Christianity – Page 18

Open Letter Calls on ECUSA Clergy to Repent

I was forwarded the following letter from a Reformed Episcopal minister to his ECUSA (Episcopal Church in the United States) counterpart in the same city.

Dear _______,

I watched via the Internet and news broadcasts the General Convention of ECUSA with great interest. I am very sorry for the results.

Several of the resolutions that passed in Columbus will impair our fellowship. Specifically, those resolutions calling the Holy Scriptures anti-Jewish, anti-women, and oppressive of people by their race, class gender, and sexuality. Are they? If the Scriptures cannot be seen as the rule by which Christians judge their actions, then what is the alternative ethically, theologically, personally?

Then, the failure to heed the Primates and their pastoral call to repentance, and refusing the meet the demands of the Windsor Report. Isn’t this rebellion? Why should your parishes listen to you or your Presiding Bishop? Doesn’t this make ECUSA little more than well-dressed Baptists, or worse?

But most importantly, ECUSA’s rejection of Jesus Christ in His unique and exclusive claims of salvation (Acts 4:12?). And, refusing to affirm His substitutionary atonement on the cross for us. (Isa. 53?) And, refusing to affirm the responsibility of the Church to evangelize in Jesus’ name. It seems that ECUSA was seeking it’s own Mars Hill, and it’s own altar to the Unknown God, unlike St. Paul.

While I would enjoy discussing General Convention with you, your church has taken a position like Peter by the fire, prior the crucifixion; of denial of the Christ. Such good could have come from our Christian fellowship. I am, as I said at the beginning, sorry. For now, following the Primates in repentance seems the wisest course.

Your friend and brother,

________

American Episcopals and Presbyterians Dump Christianity

In the early 1980’s, Steve Taylor blew the doors off the Christian music world with his six-song album I Want to Be a Clone. One of the tracks on this release was Whatever Happened to Sin?

I heard the reverend say
“gay is probably normal in the Good Lord’s sight
what’s to be debated? Jesus never stated what’s right”
I’m no theology nut, but the reverend may be a little confused
for if the Lord don’t care and he chooses to ignore-ah
tell it to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah
Call it just an alternate lifestyle, huh? morality lies within
consciences are restin’ please repeat the question again

whatever happened to sin?

I often hearken back to the lyrics of this song when I witness the hypocrisy and heresy that were on display this last weekend by the both the Episcopal and the Presbyterian Churches.

Each group in their own way extended their middle finger to God, Holy Scripture, Orthodox Christianity and many of their parishioners. Each group, if they hadn’t already, formally broke with being identified as “Christian”.

Newly elected leader of the U.S. Episcopal Church Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said on Monday she believed homosexuality was no sin and homosexuals were created by God to love people of the same gender.

By embracing homosexuality and female clergy Americas largest Episcopal group has denied both the nature of sin and the Authority of Holy Scripture. In effect the Episcopal Church has rejected any pretense of being “Christian”. They are now just another heretical sect. They follow their own lusts and have followed after other gods made in their own image. They are modern Samaritans.

The Anglican Communion is now left with no choice but to turn the ECUSA group over to Satan in hope that God’s judgment will lead to repentance.

The Presbyterian Church has chosen a similar fate. They have decided to give the doctrine of the Trinity a politically correct makeover that formally makes them a heretical group that is no longer “Christian”.

The divine Trinity _ “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” _ could also be known as “Mother, Child and Womb” or “Rock, Redeemer, Friend” at some Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) services under an action Monday by the church’s national assembly.

Besides “Mother, Child and Womb” and “Rock, Redeemer, Friend,” proposed Trinity options drawn from biblical material include:
_ “Lover, Beloved, Love”
_ “Creator, Savior, Sanctifier”
_ “King of Glory, Prince of Peace, Spirit of Love.”

Lest you think I am being too harsh, you are welcome to read the Athanasian Creed, which appears below in its entirety. Along with the Apostles and Nicene Creeds, these Creeds comprise the backbone of Christianity. To reject these Creeds is to reject Christianity.

The Athanasian Creed

Whoever wishes to be saved must, above all else, hold to the true Christian Faith. Whoever does not keep this faith pure in all points will certainly perish forever.

