Bloggers: 2, Pastors: 0. Julie Anne Smith Wins Complete Victory in Anti-SLAPP Motion, Chuck's Lawsuit is Chucked by the Judge

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Julie Anne Smith and her co-defendants have prevailed. Their pastor's attempts to sue them for half a million in damages because they dared to criticize their former church and pastor, have ended in shame and disgrace for Beaverton Grace Bible Church - and have piled on a debt of probably $50,000 in legal fees and court costs.

Judge Jim Fun granted Julie Anne's anti-SLAPP motion, tossing out Chuck O'Neal's ridiculous lawsuit, and ordering Chuck and Church to fork over the money to pay for the defendants' legal defense.

And there ain't no insurance that will pay for this one. This money will come straight from the coffers of Beaverton Grace Bible Church.

Can you say "special offering"? Can you say "Double Tithe Sunday"?

Seriously, to a small 501(c)3 like BGBC this can be a fatal blow. Chuck and friends rolled the dice on this one, and he lost big time, and may have taken his church down with him. Too bad there weren't some elders/deacons/trustees with a backbone to stand up to Chuck and his cockamamie idea of suing the sheep. Too bad compensatory damages aren't required by the court for the anguish Chuck and his board of elders/deacons/trustees has caused to all of the defendants involved.

Kudos to Julie Anne Smith for her tenacity. Unlike her pastor, she has handled herself with grace and courage through this entire ordeal. Julie Anne has taken the heat, not shying away from the press coverage. She has used the platform given to her by this set of unfortunate circumstances to speak out against spiritual abuse, and no doubt she will continue to do so.

Make no mistake, Julie Anne is a trailblazer. She has won a very important case for religious bloggers who seek to share the truth about churches and pastors. Lawyers who represent well-to-do mega church pastors who are criticized on line are sure to take the judge's ruling to heart. As I said before, if O'Neal won, I believe we would have seen more of these lawsuits by pastors who want to shut up their critics who aren't good for their "business". The judge ruled that religious blogs critical of how pastors run their church and how they treat people, are matters of public interest, and opinions expressed about said pastors is protected free speech.

Here is a very important part of the judge's ruling:

"Plaintiff [O'Neal and his church] has the right to govern his congregation in the manner in which he chooses, and defendant Julie Anne Smith is authorized by law to express her disagreement with his performance of those activities. Consequently, the foregoing claimed defamatory statements are dismissed."
Awesome. Julie Anne did what she did, "authorized by law". Problem is, in the world of fundamentalist, authoritarian preachers like Chuck, Julie Anne was not authorized by Pastor to do what she did. Pastor didn't like Julie Anne's opinions. Pastor thinks Julie Anne's criticism was sin. Pastor got his hat handed to him by the judge, and Pastor's congregation has to pay the legal bills.

Here is the summary paragraph from Judge Jim Fun's ruling:

"In summary, defendants Julie Anne Smith [and other defendants'] Special Motions to Strike are granted. The court finds that the defendant's internet postings on plaintiff's website and defendant Julie Anne Smith's blog site, were made in a public forum and concern an issue of public interest. The court further finds that plaintiff has not met the burden of presenting substantial evidence the defendant's statements are defamatory. "
This is all made sweeter by going back and reading Chuck's "press release" from a few months ago, where he said:

"We have not gone hastily to court. For three and a half years this group has been engaged in a public, church to church, and World Wide Web defamation, showing their willingness to harm children, to harm wives, to harm the church, and harm the testimony of Christ's Gospel. It is BGBC's firm conviction that this cannot continue. The ministry of the local church and the Gospel cannot continue to be hindered."
The loving pastor accuses Julie Anne and the others of harming children and wives, and even harming the testimony of Jesus Christ himself. Actually, Chuck, YOU are that man! The last statement above shows why Chuck and his men couldn't make the right call:  their religious zealotry made them think their lawsuit was required by God himself to stop Julie Anne from "hindering" the church and the Gospel. In the fog of their religious confusion, they thought they were doing the very will of God.

As I close, I can't help but go back to the statement made by Chuck's wife when interviewed by KPTV, staring right into the camera and saying of Julie Anne and her co-defendants (while Chuck had a Cheshire-cat grin, see left):

"The only thing worse than a vicious woman is a group of vicious women." Mrs. O'Neal
I guess to Chuck and friends, they now have discovered there IS one thing worse - in their twisted minds - than even a group of "vicious women" who are "hindering" the local church and the Gospel:

One judge who can rightly put an authoritarian pastor and his cultish church in their place.

------------------------------------------
Other sites posting articles on Julie Anne's tremendous victory, and some quotes:

Julie Anne's blog: Judge's Decision

Wartburg Watch: Julie Anne Smith Prevails Against Her Former Church

"There can be no doubt that the major news outlets will be reporting on this story, which has garnered tremendous attention.  I do hope that hyper-authoritarian pastors are paying attention…  First there was Tom Rich (on the East Coast); now Julie Anne Smith (on the West Coast).

Yep, from coast to coast judges are ruling in favor of parishioners who have the right to exercise their free speech.  It does appear that the internet is the modern day version of the Gutenberg Press which was a major contributing factor to the Reformation. "

Bene Diction Blog: Beaverton Grace Bible Church Loses Court Case Against Blogger

"Some of the best coverage of this Beaverton Grace Bible Church bully suit has been by Tom Rich of FBC Jax Watchdog – another blogger who dared question his pastor and who also faced spiritual abuse and struggles in US courts."

 Previous Watchdog Articles on this Case:

Mother and Daughter Being Sued by Their Former Pastor - May 13, 2012

An Analysis of Chuck O'Neal's Press Release - May 17, 2012

Greater Love Hath No Pastor - June 1, 2012

Donate to the BGBC Legal Defense Fund - July 11, 2012

Ed Young the Performer: At His New Hispanic Church, He Mocks Complaining Christians by Crying Like a Baby

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Go to the NEW Hispanic Watchdog Blog:  "Perro Guardian FBC Jax"!!!
Check out the excerpt below of Ed Young preaching at his new satellite church in Midtown Miami. In this clip, Ed is making fun of immature Christians - you know, those pesky complainers - by mocking them, crying like a baby. It is hard to believe that anyone takes this man serious when he acts like such a boob. His arguments are not even logical.

It is sad to watch Ed's interpreter having to mimic Ed's antics. It is embarrassing to watch.

According to Ed Young's intro to the sermon from which this clip is taken, Fellowship Church is "partnering" with the oldest hispanic Baptist church in Miami - First Spanish Baptist Church of Miami, pastored by Art Salcedo - as one of Ed's new satellite churches.

The good news is, as you'll see in the video, there weren't many people in attendance. If this was my first view of Ed Young - I would be running for the exits. Maybe they did.

I must say this is a good marketing move by Young: Ed is trying to make in-roads to a new market, Hispanics in South Florida that might not have seen Brett Shipp's articles on Ed's lavish lifestyle, or have read the Watchdog blog.

So, to make sure we get the word out to Hispanics on preachers like Ed Young and others, I am starting a new Hispanic Watchdog blog, "FBC Jax Watchdog" translated into Spanish:

"Perro Guardian FBC Jax"

Watchdog Celebrates His Fifth Birthday, Still Alive and Well!!

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Hello Readers! I hope all of you are doing well, I hope you all had a great summer! Here in Florida it has been the absolute wettest summer I can remember in 30 years of living here - but it was a very wonderful summer with the kids home. We met some very wonderful new friends, and had a great time in activities with family and friends.

It has been great to take a break from blogging, having posted only two articles in the last month. I have begun working on another project that I hope to announce very soon, and the time away from blogging has helped me get this project underway.

