VOL. XV  NO. 23  NEWS & VIEWS, NOTES & QUOTES, TO WARN & INFORM   December 1, 1998

BINGE DRINKING A CAMPUS KILLER—It is estimated that America's 12 million undergrads drink the equivalent of six million gallons of beer a week and that excessive drinking is involved in thousands of student deaths a year (11/98 R. Digest). Per a survey of college administrators, 38 percent of academic problems are alcohol-related, as are 29 percent of dropouts. The article said alcohol is a poison - often pleasurable, but a toxin nonetheless. It increases aggression, impairs judgment and is related to 25 percent of violent crimes and roughly 60 percent of vandalism.

TV, MUSIC VIDEOS START TEEN DRINKING?—A new Stanford University survey shows that high school students who watch lots of television and music videos are more likely to start drinking alcohol than other youngsters (11/3 Hunts. Times). Most drinking on television is said to be done by the most attractive and influential people, and often associated with sexually suggestive content. The study also found each increase of one hour per day of watching music videos brought a 31 percent greater risk of drinking.

ASTRONAUTS DEBUNK EVOLUTION—Logic-oriented scientists and daring pilots turn spiritual after their space flights. Liberal Democrat Senator and astronaut John Glenn (Presbyterian) after his recent flight said: "To look up out at this kind of creation and not believe in God is to me impossible." The 11/3 Huntsville Times article this was taken from had similar quotes from other astronauts. Randall Hedtke in a new 67-page book titled The Plight of the True Science Teacher refutes Darwinian and theistic evolution. He says: "The problem with evolution as a theory is that it is long on persuasion but short on self-criticism and experimentation." Order it from: True Science, PO Box 103, Alexandria, MN 56308, $9.50 postpaid.

HOLLYWOOD SHAPES VALUES—UNICEF, the UN children's fund, is being used to change Third World culture attitudes about women. Cartoon character Meena is featured on Asian TV, and a million Meena comic books were distributed in Bangladesh (11/14 World). Hollywood, meanwhile, tells US that entertainment simply reflects the culture, it doesn't change it. It says the entertainment industry doesn't shape our children, culture, or national values. If that be so, then why are social policy experts and their Hollywood allies banking on a cartoon to change Third World cultural values? Fact is, media images DO influence thinking/behavior, as evidenced by commercials.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE DEFEATED IN HAWAII—In a stunning defeat for the gay-rights movement, voters in Hawaii and Alaska overwhelmingly (by over 2 to 1 margin) approved ballot initiatives to preserve traditional marriage.

TED TURNER: RICH BUT DUMB—Ted Turner, owner of CNN and the Atlanta Braves (and v-c of Time-Warner), divides the world into two groups: smart people and dumb people. He claims to be smart, and tries to save the world from overpopulation and bad environmental practices. He is indeed rich and worldly-wise. But spiritually he is foolish. He says: "The message must be preached that heaven is on earth." and "You will do a lot better at saving yourself than praying to somebody to save you. I think the savior is right here. With our current technology, we can save ourselves." (11/14 World). He has his own version of the Ten Commandments which he calls the Ted Commandments. He says he looks forward to going to hell (9/21 Christian News). He said a place that's perfect would be "boring."

DISNEY EXPOSED—A new book, Disney: The Mouse Betrayed, by Peter and Rochelle Schweizer exposes The Mouse for a rat. Under Michael Eisner since 1984, Disney branched out into entertainment. Its Hollywood Records had The Lifers Group, a rap band made up entirely of convicted felons at a NJ prison. It bought intoViewer's Choice, now a leading purveyor of pornography (11/14 World). The book tells of crimes involving pedophiles at Magic Kingdom. It gives dozens of examples of rottenness.

RUSSIA'S SAD PLIGHT—"In a single month, the ruble lost half its value; the Russian stock market has declined 80 percent; and the nation is effectively bankrupt. The life expectancy of the average Russian man is only 56 years, lower than in Third World countries, and the population is plagued by alcoholism, suicide, and despair." (Gene Veith, 10/31 World). What happened? Capitalism won't work without a rule of law, a moral base. Communists destroyed Russia's moral base, and it can't be rebuilt overnight.

