(Editor's Note: In our New & Views column we quote from many different sources. Please understand that this does not necessarily mean that we approve of all of the publications from which we quote. We will give the name of the source in the first quote and thereafter we will give the abbreviation of that name.)
PK Becoming Expensive-Promise Keepers hosted a conference in Atlanta some seven years ago for pastors. Some who attended said it was a life-changing experience for them. PK is planning another such event in Phoenix in Feb. Special music and about 17 speakers are scheduled. Tommy Barnett, Tony Evans, Jack Hayford, Eddie Long, Max Lucado and Bruce Wilkinson are only some of the speakers. Although the registration fee is a whopping $195 a head, this is not the greatest cost to those attending. False teaching and a carrying back to many local churches a disrupting attitude that many sound pastors will have to deal with in one way or another is the greater cost. Ultra spiritualism is too often of the wrong spirit. Be careful little feet where you go! -(W. W. Mosley, hereafter WWM.)
Sign-Up For Baptism?-Point of Grace Church, Des Moines, Iowa has a sign-up form on their web site for all comers. It states, "Be baptized and follow Jesus." This is not the only thing they have backwards. They are Bill Hybels' Willow Creek Community church look-a-likes. They will hold baptismal(?) services at Urbandale High School pool. Makes one wonder how many students of said school will be taking swimming class and will be counted converts when they surface from a dive off the high board. The church is typical of the Willow Creek Asso. churches. "Live band complete with horn section. Music videos and dramas. Celebration Services. Point Café with donuts, bagels and Cappucinno. Relevant lessons. Casual atmosphere. People welcomed just as they are no matter their background." Their punch line is when your relationship with God is good "what could be more fun?" This, no doubt, is taught in their "relevant lessons." Many are sucked under with this type religion and attend as regular as they would attend any other many entertainment facilities. - WWM
Over 40 Million Children Die-If this was the result of being shot, the gun control lobbyists would have a hearing with congress that is unequaled, and with good cause. But many of these children died at the hand of licensed doctors and nurses in America. "40 million children have died since Roe vs. Wade became the law of the land." (Pro-Life Exec. Director, J. Bingham) This is equal to the population of Texas, Calif, and Okla. Jan 22nd is the 30th anniversary of this decision to make abortion on demand legal. Planned Parenthood, NARAL (Nat'l. Abortion & Reproductive Rights Action League) and NOW celebrate this day as the breakthrough for "a woman's right." This is a law that kills an estimated 4,000 babies every day in America, and these organizations seem to be happy about it. NARAL Pro-Choice's web site posted this message from Hollywood: "On this important anniversary, I am proud to stand with NARAL Pro-Choice America to safeguard our right to choose." Sincerely, Jessica Lange. She asks for donations for NARAL to "help organize against serious anti-choice threats." The Nat.l. Org. of Women called anti-abortion supporters an "intolerant, regressive right-wing agenda." Bingham also reports that "partial-birth abortions have tripled since 1999." (1/15/03) What possible defense will those who passed this law and those who celebrate such an occasion have to say when the following verses must be answered? (Exo. 21:22,23; Rom. 14:12; 1 Pet. 4:5; Phil. 2:10; see also Dan. 9:16) -WWM
Duke University's Higher Education-An African and African-American studies program at Duke Univ. has invited one Laura Whitehorn to speak for them 3/3/03. This is the university's billing of her on their web site. "Laura Whitehorn is a revolutionary anti-imperialist who spent over 14 years in federal prison as a political prisoner. An out lesbian, she initiated and worked in HIV peer education and support projects in each of the three federal prisons in which she did time. Since her release, she's worked with POZ Magazine, a national monthly for the communities affected by HIV. She is now writing about HCV/HIV co-infection in the prisons. She has also researched the many cases in the U.S. of HIV positive people locked up for supposed `crimes of transmission.' She is also involved in work toward the release of all the remaining political prisoners in U.S. prisons, and she lives in Manhattan with her lover, the writer Susie Day." (Church Muth News, 1/17/03) (Laura Whitehorn spent her 14 years in a federal prison not as a "political prisoner" but as a terrorist. She bombed the Capitol in 1984! Susie Day is a New York City resident who writes a humor column for feminist and gay publications. She has also critically written on U.S. policies on various issues. Birds of a feather. -WWM)
