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Purpose Driven dismantling of Christianity Part 2

by: marsha west | published: 04 01, 2011

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A person could choke to death on the Syncretism Stew so-called Christians have cooked up. This swill contains the worst abominations imaginable. Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist and Episcopalian churches are rife with humanism, radical feminist theology, Darwinian evolution, eastern religious practices, neo-pagan goddess worship, earth spiritualism, Shamanism and Native American spirituality.

As if all this weren’t bad enough, the swill includes Jungian psychology! Carl Jung was a well-known occultist who channeled a demon. And speaking of demons, the demonically inspired Twelve-step program was “borrowed” from Alcoholics Anonymous and “Christianized.” Now thousands of churches offer “recovery” programs to help people overcome various addictions. Granted, some recovery programs are based on solid biblical principles and can be helpful. But programs that arise out of the occult are harmful! (For more on Carl Jung and the Twelve-step program, go to Recommended Reading)

One particularly bad batch of Syncretism Stew has left Bible believing Christians with a severe case of heartburn. While they slumbered in the pews wolves in sheep’s clothing slipped in and tossed homosexuality, fornication, and adultery in the mix. While the Body of Christ snoozed, wolves voted to accept sexually active “gays” and lesbians in committed relationships in the pulpit.

Over two decades ago Walter Martin warned:

We have, for more than one hundred years, been under sustained attack in the United States; in our theological seminaries, church related schools, and our churches. A sustained attack by people, who have the form of godliness, and work within the structure of the Church and have—wherever they have been permitted the opportunity—diluted the Gospel and destroyed the Faith. (1)

EVANGELICALS -- DRAIN THE SWAMP

I just realized I left something out of the stew pot so I must add it now: Theological liberalism. Theological liberals prefer the term “Progressive Christian” (PC). On the Progressive Christian website they boast that they

recognize the faithfulness of other people who have other names for the way to God’s realm, and acknowledge that their ways are true for them, just as our ways are true for us.

How tolerant. How…unbiblical. What these “Christians” have completely missed is that the moral relativist holds this view! And these people are fully aware that a belief in universalism goes against the clear teaching of Scripture!

PCs such as Emergent guru Brian McLaren have invented a “New Kind of Christianity.” Why? Our pop culture desires an all inclusive and tolerant religion. Orthodox Christianity does not fit the bill because Christianity excludes unrepentant sinners who reject the notion that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. PCs are of the mind that a God who rejects those who reject Him is unfair. God’s plan to reconcile fallen man to Himself by sending His Son to die in our place doesn’t appeal to their desire for fairness.

PC’s fast food Happy Meal mentality demands-- “Have it my way Christianity” with freedom to sin… no condemning Jesus… no doctrines and creeds… watered-down Bible…and a large order of pick and choose what I want to believe. I’ll pay later!

Sounds easy to digest, right? Maybe, but this Happy Meal is devoid of spiritual nutrients.

For real spiritual nourishment order up “Have it God’s way Christianity” slathered in biblical Jesus… an extra portion of Bible teaching…add doctrines and creeds…hold the sin…discard the rebellion…and a large order of Gospel. Jesus paid what you owe!

DEPARTMENT STORE RELIGION

For Americans variety of choice in any domain of life is seen as an inherent virtue,” wrote David Aikman, “the greater it is, the greater the virtue. Americans like to experiment, to 'mix and match,' and in religion it's no different than in the department store. A friend who attended Yale divinity school a few years ago had a classmate who signed herself in as a 'Catholic Buddhist.'

In 2008 evangelical Bethel University promoted an Interreligious Symposium. The three main speakers included a Buddhist monk, a Buddhist layman and a Bethel professor who studied the "Christian Zen" movement. Christian Zen, as with “Catholic Buddhist,” is an oxymoron, like half dead or full-time hobby. This movement holds to panentheism, the view that God is in all things. In other words, consciousness, being, is composed of the same substance and essence as God. This is not true for the Christian! Christianity holds to theism, the view that God is the creator of all that exists. God is transcendent, which means that He is unknown and unknowable and lives out of space and time. His holiness and righteousness puts Him beyond the reach of His creation, yet He seeks to reveal Himself to His creation. Hence, “Christian Zen” has nothing in common with orthodox Christianity.

In 2010 popular Fox News commentator and radio talk show guru, Glenn Beck, received an honorary doctor of humanities degree and gave the commencement address at Liberty University, the world’s largest evangelical university. What is unusual about the invitation is that Glenn Beck is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In his address he talked about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the atonement, etc. Many students were unaware of the huge doctrinal differences between Christianity and Mormonism. For example, Christians believe there is only one God who is spirit and eternal; Jesus is the eternal Son of God, second Person of the Trinity, conceived miraculously by the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity; salvation is a free gift from God received by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and not by works.

Mormonism holds that there is more than one god. God the father is an exalted man who was as we are now and that he has a body of flesh and bones; Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer and that both of them were conceived by sexual intercourse between God and Mary; the Holy Ghost is a distinct god from father and son, a spirit man and a spirit son of God the Father. How did Jesus become savior of the world and why is Satan evil? Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith stated: "The contention in heaven was...Jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved; and the Devil said he could save them all, and laid his plans before the grand council, who gave their vote in favour of Jesus Christ. So the Devil rose up in rebellion against God, and was cast down" (Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p. 8).

So you can see that the chasm between Christianity and Mormonism is deep and wide.