The Watchdog is now five years old. It was five years ago that the FBC Jax Watchdog site began. I started this blog because I cared about my church, and I cared about THE church. I hate what has happened to modern day evangelicalism: the nutty fundamentalism, the money- and marketing-hungry pastors that have taken over mega churches and damaged the faith of so many Christians. I am proud of what this blog has accomplished in shining a light on misbehaving pastors and churches - a few months ago this blog passed the 2 million page view mark, and traffic is still very strong after 733 blog posts and hundreds of audio and video clips the past five years.

People ask me from time to time if my faith has survived the past five years of blogging and the two legal battles and the ugliness my family has experienced. Some people assume that my views expressed here, my criticism of pastors and churches is an indication that I'm no longer a Christian - some even assume that I'm an atheist or some anti-Christian heathen trying to drive people away from their faith. This couldn't be further from the truth. Over the past five years I have been on a spiritual journey of sorts, having to acknowledge the flaws in some of my own religious views that I once held as a fundamentalist Christian, but still holding on to my faith in God. It has been a journey that has been incredibly liberating.

I have met with and talked with so many people that have been on a similar journey out of fundamentalism, and they can relate to what I'm talking about. I'm going to share here in the next blog posts some of these things I've learned in this journey - concentrating on the teachings in fundamentalism that are dangerous because of how they ultimately damage people's Christian faith.

When a person is confronted with the reality that much of what they've been taught by their "man of God" is not true, or not biblical and even some being self-serving nonsense and fairy tales - a crisis of faith can occur. For instance we know that over 50% of young people who leave home and attend college and get away from the fundamentalism in their home church jettison their faith. The fundamentalist pastors and parents will wail and moan that it is the worldy influence, the evil college professors, or they blame it on the lack of faith of the young person - or blame it on a recalcitrant blog that criticizes pastors.

But really, the ones to blame are those who are teaching nonsense in the church, not those who choose to expose it on a blog or website. So in the next few blog posts I'm going to discuss what some of this nonsense is that is causing so many people to feel that they do have to leave their church, and what causes even young people to question the validity of the religious teachings they have received growing up.

So now that fall is here, and the kids are back in school, the Watchdog will be back at work.

Stay tuned!

Sammy Nuckolls Sentenced to 10 Years for "Video Rape" - Victims Testify to the Harm He Has Done

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10 years.  That is the sentence judge Gerald Chatham handed to Sammy Nuckolls today.

Sammy Nuckolls is the Southern Baptist evangelist and former Lifeway youth camp pastor who last year was caught using a hidden camera to secretly videotape women in bathrooms. Friday Sammy received his 10-year sentence after being found guilty on 13 counts of video voyeurism - perpetrated against women as young as 17 years of age.

This is great news. It is not often that a perverted pastor gets justice for his deeds.

This, my friends, is why the father/son pastor duo at Berean Baptist Church here in Jacksonville fought so hard to keep the voyeur video that police said was created by Tom Neal secret and kicked a church member out who tried to tell the truth - until at least the statute of limitations had run out. Someone at Berean Baptist secretly videotaped women undressing - and police who conducted the investigation fingered Tom Neal but couldn't press charges because too much time had elapsed.

So Tom Neal, "man of God", is still preaching in his three-piece suit in Jacksonville, but Sammy Nuckolls will have to preach in his prison garb for the next ten years. No difference, just Sammy got caught and didn't have the laymen to help protect him from the cops.

Probably the most disgusting thing I've read today about Nuckolls' sentencing is a quote from the minister who is counseling Nuckolls and provided testimony in Sammy's defense. Says minister Eric Garner:

"It's proven to me how Satan can enter your life and bring you to your knees and get you do do things you otherwise wouldn't do."
Yep, Nuckolls is just a victim of Satan himself. Poor Sammy. The devil "entered his life", drove Sammy to his knees (which he had to do in order to hide the camera), and the devil got Sammy to do something he wouldn't otherwise have done. Complete rubbish. The devil didn't make Sammy do it. Sammy did it. He knew the risks. He knew the damage he was doing. Poor Eric Garner doesn't have a clue. In fact if this is how he is counseling Sammy, Sammy will probably be a repeat offender if he gets out of prison alive.

Instead, the judge has it right. He is sending Sammy for psychological analysis. The judge didn't blame the devil. He blamed Sammy. The judge believes Sammy suffers from psychosis.

Judge Gerald Chatham said it best when he told Nuckolls: "You violated the trust of these young women. You robbed them of dignity. First time I ever heard the expression video rape but I supposed that's what it is."

Lastly, kudos to Nuckolls' victims who bravely testified at the sentencing hearing - no doubt their testimony helped the judge decide on such a stiff penalty.

Al Mohler Declares: Church Members Don't Have a Right to Leave Their Church, Except for "Theological" Errors

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"We have no right to leave a church over preferences about music, personal taste, or even programming that does not meet expectations".  Pope Albert the Pious I-------------------  Al Mohler has declared from his lofty perch at SBTS that church members do not have the "right" to leave their church, unless it is for a primary doctrinal reason.

Apparently we aren't smart enough to know when it is in the best interests of our family to leave and join another church. No, we need Albert the Pious and the other seminary-trained holy-men-of-God to tell us when we can leave, and when we can't leave. After all, as Albert said last year, pastors are "God-appointed agents to save God's people from ignorance."

Says Albert:

"When members leave for insufficient reason, the fellowship of the church is broken, its witness is weakened, and the peace and unity of the congregation are sacrificed...we have no right to leave a church over preferences about music, personal taste, or even programming that does not meet expectations..."
"Christians cannot look to this question as merely a matter of consumerism. We are called to love the church and to pray for its peace and unity, not to look for an opportunity to move to another congregation."
This is not only unbiblical, it is just plain stupid and illogical. Let me give just a few reasons why Mohler is out in left field on this issue:

1. "The Church" is NOT the same as "501(c)3 religious organization": Mohler wrongly equates local 501(c)3 religious organizations with the "church" in scripture. We've beat this dead horse before, but if I leave ABC Baptist Church, I'm not "leaving the church" - I'm changing 501(c)3 religious organizations. Christians absolutely are free in Christ and free as Americans to change churches as often as they wish, for whatever reason they deem fit, as led by their conscience and faith. And they're even free, and have a Christian right to not be a member of ANY 501(c)3 religious organization.

2.  If Al is right, why do pastors change churches so often?:  Al conveniently forgot that the average baptist senior pastor stays at their church for 6-7 years before moving on to another church. And when a SBC pastor leaves his church for greener pastures, it rarely has anything to do with major theological differences - instead we are told that "God called" the pastor to his new church.  In fact, the mega church rock stars go to great lengths to tell us how God told them to change churches - like while riding a donkey in the Holy Land and other such tales. Apparently God is capable only of calling pastors to change churches - but dang it the plebe have to stay at a church until the church denies the Trinity - or worse, they hire a woman pastor.  Al, if you really believe what you're saying, please tell pastors that once they become pastor of a church, they should stay there for their entire career.

3.  Why then, do mega churches spend so much on church marketing?  Al says people who change churches without a deep theological rift have a "consumerism" mindset. If we are not "consumers" and should not select a church based on preferences like worship style or programs offered by the church, then why on earth do mega churches treat us like consumers and spend so much money on church marketing, trying to steal sheep, and hiring guys like Maurilio Amorim? Al, if you really believe what you're saying, train your pastors to stop spending "God's money" on so much church marketing! And for goodness sake, please mega church pastors, inquire as to the reason why someone is joining your church and turn away those members who left their prior church for personal preferences!

