VOL. XXII  NO. 3  NEWS & VIEWS, NOTES & QUOTES, TO WARN & INFORM   March 2005

JUDGE RULES EMBRYO A HUMAN BEING—An Illinois judge recently ruled that an embryo is a human being. His decision, if it survives a challenge, could have far-reaching effects. It would allow a couple whose embryo was mistakenly discarded by a Chicago fertility clinic to be able to seek legal damages as if they were the parents of a child who was killed after birth. He said a pre-embryo is a human being…whether or not it is implanted in its mother's womb. The human embryo is as fully human and as fully a person as a newborn baby, he said. It is estimated there are about 400,000 embryos stored in fertility clinics in the U.S. [2/10/05 BP]

GUN CONTROL NONSENSE—Blaming guns for crimes is like blaming: 1) matches for forest fires, 2) cameras for pornography, 3) forks for obesity, 4) radar for a speeding ticket, or 5) pencils for spelling errors.… Gun control is unconstitutional, and is not the answer to our crime problem. Criminals are to blame for crimes.

NEW AGE INTO THE CHURCH—A new book, Running Against the Wind, tells of how a former New Ager experimented with Ouija boards and Tarot cards as a kid. Then later he moved into TM and had his own spirit guides. After being saved out of darkness he found that some of the same practices he used as a medium, were being introduced into the Christian church as forms of legitimate meditation and spirituality. The publisher said if you have ever wondered about Reiki (Therapeutic Touch, energy healing), labyrinth, contemplative prayer, yoga, etc., this book might be a big help. Order from: Lighthouse Trails Publishing, toll free: 866/876-3910. For more, visit the Web site: www.lighthousetrails.com

DO WOMEN CHOOSE ABORTIONS?—Abortion continues to take the lives of over 1,000,000 babies every year, leaving mothers with permanent emotional and physical scars. Planned Parenthood, which operates the largest chain of abortion facilities and receives substantial government funds, does not tell women about the real harm and hurt abortion causes. Complications from surgery, increased risk of breast cancer, severe depression, and the ability to have future children are just some of the problems abortion may cause (2/05 Care Net). For 30 years women have been told they should have the right to choose abortion. But the fact is, most women who have abortions do not “choose” them. They are just not aware of alternate options—hundreds of helpful pregnancy centers, adoption, etc. We can mourn the loss of over 200,000 in the Dec. tsunami, and well we should, but let us not forget those who are wantonly aborted each week.

METHODIST CHURCH MAY LEAVE AND KEEP PROPERTY—A California congregation has won the right to keep its property after breaking its affiliation with the United Methodist Church. Members believe the denomination has departed from biblical teachings (2/05 Chr.Today).This ruling has implications for other churches.

IN ISLAM ONLY MUSLIMS HAVE FULL RIGHTS—The foundation for American liberties is the Creator who is the source of a transcendent moral law. In Islam morality depends on coercion or of trying to make sin impossible (such as requiring women to be fully covered to prevent men from feeling lust). It does not allow for freedom of religion but seeks to establish a divinized state by imposing quranic law [2/12 World, Gene E. Veith].

CLASSROOM CRITICISM OF EVOLUTION PROHIBITED—A Chinese scholar observed, “In China we can criticize Darwin, but not the government. In America you can criticize the government but not Darwin.” Censorship of criticism invites fraud. Evolution has suffered more embarrassments than any other “scientific” theory. The Piltdown man was a lie taught to schoolchildren for decades, even featured in the John Scopes Monkey trial textbook. Only five years ago a dinosaur-bird fossil hoax was presented as true on the glossy pages of National Geographic. If Darwinists want to teach that whales which are mammals evolved from black bears swimming with their mouths open, we should surely be entitled to criticize that. Yet school libraries have refused to accept books critical of evolution, even when written by college professors. [Phyllis Schlafly, 1/3 Christian News]

