"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" Comes to Church. Churches are trying a variety of tactics - including cash prizes to fill the pews. Pastor Rod Loy held a "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" game at First Assembly of God in North Little Rock, Ark., according to The Christian Science Monitor. Two winners took home $1,000 each when they answered biblical questions. Loy has brought tigers, camels, and elephants to the sanctuary for Christmas pageants to attract new members. "It's important to keep things visual because people remember it," he said . . . Other churches send visitors gift baskets filled with fresh bread and fruit, or offer them gift certificates to restaurants, according to the newspaper. The Fellowship of Las Colinas in Texas concludes its Sunday services in time for Dallas Cowboys football games, which are shown on a big screen outside the church. Rick Sebastian pays $10 to people who come to his Bryan, Texas, church aboard his bus, the Monitor reported. Other pastors have created games, fancy food courts, or glitzy games to fill pews . . . Opinions vary about these tactics. Some ministers say the enticements are worth it if they bring people into contact with the Bible. Others say the tactics cheapen church. "Our influence over men must not be human manipulation, but divine inspiration," Joseph Chambers of Paw Creek Ministries in Charlotte, N.C., told the Monitor. Flavil Yeakley, director of church growth at Harding University in Searcy, Ark., said, "These days it's about building a relationship with each other as opposed to a higher being, which is often secondary."

Australian Christians are upset that drag queens will take part in a ceremony at the Olympics. The "blatant condoning of a public homosexual display" during the ceremony "will not enhance the Olympic Games nor Australia as host to the games," according to Fred Nile, a minister and leader of the Christian Democratic party. "It will also embarrass many Australians by giving the impression that Australia is the homosexual capital of the world." Nile called on Australians to call or write the Sydney 2000 Olympic organizing committee to express their displeasure . . . Men dressed as women will be part of the closing ceremony regardless of what "right-wing reactionaries" think, ceremonies director Ric Birch said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Men will wear dresses, wigs, and makeup during a small segment of the ceremony as a tribute to Australian gay-oriented films. Sydney is the site of the annual Gay and lesbian Mardi Gras, a march and street carnival that attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators. Religion Today

Hazing is a serious problem, even in church groups. Researchers reported this week that hazing is common among college and highschool students, and also found that 24 percent of students in church groups had been subjected to some form of hazing . . . "We know that church groups haze about 24 percent of their new members," according to a study by researchers at Alfred University in New York. "Based on that, we project approximately 237,000 high school students are being hazed to join a church group each year. That's substantially higher than the number hazed to join a high school fraternity or sorority, which is approximately 155,000 each year."...Hazing is an initiation ritual that is expected of new members in groups such as an athletic team, the band, or a gang. The study of 1,500 students showed that almost half the high school students who answered a nationwide survey were subjected to silly, cruel, or dangerous actions. This includes being made to eat disgusting things, abuse alcohol or drugs, perform humiliating acts, or break laws, such as assault someone, steal, or destroy property . . . People disagree over whether hazing is innocent fun or a dangerous trend. To the surprise of some researchers, 31 percent of the students who were hazed considered it as a positive thing, meaning that for the fragile egos of adolescents, it is better to be degraded and humiliated than excluded from a group, researchers said. Religion Today

Some Support for the Boy Scouts Is Eroding. In the two months since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts of America has a constitutional right to exclude homosexuals, Chicago, San Francisco, and San Jose, Calif., have told local Scout troops that they can no longer use parks and schools, according to The New York Times (see link #2 below). Large companies including Chase Manhattan Bank and Textron Inc., have withdrawn hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding, and numerous United Ways have cut off funds amounting to millions of dollars a year . . . A test case is developing in Connecticut, where the state banned contributions to the Scouts by state employees through a state-run charity. The Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities plans to issue a ruling by Nov. 8 on whether the Scouts violate state anti-discrimination laws and should be prevented from using public campgrounds or buildings. The Boy Scouts is suing Connecticut to restore state employees' right to donate to the group, and will fight to maintain access to public schools and public places in other states, a spokesman said....Government officials say the problem presents painful choices. They say they do not want to hurt children who benefit from scouting, but also do not want to violate laws. The Scouts, whose membership has grown to 6.2 million, said that the group's charter since 1910 had promoted family values and that its oath pledges a "morally straight" life. Religion Today