4.  What About Abusive Churches and Pastors? Using Albert's standard, even if we find that our pastor covered-up for a pedophile, we don't have a right to leave the church. Sorry, Al, but most clear-thinking Christians know when it is in our best interests and the interests of our families to flee an abusive church and/or pastor. For example, I don't need a theological reason to leave a church pastored by this creep showing kids at a youth service how to "polish a shaft".

We could go on, but you get the point. Christian, you and your family have the right - even the Christian responsibility - to change churches and take your money with you for any reason you deem fit. It could be because the newly appointed pastor is more of a traveling evangelist who loves to go on cruises with the rich folk. Or maybe the pastor is an angry, pompous ass in the pulpit and you just can't stomach his rants each week.  It could be because your kids don't fit into the youth group, or the youth group is dysfunctional. It could be even something as simple as worship style preferences.

Friends, Albert Mohler is regarded by many to be one of the greatest minds in modern day evangelicalism. Albert telling church members they are morally bound to stay attached to their 501(c)3 religious organization else they are harming the cause of Christ, tells me that we not only can't trust men like Mohler and those he trains to teach the bible rightly, we can't trust them to make arguments that are logical, or even congruent with their other core beliefs.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Hotel Calvinista":
"Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the church house
at the place I was before
'relax,' said Albert Mohler,
We are programmed to receive.
You can checkout any time you like,
But you can never leave!"

MARSHA WEST COLUMN / Are all angels safe?

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Marsha WestMarsha West
July 13, 2012
Contrary to popular belief angels are neither chubby little babes with rosy cheeks nor are they exquisite young women with gossamer wings decked out in long flowing gowns. The Bible reveals very little about angles. What we do know is that God sends angels to do His bidding.

In the Bible two elect holy angels (the good guys) are mentioned by name: Michael and Gabriel. Scripture also mentions the Angel of the Lord; Michael the archangel; the Captain of the Host of the Lord; messengers; and guardians.

Also mentioned are fallen angels (the bad guys). Lucifer, one of God's highest angels, led a revolt against God and was banished from heaven along with his followers which is said to be a third of the angels. There are many names for Lucifer such as Satan, Devil, Prince of Darkness and Beelzebub. The other rebels became demons. In the future God will judge Satan and his demons.

Angels are spirit beings and are neither male nor female. In the Bible they appear to people as males, never as females.

Because I have written several articles on angles I'm often asked if angels are among us today.

Yes!

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares (Heb. 13:2).

Those who believe they are experiencing an angel visitation must scrutinize what the angel purports. For example, does your angel point you to Jesus Christ or away from Him? Elect holy angels (from here on out referred to as angels) will always point you to Christ, never to anyone else, living or deceased, which includes the Apostles and the Virgin Mary.

Angels never espouse new doctrines or extra-biblical (special) revelation. Likewise, they do not point individuals to religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, et al.

Angels by no means encourage participation in the counterfeit religions' holy days, festivals, ceremonies and rituals, nor do they advance the idea of having a sacred place or space.

Angles would never suggest that people involve themselves in occult activities. Currently, Transcendental Meditation (TM) is all the rage, even among Christians. Angels absolutely do not direct anyone to embrace this pagan practice. TM is not biblical meditation. Instead of meditating on God's Word, the practitioner goes into an altered-state-of-consciousness (alpha state) which is a light dream state in order to connect with "god." It should be a big red flag that New Agers are advocates of TM. In fact, many so-called psychics make meditation a part of their spiritual practice to contact their "spirit guides."

Sadly, many Christians who have embraced The Silence aka contemplative, or centering, or breath prayer are woefully unaware that what they're practicing is unbiblical meditation.

And then we have "Christian yoga" spreading like a wild fire through the Christian community. I realize that this may not go over well with some readers, however, even if your yoga class is led by a Christian and held in a church, it is taboo!

The bottom line is this: Angels would not, could not, promote anything God expressly forbids — and He forbids His children to have any part in pagan religious practices, nor are we to embrace the world's philosophies.

Bear in mind that the holy angels are incapable of going against God, whereas unholy angels continuously go against God in their quest to lead people astray. In 2 Cor. 4:4 we learn that Satan is the "god of this world." According to Gotquestions.com:

The phrase "god of this world"... indicates that Satan is the major influence on the mind-set expressed by the ideals, opinions, goals, hopes and views of the majority of people. His areas of influence also encompass the world's philosophies, education, and commerce. The thoughts, ideas, speculations and false religions of the world are under his control and have sprung from his lies and deceptions. (Source)

I'm also frequently asked if God allows us to contact angels.

No!

Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 19:31).

It is a complete waste of time to "call your angel" or to try to contact angels by constructing an altar...lighting candles...burning incense...meditating... or any other way that allegedly makes angels feel comfortable. God forbids His people from contacting the spirit realm! And besides, regenerate Christians have direct access to God through the Son, Jesus Christ. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1Tim 2:5) So, why would we call on angels or anybody else when we can go directly to God through Christ?

Those who contact angels (or spirit guides) are inviting demons! Demons can and do possess humans! Both holy and unholy angles are not given the authority to indwell believers. The reason is obvious: the Holy Spirit takes up residence in a person at the moment of regeneration. Once the Spirit takes up residence in a believer, He never leaves. Listen to what Jesus said:

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you (John 14:16-17).

Those who are truly saved are God's property:

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Again, believers cannot be demon possessed. They are, however, susceptible to demonic oppression.

Demonic oppression is when a demon is temporarily victorious over a Christian, successful in tempting a Christian to sin, and able to hinder a Christian's ability to serve God with a strong testimony. (Source)

I'm going to close with this warning: Contacting angels is neither wise nor safe.

---

Marsha West is a religious/political writer and owner of EmailBrigade.com. She is also the founder and editor of the Email Brigade News Report, a biweekly news resource for people of faith that is chock-full of critical news and information. Marsha is dedicated to restoring a more common sense approach to our nation's governance by encouraging people to thoroughly understand the issues that impact American lives. Marsha's articles have been published widely online and in print and appear regularly in the Christian Post blog section as well as News With Views, Renew America, Worldview Times, Big World Watch, Conservative Crusader, Veracity Voice, Web Commentary, and she is a correspondent for the Christian Research Network. Marsha is currently writing a fiction series for Christian children that will equip them to defend their faith and live for Christ. Visit Marsha's website: http://emailbrigade.com

© Copyright 2012 by Marsha West
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/mwest/120713

SBCTODAY.COM / George W. Truett: 1929

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Posted: 13 Jul 2012
As the time of the Memphis Convention (1929) drew near, Dr. Truett was greatly troubled. He knew that above all else it was important that his people be summoned to earnest prayer and to renewed spiritual emphasis. The following prayer of his for the approaching Memphis Convention was printed by the magazine, Home and Foreign Fields, some days before the Convention.

