Faithful Writers

So I stumbled upon this researching dates and timelines in Genesis for an article on Noah. Take a real close look at what AI tried to tell me. “she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.” Genesis 4:1 “Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.” Genesis 4:2 ✔️ So that part is correct. But Look What Isn't Correct “and he was killed by his brother Abel.” There it is. “Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.” Genesis 4:8 Cain killed Abel, not the other way around. The Point? AI answers and written articles need to be tested against the Bible, just like we are supposed to with any teaching. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1 While you may think this is “insignificant,” it’s actually not, because if logically followed through, it completely changes a whole crap ton of other stuff in the Bible. How many people do you think would actually cross-check that AI answer? Worse, how many Christians do you think read that and failed to catch it because: They haven’t read even the basics of the Bible, or They lack discernment, even to pick up that something's fishy? AI IS Fallible, I’m even catching things being slightly off here in articles, which are supposedly human-written articles by Christians. The ones that do manage to pass Biblical standards are boring and uninspiring, even if AI does string together enough sentences that actually do make sense or make a good point. They lack any presence of the Holy Spirit, and I’m feeling it and feeling it pretty hard these last couple of weeks. I’m not bothering to check out anything that I suspect was AI-created anymore, if I ain’t feeling the pull from God to read it, it’s not gonna happen. They read as if they can come out of a tin can somewhere, so annoying to read bot words and not feel the writer in the work. I miss that. Yes, AI can have great benefits. I use it myself sometimes for spell checks, figuring out my annoying SEO tags, images I can’t get somewhere else or make myself, and help with title ideas, because I can’t title anything to save my life over here, ask my family how long it takes me to title anything, but….. If you're going to “write” something on religion, at least have the honor and dignity to actually write it yourself first, don’t just throw in a prompt and pray for the best; the Holy Spirit isn’t going to have a conversation with a bot’s heart. Just as God can use anything for His glory, satan can also use anything for his deception. © Jane Isley

The real surprise is how normal all of this actually is. Author’s Note: If you are a man or a woman reading this and your first reaction is defensiveness, anger, or the urge to explain why you, or the men you know, are different, then I am talking about you. That reaction is part of the problem. It helps maintain the systems that harm women and children. Good men do not need this explained to them. They already know I am not talking about them. The Epstein files didn’t merely reveal crimes; they cracked open a lie so central to the structure of our society that reality itself feels unstable. And yet, on some instinctual level, we might be finally recognizing something we have always known, but spent our lives pretending wasn’t real. When thousands of priests were exposed, we told ourselves it was a few bad churches. When investigators found tens of thousands of men in online groups sharing instructions on how to drug and rape women, we told ourselves it was a dark corner of the internet. When a husband in France was accused of drugging his wife and inviting dozens of men to rape her over years, we treated it like a random, unfathomable horror. When reporting documented hundreds of abuse allegations tied to organizations built around children, we framed it as a handful of bad actors. Every time, we insisted it was an exception instead of admitting what it was: a pattern. Women have been managing men’s behaviour our entire lives. We do it constantly. We share names. We exchange looks across rooms. We text each other after dates. We walk friends to their cars. We plan how to leave before we decide how to arrive. We choose what to wear, what to say, how much to smile, and when to stay silent based on how a man might react. We learn how to say no in ways that will not get us hurt. We teach our daughters early too, whether we want to or not. We spend our lives trying to protect our children from what we already know, from what happened to us, from what we watched happen to other women, while pretending everything is fine because admitting the truth would mean admitting how unsafe this world actually is. Because deep down, we knew. We all knew. We especially knew when it came to children. That is why you do not leave your children alone with other men: not the neighbour, not a teenager, not the coach, not the teacher, and especially not the priest. We have always known. We need to stop pretending this is about rare monsters. It’s not. Every four minutes, somewhere in the world, a child is killed by an act of violence. In the USA, every 10 SECONDS, a report of child abuse is made. At least 650 million girls and women, one in four alive today, were/are subjected to sexual violence as children. At least 550 million children are growing up in homes where their mothers are victims of intimate partner violence. Fathers. Husbands. Coaches. Priests. Teachers. Doctors. Bosses. Billionaires. Brothers. Uncles. Grandfathers. The men who tuck us in at night. The men who walk us down aisles. The men who mean well. Every woman knows at least one man who crossed a line. Most know many. Some know so many that separating the memories feels impossible. The only difference between the men in the Epstein files and the men in your life is money. That is it. Abuse is not confined to the top or to a handful of powerful men. It exists at every level of society because it is maintained and protected at every level. Across every socioeconomic class, men protect one another and the systems that shield them. This happens inside families, in schools, in workplaces, in courts, in hospitals, in churches, in government, and in our homes. The scale may change, but the behaviour never does. They do not protect each other out of loyalty or brotherhood. They do it out of self-interest. Every man understands, consciously or not, that the system protecting other men is the same system that could one day protect him. They are not horrified by the abuse. Some are jealous because they lack the wealth and access to take their desires that far. This is the hardest part for most women to accept. It doesn’t make sense because even on your worst day, your most broken, angry, resentful day, you would not fathom anything like this. You could not do this to another person. You would never trade someone else’s body, mind, safety, or childhood for pleasure, status, or power. That gap in understanding is not confusion. It is basic humanity. What you are feeling right now is grief. Grief for the version of the world you tried to believe in. Grief for the hope that decency was the rule instead of the exception. Grief for the slow realization that there is no version of reality where men collectively decide to change, because this world works for them exactly as it is, and they want their turn. They are not going to protect us. They are not going to protect the children. So the only question left is: What are we going to do about it? © Caitlin Heine

