`WEEKLY CHURCH NEWS NOTES`

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

*`WEEKLY CHURCH NEWS NOTES`*

December 13, 2009

By: David Cloud

The Weekly Church News Notes is designed for use in churches

BEWARE OF SCIENCE FICTION

Science fiction takes the reader into a strange world without God. Oh,
there might be “a god,” a “force,” but it is definitely not the God of
the Bible, and the prominent names in this field are atheists. Take CARL
SAGAN, for example. His best-selling sci-fi novel Contact was made into
a movie. Sagan was one of the high priests of atheistic evolution. In
his novel he has the main character debating two preachers and saying,
“There is no compelling evidence that God exists.” In 1997 Sagan said,
“I share the view of a hero of mine, Albert Einstein: ‘I cannot conceive
of a god who rewards and punishes his creatures or has a will of the
kind that we experience in ourselves. Neither can I--nor would I want
to--conceive of an individual that survives his physical death. Let
feeble souls, from fear or absurd ego tism, cherish such thoughts’”
(Parade, March 10, 1997). Consider another prominent name in Sci-Fi,
ISAAC ASIMOV. In a 1982 interview he said, “Emotionally, I am an
atheist. I don’t have the evidence to prove that God doesn’t exist, but
I so strongly suspect he doesn’t that I don’t want to waste my time”
(Paul Kurtz, “An Interview with Isaac Asimov on Science and the Bible,”
Free Inquiry, Spring 1982, p. 9). Consider ROBERT HEINLEIN, called “the
dean of science fiction writers.” He rejected the Bible and promoted
“free sex.” His book “Stranger in a Strange Land” is considered “the
unofficial bible of the hippie movement.” Heinlein was a nudist and
practiced “polyandry.” He promoted agnosticism in his sci-fi books.
Consider ARTHUR CLARKE, author of many sci-fi works, including 2001: A
Space Odyssey. Clarke, who was probably a homosexual, promoted
evolutionary panthe ism. He told a Sri Lankan newspaper, “I don’t
believe in God or an afterlife” (“Life Beyond 2001: Exclusive Interview
with Arthur C. Clarke,” The Island, Dec. 20, 2000). In the instructions
he left for his funeral in March 2008 he said, “Absolutely no religious
rites of any kind, relating to any religious faith, should be associated
with my funeral.” Consider KURT VONNEGUT. He was an atheist, and as an
honorary president of the American Humanist Association he subscribed to
its code which “does not accept supernatural views of reality.” Consider
GENE RODDENBERRY, creator of Star Trek. He was an agnostic and humanist
who envisioned a world in which “everyone is an atheist and better for
it” (Brannon Braga, “Every Religion Has a Mythology,” International
Atheist Conference, June 24, 2006). Science fiction is intimately
associated with Darwinian evolution. Sagan and Asimov, for example, were
prominent evolutio nary scientists. Sci-fi arose in the late 19th and
early 20th century as a product of an evolutionary worldview that denies
the Almighty Creator. In fact, evolution IS the pre-eminent science
fiction. Beware!

EPISCOPALIANS ELECT LESBIAN “BISHOP”

On December 5, the Los Angeles diocese of the Episcopal Church in
America voted to elect a lesbian as bishop. The appointment of Mary
Glasspool, who lives with her female “partner” of 19 years, must be
confirmed by a majority of the denomination’s 108 dioceses. The
archbishop of Canterbury pathetically stated that the election “raises
very serious questions not just for the Episcopal Church and its place
in the Anglican Communion, but for the Communion as a whole” (“Los
Angeles Episcopalians Elect Lesbian,” CNN, Dec. 6, 2009). The homosexual
issue is tearing the Episcopal Church apart, with many congregations
leaving.