Grant, O God, the consciousness of thine overshadowing power and presence as we meet to seek thy will and to do thy will. Without thee we can do nothing. Except thou be with us all our plans and deliberations will be in vain. With thy help we can do all things.Help us to gather in such spirit, Our Christ, that thou canst honor thy promise to be in our midst. May all that we say and do be so truly in thy name that thou wilt give to us whatsoever we ask. Take from us all selfishness, all littleness, all pettiness, all self-seeking, all querulousness, all suspicion, all narrowness, all prejudice, all timidity, all faithlessness, all guile. Enable us to come with holy boldness to do business with and for thee, that thy Kingdom may come and thy will be done among men.Come to our side, O Holy Spirit, to do thine office work –– to comfort us in our distresses, to guide us into the truth, teach us how to pray, to reveal Christ more perfectly to us and in us, to intercede for us with unutterable yearning before the Father’s presence. We know that thou art more willing to give us thine enduement than we are to receive it, and we pray that thou wilt so brood over us during these momentous days that our hearts will open to thee as the flowers to the summer sun.May we put first things first. May we abide in the shadow of the cross. May the sigh and sob, the heartache and heart-break, of a lost world come to our ears with more insistence than the hum of machinery and the clink of money. May no program devised by men take precedence over the purpose proposed by Christ. May no jangling discords of needless debates drown out the quiet voice of the Master as he says to us afresh, “All authority hath been given unto me. . . . Go ye therefore and make disciples.”Help us to walk worthily of our Christian calling, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Make us to realize that we are the light of the world, the salt of the earth, ambassadors of Christ, living epistles known and read of all men. God grant that our light shall not be darkness, that our salt shall not lose its savor, that we shall not be found false witnesses of thee!Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, our Rock and our Redeemer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

THE GATESTONE INSTITUTE / Thoughts on the Muslim Mind by Tarek HEGGY

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This mental, intellectual and cultural stagnation represents not only a danger for humanity, but for the Muslims themselves, in that, among other limiting features, it places them and their societies in a state of enmity, even war, with the rest of humanity.

Forty years ago, one of the subjects offered for a Masters degree in law was Islamic Jurisprudence -- a massive, purely human endeavour, whose founder, the Grand Imam Abu Hanifa al-No'man, defined it as the science of extracting practical rulings from legal proofs.The subject extended beyond the four established legal schools – the Hanafite, Malakite, Shafi'i, and Hanbalite – and even beyond the legal schools founded by other Sunni sects that have since fallen into oblivion -- and into the realm of Shiite jurisprudence. The school of Muslim theology I admired most was the Mu'tazalites and their offshoots -- especially the ideas of Ghilan Al-Demeshky, who challenged the doctrine of predestination on the grounds that it denies man's responsibility for his deeds, good and bad, and which led me to ask a number of nagging questions.The jurists who founded the four main Sunni schools of law --Abu Hanifa, Malik ibn-Anas, Mohamed bin Idriss Al-Shafei and Ahmed ibn-Hanbal -- lived in the period between 70 and 220 Hijrah [690 to 840 AD]. Strangely, the earliest of these jurists was more liberal than his successor, who was in turn more liberal than his successor, while the fourth was the most conservative of all, allowing no scope for independent thinking, and asserting the primacy of tradition [naql] over reason ['aql]. While, for example, Abu Hanifa allowed jurists to refuse to base their rulings on the Hadiths [sayings or acts attributed to the prophet Mohammed] known as akhbar ahad [accounts of individuals], Ahmed ibn-Hanbal, who followed, stamped as authoritative legislative enactments more than ten thousand Hadiths, the great majority of which were, not surprisingly, accounts of individuals.The conservatives in Islamic history were selective in what they presented to seekers of knowledge. Thanks to them, many Muslims today believe that the greatest Islamic thinkers always believed in predetermination. Many other great Islamic thinkers, however -- for instance, the Kadarites -- rejected the doctrine of predetermination. There are countless further examples of the subjective way the conservative elements in the world of Islam distorted historical facts to suit their purpose; the result of which distortion was to produce among Muslims a pattern of passivity at odds with the realm of knowledge, culture and science. One of the most famous examples is the conservatives' concealment of Abu Hanifa's opinion on the punishment for apostasy – death. Although he did not totally reject the punishment, the great jurist effectively invalidated it by holding that an apostate can repent, and that the period of repentance is "the length of the apostate's life."Some of the greatest Muslim thinkers such as Ibn Sinna, Al-Faraby, Ibn Rushd and so many others, were branded as heretics by the Hanbalites. Although one of Ibn Hanbal's folllowers, Ibn Taymiyah, was a man of limited intellectual abilities, incapable of dealing with deep philosophical issues, he gave himself the right to accuse of heresy noble and original thinkers who were far superior to him in every way. Thus, because of an obscurantist ruler -- the eighth Abbasid caliph Al-Mu'tasim -- and because of the growing dominion and influence of conservative Muslim jurists -- such as Ahmed Ibn Hanbal and the interpreters of his tenets, Ibn Taymiyah and Qaiym Al Juzeya -- the Muslim mind became afflicted with a singular case of rigidity, passivity and stagnation – even fossilization.This mental, intellectual and cultural stagnation not only represents a danger for humanity, but for the Muslims themselves, in that, among other limiting features, it places them and their societies in a state of enmity, even war, with the rest of humanity.At some point, however, despite the backwardness and extreme primitiveness that has afflicted the minds of millions of today's Muslims who have become polarized around a worldview totally divorced from the reality of the age and from contemporary science and culture, the future will shake the Muslim mind and destroy many of the fossilized ideas that have held sway for so long, similarly to Christianity after the earthquake set off by Martin Luther and Jean (John) Calvin.The Muslims will come to realize the need to keep religion separate from the State and from constitutional and statutory legislation. I can even see the day they will adopt a legal system based on the doctrine that upholds "the specificity of the purpose, not the generality of the text." This would allow for enlightened opinions compatible with the age, and the march of human progress in respect of women and the Other.But before we reach that point, many years and decades will have elapsed, and many bitter battles will have been fought before reason, science and progress can claim victory over the dark legacy of a journey that began with a ruler who allowed the Hanbalites to slaughter, in the literal sense of the word, the Mu'tazalites in the alleys of Damascus.From that day until the present, free thinkers in our societies continue being slaughtered, either literally or figuratively, with weapons wielded by forces of darkness without parallel in the annals of history. 