Is Honoring God and Country out of Date? "There was a time in America, a better time, when: We openly and proudly expressed our love of God and country; we did not lock our doors; our streets were safe to walk and drive; we honored our heroes; we cherished our founders, their gifts, their sacrifices, their courage, and their love of America; we sang `The Star-Spangled Banner'; we pledged allegiance to our beloved country; we respected our system of laws and the Constitution; and we worked, raised families and prayed together as one people under one flag. Is that America gone forever?" Linda Bowles

The Dark Ages! (From Spurgeon's sermon, "The Standard Uplifted in the Face of the Foe" No. 718. Isaiah 59:19). In 325, Emperor Constantine, for reasons of state craft and subtle policy, made Christianity the national religion, and thus struck the most fearful blow at the vitals of Christianity. The union of church and state is a fatal blow to true religion. The king's hand wherever it falls upon the church of Christ brings the king's evil with it. There never was a church whose spirituality survived it yet, and there never will be. Christ's kingdom is not of this world, and if we try to marry the church of Christ to a worldly kingdom, we engender innumerable mischiefs. So it happened that when the church became outwardly glorious she became spiritually debased. Her communion table glittered with gold and silver plate, but her communion with Christ was not so golden as before. Her ministers were enriched, but their doctrine was impoverished. For every ounce of outward gold which she gained, she lost a treasure of grace. Her bishops became lords, and her flocks were famished. Her humble meeting- places were exchanged for grand basilicas, but the true glory was departed. She became like the heathen around her, and began to set up the images of her saints, until at last, after years of gradual declension, the Church of Rome ceased to be the church of Christ, and that which was once nominally the church of Christ actually became the Antichrist. Black darkness covered the lands, and the dark ages set in. Instead of pardon bought with the blood of Jesus, false priests made merchandise of souls, and pardons were hawked in the streets. Instead of deacons and elders adorned with holiness and purity; monks, and nuns, and priests, and even popes became monsters of filthiness. Instead of justification by faith, men proclaimed justification by pilgrimages and by penances. The crucifix took the place of Christ Jesus, and a piece of bread was lifted up as a god, and men bowed before it, and said, "These be your gods, O Israel, that redeemed you from the wrath to come." Richard Eckstein

Zimbabwe Christians say God working through land seizures, persecution By Sue Sprenkle GWERU, Zimbabwe (BP)Screams pierced the air as invaders forced their way onto the farm just outside Gweru, Zimbabwe. The attackers forcibly marched frightened farm workers to the workers' living compound, where they beat the workers with axes, picks and heavy sticks. Others they forced to strip to their underclothes in the middle of the Zimbabwe winter and then sing and dance by the firelight. Political strife in Zimbabwe rages on as veterans of the country's 1970s liberation war, with President Robert Mugabe's blessing, have seized nearly 4,000 white-owned farms since February. Thirty-one people have died in the chaos. Mugabe says the land redistribution is necessary to address a century-old imbalance in land ownership in the country. The persecution began when Mugabe ordered all churches across the country to shut down on Sundays for political rallies supporting the ruling party, ZANU-PF. Christians were warned that, if they worshiped, the buildings would be burned down and those worshiping would be severely beaten. Residents were ordered to attend the closest political rally or they would be beaten as well. Some churches closed, but many more opened their doors and fearlessly worshiped and prayed for Zimbabwe.

