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Be Alert! For false Christs and false prophets will arise
Published by Moriel Ministries
February 27, 2008
Shalom in Christ Jesus,



1 John 2:18-19
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.



Matthew 24:10-13
"At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.`



Matthew 24:26
"So if they say to you, `Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or, `Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them.



Proverbs 29:18 (ESV)
Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.



Hosea 4:6a
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...



2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so- called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.



Ed Note:

PONDERINGS Below is a bit of current and past history surrounding quotes of and the literature of Sinclair Lewis and his novel Elmer Gantry. This is something to ponder considering the uproar in the church that it caused and the fact that this topic is exactly what we see happening today.

Quote: 'When fascism comes it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross' --- Ron Paul Quoting Sinclair Lewis on Fox & Friends 12-18-07 (for which he received an earful of typical thoughtless, unreasonable, emotion-driven Amero-babble)

Actual Quote: When fascism comes to this country, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross. - Sinclair Lewis

Elmer Gantry
A novel written by Sinclair Lewis - From Wikipedia

Elmer Gantry is a novel written by Sinclair Lewis in 1926 and published by Harcourt in March 1927. It tells the story of a young, narcisistic, womanizing college athlete who, upon realizing the power, prestige, and easy money that being an evangelical preacher can bring, pursues his "religious" ambitions with relish, contributing to the downfall, even death, of key people around him as the years pass. Although he continues to womanize, is often exposed as a fraud, and frequently faces a complete downfall, Gantry is never fully discredited and always manages to emerge triumphant and to reach ever greater heights of social status. The novel ends as the Rev. Gantry prays for the USA to be a "moral nation" and simultaneously admires the legs of a new choir singer. - - -

Lewis did research for the novel by observing the work of preacher Burris Jenkins, pastor in the Linwood Boulevard Methodist Episcopal Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Jenkins introduced Lewis to many other clergymen, among them the Reverend L.M. Birkhead, a Unitarian and an agnostic. Schorer says that both of these associations, as well as others, influenced characters in the novel. There's no record of the character of Elmer Gantry or any other characters as being fictionalizations of the careers of Billy Sunday or Aimee Semple McPherson. Schorer also says that, while researching the book, that Lewis attended two or three church services every Sunday while in Kansas City, and that "he took advantage of every possible tangential experience in the religious community." The result is a novel that represents the religious activity of America in evangelistic circles and the attitudes of the 1920s toward it. Elmer Gantry also appears in another, lesser known Lewis novel, Gideon Planish. - - -

On publication in 1927, Elmer Gantry created a public furor. The book was banned in Boston and other cities and denounced from pulpits across the USA. One cleric suggested that Lewis should be imprisoned for five years, and there were also threats of physical violence against the author. The famous evangelist Billy Sunday called Lewis "Satan's cohort." Shortly after the publication of Elmer Gantry, H. G. Wells published a widely-syndicated newspaper article called "The New American People," in which he largely based his observations of American culture on the novels of Sinclair Lewis.

See More Here


1) Is Obama the messiah?
Obama messiah? Websites capture wave of transcendent fervor

WORLDNETDAILY - By Jerome R. Corsi - February 23, 2008

"Is this a messianic movement? A cult of personality? Or just good ol' fashioned politics?" Those are the questions an Internet blog called "Is Barack Obama the Messiah?" began with one year ago.

By simply highlighting media reports since then - including WND's account of an Obama rally in Seattle - the website has captured the wave of euphoria that has followed the Democratic senator's remarkable rise to the brink of the party's presidential nomination.

The site, laced with photos and magazine covers illustrating the theme, is topped by a Obama quote strategically ripped from a Jan. 7 speech at Dartmouth College just before the New Hampshire Primary in which he told students, "--- a light will shine through that window, a beam of light will come down upon you, you will experience an epiphany, and you will suddenly realize that you must go to the polls and vote" for Obama.

The blog prominently displays the July 11 cover of the German magazine Der Spiegel, which has a photo of Obama under the title, "The Messiah Factor, Barack Obama and the Yearning for a New America."

Slate.com's Timothy Noah introduced last year his tongue-in-cheek "Obama Messiah Watch," a periodic feature "considering evidence that Obama is the Son of God."

"Is Barack Obama - junior U.S. senator from Illinois, best-selling author, Harvard Law Review editor, Men's Vogue cover model, and "exploratory" presidential candidate - the second coming of our Savior and our Redeemer, Prince of Peace and King of Kings, Jesus Christ?" Noah wrote. "His press coverage suggests we can't dismiss this possibility out of hand."

"I therefore inaugurate the Obama Messiah Watch, which will periodically highlight gratuitously adoring biographical details that appear in newspaper, television and magazine profiles of this other worldly presence in our midst," Noah proclaimed. - - - -



2)The Blog: Is Barack Obama the Messiah?
"--- a light will shine through that window, a beam of light will come down upon you, you will experience an epiphany ... and you will suddenly realize that you must go to the polls and vote for Obama" - Barack Obama Lebanon, New Hampshire. January 7, 2008.

IS BARACK OBAMA THE MESSIAH? Blog - February 21, 2008

"It was more like church . . ."

Maybe it was the representation of youth in the crowd that lends the oft-cited air of a rock concert that has been attributed to Obama rallies.

But that wasn't quite it, not entirely. It was more like church - not the stuffy kind, but roof-shaking soul church where people testify and dance in the aisles when the spirit's upon them.

"It's electric! Can't you feel it?" said one man, who told me he was headed for work at the IRS after the rally. I could feel it, because it's a fundamental element of crowd psychology that the expectation of "electricity" creates it. . . .

The main event, of course, was the speech, which I have heard before. I just sat back and felt the key phrases wash over the crowd: "new," "change," "Kennedy," "Scooter Libby justice," "wiretaps," "Katrina."

The lady sitting next to me dipped into a bucket of popcorn and murmured the phrases back: " 'If you believe.' 'The time is now.' That's right," she agreed.

She was a little disappointed, in fact, when the rally ended: "Why didn't he do, 'Yes we can'?" she asked a friend, as if a concert had ended, the biggest hit not performed.

Life of the party: Obama's supporters rock Reunion Arena Dallas Morning News February 21, 2008.



3) ANOTHER FALSE CHRIST? Moriel Statement on the blog entitled, "Is Barack Obama the Messiah?"
MORIEL MINISTRIES - February 25, 2008

Moriel displays this website not as a political statement endorsing or attacking any presidential candidate but only to display the spiritually sick low ebb modern American society is gravitating towards as a purely theological statement consistent with that area of our mission and calling to alert The Body of Christ to what is happening.

Needless to say however that as a moral value, Moriel does not believe that any Born Again Christian should ever compromise on the abortion issue and pro homosexual & lesbian agenda as Pat Robertson did in a 'Christian' political endorsement, or the candidacy endorsement of a Mormon as Bob Jones did. There is simply no New Testament basis to identify the Gospel with any political party and the church should only stand on moral and theological issues as 'salt and light' in a fallen world, but not misuse the ministry for purposes of electoral politics. We are moreover utterly disgusted (but hardly surprised), that Rick Warren labeled pro abortion politician Barack Obama 'The Epitome of Compassionate Liberalism'; there is nothing liberal or compassionate about the genocidal extermination of the unborn.