Children are gifts. They are blessings. They are innocent. And in today’s world, raising them is no longer a neutral act, it is a spiritual battleground. Sexual violence, coercion, and abuse are not problems for men alone to fix. They are symptoms of a society, a culture, and a family structure that has lost its moral compass. We cannot point fingers at fathers or institutions and call it enough. Protection begins in the home, and mothers hold a unique, God-given role in shaping character, teaching discernment, and cultivating strength. Teaching Morals and Respect From the moment our children can understand right and wrong, they are listening, watching, absorbing. Words matter, yes, but so do actions. When a mother teaches her children to speak kindly, to honor others, and to treat every person with dignity, she is shaping their moral imagination. Sons learn restraint and respect. Daughters learn healthy boundaries and worth. Both learn to navigate the world through the lens of God’s truth. Modeling Godly Character Children do not simply inherit values; they inherit habits. They inherit the way we respond to stress, conflict, and temptation. When mothers model patience, honesty, respect, and courage, they give children a template for living honorably. These lessons are armor against a world that would seek to diminish respect for human life, purity, and safety. Protection is active, not passive. It means knowing what influences your children encounter: the media they consume, the peers they trust, the places they go. It means speaking early about safety, consent, and discernment, not to instill fear, but to equip them with understanding and confidence. Mothers have eyes on the unseen dangers and hearts attuned to questions children cannot yet voice. Partnering With Fathers Fathers share in this responsibility. Mothers are not alone, nor are they competing for control. A strong partnership models mutual respect, accountability, and love for God’s design of family. The lessons children absorb from the unity of their parents’ example are as formative as what is taught in words. The Call to Intentionality The world will not protect our children for us. The Church will not automatically step in. And laws, while important, cannot substitute for daily guidance grounded in Scripture. Mothers are called to be vigilant, proactive, and prayerful. To teach, to correct, to guide, to love unconditionally. To speak truth boldly and consistently. Proverbs 22:6 guides us “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Titus 2:3–5 calls on women to love their husbands and children and to be kind. Deuteronomy 6:5–8 calls us to teach God's ways faithfully and consistently in the home, weaving His truths into every part of daily life so that children absorb them through example, conversation, and routine. These commands are not optional. They are urgent. The question was never whether mothers should act, but whether we will. Whether we will seize the responsibility God has entrusted to us, knowing that our influence shapes not just behavior, but character, conscience, and ultimately, the safety of our children. This is our calling. This is our duty. It is a role of profound power and eternal consequence. © Jane Isley

In a society that is increasingly willing to blur moral lines for the sake of justifying evil, Isaiah 5:20 doesn't sound crazy anymore. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” A Minnesota State Representative sparked outrage by suggesting that LGBTQ youth should have access to pornographic websites for “educational” purposes. “They’re almost jubilant about being able to use these laws to ban young people from accessing content that could be educational if they are queer,” they said, commenting on a bill that would require age verification for adult websites, a measure intended to protect minors from sexually explicit content. The argument that pornography could serve as an educational tool for children is morally and spiritually wrong on so many levels. This representative also claimed that queer youth are not receiving adequate sex education. First, regardless of how one identifies, the basic realities of human anatomy remain the same in how body parts work and are discussed in sex education. Second, the scientific literature is clear:"One factor that may play a role in risky sexual behaviors is pornography viewing. [...] condom use is rarely depicted in pornographic scenes [...] Viewers who consume pornographic content – especially younger viewers – may learn from and model these behaviors (10), contributing to less condom use among sexually active populations at risk of STIs." Finke's argument is utterly demonic. Pornography is destructive to begin with. It distorts sex by separating it from covenant, intimacy, and responsibility. It distorts consent by portraying performance over mutual respect. It distorts relationships by reducing human beings, made in the image of God, to objects for consumption. Now imagine a generation of children being told to go to porn sites to “learn” about sexuality. What will they learn? That intimacy is transactional. That bodies are commodities. That aggression is normal. That self-gratification replaces self-control. That love is irrelevant as long as desire is satisfied. That is not education. That is conditioning. When children are exposed to pornography, it doesn’t “educate” them; it shapes them. It trains their brains before any moral compass can be formed and bypasses their ability to learn boundaries. It teaches them scripts for behavior long before they understand covenant, responsibility, or spiritual consequences. Scripture consistently emphasizes purity, self-control, and living honorably:"It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God;" 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 And Psalm 82:3-4 commands: "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Exposing children to sexually explicit content is a direct contradiction to this divine instruction. From a moral perspective alone, society has the solemn duty to protect those who cannot yet discern right from wrong. Attempting to frame pornography as “educational” inverts good and evil. Exactly what Isaiah warned against. Proper guidance fosters righteousness; exposure to adult content fosters confusion, desensitization, exploitation, and spiritual harm. How Did We Get Here? Part of the reason people are feeling so empowered to even suggest such demonic things and honestly believe they can get away with it is that accountability has been utterly eroded in society. High-profile cases involving powerful elites have shown that influence and money can bend justice with nothing more than a few words and a few dollars thrown in the right direction, while twisting moral and legal boundaries for their own gain. When those at the top appear untouchable, moral lines begin to erode everywhere else. At the same time, too