Hello, Pastor Swope I am an Ohio resident, I go by Jonias online. I've been following the Slender Man Mythos for awhile now and it wasn't long before I discovered you. I think you are performing a necessary service, warning and studying the malevolent forces that be. I think if some one claiming to fight for the creator of the world and his only begotten Son is going to look out for people, this is a subject he should know extensively- know thine enemy. Despite being an agnostic, there are various factors that keep me from being an outright atheist and one of them is those irrefutable times that I know I'm being watched when know one is around. Aside from those chilling moments in the wee hours that I can't bare, I grew up with very spiritually guarded parents. They were not the crazy sort of Christian that gets depicted in the media, but they were cautious. Both my father and mother had tangled with negative forces in their teen years. To this day they still pray for me -even in college- and there are times when I feel if it weren't for them I might be in far worse trouble. Before the Slender Man became known to me, I already had a profound interest in cryptids- particularly the Mothman. The thought that this being would menace a group of random people- haunt them- and then fly away to another town is gripping. The Slender Man mythos is somewhat similar, but far more nefarious. If you combined the Bell Witch, the Mothman, the Erl King and a dash of Lovecraft, you might get something close to him. There is something universal about the Slender Man that frightens us all. A tall man in a dark suit taking us some where that we may never come back from is a very personal thing. It frightens us all the way to our child hood. Last year for a final writing piece I chose the Slender Man as my topic, the subtext being how a idea presented effectively enough will linger with you and your imagination will take over. I got an 'A' on the assignment and what's more my professor candidly expressed losing sleep over this- I considered it a personal victory. Soon after this though, when I was paying attention to lots of Slender-series and reading far too many stories- I began to have vivid dreams, possibly nightmares about him. I can't recall if they were nightmares or not, but I remember them being so close to reality that for a long time I stayed away from anything to do with him. Recently I have begun to keep myself informed on the various Youtube series and the indy film "Hylo" coming out about him. Then I read your article in the Examiner. I listened to the Coast to Coast call and I read your the descriptions that your readers have given you. This is to say the least disturbing. Prior to my discovery of the Slender Man, when I was studying theology and the theories of Carl Jung, as well as reports here and there on super natural encounters I began to theorize. If enough people believe in something, can it become real? That certainly makes sense, doesn't it? Nowadays I'm inclined to believe that there is always potential for anything to happen if enough people believe it can. Science to me is nothing but another theology, and they are simply replacing God with their Science. What if enough people believe in the Slender Man? What if they believe he'll come and get them? I practically force myself not to believe this because I don't think I could handle the mere thought of this being a reality- disbelief is a weapon too, to guard against ideas that may threaten your reality. Pastor Swope, do you believe that the Slender Man could exist? What's more, do you believe your faith in your God and Savior would be enough if you encountered him?
I hate to break it to ya, they are all Photoshop works. there are no actual Slenderman photos.
And if you read through my blog posts, I always include art or a Photoshop image at the beginning of my articles, it helps with visualization as you read.
is an Author and has been a Christian Minister for more than 27 years in both Mainline and Evangelical Denominations. He holds a B.A. in Biblical Literature from Nyack College and an M.Div. In Pastoral Ministry with an emphasis on Pastoral Counseling from Alliance Theological Seminary. He has served as a short term Missionary to Burkina Faso, and has Ministered to the homeless in New York City's Hell's Kitchen. He is currently the Pastor of Bountiful Community Church in Bountiful, Utah
He is also a freelance journalist for Examiner.com, has a column in the Tri-State Senior News and has also written for Fate Magazine.
As a Seminary trained exorcist he has done consulting work with various paranormal investigators and television productions in the United States as well as investigators and writers across the globe
4 comments:
Hello, Pastor Swope
I am an Ohio resident, I go by Jonias online. I've been following the Slender Man Mythos for awhile now and it wasn't long before I discovered you. I think you are performing a necessary service, warning and studying the malevolent forces that be. I think if some one claiming to fight for the creator of the world and his only begotten Son is going to look out for people, this is a subject he should know extensively- know thine enemy. Despite being an agnostic, there are various factors that keep me from being an outright atheist and one of them is those irrefutable times that I know I'm being watched when know one is around. Aside from those chilling moments in the wee hours that I can't bare, I grew up with very spiritually guarded parents. They were not the crazy sort of Christian that gets depicted in the media, but they were cautious. Both my father and mother had tangled with negative forces in their teen years. To this day they still pray for me -even in college- and there are times when I feel if it weren't for them I might be in far worse trouble. Before the Slender Man became known to me, I already had a profound interest in cryptids- particularly the Mothman. The thought that this being would menace a group of random people- haunt them- and then fly away to another town is gripping. The Slender Man mythos is somewhat similar, but far more nefarious. If you combined the Bell Witch, the Mothman, the Erl King and a dash of Lovecraft, you might get something close to him. There is something universal about the Slender Man that frightens us all. A tall man in a dark suit taking us some where that we may never come back from is a very personal thing. It frightens us all the way to our child hood. Last year for a final writing piece I chose the Slender Man as my topic, the subtext being how a idea presented effectively enough will linger with you and your imagination will take over. I got an 'A' on the assignment and what's more my professor candidly expressed losing sleep over this- I considered it a personal victory.
Soon after this though, when I was paying attention to lots of Slender-series and reading far too many stories- I began to have vivid dreams, possibly nightmares about him. I can't recall if they were nightmares or not, but I remember them being so close to reality that for a long time I stayed away from anything to do with him. Recently I have begun to keep myself informed on the various Youtube series and the indy film "Hylo" coming out about him. Then I read your article in the Examiner. I listened to the Coast to Coast call and I read your the descriptions that your readers have given you. This is to say the least disturbing. Prior to my discovery of the Slender Man, when I was studying theology and the theories of Carl Jung, as well as reports here and there on super natural encounters I began to theorize. If enough people believe in something, can it become real? That certainly makes sense, doesn't it? Nowadays I'm inclined to believe that there is always potential for anything to happen if enough people believe it can. Science to me is nothing but another theology, and they are simply replacing God with their Science.
What if enough people believe in the Slender Man? What if they believe he'll come and get them? I practically force myself not to believe this because I don't think I could handle the mere thought of this being a reality- disbelief is a weapon too, to guard against ideas that may threaten your reality.
Pastor Swope, do you believe that the Slender Man could exist? What's more, do you believe your faith in your God and Savior would be enough if you encountered him?
ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yeah i belive in slenderman but this is drawn on i checked it was a picture "cut" and paster using photoshop sorry
Thanks Sfiglock,
I hate to break it to ya, they are all Photoshop works. there are no actual Slenderman photos.
And if you read through my blog posts, I always include art or a Photoshop image at the beginning of my articles, it helps with visualization as you read.
Have a good day!
thx pastor...
i can't sleep again
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