Statement: "Satan is a symbol of evil but is not a living being."
40% strongly agreed;
19% agree somewhat;
26% disagreed strongly;
9% disagreed somewhat;
8% were not sure what they believe about the existence of Satan.
Statement "A person can be under the influence of spiritual forces, such as demons or evil spirits.
39% agreed strongly;
25% agreed somewhat;
30% rejected the influence of supernatural forces;
18% disagreed strongly;
10% disagreed somewhat;
8% were undecided.
Study is a specific kind of experience in which through careful attention to reality the mind is enabled to move in a certain direction. The mind will take on an order conforming to the order upon which it concentrates. We see a tree or read a book. We see it, we feel it, we understand it, and we draw conclusions from it. As we do, our thought processes take on an order conforming to the order in the tree or book. When this is done with concentration, perception, and repetition, ingrained habits of thought are formed.
During Old Testament times the Israelites were instructed to write the Laws on gates and doorposts and bind them to their wrists so that "they shall be as frontlets between your eyes" Deuteronomy 11:18.
The purpose of this instruction is to direct the mind repeatedly and regularly toward certain modes of thought about God and human relationships. Of course the New Testament replaces laws written on the doorpost with laws written on the heart and leads us to Jesus.
The ingrained habits of thought that are formed will conform to the order of the thing being studied. What we study determines the kind of habits that are formed.
Study involves repetition which channels the mind in a specific direction, thus ingraining habits of thought. Sheer repetition without even understanding what is being repeated affects the inner mind. Ingrained habits of thought can be formed by repetition alone, thus changing behavior. This is also the central rationale behind psycho cybernetics, which trains the individual to repeat certain affirmations regularly. This principle has been known for centuries but only recently it has received scientific confirmation.
This is why the issue of television programming is so important. With innumerable murders being portrayed each evening on prime time television, the repetition alone trains the inner mind in destructive thought patterns. Violent video games would have similar affect.