PAUL MCCARTNEY CLAIMS TO BE IN TOUCH WITH DEAD BEATLES

Paul McCartney, one of the two surviving Beatles, told the media
recently that when he plays Beatles songs he is in contact with his
departed band mates again. “If I’m doing the song ‘Something,’ I’m
thinking of George. It’s great. I really like it. In a way I’m
revisiting them. In a way, you’re kind of in contact with them again.
... I still think I’m in the Beatles” (“Paul McCartney Says He’s in
Touch with Dead Beatles,” IrishCentral.com, Dec. 4, 2009). It appears
that McCartney is not claiming to be in touch with the dead Beatles in a
spiritualistic way but in a mystical way. Rock music is a major part of
the end-time mysticism that has permeated modern society. It’s about
shutting down the critical apparatus of the mind and allowing one&
rsquo;s emotions to lead and rule. It is being “hooked on a feeling.”
Atheists like Richard Dawkins and John Lennon criticize Bible believers
for exercising “blind faith,” but in reality it is their “faith” that is
utterly blind. Biblical faith is based upon many infallible proofs (Acts
1:3), such as the Bible’s prophecies and Christ’s resurrection. It is
not called “faith” because it is blind, but because it believes in
things that are presently unseen. It “is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

FORMER DUTCH HEALTH MINISTER ADMITS ERROR OF LEGALIZING EUTHANASIA

The following is excerpted from LifeSiteNews.com, Dec. 2, 2009: “The
former Dutch minister who successfully promoted the legalization of
euthanasia has now admitted that the government's move was a mistake,
and says that they should have first focused on palliative care. Els
Borst, who served as Health Minister for the Netherlands from 1994 to
2002, proposed the country’s infamous euthanasia bill. When it passed in
2001, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize
euthanasia. In 2008 alone, Dutch doctors reported 2,331 cases of
euthanasia and assisted suicide. ... Borst’s regret over the situation
in the Netherlands is particularly important given that that country has
served as a model for euthanasia advocates in other countries. ...
[Alex] Schadenberg [of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition] went on to
point out the ‘slippery slope’ occurring in the Netherlands, which the
country’s politicians deny, he says, through ‘a systematic cover-up.’ He
asked, ‘How can you say there is no slippery slope in the
Netherlands--knowing that you now allow euthanasia for newborns, and you
went from originally just the terminally ill, [and] now it’s also for
those who are mentally ill?’”

AL-QAIDA KILLS MANY TIMES MORE MUSLIMS THAN NON-MUSLIMS

The following is excerpted from “Surprising Study on Terrorism,” Spiegel
Online, Dec. 3, 2009: “[A] new study by the Combating Terrorism Center
in the US has shown that an overwhelming majority of al-Qaida victims
are, in fact, co-religionists. In the battle against unbelievers, can
one also kill Muslims? Even the terror network al-Qaida is troubled by
this question. ... Between 2004 and 2008, for example, al-Qaida claimed
responsibility for 313 attacks, resulting in the deaths of 3,010 people.
And even though these attacks include terrorist incidents in the
West--in Madrid in 2004 and in London in 2005--only 12 percent of those
killed (371 deaths) were Westerners. ... Perhaps more significantly, if
one only examines attacks in 2007 and disregards those having been
perpetrated in Iraq and Afghanistan, the share of non-Westerners killed
by al-Qaida rises to 99 percent. In 2008, it was 96 percent.”

PRAGMATISM AMONG CHARISMATICS AND INDEPENDENT BAPTISTS

An anonymous writer in Australia has been critiquing Hillsong Church,
the largest church in the country, in a series of blogs. In the latest
one he says, “Nothing frustrates a church-building pastor more than
conflict of purpose or multiple agenda amongst their church members.
Where there is divergence of opinion, or lengthy debate over a proposed
course of action, pro-active pastors get understandably impatient. ...
Pursuit of the vision is top priority, and so all other concerns are
subordinated to the common drive to ‘build the church.’ ... This seems
reasonable; after all, why get caught up with minor issues and neglect
the bigger picture? But this reasoning sets up a false choice. Why is it
assumed that we must decide between either the big picture, or minor
issues? ... if we agree that there are at l east ‘lesser concerns,’ why
must these be ignored in favour of the bigger picture? ... Let us
consider a hypothetical situation. Imagine an active church member who
faithfully serves each weekend; someone who might be described as
‘committed to the house.’ After several weekends of questionable
doctrine being preached, he decides to approach a pastor, to whom he
outlines his concern: why does Brian [Houston, Hillsong’s senior pastor]
teach one thing, when the Bible teaches quite the opposite? ... the
pastor makes it clear that Brian’s preaching is building the church, and
that the man’s ‘theologizing’ only serves to distract from the bigger
picture. Perhaps, the pastor suggests, the man should decide whether he
is ‘committed to the house,’ or should consider a different church. ...
This is how the ‘unquestioning’ element of Hillsong’s culture is
perpetuated. From a church-growth perspective, it&rsq uo;s very
effective. People who disagree don’t last long enough to have their
concerns properly heard and acted upon”
(http://tttdiscussionforum.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default).?
COMMENT: This same philosophy is rampant among independent Baptists. I
saw it at Highland Park Baptist Church and Tennessee Temple in the
1970s, and it characterized Jack Hyles’ ministry. This is why the
students at Hyles-Anderson and other places cannot criticize “the man of
God” or the institution. (While I don’t believe in a critical spirit, I
do believe in proving all things by God’s Word and I do not believe that
any man or church is beyond this.) Nothing must get in the way of the
“program” of building the church and winning souls. This is why so many
IB pastors consider my ministry “divisive.” In their minds it gets in
the way of the things are “truly important.” If they loved the whole
Word of God, they would delight in the preaching of the whole Word of
God, let the chips fall where they will (Psalm 119:128), but they are
pragmatists. Paul taught Timothy to respect even the spots of doctrine
and practice commanded in the Bible (1 Timothy 6:13-14).

