GUN CONTROL NONSENSE—Blaming guns for crime is like blaming: 1) matches for forest fires, 2) cameras for pornography, 3) forks for obesity, or, 4) pencils for spelling errors... Gun control is unconstitutional and is not the answer to our crime problem. Criminals are to blame for crime.

TOBACCO A DEADLY DRUG—Per a recent study, when you burn tobacco, you release 4,000 chemicals. Tobacco is known to be lethal when used as intended. Smoking is the main cause of preventable death and kills 419,000 people in the U.S. each year. It kills 53,000 involuntary users. Our 46 million smokers endanger the lives of over 200 million nonsmokers. Those who choose to smoke should not be subsidized by those who do not. Our government in effect pays farmers to kill fellow citizens.

HAITI: ARISTIDE, VOODOO, SOCIALISM—Haitians joke that they are 80 percent Catholic, 20 percent Protestant and 100 percent voodoo(10/l4 HT). Voodoo’s core feature is a trance where a worshiper is possessed by one of some 700 spirits during a frenzied drum-and-dance ceremony. Aristide is a deposed Catholic priest who has never criticized voodoo. The 10/17 New American calls him a “Marxist anti-American terrorist demagogue, of dubious sanity, whose heroes include communists ‘Che’ Guevara and Salvador Allende.” The 10/1 World calls Aristide "an unapologetic liberation theologian” who “praises necklacing.” He may fit well with our mad rush to a socialist New World Order.

EUTHANASIA: HEALTH CARE RATIONING BY DEATH—Euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands. This sometimes amounts to “mercy killing” by state-controlled doctors “for the good of society.” The 10/3 New American says: “In the socialist Netherlands today, under Dutch euthanasia statutes, from 10,000 to 12,000 persons are put to death annually--most of them, we are assured, with their own consent.” Those who do not consent? Under socialized medicine it becomes imperative to do away with the most costly: the terminally ill, the elderly, the handicapped, etc. About 80 percent of Dutch family doctors participate in euthanasia- -or government “health care” rationing by death.

CAMPUS BINGE DRINKING EPIDEMIC—The percentage of college women who drink to get drunk has more than tripled in the past 15 years, from 10 percent to 35 percent. Binge drinking causes most of the violent crime on campuses. Ninety percent of campus rapes occur when either the assailant, the victim or both used alcohol. Alcohol directly causes about 100,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Drunk driving kills 25,000 annually. Alcohol is a factor in half the murders, perhaps a third of the suicides, and most divorces in America each year (10/94 Light) .It is also a contributing factor in 9 out of 10 unwanted pregnancies. In any amount, it kills cells in every organ of the body.

COUNTRY MUSIC DEGENERACY—Over the past few decades we have seen the disappearance of the wholesome, meaningful songs we once knew as “Country and Western.” Today, for the most part, Country Music is an updated “tears in my beer” type of moral infidelity, broken marriages, love affairs, as was long the norm for honky-tonk jukeboxes. Now, there’s a new "his and hers” divorce album singing the glories of divorce (Dr. J. Royce Thomason, 10/94 VoiceInTheW.). Gone are love songs such as “You Are My Sunshine,” and songs about a satisfied mind, home on the range, happy homes, etc. Most of today’s music reflects the perversion, lawlessness, and blasphemy of our decadent society (see 10/1/89 CC). What passes as Country today is often hardly distinguishable from Rock.

MORE TV, MORE CRIME—A quarter century of R-rated films and raunchy lyrics intent on showing how people really talk has affected the way people really talk- - for the worse (6/27 USN & WR). Blasphemy and obscenity have increased. After World War II and the advent of TV, homicide rates have steadily and sharply increased. Evidence indicates that if television technology had never been developed there would today be 10,000 fewer homicides each year in the U.S., 70,000 fewer rapes, and 700,000 fewer injurious assaults. Violent crime would be half what it is (5/31 Wall St. J.).

GARBC CHURCH AFFIRMS ‘PROMISE KEEPERS’—Pastor Russell Moir in a 9/14 letter says; “On the whole, the senior staff and elder board of Blackhawk Baptist Church are affirming the Promise Keepers movement. We are seeing hundreds of our men involved in this ministry and are thankful for the impact it is having on their life. We are, however, keeping our eyes open to the possibility of an ecumenical agenda. As it stands today, we’re willing to participate with this ministry...” Promise Keepers is clearly ecumenical and admits it. Dr. Norman Pyle (10/10 CVN) says: “....Promise #6 says in effect that we should ignore doctrinal differences. That is wrong and is typical of evangelical compromise. It allows for all kinds of charismatic and psycho-spiritual experiences....”

DR. PICKERING'S NEW BOOK ON NEW EVANGELICALISM—Dr. Ernest Pickering is Deputation Director for Baptist World Mission and is the author of Biblical Separation and numerous other works. He has a new 184-page book, THE TRAGEDY OF COMPROMISE: The Origin and Impact of New Evangelicalism, published by Bob Jones University Press. It deals with the history and principles of new evangelicalism and its widespread impact upon schools, mission agencies and churches. It is available from BJU Press, Greenville, SC 29614 ($9.95+shipping/handling). We commend BJU for giving us two much-needed books on separation/new evangelicalism this fall- -this one, plus Dr. Fred Moritz’s book (reviewed in the 9/15 CC). Since these subjects are not that popular, money could hardly be the motive.