Now this is the true Christian faith: We worship one God in three persons and three persons in one God, without mixing the persons or dividing the divine being. For each person—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—is distinct, but the deity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, equal in glory and coeternal in majesty. What the Father is, so is the Son, and so is the Holy Spirit.

The Father is uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated; The Father is eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet they are not three who are eternal, but there is one who is eternal, just as they are not three who are uncreated, nor three who are infinite, but there is one who is uncreated and one who is infinite.

In the same way the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, and the Holy Spirit is almighty. And yet they are not three who are almighty, but there is one who is almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord; yet they are not three Lords, but one Lord.

For just as Christian truth compels us to confess each person individually to be God and Lord, so the true Christian faith forbids us to speak of three Gods or three Lords. The Father is neither made not created, nor begotten of anyone. The Son is neither made nor created, but is begotten of the Father alone. The Holy Spirit is neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeds from the Father and the Son. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.

And within this Trinity none comes before or after; none is greater or inferior, but all three persons are coequal and coeternal, so that in every way, as stated before, all three persons are to be worshiped as one God and one God worshiped as three persons. Whoever wishes to be saved must have this conviction of the Trinity.

It is furthermore necessary for eternal salvation truly to believe that our Lord Jesus Christ also took on human flesh. Now this is the true Christian faith: We believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is both God and Man. He is God, eternally begotten from the nature of the Father, and he is man, born in time from the nature of his mother, fully God, fully man, with rational soul and human flesh, equal to the Father, as to his deity, less than the Father, as to his humanity; and though he is both God and Man, Christ is not two persons but one, one, not by changing the deity into flesh, but by taking the humanity into God; one, indeed, not by mixture of the natures, but by unity in one person.

For just as the reasonable soul and flesh are one human being, so God and man are one Christ, who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty, and from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. At his coming all people will rise again with their own bodies to answer for their personal deeds. Those who have done good will enter eternal life, but those who have done evil will go into everlasting fire.

This is the true Christian Faith. Whoever does not faithfully and firmly believe this cannot be saved.

Bishop James West

Bishop James Cortez West Sr.
January 28, 1944 – May 28, 2006

Bp. James West collapsed prior to leaving for church on Sunday morning. Despite the noble efforts of the EMT’s, they were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced by the doctors at the hospital. He was the Ordinary of the Diocese of the Southeast, and lived in Summerville, SC. He is survived by his wife Miriam B. West of Summerville, SC; and was father of James C. “Jay” West, Jr. of Charlotte, NC and Candace L. West of North Charleston, SC. This marks the first time in decades where an Ordinary in the REC died in office. He was a great pastor; greatly loved in his diocese. We will be missed in the whole of the church.

Ray Sutton Coming to Elk Grove

Ray R Sutton was one of many young lions on the theological frontiers of Christian Reconstruction in the 1980’s. He was part of the Tyler Texas group of prolific writers put together by Gary North. Sutton was not one of the core leaders of the group, which included David Chilton, Greg Bahnsen and others, but his contributions were significant.

Sutton’s book, That You May Prosper, was important to much of the later writing of the group in Tyler. In this book Sutton analyzed the biblical covenant model and went light-years beyond the work of Meredith G. Kline.

In the intervening years, Sutton has only published one book. His spiritual journey from Presbyterian minister to Bishop in the Reformed Episcopal Church has not been a public one. It can be assumed that some of his views have been modified during this period by his life experiences but he remains theologically conservative.

Sutton has apparently channeled the heat of his fiery days in Tyler and directed it into light for the larger church. He is a lead representative and spokesman for the Reformed Episcopal Church. For many years he has been involved in the theological training of the RE seminaries. Since involving himself in the RE, he has also received his doctorate from Oxford.

He will be speaking in Elk Grove, CA on Saturday, May 20th on the Uniqueness of Christianity. I invite you to hear his presentation. Best of all, he has three scheduled times during his presentation for questions and answers. It would be worth it just for the Q & A periods. (Plus the location is two doors down from one of the best microbreweries on the West Coast.)
Click here for details.

Bibliography

Books
That You May Prosper.

Second Chance.

Who Owns the Family?