We advise that this shocking web site be examined with caution and discernment. We obviously do not sanction its contents, but merely draw attention to it as a matter of awareness to encourage prayer for the USA, The Church, and The Western World.



4) Swooning supporters fainting for Obama
Candidate prepared with water bottle, call for EMTs - fakery or fanaticism?

WORLDNETDAILY - February 16, 2008

Call it the Barack Obama traveling salvation show - campaign rallies and speeches that seem like the secular counterpart of tent-meeting revivals and evangelistic sermons common in the U.S. a century ago.

And, in apparent similarity to the religious enthusiasm of that bygone era, some of those coming to hear the Democrat presidential candidate "preach" his message are fainting as he speaks.

A video compilation by Breitbart.TV shows Obama on several occasions breaking off his speeches to address someone who has collapsed, usually close to the stage, and to call for medical personnel while he offers bottled water to the overcome supporter.

The similarity between the events and the emotive opportunity it offers the candidate has some on the web questioning whether the campaign is employing shills or whether the phenomenon is evidence of fanaticism and cause for concern. - - - -



5) US-Islamic forum in Gulf backs Obama
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE - February 18, 2008

DOHA - Delegates at a US-Islamic forum voiced support on Monday for US presidential hopeful Barack Obama, although some warned against expecting any radical policy change irrespective of who captures the White House.

Obama, who is vying to become the first black president of the United States, won overwhelming support in a mock election by more than 200 American and Muslim delegates at the US-Islamic World Forum in the Qatari capital.

His Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and Republican candidates won only a handful of votes.

Around 280 public figures and academics from 32 countries, including Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the US ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, attended the fifth edition of the forum due to end in the gas-rich Gulf state later Monday.

Many Muslim delegates said they hoped to see Obama win the Democratic nomination and go on to be elected next November to succeed US President George W. Bush.

"I would like to see Obama become president of America because he champions 'change and hope', which we Muslims need as much as the Americans do," Islamic television preacher Amr Khaled told AFP.

Khaled told the forum that he speaks "on behalf of millions of Muslim youth who seek work, respect and freedom," and urged the next US administration to "solve the political problems in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, and not to mix between Muslims and extremists."

"The Indonesian people would love to see a (US) president who has studied at an elementary school in Jakarta," Din Syamsuddin, chairman of Muhammadiyah, one of Indonesia's largest Islamic organisations, told AFP in a reference to Obama.

But Dhiya Rashwan, an Egyptian expert on terrorist groups, warned that US policy under the next president would be "a continuation of current policies, though in a less extreme way than the conservative Republican administration". - - - -



6) Obama's disturbing Africentrism
Ed. Note: It is very important to understand the dynamics that are taking place within the so-called church in the last days. If you have not studied the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24 & 25 and is co-texts in Mark 13 and Luke 21) you must do some in depth study or at least read and re-read those portions of scripture over and over again to gain understanding and insight into today's events.

We have nation (ethnos) rising up against nation (ethnos), that is ethnic groups rising up against other ethnic groups in the world and this is a sign that much of this church is really of the world and part of Mystery Babylon and not part of the called out ones, the saints.
BE/\LERT!


WORLDNETDAILY - By Floyd and Mary Beth Brown - February 23, 2008

Barack Obama's church,
Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, which he has attended since 1991, has some very unique and disturbing ideas and beliefs. It is a self-proclaimed Africentric Christian church, which means its members embrace their connection with Africa, and its teachings are centered on all things African and African culture. This is the church where Obama converted to the Christian faith, and it has now grown to over 5,000 members. The mainstream media have ignored discussing this important influence on the presumptive Democratic nominee. It needs a full examination.

Africentric beliefs place an emphasis on identifying African presence in the Bible. The church offers classes in Swahili, and it has youth programs for young men and women, Intonjane and Isuthu, Swahili words for entering manhood and womanhood. Kwanzaa, the African-focused holiday created in the 1960s is observed by congregants along with a Thanksgiving Day service called Umoja Karamu. This special service tells the story of the black family starting from its West African origins to present day using drums, storytelling and dancing.

Trinity emphasizes the African roots of Christianity in its Bible classes. One example they like to use is the story about the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. Traditional African clothing is worn by the pastor and some members. Also, other African symbols such as the pan-African flag are prominently displayed.

Trips to Africa are regularly made by members. The church's longtime pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, once accompanied black supremacist Louis Farrakhan to Libya to meet with Col. Moammar Gadhafi. Obama has himself traveled repeatedly to his father's homeland, Kenya. He has a brother still living in that conflict-riddled country. Obama has even spoken out during his campaign about the current crisis in Kenya, where over 700 lives have been lost. The Marxist opposition leader, Raila Odinga, comes from the same tribe as Obama's late father. His older brother Roy, a militant Muslim, supports Odinga. Odinga reportedly has joined forces with an extremist Islamic group that wants to oust the presently pro- Western government of Kenya that won the recent elections. While campaigning in New Hampshire, Obama took a call from Odinga (who claims to be his cousin) and appears to have sided with him in the conflict.

When Obama joined Trinity United Church of Christ, he promised to uphold the church's "Black Value System." This declaration is where members affirm their commitment to God, the "black community," the "black family" and the "black work ethic," in addition to disavowing "the pursuit of 'middle- classness.'" They believe the "competitive" nature of white "entrapment of black middle-classness" will cheat blacks of their African identity while keeping them "captive" to white culture.

"I believe in the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change," Obama claims. Not only that, he says he has questioned "the idolatry of the free market" because of his faith.

The "Black Value System" statement was written in the 1980s by church members. It means the members embrace "things African above things American," says black political commentator Erik Rush, who also says this should be as alarming as a Republican presidential candidate "belonging to the Aryan Brethren Church of Christ." Tucker Carlson of MSNBC once described Trinity as having a "racially exclusive theology" that "contradicts the basic tenets of Christianity."

Wright, who married Obama and his wife, Michelle, and baptized their daughters, now serves as his spiritual adviser. Wright is radically Africentric.

"We are an African people," Wright preaches, "and remain true to our native land, the mother continent." But he goes further than that and has described the 9/11 attacks as a "wake-up call" to "white America" for "ignoring the concerns of people of color." And in one sermon he shouted, "Racism is how this country was founded and how this country is still run. --- We believe in white supremacy and black inferiority and believe it more than we believe in God. --- And. And. And. Gawd! Has GOT! To be SICK! OF THIS S***!"

Obama's presidential campaign has tried to distance him from Wright. Last February, when Obama announced his run for the presidency, it revoked an earlier invitation to have Wright give the opening prayer at the event.

The socialist beliefs of Barack Obama's church should be a major concern to voters because they are far out of the mainstream of American thought. Obama's connection to the militant opposition leader in Kenya and his supporting militant Islamic groups trying to overthrow the U.S.-friendly government in that country should be of concern. Al-Qaida would love to see the takeover of Kenya occur.



Also

The Value System adopted and supported by Barack Obama's church. This is not Biblical!
BE/\LERT!



The Black Value System
Trinity United Church of Christ - Chicago, Illinois

Trinity United Church of Christ adopted the Black Value System, written by the Manford Byrd Recognition Committee, chaired by the late Vallmer Jordan in 1981.

