About Marsha West

Marsha West is the owner and managing editor of Christian Research Network, Apprising Ministries (the late Ken Silva’s blog) and On Solid Rock Resources. She is also co-founder of Berean Research. For two decades Marsha was the owner and managing editor of Email Brigade website as well as the EMB News Report, a bi-weekly email report for conservative people of faith. For many years Marsha was a regular contributor to several blogs including CRN, RenewAmerica, News With Views and Web Commantary as well as popular websites she no longer endorses: American Family Association, Worldview Weekend, Stand Up For The Truth, The Christian Post and Christian Headlines. Although Marsha still blogs, her primary focus is CRN. Marsha also writes Research Papers (White Papers) on various topics that are published on CRN, Berean Research and On Solid Rock Resources. Visit Marsha’s other sites: On Solid Rock Resources https://www.onsolidrockresources.com/ Apprising Ministries http://apprising.org Marsha’s RenewAmerica Column http://renewamerica.com/columns/mwest Marsha’s Facebook Page http://facebook.com/marsha.west.77

The ‘Sounds True’ ‘Self-Acceptance Summit’

Why are some professing Christians promoting an online event that is all about “self”? In one workshop, New Age/New Thought grande dame Marianne Williamson “Explores the spiritual dimension of self-acceptance” plus she will guide you to “the source of unconditional compassion.” Berean Research shares the nuts and bolts of the event and gives some pretty good reasons why Christians shouldn’t even consider taking part in it:

A 10-day online event promises to make you a better you. It’s called the Self-Acceptance Summit, and I’ve seen several Christians promote it.  The event is put on by a group called “Sounds True.” (Are you tempted to add the words, But Isn’t? I know I am.)

While Jesus tells us to deny self, pick up our crosses and follow Him, these spiritual leaders are doing the opposite: teaching hearers to worship self.

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Is Discernment Ministry Biblical?

We urge our subscribers and visitors to our site to watch (or listen to) this video — and share it! 

From Polemics Report:

This is a sermon from the Judge Not Conference, on the topic of “judging” as taken from Matthew 7 and a systematic theology of discernment. Is discernment ministry Biblical? Is it a sin to judge? Should discernment stay within the local church? JD Hall begins speaking at 5:25. (Source)

Evangelical Coalition Releases Nashville Statement, A Manifesto On Biblical Sexuality

From Berean Research:

A manifesto written by evangelical leaders has drawn the ire of the LGBTQ community, the liberal press, and has Progressive Christians ticked off as well.  Why? Because conservative evangelicals had the audacity to release a statement proclaiming that traditional sexual morality is based on the clear teaching of Scripture, not on the whims of an ever changing culture.

Liberals aren’t the only ones who have voiced their concern. Even some conservative evangelicals are apprehensive about the declaration. They point out that there are always risks involved with these sorts of issue declarations. And they’d like those who penned what is being called the Nashville Statement to address those concerns.

So – our advice is this: Before you sign it make sure your concerns are addressed. Ask yourself, do I really want my signature on a statement just because some of my favorite Church leaders signed it?

Being a Berean means doing your research. Bereans investigate. So for starters, go to the scriptures and find out what our Creator has to say about what it means to be a human being. What was God’s design for marriage from the very beginning? Then carefully read through the Nashville Statement. Does it line up with Scripture?

Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, was a speaker at the event in Nashville, TN where the manifesto was announced and a signatory as well. On August 30th Dr. Mohler began The Briefing with a lengthy explanation of what the Nashville Statement contains.  Following is from the transcript:

In a time of confusion, one of the greatest gifts that can be given to and by Christ’s church is clarity, and clarity requires at times that matters of truth, matters of truth in particular times of trial, should to be put into words in order to bear the testimony of that clarity. A manifesto was released yesterday; it’s known as the Nashville Statement, it’s a coalition for biblical sexuality. A group of evangelical leaders had gathered in Nashville for a meeting to determine how the statement should be released, and it was released yesterday morning by the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. I should say at the beginning, I was a speaker at the event and a signatory to this statement, and there are many others, as we shall see, who signed it as well. The big issue is this: What took place as released on August 29, 2017 was a statement by Christians who believe that it is our responsibility to speak clearly to issues of gender and sex and sexuality and biblical morality in a time when these issues are commonly confused. By late yesterday the Nashville Statement was one of the most often discussed issues in social media and it had gained a great deal of media attention as well. More on that attention in just a moment, back to the statement for now.