Frank Assertion By PP-Planned Parenthood Fed. of Am. claims that children "flourish best in families and communities where they are nurtured, honored and loved." (CNSNews, 1/14/07) [Sounds like Hillary's "It takes a village to bring up a child."] This pro-abortion organization has revealed that it performed nearly 700,000 surgical and chemical abortions in 2001 alone. Where did the PPF of Am. get the wisdom to discern which unborn child would not be "nurtured, honored and loved?" CNSNews reported PP's belief that children must "earn the right to be nurtured, honored and loved before thy can be welcomed into the world." What stupid reasoning from such an educated(?) group who refer to an unborn person as simply a fetus. Most pro-abortionist count the unborn as nothing more than an unwanted glob of mass taking up residence where they are not wanted. Yet PP wants such to "earn the right" to be loved. Sounds like many of their like ran for office, and some were successful. -WWM
Blaspheming Of Jesus Hardly Noticed-Cybercast News Service, 1/13/03, reported that former U.S. Att. Gen. Ramsey Clark last Wed. compared Jesus Christ to a terrorist during a media event: "The Christian Church overwhelmingly--there are exceptions--who choose to call Mohammed a terrorist. They could call Jesus a terrorist too. I mean, he was pretty tough on money lenders a time or two." When asked if Americans in general, and Christians in particular, should be wary of Muslims and the Islamic religion, Clark cited the need for trust among people of different faiths. "We have to live together. You can't do that by being leery of a billion and a half people who are very devoted to what they believe in," he said. Reporter Phil Sheldon brings to our attention that the "establishment media didn't raise an eyebrow last Wednesday" when the former USAG made this blasphemous remark. He also reported that Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, when speaking before "a group of high school students recently, held up Osama ben Laden as a role model for U.S. foreign policy." She referred to ben Laden as a "humanitarian reformer who does good deeds on behalf of the poor and downtrodden of the world." You mean like 9/11 where thousands died? -WWM
Prayer In "Jesus Name" Attacked-It is nothing new that the church-state clashes over the display of the Ten Commandments are widespread. Nor is this new or unexpected by true believers. The center of attention seems now to be halting local authorities' use of the name of Jesus in prayer at the beginning of their council meetings. "The debate has been sparked in Calif., where city councils have been trying to figure out how to ensure the name of Jesus is not invoked, following a state appeals court ruling that lets stand a ban on sectarian comments. Several cities are set to back the city of Burbank, should it decide to go to the U.S. Supreme Court over a ruling that has barred prayers in the name of Jesus, on the grounds that it violated the constitutionally required separation of church and state." (Charisma News via Crosswalk, 1/21/03) This is just another of the many attacks of Satan on America. Our founding fathers were dauntless in their acknowledgment that no nation would exist long apart from the blessings of God. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD" is still necessary if America continues to exist. (Psa. 33:12) -WWM
Who Is Discriminating Against Whom?-Nashville, Tenn, is considering adding "sexual orientation" to its nondiscrimination code. Sold as "tolerance," such a law leads directly to discrimination against people who think it is wrong for men to have sex with men and women to have sex with women. (Baptist Press, 1/21/03) "Sexual orientation laws hijack civil rights and ensure persecution, at the outset, of the Boy Scouts. This has been the pattern from Calif. to Maine to Florida." You would think the trouble the Boston Diocese is having with child molestation by Catholic priests would squash any action to make homosexuality lawful. The same article stated, "In Calif., the state Supreme Court is considering banning all state judges from associating with the Boy Scouts because the Scouts are exempt from a statewide `sexual orientation' law. Good judges (mostly fathers) are being told to hang up their gavels or stop associating with this `hate group.'" If every group who is has the conviction that homosexuality is a sin against God is a "hate group," I am glad to be a member of an Independent Baptist church, which the Calif. Supreme Court likely would consider a "hate group." -WWM