many churches, spiritual leaders, and Christians have fallen away from Biblical principles, adding to this demonic corruption bleeding over this world. They are compromising with the world instead of standing firm in truth. They should be ashamed of themselves, and I hold them to higher standards than this and accountability for not checking under the fur. (Matthew 7:15) When right and wrong, morals, and common sense are disregarded, it emboldens others to push boundaries in more and more harmful ways. These people believe they can bend morality, definitions, and common sense without consequence because they are allowed to. And if we keep allowing it, the question becomes unavoidable: where does it end? Does it end when children are harmed under the banner of "progress"? When innocence is sacrificed to ideology? This was never really about partisan politics or left versus right. It is about good versus evil, about innocence set against Satan himself. Pornography is not education. It is exploitation dressed up as enlightenment, and our children deserve better than this. © Jane Isley Sources: New York Post National Library of Medicine

Why Did God Create the Devil? One Believer's Honest Wrestling with Sovereignty, AI, and the Adversary's Purpose Why did God create the devil, and what does that question reveal about the nature of divine sovereignty, human will, and the enemy we face every day? This thought-provoking piece wrestles honestly with some of the deepest tensions in Christian theology, from God's omniscience and the origin of the Adversary to the surprising ways our modern struggles with technology mirror an ancient spiritual battle. If you have ever sat with a question too big for a simple answer, this article was written for that moment. Pull up a chair and read slowly. Personal Struggle with Faith and Technology God has answered my prayers by breaking my heart with whatever breaks His. This morning, after an in-depth conversation with my husband about a discipleship reading plan titled “Discipology,” I became overwhelmed with emotion regarding my past failures in sharing the Gospel. I grieved for those loved ones who have yet to accept this greatest of all gifts — the saving knowledge of Christ. It was baffling to both of us just how emotional I became over circumstances that, in reality, remain outside of my control. Another topic weighing heavily on my mind is the origin of the Devil. If God is truly sovereign, as we discussed in church this weekend, why did He create Satan? Why has He allowed him to exist and exert such influence for centuries? As I write this, I find myself battling two distinct temptations. The first is the temptation to plagiarize — to lean heavily on the work of others and fail to credit them. And by “others” I mostly mean AI… which leads to the second temptation to let AI virtually write the majority of this complex piece for me, slipping into a slothful haze that lacks the original confidence I once held dear as a writer. What began innocently as a tool for grammar and spell-checking is quickly evolving into an uncontrollable monster. It whispers the same types of lies as the Father of Lies (John 8:44), suggesting that the voice of an algorithm is superior to my own. The Scope of Divine Omniscience To address this inquiry, we must first ask: “Was God aware of Satan’s coming defiance?” Biblical truth confirms that the Lord is omniscient, possessing absolute knowledge. As seen in Job 37:16, Psalm 139:2–4, 147:5, Proverbs 5:21, Isaiah 46:9–10, and 1 John 3:19–20, there is no limit to His understanding; He perceives all of time — past, present, and future — with total clarity. When we examine the scriptural descriptions of the Almighty — noting He is “perfect in knowledge” and that “His understanding has no limit” — it becomes evident that His intellect is not just superior to ours, but infinitely so. He possesses a complete awareness of all things. Should His knowledge be anything less than absolute, it would imply a fundamental flaw in His divine character. Since the very nature of the Lord demands the perfection of every attribute, any such deficiency would contradict His deity. Consequently, regarding our initial inquiry, we must conclude that yes, God was fully aware that Satan would eventually turn against Him. Purpose Behind the Adversary’s Existence Shifting focus, we ponder: “What was the Lord’s purpose in bringing Satan into existence, fully aware of his future insubordination?” This investigation is complex, as it seeks a “why” for which the Scriptures seldom provide a comprehensive explanation. However, we may still seek fundamental clarity. Given the Lord’s absolute omniscience, if He brought Satan into existence with full foreknowledge of his fall, then this rebellion was inevitably woven into His sovereign design from the start. To suggest otherwise would be to deny the perfect divine nature we have explored. First, we must recognize that the Lord’s perception of Satan’s turning is distinct from His compelling him to do so. Lucifer was granted free will and remains responsible for his own decisions. The Almighty did not create him in a fallen state; rather, He created him as a being of goodness (Genesis 1:31). As we contemplate why the Lord allowed Satan’s existence despite his future defiance, we should reflect upon these additional truths: Prior to his transgression, Lucifer was created for a purpose that was both righteous and flawless. The subsequent defiance of the adversary does not diminish the original divine intention, nor does it transform the Lord’s essentially good design into something malicious. Furthermore, the Lord’s absolute sovereignty encompasses even the fallen state of the adversary. The Almighty remains capable of directing the enemy’s wicked deeds to ultimately fulfill His own sacred and eternal purposes (1 Timothy 1:20, 1 Corinthians 5:5). The divine architecture of redemption was established in eternity past (Revelation 13:8); by its very nature, deliverance necessitates an affliction to be rescued from. Remarkably, the very anguish introduced by the enemy served as the instrument through which Christ, in His human form, achieved the status of the perfect Redeemer: “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God… should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what He suffered” (Hebrews 2:10). From the onset, the Lord’s redemptive design through the Messiah explicitly encompassed the total dismantling of the adversary’s endeavors (1 John 3:8). Peace in Divine Mystery In the final analysis, the specific motivations behind the Lord’s decision to bring Lucifer into existence remain a divine mystery. While we may feel inclined to speculate that a world without such an adversary would be superior, such conclusions are fundamentally imprudent. To assert that our finite wisdom surpasses His sovereign governance of the universe is to repeat the adversary’s own transgression — presuming to exalt oneself above the Most High (Isaiah 14:13–14). Ultimately, my struggle with the temptation of AI — much like the ancient defiance of the adversary — is a test of surrender. When I am tempted to bypass the hard, authentic work of