BAPTIST SCHOOL FORCED TO PAY TEACHER WITH AIDS—A No. Carolina Southern Baptist school, Campbell University, fired a physical education teacher in 1993 when it learned he had AIDS. The EEOC in 1994 sued on his behalf saying he had been wrongfully discriminated against because of a disability (7/17 C.T.). The case is one of the first to apply the 1991 Americans with Disabilities Act to people with AIDS. In a pre-trial settlement the teacher was reinstated (new position) and CU must pay $325,000 for "wrongful dismissal" of a teacher with an AIDS "disability." CU also agreed to provide AIDS-awareness and sensitivity training for certain employees.

PARENTS, NOT GOVERNMENT, GIVE RIGHTS TO CHILD—Our UN ambassador earlier this year signed the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Clinton administration thus gave its seal of approval to a treaty that would take power away from parents and vest it in a huge bureaucracy (7/95 CLD). The Children's Defense Fund, once headed by Hillary Clinton, is pushing Congress to approve this treaty. Heard at CDF's Marchconvention: "How dare you believe you [parents] have the right to raise your children by yourself. Raising children is a complex responsibility. We all have to work together." (BJU's WITW). This dangerous treaty has been sent by the Clinton administration to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee whose chairman, Jesse Helms, has co-sponsored a resolution condemning it and asking the President to abandon it.

MORE ON NEW ERA SCAM—Hundreds of evangelical and other charitable groups placed millions of dollars with New Era in a classic Ponzi scheme which promised to double their money through anonymous donors (see 6/15 CC). When New Era filed for bankruptcy in May and the donors did not exist, it sent shock waves throughout much of the evangelical world. What caused Christian organizations to ignore caution was the "impeccable reputation" of New Era's creator, John G. Bennett (8/95 Charisma). He was well-connected --Laurance Rockefeller was a supporter [this should have raised a red flag!]. Despite Bennett's reputation as a man of integrity, the 7/ 17 Chr. Today revealed that Bennett gave away, unsolicited, over $20 million to organizations that had not placed money with New Era such as Harvard University and Planned Parenthood.

POLL: 33% APPROVE OF HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGES?—A recent poll found that a third of U.S. voters believe same-sex marriages should be allowed (7/6 H.News). We suspect the poll was biased or weighted with younger voters, but if not, it is a sad statement on the moral fiber of our nation.

METHODIST CLERGYWOMAN A LESBIAN—Rev. Jeanne A. Powers, a top U. Methodist Church executive, says she has been a lesbian all her life and has served in spite of church rules that deny ordination to "self-avowed, practicing homosexuals." (7/12 H.T.). She lives with her partner, and won't deny she is a "practicing" lesbian.

GRAHAM CRUSADES NOW FEATURE ROCK MUSIC—So-called Christian rock music is now a mainstay of Billy Graham crusades. The Cleveland and Atlanta crusades last year featured rock/rap concerts. The 7/17 Chr. Today said the 6/95 Toronto crusade "resembled anything but a Billy Graham crusade." It said: "Crusade mainstays Cliff Barrows and George Beverly Shea were barely visible. More than once Skydome sported a rock concert atmosphere." Toronto pastor Dr. Frank McClelland said of the crusade: "A so-called Christian rock group, DC Talk, entertained the multitude before Graham spoke"(6/95 Can. Rev.). Graham collapsed the day before the Toronto crusade and was hospitalized three days. Graham says his crusades now feature contemporary Christian music on youth night. (7/4 Ind. Bapt). CCM is becoming a generic term for rap, hip-hop, CCM, and so-called Christian rock music.

CATHOLICISM & CHRISTIANITY SYNONYMOUS? —Pastor Douglas Browning (Bethel Bible Church, Kirtland, Ohio), a former Roman Catholic, in the 6/95 OBF Visitor says: "...One would be led to believe from the statements made in the [ECT] agreement that the terms 'Roman Catholic' and 'Christian' are synonymous...Have the core doctrines of Roman Catholicism so changed that Martin Luther would heartily embrace the system as Christian? The office of pope is the same, the Mass is the same (a bloodless sacrifice), the sacraments are the same, the theology is the same, the traditions are the same...and the apostasy is the same. [Vatican II changes were cosmetic and] the core teachings of Romanism are still unscriptural and anti-scriptural..." Order the entire 4-page pamphlet from: OBF Visitor, 3865 No. High St., Columbus, OH 43214, 10 for $2.50.

FUNDAMENTALISTS WAGE A TWO-PRONGED WAR —We, as Fundamentalists, must carry on a negative and a positive war with the foreign enemies of God. In a civil war, we must carry on a negative and positive controversy with the brethren of God. In the former, foreign war, we must be grouped for battle; in the latter, civil war, we must be grieved for victory. [Dr. O. Talmadge Spence]

WRONG 'HERO'—In the 7/15 CC "Some American Heroes" article, our cited source listed Michael Jordan as No. 1. This should be Magic Johnson.

STETSON LIFTS ALCOHOL BAN—Stetson University (until recent years affiliated with the Florida Baptist Convention) has decided to drop its century-old ban on the use of alcoholic beverages (7/95 Bapt.Challenge). Its board of trustees voted April 21 to allow limited use of beer and wine at approved parties and in some student residence halls on campus in DeLand, FL.

PROMISE KEEPERS IS MOST DANGEROUS—Promise Keepers appears to be the most dangerous ecumenical device to come down the religious pike in the last decade (6/95 Fund.Digest). It has astonishly succeeded in uniting huge throngs of laymen across denominational lines. It preaches a non-doctrinal gospel--one accepted even among Mormon leaders, whose theology and Christology are aberrant, and Catholic clergy, who, while espousing salvation by grace alone, insist that true salvation rests in the Church sacraments (Media Spotlight). PK encourages men to shareintimate sexual secrets and fantasies with one another in group therapy sessions (7/3 C.News).

