his own people were so struck by the hypocrisy that “they purchased a printing press and published a newspaper, The Nauvoo Expositor, exposing the gross immorality that was being practiced so widely among church members” (153).
Although one chapter is devoted to the “New Age” movement, three more deal with various aspects involved in it: astrology, communication with the dead, and reincarnation. From here it is but a short step to a discussion of cults. One chapter lists seven characteristics of a cult while its successor explains that “The Church Is Not a Cult.” The section on atheism includes the admission by Aldous Huxley that one reason that atheists reject the Bible is that it curtails their sexual freedom (212). The author also calls attention to statements made by Richard Dawkins (1996 Humanist of the Year), Herbert Spencer, Paul Kurtz, and Carl Sagan.
Bert Thompson writes of “The Darkness of Evolution” in his usual thorough manner. He too mentions British evolutionist Richard Dawkins, along with French existential philosopher Jean Paul Sartre, Bertrand Russell, and others. He is one of the few who had mentioned Carl Sagan’s Parade magazine article, in which he taught the “embryonic recapitulation” doctrine, which scientists abandoned long ago (241-42).
Wayne Jackson (he and Bert Thompson were honored for their work this year) wrote on “The Effect of Darkness on America and the Church.” Areas that he touches upon are economics, education, and justice (including the results of Pamela Powers’ murder, 301-302) in society before moving on to “Storm Clouds over the Church.” The chapter is succinct but thorough.
“The Darkness of Satanism and the Occult” provides some background information about Aleister Crowley and Anton LeVey, whom most credit with the modern Satanism movement. LeVey wrote The Satanic Bible, whose first assumption is that “religion and pleasure are mutually exclusive” (344). Equally informative is the analysis of Wicca, the so-called “white” or benevolent witchcraft, which includes portions of an interview with Lady Phoenix, (a former member of the church who now heads a coven).
A chapter on secular humanism will enlighten those who remain in the dark on that subject. The book closes with an outstanding chapter on homosexuality, which includes factual evidence about the practice seldom or never mentioned in the news media (but which people need to know to be really informed on the subject), one on partial-birth abortion, which includes a description of it from a formerly “very pro-choice” nurse (480), and one on euthanasia, which gives a brief history of how euthanasia played out in Germany. Some things being proposed are absolutely frightening–especially in view of the intense apathy of the general public. This book is well worth the $12.00 that it costs to buy it. It may be ordered from the Brown Trail Church of Christ, P. O. Box 210667, Bedford, TX 76095.