PERSECUTION.ORG / Egypt's Power Struggle and the Fate of Christians

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PERSECUTION.ORG 14th July, 2012 by Aidan CLAY07/13/2012 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) — In defiance of Egypt’s top generals and highest court, Muslim Brotherhood presidential-elect Mohammed Morsi reopened parliament on Tuesday. In only his third week in office, Morsi’s rapid-fire pursuit to broaden the Brotherhood’s power openly challenges the country’s ruling military council. Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority fears that the restoration of parliament, which will grant greater powers to Islamists, will be used to institute Sharia law and stifle religious freedoms.On July 10, Egypt’s lower chamber, the People’s Assembly, convened despite a ruling by the Supreme Constitutional Court on June 14 ordering the parliament’s dissolution. Saad el-Katatni, the assembly’s speaker, told lawmakers the session was being held to seek a “second opinion” by an appellate court in an effort to reinstate the Islamist-dominated legislature. The court, however, did not concede to the chamber’s request, upholding its earlier ruling that the parliament had been elected unconstitutionally and that its dissolution was “final and binding”.If the parliament were to be reinstated, the Muslim Brotherhood—which holds nearly half the seats in the Islamist-dominated assembly—would head both the legislature and the presidency. Yet, a Brotherhood-controlled civilian government appears to be what Egypt’s ruling generals fear most. Only a week prior to Morsi’s announcement as president, the military announced a constitutional declaration on June 17 that expands their control over civilian politicians and strips the head of state of most of his powers. Morsi’s move to defy the court ruling by reconvening parliament was not only considered to be illegal by the military council, but also a direct challenge to the establishment’s authority.In a warning to the president, the military said it would support the country’s “legitimacy, constitution and law” by upholding the court’s ruling. “[This is] language that means [the military] will not stand by and watch the rulings of the country's top court ignored or breached,” the Christian Science Monitor reported. Despite the military’s grip on power, Bret Stephens, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, argues that Egypt has already been “lost” to Islamists and that a radical future, similar to what was seen in Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, lingers on the horizon. “Egypt under the Brotherhood will seek to arm Hamas and remilitarize the Sinai. By degrees, it will seek to extract concessions from the U.S. as the price of its good behavior. By degrees, it will make radical alliances in the Middle East and beyond.”However, Daniel Pipes, the President of the Middle East Forum, argues the contrary, saying that the military, not the Brotherhood, has the ultimate power in Egypt. “Not only was the [presidential] election symbolic, but it was also illusory, in that the military leadership scripted it,” Pipes wrote in an op-ed for the National Review. “[Mohammed Morsi’s] job is undefined. A military coup could brush him aside… Mohamed Tantawi is the real ruler of Egypt. Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), field marshal, and minister of defense, he serves not only as the commander-in-chief but also as the effective head of all three of Egypt’s branches of government… The [military] exploits the Muslim Brotherhood and other proxies as its civilian fronts, a role they are happy to play, as it has permitted the Islamists to garner an outsized percentage of the parliamentary vote and then to win the presidency.”Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority, who make up 10 percent of the population, hope that Pipes is right, fearful that if the Brotherhood gains leverage over the military, the country could quickly transition into an Islamic state.“There is a Brotherhood strategy to work toward building an Islamic country,” Yousef Sidhom, editor of the weekly Watani newspaper and a Coptic Church official, told The Associated Press. He added that the Brotherhood will withhold government positions from Christians, tax non-Muslims, and base education around Islam.The Brotherhood will not likely concede to pressure by the military, vowing to “fight in the courts and the streets to reinstate the Parliament,” according to The New York Times. Prior to the reconvening of parliament, the Brotherhood’s Secretary-General Mahmoud Hussein called for a “million-man march” to “regain the parliament” and denounced the military’s hold on power. A few hundred protestors supporting the Brotherhood responded to the call in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Monday, chanting, “We love you Morsi,” and “Down with military rule.”“This may end being a game of 'chicken' [to see] who withdraws his decision first,” Dr. Omar Ashour, a scholar at the Brookings Doha Center and director of the Middle East Politics Graduate Studies Program at the University of Exeter, told msnbc.com.Christians and all Egyptians anticipate the power struggle, which Reuters labeled “a war of attrition,” to be far from over. More battles lie ahead, including the drafting of Egypt’s constitution, the right of which was stripped from the parliament last month in a decree that authorizes the military to appoint the body to write the document. In this confrontation for power, nothing less than the very ideals of Egypt’s revolution—mainly that a democratically elected government would replace the military—are at stake.You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference ICC (International Christian Concern) and include our web address, www.persecution.org. ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church.  You may contact the author at clay@persecution.org.

 

DO NOT BE SURPRISED... / This 'n' That July 13th

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Photo: WikiMedia

DO NOT BE SURPRISED... July 13th, 2012 by EBENZ  As you probably have noticed, I've been a bit preoccupied this week. Hopefully it won't be too much longer before things are back to normal. Or, at least what passes for normal around here.

I trust that in my absence everyone has been diligently monitoring the ongoing silliness of the visible church, as well as the continuous downward spiral of the culture.

Since I've not had time this week to compile my usual list of the weird, wacky and woeful, I have an abbreviated This 'n' That for you. Take the extra time to wash your car, read a book, catch up on Dr. Phil or bake me a peach pie. Just remember that we are called to do all things as unto the Lord, bringing glory to Him, which means that Dr. Phil reruns may have to be crossed off the list. I did receive a word that baking a peach pie for your favorite blogger is one of the most anointed activities in which one can engage. Do with that information what you will.

With that, please enjoy your abbreviated week in review (kind of):

• This is a helpful article explaining complementarianism.

• Ken Silva provides some helpful background on prosperity preacher Joseph Prince.

• Luther College's Head of Religion says Jesus was a Muslim. Kinda.

• R.C. Sproul teaches about God's decretive and preceptive will.

• The Reformation in Lego bricks.

• God's own defense of Scripture:

 

Al Mohler Declares: Church Members Don't Have a Right to Leave Their Church, Except for "Theological" Errors

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"We have no right to leave a church over preferences about music, personal taste, or even programming that does not meet expectations".  Pope Albert the Pious I-------------------  Al Mohler has declared from his lofty perch at SBTS that church members do not have the "right" to leave their church, unless it is for a primary doctrinal reason.

Apparently we aren't smart enough to know when it is in the best interests of our family to leave and join another church. No, we need Albert the Pious and the other seminary-trained holy-men-of-God to tell us when we can leave, and when we can't leave. After all, as Albert said last year, pastors are "God-appointed agents to save God's people from ignorance."

Says Albert:

"When members leave for insufficient reason, the fellowship of the church is broken, its witness is weakened, and the peace and unity of the congregation are sacrificed...we have no right to leave a church over preferences about music, personal taste, or even programming that does not meet expectations..."
"Christians cannot look to this question as merely a matter of consumerism. We are called to love the church and to pray for its peace and unity, not to look for an opportunity to move to another congregation."
This is not only unbiblical, it is just plain stupid and illogical. Let me give just a few reasons why Mohler is out in left field on this issue:

1. "The Church" is NOT the same as "501(c)3 religious organization": Mohler wrongly equates local 501(c)3 religious organizations with the "church" in scripture. We've beat this dead horse before, but if I leave ABC Baptist Church, I'm not "leaving the church" - I'm changing 501(c)3 religious organizations. Christians absolutely are free in Christ and free as Americans to change churches as often as they wish, for whatever reason they deem fit, as led by their conscience and faith. And they're even free, and have a Christian right to not be a member of ANY 501(c)3 religious organization.

2.  If Al is right, why do pastors change churches so often?:  Al conveniently forgot that the average baptist senior pastor stays at their church for 6-7 years before moving on to another church. And when a SBC pastor leaves his church for greener pastures, it rarely has anything to do with major theological differences - instead we are told that "God called" the pastor to his new church.  In fact, the mega church rock stars go to great lengths to tell us how God told them to change churches - like while riding a donkey in the Holy Land and other such tales. Apparently God is capable only of calling pastors to change churches - but dang it the plebe have to stay at a church until the church denies the Trinity - or worse, they hire a woman pastor.  Al, if you really believe what you're saying, please tell pastors that once they become pastor of a church, they should stay there for their entire career.

3.  Why then, do mega churches spend so much on church marketing?  Al says people who change churches without a deep theological rift have a "consumerism" mindset. If we are not "consumers" and should not select a church based on preferences like worship style or programs offered by the church, then why on earth do mega churches treat us like consumers and spend so much money on church marketing, trying to steal sheep, and hiring guys like Maurilio Amorim? Al, if you really believe what you're saying, train your pastors to stop spending "God's money" on so much church marketing! And for goodness sake, please mega church pastors, inquire as to the reason why someone is joining your church and turn away those members who left their prior church for personal preferences!

4.  What About Abusive Churches and Pastors? Using Albert's standard, even if we find that our pastor covered-up for a pedophile, we don't have a right to leave the church. Sorry, Al, but most clear-thinking Christians know when it is in our best interests and the interests of our families to flee an abusive church and/or pastor. For example, I don't need a theological reason to leave a church pastored by this creep showing kids at a youth service how to "polish a shaft".

We could go on, but you get the point. Christian, you and your family have the right - even the Christian responsibility - to change churches and take your money with you for any reason you deem fit. It could be because the newly appointed pastor is more of a traveling evangelist who loves to go on cruises with the rich folk. Or maybe the pastor is an angry, pompous ass in the pulpit and you just can't stomach his rants each week.  It could be because your kids don't fit into the youth group, or the youth group is dysfunctional. It could be even something as simple as worship style preferences.