AWANA'S DANGEROUS WORD CHANGE—Hardingville (NJ) Bible Church Pastor Mark Franklin in a June 27 letter said: "Last August I wrote to over 100 friends in the ministry about the compromise in AWANA Clubs Int'l, namely, their chartering of NCC churches. I also sent an info packet to many, many who wrote or called, the title of that was AWANA and the ABC [see 9/15/94 CC]... Your letters to AWANA, along with a resolution passed by the American Council of Christian Churches that received wide press coverage caused the AWANA leadership to take action on their inconsistency in chartering such churches. I am saddened to report to you that their action was a step 'to the left'. One word change made the difference. The term 'affiliated with' was changed to 'supportive of'. Brother, this is New-Evangelicalism - plain and simple. A church can be a part of an apostate denomination and simply tell AWANA 'we are not supportive' of that denomination, and they will be granted a charter. The entire issue is now subjective - who will define 'supportive'?..." Also, the pastor/church agreement signature line is missing from the new policy statement.

GRAHAM PROMOTES BAD BIBLE VERSIONS— O Timothy editor David Cloud says: "Billy Graham's endorsement of the Revised Standard Version foreshadowed Evangelicalism's capitulation to the endless stream of modern versions. Graham has endorsed [most all new versions], no matter how flippant and unfaithful, including the Living Bible and the blasphemous Good News for Modern Man which corrupts [most all] references to the deity of Christ and replaces the word 'blood' with 'death'in speaking of Christ's atonement." Graham praises the new unreliable paraphrase by Eugene Peterson, The Message (see 6/1 CC), and has distributed a special edition of it.

DAVID CLOUD'S NEW BOOK, OTHER PUBS— O Timothy editor David W. Cloud has a 325-page new book, For Love of the Bible, which gives a history of the defense of the King James Bible & Received Text (from "King James Only" perspective, but it examines arguments pro and con this position). It includes biographies of key KJV defenders, and sketches of KJV-defending schools and other groups. Cost is $24.95 + $4 shipping. The O Timothy monthly magazine is available to new subscribers at half price of $10/year: Way of Life Literature, 1219 N. Harns Rd., Oak Harbor, WA 98277. Request list of other materials (Graham, Falwell, Dobson, Romanism, separation).

SBC NOTEWORTHY ITEMS—An estimated 1.3 million Southern Baptists are Masons (7/3 C.News), and 1,700 Baptist pastors are Masons (7/10 CN). A 1994 Church of God resolution stated in essence that Freemasonry and Christianity are incompatible and mutually exclusive (6/27/94 CN).* * * A messenger at the recent SBC convention in Atlanta voiced concern that "10,000 SBC churches failed to report a single baptism last year." (7/4 Indiana Bapt.) * * * Ten Southern Baptist Theolog. Seminary (Louisville) faculty members have accepted an early retirement package (7/4 IB). In the past year, theology professor Molly Marshall resigned under pressure and Diana Garland was relieved of duties as dean of Southern's Carver School of Church Social Work.

MacARTHUR UNSURE OF HOW TO BE SURE?—Some of Dr. John MacArthur's most excellent writings have been sadly characterized by confusion and contradiction. Such is alleged to be the case in a recent review of his 1992 book, SAVED WITHOUT A DOUBT: How to be Sure of Your Salvation. Miles J. Stanford says: "According to the title Dr. MacArthur tells how to be sure of your salvation--saved without a doubt. But the book's contents state otherwise--a direct contradiction, such as the author is prone to express. In the first one-third of the book he deals with Scripture that sets forth the believer's unconditional assurance and security. If he had stopped there, all would have been well. But he quite often fails to 'stop there.' He didn't stop until he added Lordship to conversion; he didn't stop until he made Christ to become Son at His incarnation; he didn't stop until he cast aspersions upon the precious Blood of Christ, as simply a 'token'; he didn't stop until he 'eradicated' the old Adam man from the believer; he didn't stop until he based assurance upon experience; he didn't stop until he designated the Sermon on the Mount and Kingdom truths for the Church today; and he didn't stop until he moved all the way into the Reformed, Covenant realm--while at the same time maintaining that he is a dispensationalist. MacArthur's assurance is...that one must persevere in holiness unto the very end--hence there is no true assurance until the very last moment. It is not just a matter of perseverance in faith, but also in good works...." [Order the 6-page review from Stanford at: 840 Vindicator Dr. #111, Colo. Spr., CO 80919. For a longer analysis of MacArthur's ministry, send $2 to: BDM, P.O. Box 6154, Bloomington, IN 47407.]

ASHBROOK HAS NEW BOOK—Pastor John Ashbrook has given us New Neutralism II and Axioms of Separation. He has a new book entitled: Family Fundamentals, geared toward newlyweds and Christian families, with 4 chapters devoted to parents and children. Order from: "Here I Stand" Books, 8686 Hilltop Drive, Mentor, OH 44060. One copy $4, 2 for $7, $3 each for 10 or more.

'TORONTO BLESSING', NEW BOOK—Drs. Frank McClelland and Bert Oatley-Willis have written a 50-page book on "The Toronto Blessing", or "laughing revival", entitled: Is This Christian Faith or Charismatic Feeling? Order from: "Let The Bible Speak" Bookstore, 1600 Neilson Road, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada M1X 1S3, $2.50 per copy.

ERROR'S PROGRESSION—History teaches us that at first error wants just to be tolerated. Then it wants equality with truth. Finally it wants precedence over truth. It tries to oust truth. (7/10 CN). "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." Expose/remove error early, no toleration.

Send comments to ccemail2015@gmail.com