HOLLYWOOD, ROCK/RAP, VIOLENT SEX—Sen. Bob Dole says "Hollywood's dream factories turn out nightmares of depravity." William Bennett assails Time Warner for "gangsta rap" sexually explicit lyrics promoting violence against women. He said: "This stuff is not fit for human consumption. And it certainly is not fit for promotion and sales to children." Hollywood screams "censorship" though the Dole/Bennett appeal was for self-regulation. It is a shame that government regulation would ever be required, but if government protects us (by "regulations") against rotten pork, surely rotten porn is worse. It is sad that there is a market/demand for such garbage--even sadder that Christians are sometimes part of that market.

EVOLUTION A DANGEROUS HOAX—Evolution is what makes the monkey in the zoo ask, "Am I my keeper's brother?" It is the flawed philosophy of fools. Often educated fools, yes, but blinded by their own brilliance. The 6/95 Impact said evolution "flies in the face of the well-founded Second Law of Thermodynamics, cannot be supported by the fossil record, violates common sense in the development of complex systems, and could not even occur in 15 billion years." Yet most major denominations today allow their clergy/theologians to teach that man and the universe gradually evolved over millions/billions of years. The 5/15 Christian News says if man evolved he really does not need a Savior, and that acceptance of evolution could lead to a denial of the entire Christian faith. To say Jesus was wrong in accepting the historicity of the Genesis account of creation is to deny His deity and the doctrine of the Trinity.

EVANGELICALS MAY LOSE MILLIONS IN PONZI SCHEME—Evangelical ministries and colleges are reeling upon learning that they may have lost millions in a philanthropic concept gone awry. At least 100 religious groups bought into a double-your-dollars matching grant offer from the Foundation for New Era Philanthropy of Radnor, PA which last month filed for bankruptcy protection. The top 40 list of creditors, with from $2-l6 million each, includes: Lancaster Bible College, Young Life, Gordon-Conwell, Biblical Seminary, Covenant College, and Wheaton College. Lesser "losers" include: MBI, YFC, BBC (GARB), TEAM, Focus on the Family, Biola, and Fuller.

FBF & IBF/NA MEETINGS—The Fundamental Baptist Fellowship meets at Faith Baptist Church in Taylors, SC (Dr. John Vaughn, Pastor), June 13-15, and the Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America meets in Seattle, WA (Dr. Tom Nieman, Pastor), June 20-22. Reports later.

NCC/WCC CHARGE U.S. WITH RIGHTS ABUSES—The World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches, after a year-long campaign against racism in the U.S., have gone before the United Nations charging the U.S. with human rights abuses (5/29 Chr.News). Charges include death penalty used primarily to punish those who kill whites, lack of indigenous self-governance and control of land/assets, environmental racism regarding location of toxic waste dumps, and immigrants/refugees not treated with dignity and fairness. ACCC Exec. Sec'y Dr. Ralph Colas, who attended a 5/95 WCC meeting in Nashville, comments: "It is interesting to note the NCC and WCC ignore the obvious human rights abuses in Slavonia, China, Cuba, Sudan, [Bosnia], Iran, etc. They turn their weapons against the U.S. instead of other nations where horrible abusive practices are both tolerated and defended." Christians must expose such left-wing radicalism and separate from apostate NCC/WCC denoms. Send an offering for Dr. Colas's report to: ACCC, P.O. Box 19, Wallingford, PA 19086.

ORLANDO'95: ECUMENICAL MEETING OF CHARISMATICS—The four major streams of the charismatic movement--Catholic, Protestant, Pentecostal, and non-denominational--will unite for prayer, worship and ministry July 26-29 in Orlando. Catholic nuns and priests will link arms with Pentecostals, Methodists, Episcopalians and independent charismatics of every variety. The 6/95 Charisma said "Gathering these groups under one roof for four days probably won't resolve any theological disputes, but these people plan to have a good time celebrating what they have in common." Speakers include: Catholic bishop Sam Jacobs, black Pentecostal leader Gilbert Patterson, Foursquare pastor Jack Hayford, healing evangelist Benny Hinn, TBN's Paul Crouch, Pat Robertson, and Pope John Paul II's personal preacher. Robertson said: "It is time that we focus on the similarities between evangelicals and Catholics." He said the unifying factor, and the heart of Christianity, is a belief in Jesus Christ, "no matter what the denomination."

