FDA RESTRICTS ABORTION DRUG—Pro-abortionists fear that unusual FDA restrictions on RU-486 mean fewer doctors will prescribe it, making it less accessible. This “easy, at-home abortion drug” takes several days and can have serious side effects (Moody). And the emotional trauma could be worse than that of a surgical abortion.

SENATE EXPANDS HATE CRIMES—The U.S. Senate voted 57-42 to expand federal hate crime laws to include crimes based on sexual orientation [e.g., homosexuality] or crimes committed because a person is handicapped (9-10/00 Moody). Its future is uncertain. This dangerous legislation (see 12/15 CC) is now attached to the Defense Department appropriations bill which Pres. Clinton says he will veto if it does not include the hate crimes provision.

READER OBJECTS TO SKAGGS ARTICLE—A reader defended Ricky Skaggs and took issue with our 9/1 article concerning his playing in bars and casinos. We replied: “You ask, 'What are Christian musicians supposed to do…to earn a living?' God will provide (Psa. 37:25). There are thousands of gifted/talented musicians out there who, just because God has given them a talent is not a sufficient basis for necessarily assuming they must/can use it to make a living—especially in an unscriptural way. They have other God-given 'talents' that can Scripturally be used to earn a living. You compare it to a bricklayer for an abortion clinic. But couldn't a 'Christian' abortionist use your argument that he 'must feed his family?' You say, 'We have to play music because we love it…that's how we make our living.' An adulterer or prostitute may 'love it' and that may be 'how they make their living' but this is wrong. [I cited my secular music career of the 1950s.] I do not see any way we can rationalize or excuse being used to lure and entertain customers for bars and casinos as a 'ministry.' It might even be better in such places (though not right) to play secular songs than religious ones since God warns against mixing the holy with the profane, clean with the unclean, etc. (Lev. 10:10, Ezek. 22:26)….”

WORLD RELIGIOUS LEADERS MEET AT UN—U.S. media billionaire Ted Turner attacked Christianity (again) in a sermon to 1,000 swamis, ministers, monks, and other religious leaders from over the world at the Millennium World Peace Summit in late August. Turner helped fund it and was its honorary chairman. A Family Research Council rep called Turner's speech “the most blasphemous thing I have ever heard…” Meanwhile New Age Canadian billionaire Maurice Strong and former Soviet leader Gorbachev were involved with hosting a 7-day State of the World Forum in September, pushing for a universal Earth Charter. A main goal of this and for Gorbachev's Green Cross is elimination of national sovereignty on environmental questions. Wealthy U.S. professor Steven Rockefeller, who presented the Earth Charter for approval said, “the biosphere is in us, and we are in the biosphere.” (A. Ruse, NewsMax) The Summit ended with discord and rivalry. The new term for One-World Government is “global governance.” Beware!

LIEBERMAN, AN ORTHODOX JEW—Sen. Joseph Lieberman is an Orthodox Jew—the first one on a major party ticket. No true Christian would advocate violence or discrimination against a Jew because of his nationality or religion, but Christians and Jews serve two different Gods. Jews say those who worship Christ as the Son of God are idolaters. Jesus said the religious Pharisees of His day were of their father the devil (John 8:44), and that those who do not honor Him do not honor the Father who sent Him (John 5:23). So when Lieberman speaks of God, he is not referring to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Christian God. He observes rigid dietary laws of Judaism. He doesn't campaign, use electricity, or drive on the Jewish Sabbath, yet he's not an “observant” Jew on abortion. He is touted as conservative, but often votes liberal. Of more concern, however, is the religious question. Christians teach that Jews or Gentiles who reject Christ's claim to be the Messiah are thereby rejecting the Triune God of the Bible—the only real God that exists. Christians love Jews enough to seek their salvation which is possible only through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

CHRISTIANS SEEK COUNSEL FROM DR. LAURA—Jeff Griffith writes in Friend of the Family: “I often listen to Dr. Laura Schlessinger on the radio and I am amazed at the number of callers that identify themselves as Christians, sometimes even fundamental Christians. Although Dr. Laura is a professed [Orthodox] Jew who turned her back on the 'teachings of Jesus Christ' and has openly criticized the Apostle Paul, still Christians call seeking her advice. Because she appeals to their morality and they like [what she says], they…seek her… counsel.”

BWA COZY WITH CASTRO—Baptist World Alliance leaders, at the July 3-9 BWA General Council meeting in Cuba, had “an excellent” almost three-hour “very important” meeting with Cuba's communist leader Fidel Castro (see 8/1 CC). They seemed to have been used by Castro for propaganda purposes. The BWA resolution that gained the most publicity was the unanimous resolution calling for the end of the blockade of medicine and food products to Cuba. A BWA report says “Baptists of the world stated very clearly that they thought it was unfair to punish the poor people of Cuba by such a blockade.” Why not a resolution against Castro's “unfair” denial of freedom to poor Cubans? If Southern Baptists are as conservative as they claim, why do they remain members and major supporters of such a left-wing organization as the Baptist World Alliance?

CATHOLIC CHURCH COOPERATES WITH WCC—The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a fellowship of churches, now 337, in more than 100 countries in all continents from many mainline liberal denominations. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly, which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It is headed by general secretary Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church in Germany. He spoke at the recent World Peace Summit at the UN. The WCC has been involved with the UN over the years and supports its basic values and goals.