In 2011 Purpose Driven Pastor Rick Warren recruited “world medical authorities” Dr. Mark Hyman, a Jew, Dr. Daniel Amen, a professed Christian, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, a Muslim, for Saddleback Church’s 52 week health program, The Daniel Plan. To create a healthy lifestyle for SB’s congregants Pastor Warren knowingly enlisted the aid of 3 practitioners of New Age mystical meditation which they promote in their programs. This quote is from The “Woo” Factor written by Sarah Leslie and Berit Kjos on the Daniel Plan doctors:

“Alternative medicine” brings in the spiritual aspect, which sometimes gets pretty bizarre. This is why it is sometimes called Woo – this is a reference to “woo-woo-woo” (think of the Twilight Zone TV show). This spiritual aspect is why Woo [is] so appealing to Christians. Many mistakenly think that if something is “spiritual” then it must be okay. But that is naïve and not exercising biblical discernment. Alternative medicine, by definition, includes the spiritual aspect: "on individualizing treatments, treating the whole person, promoting self-care and self-healing, and recognizing the spiritual nature of each individual.” (2)

Warren’s spiritually unhealthy plan has drawn many undiscerning Christians into the world of Woo.

In 2011 RickWarren invited former Prime Minister of the UK, Tony Blair, a recent Roman Catholic convert, to Saddleback to participate in the March forum on “Peace in a Globalized Economy.” The Network of Purpose Driven Churches chose Tony Blair as the recipient of the Third annual International Medal of PEACE. Blair, founder of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation (TBFF), said that he wants to see a world “where people of different faiths can reach out and understand about someone’s faith that is different than their own.” Warren is on the Advisory Board of TBFF.

In 2010 evangelical Wheaton College became the first Associate University of the TBFF in the U.S.

In March of this year the National Association of Evangelicals held their semiannual board meeting in Salt Lake City. The group met with Mormon leaders and also paid a visit to Utah’s governor. Why? According to the President of the NEA, Leith Anderson, they hope to “deepen our understanding of the Mormon faith and contribute to the ongoing work of evangelicals in Utah. For the sake of Christ and his kingdom, we seek to represent biblical evangelicalism to those who wouldn’t hear or know. We also look for common ground on issues where we can work together.” [Emphasis mine.] (3)

Did they go to Utah to evangelize the lost and to be a godly influence? Or was there an ulterior motive? The danger in working together comes “when Christians adopt a notion of influence derived from the world of politics or business,” warns W. Robert Godfrey in his essay The Myth of Influence. “That world sees influence in relation to power, money, numbers, and success. Compromise, cooperation, and intentional ambiguity are all methods used to achieve influence in this world.” (4)

Emergent pastor Rob Bell, whose NOOMA videos have been viewed by millions, started a big brouhaha when he released a video promoting his new book Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. Bell played the Those who reject Jesus will spend eternity in Hell card. He posed the question: Is God really that mean?

Albert Mohler writes:

Rob Bell and others within the Emerging Church movement represent what can only be described as a new form of cultural Christianity. Bell plays with theology the way a cat plays with a mouse. His sermons, videos, books, and public relations are often more suggestive and subversive than clear. They are also artistically and aesthetically superior to most of what is to be found in the video section of your local Christian bookstore or on the Web. (5)

This time the brouhaha was over whether or not the cat is a universalist. Justin Taylor made this stinging comment:

Now, it is better for those teaching false doctrine to put their cards on the table (a la Brian McLaren) rather than remaining studiously ambiguous in terminology.

So on that level, I’m glad that Rob Bell has the integrity to lay his cards on the table about universalism. It seems that this is not just optimism about the fate of those who haven’t heard the Good News, but (as it seems from below) full-blown hell-is-empty-everyone-gets-saved universalism.” (6)

MAINLINE PROTESTANTS -- DRAIN THE SWAMP

Since I’m short on space I’ll offer only a few of the most egregious examples of what TL has wrought in mainline denominations.

In 2009 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America chose to ignore the clear teaching of Scripture and in the name of the god of unity, tolerance and diversity voted to allow gays and lesbians in “committed relationships” to serve as clergy.

A few years prior, the Episcopal Church USA installed its first female bishop who declared that God makes some people "gay” which is unbiblical and also unscientific. Not surprisingly she is outspoken in her support of same-sex "marriage." Moreover, she suggested that Christians refrain from claiming that Jesus is the only way to God -- even though Jesus actually made that claim. What He said was:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. (John 10:1,2)

And…

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

Clarke’s commentary explains Jesus’ words thusly:

I am the Way - That leads to the Father: - the Truth that teaches the knowledge of God, and directs in the way: - the Life that animates all those who seek and serve him, and which is to be enjoyed eternally at the end of the way.

Could Jesus have been any clearer?

In 2010 the United Methodist Church's Claremont School of Theology offered a program to train leaders of different faiths in order to learn how to work together to solve the world’s problems. Claremont’s program provides interaction between Muslims, Jews and Christians and teaches students to recognize the legitimacy and integrity of other religious traditions.

In 2011 a priest at St. Stephens Episcopal Church adopted Islamic rituals for lent to “achieve interfaith understanding.”

Part 3 on the way…

Read Part 1

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Walter Martin: The Cult of Liberalism—excerpted from a CD Rom

[2] The “Woo” Factor—By Sarah Leslie & Berit Kjos

[3] Evangelicals hold board meeting, build understanding in Mormon Utah—The Underground

[4] The Myth of Influence—By W. Robert Godfrey

[5] Universalism as a Lure? The Emerging Case of Rob Bell--By Albert Mohler

[6] Rob Bell: Universalist?--By Justin Taylor, Gospel Coalition Blog