Modern Heathen Have More Sympathy For Animals Than Human Babies "Babies may feel pain of abortion - Thousands of abortions may cause pain to the unborn child, say doctors preparing to debate the contentious issue of `foetal awareness.' Prof. Vivette Glover, of London, is calling for all terminations between 17 and 24 weeks to be performed under anesthetic...Prof Glover acknowledged that by raising the matter she could be providing ammunition for anti- abortionists. She said: `I am pro-choice, but one should not muddle the two. One should think about how one is doing it in the most pain-free way.'...According to one study, aborted fetuses have been heard to cry from 21 weeks and some doctors believe that distress can be felt as early as 13 weeks . . . The Women and Children's Welfare Fund charity says that the foetus is less well protected from pain in Britain than animals. There was no legislation to protect the foetus, it said. But the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act of 1986 for `pre-born vertebrate animals' such as rats, guinea pigs and hedgehogs, ensured that they were not subjected to undue suffering..."(Daily Telegraph, ISSUE 1922, Tuesday, 29 August 2000) Comments: This "doctor" has admitted that there is PAIN, yet she states that she is "pro-choice." This reveals that the whole abortion debate has nothing to do with anyone believing that a "fetus" is not a living creature. They know good and well it is a real baby. Most of these people are afraid the earth will become over-populated (when all that is happening is that everyone is gathering together in population centers. (See Gen.11). And for "the good of mankind" they "choose" to kill babies in a mad effort to pretend that the sexual revolution was not an insane failure. Psa. 106:37-39, "Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions."

Clinton/Gore Administration Launches Full Scale Assault on Boy Scouts. An August 31, Washington Times story reports that the U.S. Department of Interior is working with the Justice Department in gathering information on the Boy Scouts to determine if President Clinton's executive order giving special legal protections to homosexuals in the federal government is being violated. An internal memo from the Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation asked for information regarding the Boy Scout Jamboree to be held at Fort A.P. Hill in Bowling Green, Virginia next year. The memo also asks for information on whether or not the Boy Scouts receive direct or indirect monetary assistance from the federal government. It seems clear that the Clinton-Gore administration would like to restrict the Boy Scouts access and use of public parks and facilities. This is just one more of the continued attacks on the Boy Scouts since the Supreme Court Ruled that the organization has a right to set its own membership standards. Traditional Values Coalition is working with Congress to ensure that this issue is addressed when Congress comes back into session after the Labor Day recess. TVC

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to Defend Pedophile Organization. In 1997, Jeffrey Curley, a ten-year-old Massachusetts boy, was murdered by two college-age men after resisting their sexual advances. His body was found floating in a river in a tub of cement. The two college men were convicted and given long prison sentences. According to the Washington Times, the trial revealed that one of the killers was involved with a group called that North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) whose goal is to "celebrate the joys of men and boys in love." With this information, the Curley family filed a $1 million wrongful-death suit against NAMBLA and seven of its leaders. The family believes that this organization's material influenced the murder of their son. The ACLU believes that NAMBLA should have the right to advocate for the changing of laws regarding the sexual relationships between adults and children and that this advocacy does not encourage illegal acts. The lawyer representing the Curley family said "NAMBLA participates in the rape of children by educating men about how to locate young victims, gain their trust and avoid law enforcement." TVC

Court Rules That Two Mothers Can Be Listed on Birth Certificate. In the liberal state of Massachusetts, a state probate court has ruled that a lesbian woman, impregnated through in vitro fertilization is allowed to list her partner as the second name on the child's birth certificate. This type of birth certificate will be the first of its kind. TVC

Jim Bakker said "Every person who died in the Holocaust is in heaven." The former leader of the PTL ministry, said in a January 25 broadcast of Larry King Live, "Every person who died in the Holocaust is in heaven." King asked, "What you're saying, in a sense, is you don't have to believe in Christ to go to heaven.?" Bakker replied, "I believe that decision is in God's hands, not mine." King responded, "If they all died Jews or many, most died Jews, then they're in heaven?" Bakker replied, "That's right" (Foundation, March-April, 2000). In a letter to the editor of Charisma (June 2000), Bakker defended his view: "As I studied the Word while I was in prison, and as I read Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel's Night Trilogy, I came to an answer to this question. . . . Martyrs for the cause of Christ and the kingdom of God, according to God's Word, go to heaven" (What in the World! Vol. 27 No.11, 2000)

