HOMOSEXUALS SEEK TO CENSOR DR. LAURA—Homosexual-rights advocates demonstrate against Dr. Laura's new TV show. John Aravosis, co-founder of a Web site called stopdrlaura.com, said "The protests are going to last until the TV show comes off the air and Paramount (the producer) drops its double standard on prejudice." While dozens of pro-homosexual characters blanket the television airwaves, the “gay” community is targeting one of the few opposing voices and bitterly attempting to silence her. In olden days, liberals told us to just change the channel when we saw offensive things. But that rule of TV viewing apparently holds true only if Christ is being blasphemed ... or nudity is splashed on the screen ... or teenagers are depicted exploring their sexuality ... or two homosexuals are seen kissing. It only holds true when conservatives are offended. When the left is offended, it instantly seeks to silence and vilify the opposition. The czars of this politically-correct frenzy have absolutely no room to talk about double standards. [Liberty Alliance] We don't approve of all Dr. Laura says (profanity, e.g.), but defend her from the left's duplicity.

AL GORE'S NEW AGE BELIEFS—V-P Gore's beliefs stated in his Earth in the Balance book are New Age and pagan, and blend Christianity with pantheism. The New Age movement is rooted in Eastern religions and the occult. Gore affirms the New Age teachings of Teilhard de Chardin (7/20/92 Chr. News) and views the earth and all its parts as sacred (9/1/92 CC). A 5/1 USN & WR article called Gore's book “a fanatical approach to the environment.” He wrote of “a constant and holy spiritual presence in all people, all life, and all things.” Gore is a member of a Southern Baptist Church pastored by a woman. He attended an “illegal fund-raising” event at a Buddhist temple (1996), and on “impeachment day,” hailed Pres. Clinton as a great president. He is pro-abortion and pro-homosexual rights. [Rev. Nolan McFadden has an extensive review of V-P Gore's book: Institute of Biblical Discipleship, 9651 S. 485 Rd., Miami, OK 74354, $1.00, or get it free by e-mail at: psalm23ranch@rectec.net]

STEVE ALLEN A SECULAR HUMANIST—Famous humorist and author Steve Allen created the Tonight Show and has written numerous books/songs. He recently commendably voiced disgust at TV filth, sex and violence, winning Jerry Falwell's praise on the latter's TV show. The Lutheran Layman's League last year featured Allen on a program. The National Religious Broadcasters gave Allen a Distinguished Service Award when he spoke at NRB '87, saying he “stresses Christian values.” (3/1/91 CC) But Allen has served on globalist boards and has been a major promoter of humanism. He has done radio/TV spots urging people to join the American Humanist Ass'n (9/27/99 CN). He signed the Humanist Manifesto 2000. He attacked God in a decade-old book, and said the Bible contains error. Allen is hardly worthy of Christian praise.

AIDS ORPHANS—AIDS deaths have orphaned 13.5 million African children. Over 22 million Africans are infected with HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS, compared to 1.5 million Americans (9/9 World). Half of South Africa's youth are infected. The AIDS epidemic is largely a preventable tragedy caused largely by a sinful lifestyle.

UN IGNORES ABSTINENCE IN FIGHTING AIDS—The United Nations is pushing contraception to fight AIDS in Africa, ignoring Uganda's successful abstinence strategy. It is trying to make condoms available to every man, woman, and child in Africa. The larger goal is to make contraceptives available to 95 percent of the world's young people by 2010 (9/9 World). But new evidence suggests that condoms may actually spread the disease and increase the number of HIV/AIDS transmissions—through failure, and by discouraging essential lifestyle changes (abstinence, monogamy) which worked in Uganda.

GAMBLING CAUSES SUICIDE, DIVORCE, POVERTY—Nevada, the gambling center of America, has the highest gambling addiction, suicide and divorce rates of any of the 50 states (Life Light). Where money is highest in priority, lives are poorest in quality. Lottery gamblers with household incomes under $10,000 bet nearly three times as much on lotteries as those with incomes over $50,000.

TED TURNER FUNDS ABORTION-RIGHTS CALLS—Abortion-rights groups plan to phone 2 million women in key states and persuade them to vote for Al Gore. The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League and Planned Parenthood are reportedly leading the effort (9/14 Religion Today). CNN founder Ted Turner is financing it from his Foundation which funds efforts relating to population growth and the environment. Pro-life forces are mobilizing a similar effort for George Bush.

CATHOLICS SAY THEY ARE SUPERIOR—The Vatican's pronouncement last month that Roman Catholicism is the only “instrument for the salvation of all humanity,” that all “other” Christians are “deficient,” and Anglican and Protestant churches “are not churches in the proper sense” has left non-Catholic religious leaders around the world in a state of shock. Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, leader of 70 million Anglicans, is dismayed. Some ecumenical evangelicals plan to just “ignore” the supremacist boasting in the 36-page document and to move ahead with local unity and dialogue pursuits with Catholics even though the document states that in such “inter-religious” dialogue, the presupposition of equality “refers to the equal personal dignity of the parties in dialogue, not to doctrinal content, nor even less to the position of Jesus Christ….” The document repeatedly states that “the [Roman Catholic] Church,” to the exclusion of other churches, is necessary for salvation. It states: “…it would be contrary to the faith to consider the [RC] Church as one way of salvation alongside those constituted by the other religions…even if these are said to be converging with the [RC] Church….” The document states that it is proper to attribute “salvific efficacy” to the sacraments. The more Rome changes the more it remains the same [Rev. 18:4].

