VOL. XXI  NO. 11  NEWS & VIEWS, NOTES & QUOTES, TO WARN & INFORM   November 2004

OK TO LEGISLATE MORALITY?—When moral Americans ask for laws to outlaw abortion, drugs, alcohol, gambling, or pornography, liberals cry: “You can't legislate morality”! But most legislation relates to morality. When we make it illegal to murder, steal, or rape, we are imposing our morality on murderers, thieves, and rapists to prevent them from imposing their immorality on their victims. The same is true for assault, fraud, prostitution, tax evasion, etc. Liberals don't want biblical morality legislated, but they want to legislate their secular-humanist morality instead. It is often a question of whose morality is being legislated.

WHEN RIGHTS COLLIDE—When the permissible exercise of one person's right leads to the impermissible denial of another's, the conflict is resolved by “rule of law.” Most laws forbid or restrict the exercise of a basic right. Freedom of movement is a basic right, but traffic laws forbid driving on the left side of a two-way street. Traffic lights and signs often restrict desired movement (12/1/92 CACC). Prohibition is at times necessary to maximize freedom. A smoker's right to smoke ends where a non-smoker's right to breath unpolluted air (by cancer-causing toxins) begins. A baby's right to life trumps a woman's right to an abortion.

A RIGHT TO FOOD?—The Clintons have said health care is a right. This may sound reasonable, but it certainly is unrealistic. The right to a car may also seem right. In 1975 a liberal senator introduced a Senate resolution stating that everyone has the right to food. The “right” of course is meaningless if food is not available. This is a baseless, dangerous game. For example, could not a “hungering” rogue nation with nuclear capability use force to get what is their “right”? And if food is a right, the U.S. might be charged before a World Court with denying hungry nations what is rightfully theirs! To take from the “haves” to give to the “have nots” is socialism. That is what liberals seem to want.

ISLAM: AMERICA'S NO. 1 ENEMY—Pastor Marc Monte in a 69-page syllabus compares the Koran with the Bible, and concludes that the “religion of Islam as presented in the Koran is a religion of hate. The Koran itself is the single most significant piece of hate literature the world has ever known. The teachings of Mohammed are responsible for the deaths of more people than Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini combined.”

MEDIA BIAS AGAINST GUNS—People are surprised to learn that survey data show that guns are used defensively by private citizens in the U.S. from 1.5 to 3.4 million times a year, at least three times more frequently than guns are used to commit crimes (9/04 Imprimis). Guns do make it easier to commit crimes, but they also often make it easier for people to defend themselves. So, it's: “More guns, less crime.”

AMERICA BECOMING A GAY NATION?—Gay activists want much more than legalized gay marriage, says an article in the October Charisma. Many areas of our nation are becoming homosexual havens. And it's not just San Francisco or Key West. A few years ago we were looking forward to seeing “beautiful Cape Cod.” But alas, we were told that a part of the Cape is now a homosexual hangout. Popular actors and musicians are celebrating all things homosexual. Two female singers recently kissed on TV. We have gay marriages, gay adoptions, gay politics, gay cruises, Gay Days at Disney World, and gay churches. To our shame, we now applaud what was once considered perverse.

TBN, CROUCH DENY ALLEGATIONS—Paul and Jan Crouch started the Trinity Broadcasting Network in 1973. Paul, in 1998, reached a $425,000 settlement for an alleged sexual encounter of eight years ago with a male former employee. TBN has programs by charismatic “faith healers” and by some new evangelicals. Benny Hinn is quoted as saying salvation and healing should never be separate.

GRAHAM SLOWING DOWN—Billy Graham, weakened by age (85) and a pelvic fracture, delivered a short sermon from John 3 about starting life over again. This was at Kansas City last month. About 1,300 churches supported the crusade. Typically in the past, liberal denominations and Catholics joined together ecumenically in his crusades. He has accepted an invitation for a crusade in LA in Nov., followed by a crusade in New York's Madison Square Garden next June. In KC, he began slumping about 45 minutes into his message, and finished the sermon seated.

WILLOW CREEK & PSYCHOHERESY—Bill Hybels' seeker-sensitive Willow Creek Community Church has embraced the emotionalism, self-enhancing, subjectivity, popular vocabulary, and self-seeking goals of psychotherapy and the recovery movement, along with their underlying psychologies….In addition to using the sales and management methods of the world, they have incorporated the world's methods of helping people deal with emotional pain and tragedy. They evidently believe secular psychological ideas to be so significant and essential for modern seekers that they give them Christ plus psychology—a syncretism that adapts and even perverts Christ and His Gospel... (Sep-Oct PsychoHeresy Letter)

CORNERSTONE DROPS ITS BAN ON DANCING—After 63 years the prohibition against social dancing at Cornerstone University (long a GARBC school) has been lifted. Its student handbook had banned social dancing, saying it could cause “personal spiritual harm” or “insensitivity to others.” A school-sponsored dance might be held later this year. Wheaton College dropped its ban on on-campus dancing almost a year ago, and allows its faculty and staff to drink alcohol and smoke off campus.

