DISNEY WELCOMES HOMOSEXUALS—The Walt Disney Co., the "family entertainment" company, welcomed thousands of homosexuals to its Magic Kingdom Park (Orlando) last month for their Fourth Annual Gay & Lesbian Day celebration, called "A Day of Magic, A Night of Pleasure." Disney made lame excuses, but this is but the latest of many pro-homosexual actions it has taken in recent years as it helps push the homosexual agenda (6/94 AFA Jrnl.). Disney has also produced its most sexually explicit movie ever, which features "steamy sex scenes, a lesbian encounter and frontal nudity."

HOMOSEXUAL HEADS HAWAII COUNCIL OF CHURCHES—The Hawaii Council of Churches' new head is a homosexual minister (Spr. '94 Record). Jon Bullock, co-pastor of a Honolulu congregation of the pro-homosexual Metropolitan Community Church, was selected recently to become the first openly homosexual to head a state council of churches. However, Zimbabwe's council of churches is supporting a government crackdown against homosexuals, prompting the World Council of Churches (WCC) to consider moving its 1998 50th anniversary assembly, now scheduled for Zimbabwe, to another site.

UN AIMS AT GLOBAL GUN CONTROL—The United Nations is quietly starting to set its sights on global gun control. The UN Disarmament Commission has adopted a position paper calling for world-wide "harmonization" of gun control laws, which would include "tighter controls on the gun trade in the U.S. and other member nations..." (6/13 New Am.). The recent "assault weapons" ban passed by the U.S. House was an assault on the Second Amendment. And driving gun dealers out of business will not necessarily reduce crime (1/17 USN&WR). Florida, with 8.6 licensed dealers per 10,000 people, has America's highest violent crime rate. No. Dakota, with 25.8 dealers per 10,000, has the lowest.

MARITAL STATE OF UNION—Since 1970 the American marriage rate has dropped 30 percent while the divorce rate has climbed 50 percent. The average age for first marriage has climbed to 26.8 for men and to 24.5 for women (6/94 Chalcedon Rpt). One in eight remains unmarried for life. Only 55 percent of adults are married today--the lowest figure in U.S. history. Cohabitation has increased by 600 percent since 1970, and the majority of all marriages in America are preceded by cohabitation despite the fact that premarital cohabitation increases the odds of divorce by 50 percent. Divorces have soared by 300 percent since 1960 and six out of ten new marriages are failing.

DANGEROUS NEW ABORTION LAW—Pres. Clinton has signed a new law, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, that pro-lifers say will criminalize peaceful sidewalk counseling and last-minute appeals to women to choose life. It levies hefty fines and prison terms for "vague" violations (6/4 World). Dr. R.L. Hymers says: "Sex-worshipping Americans have now given away our Constitutional right to freedom of speech, so they can continue to have unrestrained sex with each other and kill the babies they produce through their sin. Fornicator Bill Clinton smiled as he signed legislation making it a federal crime to stand against baby-murder outside an abortuary."

LIBERALS BLAME CRIME ON POVERTY—Many liberals say poverty is the basic cause of crime. They ignore the reality that crime and corruption are rife in every economic segment of society and are common in both capitalist and socialist countries--and among both rulers and ruled. "During the great depression, poverty was much more widespread and intense than it is now, yet crime was much less prevalent. While poverty may be a contributing cause of crime, it is obviously not the primary cause."(5/1 CACC). Sin, and lack of swift and sure punishment are main factors (Eccl. 8:11).

NEW BOOK BY DR. CATHY BURNS—This 496-page book Hidden Secrets of the Eastern Star has over 100 pictures and 1453 footnotes, and chapters on Eastern Star's brief history, the Masonic connection, E. Star symbolism, The Pentagram, E. Star goddesses, & the Rainbow Girls. It peeks into the Lodge Room at the 5 degrees. Order from: SHARING, 212 E. 7th St., Mt. Carmel, PA 17851, $13.95, 1-800-395-5599.

