POPE & CIA ALLIANCE?—The 10/96 Reader's Digest article, "John Paul II and the Hidden History of Our Time," revealed an alliance between the "Holy See and the Reagan Administration." In frequent talks between "fervent Catholic" CIA Director William Casey, the Polish pope was given photos, from U.S. spy satellites, of vital interest concerning Soviet troop maneuvers in Poland. "The pope was the beneficiary of some of America's most carefully guarded secrets..."

GUNS CAN BE GOOD—The 9/30 New American says medical costs saved as a result of gun use by law-abiding citizens are 15 times greater than costs incurred by criminal uses of guns. Guns also prevent injuries to good people and protect billions of dollars of property each year.

'BIBLES' ARE BIG BUSINESS—Americans now spend an estimated $400 million each year on Bibles. So says a 9/9 Time magazine "The Power of Babble" article. The New Living Translation hit bookstores in August. It revises and updates the unreliable "Living Bible" paraphrase. It is said to be "gender inclusive and doctrinally wrong" (see 8/15 CC). Time said some 450 English translations, paraphrases, or retellings of all or part of the Bible are now in print. And the desire to make money (commercial motivation) is said to be one reason for new translations.

BRITISH PARENTS CAN'T SPANK CHILD?—The European Court of Human Rights has accepted a 12-year-old boy's challenge to a British corporal punishment law (9/21 World). The boy, caned by his step-father for trying to stab another child with a kitchen knife, claims his parents violated the 1950 European Human Rights Convention. Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have outlawed physical punishment by parents.

FENHOLT'S PARENTS SUE HIM OVER ABUSE CHARGES—CCM singer Jeffrey Fenholt's parents have filed a $12 million lawsuit against their son, saying he falsely accused them of abusing him in childhood in his 1994 autobiography. TBN, FGBMFI, and others are named as co-defendants. (10/96 Charisma). His brother and sisters say he made up the stories to further his career.

MEDIA SPOTLIGHT REPORTS—Al and Jean Dager have reports/videos on dozens of current topics, such as New Age, Jay Gary's Celebration 2000, Freemasonry, Roman Catholicism and other cults, Benny Hinn, and James Dobson. Write them for Order Form: P. O. Box 290, Redmond, WA 98073.

ACCC 55TH ANNUAL CONVENTION IS OCT. 22-24, LEBANON, PA. SEE 9/1 CC FOR INFO ON SPEAKERS, ETC.

SUFFERING SAINTS—Today Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world, with the greatest number of victims. A N.J. Congressman says it's time this becomes a front-burner, non-negotiable issue in our foreign policy. The 10/96 Light said three factors are responsible for most of the persecution of Christians globally: resurgent communism, a religiously intolerant form of Islam, and reemerging nationalism. The rise of radical Islam has effectively criminalized the practice of Christianity.

HOLLYWOOD'S NEW BAD GUYS: CHRISTIANS—The 9/21 World said: "Hollywood has been facing a villain crisis. Formula plots require bad guys, but now that the Soviet Union has folded, Communist spies pose little threat [?], while depicting Middle Eastern terrorists comes across as politically incorrect ethnic stereotyping. Many in the pop culture factories are turning to a new group to embody the forces of evil: Christians." A recent movie depicts a "nightmarish future vision" of America taken over by the Christian Coalition and a Bible-toting evangelist who impose their morality on everyone.

HOLLYWOOD: PEDDLER OF PORN & PERVERSION—SBC's Fall 1996 BEAM said: "Frank Capra, director of some of the finest films ever made, walked away from the movie business in the '60s. He wrote in his autobiography, 'The winds of change blew through the dream factories...The hedonists...the bleeding hearts...the God-haters, the quick buck artist who substituted shock for talent, all cried, Shake 'em! Rattle 'em! God is dead. Long live Pleasure! Nudity! Yeah!.... Liberate the world from prudery. Emancipate our films from morality.'" Why do Christians give such purveyors of porn, profanity, and perversity access to living rooms of their families?

W. V. GRANT TO PRISON—Charismatic healer W. V. Grant, former pastor of Eagles Nest Family Church in Dallas, was sentenced to 16 months in prison, fined $30,000 and assigned 100 community service hours by a U.S. District Court judge after Grant's conviction of tax fraud. (10/96 Charisma. He must repay $253,000 in back taxes. Grant used $100,000 of church member donations as a down payment on a $1.2 million estate.

THE POPE VISITS FRANCE—Leftist activists had protested, but Pope John Paul's visit to France in Sept. drew 200,000 jubilant pilgrims who cheered the 76-year-old pope like a rock star. France is 80 percent Catholic, but less than 15 percent practice their religion. Tourist outnumber worshipers at cathedrals. The pope greeted Muslims in hope of religious dialogue.

EVANGELICALS JOIN WITH 'OTHER JESUS' WORSHIPERS—Dave Hunt says: "Pat Robertson's 'Christian Coalition' unites Catholics, Mormons, Moonies, Jews and other non-Christians in political/social action." Sun Myung Moon's Sept. conference in Washington attracted speakers such as Beverly LaHaye, Ralph Reed and Robert Schuller (9/9 CN). RC Peter Kreeft says Muslims are now our friends (5/20 CT). But the Jesus of Islam was just a prophet and did not die on the cross. The Moonie Jesus "failed in his mission." The New Age Jesus and the Jesus of the cults (Catholicism, Mormonism, etc.) are not the Christian Jesus. Prominent new-evangelicals who join with Evangelicals and Catholics Together, Promise Keepers, and the Christian Coalition evidently believe that groups with different Jesuses can all worship together (see 2 Cor. 11:4, Gal. 1:9).

