CARL SAGAN: 'EDUCATED FOOL' FACES DEATH—World famous evolutionist and star of the "Cosmos" series Carl Sagan was named "Humanist of the Year" in 1981. He said back then he opposed the spread of Christianity. In the 3/18 USN&WR he says "...the Bible is demonstrably wrong in areas of science." His new book is entitled: The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. Sagan now faces death from a rare bone-marrow disease, and his despair is sad to behold (3/10 Parade): He says: "Four times now have I looked Death in the face...I would love to believe that when I die I will live again, that some thinking, feeling, remembering part of me will continue. But...I know of nothing to suggest that [an afterlife] is more than wishful thinking." He said "I cannot conceive of a god who rewards and punishes his creatures...." The god of science offers no hope at death.

MINIRTH BREAKS WITH MEIER—Popular psychiatrists Paul Meier and Frank Minirth have had a long association with Dallas Seminary, and have dispensed psychological advice through a 200-station radio show, books, and chain of 80 clinics. But this has now changed, and Minirth has struck out on his own. A 3/9 World article said: "Welcome to Christian psychiatry in the '90s. In the good old days, Minirth-Meier New Life might well have a waiting list of believers willing to pay up to $1,000 a day for in-patient psychiatric care that mixed Philippians with Freud, conviction of sin with confirmation of self-esteem." In their Prophets of PsychoHeresy book, Martin and Deidre Bobgan said Minirth and Meier are heavily dependent upon Freud and that they at times inaccurately use Scripture to support their personal psychological opinions, and end up psychologizing the Bible.

FISHNET CONFERENCE FEATURES CAMPOLO, JOHNSTON—The 22nd Annual Fishnet conference, July 10-13 (Virginia) features the following speakers/performers: Radical leftist Tony Campolo, Youth For Christ, NRB performer Gary Chapman (Amy Grant's husband), Jerry Johnston, Peter Marshall, Ben Kinchlow, Steve Camp, and CeCe Winans.

DISNEY IS PAGAN, PRO-SODOMITE—Creationist Ken Ham in his 2/96 Answers in Genesis says: "[For] years, I have been saying that as people or organizations build their thinking on evolution, they'll eventually abandon Christian morality, build a humanistic worldview, and eventually move into the New Age movement." During a recent visit to Disneyland, he said "...it hit me how pagan Disney had become." He cited music, and evolutionary propaganda, and said Disney offers health insurance to live-in partners of its homosexual employees. Disney head Michael Eisner says Disney (which tries to influence children) has the "largest lesbian and gay employees organization in the entertainment industry," and that "as many as 40 percent of its 63,000 employees might be [homosexual]."

U.S. GOVERNMENT IS LARGEST DISTRIBUTOR OF PORN—Pornography is a $10 billion a year business. The federal government is America's largest distributor of pornography. It sells sex magazines tax-free and at discount through the military exchange system. The Pentagon Book Store sells nine "soft-porn" magazines and two explicit homosexual ones (3/96 BJU's WITW). Many, if not most, of all sex crimes are directly related to the use of pornography. Pornography demeans women, perverts youth, and destroys families.

SAME-SEX 'MARRIAGES'—Hawaii is moving closer to becoming the first state to sanction homosexual marriages. The 2/26 Wash. Watch says: "If homosexual 'marriage' becomes law in Hawaii and is imposed on all other states through the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the Constitution, businesses will be forced to subsidize homosexuality, schoolchildren will be taught that homosexuality is equivalent to marital sex, and churches will be pushed into a religious 'ghetto,' where pressure will mount for conformity to civil law. Redefining marriage would redefine the family, giving homosexuals an uncontested 'right' to adopt children...."

'UNITED RELIGIONS' LIKE 'UNITED NATIONS'—Episcopal Bishop William of Calif. is proposing a new "United Religions" and is collaborating in this effort with the World Conference on Religion and Peace, the Gorbachev Foundation, and private foundations. (3/18 New Amer.) It would be a global, interfaith peacemaking organization for dialogue to help root out war.

FRAIL POPE & FLEEING FLOCK—Pope John Paul II recently visited Latin America out of concern for exploding conversions of his flock to charismaticism, etc. Every day, on average, about 8,000 baptized Catholics become Protestants(2/12 CN).

BILL BRIGHT GETS $1 MILLION TEMPLETON PRIZE—Investment manager John M. Templeton established the Templeton Prize in 1972 to recognize individuals who advance the world's understanding of religion. Bill Bright, head of Orlando based Campus Crusade is the winner of the 1996 Prize. He will use the money to promote fasting among Christians. He fasted 40 days in 1994 then called for hundreds of liberals, charismatics and new-evangelicals to convene in Orlando (see 11/15/94 & 3/15/95 CCs) to fast and pray for revival (Participants included Charles Colson and Bill Gothard.) Bright believes America is in the midst of a spiritual revival, and says denominational barriers are breaking down. He praises Promise Keepers for this. He is very ecumenical, and has Catholics on his staff. He has gravitated more and more toward the charismatic movement in recent years. He says his office has received thousands of letters from Muslims telling of seeing Jesus in visions. Previous Templeton Prize winners include Mother Teresa, Billy Graham and Chuck Colson. Last year it went to a creedless Australian physicist.

CRISWELL ENDORSES SCHULLER AUTOBIOGRAPHY—Dr. W.A. Criswell, Pastor emeritus of the historic First Baptist Church (Dallas) and a leading SBC conservative, penned an endorsement for apostate Robert Schuller's new autobiography: Prayer: My Soul's Adventure With God. (1-2/96 Fund.Digest). Norman Vincent Peale, Schuller's mentor, is eulogized many times throughout the book, and Schuller was nearly euphoric when Mother Teresa "blessed" him. Other endorsers are: Paul [David] Cho, TBN's Paul Crouch, Jack Hayford, and John Wimber. SBC patriarch Criswell has praised Schuller's ministry for many years.