CLINTON 'PROTECTS' HOMOS—Pres. Clinton's exec. order last May added "sexual orientation" as a protected class of federal workers against discrimination (10/26 C. Today). Conservatives fear this will lead to quotas. James Dobson says "The wording guarantees that those who claim to be homosexuals will henceforth be given preferential treatment in hiring, firing, and job-related activities."

PENTAGON REMOVES PORN—The Pentagon directed military store managers to remove 153 sexually explicit magazines from sales outlets on Sept. 21, but failed to ban or consider "sexually explicit" Playboy and a dozen others.

IVCF POSTPONES URBANA'99 DUE TO Y2K GLITCH—Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship has postponed its Ill. triennial meeting from Dec. 27-31,1999 to a year later (11/16 CN). Reasons cited included Y2K "unknown variables."

PCC'S OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON KJV—Pensacola Christian College's V-P for Institutional Relations, Dr. Joe Rammel, last month sent us the following official stance on the KJV textual issue: "Pensacola Christian College teaches that God gave the words of Scripture by inspiration without error in the original autographs. God promises that he will preserve His Word; Jesus said '...but my words shall not pass away' - Matt. 24:35. We believe God has kept that promise by preserving His infallible Word in the traditional Hebrew and Greek manuscripts and that the Authorized Version (KJV) is the best translation of the preserved Word of God in the English language. We hold it with confidence believing that it accurately reflects the inspired and infallible words of the Hebrew and Greek." PCC caused a firestorm of controversy with a video tape earlier this year that featured a "scholar" (Letis) laden with new-evangelical or heretical baggage, from what we have read. This new official statement would seem to be a step back toward a less divisive original stance. We are grieved at the extent that the Bible version issue is dividing Fundamentalism. We deplore Ruckmanism, but also have had articles warning of many of the untrustworthy modern Bible versions. But it would seem that we should exercise charity and not allow micro considerations of the KJV to become such an emotional "break fellowship" issue. 

BURGEONING PENTECOSTALISM—The size of the Pentecostal movement is staggering. Vinson Synan of Pat Robertson's Regent University says that of the world's 540 million Pentecostals, 52 million are from China, 92 million are charismatic Catholics, 71 million are Protestant charismatics, and 215 million are in classical Pentecostal denominations. Charismatics and Pentecostals make up over 88 percent of Brazil's evangelical population. Pentecostalism is the largest and most dynamic movement within evangelicalism (11/16 CT). The Pentecostal and charismatic church is growing by 19 million per year.

BROWNSVILLE 'REVIVAL' & RICH PREACHERS—The Brownsville Assembly of God (Pensacola) claims to be hosting "the largest local church revival in the history of America." But the Pensacola News Journal says three of the main leaders have acquired large tracts of land and have built or are building opulent homes. Church pastor John Kilpatrick travels in a $310,000 deluxe motor coach and has built a $340,000 luxury home. Evangelist Stephen Hill's ministry bought 40 acres in Ala., listed at $847,931 (BJU's What in the World!). Michael Brown who heads Brownsville's School of Ministry is building a house that the paper says will cost $727,360, but Brown says it is worth less than $425,000. "Revival" leaders still sometimes plead 20 minutes for donations.

DOBSON'S CHURCH IS MEMBER OF IFCA—Dr. Richard Gregory, Exec. Dir. of IFCA, Int'l in an e-mail last month said Ed Dobson (Pastor of Calvary Church, Grand Rapids) is not a member of the IFCA but that the church he pastors (Calvary Church, Grand Rapids) is. Gregory said Dobson is a good preacher and "honorable man" but that he is "much broader than IFCA in his associations." Calvary Church is the old M.R. DeHaan church. Now a "seeker sensitive" church (see 6/1/94 CC), it features rock music and its pastor has positioned himself in the New Evangelical camp. An IFCA church in NJ supported a 9/91 Billy Graham Crusade (see 4/15/91 CC). 

