The narrow gate 7
Issue #7 December 1998
CONTENTS
- Letter From Shauna Skye
- Our Groovy Mailbag (where you write in)
- Cool Place in Cyberspace (Onchat)
- Intellectual Reading...and you thought college was fun
- A Theo-Psychological Discourse on Free Will (by Patrick Wilkins)
- Classified Ads
- Submission Guidelines
- All That Official Info, etc.
- Jesus/God/Christianity
LETTER FROM SHAUNA SKYE
Well, it's that time of year again. I'm seeing elves and Santa Clause everywhere. Never much cared for Santa, and I've gotten in trouble for that on more than one occasion. At age nine I felt it was my duty to educate the neighborhood children on his state of unreality. "No such thing as flying reindeer, elves, or talking snowmen; and especially no such thing as a fat man from the North Pole bearing gifts." We had parents knocking on our door yelling I'd spoiled Christmas. Not necessarily for the kids, mind you, but for them.
Santa got me in trouble over a college writing assignment too. I was told to write "a humorous story" and soon learned that what I found funny my instructor wanted to kill me for. My crime? I wrote a Christmas parody. It was called "The Real Rudolph Story" and was narrated in first person by Rudolph himself. The kicker was that I modeled Rudy's personality after Holden Caulfield from "The Catcher in the Rye." (Those who have read "Catcher in the Rye" SHOULD see the humor in that.) Everyone under thirty cracked up laughing when they read it, but most of the mature crowd wrinkled their noses and didn't "get it."
My writing instructor didn't get it either and wrote me a scathing letter marked up in red. "Bashing an icon went out with the 60's!" she wrote. Well, it's a shame no one told me that, I thought. I wasn't born until the 70's. Besides, I wasn't bashing an icon, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer was. HE was the one who thought Santa was a "pompous old fat man who needed to go on a diet." I considered writing that to my instructor, but was already in hot water. She went on to say there was nothing funny whatsoever about my story. I got a big fat C - for it, and the impression that I would never write or publish work that amounted to anything.
I'm not a scrooge, really. I just think people blow Santa out of proportion. I mean, he's a fictional character, right? I don't mean that St. Nicholas was fictional, but the commercialized North Pole sleigh-riding-gift-making Santa IS, and I have a right to make fun of him if I want to. People get incensed over a guy who isn't even real, and forget Christmas is supposed to be about JESUS.
I hate to break the news to the world but SANTA IS NOT REAL. And you know what? The same letters in Santa are also found in Satan. That should prove he's evil. (Hey, I'm KIDDING.)
Before I get myself in trouble again, let me welcome you to the seventh issue of The Narrow Gate. We have 0 Calories, a whole lot of fiber, and are 100% Santa Free! Mmmmm, mmmmm, good!
OUR GROOVY MAILBAG
Dear Shauna,
In a reply to a letter in TNG 6, you mentioned, "I also like stories set on other worlds and exotic places." Let me tell you about Virtual World Builders, the electronic magazine of Fictional Geography!
This new e-zine at <http://irps.engr.ucf.edu/vwb> is aimed at those interested in other worlds, from scientists to Star Trek fans to fantasy role- players, and we have something for everyone. Each issue will include articles on the Natural Sciences, the Social Sciences (including comparative religion), and the fantasy genre. The first issue will officially appear on January 1, 1999, but we have a growing web site to tell all about it, and (we hope) to recruit volunteers.
I hope that some of the 400 readers of TNG will join the VWB staff, which so far has only has a quarter of the positions filled. As a nonprofit educational, scientific, AND cultural organization, we don't collect any revenue and don't pay a thing. What we offer is experience, which can be useful if you don't have much yet, something to add to your resume, and the satisfaction of a job well done. VWB will accept anyone willing to contribute one to five hours a week (Martians, Trolls, Wizards, Klingons - we don't care, we're desperate!) but personally I'd love to work with other committed Christians.
I specify one to five hours, because I strongly believe that anyone with more time on their hands should start their own project or ministry. The Internet is wide open, and there are more followers than leaders, because most people just don't have enough confidence in their own abilities. One of many dreams I have for VWB is that it will serve as a training academy for aspiring editors, who will go on to start their own publications.
Our need for articles is so diverse that most creative writers can probably find a spot for something they've already written. All the genre divisions need reviews (books, movies, games, whatever) and the Fantasy Division has an art section and a "Minstrel's Corner" for poetry. We could even add a music section if somebody volunteers to run it. If you have a great idea that isn't in our table of contents, write and tell me about it.