GRAHAM TO HOLD FINAL NY CRUSADE—Billy Graham announced that he will host his final New York crusade June 20 at Madison Square Garden. Over 2 million people attended his first crusade there in 1957. Who now will succeed him? Will it be his son, Franklin? Time magazine said: “Although Franklin Graham is heir to the throne of the Billy Graham organization, many believe that [Rick] Warren, 51, is the successor to the elder Graham for the role of America's minister.” [2/2/05 BP] Be that as it may, it's in God's hands, but many have opined that Graham's legacy will sadly closely parallel that of Jehoshaphat's—given his penchant for joining in affinity with God's enemies (e.g., King Ahab). Upon returning to Jerusalem, Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat (2Chr. 19:2), “Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.” Today, collaboration and compromise with false-gospel anti-christ systems (Catholicism, Mormonism, Schuller, etc.) are called “neo (or new) evangelicalism.”

COLLABORATIVE SERMONS—At Purcellville (Va.) Baptist Church, Rev. David Janney meets with a worship planning team several hours every Wed. He typically shows them a draft several days before he plans to deliver a sermon (Houston Chronicle). Some quotes from the Ala. Baptist on postmodern preachers: “We're facing a transition.” “Evangelical worship has seen a lot of changes.” “I don't think we will have master oratory much longer.” “Preaching [may] shift from the linear style to the storyteller—like Jesus, who spoke in parables,” “Contemplation and meditation may invade the sermon.”

ACKNOWLEDGMENT—In the Feb. CC the information in the article titled Purpose Driven Catholic Churches was from the Nov-Dec Proclaiming the Gospel. We failed to note our source. For the complete article, check Evang. Mike Gendron's Web site: www.pro-gospel.org

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY—Habitat for Humanity has built over 175,000 homes for poor people. It gladly partners with people of other faiths. It has partnered with Buddhists (6/10/02 CT). It works as an equal partner with people of all faiths, and no faith, promoting founder Millard Fuller's “theology of the hammer” religion. But in January Fuller and his wife were terminated from employment after several months of investigations into allegations (which he denies) of “inappropriate” personal behavior toward a former female staff member. HFH has worked closely with liberal religious organizations such as NCC, World Vision, UN, etc., in ecumenical endeavors.

FRONTLINE MAGAZINE—The Jan.-Feb issue of Frontline Magazine was especially helpful and vitally important to those who would like to know more about Biblical separation, New/Neo-Evangelicalism, Ecumenicism, etc. Many fundamental seminaries no longer teach or practice some of these Bible commands. We will list some of the article titles, as space permits: *** The first article is a “Note from the FBF president,“ Dr. John Vaughn whom we quoted in the Jan.-Feb Frontline. *** The next chapter, “The Evangelical Disaster” is by Rolland McCune, whom we quoted last month, also. He deals with the lostness of the heathen, the exclusiveness of the way of Christ to Heaven, and the eternal punishment of the finally impenitent. *** The next article is by Richard Stratton who gives some interesting, sobering statistics, and stresses the necessity of heeding the call to missions. *** Next is a good review by Mike Harding of David Wells' No Place For Truth. We plan to quote further in the April CC from Pastor Harding's good but now offer a few excerpts. Wells writes from a non-Fundamentalist position, criticizing his own peers and movement. Though he never personally identifies with the Fundamentalists, he admires them for their spirit to remain a counterculture. Wells says, “The great sin in Fundamentalism is to compromise; the great sin in Evangelicalism is to be narrow.” *** Next is “Recipe For Disaster” by Ralph G. Colas, Exec. Secretary, American Council of Christian Churches. Dr. Colas travels the U.S. and globe attending, most with press credentials, key meetings. These include Promise Keepers, World Council of Churches, NRB, NAE, IBFNA, GARBC, FBFI, Parliament of Worlds' Religions, etc. Last year at the National Association of Evangelicals in Colorado Springs Robert Schuller spoke and received two standing ovations. He said “To be born again means that we must be changed from a negative to a positive self-image.” *** Next is a good 4-page review of Robert Webber's The Younger Evangelicals by Baptist World Mission Exec. Director Dr. Fred Moritz.. Dr. Moritz concludes: “This book is not for your edification. Nevertheless, if you want to know what a new generation is thinking and where they seem to be headed, then you will want to read it.”

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