Dr. Manford Byrd, our brother in Christ, withstood the ravage of being denied his earned ascension to the number one position in the Chicago School System. His dedication to the pursuit of excellence, despite systematic denials, has inspired the congregation of Trinity United Church of Christ. Prayerfully, we have called upon the wisdom of all past generations of suffering Blacks for guidance in fashioning an instrument of Black self-determination, the Black Value System.

Beginning in 1982, an annual Black Value System - Educational Scholarship in the name of Dr. Byrd was instituted. The first recipient of the Dr. Manford Byrd Award, which is given annually to the man or woman who best exemplifies the Black Value System, was our brother, Dr. Manford Byrd.

These Black Ethics must be taught and exemplified in homes, churches, nurseries and schools, wherever Blacks are gathered. They consist of the following concepts:


  1. Commitment to God. "The God of our weary years" will give us the strength to give up prayerful passivism and become Black Christian Activists, soldiers for Black freedom and the dignity of all humankind.
  2. Commitment to the Black Community. The highest level of achievement for any Black person must be a contribution of strength and continuity of the Black Community.
  3. Commitment to the Black Family. The Black family circle must generate strength, stability and love, despite the uncertainty of externals, because these characteristics are required if the developing person is to withstand warping by our racist competitive society. - - -
  4. Dedication to the Pursuit of Education. We must forswear anti-intellectualism. Continued survival demands that each Black person be developed to the utmost of his/her mental potential despite the inadequacies of the formal education process. - - -
  5. Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence. To the extent that we individually reach for, even strain for excellence, we increase, geometrically, the value and resourcefulness of the Black Community. - - -
  6. Adherence to the Black Work Ethic. - - - We must realize that a location with good facilities, adequate transportation and a reputation for producing skilled workers will attract industry. We are in competition with other cities, states and nations for jobs. High productivity must be a goal of the Black workforce.
  7. Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self- Respect. To accomplish anything worthwhile requires self- discipline. We must be a community of self- disciplined persons if we are to actualize and utilize our own human resources, instead of perpetually submitting to exploitation by others. Self-discipline, coupled with a respect for self, will enable each of us to be an instrument of Black Progress and a model for Black Youth.
  8. Disavowal of the Pursuit of "Middleclassness." Classic methodology on control of captives teaches that captors must be able to identify the "talented tenth" of those subjugated, especially those who show promise of providing the kind of leadership that might threaten the captor's control.
  9. Pledge to Make the Fruits of All Developing and Acquired Skills Available to the Black Community.
  10. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black Institutions.
  11. Pledge Allegiance to All Black Leadership Who Espouse and Embrace the Black Value System.
  12. Personal Commitment to Embracement of the Black Value System. To measure the worth and validity of all activity in terms of positive contributions to the general welfare of the Black Community and the Advancement of Black People towards freedom.


Source Link



7) Megachurch Pastor Warren Calls for a Second Reformation
Rick Warren THE WASHINGTON POST [Wash Post Group/Graham] - By Michelle Boorstein - February 5, 2008

Rick Warren, a megachurch pastor and philanthropist who is courted by political leaders worldwide, says he thinks Christianity needs a "second Reformation" that would steer the church away from divisive politics and be "about deeds, not creeds."

Speaking today to a group of Washington Post reporters and editors, the evangelical author said he had an "epiphany" in recent years due to his wife's battle with cancer and the success of his book, "The Purpose Driven Life," which has sold more than 25 million copies. Humbled and scared, he said he decided to focus on helping the needy and the sick, particularly those with AIDS.

That meant advocating for a broader agenda for evangelicals beyond same-sex marriage and bioethical issues like abortion and stem cell research. That's a shift from the e-mail Warren sent before the 2004 election to his regular distribution list of 136,000 pastors, telling them to focus on those hot-button issues, which he called "non-negotiables."

Warren said he now regrets that e-mail -- not because he's changed his views in opposing abortion and same-sex marriage, but because he places them on a longer list of priorities.

Now, he says, he wants to promote personal responsibility and restore civility in American culture.

"I just think we're becoming too rude," he said. "You have no right to demonize someone just because you disagree with them."

Changing the culture, he said, is not done only through politics but also through things like art, music and sports.

"Outside the Beltway politics is just not that important. No kid in America has a poster of a politician on their wall," he said.

Warren, whose ministry has trained a half-million pastors, said partnerships between government and industry can't succeed in solving social problems unless they include faith groups, with their large volunteer forces and their worldwide networks.

"People are so worried churches are going to be about conversion," he said, "but everyone has a motive. Everyone has a world view. Christianity is a world view. . . . I don't care why you do good as long as you do good."



8) 'ChurchShift' Breaks Top 10 Bestsellers List
THE CHRISTIAN POST - By Jennifer Riley - February 17, 2008

A week after its release, the book entitled ChurchShift by the founding pastor of one of Europe's largest churches broke Amazon.com's top 10 Bestsellers list.

The new book by Sunday Adelaja, founding pastor of Ukraine's 30,000-member God's Embassy Church, hit No. 6 this week at its best on Amazon.com's Bestsellers list after debuting on Feb. 8. ChurchShift was also ranked No. 1 on Amazon's Christianity Bestsellers list before falling to No. 4 on Saturday.

Marketing of the book has been unique in that it ties its mission to change U.S. churches with performing well on Amazon.com's Bestsellers list. The ChurchShift Web site urges Christian leaders to buy the book on Feb. 8-23 through Amazon.com so that Adelaja could receive the "press coverage he needs as a catalyst to accomplish the ChurchShift mission in the United States."

The book's mission is to spark a revolution in American culture - which Adelaja believes is in decay - by reforming 10,000 U.S. churches so that they will in turn reform American society. The ChurchShift author is seeking to prepare churches for what he believes will be a massive "shift" in focus and practice. - - -

Some of the features in the book include how to: avoid church splits and division; change every Christian's view of "My Ministry;" inspire Christians to believe in supernatural outcomes; equip church members to impact the seven spheres of society; teach kingdom values for societal transformation; activate the potential of the local church; change a nation by emerging from four walls of a church building; and provide the keys to achieve national transformation.

Dr. James O. Davis, president of ChurchShift, believes the message from Ukraine will be welcomed in the United States. - - -

Davis noted that Embassy of God members bring their understanding of God's Kingdom in social areas of influence. At least 600 congregants ran for public office in the last elections and one member is now the mayor of Kiev, a city of 4 million. Another member is Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ukraine and one young lady is representing God in entertainment as the reigning Miss Ukraine. - - - -



9) Purpose Driven Unveiled
UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES - Commentary by Roger Oakland from the Philippines

The concept of Purpose Driven people and churches has become a phenomenon that is sweeping the world. Since the publication and promotion of the idea by Rupert Murdoch-owned Zondervan, the name of Pastor Rick Warren has become synonymous with a man who has a plan to bring hope for planet earth.

When I say the planet, that is exactly what I mean. Over the past five years I have spoken to pastors and church leaders in over twenty-five countries. Where ever I have gone, the message of purpose driven has proceeded me.

I have just completed two conferences for pastors and church leaders, one at the city of Antipolo near Manila and the other at Bageo. Because The Purpose Driven Life has been widely distributed throughout the Philippines (either for free or very little cost), the concept of the purpose driven Christian has reshaped the minds and the motives of Christian leaders who now desire to have mega-churches, just like Pastor Rick.

