News:   RELIGION - Including faith in ATHEISM (2005-2008) For recent links on this topic, click here See also Emerging "Christianity"  | The Postmodern Church |  Islam  UNESCO's Declaration on the Role of Religion in a Culture of Peace This page is very long

Home The Changing Church Apostasy

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Humanists Launch ‘Godless Holiday’ Ads: "The American Humanist Association (AHA) announced the launch of a $40,000 'godless holiday'ad campaign in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday in which more than 200 placards will be placed in and on the city’s metro buses. The ads ask commuters, 'Why believe in a god?' and encourages them to 'Just be good for goodness sake.'"

      But apart from God's grace and guidelines, we can't "be good." See Human Nature

October 2008

All aboard the atheist bus campaign: "...the slogan 'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life' could now become an ad campaign on London buses – and leading secularists have jumped on board to help us raise the money. The British Humanist Association will be administering all donations to the campaign.... Your donations will give atheism a more visible presence in the UK, generate debate, brighten people's day on the way to work, and hopefully encourage more people to come out as atheists. As Richard Dawkins says: 'This campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think – and thinking is anathema to religion.'" See Breaking Out of the Box

September 2008

Church makes ‘ludicrous’ apology to Charles Darwin - 126 years after his death: "The Church of England will tomorrow officially apologise to Charles Darwin for misunderstanding his theory of evolution. In a bizarre step, the Church will address its contrition directly to the Victorian scientist himself, even though he died 126 years ago. But the move was greeted with derision... with Darwin’s great-great-grandson dismissing it as ‘pointless’....

      "The Church is also anxious to counter the view that its teaching is incompatible with science. It wants to distance itself from fundamentalist Christians, who believe in the Biblical account of the creation.... An article to be posted on the Church’s website will say: ‘Charles Darwin, 200 years from your birth [in 1809], the Church of England owes you an apology...

      "Dr Brown writes: ‘His [Darwin’s] theory caused offence because it challenged the view that God had created human beings as an entirely different kind of creation to the rest of the animal world.'" See Expelled! No Intelligence Allowed

Almost half of all Americans don’t really know what an “evangelical Christian” is: "The most common perception is that evangelicals are Christians who place a special emphasis on spreading their faith to other people. Sometimes this is phrased in a negative light (the word 'proselytizing' comes up frequently).... Five percent say evangelicals are not just devoted or zealous, but are actually defined by fanaticism. Four percent don’t really have any specific definition, but make highly critical.... Another 4% believe they are defined by being completely closed-minded. Three percent define evangelicals as being greedy... and 3% say part of what defines an evangelical is their drive to impose their beliefs on other people....

      "Liberals are nine times as likely as conservatives to define evangelicals as being closed-minded, more than three times as likely to feel they are fanatics, four times as likely to level assorted criticisms at them....Evangelicals were called illiterate, greedy, psychos, racist, stupid, narrow-minded, bigots, idiots, fanatics, nut cases, screaming loons, delusional, simpletons, pompous, morons, cruel, nitwits, and freaks. ...they just know they can’t stand evangelicals.'" See An Evangelical Manifesto for an Interfaith World

July 2008

The Problem With Eternity (for atheists): "Instead of trying to bring the dawn of immortality closer to us, they would bring us closer to the dawn of immortality. This forward motion is the idea behind cryonics: freezing people just after they expire but before brain damage begins and then 'resurrecting them'... when medicine is finally able to cure that 'fundamental problem of life -- death.' Companies that currently offer this service will typically freeze a person's severed head... with the idea of eventually thawing it out and transplanting it onto a robotic torso, one invulnerable to the ailments that killed the actual body.... British longevity guru Aubrey de Grey has put forth the notion of 'immortality in tiny steps.' ... But how desirable would cryonics or immortality in tiny steps be, even if they were possible?"  Contrast such futile hope with Biblical hope  

Salvation through myriad faiths: "Seventy percent of all Americans say their religion is not the only path to eternal life.... The poll showed 'an enormous diversity' in American religion.... Pew released the first part of the survey in February. ... About 92 percent of all Americans profess a belief in God.... However, only six in 10 say God is a being with whom one can have a relationship. Twenty-five percent of those polled - including large concentrations of Buddhists, Jews, Muslims and Hindus - said God is an impersonal force. .. Seventy-four percent profess belief in heaven, whereas 59 percent say they believe in hell.... Jews were the least religious of the 13 groups..." See Breaking Out of the Box