Tracts

Covenant: What is it Anyway by Ray Sutton (.pdf)

A Tract on the Covenant by Ray Sutton (.pdf)

A Covenental View of Blood by Ray Sutton (.pdf)

Resources for Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick has two documents that are attributed to him which survive to this day.

The first document written by Patrick is a letter of excommunication. Patrick excommunicates a slave trader that is a member of another diocese who keeps kidnapping and murdering members of his flock.

The second document written by Patrick is a defense of false charges against him. These false charges are related to the fallout of the letter of excommunication. The document is Patrick’s testimony of his conversion to Christianity and his walk in the faith. It is called The Confession of Saint Patrick. My copy is published by Triumph Books in Liguori, Missouri.

For a good overview of these events and others in Patrick’s life you can purchase a movie called Saint Patrick: The Irish Legend. This is a great film for young and old. It stars Patrick Bergin and Luke Griffin. Believe it or not, it’s produced by the same folks that brought us the Power Rangers. How’s that for useless movie trivia.

For the best book on Patrick and his impact on the West read How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill. This book covers the period from the Fall of the Roman Empire to Medieval Europe. You can read how the movement started by Patrick brought the light to Europe that extinguished the “Dark Ages.”

The other writing that is either by Patrick or more likely his followers is commonly known as

The Breastplate of Saint Patrick or The Deer’s Cry.

I arise today through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
through belief in the Three-ness,
through confession of the One-ness
towards the Creator.

I arise today through the strength of Christ’s Birth with His Baptism,
through the strength of His Crucifixion with His Burial
through the strength of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
through the strength of His descent for the Judgment of Doom.

I arise today through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
in obedience of Angels,
in the service of the Archangels,
in hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
in prayers of Patriarchs,
in predictions of Prophets,
in preachings of Apostles,
in faiths of Confessors,
in innocence of Holy Virgins,
in deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through the strength of Heaven:
light of Sun,
brilliance of Moon,
splendour of Fire,
speed of Lightning,
swiftness of Wind,
depth of Sea,
stability of Earth,
firmness of Rock.

I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to secure me:
against snares of devils, against temptations of vices,
against inclinations of nature, against everyone who shall
wish me ill, afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.

I summon today all these powers between me (and these evils):
against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose
my body and my soul,
against incantations of false prophets,
against black laws of heathenry,
against false laws of heretics,
against craft of idolatry,
against spells of witches, smiths, and wizards,
against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.
Christ to shield me today
against poisonings, against burnings,
against drownings, against woundings,
So there come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie down, Christ where I sit down, Christ where I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
through belief in the Three-ness,
through confession of the One-ness
towards the Creator.

Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of Christ.
May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

I would love to hear this poem set to music.

Other Resources

The Celtic Page

The Celtic Saints by Courtney Davis

Biblical Doom: Now Your PC can be Left Behind

Here’s more proof that Dispensational paranoia is running out of substance.

New Left Behind Game Due

A video game based on the Left Behind series of Christian apocalyptic books and movies will debut for the PC in the second half of 2006, Newsweek reported. Left Behind: Eternal Forces, based on the books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, places gamers in the position of New Yorkers who are “left behind” after the Rapture, the sudden calling-up of Christian souls that evangelicals believe will mark the beginning of the end times on Earth, the magazine reported.

The game will also feature a high level of violence, the magazine reported: Players scour the streets for converts, training them into a work force to feed, shelter and join a paramilitary resistance against the growing forces of the Antichrist.

The game will be marketed directly to church congregations and through ads in gaming magazines.

“And they’ll know we are Christians by our love BFG”

This game sounds like a cross (pardon the pun) between Doom: Hell on Earth and the Scofield Reference Bible as interpreted by Hal Lindsey. Maybe Pat Boone could do the heavy metal sound track for the game. Even Christians need heavy metal music to kill the enemy.

Are we trying to legitimize the idea that terrorism and anarchy is ok if we do it in Jesus name and not for Allah? There really is a Biblical basis for war and this game is not the way to learn it.

On the bright side, at least Evangelicals like Rick Warren can quit worrying about global warming; afterall, it’s all gonna burn anyway.