human connection for the “perfect” shortcut offered by technology, I am reminded of the complexity of God’s sovereignty. Just as He permits the adversary to exist to fulfill a grander, redemptive architecture, perhaps these digital trials are permitted to refine my heart. Discipleship is not a matter of efficiency, but of faithfulness; it requires a vulnerability that algorithms cannot replicate. By resting in the truth that God is sovereign over both the enemy’s schemes and my own digital shortcuts, I am freed to pursue the messy, authentic work of sharing the Gospel, trusting that His perfect purpose will be accomplished. I am deeply humbled by the realization that while AI can mimic polish, only God provides truth. While technology is a helpful resource, it is not a substitute for the soul. I entrust every aspect of my mortal life and immortal soul to my God in Heaven, whose wisdom is infinitely greater than any creation of man. P.S. I intentionally omitted links to the Bible references. Feel free to research them on your own — “Seek, and ye shall find” (Matthew 7:7). Reflections How can recognizing God’s absolute sovereignty over both the adversary and our own struggles change the way you approach your daily temptations? In what ways does relying on artificial tools for “perfection” potentially distract you from the messy, authentic vulnerability required for true discipleship? Reflecting on the purpose of the adversary’s existence within a redemptive design, how can you find peace in the aspects of your life that currently feel like unresolved mysteries? © 2026 Nora Gwen. Want more content like this? Explore more articles in Rethinking Doctrine. Why did God create the devil is ultimately a question that leads us not to a theological dead end but to a deeper surrender. If this article stirred something in you, whether doubt, comfort, or a renewed sense of awe at God's sovereignty, share it with someone who is wrestling with the same questions. The conversation is worth continuing. If this article stirred something in you, you might also appreciate this: 👉 From Doubt to Encounter: When God Became Real to Me A 21-year-old shares his raw, honest journey from intellectual faith to a tangible encounter with God — a powerful companion read to the questions raised here. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

This dawned on me with all the alien talk going on and coming on the heels of my Aliens, Demons, & a Biblically Illiterate Church article from the other day. Our country and most of the world have jacked around with definitions for so long that people stopped asking for clarification on anything. And now we have a massive mess on our hands with people searching for answers about aliens and demons online, especially in religious circles. Definition Glitch The modern meaning of alien seems to be a large hang-up for people. In popular culture the word alien refers to beings from other planets or universes. Little grey guys, E.T. phone home, probes, bright lights, silver saucers, and abduction stories. That is a cultural thing, not a Bible thing. All that is shaped by myths, stories and media. So when I see church leaders say alien abductions aren’t in the Bible, or they say because the Bible never recorded an "alien" encounter that doesn't necessarily prove aliens don’t exist, I get annoyed at the blatant inability of reading skills and faith by that church leader. These answers are responding to a modern cultural construct of "aliens" while completely ignoring Scripture. They are not stepping back from the noise of the world or opening the Bible without a cultural lens. That is a genuinely concerning problem for the enormous number of people right now with serious questions. Speaking of what Scripture actually says about these beings, Old Testament Elohim and New Testament Demons goes deep on exactly that and is one of the most thorough pieces we have on the site. Scripture Vs Culture When religion enters this discussion the definition of "alien" often gets its own separate category, while the actual beings discussed numerous times throughout Scripture get completely ignored. Is it because people have been so desensitized by decades of entertainment that they cannot recognize what they are actually looking at? Probably part of it. Is this what satan wants? Absolutely. Is this because teaching Scripture became optional in too many churches? Yes. Is this because people want a fantasy world to escape this one? Yes. Is it because people want another reason to argue against God? Yes. Is it because church leaders are scared to admit they do not have all the answers? Yes. I could keep going. Figure Out Your Definitions First If possible figure out what it is you are actually trying to ask. I mean that sincerely and without the snark I have been bringing to this topic elsewhere, because it is vitally important to start asking the right questions now rather than later when it is too late. Much of the confusion I am seeing right now comes back to language. People are not asking for definitions. Some are too afraid to. And a lot of church leaders attempting to address this topic for their congregations are just as confused, and their answers are making things worse not better. It is actually this simple. If "alien" means the cultural construct, little grey men and flying saucers that has developed over decades of books, movies, and television shows, the Bible is not going to address that. If "alien" is understood as the demonic beings described in Scripture that we do not fully comprehend physically or scientifically, the conversation shifts correctly into theology and the Bible has quite a lot to say. Either way the core issue is the same. Before you can debate conclusions you have to agree on what the words actually mean. And before you dismiss what the Bible says or does not say about this topic you have to stop reading it through a Hollywood lens. Open the Bible, read what is actually there for yourself. When people finally ask are aliens demons, the entire conversation shifts back to Scripture where it belongs. What you need for understanding everything happening right now has been sitting in there this whole time. © 2026 Jane Isley. Want more content like this? Explore more articles in Culture & Faith. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