The Unborn May Not Be The Only Ones To Suffer Abortion-There are political groups that are cemented together because of a common acceptance of abortion. Abortion lobbyist spend large sums to influence lawmakers to pass laws protecting abortion. Early after the Roe vs. Wade law was effected, only those a few months old could be aborted. Now the fight is raging to lawfully abort 8 month old unborn babies. How can it be denied that these children look, act, and breath like all other human beings? Maybe such abortionist are beyond recognizing innocence. Wait and see . . . the political assembles that now support such abominable acts will one day be screaming as they squirm trying to kick their self free from everlasting death. -WWM
New-Ageism Gaining Popularity-A carefully designed system of Satan is to disguise the true God by creating open-mindedness to all religions and their particular god. Even the Wicca religion is gaining entrance into the prison systems as well as the military. Since 9/11, Islam and its prophet, Muhammad, and false god, Allah, have gained both popularity and acceptance. Don't be surprised to hear that some of your own loved ones are challenging your "dogmatic" belief in the one true God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Bible revisionist are aiding and abetting this movement by instilling doubt in unstable minds that the KJV 1611 translation is not reliable. The Holy Spirit foresaw this and inspired the Apostle Paul to pen these words: "For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged." (Rom. 3:3,4) -WWM
Present Day False Prophets-The Berean Call Online reports Kenneth Copeland as saying, "God's reason for creating Adam was His desire to reproduce Himself. I mean a reproduction of Himself, and in the Garden of Eden He did just that. He was not a little like God. He was not almost like God. He was not subordinate to God even. . . .Adam is as much like God as you could get, just the same as Jesus. . . . Adam, in the Garden of Eden, was God manifested in the flesh." Isn't this what Lucifer sought in Isaiah chapter 14? 1 Tim. 3:16 is speaking of Jesus when it says "God was manifest in the flesh." Adam has never been "justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." This can only be said of Jesus who was raised again for our justification. (Rom. 4:25) Adam was made in "the likeness" of God, but was not God in the flesh. Kenneth Copeland and Co. does fit the description of 1 Tim. 4:1,2. -WWM
Breaking Down Denominational Walls-Although it sounds like an announcement of a Promise Keepers meeting, this a Celebrate IV meeting of students celebrating Christian diversity seeking to find common ground. The hodgepodge of celebrants met at the "Albuquerque Convention Center (Dec. 28-Jan. 1), which ended on New Year's day." (Presbyterian News Service, 1/14/03) "Weave Us Together" was an ecumenical conference for college students in which about "1,100 participants were `woven together' into a spiritual community that included Catholics and Protestants, Pentecostals and Seventh Day Adventists." The purpose was to help the "students to broaden their theological horizons by stepping out of their individual denominations and getting a glimpse of all of Christendom." The keynote speaker was Baptist "Millard Fuller, founder and president of Habitat for Humanity International." Nothing is as apparent as the world-wide movement to one-worldism. All false gods the same as the true God, all writings as reliable as the KJV Bible, is the ultimate goal of ecumenism. "Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord," (2 Cor. 6:17) has fallen among the antiquated, even among some so-called Baptist. False religions may change enough to achieve ecumenicalism, but God never changes, nor has Jesus Christ. (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8) -WWM
Islam: A Peaceful Religion?-Ask the women who are raped in Islamic nations. They are not counted victims but are accused of sexual activity outside of marriage. A "French businesswoman, Touria Tiouli, went to court in the United Arab Emirates" trying to defend herself against rapist's charges. "Dubia (E. Arabia) officials have turned her charge that she was raped by three men on its head and accused her of zina, sexual activity outside marriage." (Frontpage Mag., 1/23/03) This charge in Dubai, a place of "moderate Islam," isn't punishable by stoning, as it is in more hard-line Muslim countries. If convicted the businesswoman would only have to serve an "18-month jail sentence." Nigeria is not so moderate. A women there "suffered through circumstances remarkably similar to Tiouli's." She was raped, but the man she accused denied it, and she was charged with adultery. She faced death by stoning until the verdict was overturned under "international pressure." Other women in similar situations have already been stoned to death or jailed. The report stated the "three out of four women in prison . . . are rape victims." Muslim men are simply following the pattern set by their pedophile prophet, Muhammad. Some Washington, D.C. protesters want to peaceably co-exist with radical Muslims. The Jane Fonda wanta-be's need a trip to Muslim dominated countries to try to "peaceably co-exist" there. -WWM