Look for this game on the overhead projector at your Mega Church’s Saturday Night Seeker Service just in time for Christmas.

Dr. Henry M Morris: The Genesis Flood author dies

Dr. Henry M. Morris died last Saturday. He was regarded as “the father of the Modern Creation Movement.” His book, The Genesis Flood which he coauthored with John C. Whitcomb in 1961 is still a must read for anyone interested in this area of Christian Apologetics.

I remember reading The Genesis Flood in junior high school in the ‘70’s. This book gave me the confidence that science and Scripture were in harmony not locked in mortal combat as many falsely contend.

Dr. Morris was director of the Institute for Creation Research. He did his undergraduate work at Rice University and his M.S. and Ph.D. studies at the University of Minnesota. His specialty was hydrology.

Dr. Morris authored over sixty books on various aspects of the subject. For those who have read this book or the hundreds of others that have grown out of this man’s work, I know that you will miss him. Thankfully others have taken up the work which he helped to pioneer.

Update: Islamic Attacks In Nigeria

Reaction of the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, The Most Revd Peter Akinola on recent events in Nigeria

1 Having watched with sadness and dismay the recent development in some States in the Northern part of this Country where many Christian Churches and other property have been wantonly destroyed by some Islamic fundamentalists, the Christian Association of Nigeria is compelled to issue the following statements:

From all indications, it is very clear now that the sacrifices of the Christians in this country for peaceful co-existence with people of other faiths has been sadly misunderstood to be weakness.
We have for a long time now watched helplessly the killing, maiming and destruction of Christians and their property by Muslim fanatics and fundamentalists at the slightest or no provocation at all. We are not unaware of the fact that these religious extremists have the full backup and support of some influential Muslims who are yet to appreciate the value of peaceful co-existence.
That an incident in far away Denmark which does not claim to be representing Christianity could elicit such an unfortunate reaction here in Nigeria, leading to the destruction of Christian Churches, is not only embarrassing, but also disturbing and unfortunate.
It is no longer a hidden fact that a long standing agenda to make this Nigeria an Islamic nation is being surreptitiously pursued. The willingness of Muslim Youth to descend with violence on the innocent Christians from time to time is from all intents and purposes a design to actualize their dream.

It is sad to note that all acts of hostility meted against Christians by Muslims in the past have remained unaddressed with nobody paying compensations or the culprits brought to justice.
We do appreciate the fact that at this stage of our national development, peace is absolutely necessary for realizing our dreams and aspirations. It is in view of this that Christians in Nigeria agreed to participate in the forthcoming National Census as sacrifice for the peace and progress of this nation, in spite of our protest over the non-inclusion of Religion and Ethnicity as necessary demographic data.
May we at this stage remind our Muslim brothers that they do not have the monopoly of violence in this nation. Nigeria belongs to all of us – Christians, Muslims and members of other faiths. No amount of intimidation can Change this time-honoured arrangement in this nation. C.A.N. may no longer be able to contain our restive youths should this ugly trend continue.

We now demand that further destruction of Christian Churches and property in this nation be permanently put to an end.
All levels of Government in this country should take adequate steps to protect the lives and property of Christians everywhere in this land as no further destructions will be tolerated or ignored.
The Federal Government and those States where Christian Churches have been destroyed are hereby urged to take urgent steps at rebuilding those structures and paying adequate compensation while assuring Christians of adequate protection in this country. These governments should now show in practical terms that Nigeria belongs to all of us by going beyond mere promises of rebuilding destroyed Churches and property as in the past to actual reconstruction, which will help the victims to quickly put this unfortunate incident behind them. A stitch in time saves nine.

Signed

Most Revd. Peter J. Akinola (CON, DD.)

President, Christian Association of Nigeria

DNA Contradicts Book of Mormon

The theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints “commonly known as the Mormons”took a serious hit today in an article of the Los Angeles Times. The whole premise of the Book of Mormon was proved impossible by DNA testing.

The teachings and tradition of the Book of Mormon have been totally upended by the DNA results. The study was not conducted to prove or disprove the teaching of the LDS church but to track via genetic markers the waves of migration from Asia to both the Pacific Islands and the Americas.