WURMBRAND'S STRANGE THEOLOGY, DISCERNMENT—In his 6/94 Voice of the Martyrs, underground church patriarch Richard Wurmbrand says: "The least that can be said about modern Muslims is that they are not against Jesus. They honor Him...." This of course is unscriptural and wrong. To reject His Deity dishonors Him. Earlier this year Wurmbrand referred to "India's great Mahatma Gandhi" and said "Shevardnadze, Yeltsin, and many other Communist leaders have become Christians. Hot love ended the cold war." Other examples of his strange teachings: "...[C]arnal Christians will go to hell.", "One who debates religious matters is as guilty as a killer or a crook." (12/80), and "[God] is Father of all men in all nations...He calls each person to be His temple. Whoever denies Him this privilege is not fully mature as a Christian." (6/94). Be warned, be wise, beware!

BRAZIL'S CATHOLICS LAUNCH 'HOLY WAR'—Stunned by the staggering growth of evangelical "sects" in Brazil, Roman Catholic Church leaders have threatened to launch a "holy war" against Protestants unless they stop leading people from the Catholic fold (5/94 Charisma). Some bishops have issued a stern warning: Stop evangelizing Catholics, or else. One bishop said, "The Catholic Church has a ponderous structure, but when we move, we'll smash anyone beneath us." He said an all-out holy war can't be avoided unless the 13 largest Protestant churches sign a treaty, similar to treaties signed by nations to end wars. He said it would require Protestants to stop all evangelism efforts in Brazil. In exchange, Catholics would agree to stop all persecution directed toward Protestants. So. Baptists and other U.S. new evangelicals signing agreements with Catholics should take note.

LIBERAL PRESBYTERIANS FACE CRISIS—The Presbyterian Church (USA) now estimates that about $3 million will be lost over 18 months as contributors withhold funds, reacting to the "Re- Imagining" women's conference in Minneapolis last November and a decade-long bitter dispute over the place of homosexuals in church and society. Re-Imagining affirmed paganism, lesbianism, and other serious deviations from traditional Christian theology. A top PCUSA staff official says the 2.8-million-member WCC church now faces a crisis that could "create permanent change," as members leave the church in droves.

PCA ELECTS NEW LEADER, CONSIDERS MERGER—The Presbyterian Church in America elected William S. Barker II, academic dean and professor of religious history at Westminster Theological Seminary, as its new moderator. The PCA merged with the Reformed Presbyterian Church Evangelical Synod in 1982 (6/8 HT). It is now debating whether to merge with the Christian Reformed Church. The CRC tolerates beliefs in homosexuality, the teaching of theistic evolution, including the denial of a world-wide flood in Noah's day, and is now proposing the opening of all offices to women."(11/22 & 3/14 Chr. News).

PUBLIC REBUKE OF ELDERS WHO SIN—An Indiana pastor rightly says Matt. 18:15-17 applies to personal offenses (Mar-Apr PsychoHeresy Awareness Letter), and says of 1Tim. 5:20: "[Paul] talks about leaders (elders) who sin. It is not sufficient just to critique but rather Paul calls on us to rebuke. That rebuke MUST BE DONE BEFORE ALL, THAT OTHERS ALSO MAY FEAR. It makes no mention of public or private sins...." Good advice, but care must be taken concerning when and how to do this within its intended context.

A NEW FUNDAMENTALIST SOCIETY—Foundations Bible College President Dr. O. Talmadge Spence has launched the "Society for Fundamental Studies" dedicated to the preservation and advancement of Biblical fundamentalism. Write him for how to possibly become a contributing writer for the Society: P.O. Box 1166, Dunn, NC 28335, or call 1-800-849-8761. Dr. Spence has spoken at recent World Congresses on Fundamentalism, and has written several books. His latest book, Fundamentalism: Not A Cult is $2.00 + postage.

RBP TO CORRECT A QUARTERLY—In July 1993, Rev. Lloyd Streeter (La Salle, IL) wrote Regular Baptist Press about "theological errors" of Wallace Alcorn in RBP's adult Sunday School quarterly The Book We Love. Exec. Editor Vernon Miller replied that RBP has decided to reprint the teacher's manual clarifying an area of concern.