While it is true, that the purpose driven movement encourages all to become purpose driven for the cause of good over bad, somewhere along the line, the social gospel that is being promoted has set the gospel according to the Scriptures aside, or at least, caused it to be lost in the zeal to eradicate AIDS, poverty and illiteracy.

For example, while in the Philippines, I have discovered that Roman Catholics had been invited to participate together with "evangelicals" to promote the concept that is about to be unveiled in the Philippines - the P.E.A.C.E. plan.

Remember, Rick Warren signed an agreement with Chuck Colson in April of 2005 at the large gathering at Anaheim Stadium when the P.E.A.C.E. plan was announced. It is common knowledge that Chuck Colson signed Evangelicals and Catholics together.

Is the P.E.A.C.E. plan just another arm of the Roman Catholic New Evangelization program that is designed to establish the kingdom of God here on planet earth with headquarters in Rome? Is Rick Warren fully aware of the path he is choosing to lead many unsuspecting Christians?


Breaking the News in the Philippines

Throughout both conferences in the Philippines, a number of presentations were made to help pastors and church leaders understand the significance to understand our times. Nearly every single person had been affected by the purpose driven philosophy. When I asked for a show of hands in Bageo if anyone had a copy of the book, about 50 percent of the 100 or more delegates raised their hands.

The topics that I presented dealt with deception in the church in the last days as revealed in the Bible relating to Bible prophecy. For example, I quoted Warren's own words taken from Purpose Driven Life:


Further, when I quoted Warren's own words from an interview he did with Charlie Rose, August 17, 2006, some indicated to me afterwards they were questioning whether this quote was taken in the proper context:
    When I go out and I start telling people, "Do you want to work with us on poverty, disease, AIDS, illiteracy, injustice?" I often find people are more unwilling to work with us than we are willing to work with them. In other words, we're saying, "You don't have to change your beliefs for us to work with you." If you can only work with people that you agree with, then most of the world, you're ruling out. Okay. I don't insist that a Moslem change his belief for me to work on poverty. I don't even insist that a gay person has to change their beliefs. They're not going to accept my belief, or I'm not going to accept theirs. [2]
Throughout the conferences in the Philippines, I told the delegates about the various three-legged stool plans that were being implemented for peace. These plans included the United Nations plan, the Al Gore and the "Mother Earth" plan, the Vatican plan, and also Rick Warren's three-legged stool plan that he learned from his mentor Peter Drucker.

For, example, I had quoted Warren, who stated the following in an interview:
    A one-legged stool will fall over, a two-legged stool will fall over, and business and government alone cannot solve these problems. They haven't, or they would've. The third leg of the stool is the churches. There's a public sector role, there's a private sector role and there's a faith sector role. [3]
Even thoughI had presented the facts about the purpose driven belief system, it was apparent that many were not convinced that I was telling the truth.


The Final Blow

It is not my desire to attack or destroy other ministries, although recently there have been plenty of attempts to attack and destroy the ministry of Understand The Times. My desire is to tell the truth and point people to the Word of God. In fact, I have been told recently that the problem I have created amongst a fellowship of pastors is because of "telling the truth."

It is because I am concerned about the direction that purpose driven emerging church Christianity is leading Bible-believing Christianity that I feel called to warn the church - it is a church that is headed towards apostasy and doesn't even know it. It was for this reason I wrote Faith Undone as a message to the church to wake up and get back to the Word of God away from teachings designed to grow churches at the expense of biblical truth.

While I was speaking at the conference in Bageo, Rick Warren was in Europe participating in the DAVOS discussion group. Someone sent me a link to a short interview that he gave that was aired on You-tube. When I watched Warren on that video clip, I realized his statement would help me show the Bageo Understand The Times delegates that I had not been taking things out of context nor was I exaggerating the concerns I had with purpose driven Christianity.

On the last day of the conference, I visited an internet caf� and videoed the statement that Warren had made at DAVOS. Later I showed it at the conference. The conference delegates heard Rick Warren confirm all that I had previously told them, in the very words spoken by himself. As a result, after my PowerPoint presentation of Warren's statement, one could have heard a pin drop in the lecture hall. The facts were presented. The case was complete. I made no further comments.

As I conclude this commentary, please read the transcript of the statement Warren made about purpose driven at DAVOS. I will make no further comment. My case is closed. You can draw your own conclusion.

Is purpose driven Christianity a biblical Christianity or is it not?


See Also:

Transcript: "Rick Warren Answers the DAVOS[4] Question"

Click link below



10) Hard Questions For "Prosperity Gospel"
A Televangelist Lives In The Lap Of Luxury -- But Now He's Under Investigation

CBS NEWS, America [CBS Corporation] - Reported by Armen Keteyian - January 29, 2008

Last November, Sen. Charles Grassley launched a public investigation into the ministries of six top televangelists who attract thousands of followers and collect hundreds of millions of dollars around the world. Grassley is demanding financial records to determine whether these churches deserve their tax exempt status. CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian takes a hard look at one target: Kenneth Copeland, the so- called "godfather" of "prosperity gospel."

NEWARK, Texas -- "To live in the garden of Eden --- hallelujah!" Copeland says. "Somebody shout 'amen!'"

In one TV sermon after another, Kenneth Copeland and wife, Gloria, implore viewers to sow the seeds of their faith by following God's word - and donating dollars, promising a 100-fold return in happiness and wealth, Keteyian reports.

Even the check envelope says "I am sowing $_____ and believing for a hundredfold return."

"It's a business, it's a bottom-line business," said a former ministry employee - who feared being identified. The employee answered hundreds of prayer requests a day, most sent in with donations, before quitting, feeling "betrayed" by Copeland's gospel of prosperity.

"So when he's preachin' health and wealth..." Keteyian asks.

"He's filling that bottom line on his business," the source said.

That's why Senate investigators are digging into whether ministry resources are being diverted into an array of for-profit companies tied to the Copelands: cattle, horses, aviation, real-estate development and gas and oil wells to name a few.

Michael Hoover, who worked for Kenneth Copeland Ministries for five years, quit in 2005 over disagreements with the church. He says he witnessed other employees doing work on behalf of for-profit businesses tied to the Copeland family.

"In my viewpoint, I believe that they were using a lot of the ministry's assets for personal businesses," he said.

"The nonprofit activity and the for-profit activity are so intertwined that you can't, you can't separate them," said Ole Anthony of the Trinity Foundation.

A two-month CBS News investigation, including interviews with nearly a dozen former Copeland employees, raises serious questions about the Copeland's religious empire.

Beginning with a lavish lakefront home, all 18,000 square feet of it, and a fleet of private planes - all paid for by the ministry.

At a celebration, Copeland said: "The Lord spoke to me and said 'you're gonna believe for a Citation 10, right now.'"

Copeland got what he wanted - that's the $20 million jet right there parked at the ministry-owned airport. It's one of four private planes owned by the church.

"It will never ever be used as for anything other than what is becoming of you Lord Jesus," he said.

But that's not what happened.

CBS News has learned he used one ministry jet and another to fly to and from Colorado three times in 2007 - the site of frequent Copeland family vacations. The ministry now claims they reimburse the ministry for personal use of the jets.