For Mormons, the lack of discernible Hebrew blood in Native Americans is no minor collision between faith and science. It burrows into the historical foundations of the Book of Mormon, a 175-year-old transcription that the church regards as literal and without error.

The Book of Mormon is one of three books regarded as divinely inspired scripture that supersedes the Bible. Their belief is that the Bible is “correct in so far as it is translated correctly.” These are weasel words that mean if any of the other three books conflict with the Bible then the Bible is wrong.

Anyway, the Book of Mormon is the story of the migration of a righteous man and his family to South America. These travelers split into two groups, the righteous white settlers and the evil dark skinned people that were the forefathers to the Indians of North and South America. Towards the end of the Book, the evil dark skinned men kill the righteous white skinned people.

The God-fearing Nephites were “pure” (the word was officially changed from “white” in 1981) and “delightsome.” The idol-worshiping Lamanites received the “curse of blackness,” turning their skin dark.

According to the Book of Mormon, by 385 AD the dark-skinned Lamanites had wiped out other Hebrews. The Mormon church called the victors “the principal ancestors of the American Indians.” If the Lamanites returned to the church, their skin could once again become white.

Up until Jimmy Carter was President of the United States, blacks (among others) were not allowed to be full members in good standing in the LDS church. In the midst of Carter’s Campaign on Human Rights, the LDS leadership got a word from God that elevated blacks into full membership.

Over the years, church prophets believed by Mormons to receive revelations from God and missionaries have used the supposed ancestral link between the ancient Hebrews and Native Americans and later Polynesians as a prime conversion tool in Central and South America and the South Pacific.

Moroni: Prophet who became Angel that appeared to Joseph Smith in 1823

Critics want the church to admit its mistake and apologize to millions of Native Americans it converted. Church leaders have shown no inclination to do so. Indeed, they have dismissed as heresy any suggestion that Native American genetics undermine the Mormon creed.

Yet at the same time, the church has subtly promoted a fresh interpretation of the Book of Mormon intended to reconcile the DNA findings with the scriptures. This analysis is radically at odds with long-standing Mormon teachings.

Rewriting theology is nothing new to the folks in Salt Lake City but reversing 175 years of teaching is a tall order even for them. On the other hand, where would their followers go? Sadly most probably won’t care that another part of their theological system has been exposed as fraudulent.

John Danforth Whines in Washington Post

A friend e-mailed me a copy of the Washington Post interview with former Senator John Danforth. This article advocates that moderate Christians should rise-up to oppose the Christian Right and their involvement in the Republican Party.

Danforth cites such issues as gay marriage, posting the Ten Commandments, Terri Schiavo, embryonic stem cell research and other social issues as needing the wisdom of moderate voices. OK what is a moderate position on such issues?

Let’s look at the issues.
Is it ok to kill unborn babies as a form of retroactive birth control?
Is it ok to conceive children to harvest their body parts in the name of science?
Is it ok to have religion in the public square?
Is it ok to honestly acknowledge the intellectual and moral foundations of our Founding Fathers?
Is marriage between a man and woman the best way to raise children?
Is forcing acceptance of homosexuality upon me and my family a good thing?

Obviously there is no such thing as a moderate position on these and other issues.

You are either for or against such issues. They are either right or wrong. The one thing most of these issues have in common is that they are being advanced by judicial legislation and not the normal Constitutional processes that are setup under our form of government.

There was a time when the Episcopal Church was called the conscience of the Republican Party. Since then the Episcopal Church-in which Senator Danforth serves as an ordained minister-has left the Orthodox Christian Faith and descended into heresy.

The Christian Right is involved in politics to defend itself from the attacks of Democrats and liberal (moderate) Republicans. Now that the tide is turning and the Senator and his allies are losing, they are wandering about the country like a roaring lion seeking whom they may devour. (see 1 Peter 5:8)

Now, their last vestige of power, the judicial branch of our government, is shifting away from judicial activism and towards a strict constructionist view. This coupled with more minorities in the middle and upper classes and the demise of the Roosevelt era Democrats by attrition has left the political Left in demographic hell for at least the balance of the good Senator’s lifetime.

Once this truth has truly taken hold within the Democratic leadership, look for many of the Dinosaur Democrats to find reasons not to run for re-election.