Friends, Albert Mohler is regarded by many to be one of the greatest minds in modern day evangelicalism. Albert telling church members they are morally bound to stay attached to their 501(c)3 religious organization else they are harming the cause of Christ, tells me that we not only can't trust men like Mohler and those he trains to teach the bible rightly, we can't trust them to make arguments that are logical, or even congruent with their other core beliefs.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Hotel Calvinista":
"Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the church house
at the place I was before
'relax,' said Albert Mohler,
We are programmed to receive.
You can checkout any time you like,
But you can never leave!"

Students Learn at SWBTS What the Letter "T" Stands for in "BAPTIST"

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It is good to know that seminary students at our SBC schools are learning the deeper, more meaningful spiritual truths of life that feed the souls of men.

For instance, take Dr. Bob Pearle's chapel message on 9/13/12.  Pearle unveiled the secret of what each letter in the "BAPTIST" represents. Why is he so proud to be a baptist? Because each letter represents one of the most cherished beliefs of Baptists.

What did the good doctor tell everyone the word "BAPTIST" stands for?

B stands for:    "Bible"

A stands for:  "Autonomy of the local church"

P stands for:  "priesthood of the believer"

Now, what about the letter "T"? It could stand for "theology", or "testify", or even "trespass the recalcitrant". No, it stands for something much more important, something that is much more near and dear to the heart of so many baptist preachers like Bob Pearle.

Tithing. I know you didn't know it, but the "T" in "Baptist" (the first "T", anyways) stands for "tithing".

You say you didn't know it? You know it now. ;)
Indeed, one of the central tenants of being a good Baptist in the year 2012 is tithing, forking over 10% of  your income to your 501(c)3. And if you don't tithe, then you have to put up with the periodic accusations from your Man-o-God that you're a thief, and that you, your checking account, your investments, and your family members are cursed by God himself for your disobedience.

What is so absolutely hilarious about T standing for "tithing", is it is inconsistent with the B and P definitions Pearle gave just prior: New Testament tithing is not biblical, and to declare church members are still under the Old Testament requirement to tithe contradicts his belief in the priesthood of the believer. Christians don't need Doctor Pearle - or any other Man of God - to tell us what percentage we are required to give to their church.

Pearle did not give any scriptural basis for his view. He just used the same tired old argument that people who don't believe the tithe is applicable to new covenant believers are looking for an excuse not to tithe.

And, of course, tithing is "something we've always done" - which is another bald-faced lie.

Says Pearle:

"Tithing has always been something we have embraced to fund our ministries, not bingo, not raffles, but giving to God biblically".
Embrace is a good way to say. Tithing is as near and dear to the heart of baptist preachers like Pearle as the bible, Jesus, and salvation.

As Pearle says, it is all about funding the ministry of the preacher's 501(c)3 organization, which pays his salary.

Steve Gaines Elevates Tithing to an Old Testament "Commandment" That Must Be Obeyed

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"When you're a Christian, the Holy Spirit of God lives in you and he will prompt you to do certain things. He will prompt you to read the bible and believe you're just supposed to do what it says. That's why I've never had a problem tithing...I read in the bible 'bring the whole tithe into the storehouse'...so when I see these commandments in scripture they're not suggestions, they are not just a few little helpful hints. But they are literally a commandment from God." Steve Gaines, 9/16/12, elevating tithing to the status of "commandment". ------------------------------------------Steve Gaines never disappoints. Every six months or so he always manages to come up with a new twist to coerce his church members to give more and more money.

He has called his church members thieves, accusing them of driving stolen cars and eating stolen food. He has said God will make non-tithers' kids sick. He has said non-tithers' finances are cursed. He has threatened them even with death at the hands of God who hates liars. He has even said Christians must give 10% to his church before they can give money to the Red Cross to help orphans in Latin America.
His latest absurdity is to state that not only are Christians obligated to tithe, but that if they are truly Christians, the Holy Spirit will prompt them to tithe, because tithing is a literal "commandment from God."
That is strange, because there are other "commandments" of God in the Old Testament - ones that are much clearer and direct than tithing - that I'm pretty sure the Holy Spirit is not directing Gaines to obey. However, Gaines doesn't explain how he is able to differentiate tithing from the other Old Testament statements such as:
"If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; " (Lev 20:13); or
"If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him....then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you." (Deut 21:18-21)
It is a good thing the followers of Steve Gaines don't take his advice to "just do what the Bible says", else they would be killing homosexuals and stoning rebellious teenagers. But of course, when Gaines says "just do what the Bible says", he really means "just do what I tell you the Bible says". Let's hope a Bellevue satellite church in Guyana is not planned anytime soon.

Truth is, Gaines and his SBC mega-church cohorts are making this stuff up as they go along. The more over the edge they go with their fantastic stories and cherry-picking of laws in the Old Testament that serve their own self-interests, the more people are wising up - especially younger Christians who see these charletons for who they are, and unfortunately some are leaving the faith altogether.

Shame on you, Steve Gaines.

Dr. Watchdog Gives a Tithing Alternative to Pastors as We Enter the Season of Tithing Sermons

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 "I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving." (II Cor 9:7)---------------------October is the month when we see the absolute worst tithing sermons. Of course Perry Noble and Steve Gaines are tithing preachers for all seasons, but October is on average the worst month for pastors misusing scripture to deliver the anti-gospel bad news that God has cursed you, your family, and your checking account because your offering each week does not equal 0.1 times your gross income.

So I want to try to help this year. I would like to take a proactive approach, to help prevent the sheep-beatings and scripture twisting BEFORE it starts, rather than having to blog again this year about pastors threatening church members with curses from on high.

Pastors, because I care, here is an alternative approach to the same old tired tithing approach you've taken year after year:

1.  Acknowledge Your Tithing Sermons Don't Work: Pastors, please recognize that while you might be teaching tithing year after year, it is not helping. You aren't gaining a larger percentage of tithers, and the amount donated per "giving unit" is not going up. 

2. Understand that Your Members KNOW You Aren't Telling the Truth: Realize that since such a low percentage of Christians practice what you are preaching about the tithe, this means they don't believe your tithing nonsense. They KNOW you are lying and scripture twisting, or at best they are demonstrating their grace toward you by tolerating your ineptness at this one theological point. They KNOW God does not require 10% as a starting point, or as a condition for God to bless them, or a threshold below which God curses them and their families and their finances. They know there is no set percentage at all! While you preach fantasies and fairy tales of tithing and first-fruits giving from the Old Testament as a fund-raising tactic, your church members know the NEW Testament says clearly:

"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (II Cor 9:7, NIV)
Or better yet, what another version of this verse says:

"I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving." (II Cor 9:7, The Message)
Your church members don't want to hear your sob stories and they don't want their arms twisted again this year. Christians decide what percentage and amount to give. When you arm-twist and threaten and coerce, you make it very hard for your church members to delight in what they give.

3. Acknowledge to Your Church You Might Be Wrong: In your stewardship series this fall, start off by humbling yourself. Admit from the pulpit that you might have been wrong about tithing in the past. Tell them that you've researched things a bit - you can mention John MacArthur and David Croteau and Andreas Kostenberger as credible sources on the topic - and that you have decided that Christians should decide what they give because that is what the New Testament teaches. Even challenge your church members to read John MacArthur's views on tithing, tell them about Croteau's book. 

4. Don't Misuse Malachi and Don't Mention Melchizedek, "First Fruits", and "Storehouse":  Tell your people that you might have been wrong about the "church" being the Old Testament "store house". Tell them that what the Jews gave under the tithing tax probably has no bearing on what Christians do with their finances in 2012, but that the New Testament does say we should all be generous, regular givers of our resources, and this will manifest itself in varying percentages and dollar amounts. Please resist the urge to misuse Malachi and Melchizedek. Whatever you do, don't bring up Ananias and Saphira in the context of tithing. Teach New Testament grace giving.

