NEWS NOTES 12/17/2004

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MORMON EDUCATOR DISCIPLINED FOR DEBUNKING MORMON HISTORY. Friday Church News Notes, December 17, 2004 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Grant Palmer, a lifelong Mormon, was disfellowshipped on Dec. 13 for publishing a book that questions official Mormon history. “An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins” suggests that the golden plates did not exist and that Joseph Smith made up the story, leaning heavily on the King James Bible, Masonry, and personal experiences. The “disfellowship” means he will retain his membership but lose certain privileges, such as being able to go into temples. Palmer, who has a master’s degree in history from Brigham Young University and has been a Mormon director of education for more than 30 years, began doubting Mormon history 20 years ago. Palmer writes, “I, along with colleagues ... find the evidence employed to support many traditional claims about the church to be either nonexistent or problematic.” You mean Joseph Smith might have been prevaricating and that official Mormon history is bogus? Who would have thought it? Someone please tell the president of Fuller Theological Seminary!

INFLUENTIAL ROCK GUITARIST MURDERED. Friday Church News Notes, December 17, 2004 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, thrash metal guitarist for Pantera and Damageplan, was shot to death during a concert at a nightclub on Dec. 8 at age 38. Nathan Gale, a 6 foot 3 inch former semi-pro football player, rushed the stage yelling, “You broke up Pantera,” and held Abbott while he fired at least five shots into his head. Gale was apparently upset about the band’s breakup in 2003 to form Damageplan. Gale idolized Pantera’s lead singer, Phil Anselmo, and “memorized Pantera’s dark lyrics.” Gale’s former football coach, Mark Green, said Gale “psyched himself up before games by piping Pantera music into his headphones” (“Gunman Obsessed With Pantera,” Fox News, Dec. 10). Chimaira’s lead singer Mark Hunter said, “It’s going to be hard for people outside the metal world to understand, but this is as important as losing a president.” Pantera was formed in 1983, and Abbott’s brother and former Pantera drummer, Vinnie Paul, said their tradition was “hell-raising.” Their song titles were along the lines of “Hell Bound,” “Slaughtered,” “Death Rattle,” “Message in Blood,” “Cemetery Gates,” “Burnnnn!” “Killers,” “Takin My Life,” and “Down Below,” with lyrics like “Avoid the light. The sun’s in sight....Grant me satan” and “By demons be driven. Beckon the call.” It’s amazing how these fellows can mock God and brazenly flaunt His laws and then pretend they were only kidding, “hey, it’s only art,” and get very heavenly-minded when they face eternity. Zakk Wylde, lead guitarist of Ozzy Osbourne’s band, said of Abbott, “He’s sitting at God’s tavern, having a cold one with Randy Rhoads and Hendrix.” Zakk needs to read his Bible a little more often. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15).

NEW ZEALAND ADOPTS HOMOSEXUAL PARTNERSHIP LAW. Friday Church News Notes, December 17, 2004 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Dec. 10: “New Zealand’s parliament has adopted controversial legislation granting legal recognition to homosexual partnerships after months of national debate. The legislature voted 65-55 to pass the Civil Union Bill after fighting off a bid by opponents to force the issue into a national referendum. Under the law, due to come into effect in April, same-sex couples gain similar legal rights to married people, although the legislation does not change the New Zealand Marriage Act, which still applies only to men and women.”

SAME SEX “WEDDINGS” ON THE INCREASE IN ANGLICAN CHURCHES. Friday Church News Notes, December 17, 2004 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Anglican priests performed blessing ceremonies for homosexual partnerships 300 times in England last year, an increase of 10 percent over the previous year. The numbers will doubtless increase when the Civil Partnerships Act recognizing same-sex unions becomes law next year. Martin Reynolds is an Anglican priest in Wales who has lived with his homosexual “partner” for 25 years. He said he has been waiting until his relationship was legal to have it “blessed,” and that now “retired bishops are queuing up to perform the ceremony” (“Bishops turn blind eye to gay wedding ceremonies in church,” London Times, Nov. 22). Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, endorsed a new book of prayers entitled The Naked Year, which includes “a positive reflection on the annual Gay Pride march in London and a prayer for the blessing service of a lesbian couple.” Neil Richardson, Rector of Holy Cross, Greenford, near London, says he has done 12 such blessings. He says the favorite reading from the authorized marriage liturgy is based on 1 Corinthians 13. They must skip over verse 5, which says love “doth not behave itself unseemly,” as homosexuality is called “unseemly” in Rom. 1:27.