TIM LEE'S 'CHRISTIAN CONTRACT WITH AMERICA—Dr. Tim Lee calls for A Christian Contract With America, in a 1996 book by that title, to combat moral and social evils and to bring a spiritual awakening to America. He praises the "alliances of other great men and women" such as Moral Majority, Eagle Forum, Christian Coalition, Focus on the Family, and Concerned Women for America. He says, "I thank God for their decisions of courage and faith." Lee said the Christian Coalition's "Contract With the American Family" is "commendable. It calls for respect for religious equality and an end to religious hostility...but we need to go much further." He said "I am not calling for a Contract that excludes other religious beliefs..." Roman Catholics are involved in the organizations Lee praises, and some include Jews, Mormons, etc. The Bible condemns such religious syncretism/inclusivism--joining with false-gospel enemies of God to fight society evils, etc.

PIEDMONT HAS ELMER TOWNS AS BANQUET SPEAKER—Piedmont Bible College (N. Carolina) again sent mixed signals with its recent speakers at its Bible Conference, etc. One of these, Dr. Bradley Price, associates with new evangelicals--routinely has Drs. Jerry Falwell and Tim Lee as speakers, etc. Dr. Elmer Towns spoke at Piedmont's Banquet. He is a vice president and dean at Falwell's Liberty University. He is listed in the 3/96 Charisma as a speaker, along with "signs and wonders" C. Peter Wagner and other charismatics, at a 5/96 conference hosted by Fuller Seminary. Piedmont leaders perhaps were not aware of this, but Towns could hardly have been regarded as being a fundamentalist. Reportedly the Piedmont president has said he would not have Dr. Tim Lee back, and has taken a commendable stand against Promise Keepers.

RON BLUE TO SPEAK AT IFCA MEETING—Dr. Ron Blue from CAM International is the speaker for the 1996 Annual National Independent Fundamental Churches of America Convention at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Mich. Blue and Pat Robertson were featured speakers at CBN's 11/94 Financial Success conference (10/94 Charisma). Blue also spoke at a Word of Life conference last year. Its 1-2/96 Voice magazine has articles by those with new-evangelical groups and ads promoting new-evangelical entities. IFCA pastor Ed Dobson is a Senior Editor of Christianity Today. He is a member of the radical leftist Evangelicals for Social Action--Ron Sider, president (1-2/96 Fund. Digest). "Evangelical" would seem more accurate than "Fundamental" in the IFCA's name.

GARBC LEADER HAS 'HEALING SERVICE'—A promo ad ("Choices, Choices") from Calvary Baptist Church of Muskegon, MI says "there are now three different ways to worship: 8:30 First Light -A mix of old and new for those who thrive on variety, 9:45 New Light - New format, new songs and a contemporary approach to worship, and 11: 00 Son Light - A classic service with traditional components." It listed "Physical Healing and Prayer" for Feb. 18, all three services. Calvary's pastor, William J. Rudd, is on the GARBC's Council of Eighteen, and is chairman of the Search Committee for a new GARBC National Rep.

PROMISE KEEPERS AN ECUMENICAL TOOL—Over 40,000 male clergy from around the globe met in Atlanta in February at Promise Keepers's first-ever Clergy Conference. The theme for this year's PK conferences is "Break Down the Walls." Unity and reaching beyond denominational barriers is a main goal. Catholics and Mormons accept PK, so what kind of unity will PK produce? The 2/96 Wilderness Voice said: "Promise Keepers is a very dangerous ecumenical group that may well accomplish what the charismatics and Catholics have not been able to do and that is to unite all factions of apostate Christianity into the one-world church of the anti-Christ."

ANGLICAN BISHOP WANTS CATHOLICS IN WCC—Anglican Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali says the ecumenical movement should consider scrapping the World Council of Churches and replacing it with a new international church body to which the Roman Catholic Church could belong (3/11 Chr. News). WCC head Konrad Raiser wants to increase Catholic participation (10/15 CC). He says ecumenical inclusiveness is severely limited without the full participation of the RCC along with evangelical & Pentecostal churches.

SEPARATION, THE UNPOPULAR BIBLE DOCTRINE—The doctrine of Separation weaves its way through the Bible from Genesis through Revelation and is unpopular with many professing Christians. I guess many think it is too restrictive, and if faithfully practiced would distance them from a world system that still holds an appeal to them and for which they still hold a latent desire. But, can anyone who even casually reads the Bible deny its repetitious teaching on separation? There are several areas of separation that the Bible clearly teaches God's people to observe and obey. I. WORLDLINESS (1 Jn. 2:15, John 15:18,19) A. Worldly dress and appearance (1 Tim. 2:9, 10, 1 Cor. 11:14) B. Worldly behavior (1 Pet. 1:15, 2 Cor. 7:1) C. Worldly Associations (1 Cor. 15:33) D. Worldly Activities. II. FALSE DOCTRINE (Rom. 16:17, Eph. 5:11). III. COMPROMISING BRETHREN (2 Th. 3:6, 14,15, 1 Cor. 5: 11). IV. FALSE PROPHETS (Matt. 24:24-26). [Allen P. Dickerson, 2/96 Maranatha Baptist Watchman]

CALVARY HAS CCM CONCERTS & ECUMENICAL SPEAKER—Calvary Bible College/Seminary (Kansas City) in its Spring 1996 Calendar of Events lists: Elisabeth Elliot (very ecumenical), and concerts by Bill Gaither and Friends, Cheri Kaeggy, Steve Ragsdale, and Dick and Mel Tunney. Dr. Warren Bathke is Calvary's interim president.

Send comments to ccemail2015@gmail.com