The statement begins with a preamble that states,

“Evangelical Christians at the dawn of the twenty-first century find themselves living in a period of historic transition. As Western culture has become increasingly post-Christian, it has embarked upon a massive revision of what it means to be a human being.”

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Houston Rescue Images Destroying Media’s Race Narrative

LifeZette has the story:

For the past two weeks, media panels on CNN have painted a picture of America as a nation deeply divided by race. But the countless rescue stories out of Houston, and the images of men rushing in with boats to rescue whites, blacks and Hispanics from rooftops and flooded homes and streets have shown Americans something different.

“The racist thing is going out the window because of the hurricane that happened in Texas…” a Florida woman named Jennifer Santana who goes by the pen name Political Avenger said in a YouTube video that got a thousand likes on Monday.

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Atheist Activist Group Asks Sen. Marco Rubio to Stop Tweeting Bible Verses on Govt.-Related Account

According to Christian News:

A prominent professing atheist group has sent a letter to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, urging him to stop sharing Bible verses on his official Twitter account, which they say violates the separation of Church and State.

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent the letter on Aug. 22, noting that Rubio has tweeted over 60 Scriptures in the past three months. It asserted Rubio is violating the Constitution since he is posting the messages on what the group perceives as being a government-related account, not a private and personal account focusing on his home and family life.

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Joel Osteen’s words versus Hurricane Harvey’s winds…

From Churchwatch Central:

Could Joel Osteen have prevented Hurricane Harvey?

Sadly Osteen is a heretic (a person who promotes anti-Christian teaching under the guise of a Christian minister). Although the backdrop of his Lakewood church is of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), he has pioneered shaping his movement independent of the NAR to that of a Word of Faith (WOF) and Health and Wealth (HAW) cult. The dominionist aspect of NAR teaching is still there in his false doctrine (“I am the head and I am not the tail”), but it is clearly trumped by his positive confession and unhealthy focus on wealth.

“Friend, if you’ll do your part and speak words of victory, God will pour out His favor in exciting, fresh ways in your life, and you will live the abundant life He has in store for you.”

If Joel sincerely believes these false teachings – where was he using faith and taking dominion, by speaking against Hurricane Harvey? Where is Mr “I Am” when you need him? Where is Joel’s Army when Houston, Texas needed him the most?

The theology you are about to read below in no way represents any form of Christian teaching. You will find this teaching in the New Age movement, which means it is nothing more than occultism. This type of theology puts Joel Osteen and his church outside of the Christian faith and marks them as a cult: they are simply borrowing the Christian language to invent their own religion and making money out of people.

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Passion City Church Cancels Church Services for ‘Sabbath Break’

According to Seth Dunn, celebrity-pastor Louis Giglio will cancel church services on Labor Day weekend which very well could be because it’s a low church attendance weekend, “especially for seeker-sensitive churches like Passion City.” In his piece over at Pulpit & Pen, Dunn reveals that “The church’s website, while telling worshipers to stay home on Sunday, reminded them to still send in their gifts.”  He writes:

I’m not making this up.  I don’t think I could.  This is actually happening.  Louie Giglio’s Passion City Church has canceled its Sunday services on August 27th and September 3rd for what it has deemed a “Sabbath break”.  The church’s pastor has instructed his congregation not to come to church on the Lord’s Day in order to “Stop. Rest. Remember”.  A cursory biblical justification is given on the church’s website for canceling Sunday services for “Sabbath rest” but it’s not hard to discern that this course of action is a plainly ridiculous one for any biblically grounded church to take.