TIMES CHOOSES INTELLIGENT DESIGN BOOK OVER PRO-DARWIN WORKS

The following is excerpted from “Pro-Intelligent Design Books Makes
Times Literary Supplement’s Books of the Year,” Evolution News, Nov. 30,
2009: “Although this year has been widely touted as the ‘Year of Darwin’
because of its big Darwin-related anniversaries, the book reviewers at
the Times Literary Supplement (TLS) in London seem less than enthralled
with the year’s crop of pro-Darwin retreads from the publishing
industry. Indeed, the TLS’s ‘Books of the Year’ issue just released last
Friday fails to include any of the year’s big pro-Darwin tomes such as
Jerry Coyne’s Why Evolution Is True or even Richard Dawkins’ The
Greatest Show on Earth among its ‘Books of the Year.’ Instead, the only
book so honored that focuses on the Da rwin-ID debate is Stephen Meyer’s
Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design,
which was selected by noted atheist philosopher Thomas Nagel. If I were
a Darwinist, I’d be more than a bit concerned. Even many of those
sympathetic to Darwinian materialism aren’t expressing much enthusiasm
anymore for the tired arguments of the Neo-Darwinists.”

A WARNING ABOUT “HOLISTIC MEDICINE”

- In response to our reports on homeopathy and other New Age health care
practices I received the following testimony: “In your article on
homeopathy it is noteworthy that the women were spreading the occult
‘medicine’ while a man warned against it. I have also, unfortunately,
seen a significant amount of influence in favor of occultic and quackish
‘holistic’ remedies in some independent Baptist churches, and I have
noticed that they are usually promoted by the women while the men who
are supposed to protect them (1 Timothy 2:14), though they are not
pushing the occultic ‘medicine,’ either do not even know what their
women are into or are simply passive about it. I know one fundamental
Baptist evangelist who, while he holds meetings, has his wife promote
unscientific remedies in specia l meetings for ladies. They were
influential in getting another lady who had a very easily curable form
of cancer not to get surgery and chemo but to try ‘alternatives,’ some
of which were occultic and none of which had any factual basis, and now
cancer has spread through her whole body. Another woman I know promotes
worthless supplement products and attacks legitimate medicine by an
organization that is fraudulent (the Body Wise Corporation) and whose
sole ‘scientist’ and ‘researcher’ is a homeopath who makes money from
what the organization sells. This woman has tried to bypass me and
influence my wife, something I did not appreciate (and so I contacted
the husband of the woman, since he is responsible for her). I can think
of numbers of other fundamental Baptist women in families that I know
that are leading and passing along occult and quack remedies while men
are failing in their responsibility to discern and protect their
families . This ought not to be so.”

CONCLUSION: The Weekly Church News Notes is designed for use in
churches. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this
obviously does not imply an endorsement. We trust that our readers will
not be discouraged. It is God’s will that we know the times (1 Ch.
12:32; Mat. 16:3) and that we be as wise as serpents and harmless as
doves. The News Notes remind us that the hour is very late, and we need
to be ready for the Lord’s coming. Are you sure that you are born again?
Are you living for Christ? “And that, knowing the time, that now it is
high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than
when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us
therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour
of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and
drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and
envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for
the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Rom. 13:11-14).