Jewish scholars and rabbis are extending a hand to Christians. Nearly 170 leaders from all branches of Judaism signed a statement calling on fellow Jews not to fear and mistrust Christianity, and to acknowledge the church's efforts in the decades since the Holocaust to amend Christian teaching about Judaism, according to The New York Times . . . "Nazism was not a Christian phenomenon," according to the statement Dabru Emet, which means "speak truth." Nazism could not have taken place "without the long history of Christian anti-Judaism," but Nazism itself "was not an inevitable outcome of Christianity," it says. If the Nazis had succeeded in exterminating all the Jews, the Christians would have been the next targets, the statement says. It notes that the faiths have much in common, saying Jews and Christians worship the same God, seek authority from the Old Testament, and accept the moral principles of the Torah . . . The statement is a result of a scholarly dialogue between Christians and Jews that began five years ago, according to the Times. About 30 people refused to sign. The document "lets Christian teaching off too easy," said Rabbi James Rudin of the American Jewish Committee, the newspaper reported. The document is being released by the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies, an interfaith organization in Baltimore. Religion Today. (ELB: These Jewish scholars are wrong. True Christians did not support Hitler, nor did they ever hate and persecute the Jews. It was the apostate Roman Catholic Church, along with other apostate Christian religions that were in a league with Hitler.)

Fidel Castro addressed a church full of American supporters in New York City on Saturday. An invitation-only crowd at the Riverside Church erupted in applause when the 74- year-old Cuban leader told them how pleased he was to shake hands with President Clinton last week during the Millennium Summit at the United Nations, according to the Associated Press. About 160 world leaders attended the U.N. event . . . The communist leader said he found himself in a line of people being greeted by Clinton, and "with all dignity and courtesy I greeted him. He did the same." It would have been "rude to do any other thing," he said. Americans who support normalization of relations with Cuba were heartened by the brief Castro-Clinton encounter . . . Riverside Church in Harlem has played an important role in the black community. It helped organize the civil rights movement in the 1960s and hosted Martin Luther King Jr. as he spoke out against the Vietnam War. Castro is considered a hero among the poor in some parts of the world. Religion Today (ELB: Riverside Church use to be Riverside Baptist Church. I am glad that they dropped the name Baptist and they should drop the name Church as well. This is one of the most corrupt churches in the world. It was built with the vast fortune of John D. Rockefeller. It was once pastored by the liberal Harry Emerson Fosdick, who ridiculed the Virgin Birth, and the bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was a fitting place for a Communist to speak. In fact it should be called the Riverside Communist Church. It is as apostate as it can be, and should never be recognized as a Church.)

The pope conducted an impromptu exorcism at the Vatican last week. He was blessing visitors during his weekly audience when a 19-year-old Italian woman began screaming and cursing "in an agitated and cavernous voice clearly not her own," witnesses said, according to The Times of London. The woman also uttered a stream of words in an unknown language, the report said . . . The woman pushed away a vial of holy water "in fear and disgust" and demonstrated superhuman strength when aides tried to restrain her, the newspaper reported. Gabriele Amorth, a priest who heads the International Association of Exorcists and has conducted 3,000 exorcisms, said he had tried to conduct an exorcism on the woman, but was unsuccessful. The pope then spent about a half hour talking with the woman and praying for her . . . The pope "struck the target," Amorth said. The girl had been the victim of a curse since the age of 12, he said. The woman at first appeared to be fine, but later may have reverted to her previous behavior, The Telegraph reported.