School's Decision Outweigh That Of Parents?-"A public school system that claims to promote diversity and tolerance should not ban books that advocate same-sex relationships to kindergartners, Canada's Supreme Court has ruled." The court said "the Surrey School Board in British Columbia, near Vancouver, must revisit its ban on three books that also have stirred controversy in the U.S." The books were "Asha's Mums," "One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dads, Blue Dads" and "Belinda's Bouque." The Court's Chief Justice "wrote in the 7-2 ruling on Dec. 20 that, `Parental views, however important, cannot override the imperative placed upon the British Columbia public schools to mirror the diversity of the community and teach tolerance and understanding of difference.'" (Australian Independent Baptist Newsletter, 1/17/03)
Opposition To Christianity Becoming Stronger-"An American missionary recovering in an Indian hospital after an attack by suspected Hindu militants has been ordered to leave the country within a week for allegedly breaking visa rules by preaching." (CNSNews, via Crosswalk, 1/23/03) A "militant Hindu group" has accused him of "denigrating adherents of India's majority religion." Notice these accusers are referred to much in the same manner as "Muslims fundamentalist." It would be interesting to see how the present day media would tag the Pharisees and Sadducees. Before the missionary has a chance to defend himself in a Hindu court, he may be jailed for three years. -WWM
Freedom Of Speech Selective-The obvious tendency of the most politically correct is to be selective when it comes to freedom of speech. "A Florida church has been criticized for its roadside sign that declares Islam's founder endorsed murder in the Quran. Muslim groups have called on First Conservative Baptist Church in Jacksonville to remove the message that contrasts the teachings of Jesus and Muhammad."(Charisma News via Crosswalk, 1/22/03) Naturally the AP quoted the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Florida as saying, "All Americans must band together to condemn hate speech designed to divide our nation along religious ethnic lines." This argument will sound quite different if and when the Muslim population exceeds all other religions. Our Lord said it would be this way: (Matt. 10:34) "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." The following verses are clear about the extent this will reach. How soon will it be when sound Baptist preachers will be censored for preaching separation? It is already here! -WWM
An American President-"The March for Life upholds the self-evident truth of that Declaration that all are created equal, given the unalienable rights of life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And that principle of America needs defenders in every place and every generation. In our time, respect for the right to life calls us to defend the sick and the dying, persons with disabilities and birth defects, and all who are weak and vulnerable. And this self-evident truth calls us to value and to protect the lives of innocent children waiting to be born." -George W. Bush (The Federalist, 1/24/03)
Discrimination Against Work Attire?-"By the time Carol Grotts arrived for her first day at Brink's Inc., she'd completed the company's orientation program and submitted to a background check, then had her fingers pressed into an ink pad. She hadn't counted on the company's final question: `What size pants did she wear?'" (Kansas City Star, 1/22/03) The managers told her they would never had hired her if they had known she did not wear pants. She stood by her convictions and that of her church, Pentecostal Christian, saying, "But it's against my religion." Too many Baptist women, if they had passed the test this far, would have had a job with Brink's Inc., even some pastor's wives and daughters. Some would have worn pants to the orientation program. This is not a request from Grotts for religious accommodations such as the Muslims demand. A dress is her regular attire at the store or on the street. -WWM
OK To Kill Unborn Child But Not Snail Darter-Our strict federal laws in the Endangered Species Act protect the snail darter fish and spotted owl, yet three children are killed every minute through legalized abortion (SBC's Nov.-Dec. Light). Over 42 million American babies have been legally aborted since Roe v. Wade. In our culture of death, we choose to ignore the value God places on each human life. (Calvary Contender hereafter CC.)
