1. Brent King says:

    You’re funny! …and I couldn’t agree more!

  2. Yes, I saw this on Jordan Hall’s Facebook page. While I honestly was only able to peruse this piece briefly Stephen, it appears we agree.

    Please check your inbox.

  3. Lauren says:

    You nailed it. I’m happy to hear that the “Malarkeys” came clean … and agree that God must be amused by our attempts to guess at the details of what lies beyond. I enjoyed Alcorn’s Heaven book as well and agree with your take on HIFR. While my father was dying someone gave me a copy of HIFR and I couldn’t get through the first few chapters without feeling a twinge of my gag reflexes. I think many people find comfort in imagining loved ones immediately passed into their glorified bodies. Books like these, unfortunately, set Christians back in their credibility and trustworthiness.

  4. Joanna says:

    My whole thoughts on this subject, after I became convinced this whole thing wasn’t a joke.

  5. I haven’t read the book, but the HIFR flick was pure undiluted new age screwballery at it’s worst.

  6. Sparksofember says:

    Yes, to everything you said. Those are the reasons I don’t read those types books. As Christians, our attention is better focused elsewhere.

    • As Christians, our attention is better focused elsewhere.

      … Such as discerning and enjoying fiction as fiction, as part of God-worship.

      One reason too many readers (including Christians) keep slurping up fairy tales and myths like this is that they don’t know how to handle fairy tales and myths. So we label them, “A true story!” and stick ’em under Inspirational.

  7. dmdutcher says:

    Sadly there’s a lot of parallels to past examples. One big example was the satanist testimonies of a lot of people in the eighties. Cornerstone Magazine debunked comedian Mike Warnke’s account of being an ex-satanist, and Lauren Stratford was also debunked. A lot of Pentecostal and fundamentalist prophecies, often in specific detail, were like this too; read “The Late Great Planet Earth” by Hal Lindsey, any of Lester Sumrall’s  prophetic books, or Pat Robertson’s “The New World Order” for examples.

    A lot of people seem to want more assurance than faith can provide, and become vulnerable to things like this. I think sometimes we give too little attention to faith being a cross, and being hard at times. Yeah, to a rationalist mindset this is unscriptural and harmful, but in the sense of people carrying their crosses day to day, it’s like lusting after a cup of water offered to you, only to find it’s mixed with vinegar. I can’t blame them, even as I know how harmful it is.

  8. Lisa says:

    Seriously? The author’s name is Malarkey? You can’t make this stuff up….

     

    ….well, apparently you CAN, and rake in a bunch of money from unsuspecting dupes. Are they offering money back to those who bought the book thinking it was a “true” story? I suspect not…..

    And what is the publisher’s responsibility with all this? It all sounds like a money-grab attempt on the part of Tyndale House after seeing the success of Heaven is For Real. Shame on all of them, I say.

  9. Cody says:

    To be fair though I think Malarkey’s book came before HIFR.

What do you think?