Thought Patrol out to Destroy Free Speech. Police in Gloucester, England, are cracking down on racism by entering restaurants in disguise to listen for bigoted conversation. In the first week of "Operation Napkin," one man was arrested for unacceptable table talk. Another was briefly detained for mimicking an Indian waiter but was let go because police decided his behavior wasn't serious enough to warrant prosecution. Columnist John O'Sullivan, former editor of National Review, points out that George Orwell (in his book 1984) foresaw a nation in which the most serious crimes would not be rape or robbery but "thought crimes." O'Sullivan wrote: "And the evidence for thought-crimes has to be sought in the nearest equivalent to thoughts: private conversations." Last year, he noted, an official British report proposed criminalizing racist remarks made in the family home. News & World Report 5/22/00 by John Leo (ELB: Of course we do not believe that offensive words should be used against any race of people, but whatever happened to free speech? This will be extended to include any speech against homosexuals, since they are recognized as being the equivalent as racial minorities. Big Brother is coming, and freedom is departing.)

Stage-setting For Tribulation Persecution Continues. "Proselytize, go to jail - Proposed French law criminalizes Southern Baptists as `dangerous sect' - Europe's crackdown on what French lawmakers have deemed `dangerous sects' including Southern Baptists has captured the attention of Congress now that France's National Assembly is considering a law to imprison `proselytizers' for up to two years . . . Should the bill become law, evangelism by the groups could be criminalized as an `exercise [in] serious and repeated pressure on a person in order to create or exploit a state of dependence.' The socialist French government would be allowed to shout down a religious group when two representatives are found guilty of at least one legal infraction, including `mental manipulation.'...French Justice Minister Elisabeth Guigou, who approves of the measure, said she has suggested lawmakers `pause' on final approval of the legislation to give human rights and church groups a chance to comment. Last week, Guigou called the bill `a significant advance giving a democratic state the legal tool to efficiently fight groups abusing its core values.' `...The mere fact that such a proposal is being seriously considered in France should call us to reflect upon the preciousness of the liberties guaranteed to us under the U.S. Constitution,' concluded Hastings. `The cost of maintaining these freedoms remains unfailing vigilance to threats at home and overseas.'" Julie Foster, World Net Daily.

Conservative and liberal religious organizations are talking about forming a new broad-based national ecumenical body that would work together on common social causes. The National Association of Evangelicals and National Council of Churches are considering realigning and forming a third group, according to the Los Angeles Times . . . A summit of leaders from a broad range of Christian denominations probably will be held next spring, according to the Times. Leaders of the National Council of Churches are working on ideas to bring other churches together for such a meeting. Kevin Mannoia of the National Association of Evangelicals and John Hotchkin of the Catholic ecumenical affairs office in Washington said their organizations probably would participate . . . "The block walls are coming down and giving way to picket fences," Mannoia told the Times. "The old compartmentalized segmentation of the church is giving way to a new sense of vision and mission and presence of God in America." The financially troubled NCC voted earlier this year to disband over the next three years if a new broad-based church group is formed, said Robert Edgar, the council's general secretary. Also, the NAE has removed the rule prohibiting churches that are affiliated with the NCC from also joining the evangelical group . . . Evangelicals are "rediscovering the integration of social holiness and personal holiness," Mannoia said. Churches that join the evangelical group still must subscribe to its statement of faith, which says that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that the Bible is "the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative word of God."

Attendance increased this year at Burning Man, an annual blasphemous and anarchistic revelry held in the Nevada desert. The anything-goes five-day party, billed as a celebration of art and radical self-expression, drew 25,000 people from 40 states and 20 countries, according to news reports . . . Drug use is tolerated and clothing is optional at the counterculture festival. The climax is the ceremonial torching of a 52-foot-high wooden man for whom the event is named. After a solemn, freakish procession marches up to the statue, the cheering crowd dances in painted skin and loincloths and screams in ecstasy, according to Christian missions researcher George Otis, Jr., who reported from Burning Man four years ago . . . Otis said the event was thoroughly pagan and filled with horror. He said he saw people dressed as demons performing pagan rituals, men and women dancing nude before fiery idols, and revelers daring God to consume them with brimstone. The final procession around the Burning Man celebrates the knowledge that all the dancers will enter hell one day, Otis said. Religion Today

