Probably no other book has caused so much controversy in the church lately as The Shack. I first heard about the shack from my Praise and Worship leader Trena, she asked if I had heard of this book, and I told her that I had not, she then when on to explain the content of the book. I was not yet horrified about the book until she told me that many people were coming into the Christian book store that she works at to buy several copies for Church Bible studies. After expressing my concern she made me promise that I would read the book for myself before taking any official position, so I did.

Even though the book is “fiction” , many people reading the book are accepting the authors theology of God as “non-fiction” and that is what bothers me. The book is written in such a way that the story line of the book can be heart gripping if you are a parent and love your children, especially if you are a father and have a daughter or daughters that you adore like I do.

The backdrop against which the book is written was very cleaver on the authors part. The father whose name is Mack, takes his three children on a camping trip, his son Josh, his oldest daughter Kate, and his youngest daughter Missy, while on the camping trip Missy got abducted by an evil predator known to the FBI as the little lady killer, he took missy to a shack in the wilderness and brutally murdered her, that is where FBI and her father, Mack finds her bloody dress. Three years later Mack would get a note in his mail box that said: “Mackenzie, It’s been awhile, I’ve missed you. I’ll be at the shack next weekend if you want to get together, Papa”.

Papa was the nick name for God given by Mack’s wife, and this man Mack was obviously disturbed as you would expect him to be. As he was mulling over in his mind as to whether he would go to the shack, the author uses Mack’s predicament to insert what is obviously the author’s personal view of God, found on page 65 fourth paragraph: “Try as he might, Mack could not escape the desperate possibility that the note just might be from God after all, even if the thought of God passing notes did not fit well with his theological training. In seminary he had been taught that God had completely stopped any overt communication with moderns, preferring to have them only listen to and follow sacred Scripture, properly interpreted of course. God’s voice had been reduced to paper, and even that paper had to be moderated and deciphered by the proper authorities and intellects.”

So, there it is I thought, God’s voice had been “reduced” to paper. I thought to myself, the rest of the book will be the author’s personal volitional view of God, and I was right. Time restricts an exhaustive report of my findings so I will present what I clearly seen as the most blasphemous.

1.  First and foremost, God’s voice is given to us on paper known as his word, Jesus quoted God’s word when he was tempted by Satan in the desert. The writer of Hebrews say’s that the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double edged sword. God’s primary way of speaking to mankind is through his word, God’s voice has not been reduced to paper.

2.  When Mack arrives at the shack, he meets God, God’s name is “Papa” a black lady, next he meets the Holy Spirit, An Asian female named Sarayu, and then he finally meets Jesus. What is wrong with this picture? First and foremost, Jesus himself said “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me.” (John 14:6) So if this book is biblically based, how is it that this man Mack meets God first, the Holy Spirit second, and Jesus last?

3.  What about God being a black woman? The author and the editor of the Shack wanted to convey to the audience that God is gender neutral, on pg 93 Papa tells Mack that God is gender neutral. What does the Bible say? Well in the book of Matthew alone Jesus used the term “your heavenly Father” four times, and “my heavenly Father two times. The apostle John says in revelation 4:9: “To him who sits on the throne”, the prophet Daniel describes God as an imposing male figure in Daniel 7:9-10.

4.  What about the Holy Spirit being an Asian Female? Well again, what did Jesus say? In John chapter 16:5-8 for an example, Jesus was talking to his disciples and he said:  John chapter 16:5-8. Notice, what Jesus said, He, Jesus would send the counselor, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not gender neutral, He is masculine. Why does it matter you ask? Let me answer your question with a question, does truth matter anymore? Does the truth about God matter anymore? The author of this book has Mack meeting papa, (God) first, then Sarayu, (Holy Spirit) second, and then he finally meets Jesus. How can someone who is a Christian even entertain this nonsense?

5.  Pg 90-91 a discussion takes place between Mack and Papa about music, in which Papa tells Mack that she (God) listens to all kinds of Music. Really? God is holy and will not willfully listen to anything sinful: Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:1-2

6.  Pg 83 Papa (God) tells Mack; “we’ll do things on your terms and time”. Oh really? The God of the Bible told Naaman the leaper in 2 Kings 5:11-12 to go dip in the Jordan river seven times, but Naaman went away in a rage, he wanted God’s help, but he wanted God’s help on his terms. God made it clear if Naaman was going to be healed, he had to be healed on God’s terms.

7.  Pg 99 Papa (God) tells Mack, that Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Her became Human. Jesus is God incarnate, at his Baptism the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove.


8.  Pg 100 Papa (God) tells Mack that she had only been limited in Jesus. What blasphemy! 
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped” Philippians 2:5-6. 
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.                                         
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:1-3

9.  Pg 102 Papa (God) tells Mack that she cannot act apart from love. God is love, true, 1 John 4 make that clear, but God can and will act apart from love:
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness” Romans 1:18


10.  Pg 120 Papa (God) tells Mack; “I don’t need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment” The God of the Bible says:         
He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10.
                                                                                                                          

Folks, these are just the top ten problems that I have with the Shack, oh, could I mention one other thing? It really angers me that this book is written against the back-drop of an evil despicable crime, the brutal horrifying murder of an innocent little girl, and yet Satan manages to write himself out of the script! Unbelievable! Jesus said in John 10:10; “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy” In this Book the shack, Satan, stole this little girls earthly life with family and friends by killing her with the evil that he intentionally brought into the world, he destroyed the peace of this family for many years, and he is not even mentioned. Gee, I guess that would not had made this book very user friendly!

About the author, William Young, I would like to know what is meant on the back of his book where it is said: “He suffered great loss as a child and young adult, and now enjoys the “Wastefulness of grace” with his family in the pacific Northwest.” The Bible says we are saved by grace through faith.

So why am I making such a big deal about a fiction book? Because the intent of the author’s theology is non-fiction, that is obvious, and that is the problem, it is also obvious that William Young and His editor would like the audience to embrace the theology of the shack, which I believe is the doctrine of demons, as is written in the Bible...