SBC SEMINARY MAKES PROFS SIGN SUBMISSION RULE—Southwestern Baptist Seminary board members have changed a bylaw to require faculty members to sign the updated version of the SBC's statement of faith that includes a statement that women must submit graciously to their husbands (10/24 HT). One prof says he won't sign.

PK NO HELP TO LOCAL CHURCH ATTENDANCE—Of the Promise Keepers' seven promises, Promise #5 reads: "A Promise Keeper is committed to supporting the mission of the church...by actively giving of his time and resources." So, what is the result of the past eight years? Religion researcher George Barna reported recently that male church attendance has shown no increase since 1990, when PK sponsored its first event in Colorado (11/98 Charisma). Although PK has touched millions of men, critics say the "pep rally" atmosphere of PK events provides an emotional high but little discipleship for men to become better husbands, fathers and spiritual leaders.

FORMER SBC LIBERALS DEFEND CLINTON—Exiled Southern Baptist liberals who call themselves moderates have become Pres. Clinton's Baptist enablers. E. Glenn Hinson, professor at the "moderate" Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, VA says the president's sin is none of our business (11/7 World). Hinson was Prof. of Church History at Southern Seminary (Louisville) for over twenty years, teaching that Jesus had no consciousness of "divinity," and that "the risen Christ had not a physical but a spiritual body" (David Beale, SBC: House on the Sand?). Former SBC liberal James Dunn and Foy Valentine have also defended Clinton. Valentine said: "What he did is disgusting, but not what I would consider adultery." Such amazing blindness!

WAKE FOREST SELLS ALCOHOL ON CAMPUS—Wake Forest University sells beer and wine on campus and Southern Baptists say a college-operated pub sends the wrong message to students (11/11 H. Times). WFU cut governance ties with the State Convention over a decade ago, but still has fraternal ties with it. WFU's 1997-98 "Year of Religion" program featured a Buddhist monk, a rabbi, and liberals as speakers (see 10/1/97 CC). 

LETTER FROM LOCAL RELIGIOUS EDITOR PRAISING HER DEPARTING SBC PASTOR TO HIS NEW CHURCH: - "If you expect to hear fire and brimstone from the pulpit, you've called the wrong man. He's never once... raised his voice...or pounded his fist on the podium. His messages are thought-provoking and challenging, never threatening or condemning....His sermons last 15 to 18 minutes....If you want [him] to tell you exactly what you should believe, you've picked the wrong man....He will...offer his take on the issue, then let you decide your own approach to God and the Scriptures...." [11/7 HT]

DU PLESSIS WORKED WITH CATHOLICS—David du Plessis was known as "Mr. Pentecost" but "Mr. Ecumenical" would have been just as accurate. At his death in 1987, he had been active in World Council of Churches and Catholic-Pentecostal dialogues (see 4/15/87 CC). He accepted the Catholic dogma of papal infallibility and tolerated apparitions of the Virgin Mary. He was the first non-Roman Catholic ever to receive the distinguished Renemerenti Medal (11/98 Charisma). He was a resident consultant on ecumenical affairs at Fuller Seminary.

NEW PUBLICATIONS—Pastor Jim Singleton (Tri-City Baptist Church, 2150 E. Southern Ave., Tempe, AZ 85282) has some pamphlets on various subjects such as gambling, evolution, charismatic false anointing, etc. Send $1 to help cover postage and request some samples. Since May, he also publishes The Whetstone where he discusses current issues of interest to fundamentalists. He has started a series on "small groups" that some may find controversial, but he also has helpful articles on such topics as New Evangelicalism, revival, and Christianity and Culture. 

PRAY FOR ACCC EXEC. SEC'Y DR. RALPH COLAS—as he goes to Zimbabwe to cover the Dec. WCC meeting!

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