Hybels' WCC Drama Team At Graham's Amsterdam 2000 - Due to sickness Billy Graham was unable to attend. Son Franklin read greetings from his father. A drama team from Bill Hybels' Willow Creek Community church present a drama of the woman taken in the act of adultery. (8/15/00 Calvary Contender) Only a few religious periodicals will dare to point out the error of ecumenicalism. Hybels, Hinn, and hypocrisy are three peas in a pod. WCC is not the only religious organization that engages in theatrics. All who are in alliance with ecumenism are presenting a one world church drama. -(W. W. Mosley, hereafter WWM)

ACLU Defends NAMBLA - The ACLU is noted for their challenging those who believe and follow biblical principles. In their claim to defend first amendment rights they have taken sides with North American Man/Boy Love Association. A Cambridge (Mass.) family has filed a lawsuit against the NAMBLA, claiming their Web site incited "the molestation and murder" their son in 1997. (9/1/00 LAJ) ACLU's defense is that "under First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and freedom of association" that there "are no illegal ideas." The divine lawbook of God reveals volumes about the ideas and thoughts of sinful humanity. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9) "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Gen. 6:5) "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:.." (Prov. 23:7) The ACLU has long accepted unpopular clients and despised causes, including Ku Klux Klansmen and neo-Nazis. ACLU officials said that NAMBLA argues for changes in society's views about consensual sex between adults and minors and a lowering of the age of consent. (9/1/00 LAJ) "The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted." (Psa. 12:8) -WWM

Kansas Official Sued For Posting `In God We Trust' - Shawnee County Treasurer Rita Cline is in hot water with the ACLU. Her crime? She posted "In God We Trust" in county offices. To the rescue of agnostic, atheistic God haters comes Dick Kurtenbach, executive Director of the ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri. The ACLU CEO said, "...this is the most blatant example of...promote [ing] their religious beliefs I've seen." Earlier this month the U.S. House of Representatives voted to encourage the display of the national motto. (8/31/00 Reuters) Mr. K surely has neither read nor heeded King David's proclamation: "Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust." (Psa. 16:1) Sinful man continues trying to break the bands and cast away the cords of biblical restraint. (Psa. 2:3) These presumptuous phony philosophers will one day know without doubt who is really in charge. (Rev. 6:15,16) -WWM

Sickened Society Shows Sentiment To Witchcraft - The presence of witchcraft even in religion is nothing new. The sentiment of accepting wizardry and witchcraft is rapidly rising. One of today's leading causes is the widespread endorsement, even of many avowed Christians, of author J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books. Harry's magical performance is attracting young and old alike. There are "...35 million copies of the first three volumes in print, in 35 different languages." Some parents who plan letting their children decide if and where they want to attend church will spare no costs in obtaining Harry Potter books and paraphernalia. Retailers signed an agreement not to sell Ms. Rowling's latest book before July 8, 2000. At midnight July 7th children attended bookstore promoted Harry Potter parties dressed in his wizardry attire. How does God feel about this? Read Deuteronomy 18:10,11. -WWM

Church of England Holds `Harry Potter' Family Service - The Church of England plans to hold a special "Harry Potter" family service the weekend of Sept. 3rd. This is to be complete with "wizards, pointy hats, broomsticks and a game of quidditch." (9/1/00 The Times, Brittian) All Harry Potter paraphernalia and games will be available. A banner featuring a serpent is to adorn the church of All Saints in Guildford. The entire service is to be patterned after the happenings in the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. Of course, this is to increase attendance. Evangelicals have spoken out against this as "importing evil symbols into the Church." Yet many evangelicals join in unity with Catholics, etc. under the guise of brotherly love. "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3) -WWM

PCUSA, UMC, and RCs Accept Judaism - The Presbyterian Church, the United Methodist Church, and the Roman Catholic Church have entered into dialog with American Jews, discontinuing any efforts to convert them. (Beliefnet.) They value Judaism as a "sister" religion with whom they have much in common. Another instance where the Mother of Harlots and her children join her in accepting and promoting false religion. The First & Second Baptist Church pastors of Lubbock joined in unity with the above churches to promote the Franklin Graham Festival there. How long will it be until they join them in the acceptance of Judaism as a "sister" religion? -WWM