If the whole point of Christianity is that Jesus rose from the dead, why do we keep Him nailed on the cross then? This is a fair question to ask and think about. Our faith is unique from all other faiths. Jesus died for us so that we could be reconciled to God and enter heaven, and His resurrection is the key to that. Jesus is alive and very well. He’s not hanging on the cross anymore, and He’s not dust in a tomb somewhere. So why do we have images of Him on the cross? Hanging, partially nude, and sometimes completely nude (I will be getting to that), suffering and frozen in the moment of His death? Like I said, it’s a fair question to be asking. Now, while there is a group that widely uses this, that is not my target audience because there are Christians from all denominations all over the world who do this with the cross. This is for anyone who still sees Christ on that cross in their living room. What You See Shapes What You Believe If the predominant image of Jesus in your everyday environment is one of His suffering and still on the cross, that affects how you see and relate to Him in your everyday life. What we repeatedly see shapes what we come to expect and what we believe. Over the years, I’ve come across a large number of people through conversations, reading, or hearing their experiences who believed that Jesus couldn’t or wouldn’t help them. Several of those times, there was also a cross with Christ still on it, dying, in agony, and suffering somewhere in their story. That was the image they associated with Him, not the empty tomb. This is not about ignoring what He did and went through for us; Christ bears the scars as proof of what He did for us. We should be thinking about it at times, and let it hit us like a brick crap house every so often. It should bring us to our knees with gut-wrenching tears to understand that He did that so we, the imperfect humans, can go to heaven. But…….get up off your knees and live, because He is alive. His command is to go forth and make nations. How are you going to do that when you are busy looking backwards at a cross still showing Him hanging on it? Real Thoughts & Reactions I remember my first reaction to seeing a picture of Christ still on the cross, also, He was painted as fully naked. I looked at the picture and remember thinking along the lines of “why didn't He get off? I though He was stronger than that, maybe He’s not?” Yeah, to say I was confused and also highly embarrassed that I saw Jesus naked is an understatement. “His eyes were closed, but his face looked sad. Defeated. […] That’s when it hit me: no wonder he couldn’t protect me and my sisters […] He was too tiny, too frail, and too powerless to do anything about it.” I. M. Koen “Images mislead us. They convey false ideas about God. The very inadequacy with which they represent him perverts our thoughts of him, and plants in our minds errors of all sorts about his character and will. … It is a matter of historical fact that the use of the crucifix as an aid to prayer has encouraged people to equate devotion with brooding over Christ’s bodily sufferings; it has made them morbid about the spiritual value of physical pain, and it has kept them from knowledge of the risen Savior.” (1) “…The pathos of the crucifix obscures the glory of Christ, for it hides the fact of his deity, his victory on the cross, and his present kingdom. It displays his human weakness, but it conceals his divine strength; it depicts the reality of his pain, but keeps out of our sight the reality of his joy and his power.[…]” (challies) Psychology 101 Psychological factors are happening here. Actually, there are a lot of different psychological things going on. I promise to try to keep it concise and to the point. Mere Exposure Effect, identified by Psychologist Robert Zajonc and confirmed across more than 200 experiments. The finding was quite simple, the more we are exposed to something, the more familiar it becomes, and that familiarity can shape our attitude toward it, often without us consciously thinking about it. All we have to do is see it repeatedly. Next, we have Terror Management Theory (TMT). This research shows that when people are repeatedly reminded of death, they often become more defensive, anxious, and resistant to ideas that challenge their existing beliefs. Mortality reminders can push people to cling tighter to what feels safe, despite what the truth is or not. Then I found this nugget: brain imaging studies found that death reminders decreased activity in the regions of the brain associated with open, reflective thinking. As a side note to these, think of social media as an example; we know that what we see every day has an effect on us, it's not even something that is debated; it is something that is known and proven. What we see every day affects us. Did You Know? And I’m betting you didn’t know this, that in the early centuries, Christians rarely, if ever, had crosses showing a crucifixion with a depiction of some kind of male body. Many sources say it is because it was too jarring or too fresh to them, in a sense, because they weren’t that far removed from the era that did crucifixions. And I agree, I can absolutely see that being a part of it. The more graphic and emotionally triggering images of Christ on the cross developed gradually over time. But something important happened in the 16th century. During the Reformation, many reformers rejected religious images completely. In response to that, the Catholic Church reaffirmed the use of sacred images, which helped solidify their continued role in Catholic devotion. (Council of Trent; Session 25) Shameful Depictions That’s the psychology and history side of things. For those who still feel the need to defend keeping Christ on the cross, I want to ask a few simple questions. If someone you loved died today, and their body was exposed or partially clothed, would you want that image put on display? Would you want people looking at it, studying it, returning to it over and over again? Or would you want their dignity preserved? The Romans stripped Jesus as a form of humiliation and public degradation, meant to strip a person of dignity and humanity. A strategically placed loincloth does not change that reality or make it ok. So why preserve that moment of His suffering, His body exposed, His dignity stripped, and center your attention on it? Why is Jesus still on the cross in your living room when the whole point of our faith is that He is not there anymore. “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay” Matt 28:6 © 2026 Jane Isley. Want more content like this? Explore more articles in Rethinking Doctrine. Sources & References: Wikipedia — Terror Management Theory Psychology Today — Terror Management Theory Simply Psychology — Mere Exposure Effect Wikipedia — Mere Exposure Effect Merriam-Webster — “Propaganda” definition PubMed (PMID: 28486837) — fMRI study on mortality salience and self-reflection Catholic Review — crucifix / devotional imagery in Catholic tradition Catholic Standard — crucifix and Catholic practice discussion Council of Trent (Session 25) Challies — Why You Should Not Wear a Crucifix The Conversation — historical crucifixion depiction of Jesus Wikipedia — Caravaggio Encyclopaedia Romana (University of Chicago) — Roman crucifixion context Greg Reese (Substack) — symbolism and subconscious perception