NEW BOOKS RECENTLY RECEIVED FOR REVIEW—1. God's Prophetic Blueprint by Dr. Bob Shelton. Discusses the final days of the earth and God's judgment—The Last Days, end times, destruction of Satan and his forces. BJU Press, Greenville, SC 29614, 800/845-5731, $6.95 + postage. 2. “Just Hoeing My Row” by Dr. Dayton Hobbs, Editor of The Projector. The story of Grace Bible Church, Gospel Projects Inc., Tee Ball Baseball, and Santa Rosa Christian School. Gospel Projects Press, P.O. Box 643, Milton, FL 32572, Toll Free 877/626-7030, $9.95. 3. Abiding In Christ by James Delany. Spiritual growth (Jn. 15:1-10) is a main theme. Order from the author, Salem Bible Church, 11 Ermer Rd., Salem, NH 03079. NOTE: Sorry, but we do not have the time to read all the books we receive. We get especially overloaded with devotional and Bible version ones. These are important, but we just don't have the time and space to read and review all of them, and must give priority to those books directly related to our “warning and informing” main ministry.

FFBC RESOLUTIONS—The Fellowship of Fundamental Bible Churches, meeting in their 61st Annual Session, Aug. 14-18, at Tri-State Bible Conference, Montague, NJ, passed resolutions on the following topics: 1. He beareth not the sword in vain – Commending Philadelphia police for maintaining law and order at the recent Republican convention, under difficult circumstances. 2. Boy Scouts stand and take the heat – Commending BSA for standing against homosexual behavior in their criteria for choosing leadership. 3. Election 2000 – Citing a sharp decline in voter turnout the past 20 years, FFBC urged Christians to fulfill their obligations to God and country by: a. Living holy and righteous lives; b. praying for all those in authority; c. becoming informed regarding the candidates¹ positions on the critical issues of the day; and, d. voting our conscience for candidates who best reflect our positions on such issues. Therefore, we urge the members of our churches to prayerfully exercise their constitutional right and responsibility as Christians to vote on Nov. 7th. 4. The Marriage Penalty – Urge the next Congress to pass another bill to eliminate the marriage-penalty tax.

BILLY KIM SAYS DOCTRINE IS NOT WHAT UNITES BWA—New Baptist World Alliance President Billy Kim, at the BWA General Council meeting in Cuba (see 8/1 CC), encouraged Baptists worldwide to emphasize prayer, mission and evangelism. He emphasized: “This is what unites us as Baptists, not doctrine.” The BWA report said: “Again and again at all our BWA meetings Kim emphasized one word. 'Unity! Unity! Unity!'” Kim gave the opening address at Billy Graham's recent Amsterdam 2000 conference. He has also in years past spoken for Falwell, MacArthur, MBI, and the NRB.

NCC TURNS TO EVANGELICALS, CATHOLICS FOR FINANCIAL HELP—The financially-strapped apostate National Council of Churches is reaching out to evangelicals and Roman Catholics for needed funds. It recently broadened its reach to include conservative Protestants, Catholics, and charismatics (8/7 Chr. Today). NCC membership and staff have been declining for two decades. Church World Service, the NCC's relief agency, recently formalized a break from the NCC. CWS was responsible for about 85 percent of NCC spending. NCC Pres. Andrew Young last June, at a Presbyterian Church (USA) meeting, reiterated his support for homosexual rights but spoke little about specifically spiritual matters. The National Association of Evangelicals last March changed its bylaws to allow NCC members to join the NAE if they commit to its statement of faith and mission.

CHARISMATIC GOLD DUST & 'HOLY FEATHERS'—Tiny white feathers and gold flakes reportedly appeared at First Assembly of God in Prineville, Ore. in April. The revivalists leading the services said this was God's way to wake up the church to a coming revival. Charismatic “signs and wonders” keep getting wilder and weirder!

PK STILL GOING BUT NO LONGER FILLS STADIUMS—Promise Keepers in 1996 marked its highest cumulative attendance of about 1 million men at 22 events. In Oct. 1997, nearly 1 million men gathered on the Washington Mall for the “Stand in the Gap” prayer meeting (9/4 CT). This year, about 13,000 attended PK's 100^th conference at Pittsburgh. PK rallies today have largely moved from stadiums to arenas. PK cut staff members from a peak of about 400 to about 90 this year. Its annual budget has gone from around $100 million to about $30 million now.

CATHOLICS: 'JESUS ALONE' NOT ENOUGH—The following is an excerpt from a quote in David Cloud's 8/29 Fundamental Baptist Information Service e-mail (dcloud@wayoflife.org, 1701 Harns Rd., Oak Harbor, WA 98277 >http://wayoflife.org/~dcloud>) quoting from the writings of a former Roman Catholic, Mr. Bill Webster. In his book Salvation, The Bible and Roman Catholicism Webster wrote: “It is quite clear from this that in Roman Catholicism faith in Christ alone is not sufficient for salvation. It is also necessary that one keep the Ten Commandments, be baptized, become a member of the Roman Catholic faith and partake regularly of the sacraments. It is not Jesus alone but Jesus plus all these other things. Significantly all these other things are practically identical to the Judaiser's system and teachings”. [He] goes on to list 15 practices/teachings held in common by the Judaisers and Roman Catholicism. When carefully examined it is quite evident that Roman Catholicism is the modern-day equivalent of the false 'gospel' of the Judaisers -- only more so because Rome has added many more requirements for salvation than the Judaisers ever insisted upon. The Apostle Paul….pronounced an 'anathema' upon [the Judaisers'] false 'gospel' and rebuked those who would associate with them such as Peter [see Galatians 2:11-21]. …”

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