What's Going On Here?

There are SO MANY wonderful book review blogs out there and I can't compete with them, that is for sure. So this is not a book review blog. This is just a way for me to organize what I have read so that I can be better at matching the right book to the right person. The blog title comes from the brilliant mind of the most talented woman who ever lived, Ms. Judy Garland. The full quote is, "Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of someone else." That is what I hope to do here and in ever aspect of my life.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Jesus isn't a Chiropractor SPOILER ALERT

The Demon of Brownsville Road:  a Pittsburgh Family's Battle with Evil in Their Home caught my attention because I worked in Brentwood for a time and found it be a very lovely community.  I also remember when Bob Cranmer when he the County Commissioner of Allegheny County.  He is coming to speak at my local library in March next year and so I wanted to read the book beforehand.  I was super excited to see that it was available for free on audio from Hoopla.
I can't recommend this book and I wrote why on goodreads.com:  ** spoiler alert **** spoiler alert ** I really didn't feel right giving this 1 star. I wish I could have just said "no rating" because this book left me with very complex feelings. It is very readable. I'm from Pittsburgh and worked in Brentwood for a time and so I was familiar with the author and the community.
The thing is though, I can't recommend it because contains many offensive references to "Indians" who brutally attracted settlers in the region. While the author does, very, very briefly, and not until the epilogue, mention that it's likely that these "Indians were just defending what they thought of as their land..." (Not exactly quote, but we all get the idea! Those natives not wanting to give up their homes and the land where they and their ancestors lived) the book is very, very racist.
Recently the book has attracted criticism, folks saying that Cranmer isn't telling the truth. I am not saying that Cranmer is lying, I really think that he believes that this happened.  But the thing that keeps me from believing that it was demonic possession and that made this quote from the article above shake my head in confusion:  "The book has become popular with people of faith — who see it as a testament to Mr. Cranmer’s devotion to Christianity — and those who are intrigued by the paranormal, boosted by a 2011 Discovery Channel documentary detailing the exorcism." is that Jesus isn't a chiropractor.
What I mean is, a few week ago I went to a chiropractor for the first time.  I had this pain in my hip that only occurred when I got up from a sitting or lying position and lasted until I took about 7 or 8 steps.  My dear friend, Sharon, has had wonderful success with a local chiropractor and she suggested that I go.  I had always thought that chiropractors were like LEGO Master Builders.  He or she could just pop and twist the spine and bones back to where they need to be.  One session.  Instant fix.  But no.  While the chiropractor I went to was super nice and I am sure she knows what she is doing, going to a chiropractor isn't a quick fix.  The doctor told me it would take at least a year.
I think that if Jesus was faced with any kind of demonic infestation, it would not take as long as it did here on Brownsville Road.  Why do I think that?  Well, Mark 5 for one.  And Mark 9:14-23.   Now that is not to say that God just POP does whatever we want and ask Him to do in seconds!  What I am saying is, though, when a demon comes around, he is no match for The Master.  So how can exorcisms really work like this?
Is the devil real?  Is evil real?
Yes.  I believe that the devil and evil are real.
But are they any match for our Savior?
Hahahahahah!  Um, no.
Not at all.

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