"The Shack"

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Dec 22, 2008
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#1
I just started reading this book a few days ago. At first, it wasn't that interesting, but WOW! I love it so far. I recommend this book to anyone, even new believers. I bought my copy at Wal-mart. I know it can probably be found anywhere. But ya I will keep people updated as I read it. But I am just curious if anyone else has read this story. :D
 
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Ancilla

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#2
I went through... I don't know how many pages on this forum looking for this thread. I was really surpised that there wasn't more posts on it.

I haven't read The Shack but I've heard good things about it. I know some people don't like it... I'm not sure why... My dad's read it and he says it's not exactly well written. Like, it's obvious the author doesn't have an English degree and has written lots of books, but that's totally ok. It still has good things to say.
 
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sweetie36

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#3
I have never heard of the Book The Shack?? I think thats what book you are talking about.
What is it about?
 
May 30, 2009
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#4
I just started reading this book a few days ago. At first, it wasn't that interesting, but WOW! I love it so far. I recommend this book to anyone, even new believers. I bought my copy at Wal-mart. I know it can probably be found anywhere. But ya I will keep people updated as I read it. But I am just curious if anyone else has read this story. :D
Heard of it. Whats it about?
 
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MaggieMye

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#6
I have read it. It is a work of fiction and with that in mind, I did find it an entertaining book. However, I would not recommend it to new believers because there are aspects of it that could cause confusion in their understanding of who God really is. The book did an excellent job of portraying the CHARACTER of God. It also did a fine job of depicting a "God encounter experience" and divine healing. However: The Shack portrays God as a female named Papa. I find that to be disrespectful of His awesome holiness; it portrays Holy Spirit as a female also, Sarahu (or something to that effect), and Holy Spirit is a bit on the elusive side which defies scripture....as Jesus left so that Holy Spirit could come and be our Guidance and Comforter; it also portrays Jesus as prank-loving and maybe even a bit...I don't know...lazy and teasing (on occasion). During the whole of the story, the personage of God is seen as having human characteristics, rather than Kingdom and spiritual traits. Miracles were reduced to timely quick changes in scenery and the 'magical' appearances of 'just what was needed', and I found little of His omnipotence, reverence, or majesty portrayed.

It's a great story for a mature Christian and any avid reader that can keep in mind that it is a work of fiction. But I would not recommend it for a new believer and certainly not for one that was not yet saved.
Maggie
 
Jan 10, 2007
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#7
If the book portrays God in the feminine and the Bible says God is masculine then the very basis of the book is blasphemous. Even if the book has a good message, does the end justify the means? The Apostle Paul addressed this in Romans 3:8 "And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose ****ation is just." God's inspired word calls it a slanderous report for someone to even accuse a Christian of doing something wrong to bring about something good. I believe this verse also makes it clear that to do such a thing is worthy of being sent to hell.

As for saying this that it's ok for a mature christian or avid reader but not someone new to the faith, I believe scripture addresses that as well:
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
2 Corinthians 10:4-6

The knowledge of God, gained from his personal revelation in his Word, clearly states that God is masculine. Therefore this book exalts itself against the knowledge of God. The cry of it being ok because it's fiction does not fly because this passage clearly includes imaginations. No thought that is in obedience to Christ would blaspheme God or make any change to how he is revealed in Scripture. The God revealed in scripture is the unchanging God(Mal 3:6), the same yesterday today and forever(Heb 13:8), with no variableness or even shadow of turning(James 1:17). Therefore, no mature Christian or avid reader should read this book because to do so would be entertaining thoughts that are in disobedience to Christ and exalted against the true knowledge of God.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Hosea 4:6

And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
1 Samuel 15:22-23

May none of us ever feel so mature in Christ that we feel we can set aside such clear commandments in scripture. We are kings and priests unto our God. May we not think that are mature enough to set aside the knowledge of God and be entertained by knowledge contrary, lest God reject us for our rejection of true knowledge and forget our children. May we not make ourselves just as bad as, or participate in, witchcraft by our disobedience to God's clear instructions which are for our own good.

My prayer is:
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Ephesians 1:17-19
 
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Ancilla

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#8
Matthew 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing."

There Jesus compared Himself to a hen. Another point in the Gospel He compared himself to a woman looking for a lost coin. I get what you're saying. I'd never feel right writing a book that portrayed God as a woman, because He's clearly a "He" based on the Bible. But... what am I trying to say here?? Like, yes, God is a He, but I'd hesitate to call him "masculine" at the exclusion of being feminine. He has a lot of masculine qualities like He's mighty and powerful and just but He also is kind and gentle and other qualities we associate with being feminine. I mean David called God is shepherd, and we don't consider that blasphemis (although I'm sure some people at the time probably thought it was horribly irreverent to compare God to people who were on the margins of society) I don't know, I think that some Christians are overly sensitive to the whole issue of gender because there are feminists who've seen Christianity used to oppress women (some probably even see it as the root of the problems with the way that women have been historically treated in western civilization, which is silly because the problem was our human nature) so they want to believe that God is a women or is both male and female and of course some Christians just want to push back against this just as hard.
 