Even if your readers have no interest in this project, I'd appreciate their prayers, and their telling their friends about VWB. God keeps blessing my staff members with new jobs or promotions, and they keep quitting on me! I really need some long-term help from other people, and more than a few miracles to keep this project going. Pray that it will grow into something that will glorify God, and will allow Christian writers to reach an open-minded audience.
Thanks a million,
Bob Barrett, Managing Editor of Virtual World Builders
First of all, thank you for this wonderful newsletter. I am a fifty year old African American Sister...committed Christian writer/artist and local performer (community theatre mostly). . . .I believe that there should be novels with Christian interests of romance, where the characters (central characters) are African American once in a while. --Zenobia
Shauna
If Zenobia needs any research or needs to find anything out here in Africa for her stories then i would be glad to assist. I am a European African but i have a deep love of the culture of my fellow Africans, this includes those of the African Diaspora.
God Bless
Keith Downs
acdp@iafrica.com (Downs)
That's neat Keith! Zenobia, if you're reading this, drop him an email. --Skye
#All letter we receive will be considered for our mailbag unless requested otherwise.#
COOL PLACE IN CYBERSPACE
I found this place on the web called ONCHAT where you can chat for free in a virtual world with an "avatar." An avatar is small picture you use to represent yourself. People choose animals, celebrities, models, or cartoon characters; and it (you) get to interact in the virtual world with others. What you type comes out in the form of a speak bubble--like in comic books.
I like Onchat because you don't have to download anything to get started, and of course, because it's free. My default avatar is a cartoon character who is a little like a brunette version of Jessica Rabbit. I'm searching for a good avatar of Belle from Beauty and the Beast though, since if I were a cartoon I'd simply HAVE to be her.
Anyway, I made up my own virtual room called "Christian Fellowship" but so far I haven't had anyone in it. Would anyone be interested in having a virtual TNG party using Onchat? If you have web access you can get on it, and if I receive enough responses perhaps we'll plan something.
In the mean time, here's the URL: http://www.onchat.com/
Check it out, and if you see a cartoon named "Skye" see if it's me. :)
INTELLECTUAL READING..... AND YOU THOUGHT COLLEGE WAS FUN!
My friend Patrick, an aspiring psychology professor, wrote this essay. Pat has never read The Narrow Gate, but I'm publishing his work because 1) I'm the editor so I can print whatever I want to <insert raspberry here>. 2) Pat's wife, Wendy, is really scary, and if I reject his work she'll try to beat me up. 3) Some people think TNG is not "intellectual" enough. 4) Patrick slipped me a $50 and said "There's more where that came from if you print this!"
Seriously, Patrick is an esteemed member of my artist guild. He has no artistic talent that we know of, but hangs around because as everyone knows, artists, musicians, and writers need to have a good psychologist around. Patrick and his wife Wendy lead what is called the "Lighthouse Ministry" at our church. We meet monthly and discuss apologetics, psychology, philosophy, and things that would make Francis Schaffer's head spin. I sit at the meetings and nod, rub my chin and go "Hmmmm. Veddy interesting. Veddy veddy interesting." As a result, they believe I'm bright. Shhhhhh. Don't tell them otherwise.
Note: The following opinions reflect that of Patrick Wilkins and not necessarily that of TNG. In simple terms: If you like it, credit The Narrow Gate for choosing such a wonderful article. If you don't like it, it's all Patrick's fault!
A Theo-Psychological Discourse on Free Will
by Patrick Wilkins
The idea that man possesses a free will is a metaphysical argument originally limited to scholars and philosophers. It has only been within this current century that science has had an opportunity to examine such a seemingly intangible question. Thanks to the development of psychology, the science of behaviors, such an argument can be laid to rest since experiments on behavioral contingencies (the basis of the freewill argument) are now possible. One such attempt comes from the well documented behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner, who's scientific evidence not only disproves freewill, but also supports the Judeo-Christian belief as discussed in both the Hebrew and Christian Bibles. After years of researching the behavioral relationship produced by stimulus-response interactions, he concluded that man does not in any manner have a free will. This conclusion is based on the fact that all behaviors, whether environmentally or humanly produced, are reactions to external stimuli, and therefore, cannot occur without an initiation from one's surroundings.