Retiring American Baptist Leader Welcomed Gays/Lesbians - American Baptist leader Daniel E. Weiss said the most painful times of his administration was when the denomination's General Board voted in June 1999 to oust four Calif. churches that welcomed gays and lesbians. (8/25/00 Religious News Service) Later in 1999 the board postponed this action until 6/01. This was to give them time to find another body that will accept them. Tony Campolo is also an American Baptist Leader and one of the Pres. Clinton's spiritual advisors. Campolo was joined by Jerry Falwell and E.V. Hill as speakers at the National Youth Workers convention. (8/15/00 Calvary Contender) Those who run with liberals must be considered liberal. -WWM

Survey Says Teen-Agers Listen To Music More Than To Parents - A CNN survey found that teen-agers listen to five and one half hours of music daily. Yet they only listen to their parents five minutes a day. (7/21/00 FW Star Telegram) That's almost a 20,000 to one chance that the music they listen to will do more to shape their lives than their parents. Even much of so-called country music glorifies sex outside marriage and promotes immoral lifestyles. Rock lyrics and CCM choruses are repetitious enough that young people do not have to remember much to sing along with the beat. If we are to turn our country over to the next generation I pray they will somehow learn how to do more than twist and turn to the beat of the world's drum. Pray! -WWM

Episcopal Church Endorses Homosexuality & Unwed Heterosexual Couples - "Last week, the Episcopal Church's General Convention overwhelmingly endorsed a new policy acknowledging there are Episcopal couples, `acting in good conscience,' in lifelong committed relationships outside marriage that should receive `prayerful support, encouragement and pastoral care.' The wording covers both gay and lesbian couples and unwed heterosexual couples,..." (7/21/00 AP) Longevity may be of quality in some situations but not in immorality before God. This opens the door wider for acceptance in other denominations who want to stay contemporary. "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." (Prov. 14:34) -WWM

Baptist Religion Editor & A Feminine Goddess - The heading of the editorial by Beth Pratt (Baptist), Religion Editor for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, is entitled "Sophia: Understanding The Feminine Aspects of God." Christians were somewhat dismayed at a women's conference when their leaders appeared "to promote goddess worship." (7/22/00 LAJ) She reported that "pulpiteers raged against" the idea of the "feminine" aspects of God. "...much of the misunderstanding (on both sides) involved confusion about how to interpret and communicate through symbol language." She interviewed "...the Rev. Peter Fritsch, rector of St. Paul's on the Plains Episcopal Church,..." to help resolve the matter. "The Bible is filled with both patriarchal and matriarchal symbols, which is no problem unless one image is interpreted as more valid that the other," she wrote. No indication was given as to where the Creator of all things was referred to as "She." This will make the Catholic church's doctrine of Mary becoming Co-Redeemer more acceptable to those who sign covenants of unity with them. -WWM

Apology For Distributing Bibles? - "General Mills apologized for CD-ROM versions of the Bible that have been shipped to stores in about 12 million cereal boxes." (7/23/00 Tribune News Services) GM obviously does not agree with Job in esteeming "...the words of [God's] mouth more than my necessary food." (Job 23:12) Now the ACLU have a rift with the food inspectors. -WWM

DeGeneres & Partner Part - Ellen DeGeneres and Anne Heche, lesbian lovers leaping over all barriers to legally marry, have split. The couple who promised to move to Virginia as soon as they make gay/lesbian marriage lawful, last month announced the end of their relationship. The New York Daily News said there was no "third party involved in the breakup." Maybe not but there was a third party involved in their match-up. Satan matched this couple and is the author of confusion and nothing is as confusing to nature as homosexuality. Satan's match-up soon broke-up and God gave them up to vile affections. (Rom. 1:26,27) -WWM