Wicca In The Public Square-Wiccan priestess, Cynthia Simpson, wants to give invocations at a Virginia county's board meetings (12/21 World). Wicca is a fast-growing, neo-pagan religion. It is sometimes referred to as "new age" or "witchcraft." Wisconsin's newest (2/1/02 CC) prison chaplain is a witch. At least 100 witches are attending covens at Ft. Hood, TX (7/1/99 CC). The World article concluded: "Based upon our review of Wicca, it is neo-pagan and involves polytheistic, pre-Christian deities." -CC
Pope A Villain?-Bill O'Reilly noted (12/30 HT): It would be easy to call Pope John Paul a villain in the priest-pedophilia scandal. After all, he could have fired Cardinal Law and the other villainous U.S. cardinals months ago. But the pontiff did nothing, even after the evidence became overwhelming. He even refused to meet with a few victims during his visit to Canada earlier in the year. But the pope is "obviously ill" and, O'Reilly believes, not able to call the shots anymore. -CC
Planned Parenthood's Hypocrisy-During the recent flap over Sen. Trent Lott's comments that led to his resignation as majority leader, Planned Parenthood's president, Gloria Feldt, was among those who railed against Lott's "racist politics" of the 1940s. But Ed Szymkowiak of the American Life League says she is a hypocrite. She conveniently failed to mention PP's own racist actions including the targeting of minority babies for abortion. He said PP founder Margaret Sanger, is on record discussing her plans to exterminate blacks (1/2 Agape Press), She was a radical socialist, a racist, and drug/alcohol addict who advocated free sex and sterilization of blacks, Jews and Catholics (7/1/96 CC). PP has been America's largest abortion provider and has received substantial taxpayer funds. -CC
Thousands Of Nuns Sexually Abused?-A national survey, completed in 1996 but intentionally never publicized, estimates that a minimum of 34,000 Catholic nuns, or about 40 percent of all nuns in the U.S. have suffered some form of sexual trauma. So says an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1/5 HT). Some of that sexual abuse, exploitation or harassment has come from priests and other nuns in the church, the report said. The Roman Catholic Church was already shaken by a year- long sex abuse scandal involving priests and minors. Sordid scandals are not confined to Catholics. -CC
Campolo Ever Liberal, Controversial-Former Eastern College (liberal American Baptist school) sociologist and evangelist and adviser to former Pres. Clinton Tony Campolo is given 9-page coverage in the 1/3 Chr. Today. He deals in hyperbole and shock: For example, he says: "While you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition--most of you don't give a [vulgarism]. What's worse, is that you're more upset with the fact that I said [vulgarism] than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night." He is one of the only living evangelical leaders to undergo a heresy trial in 1985 (for saying that Christ is present in every human, etc.). Campolo says homosexuals are born that way, and his wife Peggy promotes homosexual weddings (6/1/95 CC). Yet he is a speaker for the SBC (10/15/94 CC), and National Council of Churches (3/15/02 CC). -CC
Pray For Persecuted Christian Missionaries-Russian authorities seem to no longer welcome missionaries, following the recent adoption of a legal-status-of-foreigners law regulating relations that previously were not subject to regulation. Globally, in over 40 countries, Christians face daily persecution for their Christian faith. They are beaten imprisoned, tortured, sometimes killed, and their churches and schools destroyed for their faith in Jesus Christ. In Islam, war against the unbeliever is a central doctrine and practice. -CC
Pat Robertson Supports Teaching Of Theistic Evolution-Ken Ham (Answers in Genesis) said AiG received a number of letters from people dismayed and shocked by Pat Robertson comments on a couple of "700 Club" TV programs about those who believe in the six literal days of Creation (12/30 Chr. News). But Ham said he visited Robertson's Regent University several years ago and found that several professors were teaching theistic evolution. -CC
ETS Closing Door On "Open Theists," Pinnock?-The Evangelical Theological Society has voted to challenge the membership of "open theologians" Clark Pinnock and John Sanders for promoting proposals "incompatible with inerrancy." Open theists say that in the Bible God changes His mind, or repents, in response to human actions (1/03 CT). ETS members at its 2001 meeting passed a resolution that denied open theism: "We believe the Bible clearly teaches that God has complete, accurate, and infallible knowledge of all events past, present, and future, including all future decisions and actions of free moral agents." ETS members present at the 2002 meeting voted 171 to 137 against Pinnock, and 166 to 143 against Sanders. Evangelicals are closely split on an important doctrine. (See 1/15/98 CC for Pinnock's dangerous teachings on hell and other doctrines.) -CC
Hatchet Man-"Members of a Southern California family escaped (unharmed Thursday after a hatchet-wielding man barged into an Orange County home and assaulted his former inlaws and his own 10-year-old daughter before being felled by a single shotgun blast," United Press International reports from Laguna Hills, Calif. This story points up the need for more-stringent hatchet-control laws. The power of the Hatchet Lobby is such that in most states, anyone can buy a hatchet, there's no waiting period, licensing requirement or even limit on the number of hatchets you can buy. Don't get us wrong; we're not for a complete ban on hatchets. Contrary to the "ax nuts" at the National Hatchet Association, responsible hatchet control poses no threat to legitimate wood-choppers. -Opinion-journal.com