Copeland has said: "You are not created for poverty."

Churches are not required to file tax forms - or make their finances public. The ministry, which says it does everything by the book, has refused to answer key questions about its finances raised by Senate investigators.

"We answered them - we gave them a several-page lesson on --- " Copeland said.

Kenneth Copeland refused repeated interview requests by CBS News.

When Keteyian went to ministry headquarters near Ft. Worth, Texas, we were turned away.

"There's no way I can see him right now?" Keteyian asked a security guard before being turned away.

If Grassley doesn't get the answers he wants, he may well resort to some words of his own - in the form of a Senate subpoena.



11) US: Sen. Chuck Grassley goes after Christian ministries, arguing non-profits comply with tax laws
ASSOCIATED PRESS - February 25, 2008

- - - Some of the six Christian ministries contacted by Grassley's office have argued that his questions about high pay, perks and private jets amount to a violation of their constitutional protections.

"Senator Grassley's request clearly disregards the privacy protections of the church under law and appears to cross the line of constitutional guarantees for churches," one of the ministries under scrutiny, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, said in a statement.

And Gary McCaleb, senior counsel at the Alliance Defense Fund, a religious liberty legal group, criticized the tone of Grassley's inquiry.

"From the get-go he's acted more like an investigator and not at all like a senator on this and that's unnerving. He has a right to get facts, but this has looked, felt and smelled like an enforcement action," McCaleb said.

Grassley seems bemused by the outcry.

"I got no interest in doctrine. I believe in Jesus Christ, too, so that's fine," said Grassley, a Baptist. "I don't intend to violate the First Amendment, the Second Amendment or any other amendments."

Grassley said his questioning of televangelists is a simple matter of wanting to ensure that non-profit organizations comply with the tax laws that are essential to their operations.

He said it's the same reason he led calls for an investigation of lavish spending and other business practices at the Smithsonian. That inquiry ultimately led to the resignation last year of Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence M. Small.

"I've taken the same approach on any number of issues like this over the years," Grassley said.

The Democratic chairman of the Finance Committee, Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, brushed off criticism by the ministries.

"I've never known Senator Grassley to pick on anyone unfairly," Baucus said. "He has been focused on non- profits for a long time. And he's a longtime supporter of whistleblowers."

Still, Grassley seems to hold a certain disdain for the six ministries he has questioned about salaries and reports of mansions and private jets. In launching the inquiry, Grassley quipped that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, not a Rolls Royce. - - - -



12) Minister complies with Sen. probe, second resists
ASSOCIATED PRESS - February 25, 2008

A senator's investigation into spending and oversight at six "prosperity gospel" ministries has hit a roadblock with a minister intensifying his efforts to fight the inquiry, but made progress on Monday when another turned over documents.

Flamboyant Texas-based faith healer Benny Hinn had turned over material to the Senate Finance Committee in response to a letter of inquiry from Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, in early November, an aide to the senator said.

Meanwhile, another target of Grassley's investigation, Kenneth Copeland, sent a letter to supporters this month accusing Grassley of targeting the six ministries because of theological disagreements. Grassley denies the charge.

Copeland, whose supporters have called Grassley's office to protest, is a pioneer of the prosperity gospel, which teaches that God wants his followers to be rich both spiritually and materially.

Grassley, the ranking Republican on the finance committee, sent the inquiries after media reports and complaints from the public. He asked the ministries to answer questions about spending on things such as private jets and oceanside homes.

He also wanted to know about oversight from boards at the ministries.

Several ministries complained that religious freedoms were threatened and said that the Internal Revenue Service, not a Senate committee, had any business asking those questions.

Jill Gerber, Grassley's spokewoman, said it was too soon to characterize the documents from Hinn, but added that Hinn's representatives say "they want to be cooperative and transparent," and understood Grassley's position.

A Hinn spokesman did not immediately respond to calls for comment. Last week, he refused comment about Hinn's plans.

In a statement Monday, Grassley's office said it received about three-dozen calls from Copeland supporters echoing the letter's message. The statement said Copeland's response has fallen "far short," and that while lines of communications are open, "additional steps in the congressional review" also would be considered.

Grassley has said he doesn't think he'll need to resort to subpoenas, but hasn't ruled them out. Grassley is expected to send another round of letters soon reiterating the committee's jurisdiction over tax-exempt policy.

Only one ministry, headed by author and motivational speaker Joyce Meyer, has "substantially answered" Grassley's questions, Grassley's office said.

Two Atlanta-area ministers, Creflo Dollar and Bishop Eddie Long, have refused to cooperate, while Paula and Randy White of Tampa also have failed to provide any information, Grassley's office said.

Copeland, initially reserved, has become increasingly combative toward Grassley.

In a letter this month to supporters, Copeland wrote that the ministry's response to Grassley "contained detailed information about non-church related questions" but did not provide information it deems private.

Copeland said the ministry fully complies with all laws and pledged that he would go to jail before turning over names of donors. - - - -



13) 5 Reasons Why the Emerging Church is Now Receding
Comment From Understand The Times:(Don't Bury The Emerging Church, Yet!)

UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES - Commentary by Roger Oakland

Trevin Wax's article titled "
5 Reasons Why the Emerging Church is Now Receding" posted February 5, 2008, asks some interesting questions and raises some valid concerns with regard to the Emerging Church. However, unfortunately Wax has drawn conclusions that steer readers far from an accurate picture of understanding the times from a biblical perspective and it is necessary to sound the alarm.

Wax asks the question, "Has the Emerging Church begun to recede?" then answers it with a "yes," giving 5 reasons why this is so. While Wax points out several crucial problems of the emerging church, (true biblical evangelism, doctrines on hell and the deity of Christ, etc.), he has underestimated the seriousness and the expansiveness of the emerging church movement by suggesting that it's "influence" has "begun to wane."

He suggests that because some young pastors and leaders are distancing themselves from the term emergent or emerging, this is "a clear sign that the conversation is ending." This is not an accurate view of what is happening throughout the world as the documented facts reveal.

Certain aspects of the emerging church, like other trends or fads that hit Christianity, will no doubt come and go. Perhaps the name will even change. However, the underlying spirituality (I call it emerging spirituality) and the overall vision of the emerging church is not going to fade away or disappear, even if, as Wax suggests, it blends into the evangelical church. It will still exist. Thus, I would disagree that the emerging church is on its way to a burial.

The ideologies and theologies that have been presented by the emerging church and the purpose driven church (one of the greatest evangelistic tools for the emerging church) have opened the door to a much bigger delusion that is coming in the name of Christ. The catalyst for this delusion is "contemplative spirituality" along with the desire to stimulate the senses to become more engaged with "God."

This is the delusion that is foretold in II Thessalonians chapter two, in which the apostle Paul describes the final preparation for the religion that sets up the antichrist. I believe this will be the religion of Christian Babylonianism and that is presently being prepared by the Roman Catholic Church to unify religion in the name of Christ-the Eucharistic Christ.

The emerging church and the purpose driven church are simply paving the road to Rome which paves the way to the religion of the anti-Christ. For those who may doubt what I am saying, take a look at the February 2008 cover story of Christianity Today. It confirms these very things.