5. Tell Your Church Members You Trust and Appreciate Them:  Tell church members that they are the best ones to know what percentage of giving to the church is best for them, their kids, and for their futures. Tell them no mater what they give you will appreciate it, and you know that it represents a sacrifice on their part. Tell them that you are fully trusting them to do the right thing, and that if the church revenue increases you'll praise God, and that if the money decreases you'll praise God and gladly adjust the budget accordingly.

6.  Actually trust God: I know this is hard to trust God with the finances at the church. You have for so long told your church members they should trust God and blindly fork over 10% of their income - well, now is the time is for you to blindly trust God that he will deliver the finances to your church as you release the members to decide in their hearts what to give. 

I believe that if you humble yourself and take this approach, you might be shocked as to how people in your church actually respond. You may actually free them up to be generous givers at your church.

You say that no one would ever preach something like this, that it wouldn't work.  Not true. Click here, and you can see a Baptist preacher who actually has taught this for decades, and whose church grows numerically and meets their budget year after year.

Pastors, give it a try. Be innovative, cutting-edge, willing to try new things - you know, just like you tell your congregations to be.

Professor Watchdog Issues a "Reverse Tithing Challenge" - Give NOTHING to Your Church, See if God Indeed Curses You!

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As I promised a few days ago, here is my tithing challenge for church members whose pastors again this year trot out the same old tithing phoney-baloney sermons.

Your pastor will probably use Malachi 3 to tell you to "test God" by giving 10% of your income to God (meaning giving 10% to your pastor's employer, the 501(c)3 he works for).

But why give 10% as the "test"? There are two parts of this tithing teaching out of Malachi that can be tested: one is that if you tithe, God will "open the windows of heaven" and you'll reap financial rewards. The other part is that if you DO NOT tithe, that God will curse you and your finances. One of my former pastors even said that "God collects" and God will get the un-tithed money you owe him through calamity he will bring your way, such as leaking roofs, wrecked cars, etc. I never figured out how God would collect the money I pay my roofer or my auto mechanic, unless maybe they attended the same church and THEY tithed...but I digress.

So don't tithe to see if God will bless you; instead, let your pastor know you've decided to give NOTHING to the church, to withhold what you were giving, and to cut it to zero, to test God and see if he curses you like the pastor claims. That is a much easier way to test God in this area, because presumably you are ALREADY receiving blessings - it will be much easier to detect a blessing decrease as you give nothing.  Be sure to let your pastor know that you appreciate him giving you the challenge, but you've decided to stop giving until God curses you. Tell your pastor if God does curse you, you will resume giving at the 10% level.

This reverse tithe challenge has a number of benefits to you, the church, and all of Christianity:

1. You can experience the freedom to be a blessing to other people with that money you were giving to the church. You can donate it to another Christian organization, or you can use it to bless your immediately family by paying someone's rent, or buying a new set of tires for your spouse, or even take a much needed trip or cruise to mend a strained marriage or relationship. YOU decide what you will do with it!

2. Your church won't have the burden of possibly raising their spending in response to members' tithes only to have to return it all when God doesn't bless. This reverse tithing challenge will instead require them to tighten their financial belts while they wait for you and others to see if God will keep his word and heap coals of cursings on your head. If God keeps his promise and curses you as your pastor says will happen, then your pastor and staff can rejoice that God cursed you while you reluctantly "bring the tithe" to remove the curse. What a day of rejoicing that will be!

3. God might actually REALLY bless you when he sees you've decided to use your money more for what he really wants it used for: helping people in need, taking care of your family, planning for your future so you can meet needs in the future...rather than using it for lavish buildings and to pay salaries of professional religious men who haven't yet learned a marketable trade.

Anyways, why give your 3% or 5% to the church when the man of God is telling you that you are still cursed since you aren't meeting some phony 10% threshold? Use your charitable contributions to bless other ministries that will actually thank you for being a blessing, instead of one that pronounces cursings on you because you didn't give enough.

So give it a try, church members. It is a novel, fresh, innovative way to put God to the test as he says to do in Malachi 3! But be sure to let your pastor know that you're taking "Watchdog's Reverse Tithing Challenge"!

Of course we already know what the outcome of this "challenge" will be. The only "curse" involved will be the reduction in revenue at your 501(c)3 - THAT is the real curse that your "man of God" fears, and it is what drives him to preach such nonsense. A perfect example of how much these men of God fear this curse is this quote from Stovall Weems in his tithing sermon last month entitled "Yes, the Church Wants Your Money":

"When you get that check, when you get that $2000 check, before you look at your bills, before you do anything else, before you even know if you have enough money to do that, you take $200 and you bring your tithe - to Jesus, through the house of God, your local church."
Stovall and those like him don't want you to even think about or budget your giving. This is greed that knows no bounds. They want - they need - you to blindly give the first chunk of your income before you even consider caring for your own family's needs. It is sick and twisted.

When you get down do the bottom line, THIS is the curse that currently exists in the church, that greedy men twist the Bible to raise revenue at their church.

Break the real curse, by taking the Watchdog's Reverse Tithing Challenge.

It's Time for a Good Time: Lifeline!

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Tonight is the last meeting of our first Lifeline Connection Insight Group that meets here at the Urban Center. It has been really awesome these past couple months as God has been moving in our lives individually, but also helping us to make what will probably be some lifelong connections. Hopefully we will have other LLC groups starting soon, but you always remember the first round. 


We have been working with a family this week here at the Urban Center whose son has a home, a business and a family. Unfortunately he also has a problem and he is on the verge of losing everything. If he comes to Teen Challenge he will not be able to work for several months and will definitely lose everything then. He would be a great candidate for Lifeline Connection - someone who still has hope of being able to regain control of their life while working on their transformation without quitting their job and moving to Colfax.

The Insight group is awesome because it can benefit any person who is open to the Lord's working in their life. The purpose of the Insight Group is to help each participant "walk in the way of understanding" (Proverbs 9:6) as it relates to an individual who is struggling with a life-controlling problem or who wants to learn how to avoid being mastered by anything of this world. The big idea of the Insight Group is to assist members along the path total wholeness--physically, emotionally, and spiritually--and to encourage them to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The thing that makes a Christian small group like this different than a secular one is that secular groups seek about "behavior modification" through peer pressure and group dynamics. Although there is a place for positive peer pressure and group dynamics in the Christian small group, there must be a change of heart. This is what we refer to as transformation from the inside out. I love to be a part of groups where people are drawn to each other and build relationships as dynamic as our group as been the past nine weeks, but I really get excited when I see people grow in Christ and become more aware of how Jesus Christ wants to be a part of their life on a daily basis!

Tonight's group follows on the heels of a very full and busy weekend.... here are some of the highlights:

Iowa Speedway Chaplaincy
Last weekend I was at the Iowa Speedway in Newton for the Indy Cars! I went to the track on Thursday evening to set up our ministry tent and then I was back out to the track on Friday morning to run the shuttle cart for people with disabilities. In the afternoon I went into the pits where I met with and spoke with several of the safety crew members and met the chaplains who travel around the country full-time with the Indy drivers, their pit crew members and their families.

Chaplains Mark & Audrey Young checking out an infield display!

One of the chaplains is in charge of distributing the leftover food the Indy teams have left when they pack up to leave town. And with the help of Iowa Speedway's Director of Chaplains' Mark Young, I was able to secure a trailer load of groceries for Teen Challenge which was a huge blessing. Since the last race started after 9P.M. on Saturday night I also went ahead and got a handful of comp tickets for Teen Challenge staff member Jon Koegle to attend the race with some students. They really had a good time at the race track and in loading the food and taking it back to Colfax. Even though they didn't get to bed until after 2A.M. on Sunday morning, they were really pumped and grateful. I am really grateful for good friends like Mark Young and Jon who made this blessing happen. I truly was just the "middle" man in this exchange! But, it is mostly a great testimony of God's faithfulness! The students thought that they picked up enough groceries to provide almost a week worth of meals. That is truly awesome if it proves to be that bountiful!