'BREAK DOWN THE WALLS'—That's the theme for Promise Keepers rallies for 1996. PK leaders decry denominational walls (between charismatics, Catholics, evangelicals, etc.). But the Bible erects barriers between truth and error, between God's people and His enemies. God commands separation (2 Cor. 6:14-17). Nehemiah built a wall. W. B. Riley decades ago warned of "the inclusive policy" in his "Divinely Ordered Divisions" pamphlet. Jesus came not to bring peace, but division. He severely denounced false religionists of His day (Mat. 23, etc.). He did not try to unite His followers with them. Romanism and Mormonism are false religions/cults (Eph. 5:11). Satan's counterfeit "revival" of our day is actually a union for the apostasy.

PROMISE KEEPERS: AN ABSURD UNHOLY MIXTURE—Promise Keepers founder Bill McCartney asks: "Can we look one another in the eye...Baptist, Presbyterian, Assemblies of God, Catholic, etc., and get together on common ground: 'We believe in salvation through Christ alone, and we have made Him the Lord of our lives?'" But, Baptists generally teach that a man accepts God's plan of salvation while a Presbyterian believes God selects who is to be saved ahead of time. Assemblies of God teach you can lose your salvation, Baptists teach you can't, and the Catholic Catechism says: "We believe the Church is the mother of our new birth" (9/16 Chr. News).

WCC APOSTASY—The World Council of Churches tolerates theological modernism, promotes universalism, and is open to charismatics. Churches in the WCC promote the killing of unborn infants, ordain women, homosexuals, and lesbians, and allow their theologians to deny just about every doctrine of historic Christianity. (9/23 Chr. News). Most mainline churches (U. Methodist, Presbyterian Church-USA, Episcopal, ELCA, etc.) are members of the liberal NCC/WCC.

ETERNAL SONSHIP OF CHRIST—Dr. John MacArthur and others teach that "Christ is and always has been the second member of the Trinity but only became a Son in His incarnation." But Scriptures teach that Christ was always the Son of God (5/1 Bible & Life): The Son created the world (Col. 1, Heb. 1). The Father sent the Son. The Son had a relationship with the Father from eternity past (Jn. 16:28), and is compared with Melchizedek as the Eternal Son (Heb. 7:3). George Zeller and Dr. Renald Showers have a new book, The Eternal Sonship of Christ (Foreword by Dr. John C. Whitcomb), 128 pages, $7.00 postpaid. Order from Zeller at: 349 East St., Middletown, CT 06057. Bro. Zeller has written many tracts and booklets, e.g., "Dangers of Reformed Theology" and "Homosexuality." Request a Literature List.

GARBC PASTOR OBJECTS TO RACIAL RELATIONS RESOLUTION—Rev. Peter Van Kleeck, pastor of Wealthy Park Baptist Church (a GARBC founding church), has written the Council of Eighteen taking issue with the resolution on Racial Relations adopted at the GARBC's annual conference last June, and to "Dr. [Charles] Ware's vitriolic speech." He said, "In one resolution, the GARBC has entered into the foolishness of the Southern Baptist Convention in apologizing for something the resolution assumes all are culpable of and most have never done, and played into the inclusivistic, politically correct hands of Promise Keepers....The resolution was simply to make everyone feel better about something they had nothing to do with....There is no Biblical basis for corporate repentance because one cannot repent for someone else's sin....Was this not an unbiblical, social gospel blunder?...."

NEW TRIBES IS NEW EVANGELICAL?—Many fundamental churches support New Tribes Mission based on its somewhat strong statement on separation. But several indicators in the past two decades have concerned us. A family resigned from NTM in the '70s. One issue was that "some of the members of New Tribes are members of churches that are in the WCC. Other members receive support from such churches." (9/19/78 Blu-Print). Dr. George Dollar listed NTM as "moderate" (10/ 1/76 Facts for Fund.). A Baptist church planter (in Calif. at the time) in a 1993 letter said of New Tribes: "They certainly do not know anything about ecclesiastical separation. They are in...churches that are Neo-evangelical as well as liberal...." Dr. Don Jasmin reported on a 1993 Missions Awareness Conference at Messiah College where 20 missions participated, including NTM, IVCF, and AIM (11-12/93 Fund.Digest). In the Jan-Feb '96 Fund. Digest he says: "New Tribes Mission has indeed gone new-evangelical!"

CATHOLICS SAY MARY IS QUEEN OF HEAVEN—Some Roman Catholics claim they don't believe Mary is the Queen of Heaven. But consider what the Roman Catholic Church officially teaches in its New Catechism (O Timothy): "'Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son...' The assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection... 'In giving birth you kept your virginity... You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death'...."

C. S. LEWIS 'VERY CATHOLIC'—By the time of his death, C. S. Lewis had moved from Idealism to Pantheism and then to Theism. In Letters to Malcolm, he indicated that shortly before his death, he was turning toward the Catholic Church. Lewis termed himself "very Catholic"-his prayers for the dead, belief in purgatory, and rejection of the literal resurrection of the body are serious deviations from Biblical Christianity. He even went to a priest for regular confession, and received the sacrament of extreme unction on 7/16/63. [This was taken from the Sep-Oct BDM Letter. An much-expanded version in booklet format is available for $1 from: B.D.M., P.O. Box 679, Bedford, IN 47421.

SO. BAPTISTS SPLIT IN VIRGINIA—Conservatives broke with moderates/liberals in Sept.--mainly over the Bible--marking the first time a state has had two groups affiliated with the SBC.

Send comments to ccemail2015@gmail.com