EVANGELICAL-CATHOLIC LINK DENOTES APOSTASY—Rev. David Cloud, in the 10/93 O Timothy said, concerning Drs. Falwell and Graham's collaboration with Catholics: "As we have so often said, it is foolish to yoke together with Roman Catholic priests or other false teachers for the sake of curing the ills of our nation, because apostasy is one of the chief causes of our ills. Our key problems are not political or economic, but religious. In the days of Israel, God said the apostate prophets were the chief cause of national decay: "...for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land" (Jer. 23:15). This is certainly true of North America. Most preachers have turned from the Word of God, and God is judging the land. Polls show that the most popular television preacher is Modernist Robert Schuller who has redefined and twisted the Gospel, and who says the worst thing that can be done to a man is to call him a sinner. The most popular evangelist is Billy Graham who is chummy with the blasphemous Pope of Rome and who turns his converts over to the wolves. The fact that men such as these are our popular preachers demonstrates the spiritual degradation of the hour. It is insanity to band together with the wolves in order to save the sheepfold."

BILLY GRAHAM IS 'MR. ECUMENICAL'—Atlanta pastor Dr. Norman Pyle comments as follows on Dr. Billy Graham who brings a crusade to Atlanta in October: "This spring the Chinese Communists used him just as the Russian Communists did in the past. They both 'conned' him into believing the persecutors rather than the persecuted. This is the same lack of discernment that has caused him to 'hobnob' with the World Council of Churches that put on the big feminist conference last fall in which they worshiped the goddess Sophia and honored lesbians. Further evidence of his naiveté is his recent advice not to criticize President Clinton for 'Troopergate' and 'Whitewater' but allow him to 'do his job.' This is the same advice he gave for Richard Nixon over twenty years ago when he was embroiled in 'Watergate.' Graham favors working with a new National Council of Churches ecumenical program of evangelism, as though these apostates would know anything about real evangelism. The NCC group will meet at the Billy Graham Training Center in December...The WCC, the NCC, and the Roman Catholics are the groups that Dr. Graham regularly associates with and insists on their support. Here in Atlanta the new evangelicals, R.C.'s, and charismatics will be the big backers of his crusade."

SWINDOLL'S NEW TEAM AT DALLAS—Dr. Charles Swindoll becomes president of Dallas Seminary July 1, and Dr. Wendell Johnston becomes exec. vice-president. Other vice-presidents are: Kenneth Gangel, William Barnard, and David Cotton. The new Kindred Spirit said: "With Dr. Swindoll's resignation from his church, his plans to build a home in Dallas, and the anticipation of his greater presence on the DTS campus, Dr. John Sailhamer withdrew from his appointment as provost-elect, feeling that the Office of Provost as originally planned was no longer necessary." Swindoll is to speak at the upcoming ecumenical Promise Keepers conference. Dr. Haddon Robinson (Gordon-Conwell) was the April 29 commencement speaker. Dallas hosts a dialogue in September that will feature such speakers as Drs. Vernon Grounds and James M. Boice. Dallas faculty are scheduled summer speakers at such places as Moody Bible Institute, Word of Life, a Charles Stanley cruise, and Billy Graham's "The Cove."

SOME MISUSE MATT. 18 TO SILENCE 'CONTENDERS'—Why is it that when a "fundamentalist" leader is to speak on a new-evangelical platform, he doesn't seem to mind at all if the new evangelicals publicize the matter in their papers. But, on the other hand, if a fundamentalist paper informs fundamentalists of the scheduled event, he goes ballistic. Just to merely report the engagement can bring a charge of, "You attacked me," or, "You should have followed the Matt. 18:15-17 procedure." But this passage deals with personal offenses, not compromise. And, besides, whose church would you take it to? We do sometimes need to call first, especially when necessary to verify facts. Comments by Jay Adams may help here (see 9/1/92 CC): "Some think that if one Christian differs with the writings or public statements of another Christian on a point of doctrine [e.g., separation], without rancor or any problem between them as persons, he is wrong for stating the differences publicly before going privately to the brother with whom he disagrees. That is a misconception. First of all, there is no unreconciled condition between them; they simply differ. Secondly, therefore, there is no matter of church discipline involved. Thirdly, even if this were a matter of discipline, the first party wrote or spoke publicly--he put it before the church or the world; he did not speak privately. For that reason it is as appropriate for the second brother to write or speak as publicly as the first did in refuting what he thinks is a wrong [action, or] interpretation of the Scriptures and which, therefore, he believes may hurt the church if he doesn't." The propagation of error, and compromising fellowships, require a public warning to the unwary.

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