SUICIDE SUBSIDIES IN OREGON—Just four years after Oregon voters narrowly approved doctor-assisted suicide, "right to die" advocates now tell taxpayers they have an obligation to subsidize poor people who want to end their lives. The 3/14 World says: "Once a right is created, it isn't long before anyone who cannot afford to exercise that right is regarded as a victim of discrimination and petitioners demand that tax dollars be used to bring that person up to the level of the 'rich' who can afford to kill themselves."

IF CLINTON GUILTY, WHY NO GRAHAM OUTRAGE?—Billy Graham told NBC Today show viewers March 5 that he forgives Pres. Clinton because, "I know the frailty of human nature... He has such a tremendous personality that I think the ladies just go wild over him." Pardon presupposes an admission of guilt, so what has the president confessed to doing? Cal Thomas asks: "For what exactly is Graham forgiving the president? Is it the sex? Is it lying under oath? Is it blanket forgiveness that also covers illegal campaign contributions, purloined FBI files, suborning of perjury, and the orchestrated cover-up of these and other 'sins,' or is it a limited immunity?" With God, forgiveness does not precede confession and repentance. Graham later added that it would be tragic to divorce character from leadership.

DEATH TO THOSE WHO INSULT ISLAM'S PROPHET—Salman Rushdie's death sentence for allegedly insulting Islam's founder in his Satanic Verses novel was reaffirmed Feb.13 by Iran's chief prosecutor, who said: "Any Muslim who hears an insult to the prophet [Mohammed] must kill the person who commits the insult." (3/26 Ala. Bapt.). Saudi Arabia kills/tortures/persecutes Muslims who become Christians. It plans to build a 1 million square-foot campus for 3,500 students on 101 acres near Washington's Dulles Airport in Va. Local residents fear that it would become an Islamic terrorist training center (4/98 Charisma). One said: "When Saudi Arabia allows Christians to build churches in their country, I will be in favor of their right to build their religious and educational centers in America."

CHRISTIAN COALITION—Since Ralph Reed's departure from Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition last year, donations fell 36 percent, layoffs reduced the staff from 110 to 90, and ties with Catholic and black subsidiaries were severed.

ARE GUNS TO BLAME FOR SCHOOL VIOLENCE?—In the last six months we have seen horrific acts of violence by children (Pearl, MS, Paducah, KY, Jonesboro, AR). Many people are asking "Why?" Why have our youth become so violent? Why are so many so amoral and show no remorse? I am continually amazed by the answers proposed in the mainstream news media. ABC News, and others, took the opportunity to promote stricter gun control laws, pointing out that the South has the least restrictive gun control regulations in the country. This line of reasoning borders on the absurd. Regardless of one's position on gun control, the fact remains that gun control laws have been nearly untouched in the South for over two hundred years. This begs the question "What has changed?" It seems the liberal media will report any explanation but the truth. We teach our children they are nothing more than animals in a more evolved state and then act surprised when they act like animals. We teach them there are no moral absolutes and then act shocked at their wanton acts of "immorality." We teach our children to esteem themselves above all else and then are horrified by their merciless acts of self-centeredness. They neither love God nor his commandments... .(M.E. Harmon, The Salt Server, 3/29 e-mail)

APOSTASY AND DECEPTION IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC is the name of a new book by Gordon Sears. It is not just another book about rock music and its harmful effects. It deals with the importance of music in the Christian life with warnings of deceptions. It shows that CCM and the radical change in music since the mid-1950s is definitely linked to a turning from truth to error. Dr. Sears says: "NOTHING in recent church history has caused more divisions, confusion, worldliness, carnality and spiritual apathy than CCM!" Send $7.95 (postpaid) for this 104-page book to: SongFest, PO Box 182, Coldwater, MI 49036.

MUSLIMS RECRUIT IN PRISONS—The U.S. has built the largest prison system in the world. Over 1.2 million convicted criminals are incarcerated in 1,500 state and federal prisons, and an additional half-million inmates occupy 3,000 jails (3/23 USN & WR). Prisons have become a very active recruiting ground for Muslim missionaries.

NAZI GOLD WENT TO CATHOLICS?—The March 30 USN & WR reported: "As the Nazis and their allies sent millions of Jews and others to their deaths, they stole billions of dollars from their victims." What happened to the loot? The article says new evidence suggests the Vatican might have directly handled funds stolen from Nazi (and allies) victims. Allegedly, money sent from Croatia to Rome after the war was partly intercepted by the British, but 200 million Swiss francs ($170 million) were held in the Vatican.

HOMOSEXUAL HANKS AT ETS AGAIN—In Nov. 1992, Thomas Hanks spoke at the Evangelical Theological Society's annual meeting and challenged members to revise their negative thinking about homosexuality (see 7/1/93 CC). The pro-homosexual Evangelicals Concerned (Spr.'98) says Hanks addressed a Nov. 1997 meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, and recently participated on a panel on homosexuality at Fuller Seminary. EC said: "An openly gay man and an evangelical Bible teacher and missionary to Latin America [with LAM], Hanks is founder of Other Sheep, an international support ministry for gay and lesbian Christians." The 1998 NAE Directory says the ETS, founded 1949, is an association of Bible-believing scholars that meets annually for intellectual stimulus and spiritual fellowship.