June 2008

Oxford to Study Faith in God: "University of Oxford researchers will spend nearly $4 million to study why mankind embraces God. The grant to the Ian Ramsey Center for Science and Religion will bring anthropologists, theologians, philosophers and other academics together for three years to study whether belief in a divine being is a basic part of mankind's makeup.'... The study will be funded by the John Templeton Foundation." (Feb 19, 08) See The Templeton Foundation (and Rick Warren) 

 

Too Much Faith in Faith: "Perhaps you believe, with that vigorous atheist Christopher Hitchens, that 'religion poisons everything'; or, with the Christian historian and sociologist Rodney Stark, that religion created modern science and ended slavery. Or, like a significant majority of the British public recently polled... that religion is a 'social evil,' a 'cause of conflict and confusion.'...

     "Mr. Dawkins certainly thinks so: He is on record as saying that if we simply ceased to teach religion to our children we would soon have 'a paradise on earth.' ...But the idea that without religion people would stop seeking power, stop manipulating, stop deceiving, is just wishful thinking of the silliest kind." See Human Nature

Survey: More have dropped dogma for spirituality in U.S.: "Religion today in the USA is a salad bar where people heap on upbeat beliefs they like and often leave the veggies — like strict doctrines — behind. There are so many ways of seeing God, public policy expert Barry Kosmin says, that 'the highest authority is now the lowest common denominator.'... Such are the key findings in latest data from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life's U.S. Religious Landscape Survey of 35,000 Americans." See Heresy in high places

Religious Americans: My faith isn't the only way: "...a new survey finds most Americans don't believe their tradition is the only way to eternal life.... The findings, revealed Monday in a survey of 35,000 adults, can either be taken as a positive sign of growing religious tolerance, or disturbing evidence that Americans dismiss or don't know fundamental teachings of their own faiths. ...57 percent of evangelical church attenders said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life.... 70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation shared that view, and 68 percent said there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their own religion." See The twisted "truths" of The Shack & A Course in Miracles

May 2008

Civilization and the Texas Cult: "...the Texas polygamists are not pathfinders. Multiple wives are of course permitted in the Islamic religion, and co-wives are a feature of dozens of human groups in which powerful men control sufficient resources to be able to support more than one woman.... Again, the issue is cross-cultural. Osama bin Laden has at least five wives..." See The Angel of Light.

April 2008

Religion. Muslims Now Outnumber Catholics: "According to the Vatican, Muslims make up about 19 percent of the world's population. Catholics make up about 17 percent.... High birth rates among Muslims, increased immigration, and new converts to Islam are all factors that some experts believe could radically transform the Western World.... The Muslim birth rate in Europe is three times higher than the non-Muslim one. If current trends continue, the Muslim population of Europe will nearly double by 2015.... In France there are now more than 4,000 mosques.... Meanwhile, it has been projected that Muslims will be the majority population in Germany by 2046."

February 2008

Americans switching faiths, dropping out: "More than one-quarter of American adults have left the faith of their childhood for another religion or no religion at all, the survey found.... While nearly one in three Americans were raised Catholic, fewer than one in four say they're Catholic today.... Nearly half of all Catholics under 30 are Hispanic....

      "Hindus claimed the highest retention of childhood members, at 84 percent. The group with the worst retention is one of the fastest growing -- Jehovah's Witnesses.

      "...it's unclear whether people who called themselves Buddhists did so because they practice yoga or meditation, for instance, or claim affiliation with a Buddhist institution." See Emerging "Christianity-- Breaking Out of the Box

 

Santeria Surging in Venezuela: "The man says he is possessed by a god. He shouts, his body trembles and he lifts a sacrificed lamb to his lips, drinking its blood from the jugular. This initiation ceremony, seldom witnessed by outsiders, has become increasingly common in Venezuela, as the Afro-Cuban traditions of Santeria and other folk religions gain followers....

     "Santeria has grown in popularity in New York, Miami and Puerto Rico in the past following influxes of Cubans.... Santeria was born in Cuba among Yoruba slaves from West Africa. They were forbidden to practice their own religion, so they fused their beliefs with the Catholicism of their masters, starting a tradition that has spread throughout the Americas..... the Virgen de Las Mercedes, a manifestation of the Virgin Mary... represents Obatala, a patriarch in the pantheon of Yoruba gods. Some pay up to $7,000 for the yearslong initiation process to become "babalaos," or Santeria priests. ....