The word Moses picked changes the whole story There is a small but mighty passage in the Bible, and it’s basically ignored, and with the amount of deception satan is raining down on this world these days, I think it is time to pull this out and show you the very real and tangible power that satan has that so many underestimate. “ Each one threw down his walking stick. Each stick turned into a snake.”₁ Plain Jane, It Was Not Satan is the master of deception, illusion, and lies. What is going to make this dissection even more interesting is that you will learn it wasn’t regular, plain Jane snakes either that day. In Hebrew, three different words are traditionally translated to “snake,” each one carries its own definition and meaning that helps you understand context and a story’s full depth. This is most definitely one of those times you want to rabbit hole a word. Nachash (נָחָשׁ) — the “regular” word for snake/serpent Tannin (תַּנִּין) — dragon/sea monster/large serpent Saraph (שָׂרָף) — “fiery/burning” serpent Moses Chose His Words Deliberately At the battle of the staffs, all the staffs involved turned into tannin, but before that, in Exodus 4:3, when God and Moses were essentially doing a practice run, Moses’s staff was referred to as a nachash. Moses wrote this, so it is not like two different people used the wrong words; he was there, and he chose his wording for a reason. I don’t think, although I could be wrong, that these snakes turned into something physically different than normal; it's about what the word means, and this showdown comes down to two equally important things. What Tannin Really Means Tannin carries enormous weight to anyone who knows Scripture; it can be both literal (big aquatic creatures) or figurative (a primordial chaos creature, a symbol of darkness and forces in direct opposition to God). God created the tannin in Genesis 1:21, but satan cannot create, so what was going on here? First, you have to understand this wasn’t some minor showdown. Not only did God transform a staff, but Pharaoh’s magicians did too; not only that, but they did it with more than one staff. So many against one. And here is where this gets a chef’s kiss. God uses that same word later in Ezekiel 29:3 to describe Pharaoh: “Pharaoh Hophra, I am against you.King of Egypt, you are like a huge monster…” So think about what happened that day, the magicians stood before Pharaoh and produced tannins, the same word God would later use to describe their own king. They were invoking the symbol of the man they served without even knowing it. And God’s tannin swallowed theirs whole. Important Thing 1 Satan can and does manipulate our physical world and can perform “miracles.” Job is a prime example; not only did satan manipulate the environment around Job, but he also, at one point, caused a windstorm that brought down a building, killing all of Job’s children. There's too much sugarcoating out there for my taste when it comes to people understanding this. Satan is more than capable of performing wonders and illusions that fool even the most educated people out there. You realize satan will do as he is bidden to keep the lie and deception going that pulls you away from God, right? Important Thing 2 Why did God turn the staff into what is considered a symbol of darkness? Because He owns it. Satan can only ever counterfeit what God created. The difference between the two that day wasn’t what appeared; it was the source behind it. “So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind….” One was a counterfeit manifestation of dark power from satan. The other was the real thing, called up by God who made it, and swallowed up the counterfeit versions. Don’t Skip Past These Words There are a couple of important Hebrew words to consider as you think about this interaction. Pharaoh didn’t ask for a “miracle” in the way we know them; he asked for a “wonder.” And Moses and Aaron’s staff didn’t eat the Pharaoh’s; it swallowed them. Mopheth (מוֹפֵת) — Sign, wonder, miracle (an awe-producing, wonder specifically carrying the idea of intimidation; something that demands to be seen and cannot be ignored) Oth (אוֹת) — Sign, token, mark, miracle (a sign that points to God; can be an ordinary object or event; its purpose is to direct attention toward God) Think of it this way with these two. Oth is like a road sign, its entire purpose is to point you somewhere, aka God. And Mopheth is not a road sign. It is the thing that stops you dead in your tracks and makes your jaw drop before you can even think about where it’s pointing. Oth can be any ordinary object or daily activity as well as an unexpected divine action, but its basic nature is always to point people to God. Mopheth describes God’s supernatural activity, a special manifestation of His power. But, and this is so important. False prophets can also perform Mopheth. Deuteronomy 13:1–3 specifically warns about this. Pharaoh didn’t ask for a road sign pointing to God. He asked for a “mopheth, “ an overwhelming, awe-producing display of power; it was also a deliberate and cocky move on his part. (I’ll show you at the end God’s clap back to that one) Bala (בָּלַע) — To swallow, engulf, consume (It is violent, engulfing, sudden, and the total elimination of something.) Akal (אָכַל) — To eat, ate, eaten (the everyday word for eating food or the act of eating food) Here’s the difference between these two words. Akal is what you do at dinner. It is the ordinary eating of food; something goes in, and then that something is gone. A person “akals” a meal. It is the everyday, regular word for one thing taking in another thing. Now, Bala is something else entirely. Bala is what the Earth did when it opened up and swallowed Korah’s entire rebellion whole in Numbers 16. It is what the great fish did to Jonah. It is the word Moses chose in Exodus 15 when the Red Sea swallowed Pharaoh’s army. Bala means something ceases to exist in a sudden, violent, and very complete manner. So when Moses wrote that Aaron’s staff “swallowed” the magicians’ staffs, he did not use the dinner table word. He used the annihilation word; it was a preview of what was to come. Last But Not Least: The Epic Clap Back “…Confront him on the bank of the Nile, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake.”² No one is ever going to convince me that God doesn’t have a sassy and spicy side, and right here is Exhibit A. Laughing aside, once you get what just happened there, this story, and that one word, tannin, cannot be ignored. Satan produced the Hebrew equivalent of a cosmic monster (monsters, actually), and he did it through human hands. Satan’s power and influence are ignored and downplayed way, way too much these days. People think satan and his horde just knock on walls or give people goosebumps late at night, and yeah, he does because that’s part of the tactic, making people think he’s not the being he is described as. And when people won’t even read their Bible, they won’t be able to recognize an Oth from a Mopheth, and satan is counting on that. © 2026 Jane Isley Want more content like this? Explore more articles in Word Studies. Sources: Exodus 7:10–12 Exodus 7:15 Deuteronomy 13:1–3 Genesis 3:1 · Numbers 21 (nachash) · Job 1:18–19 · Ezekiel 29:3 · Genesis 1:21 · Exodus 7:9 (mopheth) · Exodus 7:15 · Bala Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