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How the ‘Fixer Upper’ Stars Are Helping Victims of Harvey

Chip and Joanna Gaines are giving aid and lending support to fellow Texans. LifeZette reveals what the couple is doing to help:

Two television celebrities want their fellow Texans to know they “will always have your back.”

The “Fixer Upper” stars, Chip and Joanna Gaines, are selling T-shirts that read, “Texas Forever,” to help victims of Hurricane Harvey.

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How Can Christians Help Victims of Hurricane Harvey?

Michelle Lesley has some observations and suggestions on how we can help the hurricane victims — from her own personal experience:

I originally published this article on August 21, 2016, just a few days after the historic flood in my own area last year. I am re-running part of it now (along with some current tips about disaster relief) because the situation in the Houston/Galveston/Corpus Christi area in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey is going to be nearly identical when it comes to flood relief efforts. If you have midweek services at your church this week, it might be a good time to get with your pastor and fellow church members to talk about how your church can help.

And just to drive home the point of how much help is going to be desperately needed in Texas, the one year anniversary of the Baton Rouge area flood was about a week ago, and we still have many people who are not yet back in their homes and need help rebuilding.

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Anchor: ‘I Experienced Hate Firsthand…From These People Dressed in All Black at Protest in Berkeley’

CNSNews has the story:

Frank Somerville, a news anchor for KTVU in the San Francisco Bay Area, published an article with the San Francisco Chronicle today describing his personal experience of attending a protest in Berkeley, where left-wing protesters dressed in black, chanting they were against hate, sought to intimidate other people.

“I experienced hate firsthand today,” wrote Somerville. “It came from these people dressed in all black at a protest in Berkeley. Ironically they were all chanting about no hate.

“Some had shields and gloves. Some had helmets. Some had gas masks,” wrote Somerville. “I was watching them and taking it all in. I came there on my own time. Because I wanted to see things first hand. I was dressed in shorts and a tank top.”

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Joel Osteen Denies His Church Closed to Harvey Relief

Newsmax reports:

Joel Osteen denied accusations that his Lakewood Church was closed to Harvey relief following the extreme flooding in Houston that has left thousands of people without shelter.

Osteen’s response came after his church received wide criticism for apparently refusing to provide shelter for those affected by Hurricane Harvey, USA Today reported. News stories with headlines implying the church wouldn’t be helping out were widely published.

Osteen, the senior pastor of Lakewood Church, issued a statement saying the accusations were false and that his church is more than prepared to be a place of shelter for Harvey evacuees.

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Theater Stops Showing Film for Fear of Being ‘Insensitive’

Because the Orpheum Theater in Memphis has decided to ax “Gone With the Wind” from its schedule, Zachery Lehman of LifeZette wonders what films will be targeted next. “The idea that art is supposed to be ‘sensitive’ and that we should simply scrub away past works is beyond worrisome,” cautioned Lehman. He writes:

A 34-year-old tradition has ended in Memphis, Tennessee, due to concerns about being “insensitive.”

The board of directors of the Orpheum Theater Group decided to end its once-frequent summer showings of the 1939 film “Gone with the Wind” this month, mostly due to social media outrage.

“As an organization whose stated mission is to ‘entertain, educate and enlighten the communities it serves,’ the Orpheum cannot show a film that is insensitive to a large segment of its local population,” said the board members in a statement.

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Hillsong’s Brian Houston Says He Believes in Biblical Marriage, But Christians Shouldn’t ‘Dismiss’ Homosexuals’ ‘Desire to Pursue Happiness’

From Berean Research:

Hillsong’s Brian & Bobbie Houston

Two years ago Berean Research posted a piece by Churchwatch Central entitled “Brian Houston admits he can offer “no great answer” on gay stance.”  They began by letting us know that “No one has a better handle on what’s going on with Hillsong’s background with the homosexual issue than Churchwatch Central, based in Australia. If you read and follow these well-researched sources, AND WATCH THE VIDEOS EMBEDDED (very important!), you will begin to understand an issue that has a lot of moving parts.”

