Book Review: Mind Siege

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“Mind Siege” by Tim LaHaye and David Noebel

Mind Siege is well-researched, engaging and full of interesting anecdotes - in short, brilliant! But why wouldn't it be? Tim LaHaye is a well-known Christian leader and author (The Act of Marriage, The Battle for the Family, The Battle for the Mind and The Spirit Controlled Temperament). His co-author, Dr David Noebel, is the founder and director of Summit Ministries and author of the monumental works “Understanding the Times” and “Battle for the Truth”. Summit Ministries was started over forty years ago and specialises in training youth - senior high school and university students - to understand Biblical Christianity and its application to all of life. They also compare Biblical principles to those of other dominant worldviews. The Summit equips Christians to make a defence of their faith against the “high priests” of secular worldviews, many of whom are professors, lecturers and teachers at institutions of learning.

Consider the world today: organised homosexual lobbies redefining Christian institutions of marriage and the family; legalised and tax funded abortions; contraceptives to be given out to all children; examinable compulsory multi-faith religion education programmes being forced on every South African child regardless of freedom of conscience or belief; legalised pornography; legalised gambling, which hurts the poor and breeds crime; drug use and a crime rate out of control.

What motivates our government's destructive policies? What is the philosophy or worldview that drives people to push and promote these crazy ideas? Humanism!

Dr James Dobson has pointed out, “The [secular] humanistic system of values has now become the predominant way of thinking in most of the power centres of society”. The power centres refer to media, education, civil government, the courtroom, NGOs, religious organisations and even churches.

There is a cosmic battle between the forces of darkness and the Kingdom of God. It is a battle for the hearts and minds of all people, especially our children. “Christians cannot remain neutral and forgo this battle for the heart and mind. Elijah took on the state religion of Baal and Asherah at Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18. Jesus Christ took on the Greeks (Pan) and the Romans (Caesar) at Mount Hermon in Mathew 16-17. And Paul took on the Greek philosophers (Epicurean and Stoics) at Mount Mars in Acts 17. All engaged the battle. None raised the white flag to surrender … 2 Corinthians 10:5 makes the Christian response very clear. It is our responsibility to overthrow “arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” How ready are you to engage the battle? How equipped are you to wrestle with the arguments that are taught in the classroom and lecture hall? Do you have the knowledge to take on the subtle and overt anti-Christian bias that comes through the media?

The authors examine five tenets of humanism:

Atheism - which reduces the value of man by leading to conclusions like “men do not possess supernatural and immortal souls.” But scholars like Francis Bacon have aptly pointed out, “A little philosophy inclinith man's mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion.”

Evolution - a theory that can be traced back to pagan Babylon, 2000 BC. Amorality stems from evolution - “If you believe that man is an animal, you will expect him to live like one.”

Autonomous man - in contrast to the Biblical truth of man being created in the image of God (therefore of value) and yet fallen (in need of a Saviour) - autonomous man is under his own law (which is chaotic because it may be true for him but not for his neighbour). He is “self-directed with unlimited goodness and potential.” The Christian idea of “soul” has been replaced by “self”. These ideas infiltrate every power centre controlled by the humanist, for example, “Today's philosophy of education is obsessed with self-actualisation, self-image, self-love, self-sufficiency, self-esteem, self-satisfaction - self, self, self.”

Globalism -a return to the tower of Babel. A modern example is the United Nations. Mind Siege examines why humanists hate patriotism, capitalism and free enterprise, while extolling the “virtues” and “benefits” of socialism. Yet they forever fail to acknowledge its historical failures. The move to globalism and big socialistic bureaucratic, inefficient and (corrupt) government is seen by in the growth, power and control of centralised governments.

Humanism is a religion. In 1961 humanism was officially recognised as a religion by the United States Supreme Court. Every public school is a school of humanism, and this has great implications for education. Why should Christian taxpayers be forced to fund an anti-Christian religion and have their children indoctrinated into another faith? The humanists will not even allow Creation to be taught alongside evolution, never mind the Christian ethic in other subjects like life-orientation and sex education. “The silence of sex educators on the dangers of venereal disease is not only unscientific but borders on criminal.” Rarely will you find a school sex education text book pointing out that “teenage promiscuity can increase a girl's vulnerability to cancer by as much as five times (500 percent).”

Humanists control the media, which promotes leftist agendas and odious leftist leaders, cynicism toward organised religion and “pack journalism.” The media includes: print media (newspapers and magazines), television, Hollywood and radio. Despite all its assertions of tolerance, humanism remains intensely intolerant of Christianity.

What is the Christian response to humanism? Is there hope? The authors of Mind Siege think so. The “central theme is that God, not man, is the final authority. God has rights. Human beings have duties; we deny God His rights at our peril.”

“The all too obvious failure of liberalism has coincided with a hunger for basic morality and a revitalisation of fundamental Christianity. This has created a day of unprecedented opportunity for evangelicals to present the Gospel to the world in which we live as well as to effect substantive changes for good within our society. We must now show the world that evangelicals care and know how to translate theology into compassionate action.”

Humanism is a bankrupt religion. And as such it cannot and will not produce heroes. By contrast, Christianity is eternal, with absolute values and causes - it inspires heroes and has a whole chapter (Hebrews 11) dedicated to the heroes and heroines of the faith. The book of Acts is an unfinished book - it continues today and God invites each one of us to take up our Cross and follow Him, leading a life of love, courage, righteousness, eternal value and significance.

The authors of Mind Siege encourage positive action: Know the Biblical Christian Worldview; pray; share your faith; show compassion for the victims of humanism; protect your children; reach the campus - the philosophy of the classroom in one generation becomes the philosophy of government in the next. Read as much as possible - readers make leaders! De-fund the humanist left; register to vote and vote for a political party that consistently promotes Christian values; volunteer to help pro-moral candidates campaign; expose amoral candidates; consider running for local government yourself; join pro-moral Christian organisations; speak out and write vigorously on moral issues (e.g. letters to the editor), call in on talk show radio, attend community meetings; fund good, pro-moral and pro-family causes; assist other pro-moral, pro-family organisations. Finally, capture the culture - by producing Christian art, music, popular entertainment, theatre, media, law, religion and education.

by Rob Mc Cafferty

Mind Siege can be purchased from Christian Liberty Books, PO Box 358, Howard Place, 7450, Cape Town. Those with student ministries can apply for special sponsorships of Mind Siege books.

Christian Action P.O.Box 23632 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa info@christianaction.org.za - 021-689-4481 - www.christianaction.org.za
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