PROMISE KEEPERS CONFERENCES FOR 2005 CALLED “THE AWAKENING.” Friday Church News Notes, December 17, 2004 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Promise Keepers has announced conferences for 20 cities in 2005 and the theme is “The Awakening.” This will be the 15th year that Promise Keepers has conducted conferences. Tom Fortson, president and CEO of Promise Keepers, says, “We want to help men design a plan that will empower them to impact their world and fulfill their destiny.” In truth, the plan is in the Bible and men don’t need the help of a weak, unscriptural organization like Promise Keepers to fulfill it. Speakers lined up for 2005 include charismatics Ted Haggard and Jack Hayford. I heard Hayford speak at St. Louis 2000, and he told how his daughter came to him and questioned whether her “tongues” were really biblical tongues. He encouraged her that “you have to start with baby tongues before you can advance to adult tongues.” Promise Keepers has seven pledges that it encourages men to follow. Number six is a pledge to promote unity between all denominations, and Promise Keepers has made it clear that this unity includes Roman Catholicism. Speaking at one of the early rallies, In an interview with the Catholic publication Our Sunday Visitor, McCartney said that full Catholic participation was his intention from the start. “Back in 1992, at our first stadium event, we very clearly stated from the podium that we eagerly welcomed the participation of Roman Catholics, and we’ve had scores of Roman Catholics attend and go back to their churches excited” (Our Sunday Visitor, July 20, 1997, p. 10). In 1997 Promise Keepers appointed a Roman Catholic, Mike Timmis, to its Board of Directors. It is obvious that Promise Keepers cares nothing about biblical truth and sound doctrine. This is radical, lowest-common-denominator ecumenism. Men from fundamental Baptist churches who become associated with Promise Keepers partake of the spirit of compromise and apostasy promoted by this rebellious movement.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH HIRES MUSLIM CLERIC. Friday Church News Notes, December 17, 2004 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The newest staff member at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Denver, Colorado, is a Muslim Imam. Ibrahim Kazerooni was formally installed on Nov. 14 as the director of the church’s Abrahamic Initiative, a bridge-building effort among Christians, Jews, and Muslims (“Reaching Out, church hires Muslim,” The Denver Post, Nov. 11). This is probably the first time in history that a Muslim cleric has become a staff member in a church. Church representative Greg Movesian said, “We hope this appeals to people who don’t look upon people of other religions as a target for conversion but rather potential partners in maintaining a civil society.” It is churches that don’t believe the Gospel that have a problem with evangelism and conversion.

METEOROLOGIST LIKENS FEAR OF GLOBAL WARMING TO RELIGIOUS BELIEF. Friday Church News Notes, December 17, 2004 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org, http://www.wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from CNSNews.com, Dec. 2: “An MIT meteorologist Wednesday dismissed alarmist fears about human induced global warming as nothing more than ‘religious beliefs.’ Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Richard Lindzen, in a speech to about 100 people at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., said: ‘Essentially if whatever you are told is alleged to be supported by “all scientists,” you don’t have to understand anymore. You simply go back to treating it as a matter of religious belief.’ His speech was titled, ‘Climate Alarmism: The Misuse of Science.’ Alarmist predictions of more hurricanes, the catastrophic rise in sea levels, the melting of the global poles and even the plunge into another ice age are not scientifically supported, Lindzen said. ‘It leads to a situation where advocates want us to be afraid, when there is no basis for alarm. In response to the fear, they want us to do what they want,’ Lindzen said. The climate change debate has become corrupted by politics, the media and money, according to Lindzen.”

CONCLUSION: Friends in Christ, do not be discouraged by any of this. 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. These things remind us that the hour is very late, and we need to be ready for the coming of the Lord. Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ day by day? Are you in the perfect will of God for your life and bearing fruit for His glory? “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).