     "Black magic practitioners known as 'paleros' are known to gather human bones from cemeteries in order to seal pacts with the dead, to call upon their spirits for vengeance. At least some of the grave-robbing that plagues Caracas' main cemetery is thought to be due to the paleros, who according to some Santeria followers offer up to $5,000 for a skull." (2-7-08) See The Nature and Tactics of Satan

January 2008

Scottish pagan gathering spells worry for some Christians [UK]: "The Pagan Federation is intending to hold its first summer camp in Inchberry.... The three-day event, scheduled for July 2008, will be a celebration of the ancient religion, which is based on the honouring of the natural order as an expression of the divine.... The event is open to 'all witches, druids, shaman and other pagans of good'. It will feature an opening ritual as well as a host of workshops and talks....

      "...the Pagan Federation described as 'a huge stride in interfaith relations' the election of priestess Angie Buchanan to a three-year term as Secretary to the Council of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, one of the world’s oldest and most prominent interfaith organizations. She is the first Pagan to serve as an officer on the Executive Committee. In October 2007, Andras Corban-Arthen of the EarthSpirit Community in Massachusetts, USA, was elected as a member-at-large to the PWR executive committee." See Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft

December 2007

Church Separation: "In an 'Official Declaration' issued on June 8, 1978, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints extended 'priesthood and temple blessings to all worthy male members of the Church.' The church announced that a 'revelation had been received' by its then-president Spencer Kimball. Until then, Mormonism was a defiantly apartheid faith that denied blacks full participation based on doctrinal beliefs that whites are 'pure' and 'delightsome'....

     "By 1978, Strom Thurmond, who ran for president in 1948 calling for 'segregation of the races,' had endorsed integration and hired black staffers. Which is to say that in a decades-long march toward civil rights that eventually included even the likes of former Dixiecrats, the LDS church was still bringing up the rear.... In 1978, Mitt Romney was a 31-year-old vice president at Bain & Co. and a lifelong devout Mormon. Throughout his current campaign for the Republican nomination, Mr. Romney has declined to distance himself from the repugnant racial teachings of his church.... And for all his claims to the contrary, Mr. Romney has, in fact, been willing to distance himself from past teachings of the church -- just not those having to do with its treatment of black people." See Five Types of Religions

 

Trips to Lourdes to cut time spent in purgatory: "Pope Benedict XVI is offering relief from purgatory to Roman Catholics who travel to Lourdes over the next year, the Vatican said yesterday. Pilgrims to the shrine in south-west France will receive 'plenary indulgences' from the Pontiff, which the Church says reduce the time spent being 'washed' of sin after death. The indulgences will be available from this weekend until Dec 8, 2008." [Caption for Picture:] "Pope Benedict XVI prays to a statue of Madonna of Lourdes in St. Peter's Basilica") See Justification by Faith alone

 

Points of Light.  No Religious Test for President: "Republican Mitt Romney, confronting voters' skepticism about his Mormon faith, declared Thursday that as president he would 'serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause.'...

    "Serving as host at his presidential library, the elder Bush introduced Romney, pointed out members of the candidate's family in the audience and described Romney's father, former Michigan Gov. George Romney, as the father of volunteerism. 'He's certainly one of my mentors when it comes to points of light,' said Bush, who enacted a volunteer initiative while president, called 'Thousand Points of Light.' Bush said he had no intention of endorsing a candidate. "I simply have too much respect for all of the candidates," he said. He called Romney a "good man" and said he considered him and his wife "good friends." See A Chronological History of the New World Order & The emerging New World Order

October 2007

Hillary Clinton wants religion in the public square: "'Not only did the media not object to Hillary's annihilation of any barriers separating church and state, but they loved it.... Clinton believes she ought to be permitted to bring her faith into politics." See Declaration on the Role of Religion

September 2007

January 2007

October 2006

Dalai Lama: 'Mischievous' Muslims Hurting Islam: "The Dalai Lama said after meeting Pope Benedict on Friday that 'a few mischievous Muslims' should not be allowed to give the Islamic faith a bad name." See The Dalai Lama

Christian Schools Introducing Teens to Mysticism Proponent: "Lighthouse Trails has been contacted by several concerned parents and grandparents whose teens are being introduced to the teachings and films of emerging church leader, Rob Bell (a strong proponent of mysticism, i.e., contemplative). Bell, the creator of the Nooma films, is pastor of Mars Hill Bible Churchand the author of Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith." Emerging 'Christianity'

The next two links are old, yet they are relevant to understanding the new Church emphasis on management based on futuristic visions of worldly unity. All lead to the World Network of Religious Futurists. Its award-winning members include occultist Barbara Marx Hubbard and Jay Gary. Yet Gary has been very influential within the management of Christian global evangelism. As a teacher at Regent University [founded by Pat Robertson of the 700 Club] he will soon launch a new Master's degree in strategic foresight.