So keep this in mind as you read the Christian News (CN) report we’re posting.  The story includes Word of Faith prosperity preacher Brian Houston’s latest statement explaining what he believes the Bible teaches on homosexuality. Pay attention to how he carefully crafts his words to avoid offending the LGBTQ community. As Churchwatch Central (CWC) makes clear in their above piece, Brian Houston is deliberately vague on controversial issues such as the sin of homosexuality. According to CWC, Houston tries to give the impression he’s “tight-rope walking the issue [when] he has in fact made up his mind where he stands and simply [lies] about Hillsong’s position.” Lie is a strong word; however, in their reporting on the Hillsong empire over the years, CWC has demonstrated how Hillsong’s leadership has hidden the truth from its fans. And according to CWC, they’ve been grooming their followers to change their stance on homosexuality. As Amy rightly says, those who take the time to research all the Hillsong issues–there are a number of them–will discover that there are a lot of moving parts.

Again, keep what we’ve just told you in mind as you read CN’s report:

As Australians are soon set to participate in a postal plebiscite on the issue of same-sex “marriage,” Hillsong leader Brian Houston has issued a statement outlining that he believes the Bible clearly states that God created marriage to be between a man and woman, but also said that Christians shouldn’t condemn homosexuals and “dismiss their desire to pursue happiness.”

“For Christians, the issue is also a matter of faith and biblical teaching, something that should never be mocked or downplayed by those with opposing views,” Houston wrote. “I believe God’s word is clear that marriage is between a man and a woman. The writings of the apostle Paul in Scripture on the subject of homosexuality are also clear, as I have mentioned in previous public statements.”

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Obedience: 8 Ways To Stop Making Excuses and Start Obeying Scripture

Bible study author, speaker and blogger Michelle Lesley reminds us that “There is never any acceptable reason or excuse to say, ‘I can’t,’ when it comes to a command of Scripture.  God expects us to be obedient,” says Lesley.  Following are 8 ways we can move from all the excuses we come up with when we choose to disobey Him, to obedience. For example, consider that God is testing you. Will you pass or fail the test?

Now discover 8 ways you can stop making excuses and obey God’s commands:

Excuses, excuses.

We’ve all got them. We’ve all used them.

“The dog ate my homework.”

“I was going to, but…”

“I’d can’t, because…”

Sometimes there are legitimate reasons we can’t take part in certain earthly activities. Time conflicts: If a birthday party and a wedding are scheduled for the same date and time, you obviously can’t be in two places at once. Financial constraints: Maybe you’d really like to attend that conference, but there’s no money in the budget. Prioritized responsibilities and loyalties- you’d like to travel as much as you did when you were single, but now that you have a family, taking care of them comes first.

Most Christians seem to grasp this concept when it comes to one of the “big” commands. Take abortion, for example. We know that abortion is a sin regardless of the circumstances, even when those circumstances are huge and scary. We reach out to pregnant women with the gospel and with practical help so that they won’t commit that sin. We love the homosexual who wants to come to Christ but is being pulled the other direction by her lifestyle, living arrangements, and loved ones, by compassionately providing for her needs while holding firm to the biblical gospel that says she must turn from her sin in repentance if she wants to be saved.

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‘My church practices the “Sinner’s Prayer”‘

According to Berean Research “Telling someone that he or she is saved by reciting a prayer is a lie from the pit of Hell.” Berean Research backs up this claim with Scripture:

Several readers have asked us, “What should I do if I am attending a church that practices the Sinner’s Prayer?”

If you’ve ever been to an evangelical church service or ministry outreach, you know the drill: Head down, no looking around, just you and God, sappy background music, and just slip your hand up if you want to invite Jesus into your heart. I see that hand in the second row. Thank you. Anyone else?