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nikkiLV

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#9
I read the book in three days... I couldnt sleep and think of anything else than the message God had for me there.... by the way Im not a native english speaker so I think that alone says how inetersting and touching the book is if I could read it in three days!!!...... I recomend it to everyone who want to look on Gods love for us from another perspective.
 
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iraasuup

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#10
I work at a Christian Bookstore... we can't keep that book on the shelves! We have so many outstanding/unfilled orders... it's unbelievable! It's like anything really, I think it's more of a novelty thing... and it will wear off soon. At the moment, I'm having the same issue with latest Newboys album, and the 'Children's NIV Adventure Bible', and the new 'Hillsong United' Album... but give it a month or so, when these things aren't so 'HOT &NEW' anymore, and the craze has died down... and people will be over it.
 
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Ancilla

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#11
I work at a Christian Bookstore... we can't keep that book on the shelves! We have so many outstanding/unfilled orders... it's unbelievable! It's like anything really, I think it's more of a novelty thing... and it will wear off soon. At the moment, I'm having the same issue with latest Newboys album, and the 'Children's NIV Adventure Bible', and the new 'Hillsong United' Album... but give it a month or so, when these things aren't so 'HOT &NEW' anymore, and the craze has died down... and people will be over it.
The Newsboys have a new album????? I LOVE the Newsboys!!!!!! I've seen them in concert twice. The first time was in 1996. Their Adoration album was one of my favourite CDs ever! I think they made a second Adoration album and I'm sure it's really good. I don't really buy CDs anymore. I don't really buy anything except food and gas and the occasional magazine.
 
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Astronut

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#12
If the book portrays God in the feminine and the Bible says God is masculine then the very basis of the book is blasphemous.
Blasphemous theology is never isolated to a single doctrine. It usually starts somewhere else and spreads. For those Christians who like this book, you should be aware that the author rejects the doctrine of penal substitution, that Christ died for our sins, in this interview:
http://www.davidwesterfield.net/2009/03/shack-author-william-p-young-denies-penal-substitution-mp3/
Just keep this interview in mind when reading the book. I'd say that is a doctrine critical to the faith. Other issues are serious and indicate a problem whose root is usually found elsewhere, but I would say that believing Christ died for your sins is non-negotiable for salvation.
 
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Groundhog

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#14
I guess I'm not surprised. If it's Christian, and it's popular, it will probably be called a heresy. God is portrayed as a woman: this is why people are against it? Really? Don't we all know that God is genderless because He is spirit? God describing Himself in the masculine as a father is simply an analogy. I might be wrong here, but if God has a penis, I will be quite surprised. (I am not being vulgar, but simply emphasizing my point.)

This book is really popular, so I guess I'll have to read it to see what all the hype is about.
 
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Jordan9

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#15
I really want to read it.

I don't see all the problems with it, keep in mind though, I haven't read it. But it sounds to me that if you want to throw out "The Shack" you'd better throw out Narnia with it.
 
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carpetmanswife

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#16
thanks for that signature verse in ur post jordan9 , i needed that :)
 
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iraasuup

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#17
The Newsboys have a new album????? I LOVE the Newsboys!!!!!! I've seen them in concert twice. The first time was in 1996. Their Adoration album was one of my favourite CDs ever! I think they made a second Adoration album and I'm sure it's really good. I don't really buy CDs anymore. I don't really buy anything except food and gas and the occasional magazine.


Yes, the new Newsboys album is called ' In the hands of God'. The new Hillsong album is called 'This is our God', the New Hillsong United album is called 'Tear down the walls'. Anything else I can help you with? Perhaps a new bible today aswell? haha... oh I love my job!
 
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MaggieMye

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#19
Groundhog: I don't think it's so much the portraying of God as a woman as it is attributing human characteristics to the Holiness of God. Some human attributes simply do not qualify as pure and holy....for instance...playing pranks, when scripture tells us that we will be held accountable for words (and actions) of folly.
Maggie
 
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Astronut

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#20
I guess I'm not surprised. If it's Christian, and it's popular, it will probably be called a heresy. God is portrayed as a woman: this is why people are against it?
I'm against anyone who thinks that Christ didn't die on the cross to take the punishment for our sins. I'm also highly suspicious about anything else they claim to know about the character of God. Even the analogies of God are made for a reason, you can't just directly contradict them because you don't like them. I don't think you can compare Aslan to "Papa" at all. Aslan's character is reasonably analogus to the character of God we know from the Bible, Papa is not. The author is a man who professes an anti-christian belief system hiding under the guise of a true christian belief system, so feminizing God is just another way he chooses to re-write scripture to suit his beliefs - he lost me on the former, so I'm not willing to overlook the latter.
 
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