MetaNexus to Host Science & Religion Conference: "A new curriculum proposal for more effective science education and current perspectives on the evolution/intelligent design controversy highlight the Metanexus Institute's [One of the Templeton Foundation's assortment of spiritual projects] annual international conference on science and religion....

     "The conference, Continuity + Change: Perspectives on Science and Religion, presents leading international scholars whose work delves into important new and emerging ideas at the intersection of science and religion scholarship and research....

     "Spiritual Capital....This interdisciplinary forum will explore the economic and societal consequences of religion and spirituality as part of the emerging social science of “spiritual capital.” See Power of Purpose

 

The Religious Left is Back: "Long overshadowed by the Christian right, religious liberals across a wide swath of denominations are engaged today in their most intensive bout of political organizing and alliance-building since the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements of the 1960s....

     "After prayers from a variety of different religious traditions, the conference erupted in enthusiasm as Catholic nun Joan Chittister, my national co-chair of the Network of Spiritual Progressives, presented a compelling analysis of culture and spirituality, followed by Peter Gabel... who provided an engaging account of the spiritual psychodynamics of contemporary society. ...

    "Gabel was one of the many 'spiritual but not religious' people who spoke at the conference and presented a perspective that spoke in a language that bridged the gap and showed how humanists could equally find a home in the Network of Spiritual Progressives along with progressive spiritual people. ...

    "A central part of the conference was the presentation of the Spiritual Covenant with America.... The good news from Washington, D.C. is that we are not alone.... Senator Obama was very much in sync....

     "I also led prayers for the healing of the brokenness and fear-driven consciousness of the people in the White House."

 

WNRF Marks 25 Years of Religious Futurism: "For 18 months before 1999, Jay [Gary] also served as Executive Director of the World Network of Religious Futurists... turning it into a worthy successor to the periodical publication Global Visions....

      "I do not think we have come very far yet in bringing spiritual reflection methods such as prayer, meditation and worship to the process of the futurists skills.... We want to progressively integrate our prayers with our thinking, and to progressively integrate our worship services and liturgies with group inquiry processes, in seeking the future. We want to train up a school of prophets who will be able to listen to the fresh word of God and deliver it to the people." See The Global Church

September 2006

Darwin versus God. Heaven can wait (Review of The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins): "Dawkins sets out to demolish God; to assess the costs of religion and the evils to which it can be put; and to re-orient the debate on the whys and wherefores of life and humans within it.... Knowing, as he writes, that we are the products of Darwinian evolution, what pressure or pressures exerted by natural selection originally favoured the impulse to religion? [Recent research on DNA and the complexities of living cells have demolished Darwin's simple views of Natural Selection and the basis of new species.]...

      "Certainly, mature humans are often disposed to believe in almost anything, even against the evidence.... [Interesting how Dawkins defends Darwinian evolution in spite of the evidence!]

      "From examining the roots of religion, Dawkins goes on to the roots of morality. He asks the question: if there is no God, why be good? His answer is that morality, which has much in common within all societies, goes far wider than religion, and has clear Darwinian origins.... Dawkins rightly underlines the limited character of all human understanding, which he compares with the vision of a woman looking at the world through the narrow slits of a Muslim woman’s burqa."
      Apart from God, that last claim makes sense. But when we belong to God, He opens our eyes to know Him and discern His ways:

"...as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.' But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.... Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.... But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him..." 1 Cor. 2:9-16 

 

Religion: "[Richard Dawkins -- mentioned above] is an ardent and outspoken atheist, an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society, vice-president of the British Humanist Association and a Distinguished Supporter of the Humanist Society of Scotland.... In January 2006, Dawkins presented a two-part Channel 4 documentary entitled....The Root of All Evil?, addressing what he sees as the malignant influence of organised religion in society. Critics claimed the program gave too much time to marginal figures and extremists, and that Dawkins' confrontational style did not help his cause ...