The Christianity Today article titled "Lost Secrets of the Ancient Church" says that "evangelicals are connecting with the early church" and admits this is basically a "Catholic" looking church with a particular emphasis on ancient mystical practices. - - - -



14) National Pastor's Convention Starts Today - Could Lead Pastors in Wrong Direction
LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS RESEARCH PROJECT - Coming From the Lighthouse Newsletter - February 26, 2008

The National Pastor's Convention begins today (Feb. 26th) in San Diego. This event has a large number of speakers, most of whom promote contemplative/emerging spirituality.

Pastors and church leaders who are going to attend the 2008 National Pastors Convention, which is presented by Zondervan Publishing and InterVarsity Press, should think twice about going. After travel expenses, ticket, lodging and food, the cost for the event for one pastor could easily run over a thousand dollars. In light of the speakers who will be teaching, and other events being offered, this may prove to be an unfruitful way to spend so much money, and may even be spiritually detrimental.

Speakers at this year's event include some of the most blatant proponents of contemplative spirituality and the emerging church, which in many cases also means having a propensity toward Catholic mysticism and interspirituality. Some of these speakers include: Ruth Haley Barton, Tony Jones, Erwin McManus, John Ortberg, J.P. Moreland, Calvin Miller, Scot McKnight, and Dan Kimball. Chuck Colson, co-author of the ecumenical Evangelicals & Catholics Together document will also be speaking. Emerging church favorite Phyllis Tickle (who once called Brian McLaren the next Luther) will be a speaker at the event as well. 1 A number of other speakers also fall into the contemplative/emerging camp.

Extra activities offered at the convention, in addition to seminars by the speakers, include "Christian Yoga" presented by Shelly Pagitt (wife of emerging church leader Doug Pagitt), New Age sympathizer Rob Bell's Nooma films, opportunities to be instructed by "spiritual directors" (those who teach contemplative spirituality), and prayer Labyrinths.

Critical concern courses will offer "Practicing the Presence of Jesus: A Spiritual Retreat" by Mark Yaconelli, who once revealed to Lighthouse Trails that he taught mantra meditation in his classes. Popular teachers Henry Cloud and John Townsend (CCN) have found a teaching place at the convention too in a critical concerns course called "Revolutionizing Group Life in the Church." Having these two mainstream speakers will give much credibility to the event in the eyes of many. Dan Kimball will teach a course named after his book They Like Jesus but not the Church (see review).

To help prepare pastors and leaders for the convention, an over-night, pre-event pastors retreat will take place at the Mission San Luis Rey retreat center. A description of the retreat explains:
    This National Pastors Retreat provides leaders with a safe place to be honest about the challenges of spiritual leadership, to experience spiritual rhythms of solitude, prayer, and community, and to deepen their understanding of leadership that flows from one's authentic self [not Jesus Christ]. Led by The Transforming Center leaders Ruth Haley Barton and Joe Sherman, this retreat offers a meaningful introduction to the community, spiritual rhythms, teaching themes, and guided experiences that will come to characterize National Pastors Retreat.
Ruth Haley Barton, who helped to create the spiritual formation curriculum (with John Ortberg) for Willow Creek church teaches the fundamentals of contemplative spirituality to thousands of pastors and leaders at her Transforming Center. Something that is vital to understand is that Barton was trained at the Shalem Prayer Institute. This center was founded by Tilden Edwards who boldly proclaimed that Christians who exclude eastern spiritual practices from their prayer life impoverish their spiritual resources (Living in the Presence, p. 18-19).

Zondervan's National Pastors Convention will mislead many unsuspecting Christian pastors and leaders. Unfortunately, by the time they've each spent hundreds of dollars for the event and are packed and ready to go there, most of them will not have read this article and may become caught in the web of deception that is woven throughout the contemplative prayer movement and the emerging church and for which Zondervan and InterVarsity Press have become evangelists.



15) Sharia law row: Archbishop is in shock as he faces demands to quit
How did he ever become Archbishop? THE EVENING STANDARD of LONDON [Associated Newspapers/DMGT] - February 9, 2008

The Archbishop of Canterbury was facing demands to quit last night as the row over sharia law intensified.

Leading bishops publicly contradicted Dr Rowan Williams's call for Islamic law to be brought into the British legal system.

With the Church of England plunged into crisis, senior figures were said to be discussing the archbishop's future.

One member of the church's "Cabinet", the Archbishop's Council, was reported as saying: "There have been a lot of calls for him to resign. I don't suppose he will take any notice, but, yes, he should resign."

Officials at Lambeth Palace told the BBC Dr Williams was in a "state of shock" and "completely overwhelmed" by the scale of the row.

It was said that he could not believe the fury of the reaction. The most damaging attack came from the Pakistan-born Bishop of Rochester, the Right Reverend Michael Nazir-Ali.

He said it would be "simply impossible" to bring sharia law into British law "without fundamentally affecting its integrity".

Sharia "would be in tension with the English legal tradition on questions like monogamy, provisions for divorce, the rights of women, custody of children, laws of inheritance and of evidence.

"This is not to mention the relation of freedom of belief and of expression to provisions for blasphemy and apostasy." - - - -



16) 'Sharia law will undermine British society,' warns Cameron in attack on multiculturalism
LONDON DAILY MAIL [Associated Newspapers/DMGT] - February 26, 2008

Britain is ignoring religious extremism for fear of causing offence to minorities, David Cameron claimed yesterday.

In an impassioned attack on the "disastrous" doctrine of multiculturalism, the Tory leader said it meant forced marriage and other unacceptable practices were not being addressed.

Instead, he said, ministers, teachers, social services and the police responded with a "hapless shrug of the shoulders" and the phrase: "It's their culture, isn't it?"

He added: "For too long, we've come to ignore differences - even if they fly in the face of human rights, notions of equality and child protection."

In parts of Britain, schoolgirls from ethnic minorities had "simply disappeared" from schools, he said.

But he added that there was often little investigation of such cases for fear of causing offence or being branded a racist.

The Tory leader also complained that organisations which explicitly promote separatism and extremism are being handed Government funding.

And he warned that multiculturalism - the idea that different cultures should be respected to the point of encouraging them to live separately - had dangerously undermined Britain's sense of identity and brought about "cultural apartheid".

He said: "I believe multiculturalism is a wrong-headed doctrine that has disastrous results."

The Tory leader warned that the ultimate outcome of multiculturalism could be the recognition of Sharia law.

Mr Cameron told a debate organised by the Equality and Human Rights Commission: "The reality is that the introduction of Sharia law for Muslims is actually the logical endpoint of the now discredited doctrine of state multiculturalism - instituting, quite literally, a legal apartheid to entrench what is the cultural apartheid in too many parts of our country.

"This wouldn't strengthen society - it would undermine it."

He said the Conservatives would unveil detailed proposals in the coming months to ensure that all immigrants learn to speak English.

He added that the party would also promote women's rights and introduce school exchanges so that children from different backgrounds could meet each other.

Mr Cameron also suggested that a Tory government would crack down on private faith schools which "could be breeding some of the separatism".



17) 'Islamic Jesus' hits Iranian movie screens
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE - January 13, 2008

A director who shares the ideas of Iran's hardline president has produced what he says is the first film giving an Islamic view of Jesus Christ, in a bid to show the "common ground" between Muslims and Christians.