FALWELL PULPIT-SHARES WITH CAMPOLO—Tony Campolo is Pres. Clinton's "friend in Philadelphia" and they both promote homosexuality. Jerry Falwell has been selling videos that accuse Clinton of adultery and covering up murder. Campolo and Falwell are scheduled to speak at Atlanta Fest 95, the big Christian Rock Festival at Six Flags June 14-17 (6/95 CVN). It is sponsored by World Vision, Youth for Christ and CCM Magazine. The music is rap, rock, pop and alternative. It features 32 different individuals or groups, also including Andy Stanley and Josh McDowell.

PROMISE KEEPERS INCLUDES CATHOLICS, MORMONS—Mormon and Catholic members and leaders are now involved in the ecumenical Promise Keepers movement, along with charismatics, liberals, and evangelicals. The May-June PsychoHeresy Awareness Letter says: "...We now have Promise Keepers, Catholics and Mormons together. This seems to be an ecumenicalism of proportions never experienced since the Reformation." The 5/22 Christian News quotes a 5/6 L.A. Times article which says attorney Chip Rawlings, and fellow Mormon leaders of the Palos Verdes Stake, are urging Latter-day Saints members to participate in [Promise Keepers]. He said: "The movement's Seven Promises are like something straight out of the men's priesthood manual for the [Mormon] church." Dr. Ernest Pickering has an excellent new booklet analyzing the dangers of the PK movement. He says: "To worship and cooperate with Roman Catholics and others who are in doctrinal error promotes the idea that correct doctrine is less important than fellowship. The early church continued 'in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship...' (Acts 2:42). Doctrine is more important than fellowship and is listed first. Fellowship must be built on doctrine." [Order this booklet from Baptist World Mission, P.O. Box 1463, Decatur, AL 35602, $2 for one copy, $1.25 for additional copies.]

DALLAS WON'T SIGN ECT, BUT...—The accord is causing discord. The "Evangelicals and Catholics Together" document signed last year by many evangelical and Catholic leaders glossed over key doctrinal differences for the sake of unity on social issues such as abortion. Some new-evangelical signers have been pressured to remove their names (5/15 CC). Hispanic pastors said ECT hurt their evangelistic efforts by implying that evangelicals and Catholics share theological beliefs. Dallas Seminary released a statement in Jan. saying: "Though Dallas Seminary affirms areas of agreement in the moral and social arenas, we strongly question whether Evangelicals and Catholics can ever 'unite on the great truths of the faith.'" But Dallas said: "However, we will maintain fellowship with those Evangelicals who did sign the document." (5/20 D.Morn.News). How can you "maintain fellowship" with those who "fellowship" with false gospel adherents? Spurgeon said: "That I might not stultify my testimony, I have cut myself clear of those who err from the faith, and even from those who associate with them."

GRAHAM PUERTO RICAN EVANGELICALS CHARISMATICS?—Billy Graham's huge Global Mission ecumenical evangelism crusade in March was broadcast live by satellite and television to 30 million people worldwide from Puerto Rico. Up to a third of Puerto Rico's 3.6 million people are evangelicals, of which 75 to 80 percent belong to Pentecostal or charismatic congregations (6/95 Charisma). A Puerto Rican charismatic pastor said local Christians put "petty little differences" aside for the crusade. He predicted that although Christians will maintain their theological differences, they now realize "it is more important to fulfill the Great Commission. Our stature as Christians has outgrown our [denominational] walls." We do not "outgrow" the need to obey biblical separation commands.

