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~The views and opinions expressed here are of the blog author and not necessarily of CCAPSG as a whole~

Saturday, January 29, 2011

A Supernatural Consumer Culture


Westfield Miranda Fair, Sydney, Australia. A big box of retail phenomenon ten minutes from the beach. A place where millions pass through each year to seek shopping solace and placate their inner vacuum with consumerism. And me….of course I’m guilty with the rest of being caught in the snare of materialism from time to time which brought me to realise something sinister was going on.
 I was in a computer game shop with my son last week. We were looking for games for a Wii console. The thing that was incredible was the dark and supernatural nature of the majority of the games. Not one shelf, but the majority. It was like a tick box from a paranormal blog. Shapeshifting, the living dead, spirits that attack, evil creatures unleashed from the depths of Tibetan mountains, and finally the Rugby League game I was looking for J Try that one for yourself and you will be amazed at the spiritual and supernatural themes that are influencing our kids via video games.
 Next door was a sports and trinkets store. Again I was amazed at the array of supernatural themes that were mostly presented in figurines of wizards, witches, skull like chalices and the similar themes on clothing.
 Across from that was a board game shop. Once again, the window was full of supernaturally themed games.
 I had to go to into Big W to get an Ipod looked at (similar to K-Mart if you are from the States). In this place you had the computer games, the DVD’s and a vast array of toys - all with supernatural themes.
 So here I am, standing in Westfield Miranda and within a twenty metre radius I can see three major stores who are promoting the supernatural in all their major categories. From what I could gather in three stores our kids were purchasing DVD’s, Console games, board games, and paraphernalia that was explicitly supernatural, and by supernatural not any trace of God but a very dark presentation of the supernatural.
 That sounds like I’m building a conspiracy theory. But let’s look at the facts from a marketing perspective. The most watched shows for teenage girls on TV, at the movies, in written form and DVD are about vampires (see Bryony’s blog from last week). The most popular computer/console games are about the undead or aliens (Know any teenage boy that doesn’t play COD?). The most popular kids show (and merchandise) for boys 3-7 years old is Ben 10 and he is a supernatural Alien shapeshifter.  I’m not making this up just to write a blog, these are cultural facts. Some people would read this and think “so what” or “it’s a Christian banging on about culture, get over it” and that’s the problem. We are so encultured with the supernatural and the dark side of it that we are now numb to it’s effect and easily write off any criticism of it. It’s known as “white anting”. White ants slowly eat away the foundations and you don’t notice them until the building is about to crumble. It has taken generations to achieve and is now infecting every part of culture.  
 Let’s look at the basis for the characters in games and movies.
 Shapeshifters in real life are known in North America as Skin walkers and through the middle ages as Werewolves (see the “Beast of Gevaudan” for a real life werewolf myth) and they are far from “so what” to those who have experienced and reported on their terrifying reality. The vampire subculture is real and many are trapped in it, thinking it will lead them to freedom, self expression and eternal life. In Haiti, there are real people who have been drugged and subjected to horrific mind control through ritual abuse and live as zombies, serving slave masters or wandering the towns in a trance like daze.
 How can we then subject our kids to a reality that portrays these as something to aspire to? In Alien abduction cases there is a common theme according to famous researcher Nick Redfern – a portrayal of end time events that only they can save us from. And an endorsement of all major religions with the exception of Christianity including a presentation of Christ as one of many Messiah’s. A consistent theme from people who have never met to conspire about their stories - to reshape Christianity to an alien thelogy in which they are the saviours.
 All you have to do is go shopping to realise this 'supernaturalisation' is a fact. Can I be so bold to suggest that we are being white anted? Our parents and grandparents didn’t go shopping in the 1950’s to be confronted with a vast array of supernatural media and merchandising. Something has shifted in our culture that has pushed the world into a supernatural theme park at every level of consumerism and media. Something has strategically brought the “Campfire stories” and “horror and alien movies and ghost trains” from late night picture shows and carnivals to every level of daily life. Look at your childrens school bags, pencil cases, lunch boxes, DVD's and drawings. What percentage of these are supernatural beings with supernatural powers? This is not just rhetoric, this is reality.


The question is why? Why wasn’t this just a fad? Why didn’t it pass after the 1950’s UFO flaps? Why do those who control the media not only insist on pushing these themes upon us but specifically at children and teenagers? At an age when due to their formative and therefore vulnerable nature they should not be thinking about undead monsters and shape shifting aliens, why are these major themes in all forms of media they are exposed to?
 Because I would suggest it’s not an accident!! We are (unconsciously) setting our kids up for something, because someone or something (strategically) is setting us up to do it. We could choose not to engage but we are drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Something bigger than just the material world we live in. And as we engage demand creates greater supply. We need to remember that the people producing this material are not deliberately part of some conspiracy to lead youth to the supernatural because they don’t even realise they are part of a strategic conspiracy. They are trying to earn a living like the rest of us. This is ultimately a cosmic conspiracy and battle for hearts, souls and minds that is and will affect the whole planet without people even realising what is going on and why.
  
Let me quote a couple of things from scripture to you and tell me, even if you’re a non-believer whether it rings true with today.
 Matthew 24: 3-14
 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
   9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
1 John 4:1-8
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
REVELATION 12:7-12
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
   “Now have come the salvation and the power 
   and the kingdom of our God, 
   and the authority of his Messiah. 
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, 
   who accuses them before our God day and night, 
   has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him 
   by the blood of the Lamb 
   and by the word of their testimony; 
they did not love their lives so much 
   as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens 
   and you who dwell in them! 
But woe to the earth and the sea, 
   because the devil has gone down to you! 
He is filled with fury, 
   because he knows that his time is short.”
This is a Christian blog and we make no apologies for constantly portraying a Christian message or for proselytising in the messages. I hope that at least you appreciate the integrity of us being open about that. It is a message that often offends people. It is a message that many people either think they have heard before, is flawed historically or theologically or otherwise. But what if it’s right? What if the facts presented show that something is going on to change our perceptions to supernatural powers and realities? What if there is a real devil and that being is actually on earth deceiving the nations, influencing the media, influencing politics because there will be a final showdown that it can’t win, but like all despots and psychopaths, will destroy everything it can before the final showdown.
What if it’s not just the way marketing has gone for the last 50 years?
What if it’s not just a cash cow for companies?
What if our consumer habits could cost us our very souls in the same way our eating habits have cost us our health?
What if I am setting my current or future children and grandchildren up to be deceived by something supernaturally empowered in the future by watering down the paranormal through purchases that portray it as ‘kids stuff”.
I’d want someone to tell me and then at least think about it so I could make an informed decision of my own free will. Because no company can take that away from me regardless of media budget or merchandising capability.
So next time your five year old son says “I want the Ben 10 lunchbox” say “So you want the transdimensional shape shifting alien supernatural being lunchbox that will assure the supply to the next generation of kids an even more powerful occultic role model”. At least you’ll be being honest about what you’re buying into – Pastor Baz.
P.S After I wrote this message a teenage neighbour told me (the same afternoon) he just bought a game called  "Going to Hell - where you get to meet Satan." Seriously.

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