      "Oxford theologian Alister McGrath, author of Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life, has accused Dawkins of being ignorant of Christian theology and mis-characterising religious people generally."

The Creator of all. Secret Worlds: The Universe Within

August 2006

Maitreya Has Come and Will Save the World: "...'All major religions are expecting a divine messenger, albeit under different names, says [Benjamin] Creme, and Maitreya has come in fulfillment of the prophecies of each. He has come earlier than anticipated by many religious groups because of the urgency of the times, in order to offer his counsel to a world in crisis. His priorities are simple: food, shelter, health care and education for everyone as guaranteed rights. His advice to humanity is just as simple. 'Share and save the world.' When the plight of the poor and starving millions is alleviated then the recovery of the environment will become the first priority.'...

     "The false christ will come promoting practical social welfare. That's it. Help for all who need it." See UNESCO's Declaration on the Role of Religion

July 2006

Yoga Renamed Is Still Hindu: (A Hindu shows the absurdity of the label "Christian Yoga." The article is worth reading as a warning, but we don't recommend the Hindu website): "'...yoga originated from the Vedic or Hindu culture. Its techniques were not adopted by Hinduism, but originated from it.' ...

     "The effort to separate yoga from Hinduism must be challenged because it runs counter to the fundamental principles upon which yoga itself is premised, the yamas (restraints) and niyamas (observances). These ethical tenets and religious practices are the first two limbs of the eight-limbed ashtanga yoga system which also includes asana (postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (contemplation/Self Realization). Efforts to separate yoga from its spiritual center reveal ignorance of the goal of yoga....
      "...we are witnessing an initiative toward yoga from ordinary Christians.... If this attempt to co-opt yoga into their own tradition continues, in several decades of incessantly spinning the untruth as truth through re-labelings such as 'Christian yoga,' who will know that yoga is -- or was -- part of Hindu culture?" See Dalai Lama Celebrating the Medicine Buddha

 

Children scapegoated as witches in fallout from Congo's civil war: "Jocelyn is a 'child-witch' -- or so her family claims.... 'It started when my little brother got sick. No one knew what was wrong with him, but my stepfather said I was behind it,' said Jocelyn.... 'They took the boy to a church sect, and after examining him, the pastor stood up and announced to everyone that I had put a curse on him. After that, they began to blame me for everything.'...

     "Children accused of witchcraft often undergo humiliating and painful public 'exorcisms' presided over by self-appointed pastors. The more abusive ceremonies involve forced vomiting, sleep deprivation and cuts with razors to drive out the 'evil spirits.' ... 'The irony is that many of these pastors were witch doctors who have embraced Christianity because the tribal beliefs are now seen as primitive.'... 'They retain the same beliefs but do it under the guise of Christianity.

     "Jeff Mobinda, 13, came to Kinshasa with his father after escaping the fighting in eastern Congo. But... his new stepmother refused to look after Jeff, threatened to poison him and accused him of witchcraft.... 'My stepmother didn't want to bother with me,' Jeff said. 'I don't hate for her what she did. It is not for me to punish her -- that is for God to decide.'" See Pastors and Prophets who mislead their flock

 

Hindu American Foundation Welcomes Statement on Conversions: "The inter-faith meeting was entitled, 'Conversion: Assessing the Reality'.... The meeting was attended by representatives of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism.... Delegates agreed that freedom of religion enjoins upon everyone the equally non-negotiable responsibility to respect, and never to denigrate, vilify or misrepresent others’ faiths for the purpose of affirming superiority of one’s own beliefs. The statement also called upon everyone 'to heal themselves from the obsession of converting others.'....

     “'The reflections and recommendations from the inter-faith summit, while not unanimous, are nevertheless consonant with the pluralistic tenets of Hinduism,' said Ishani Chowdhury, Executive Director of the Hindu American Foundation. 'Hinduism’s acceptance of a multitude of paths to the divine is critical to fostering peace in today’s global society....'

     “Hindu traditions are not unfamiliar with the religious motive of sharing one's conviction...,” said Prof. Anantanand Rambachan, Professor of Religion, Philosophy and Asian Studies at [Lutheran] Saint Olaf College, Minnesota, a Hindu participant at the conference.” 