I can certainly understand why many people feel uncomfortable. There are some elements of it that are good, like confessing our belief in Jesus, admitting we are sinners and saying “I’m sorry,” but the most dangerous part of the practice comes at the end, when the minister declares, “If you prayed that prayer with me, congratulations and welcome into the kingdom of God!”  Telling someone that he or she is saved by reciting a prayer is a lie from the pit of Hell.

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Trump Officially Reinstates Ban on Transgenders in the Military

“In my judgment,” said President Trump, “the previous Administration failed to identify a sufficient basis to conclude that terminating the Departments’ longstanding policy and practice would not hinder military effectiveness and lethality, disrupt unit cohesion, or tax military resources, and there remain meaningful concerns that further study is needed to ensure that continued implementation of last year’s policy change would not have those negative effects.”  Kathryn Blackhurst of LifeZette has the story:

President Donald Trump directed the military Friday to reinstate its ban on admitting transgender individuals and fully implement the longstanding policy that former President Barack Obama had reversed near the end of his administration.

The Obama administration lifted the transgender ban in 2016, with Defense Secretary Ash Carter saying at the time that there are an estimated 2500 active duty service members who are transgender. In a directive issued to the Department of Defense, the president ordered the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to refrain from recruiting transgender individuals and cease allocating military funds to cover sexual reassignment surgeries for transitioning service members, unless they had already begun medical procedures.

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First Grader Sent to Office, Investigated, for ‘Pronoun Mishap’

Todd Starnes, host of Fox News & Commentary, has the story:

A first grader at a California charter school was sent to the principal’s office this week after she accidentally “mis-gendered” a transgender classmate in what’s being called a “pronoun mishap.”

The incident occurred at Rocklin Academy, a school rocked by controversy after a kindergarten teacher led an in-class discussion on transgenderism that included a “gender reveal” for a little boy who was transitioning to a little girl.

For kindergartners.

Parents were furious because they were not informed in advance and were not given the chance to opt-out their five-year-old’s from the classroom transgender activity. However, school leaders informed moms and dads – they were not allowed to opt-out – and the state did not require them to notify parents.

The latest incident occurred during the first week of school when a first grader came across a classmate on the playground. She called the student by his given name – apparently unaware that the boy now identified as a girl.

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God Keeps His Promises

God Made a Promise

Once upon a time, there lived a man and a woman in the garden Paradise, where they were terrifically happy. Their names were Adam and Eve, and God made them. He made them in his image—like little mirrors to reflect his glory. And like everything else God made, he made them good. It was a wonderful time to be God’s children in his wonderful world.

But things didn’t stay happy and wonderful for long. One terrible day, Adam and Eve sinned. They ate from the only tree in the garden that God had declared off-limits. Adam and Eve had disobeyed God’s word; they believed the lie of the devilish Snake instead of the truth. God made Adam and Eve go away from the garden Paradise. It wasn’t possible for people so bad to live in Paradise with a God who is so good. View article →

Trump Advisory Council Warns of ‘9/11-Level Cyberattack’

According to LifeZette:

The National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) is a task force the National Security Council commissioned to review and evaluate a long list of ways the federal government determines how to secure critical infrastructure — such as dams, bridges, power grids, and airports — against targeted cyberattacks.

The advisory council garnered headlines this week from the media for joining other councils in having members resign after several weeks of controversy dogged the White House. Less covered and of more importance to the nation was the first report the council issued this week — which generated little attention.

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Atheist Group Calls Bible a ‘Violent, Racist Book’ in Scolding Gov. for Lamenting Bible’s Removal From Schools

Christian News reports:

A prominent professing atheist organization characterized the Bible as a “violent, racist book” in scolding the governor of Kentucky over his recent remarks lamenting the ramifications of removing the Bible from public schools.

Gov. Matt Bevin appeared on the Tom Roten Morning Show on Aug. 15, where he discussed the public unrest in Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as a recent bill he signed dubbed as the “Bible Literacy Bill.”