FOOLISH DATE-SETTING FAILS AGAIN—September came and went with no Rapture, as Family Radio chief Harold Camping had predicted. (6/1 CC). He “wrongly divided” the Word of Truth, and left himself vulnerable to being called a false prophet. He also believes that Satan is the Antichrist, and says the end of the world and Rapture will occur simultaneously 7-8/94 Foundation). Camping is deceived and is misleading others. Be warned, be wise, beware!

DR. SCHULLER & FRIENDS—Robert Schuller is a universalist. He does not believe that Christ is the only way to heaven. He defines sin as the loss of self-esteem (1/24 Chr. News), or “lack of faith in yourself.” He declares that Christ endured the cross to sanctify His and our self-esteem. With his “possibility thinking” he is called “the Norman Vincent Peale of the West Coast.” He heads the ecumenical Churches Uniting in Global Mission (CUGM). Schuller in 1987 said it is time for Protestants to go home to Rome. He went to Rome to get the Pope’s blessing before building his Crystal Cathedral (9/15/90 CC). Yet with all this, W.A. Criswell, Billy Graham and other new evangelicals praise him. Bill Hybels, InterVarsity’s Stephen Hayner, and charismatics Jack Hayford and John Wimber speak at Schuller conferences. Minirth-Meier Clinic’s Henry Cloud was scheduled to be on Schuller’s Hour of Power TV show last year. (0 Tim.).Speakers for Schuller’s Jan. 30-Feb. 3, 1995 conference include charismatic/occultist David Cho, Walt Kallestad (of liberal ELCA), Lyle Schaller, John Wimber, and Bill Hybels. Hybels often speaks at Moody Bible Institute.

REVIEW OF McLACHLAN BOOK ON FUNDAMENTALISM—Dr. J. B. Williams in the Fall 1994 Frontline reviews Dr. Douglas McLachlan’s 1993 book, Reclaiming Authentic Fundamentalism. Dr. Williams first praises Dr. McLachlan’s scholarly credentials, then says “the book omits several key issues facing Fundamentalism and leaves some lingering questions.” 1) From whom must Fundamentalism be reclaimed? 2) The book fails to address the “King James Version ‘only’ problem. 3) Its bibliography has few non-New-Evangelical writings. 4) The book does not recognize the first generation of Fundamentalists who fought for the truth, and fails to challenge the current generation to pass a strong legacy on to the next--to defend the faith at any cost. Dr. Williams says these third generation Fundamentalists take a “kinder and gentler” approach, but says the worst thing that could happen to Fundamentalism is for its leadership to fall into the hands of men who will not fight for the truth. [Dr. Don Jasmin in his Fundamentalist Digest says most of McLachlan’s quotations are from new evangelicals and liberals.]

DR. BOB JONES: ‘HOW CAN DEFENDERS NOT FIGHT?’—“....For seventy years I have found great joy in labeling [apostates and deniers of God’s truth], exposing them and calling them what the Bible calls them. I have no intention of denying myself that pleasure now. I may be an old man but I am not going to leave all of the fighting to younger men as long as I have a voice to cry out. In fact, when I see how some of the younger men who are supposedly in the ranks of Fundamentalism have softened, I think I will need to cry louder. Perhaps it is because of this weakness among some of the young men that God has left a few of us older fighters around this long. At least we are an embarrassment to those who have not learned that you cannot preserve truth without fighting for it....” (Fall ’94, Frontline Magazine).

WATCHMAN NEE THE MYSTIC—Watchman Nee’s writings have profoundly influenced many evangelicals of our day. Nee died in 1972 in a communist prison camp in China. He insisted that none but his “little flock” churches were authentic, and that more than one congregation in any given area is unbiblical. He blended evangelical and liberal views of revelation and Scripture (5/9/75 CT). In a recent Moody Press book, Faith Misguided: Exposing the  dangers of Mysticism, Arthur Johnson says Nee’s theological position is “deeply mystical.” Johnson suggests Nee’s writings should be carefully scrutinized for “major errors.” (p 90). He says Nee insists on a secondary place for doctrine, and shows Nee’s influence on the modern charismatic movement. He says A.W. Tozer, Pat Robertson, Richard Foster and many others have shown philosophical affinity for Nee’s mysticism.

CONTROVERSY BAD? TOLERATION OF ERROR IS WORSE—To oppose and resist error is sometimes hard for fundamentalists and against our nature. It’s easier just to love everyone and not rock the boat, to be an appeaser and not an opposer. When we name names and expose errorists and compromisers, they say we are negative and unloving and should not engage in name-calling- -then THEY proceed to call US names (“legalist,” etc.). J. C. Ryle said: “Controversy in religion is a hateful thing. It is hard enough to fight the Devil, the world, and the flesh, without private differences in our own camp. But there is one thing which is even worse than controversy, and that is false doctrine tolerated, allowed, and permitted without protest or molestation.” Ever remember: “It is better to be divided by truth than united in error.”

JEWS, EVANGELICALS TO MEET—Coming on the heels of a highly publicized dispute between the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) and Pat Robertson’s Christian Coalition, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein is organizing an Evangelical-Jewish Leadership Congress in Washington for late this year. He says “there is common ground even on moral values between evangelicals and Jews which hasn’t been discerned yet.” (10/10 Chr.News). Confirmed participants include Jewish leaders, Jerry Falwell, and Christian Coalition’s Ralph Reed.

FBF RESOLUTION ON THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION—The Fundamental Baptist Fellowship condemns in the strongest terms the callous disregard of the Clinton administration to the Biblical position on abortion, homosexuality, and righteousness...We believe that this attitude hastens the judgment of Almighty God on a wicked and sinful Nation. We believe that these sins must be condemned publicly from our pulpits.

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