CC EDITOR'S REPLY TO A SO. BAPTIST(Adapted)—I tried to give an honest answer to your question and said [Dr. ___] was a great preacher, but was "ecumenical" in his associations. I am not surprised at most of the good that you say he is doing, and I do not question that he is doing many good things, not because of, but in spite of, his being in the SBC. Beginning in 1979, he had a major role in "helping turn the SBC around.” I disagree, however, that it has been entirely turned around. It is still a hodgepodge of conservatives, new evangelicals, liberals, women preachers, masons, charismatics, and is still a major supporting member of the apostate Baptist World Alliance that had Archbishop Desmond Tutu (who denies Christian doctrines) as a 7/98 speaker. And BWA leaders recently had an "excellent" meeting with Cuban communist leader Fidel Castro (see 9/15 CC), and now call for our government to lift sanctions. Ignore all this at your peril! You charge me with saying things that are not true, yet, unfairly do not identify them. It is easy, but dangerous, to follow a man, regardless of how great the man, instead of the Lord and the commands of His word. Mormon and Catholic "churches" are growing too, but that is hardly an indication of God's blessing! I am sorry for your bad experience in an independent Baptist church. We are not perfect, but we are NOT a monolith. Our church will not have to account for what another independent church does, since, by definition, we are "independent" (though very dependent on the Lord!). By contrast, an SBC church is linked with the sinful practices of the groups listed above, in direct disobedience to the Biblical commands to "Come out...be ye separate…."

VESTAL BELIEVES CBF YEARNING FOR SPLIT—Daniel Vestal, leader of the moderate/liberal Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, thinks there is a “great yearning” in the CBF to formally split from the SBC (9/14 Ala. Bapt.) and thinks the CBF will “have to deal with that this year.”

ACCC MEETING IS SET FOR TORONTO—Toronto Free Presbyterian Church (Pastor, Dr. Frank McClelland) is hosting the 59^th Annual Meeting of the Amer. Council of Christian Churches, Oct. 24-26. Convention theme is “Redeeming the Time”. Speakers include: Drs. Ian Paisley, Bob Jones III, John Ashbrook, Jim Singleton, H.T. Spence, Wm. Hopewell, Ron Cooke. Get brochure from: ACCC, POB 5455, Bethlehem, PA 18015. E-mail: accc@juno.com

SO. BAPTIST UNIVERSITY HOSTS GORBACHEV—Union University, Jackson, Tenn., has announced that Mikhail Gorbachev will speak at its annual scholarship banquet, Oct. 10. The 9/1 Sword of the Lord reported this and we confirmed it with Union by phone. Union Pres. David Dockery explained (in Unionite) that Gorbachev has been one of the pivotal figures of the 20th century, and his actions have changed the world for the better. This is amazing— a sad sign that someone is abysmally bereft of spiritual discernment. We must not forget that Gorbachev, “the butcher of Afghanistan”, is an avowed lifelong Leninist/atheist. He spoke at the UN Millennium Peace Summit last month (9/15 CC) promoting a globalist Earth Charter rooted in the writings of his Green Cross environmentalist group. His Foundation sponsored a 1995 State of the World Forum (12/15/95 CC) and again last month at the UN. We agree with Sword Editor Dr. Shelton Smith that Gorbachev is “no hero” for freedom.

CBF 'THEOLOGICAL CHAOS'—Conservative Southern Baptist Russell Moore reported on the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's recent annual meeting in Orlando, describing it as “a bizarre mix of 19th century Romantic liberalism, postwar European neo-orthodoxy, 1960s protest politics, and contemporary pop New Age mysticism.” We quote/excerpt from his report in the Oct. Baptist Banner to document some of the apostasy in the CBF: CBF participants were livid at Southern Baptist attempts to evangelize Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and others. One said she would take great offense if she were told she needed Christ to avoid hell. An awkward silence followed when Alliance of Baptists director Stan Hastey was asked whether unbelievers across the world who never come to Christ will go to hell. He finally answered, “I don't know.” He did know, however, that Baptists should not be aggressive in evangelizing those in world religions. Hastey hailed same-sex marriage and other gay issues as defining social justice issues to be embraced by Baptists. The CBF is steeped in liberalism. This is but the tip of the iceberg.

FUNDAMENTALIST FOIBLES—Amazingly, some present-day Fundamentalists have agonized in trying to understand what Fundamentalism is. Several of them have concentrated on the eccentricities and shortcomings of Fundamentalist leaders, thus attempting to justify abandoning or modifying the movement. (One of the first such attempts was Robert L. Sumner, Fundamentalist Foibles…) Sumner's book is an argument that separatism was not part of early Fundamentalism. He argues against separatism, stating, “Separatism was never an issue in early Fundamentalism!” Others criticize the supposed inconsistencies, failures, and harsh spirit of certain Fundamentalist leaders….We ought not excuse such failures, nor should we emulate them.…Whatever imperfections are obvious…they do not negate the rightness of the biblical position we embrace. We should not discard a biblically correct position because we dislike the actions of certain individuals. Early Fundamentalists, when they attacked liberals, assailed doctrinal abuses. … Fundamentalist leaders like Monroe Parker, Myron Cedarholm, Richard Clearwaters, and Ernest Pickering [stood] against New Evangelicalism.…I grieve to see present-day disgruntled descendants of these giants look back with contempt on the courageous heroes of that generation and attack them!…Yet…without any gratitude, [some] criticize those who paid a price to give them the spiritual heritage they now demean. [The above are direct, but disjointed, quotes from pages 159-161 of Dr. Fred Moritz's new Contending for the Faith book available from the publisher, BJU Press, Greenville, SC 29614, $10.95. Call 800/845-5731 for postage charges.

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