“When you go back a couple of hundred years, in most instances the only textbooks that were in our public schools were the Bible,” he said. “And so to that end to pretend, again, to scrub history and pretend that that wasn’t reality, I think is a dangerous precedent.”

“And it’s interesting, the more we’ve removed any sense of spiritual obligation or moral higher authority or absolute right and wrong, the more we’ve removed things that are biblically taught from society, the more we’ve seen the kind of mayhem that we were just discussing,” Bevin stated.

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Jen Hatmaker’s Revision of Truth

Lorie Alexander of The Transformed Wife tackles Emily McFarland Miller’s interview with Jen Hatmaker. Miller’s piece appeared in the progressive news site Religion News Service. Recently LifeWay Christian stores pulled Hatmaker’s books from its shelves over her very vocal and unbiblical stance on homosexuality — she believes gay relationships can be holy —  so she has some explaining to do. It’s not terribly surprising that Miller threw her this softball question: You took a stand last fall saying LGBT relationships can be holy, and it got your books banned from LifeWay stores. Why was that important to you?

Good grief.

Professor of Biblical Studies at Boyce College, Denny Burk, recently wrote that Progressive Christians (PC) like Hatmaker have a propensity to erase 2,000-years of Church history in an effort to see that the Church becomes more inclusive, more relevant, more open-minded. “There are many voices within the North American evangelical movement,” says Burk, “that are turning away from what the church has always believed and confessed. Hatmaker is now among them.” In his view the PC agenda (yes, liberals have an agenda) is to “re-imagine” Christianity to look a lot less like historic orthodox Christianity and more like the world. (source)

So with this in mind, following is Lorie Alexander’s post:

If we don’t like parts of the Bible can we simply decide they aren’t agreeable to us and refuse to believe them? Jen Hatmaker believes she can and she does. Here are a few of her quotes from a recent article:

She was asked: “You took a stand last fall saying LGBT relationships can be holy, and it got your books banned from LifeWay stores. Why was that important to you?”

Jen replied, “I just sort of have this dream for the church where it is safe and it is wide and it is generous and it includes all of our voices. For the longest time, the church has essentially had one voice — sort of the white, male voice. I’m starting to realize how much the church is missing when we silence whole people groups, like you’re either not welcome at all, or you’re welcome but not your voice, not your experience, not your life, and I saw that with the LGBTQ community.”

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Planned Parenthood has a new financial lifeline…from the adult sex toy industry

Earlier this week CRN reported that all proceeds of the “uterus” emoji app in shades of millennial pink will go to abortion mill Planned Parenthood. “You can catch Ooti drinking cold brew, wasting time on the phone, and, of course, swiping.”  So now The Washington Times reports that a Denver-based adult toy shop was established with the “sole mission” of supporting Planned Parenthood. Bradford Richardson has the story:

Ooti the uterus app

 Supporters of Planned Parenthood are trying to boost the abortion giant’s shaky bottom line by selling sex toys, uterus-themed emojis and sex-positive wrapping paper.

The merchandise may be X-rated, but abortion opponents say it’s just another argument in favor of weaning Planned Parenthood off taxpayer funding.

Planned Parenthood from the beginning has been the recipient of private charitable donations and foundation donations,” said Jay Richards, executive editor of conservative news website The Stream. “If you look at all of the corporate donations they have, it’s staggering. Even other nonprofits, like the Susan G. Komen foundation, which deals with breast cancer, give Planned Parenthood funding. And now, apparently, we have sex toy shops.” [emphasis added]

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College’s ‘Welcome’ Concert Celebrates Misogyny, Drug Use

Why would Ole Miss, a university dedicated to promoting goodness and beauty to young people, invite a known pothead whose lyrics celebrate the sexualization of women and glorify alcohol and drug use, as the headliner at their beautiful new 10,000 seat basketball arena during Welcome Week? Lee Habeeb of LifeZette has the story:

It’s the first week of school in the college town of Oxford, Mississippi, home of the University of Mississippi — otherwise known as Ole Miss. Returning college students, a good number of them newcomers to the school, got the full treatment this past week about all manner of things, some of which no doubt had to do with the usual sensitivity and tolerance training now common at most universities. And some of which had to do with alcohol awareness, public safety, and the Ole Miss Creed, which covers the subject of public decency, among other topics.