GROWING COLLABORATION BETWEEN WCC, RCC—The World Council of Churches, for the first time, recently joined the United Nations' Int'l Day of Peace to pray worldwide for peace, and “Christian Unity.” WCC general secretary Dr. Samuel Kobia preached at an ecumenical worship service and met with the Canadian Council of Churches leader. He said ecumenical unity is growing. All this is said to have led to a new stage in collaboration between the WCC and the Roman Catholic Church. All leaders are considering ways to change its structure to accommodate Catholics, Evangelicals, and Pentecostals and bring them all under official WCC membership. It seems the stage is being set for a world church and government.

DECEIVED ON PURPOSE: NEW AGE IMPLICATIONS OF THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN CHURCH is the title of a new book by Warren Smith. The book includes Rick Warren's relationship with Robert Schuller, and “Oneness” by T.D. Jakes. Neale Donald Walsch and other New Age leaders declare that God has a 5-step PEACE Plan to save the world through a “New Spirituality”, part of which demands that Christians abandon their belief in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior (p15). (Some of these New Agers declare “The era of the Single Savior is over.” etc.) Order this 185-page book from: www.discernment-ministries.com

LIBERALISM, A BIGGER COVERUP BY THE POPE?—A recent book Vows of Silence blames the Pope for covering up a sex abuse scandal. But, far more serious than covering up any sex scandal is the Pope's covering up of theological modernism in the Roman Catholic Church (9/27 Chr. News). CN Editor Herman Otten comments: “The Pope's refusal to see that liberal Roman Catholic theologians are removed from the Roman Catholic Church is even worse than his allowing thousands of practicing homosexual clergymen to continue serving as priests.”

INTERNATIONAL BAPTIST NETWORK (IBN)—Three major independent Baptist fellowships (Baptist Bible, Southwide, and World Baptist), fulfilling a “vision” of Dr. John Rawlings, came together at Highland Park Baptist Church (Chattanooga). Each Fellowship met and voted in late September. The SBF voted 215 to 58 to accept the officers presented, and to continue to be a part of the IBN. We were able to attend some of the Services and most of the business meeting. These disparate Fellowships are divided on many issues: KJV, CCM, and New Evangelicalism (ecclesiastical separation, Promise Keepers, Falwell and other conservative Southern Baptist leaders, e.g.). Adding to the confusion and weak stance, is the fact that Falwell is a member of both the BBF and SBC. And Rawlings is Falwell's mentor, and veteran BBF leader who was unable to speak at the meeting. Apparently two of Dr. Rice's sons-in-law, spoke from the floor in favor of the 215 majority. The SBF is now entangled with, and routinely fellowships with, new evangelicals, and compromising Southern Baptist leaders. [Much more could be said if space permitted, CCM rock music, etc.]. Will there now be a faithful remnant in the SBF who will “come out from among them and be separate”? We pray to that end. We grieve at the lack of discernment being evidenced by “fundamentalist” leaders of our day. [2Cor. 6:17, Zech. 4;6]

BBF LEADER MONROE SPEAKS AT IBN MEETING—The following is an excerpt from Dr. Bill Monroe's sermon: “Ladies and gentlemen, our time is too short to continue on the path that we've been going for the past 50 years… We are too badly out-numbered [“numbers” should not take precedence over doing right!], our resources are too limited, our time is too short to continue on the path that we've been going for 50 years….Now all I can speak for is Bill Monroe. But I can tell you this. I fear standing before God and trying to explain to Him why I wouldn't join hands with fellow Bible-believing Baptists to reach a world that's groaning with the lostness of almost 7 billion souls without hope, without God, without Christ and headed for a Devil's Hell. What am I going to say to my Lord when He said, 'Why did you get diverted by all that stuff? Why didn't you [just!] try to reach this world for Christ like I asked you to do?'…” When he said 'stuff,' his tone seemed to slur. Maybe our Lord would also ask: “How could you share pulpits and fellowship with those disobedient brethren who join hands with Moonies, Mormons, Catholics, or other errantists”? Why can't we do BOTH—defend the faith AND declare the Gospel? After all, BOTH are commands and Christians have no right to ignore or slur either of them.

Send comments to rbhall52@gmail.com

Calvary Contender Home Page