  Yet, Hindu persecution of Christian converts in India is rising. See also Declaration on the Role of Religion

Christian actress worships at temple, kicks off stir: "Indian actress Meera Jasmine, a Christian by birth, has owned up worshipping at a temple which is out of bounds for non-Hindus.... She had gone there after worship at another temple and believed in the power of Rajarajeswara. The temple strictly prohibits entry of non-Hindus and women are let in only after 8 pm after the evening prayers are over.... Meera said... 'But I believe God has no religion. We create differences among ourselves on caste and creed.'" See Who defines the Kingdom of God?

Putin cautions world of disastrous consequences: "Over 200 delegates of prominent world religions from 40 countries are taking part in the three-day World Religion Summit..... Putin called for launching the interfaith dialogue of civilisations "to counter the ideologues of extremism, who exploit the sentiments of believers." See Reinventing the World: The Mind-Changing Process

Maharishi to Build World Capital of Peace in Kansas: "Followers of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, known for founding the transcendental meditation movement, recently broke ground on a complex they are calling the World Capital of Peace. The $14 million project will sit on 480 acres of land in north-central Kansas.... 'I really felt good about it,' said Smith Center Mayor Randy Archer....'I think they will blend and mesh with the community and the county.'" See Reinventing the World: The Mind-Changing Process

Africans Need African Theology: "According to Joe Kapolyo, a theologian from Zambia, many of his African colleagues simply copy Western theology, which is influenced by rationalism.... A truly African theology must deal with subjects like poverty, tribalism, corruption, sexuality, and spiritism....

     "Despite its fast growth in Africa Christianity has not succeeded in penetrating African culture, said Kapolyo. In many instances Africans have only been touched superficially. They often mix the Christian faith with paganism: They are good Christians during the day and consult the witchdoctor at night."

     Would a mythical blend of preferred beliefs fit better than Biblical truth, which is historical and rational? The result would be an African version of Western occultism, which includes many "christian allusions" and symbols. See Warnings - How mysticism & the occult are changing the Church

 

Man became Wiccan after leaving Episcopal church: (High school history teacher) "I left the Episcopal priesthood in 1997. My sense is that the strain of leading a Christian flock while not fully being able to believe the message I was preaching finally dropped me into what might be called a very early mid-life crisis.... During that time I read the Harry Potter books along with my children. My curiosity about the world of Harry Potter led me to do an Internet search on magic, which led me to Wicca. Online, I became acquainted with people from a Wiccan group in Flint. Eventually my wife and I went there and immediately felt we had finally found our spiritual home."

     "Q: What are your sources of inspiration, your role models?

     "For storytelling, we got back to Greek and Roman and Egyptian mythology, as well as ancient Chinese, Hindu, Buddhist, Norse, Irish, Scottish and other traditions.

     "...we are very much part of the world and of our communities, quietly living our lives and practicing our religion. We strive to model our lives on the lessons of nature herself." See Harry Potter and the Power of Suggestion

 

 

The “Jesus” of the Cults: "Jehovah’s Witnesses say that Jesus is actually Michael, the Archangel... the first creation of God. ...

     "Mormons (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) teach that Jesus is the spirit brother of Satan. He was once a human being like you and I, but through good works he evolved spiritually to become a god. However, Jesus is just one god amongst a pantheon of gods....

      "Christian Science and Mary Baker Eddy say that Jesus was only a man and that Christ is a Divine idea....

      "Sun Myung Moon (the Korean messiah) claims that Jesus was a man who failed his divine mission and he, Rev. Moon, is the second coming of Christ to unite the world under the banner of the Unification Church....

      "Freemasonry teaches that Jesus was only a moral teacher. He was no better than Buddha, Confucius, Moses or Mohammed. They deny that Jesus was the light of the world and claim that Freemasonry is the true light of humanity.

      "Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard claim that Jesus is a false dream;   

      "Spiritists say that Jesus is an advanced medium in the 6th sphere of the astrological projection."

A good question to ask someone who claims to be Christian, yet seems unfamiliar with God's Word is: "Who is Jesus to you?"  See The Names of God: Jesus

February 2006

Environment. Evangelical Leaders Join Global Warming Initiative: "...86 evangelical Christian leaders have decided to back a major initiative to fight global warming, saying 'millions of people could die in this century because of climate change.... Among signers of the statement... are the presidents of 39 evangelical colleges... and pastors of megachurches, including Rick Warren.... The statement calls for federal legislation that would require reductions in carbon dioxide emissions through 'cost-effective, market-based mechanisms'....