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Post-Christian America: Gullible, Intolerant, and Superstitious

David French, columnist for National Review, reveals that many of the best-educated and least-religious people he knows aren’t all that reasonable. Why does he say that? Because a large number of so-called intelligent people hold to some pretty irrational views about reality. For example, a former Harvard Law School classmate of his laughed at the Bible but believed in reincarnation. French also remembers Harvard students who wouldn’t step foot in a church frequenting a local witchcraft store. So how is it that really smart people think the Bible is dumb, yet they have a fascination with charms, potions and spells? In other words, the world of the occult.

David French offers his view of what has caused many Americas to choose darkness over light:

In some secular progressive circles, a certain myth persists. If you defeat the forces of traditional Christianity — you know, the rubes and fools who believe the Bible is the Word of God — then you’ll make way for a more enlightened, rational, and humane nation and world. In other words, the alternative to religion is reason, and reason is mankind’s great liberating force.

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Dallas Willard, John Ortberg, Richard Foster – Are We Wrong in Calling Them Emergent/Contemplative?

CRN agrees with Lighthouse Trails (LHT) that there is no question that these men are Emergent/Contemplatives who are known for engaging in a set of disciplines known as Spiritual Formation. Pastor Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries spent a great deal of his time blogging on the late Dallas Willard and Quaker mystic Richard Foster, whom he dubbed “spiritual twins.” In this piece over at LHT, the editors reveal their reasons for voicing their opinion that Willard, Foster and Ortberg are Emergent/Contemplative:

Recently, we were asked to give an account as to why Dallas Willard (d. 2013), Richard Foster, and John Ortberg were listed in Roger Oakland’s booklet How to Know When the Emerging Church Shows Signs of Emerging Into Your Church as part of the emerging church. 

  1. We would first like to say that it is understandable how someone could take offense to these men being named in a booklet on the emerging church. All three have stated that they love Jesus and have often used Scriptures in their writings and lectures. So why say they are part of the emerging church?

THE REAL CRUX OF THE MATTER

The real crux of this matter comes down to the contemplative prayer movement, which because it has its roots in panentheism (God in all) and interspirituality (all paths lead to God)  as we have been able to document in our writings these past many years, it is basically a synonym for the emerging church. In fact, without contemplative prayer, the emerging church would not have had the success (if you will) that it has had because contemplative prayer is the force that drives it. And given the fact that there are so many variables equal between the two, if someone is a proponent of contemplative prayer, we classify him as part of the emerging church. Many people mistakenly think that the emerging church would just be those of the caliber of Brian McLaren or Rob Bell. But we cannot agree with this at all. We believe the documentation we have gathered these past 15 years clearly shows that the two movements are one in the same.

That being said, one of the problems is that many Christians do not  understand what contemplative spirituality is. They believe that contemplative prayer is just prayer that contemplates (ponders) the things of God. Or that it is likened to a time of solitude (e.g., a quiet time with the Lord, perhaps sitting by a creek or turning off the radio). But contemplative prayer, as Richard Foster has very often made clear in his writings, is a practice that requires one to remove all distractions of the mind by practicing some type of mantric-like meditation (breath prayers, centering prayer, lectio divina, etc) and allowing the mind to enter a neutral state where all thought is gone. If contemplative prayer were just normal, but perhaps more focused, prayer, then why has there been so much differentiation in the church regarding it, whereas now through Spiritual Formation programs, countless Christian colleges and seminaries have brought contemplative spirituality into their schools? View article →