NAE'S WORLD RELIEF GETS BIG BUCKS FROM U.S. GOVERNMENT TO DISTRIBUTE CONDOMS?—World Relief is an arm of the National Association of [New] Evangelicals. Mindy Belz (3/28 World) says: "NAE's World Relief receives more than 60 percent of its overseas budget from Uncle Sam and helps advance Washington's family-planning objectives." She said; "This raises a hard question: What role does condom distribution play in the fulfillment of the Great Commission?" A Honduras WR official says his agency is involved in sterilization of women and "all forms of family planning." But WR officials in the U.S. say, "The only contraceptive that World Relief makes available to women is the condom." The lure of government funds can be a diversive snare. Mr. Clive Calvert last year became president of WR.

LIBERTY'S ECUMENICAL SPEAKERS—From Dr. Jerry Falwell's 4/98 National Liberty Journal we read: "Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary is proud to have Dr. [Howard] Hendricks join our distinguished list of visiting professors that includes: Drs. Gary Collins, Woodrow Kroll [Back to the Bible], John Maxwell, Stephen Olford, Jerry Vines and John Walvoord." Falwell is pictured with Kay Arthur and others as a speaker for a Jesus 2000 Holy Land Pilgrimage. His speakers for Super Conference '98 include Dallas Seminary president Chuck Swindoll and John Maxwell (Schuller speaker). All of the above pulpit-share and minister ecumenically.

CT PROMOTES POPE VIDEO—The Apr. 6 Christianity Today, the mainline magazine of the New Evangelicals, had a full-page ad for "Six Inspirational Video Sets," one of which was entitled "Pope John Paul II." Concerning this, the ad reads: "This inspiring video collection invites you to join one of the most beloved religious leaders... ."

UNITE WITH CATHOLICS TO SAVE AMERICA?—There are many strange teachings and experiences making the rounds these days in various churches and ministries. In some, people bark like dogs, roar like lions, and fall to the floor in laughing fits when a serious subject is being preached. On the other side of the coin those who claim to be the heirs of the Protestant Reformers, and to be truly Reformed, advocate working together with Roman Catholics to save America. It is absolutely amazing... that men who claim to be the heirs of the Protestant Reformers can now advocate working with Rome to save this nation. In a recent article under the division SOUL FOOD, under the heading REGAINING LOST GROUND - the sub-heading is Catholics and Protestants can Unite on Social Issues - World Magazine writer Matt Daniels gives out a STRANGE mixture indeed. [Dr. Ronald Cooke, pres., Breckbill College, Spr. '98] Dr. Cooke goes on to refute Rome's false teachings and to show how close Reconstructionists are to the Jesuits. He says anyone working to clean up society must see idolatry as one of the great evils to be attacked, not dismissed.

OS GUINNESS AT CEDARVILLE—Why would a GARBC-approved "fundamentalist" college in seemingly rapid succession in recent years invite ecumenical speakers such as Warren Wiersbe, James M. Boice (see 3/1 CC), and now Os Guinness? The 3/98 Baptist Bulletin reports: "Os Guinness, senior fellow of the Trinity Forum and prolific evangelical author, will be the featured speaker at the Staley Lecture Series on March 31 and April 1." Guinness spoke at the 1998 NAE convention. He was listed as a speaker, along with Roman Catholics and ecumenicals, at a 1991 C.S. Lewis Summer Institute (1/14/91 CT). He headed a 1988 ecumenical summit which produced the 28-page Williamsburg Charter reaffirming pluralism and expanding the religious liberty provisions of the First Amendment (2/1/89 CC). Signers included Mormon, Catholic, NAE, and NCC leaders, and Billy Graham.

DOBSON TO SPEAK AT SBC—Focus on the Family's Dr. James Dobson is scheduled to bring the concluding message for the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Salt Lake City, June 9-11 (Baptist Banner). Dobson's stands against certain immorality issues are commendable, but we have long warned against his ecumenical endeavors with Catholics and charismatics.

BROWNSVILLE REVIVAL HIGH PRESSURE APPEALS—The charismatic "revival" at the Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola began in June 1995 and has continued four nights a week. John Kilpatrick is the pastor and Steve Hill the evangelist (see 11/15 CC). It has taken in millions of dollars. Its Awake America crusades takes its message to other cities. In Memphis last Oct. Hill scolded the audience for failing to donate enough money and stopped preaching to renew high-pressure appeals for more cash (3/22 HT). Local groups that invite the revival will now be asked to raise part of the budget in advance, and requests for money will be fewer and less intense.

DEATHS—REV. HAROLD HAINES died March 24 at age 80. He was a pastor for 57 years, an ACCC Exec. Comm. member for nearly 30 years, and served in various offices in the Fellowship of Fundamental Bible Churches. Pastors Mark Franklin and Bill Raymond spoke at memorial services(NJ). ** REV. WILSON EWIN died Feb.14 of cancer. He was director of Quebec Baptist Mission (to Catholics), and a prolific writer. We have reviewed many of his books (on ecumenism, Romanism, charismatism, Graham, etc.), available (including a brand new one, from Ewin Pub., PO Box 180, Norton, VT 05907.

FRANKLIN GRAHAM'S ECUMENISM—Franklin Graham is following in his famous father's footsteps, as is evident from the various forums he frequents. He spoke at NRB '98, Moody Founder's Week, at Promise Keepers (5/97), and at Jerry Falwell's Liberty Univ. 5/96 baccalaureate service (David Cloud, 3/23 CN). A Catholic archbishop and an Anglican archbishop were present at the 6/97 media launch for his Jan. 30, 1998 ecumenical crusade in Australia, involving a hodgepodge of churches.

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