Nader Talebzadeh sees his movie, "Jesus, the Spirit of God," as an Islamic answer to Western productions like Mel Gibson's 2004 blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ," which he praised as admirable but quite simply "wrong". - - -

Talebzadeh insists it aims to bridge differences between Christianity and Islam, despite the stark divergence from Christian doctrine about Christ's final hours on earth.

"It is fascinating for Christians to know that Islam gives such devotion to and has so much knowledge about Jesus," Talebzadeh told AFP.

"By making this film I wanted to make a bridge between Christianity and Islam, to open the door for dialogue since there is much common ground between Islam and Christianity," he said.

The director is also keen to emphasise the links between Jesus and one of the most important figures in Shiite Islam, the Imam Mahdi, said to have disappeared 12 centuries ago but whose "return" to earth has been a key tenet of the Ahmadinejad presidency.

Talebzadeh made his name making documentaries about Iran's 1980-1988 war against Iraq, an important genre in the country's post-revolutionary cinema.

But such weighty themes, and his latest film on Jesus, compete with domestic gangster thrillers and sugary boy-meets-girl love stories, the movies that continue to draw the biggest audiences in the Islamic Republic.

The bulk of "Jesus, the Spirit of God", which won an award at the 2007 Religion Today Film Festival in Italy, faithfully follows the traditional tale of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament Gospels, a narrative reproduced in the Koran and accepted by Muslims.

But in Talebzadeh's movie, God saves Jesus, depicted as a fair-complexioned man with long hair and a beard, from crucifixion and takes him straight to heaven.

"It is frankly said in the Koran that the person who was crucified was not Jesus" but Judas, one of the 12 Apostles and the one the Bible holds betrayed Jesus to the Romans, he said. In his film, it is Judas who is crucified. - - - -



18) BE ALERT! Barkley on Blitzer
MORIEL MINISTREIS / BE ALERT! - Commentary by Scott Brisk - February 16, 2008

On the blog we have posted
a partial transcript from Charles Barkley appearing on CNN's Situation Room Hosted by Wolf Blitzer as well as the video.

During the interview, Charles Barkley discusses a few items concerning the topic of politics, namely his decision to vote democrat in the upcoming 2008 elections and his decision to run for Governor of Alabama in 2014 once he has met the seven-year citizenship requirement.

However, it was the third topic he covered that I considered important for Be Alert! in which he takes a swipe at Christians for being judgmental, something not at all uncommon these days.

By contrast, in this case, Mr. Barkley is actually probably more correct than most by calling Conservatives 'Fake Christians'. I can only conclude by the state of our churches and the state of America and her Western counterparts, that is truly the case and the bible as we know teaches this.

Nevertheless, Mr. Barkley still appears confused on the issue of judgment and it is not a simple as he makes it out to be (yet it really is not all that of a difficult concept either)

Born again believers in Jesus the Messiah are to judge other born again believers in Messiah. We are of course to make sure our ability to judge is pure first, hence we always check ourselves first and pull the log out of our own eye out first. Thus, a warning is given: In the way we judge, we will be judged also.

Mathew 18 lays out a process by which the church and the leadership are to follow in addressing, correcting and judging sin or offence. 1 Corinthians 5 and 6 builds on this and 1 COR 5:12-13 reaffirms we are to judge those within the church but not those outside the church. Those outside the church God will judge.

We have developed a serious problem in the so- called "Christian" nations of the west. First of all the "nations" ethnos were always biblically considered part of the world. Secondly, no matter how many bible believing Christians were involved in the founding of the United States, it was never and will never be a Theocracy unto Yahweh. There has always been a distinction between the church, Israel and the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America etc. The nations I mentioned are all conglomerates of the original seventy nations, probably the UK being the least.

Consequently, the church has been trying to judge the world for a very long time rather than doing what Jesus commanded, making disciples of all nations and being His witnesses even into the remotest part of the earth.

How I believe the Lord would much rather see His church being persecuted because it was making disciples and was a threat to the establishment rather than being attack because it is seen as a political opponent that is more of a hypocrite than anything else.

When the early church stuck straight to scripture they could not be accused of being hypocrites, but when there is a mixture of truth and error such as gospel of Patriotism and the gospel of Jesus Christ you wind up trying to legislate morality and eventually hypocrisy.



19) US: Protestants Verging on Becoming Minorities
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT [NY Daily News/M Zuckerman] - By Kent Garber - February 25, 2008

The first American colonists were Protestant, and for roughly four centuries their descendants, along with successive waves of Protestant immigrants, have been the country's dominant religious group.

But now Protestants are on the verge of becoming a statistical minority in the U.S., according to a study released today. Whereas nearly two thirds of Americans identified themselves as Protestant as recently as the 1980s, only 51 percent identify as Protestant today, the study found. The sharp decline in Protestant identifiers was one of several novel and potentially politically volatile findings reported in the study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, which polled more than 35,000 Americans over the age 18.

One of the unifying themes of the study was its assessment that religious life in America remains remarkably fluid and dynamic, with an increasing trend toward diversity and specialization. Underlying the Protestant shift, for instance, is what appears to be an increasingly fragmented movement. Mainline Protestants, once the group's bedrock, now account for less than 20 percent of all Protestants. By contrast, evangelical Protestants now represent more than 50 percent of all Protestant adherents-and more than a quarter of the total population.

The findings, especially regarding evangelicals, hint at possible political consequences. As the 2008 presidential race has suggested, the religious right, which has typically enjoyed solid support from evangelicals, has lost its cohesion. Several factors likely explain this phenomenon, one of which is that as the evangelical movement has grown, it has also become more susceptible to multiple voices and more discordant opinions. "The homogeneity of evangelical politics has been overrated and overestimated for some time," said Randall Balmer, a professor of American religious studies at Barnard College. "You are now beginning to hear other evangelical voices besides James Dobson."

Among Catholics, the trend has been somewhat different, reflecting the heavy Catholic preference of foreign-born Americans. In recent decades nearly half of all U.S. immigrants have been Catholic, hailing predominantly from Latin America. As a result, the proportion of American residents identifying as Catholic has held steady, even as the number of native-born Catholics has dropped.

The study also found remarkable fluidity across different religions. Thirty percent of all Americans, it found, have switched their religion at some point in their lifetime, either to a different religion or to an "unaffiliated status." The "unaffiliated" category, in fact, nearly doubled in size from the 1990s to the most recent study, and most of the jump was attributable to Americans who described their religion as "nothing in particular," as opposed to self-described atheists or agnostics. - - - -



20) Orthodox Church unholy alliance with Putin
Ex KGB Meet LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH [Barclay] - By Adrian Blomfield in Omsk - February 26, 2008

Russia's Orthodox Church, despite decades of brutal repression under Soviet rule, is putting its trust in the KGB to ensure that a remarkable religious revival does not fade with the departure of President Vladimir Putin.

In an unusual move, Alexei II, the Church's patriarch, has endorsed deputy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev ahead of next week's presidential election.

The influence of his support on Russia's estimated 100 million Orthodox worshippers is immense.

It also illustrates the unholy alliance the Church has forged with the Kremlin since Mr Putin came to power eight years ago.

