Crystal Clear

February 13, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
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crystals.jpgMy regular Wednesday morning guest on 98.5 Sonshine FM is Ross Clifford who is the Principal of Morling College in New South Wales and current President of the Baptist Union of Australia. Each week we chat about a range of issues relating to spirituality and belief.

Our discussion today started by reflecting on the apology that the Australian Federal Parliament had issued to the Stolen Generations ealier in the day.

Our main topic however was the value of crystals in healing.

The popularity of crystals rises and falls from time to time and it seems that they are currently seeing a resurgence of interest from a variety of people.

Do crystals contain healing energy? Should we use or avoid crystals?

Listen to what Ross had to say by clicking on the audio player at the bottom of this post.



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The Case for Interfaith Dialogue

December 17, 2007
by Rodney Olsen
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bigpar.gifIs it arrogant to claim that any one religion has an exclusive connection to God? Does discussing faith matters with followers of other religions mean that we think it doesn’t matter which spiritual path you take? What is the role of interfaith dialogue in our spiritual walk?

I grew up in 60s and 70s in the suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. That means that I’ve generally had little connection with people who follow other spiritual paths. My two trips to India have helped to broaden my understanding of those who don’t hold to the same beliefs that I do. I haven’t changed my view that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, but thankfully I can dialogue with others about their journey without feeling that my own beliefs are being threatened.

The 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions was recently launched at Federation Square in Melbourne Australia. It’s an event with an 114 year history and it occurs somewhere around the the world every 5 years.

The 2009 event is to be held in Melbourne and is expected to attract eight to ten thousand guests from eighty countries as well as more than five thousand Australians, providing opportunity for ordinary people of faith – Christians, Jews and Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists – to share their faith with each other and learn more about what each other believe.

Respected theologian, speaker, author and director of John Mark Ministries, Rev Dr Rowland Croucher believes strongly that interfaith activities are something that ‘real’ Christians need to involve themselves in. I recently spoke to him on 98.5 Sonshine FM.

Rowland has years of experience in talking through the tough questions with a range of people on their own spiritual search. He has some brilliant things to say and I heartily recommend that you listen to our interview by clicking the audio player below.



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Birth date and personality

December 12, 2007
by Rodney Olsen
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Some new research has astrologers in a spin. They’re claiming that scientists are now discovering what they knew all along. The scientists say it’s all down to biology.

Last week, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that birth date can affect personality.

Research has revealed the time of year a person is born can influence his or her personality, health and even whether they are male or female. But rather than being written in the stars, studies are showing that it is the season of birth that predisposes individuals to different traits.

So it seems it’s not really about astrology but about the time of year and the circumstances surrounding our birth. It would appear that it has a lot more to do with whether we’re born in a hot or cold month and the kinds of foods our mothers ate during their pregnancy than what ‘star sign’ we’re born under.

My regular Wednesday morning guest on 98.5 Sonshine FM is Ross Clifford who is the Principal of Morling College in New South Wales and current President of the Baptist Union of Australia. Each week we chat about a range of issues relating to spirituality and belief.

We looked at the latest research on air today and talked about our connection with the planet and our universe. Are we really a product of the seasons? You can hear our discussion using the media player below.



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Auras

October 24, 2007
by Rodney Olsen
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Do you believe that we all have an aura? Is there some kind of ‘energy shadow’ surrounding us?

So what is an aura? Wikipedia says,

In parapsychology, spirituality and New Age belief, an aura is a subtle field of luminous multicolored radiation surrounding a person or object as a cocoon or halo. An aura may be held to represent or be composed of soul vibrations or chakras, and may reflect the moods or thoughts of the person it surrounds.

My regular Wednesday morning guest on 98.5 Sonshine FM is Ross Clifford who is the Principal of Morling College in New South Wales and current President of the Baptist Union of Australia. Each week we chat about a range of issues relating to spirituality and belief.

We looked at the topic of auras today and discussed whether they exist and whether they could be helpful.

You can hear our discussion with the media player below.



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Written in the stars?

October 17, 2007
by Rodney Olsen
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If you read horoscopes in many newspapers or magazines you’ll generally find patronising advice that could easily apply to anyone who reads it, no matter what ‘star sign’ they claim to have. But what about those who take astrology seriously?

There are astrologers who treat astrology far more seriously who can chart out your life based on the time and date you were born. They’ll come up with all kinds of advice and warnings based on a number of factors to do with the stars.

Of course just because something may work, it doesn’t necessarily follow that it is always helpful for us.

My regular Wednesday morning guest on 98.5 Sonshine FM is Ross Clifford who is the Principal of Morling College in New South Wales and current President of the Baptist Union of Australia. Each week we chat about a range of issues relating to spirituality and belief.

Ross has been asked a number of times recently whether he believes that astrology is compatible with the Christian faith. Can a person hold to Biblical Christianity and still dabble in astrology? Did you know that some prominent Christians of the past used astrology for guidance?

In the end, although astrology can sometimes work, Ross believes that we’re settling for a counterfeit if we’re worshipping the stars rather than the one who created the stars. He believes that any connection we may have once had with the stars was corrupted with the fall of man back in the Garden of Eden.

It’s very interesting to hear Ross talking about his understanding of astrology and the warnings we find in scripture about relying on the stars.

You can hear what Ross had to say using the media player below.



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