GEISLER & CATHOLICISM—Norman Geisler has a new book coming out on Roman Catholics and Evangelicals. He says he rejects the Roman Catholic view of salvation, and that a recent report that had him saying "Catholics believe in 'justification by grace'", etc., is wrong (see 2/1 CC).

SHELTON SMITH IS NEW SWORD EDITOR—Dr. Curtis Hutson succeeded Dr. John R. Rice as Editor of the Sword of the Lord in 1980, then after succumbing to a long valiant bout with cancer Mar. 5, is now succeeded by Dr. Shelton Smith. Smith has pastored the Church of the Open Door, Westminster, MD for the past almost seventeen years. We are hopeful that he will continue Dr. Hutson's strong stand against "bridge-building" to Southern Baptists. Smith came out of the SBC. We heard him say in a 10/5/93 message at the Southwide Baptist Fellowship that "Southern Baptist conservatives are not fundamentalists." He was SBF moderator for 1994. Dr. John Reynolds remains as Sword Exec. V-P and Assistant Editor. Dr. Al Byers is V-P and Gen. Manager.

NAE RESOLUTION, REPORT—A resolution passed by the Ohio Bible Fellowship in April said the National Association of Evangelicals "is thoroughly ecumenical and is dedicated to racial reconciliation, societal morality, social concerns and gender sensitivity at the expense of entangling alliances and blurring of the true Gospel.... [It] is a melting pot for new evangelicals of every stripe, including charismatics, evangelical Catholics, ecumenists, feminists and pseudo-fundamentalists...." (4/5/95 OBF Visitor, 3865 North High St., Columbus, OH 43214). Dr. Ralph Colas covered the NAE's 53rd Annual Convention in Louisville in March and has a detailed report of this meeting. Send $2 to: ACCC, P.O. Box 19, Wallingford, PA 19086.

JEREMIAH IN EVANGELICAL ORBIT, QUOTES LIBERALS—Dr. David Jeremiah is a product of the GARBC, and his father is Chancellor of GARBC-approved Cedarville College. He is president of Christian Heritage College, pastors Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, CA and is founder of Turning Point Ministries. He is now in clinical remission from a recent bout with cancer. His 1994 book Acts of Love is endorsed by ecumenicals: Bruce Wilkinson, Warren Wiersbe, Joe Aldrich, Joseph Stowell, and Haddon Robinson. He quotes unreliable paraphrases and favorably quotes, without warning, new evangelicals and liberals throughout the book, e.g.: Bonhoeffer, Bishop Tutu, Barclay, Ruth Peale and Billy Graham. Several new evangelicals have spoken at his church, and he has spoken at Graham's "The Cove" and Moody Bible Institute (2/15/92 CC).

GARBC PROF. DAVID TURNER DISCUSSES HELL—Cornerstone College (Grand Rapids) Professor David Turner responded as follows (on PastorTalk, an electronic bulletin board) when asked about his beliefs on hell: "[Is] it a literal place? I'd say yes, though I'd be quick to say that the biblical descriptions of the place are metaphorical and that I don't know where it is on the world map. Evidently human 'souls' are localized after death so I would tend to think both 'heaven' and 'hell' are places in some sense of the word. I prefer describing it as 'real' to describing it as 'literal'..." Turner said he is not aware of any recognized creedal statement which affirms literal flames in hell (see 4/15 CC). Warren Wiersbe is now headed for this GARBC-approved school (see 6/1 CC).

EVANS' ECUMENICAL CONFERENCE—Dr. Tony Evans is pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship (see 5/15 CC). Speakers for his Oct. Church Development Conference include E .V. Hill, Luis Palau, Chuck Swindoll--and MBl Pres. Joseph Stowell is listed right in the midst of these ecumenicals (6/ 95 MM). Evans and Stowell have earlier teamed together at IFCA, GARBC, SBC, and MBI events.

Send comments to ccemail2015@gmail.com