While reading the Gospels, I saw a pattern that I wanted to take a closer look at. Turns out it I was on to something and it painted a larger picture than I realized. For this, it’s essential to recognize that healing of the sick and casting out demons are two distinct actions. It’s been said by some (especially in modern conversations) that the two situations were more than likely just sick people, not actually demonically possessed people. But here’s the problem with having that mindset: it removes the reality that we live in a world filled with demons and it was the same back then when Jesus came. Jesus addresses each issue separately: “For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” Mark 5:8 “Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.” John 5:8–9 Then the Gospels also make a very clear distinction: “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.” Mark 1:32 If you typically follow my writing, you know there’s always a plot twist to how I see something; this one has 5 points, then I tie it all together. One “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12 That is almost (almost not always) a cliché saying at this point. I note this because this verse is frequently repeated in Christian conversations; however, people do not appear to fully or meaningfully comprehend it. It’s often expressed as acknowledgments of potential bumps in the night or as something far removed from their sphere, rather than as recognition of the profound and destabilizing realities Scripture describes. By failing to consider what this passage asserts and by neglecting to examine the actions of Jesus during His ministry in the Gospels, the present reality of these forces is overlooked. They are not confined to a future eschatological moment but are active in the present time, directly involved in our everyday lives, and they are not passively waiting for Revelation 1:1 to start; they are already present and actively contributing to the conditions that Scripture describes. Two “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2 This passage is relevant to this discussion because it shows us that angelic beings are capable of appearing in ordinary, unrecognized human contexts. If Scripture affirms this capacity with respect to angels, it shows the capabilities of fallen angels as well. Consider if such encounters could occur without your awareness, and whether you could fully discern what was going on? We live in a world where people are increasingly being desensitized to what is sick, grotesque, immoral, and demonic. That is satans strategy. That is why we need to be apart from the world. To see what’s wrong, we need to be separate from it. Three If you’re still with me, awesome! It’ll be worth it; this background matters. By the time Jesus arrived on the scene, there had been 400 years of silence between the last prophet and His arrival. During this period, Israel drifted from God (again) and saw the rise of the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, and Essenes. Four Hundred Years. That’s actually not as long as it sounds from the last prophet to the birth of Christ, at least not in the grand scheme of things. Jesus walked into a mess: religious confusion, fractured authority, and twisted Scripture. Very much like today’s world. Remember those Jewish leaders? They had their Messiah standing right in front of them and didn’t recognize Him, because they became so blind and filled with self-righteous authority. Pharisees: legalistic, proud, hypocritical, burdening people Sadducees: rigid, spiritually blind, politically motivated, denying God’s power Scribes: rigid, man-made traditions and external rituals over God’s law, hypocritical, neglecting justice and mercy, created loopholes Sound familiar? (think current political and church climate.) Those guys pulled off some serious manipulations and corruption to get their Messiah killed. That’s layered so thick all over the Gospels, it makes me cringe knowing the lengths they went through to kill Him. Seriously, I recommend reading The Trial of Christ by Dee Wampler; you will never regret it, and you’ll see the full scope of what they did and why the betrayal and murder of Jesus was just so utterly horrific. Four So we have: 400 Years | the Jewish “leaders” | Demon Possession Stay with me. Trust me, it's all connected. I’m getting to the point now. Casting Out vs Healing I will be working with direct numbers only from the four Gospels, because it is not possible to ascertain all the numbers with certainty for the purpose of this article. Sources vary because different people define events differently depending on their focus. Some count a demon-possessed person as both a healing and a rebuking, while others treat “multitudes” as single events. So I broke down and used help to narrow my search down to explicit, directly narrated moments from just the Gospels where Jesus healed someone or cast out a demon. This isn’t me removing the other instances; I’m just isolating clear examples. Healings: 25 distinct, narrated healing accounts. Casting Out: 7 distinct narrative accounts. 7 out of 25 = 28% This figure is not meant as a population estimate, but rather reflects the proportion of cases explicitly narrated in the Gospels. Over a quarter of the directly recorded moments are Jesus intervening in a demon possession. Not sickness, not injury, not disease, but spiritual entities inhabiting people. That’s not rare. That’s not on the fringe. And it’s definitely not accidental. This is not a demographic claim, but a proportional signal drawn directly from the Gospels themselves. Five Now, for the last nugget, I’m giving you Luke 4:32–34 to look at before I start tying this all together. “They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority. In the synagogue, there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!” That man wasn’t thrashing about, gnashing his teeth, mute or convulsing. Sometimes in the Bible, even the smallest detail can carry the greatest meaning. He was in the synagogue, a place of worship, a reserved place of God. Surrounded by his friends, family, and neighbors, listening to teachings. And the only reason anyone knew there was a problem was because Jesus showed up, and the demon reacted to His presence. No one else knew. (that should also show that demonic powers are not, in fact, all-knowing and can predict the future.) There he was, hidden in plain sight, right in the middle of everyday life, attending synagogue. That’s Why 28% Should Be So Startling I am using straight numbers and years here to highlight current times and a trajectory. Scripture does not give us quantitative details before the last prophet. But it does give us a defined 400-year period of prophetic silence marked by spiritual decline, political abuse, and religious distortion. That is the condition Jesus stepped into, and it is sufficient for the point being made. Tying Things Together That 28% figure drawn explicitly from the narrated Gospel accounts shows just how frequently Jesus confronted demonic possession relative to physical healing. The pattern is clear. While that number was strictly drawn from the Gospels and not a comment on today’s population, it is sobering to see how often Jesus’ ministry involved deliverance and what that might look like today if we recognize what is walking among us. If it feels unbelievable, just take a look online. The bitterness, rage, moral decline, and violent speech, often paired with visceral reactions to God, Christianity, or anything good and moral, are plastered all over the place to see. Israel had 400 years and got to 28% (and that's lowballing it). We’ve had more than two thousand years since Jesus walked the Earth. Will you be able to recognize the filth beneath all those carefully constructed sparkly narratives and outward appearances? Because recognizing demonic influence today begins with understanding how often Jesus confronted unseen forces and how easily they blend into ordinary life. © 2026 Jane Isley Want more content like this? Explore more articles in Rethinking Doctrine. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