On Friday night before the race I gave the benediction. I was surprised at how nervous I was. I think what made me nervous is all the choreography that went into place before the 47-second  prayer. The introduction of drivers, recognition of several key sponsors, race track executives, and of course the presentation of colors by our military representatives. Then they stick the microphone in my hand and tell me not to mess up! After I said the benediction I handed the microphone off to the young lady who sang the national anthem. As she was singing my heart was racing like I had just run a 5K race. It was pretty exhilarating. 

On Saturday I had brunch at Teen Challenge in Colfax and then went back to the racetrack and spent the afternoon handing out water and visiting with folks who had come all over the Midwest to attend the race. It was pretty much more of the same from the day before. We did have a storm front come through and dump several inches of rain on us. I was up in the Control Tower at the Command Post during some of that. It was fun hanging out there and seeing all the stuff that happens behind the scenes at a big event like this was.

Sunday Morning Service in New Sharon

Pastor Scott & Charlene Collier, New Sharon

On Sunday morning my wife and I picked up five students and we went over to the Assembly of God church in New Sharon, Iowa where we shared about Teen Challenge in their morning service. It was really great hanging out with my friend, Pastor Scott Collier and his family and congregation. I love his heart for people and his desire to help them.

Scott is also an assistant football coach for the high school and he stays very busy with many other things. We talked at length into the afternoon about bringing Lifeline Connection to his community through his church. The biggest problem isn't the desire, but in finding the time to do everything. Scott is definitely one of those pastors who may want to do Lifeline with all his heart, but may have to turn it over to people in his congregation because he is so busy!

That is one of the great things about Lifeline Connection, is that the leaders do not have to be experts. The material is prepared by experts so the facilitator is just helping people interact with each other and process the material into their lives through relationships and practice. 

Lolo Jones, Member of the 2012 Olympic Team

Other Weekend News

• LoLo Jones qualifies for the Olympics. She is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the 60 and 100 meter hurdles. She won three NCAA titles and garnered 11 All-American honors while at LSU. Because NBC Sports was broadcasting the Olympic trials and also broadcasting the Indy Corn Ethanol 250 from the Iowa Speedway; the race could not start until Lolo was done running. So I am glad she qualified even though it made for a late night in Iowa. 

I love Lolo because I appreciate the way she takes a stand for virtue. A lot of people hate on her for that, but I think any dead fish can float downstream, Lolo may not be on the U.S. Olympic swim team, but she is still making waves in a good way!

• Kevin Youkilis was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Chicago White Sox over the weekend. I do not like the Red Sox but I am a big admirer of Kevin Youkilis. He is one of those blue-collar type players who does not appear to have lots of natural talent, but grinds and grinds until he grinds down the other player/team and ends up on top. He has won some well-deserved awards, championships and accolades over the years. I think the White Sox got a great deal in this move and I am happy to see Kevin change the color of his socks. I try to put on a clean pair at least once a week..

• I got a new Droid Bionic to replace my Blackberry last Thursday, so I spent the weekend trying to figure it out. Oh my, I am definitely tech-challenged. If anybody wants to meet for coffee and some tutoring, shoot me an email and let me know. 

Bless you much my dear reader! You are loved!

More Smashed Windows and a Tribute to Dependence Day

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July 5th... the day after 
The Fourth of July!

I woke up this morning in a bit of physical pain. I ran 8.89 miles yesterday morning and then went on a 9 mile float trip down the Des Moines river yesterday afternoon.

It was my first time ever to organize a float trip. We were blessed to have our kids, my son's girlfriend, and my nephew visiting us over the holiday and my wife said she DID NOT want to sit around the apartment. I found some innertubes at the Theissen's farm supply store in Newton on Tuesday )after going to three different Wal-Mart's only to discover that they were all sound out). And got up early yesterday to do some online research and to map out our route on the river.

I knew floating went much slower than paddling, but I was really surprised how much longer floating in tubes took compared to canoes. We were going to float in the Skunk River in Jasper County, but with the heat and dry weather I was afraid the water would be shallow. I have also heard great things about floating past Ledges State park. So I looked on the map and found the closest place to put in upstream from Ledges and then we parked my son's truck at the first get out point after Ledges.

We put into the river at the Hwy 30 access in Boone County around 4:30p.m. It was a beautiful day to be on the river. I was surprised how shallow the Des Moines River was at places. I am glad I had thrown my flippers into the car because I spent most of the "float" pulling everyone else down the river. It was a great work out for my legs. At 9:30p.m. we were finally getting out of the river. I felt like a near-drowned river rat. We watched the fireworks in Boone as we were heading east to get back onto I-35.

By the time we got home we still had not had dinner so it was a late night. When we got back to the Urban Center I grilled the brats and burgers while everyone else started showering and Lynn got the rest of the food prepared. While I was standing out on the back deck manning the meat on the grill, I looked out over the neighborhood and it was an eery feeling to me. There were so many fireworks going off it was more annoying than fun. It never gives me a good feeling because when so many people are breaking the law so blatantly, and it is against the law to light off fireworks in Iowa. I think it fuels a spirit of rebellious anarchy. And when anarchy prevails, it always seems that the next morning is never pretty. I think that is true of a city where their professional sports team wins a championship and the "fans" light cars on fire and loot their own city; or when a group of people disagree with the outcome of a court case and smash store fronts. And even after a day of celebrating our "freedom", I am usually disappointed with the outcome the next day when I drive around and notice all the vandalism that accompanied the revelry.

If that seems somewhat ominous and foreboding, let me continue by saying that I have already met with the Des Moines Police Department this morning. My case number is 12-20565.

As the fireworks were going off around me and above me last night, I watched a police cruiser going up and down the street yet never stopping to investigate the people standing around the source of an obvious explosion. When I finally got to shower the river smell off me and went to bed around 1:30 this morning, I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I woke up at 6A.M. with the alarm and took the dogs outside to do their business and to survey the damage. I didn't notice anything out of place until I walked to the front of the building and another guy walking down the street pointed in the direction of my father-in-law's conversion van and said, "Yea, they got me last week too."

"Got me?" My head was still in a bit of an early morning fog.

That is when I noticed the shards of broken glass on the street on the other side of the van. Three windows gone. I often wonder what sense of power it gives people to wantonly destroy other people's property?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July celebration and you will enjoy the freedoms we still have as Americans. There aren't as many as their used to be as more and more of our resources go to pay taxes. Isn't it funny that a "tea tax" motivated one of our nation's first uprisings against the tyranny of our motherland, and then on the verge of our Independence Day celebration our Supreme Court upheld Obamacare and said we will pay for it as another "tax?" Wow. We've come a long ways Baby! Our forefathers used to fight for our Independence, now we celebrate the fact that the government takes more of our money than we keep, and the government is going to meet all of our needs. I guess that is why I started running as much as I do. I just don't believe the health care system is really going to be there when I need it. And the reason I feel that way is because of all the foreigners who come to this country to get medical treatment their country will not provide because there just isn't enough for everybody once the rationing is complete.

I enjoyed my family a lot yesterday. Not so much in a celebrating mood today though.I guess that is why I love serving God so much, regardless o four circumstances, our feelings, or our predicaments... He loves spending time with us and showing us awesome things about Himself that totally amazes us! Sometimes, the day after really great days aren't that great, but God is good! All the time! And all the Time, God is good!