     "Some of the nation's most high-profile evangelical leaders, however, have tried to derail such action. Twenty-two of them signed a letter in January declaring, 'Global warming is not a consensus issue.'... E. Calvin Beisner... said Tuesday that 'the science is not settled' on whether global warming was actually a problem or even that human beings were causing it. And he said that the solutions advocated by global warming opponents would only cause the cost of energy to rise, with the burden falling most heavily on the poor....

     [But scientific facts are not slowing the first group.] The Evangelical Climate Initiative... is being supported by... the Pew Charitable Trusts... and the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation."

      A key leader in this "evangelical" environmental network is Paul Gorman, former head of the occult Temple of Understanding first housed at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. See The eco-council and the next two links:

 

Churches duped by green extremists: "Paul Gorman, director of the NRPE, was director of the Temple of Understanding, housed at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. He organized a 'Joint Appeal,' consisting of 22 scientists and 100 religious leaders that became the NRPE. Mikhail Gorbachev hosted a conference for the group in Moscow, where James Lovelock, author of The Ages of Gaia, was the featured speaker. Dr. Robert Muller , thirty-year deputy Secretary General of the U.N., and Thomas Berry, served on the Temple's board of directors....

     "Mikhail Gorbachev, and the U.N.'s Maurice Strong have promoted the Earth Charter, which is expected to replace the Ten Commandments as the basis for social and religious organization." See Robert Muller and Theosophy and The Earth Charter's unholy Ark

Center for the Study of World Religions: "Paul Gorman is the executive director of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment.... A graduate of Yale and Oxford, he worked in Congress in the 1960s where, among other projects, he organized... the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings on Vietnam.... Prior to his present position, he was vice-president for Programs at the The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, where he... organized international environmental conferences in Moscow, Oxford, and Assisi."

Youth Ministers Say Kids -- Including Evangelicals -- Are Dabbling in Wicca: "The number of devotees to Wicca has increased exponentially in the last two decades.... Two ethical implications of Wicca seem to make the religion particularly appealing to teens. First, Wicca advocates moral autonomy as opposed to accountability to the God of the Bible....

      "Wicca devotee Amber Laine Fisher plainly states the implications of goddess worship for sexual ethics: "Goddess religion and goddess spirituality endeavor to release us from the taboos of sex and sexuality, to untie our hands, freeing us from certain paradigms or ideals that we are taught to accept as 'normal.'

      "...some Christian teens and adults attempt to combine what they perceive to be the 'best' in Wicca with the 'best' in Christianity." See The Rising World Religion  

 

Goddess called in to scare off tsunami ghosts: "With Asian tourists still shunning its southern beaches, Thailand is calling in a revered Chinese sea goddess to ward off the restive spirits of the thousands who died in last December's tsunami.... Mazu, a Taoist goddess of the sea, has a huge following among fishermen and shipworkers in coastal provinces of southern China and Taiwan." See From Father God to Mother Earth

 

Is Yoga Debased by Secular Practice? "Yoga is a lucrative and growing business. About 16.5 million Americans now spend nearly $3 billion annually on classes and products....

    "The sun salutation, perhaps the best-known series of asanas, or postures, of hatha yoga -- the type most commonly practiced in America -- is literally a Hindu ritual. 'Sun salutation was never a hatha yoga tradition,' said Subhas Rampersaud Tiwari, professor of yoga philosophy and meditation at Hindu University of America in Orlando, Fla. 'It is a whole series of ritual appreciations to the sun....'  To think of it as a mere physical movement is tantamount to 'saying that baptism is just an underwater exercise,' said Swami Param..."

     In other words, yoga is not spiritually neutral exercise program! See Yoga and Twist of Faith, Chapter 4

 

Bringing new blood into church: "...the Rev Archie Motaung holds up a carved figure and begins his address in a mixture of Zulu and English.... 'Who is this man?' Fr Motaung asks his congregation. He represents, the priest says, the ancestors, the good and worthy family members who have died. They are nearer to God, and are in a position to intercede with God for people who are still alive. We must still pray for them, as they are praying for us....

     The Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches are seeking to make their message more relevant to local congregations. The use of African languages and music is one example of this. Invoking cultural references, such as the ancestors, is another. Inculturation, as this process is known, is hardly new. ...