On May 8, 2026, the Trump administration released 162 declassified UAP files. Around the same time, several well-respected church leaders publicly said they attended private meetings with unnamed believers who claimed high-level security clearances in military and intelligence circles. The point: Something big dropped, some church leaders got a heads-up, and now everyone is scrambling. What Does Any of This Mean? It means satan is going to have an absolute heyday, and I knew it the moment I heard these files were going to be released. So as people start to ramp this up and spiral down, here is a number that should be keeping every church leader up at night. Only 6% of self-identified Christians hold a biblical worldview. That means 94% of people who call themselves Christian are caught with their pants down right now and about to enter a world of pure deception, riddled with fear and have absolutely no Biblical leg to stand on. We already lost the ability as a culture to define what a woman is, what a child in the womb is, or what our God given sexual design looks like. The church (as a whole) largely rolled over on every single one of those, laziness, silence, and Scripture twisted into a pretzel to validate whatever the culture demanded that week. You really think this stops here? You really think a UFO file drop is going to be handled any differently by a church that has spent years surrendering ground it was never supposed to give up? What Was The Real Intention? I’ll be honest, I have mixed feelings about these meetings and why they happened. I find them murky and ill-timed with everything else going on in the world. What I do notice is that every church leader I could find who was in one of these meetings has a significant social media platform. Was that intentional to manufacture fear? I do not know yet. I am not singling out any specific person here because there was a notable variety of religious leaders at these meetings, but if you have these platforms, if you have these congregations, if people look to you to understand the Word of God, why the scramble now? Why is this the moment the church decided to start “preparing” people? Shouldn’t that have been happening from day one? There should never have been a need for private meetings with church leaders if they were actually doing their job, and if I’m being really blunt, if they were following Scripture, they never would have attended these meetings at all. The 94% walking into this without a biblical foundation did not get there by accident. That lands squarely at the feet of church leadership that was more concerned with keeping their pockets lined and people comfortable than keeping them grounded in Scripture. Yes, this also lands on people to stand up and question things being fed to them and redevelop missing critical thinking skills, but a whole hell of a lot just fell hard on the shoulders of church leaders who are more concerned with being cozy. What Is Going To Happen 1) People are going to question God on every possible level, and why wouldn’t they? It’s not like only 94% of Christians barely know Scripture, let alone how many don't know how to find a book or chapter in it. 2) The normalization of “aliens,” aka demons, because that is what is actually happening here, and this is going to accelerate. This has been building for decades through Hollywood, television, books, gaming, and entertainment. Satan has been softening you up for this moment for a very long time. In the meantime, Old Testament Elohim and New Testament Demons is exactly the kind of grounding you need right now before you go any further down that rabbit hole. The problem is not that people will encounter this information. The problem is that they have been so thoroughly conditioned to find it fascinating instead of spiritually alarming that they will not even recognize what they are looking at. This is not normal, and it has never been normal. Slapping the word alien on it does not change what it is. 3) The worst thing that is going to happen out of all of this is that people are going to be deceived on a global scale. Scriptural Truth The Bible was never once silent on this topic. Ephesians 6:12 NIV: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Principalities and powers. Spiritual forces of evil. That is the biblical description of what is in those files. People just gave it a different name and a press release. 2 Thessalonians 2:9–10 NIV: “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.” "Signs and wonders that serve the lie." Read that again slowly. Do not miss any of this while you are busy panicking about “aliens.” And just so you know, an alien would probably be a lot nicer than a demon; confusing the two as different beings is a costly mistake. The Remnant I genuinely do not care what is in those files. I am not worried, and I am not losing any sleep over “aliens” because I know exactly what they are and who wins, and it is not them. What I care about is the staggering number of people who are going to be deceived by this because nobody built them a foundation to stand on. The Christian church failed. Not in a small way, but in a massive, generational, brutal, inexcusable way. This is no longer a nation filled with Christians; it is a nation with a remnant, the 6% left who read Scripture, and the rest are walking into this with their pants down. That is just horrifying to think about. Read your Bible, people. I get it, we are in an age where things have massively accumulated into people struggling to even think for themselves, let alone read or do math, and not to mention being pumped full of addictive additives daily with social media. But that excuse can only take you so far. You are fully capable of opening your eyes, asking questions, getting down and dirty, breaking a mental sweat, and reading Scripture. For the church leaders, I pray you get this one right. The deception is not coming. It is already here. © 2026 Jane Isley Want more content like this? Explore more articles in Culture & Faith. Sources: Perry Stone UFO Briefing Claims - Charisma Magazine Pentagon UAP Files Released May 8 2026 - USA Herald Religious Leaders Told Prepare Now - End Time Headlines Newsweek - Pastor Meeting and Eric Burlison Response American Worldview Inventory - Cultural Research Center, Arizona Christian University, conducted by Dr. George Barna Crosswalk - Survey Finds That Only 6% of Professing Christians Have a Biblical Worldview USA Herald - Multiple Pastors Claim U.S. Military Intelligence Officers Secretly Briefed Them To Prepare Their Congregations For UAP Disclosure Charisma - Viral Claims of Secret Government Briefing to Pastors Ignite Fierce UFO Disclosure Debate Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.