The president, a proud adherent, has allowed the Orthodox Church to regain much of its Tsarist-era lustre and has won the enthusiastic support of religious leaders in return.

With his hand-picked successor almost guaranteed victory in the March 2 poll, Mr Putin is determined to maintain the arrangement by holding on to the reins of power as prime minister.

The relationship might seem odd. It was the KGB, after all, that led persecution of the Church in Soviet times, when priests were regularly jailed, tortured and executed. Neither this nor accusations that Mr Putin is restoring many of the attributes of Soviet rule seem to bother Alexei.

Although he has never confirmed it, the patriarch, like the president, is a former KGB agent codenamed Drozdov, according to Soviet archives opened to experts in the 1990s.

Many in the Orthodox hierarchy are also accused of working as KGB informers, a fact that critics say the Church has never fully acknowledged.

"Essentially, the Orthodox Church is one of the only Soviet institutions that has never been reformed," said one priest, who declined to be identified for fear that he could be defrocked. That fate already befell another colleague, Gleb Yakunin, in the 1990s when he called on Church leaders with KGB links to repent. - - - -



21) Vatican, Muslims Plan 'Historic' Meeting
ASSOCIATED PRESS - By Nicole Winfield - January 4, 2008

VATICAN CITY - Catholic and Muslim representatives plan to meet in Rome in the spring to start a "historic" dialogue between the faiths after relations were soured by Pope Benedict XVI's 2006 comments about Islam and holy war, Vatican officials said.

Benedict proposed the encounter as part of his official response to an open letter sent to him and other Christian leaders in October by 138 Muslim scholars from around the world. The letter urged Christians and Muslims to develop their common ground of belief in one God.

Three representatives of the Muslim scholars will come to Rome in February or March to prepare for the meeting, the head of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, told the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano this weekend.

He did not give a date for the larger meeting, except to say it would take place in the spring.

The agenda, he said, would cover three main topics: respect for the dignity of each person, interreligious dialogue based on reciprocal understanding, and instruction of tolerance among the young.

"The meeting with a delegation of some of the 138 Muslims, planned for Rome next spring, is in a certain sense historic," Tauran was quoted by L'Osservatore as saying. - - -

Noting that Christians and Muslims make up an estimated 55 percent of the world population, the scholars conclude that improving relations is the best way to bring peace to the world. - - -

The prince, who is a special envoy to Jordan's King Abdullah II, responded by confirming the agenda of the meeting and saying three representatives of the scholars would travel to Rome in February or March to lay its groundwork.



22) Vatican: Away with the manger
Saint Peter's Square nativity scene nixes stable for Joseph's workshop

WORLDNETDAILY - December 15, 2007

Christmas eve visitors to St. Peter's Square at the Vatican expecting to see a traditional nativity scene will be surprised to find no stable, no manger, no hay, no sheep and definitely no Elvis.

In a move Vatican officials say is meant to "reflect a return to the story of the nativity as told by Matthew," Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus will be shown in Joseph's Nazareth carpentry workshop and not in the Bethlehem stable.

The presepe, or nativity scene, will feature three rooms, including the workshop, complete with "the typical work tools of a carpenter," a "covered patio" and the "inside of a pub with its hearth," the London Telegraph reported.

Moving the Christmas story 70 miles north from Bethlehem to Nazareth was inspired by Matthew 1:24- 25 as rendered in the Catholic Bible translation:

"When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home; he had not had intercourse with her when she gave birth to a son; and he named him Jesus." - - - -


Read Report Posted on the
Be Alert! Weblog


23) Five children die in Bihar after eating holy offerings
REUTERS [Thomson-Reuters] - February 22, 2008

PATNA, India - Five children have died and 96 other people have fallen seriously ill in Bihar after eating sweets and rice offered to a goddess at a village shrine, health officials said on Friday.

Children in Isua village, in Bihar, fell sick on Thursday during a festival to mark the full moon shortly after eating the temple offerings, known as prasad, made to Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning.

"The children began vomiting and falling on the ground senseless," Ramvilas Ranjan, a health official in the district, said by telephone.

The dead children were between 4 and 7 years old. Most of those taken sick are also children.

Ranjan thinks it was probably food poisoning. Villagers told him the food had been kept in a store room for ten days. Tests are being done on the prasad.

In a similar incident in 2004, 11 children died after eating prasad at a different village temple in Bihar.



24) NFL to churches: Party away!
League changes rules to allow Super Bowl events

    Ed Note: Now churches can again fill their sanctuaries with perverted and vile Super Bowl commercials. How sad.
    BE/\LERT!


WORLDNETDAILY - February 22, 2008

An advocacy law firm has announced the National Football League has changed its rules to allow churches to stage Super Bowl events and parties without fear of violating copyright laws.

WND has reported in the past on the NFL's attempts to shut down special events churches have staged around the televising of the annual football championship, and how it previously issued statements that the events were allowed only if the television screen was smaller than a certain size, or if other requirements were met.

But the Rutherford Institute today confirmed that the NFL "has finally acceded to demands that it change its policies in order to accommodate churches who wish to show the Super Bowl on big-screen televisions."

The organization said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the league will not "object to live showings of the Super Bowl by religious organizations, regardless of the screen size, as long as the viewings are free and are on premises that the church uses on a routine and customary basis."

The Rutherford Institute, which has been working on the situation since before the 2007 game, said the NFL plans to implement the new policy starting with the 2009 classic.

"I'm glad to see the NFL change its policy. Unfortunately, it took a year and a half of persistence on the part of The Rutherford Institute to get it done," said Institute president John W. Whitehead. "It all goes to show that ordinary people can effect change, but you can't back down."

It was prior to the 2007 game when the NFL warned churches viewing the Super Bowl on large-screen televisions at church-sponsored gatherings infringed on the league's copyright. That was when Rutherford Institute attorneys began their work on the issue.

At that time, NFL lawyers warned officials at Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis they would have to cancel their advertised "Super Bowl Bash" to which church members and guests had been invited.

According to reports, the NFL told Fall Creek Pastor John D. Newland and others churches couldn't use the words "Super Bowl" in promotion, couldn't charge a fee to cover the costs of snacks, couldn't use a projector to show the game on 12-foot-wide screen, and couldn't link the game to the Christian testimonies of Colts coach Tony Dungy and Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith. - - - -



25) Church Challenges Members: Have Sex Every Day
    Ed. Note: Maybe a good motive involved, but a website that looks like a the trash you see on TV? Not a way to teach people to walk in the Spirit, especially the unwed and unsaved.


WKMG-TV6 CENTRAL FLORIDA / ORLANDO - February 19, 2008

YBOR CITY, Fla. -- A Florida church issued a challenge for its married members on Sunday: Have sex every day.

Relevant Church head pastor Paul Wirth said the 50 percent divorce rate was the catalyst for The 30-Day Sex Challenge.

The church set up a Web site concerning the challenge, Local 6 reported.

"And that's no different for people who attend church," Wirth said. "Sometimes life gets in the way. Our jobs get in the way."

Oh, and the flip side of the challenge? No rolling in the sheets for the unwed.

Church member Tim Jones and his fiancee agreed to take on the challenge, though he acknowledges it'll be a tough month.

But he added: "I think it's worth trying to find out other things about each other."



26) An Altar Beyond Olympus for a Deity Predating Zeus

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