     "The ancestors can intercede with God for people, bring matters of concern to God’s attention, and protect the living. Mr Mekoa wants to follow the traditional way of communicating with his deceased family members, who remain close to the living — through the slaughter of an animal. The blood is a symbol of life, and becomes the means of communication.... Making the transition from ancestors to the Holy Spirit is easy, but Christ has no role."

     This extreme example of today's inculturation or contextualization shows how God's truth is corrupted when leaders try to please the world rather than God. See Idols and unholy gods

North Dakota Hospital Adds Meditation Room: "Sherman Iron Shield used to sneak his son behind some elevators at St. Alexius Medical Center so he could burn sacred herbs to chase away evil spirits without setting off the hospital's fire alarms and sprinklers. He believes the practice, known as smudging, along with modern medicine, helped his son, George, recover from a gunshot wound....

      "'I think this is the first of its kind in a privately owned hospital,' Hall said of the St. Alexius meditation room. 'It's a long time coming and a tremendous step forward for native people. I think we'll see much better healing and recovery.' ...John Eagle Shield, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, helped push to get the meditation room at the hospital so American Indians could practice their sacred traditions.'" See Blending of the Gods

Buddhists Start Worldwide Meditation Campaign: "Tens of thousands of Buddhists around the world are about to embark on a meditation campaign to promote compassion and understanding. They are attempting to recite the words 'om mani...' 100 million times from July 24 –27 .... Buddhists believe that the recital, known as the Mantra of Compassion, will release positive energies." See A Twist of Faith, Chapter 2

Evangelicals Are a Growing Force in the Military Chaplain Corps: "It was the opening ceremony of a four-day Spiritual Fitness Conference at a Hilton hotel here last month organized and paid for by the Air Force for many of its United States-based chaplains and their families.... The chaplains, who pledge when they enter the military to minister to everyone, Methodist, Mormon or Muslim, attended workshops on 'The Purpose Driven Life,'... on how to improve their worship services....

    "Statistics on enlistees provided by the Air Force show there are now about 3,500 who say they are either Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, pagans, druids or shamans. There are 1,600 who say they are atheists and about 50,000 who say they have no religious preference, out of a total of 280,000."

 

Christianity Vanquished (UK): "In 2000, the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey, also noted Britain’s moral decline. 'A tacit atheism prevails. Death is assumed to be the end of life. Our concentration on the here-and-now renders a thought of eternity irrelevant.'...      "A year later, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor... spoke of the rising popularity of New Age and occult beliefs... .

      "... many respondents complained that their ministers hardly seemed to believe in Christianity themselves.... 'Many who used to attend church are now filled with apathy,' the report summarized. 'They no longer see any point in attending, because the message they have been given is that ‘God loves me anyway,’ regardless of whether or not they attend church or change their lives, so why bother?'"  See The Rising World Religion

Pagans work magic at San Jose hotel: "The pagans have invaded San Jose! The city's going to hell! Well, maybe not. Pagans don't actually believe in such things. Many of them, however, do believe in ghosts, sprites, fairies and witches. And some of them actually are witches. ...

    "A witch, he said, is someone more in touch with the earth and the elements. 'They can see and move energy, but they can't force it, they're asking for it to move.That's a power for good that can be used for healing.'" See A Twist of Faith, chapters 1 and 4

January 2005

Templeton Foundation - Merging Religion & Science: "...to the Templeton Foundation, the term ‘God’ is not confined to the God of the Bible. The Foundation's Web site says: 'The Prize is intended to help people see the infinity of the Universal Spirit still creating the galaxies... 'The Templeton Prize... seeks to encourage understanding of the benefits of diversity.’...
     "...it is hardly surprising that the views of many of the Prize recipients are detrimental to the very foundation on which Christianity is built—the Bible. One of the current judges is Monshu Koshin Ohtani, ‘spiritual leader of Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, one of Japan's largest Buddhist institutions. ’And former judges have included the Dalai Lama, Prof. Paul Davies, Prince Charles....
      "Templeton Prize recipients have included some Bible-believing Christians, such as Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ in 1996, Chuck Colson in 1993... and Billy Graham in 1982.... ’However, others have been from Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism...."  See Templeton: Merging Religion & Science

Perhaps some of you need the encouragement of reading The Three Myth of Homeschooling

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