To understand Skinner's conclusion, one must become familiar with his distinction between the two types of behaviors and how they fit into the freewill argument. The first group consists of the respondents, which are based on strict stimulus-response patterns as presented from one's setting. The second category includes operants, referring to stimulus-response-stimulus patterns which seem to be initiated by the subject. Skinner understood that respondent actions imply that man does not possess a free will since he is only reacting to that which was presented to him. Operant behaviors, however, are much more complex, and without determining their origins, would suggest that man does indeed have a free will. The argument then becomes: if man can produce his own stimuli, that is, produce his own behaviors, the operants, then he must have a free will because he is acting on his own accord. This, however, is not the case because man is limited to the responses that nature supplies him with, which means he is also dependent upon the environment for choosing both his choices (responses) and initiations (operants). In order for man to produce his own stimuli, he must be completely free of the limits of this world and this is only possible if he exists outside the contingencies of this world. As a result of determining that the origins of all behaviors are environmentally produced, Skinner rightfully concluded that man does not have a free will.
The most probable example of clarifying Skinner's argument is food. People become hungry, which is a product of nature since man comes from the earth. We also look to the world for food because the solution is not within us or beyond the expanses of the world, but from the world. In essence, the environment demands responses while simultaneously supplying many possible reactions, hence the reason operants are environmentally contingent. People often feel that they can control a situation, but according to Skinner, even the rat's operant behavior of pressing the lever for food is contingent upon the environment providing the food. Consequently, the rat will eventually stop producing the operants if it does not receive what it is pursuing.
Despite the fact that people do not have a free will, Skinner does state that we have choices supplied by our environment. As the circumstance lays out various options for responses, a person has some freedom as to how he will act. Personal benefit on various levels will certainly influence this choice. The collaboration of this process is commonly called behavior.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Skinner's idea that man does not have a free will is that it also reflects a spiritual side. Numerous comparative religion studies indicate that most belief systems, especially Judeo-Christian beliefs, reject the idea that man is completely free. In fact, God demands our attention and our obedience, which is the foundation of a contingent will, though he does allow us to choose our own fate. History also tells us that free will is a traditionally based concept without scriptural support. It is necessary to distinguish between free will and choices in order to understand truth as portrayed in both human behaviors and theological doctrines. Knowing that Skinner scientifically defines the dynamics of free will, and knowing that his findings align with that of the Holy Scriptures is astounding. It is my only wish that more people would research and come to a fuller understanding of such philosophical questions so that we might better understand the world we live in, as well as learn to obey and serve our creator.
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Our ad rates are $.03 a subscriber. Ads run here for one issue. If you buy a 50 word classified between now and January 15 cost is $12 for 50 words, 10 cents each additional word. Make checks to Shauna Skye. Email your ad to us first so may approve before you send payment. *See bottom of newsletter for snail mail address.
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SUBMISSIONS: We'll look at submissions, preferably under 1000 words. Paste work in the body of the email, not as an attached file. Send to ShaunaSkye@aol.com and put "Submission" in the subject. We'll look at essays, editorials, short fiction, as well as music/book reviews. Payment is a pre- approved 50 word classified run in the issue your work appears. Letters are nice (and we encourage them), but they do not count as a submission.
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All That Official Info
The Narrow Gate is a free monthly e-zine geared to Christians who are musicians, writers, artists, and performers, as well as those who love the arts.
Our Web site: http://members.aol.com/shaunaskye/index.html
*Our site contains a link to archives of old issues.
SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCIBE
If TNG was forwarded to you and you'd like to subscribe, email ShaunaSkye@aol.com and put SUBSCRIBE TNG in the subject. To unsubscribe put UNSUBSCRIBE TNG in the subject. We are not on a ListServ so mistakes occasionally happen. If you're receiving more than one copy of this let us know.
#All letter we receive will be considered for our mailbag unless requested otherwise.#
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EDITOR/PUBLISHER: Shauna Skye
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Brian R. Hischier
CONTRIBUTING WRITER: Patrick Wilkins
SNAIL MAIL
THE NARROW GATE
1819 North Center St. Suite 3 E,
Crest Hill, IL. 60435
*Shauna Skye and Brian Hischier attend Heart Maneuvers Christian Center, located (at the above address) in the old Chaney School building. The main services are at 10:30 on Sunday, and 7:00 on Wednesday evening. Pastor is Lary Dean, and he likes for us to tell people about Jesus, not how cool our church is. However, our church really IS cool because we worship God and learn and grow there. We are also "musician/artist friendly" so if you're looking for a neat worship service this is the place.
JESUS/GOD/CHRISTIANITY???
If you want to know more about God/Jesus/Christianity, the musicians for Christ have a link that explains basic things at: http://musicians4christ.com/Jesus.html