Tzar Nicholas II Racing Mother Teresa To Sainthood - Not to be outdone by the Roman Catholics, the Russian Orthodox church is conscious and considerate of the campaign to canonize the former Tzar even before formal sanctification. (World, 7/27/00) The two religions that are performing this corrupt work of unscriptural art are rapidly being accepted by unsound Baptists. Chuck Colson, Jack Van Impe, Billy Graham, James Dobson, W. A. Criswell, and others have praised Mother Teresa as being an example for all believers. Neither the Russian Orthodox nor Roman Catholics, even with the help of compromising Baptists, can transform a lost sinner into a saint. (1 Cor. 1:2) -WWM

Homosexual Christian Wedding? - "Rev." Phillip Wilson, pastor of Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Morristown, NJ will marry a lesbian couple this fall. (7/21/00 Religion News Service) Their marriage will follow the "traditional rites...of plain old heterosexual marriages." The traditional rites of heterosexual marriages is the only possible Christian similarity this marriage will have. Only a man can cleave to his wife and become one flesh with her. -WWM

Former SBC Church Has Practicing Homosexuals - First Baptist, Greenville, severed its ties with the Southern Baptist Convention in 1999 because SBC was too conservative. It was the first church in South Carolina to join the liberal Alliance of Baptists founded in opposition to the SBC. First Baptist, Greenville, SC has practicing homosexuals as members. (8/30/00 Baptist Press) What hindered the SBC from beating them to the punch and dismissing First Baptist if they were aware of "practicing homosexuals as members?" And if God has sanctioned homosexuality as they claim, why is practicing homosexuality not adultery the same as heterosexual living together outside of marriage? Maybe they excuse this practice in preparation for marriage. -WWM

United Way Affiliates Withdraw Support of BSA - Boy Scouts of America have taken a stand against homosexuality. No known homosexual can lead or join the BSA. United Way chapters of New England and Santa Fe, NM have pulled their sponsorship amounting to several thousand dollars. Ron Stevens, spokesman for the Santa Fe chapter compared disallowing homosexuality with disallowing certain nationalities. (8/29/00 Baptist Press) So-called Christian churches should have the same tenacity as Gregg Sheilds, spokesman for the BSA when he said, "...if you don't agree with us, you can go your own way,..." Some Baptist churches fall woefully short of such conviction. -WWM

Lotz Speaks At International Religious Summit - Anne Graham Lotz, preaching daughter of Billy Graham, was to speak Aug. 28th at United Nations-affiliated conference on world peace. The Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders includes leaders from at least 12 different religions. Religious movements represented at the summit are Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, Bahai, Native American religions and others. (8/28/00 Baptist Press) Jesse Jackson was listed as a "preeminent leader" attending. Others were Konraid Raiser, secretary general of the World Council of Churches; Cardinal Arinze, president of the Vatican's inter-religious council; Israel Meir Lau, chief rabbi of Israel; and Abdullah Salaih Al-Obaid, secretary-general of the Muslim World League. Ted Turner helped underwrite the meeting. Turner has advocated abortion rights and criticized Christian. This would be frightening apart from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He said this would happen. (Psalm chapter 2) -WWM

SBC Committee's Proposed Changes - So. Baptists are tightening some boundaries on biblical interpretation. The revised statement of faith discourages ordination of women, limits the office of pastor to men, and requires people to profess personal faith in Christ as Lord to gain salvation. It rejects charismatic teachings and opposes abortion, homosexuality, and mercy killing. Changes to the Baptist Faith and Message, reflecting a continued rightward turn, will be considered at the SBC meeting in Orlando, June 13-14. The BF&M is not binding on local congregations, which are self-governing, but is an influential guide in hiring SBC employees. The revision also relaxes "Sabbath"-keeping rules. Previously, Baptists were to avoid "worldly amusements" and secular work, but the revision suggests that Baptists spend Sundays doing things "commensurate with the Christian's conscience." (5/22 Religion Today) Committee chair Adrian Rogers said the Bible "is the source of our authority, not merely a support for our historic doctrines." If this was true, and practiced, the SBC could not remain part of the apostate Baptist World Alliance. (Calvary Contender)