Random Apostasies and Heresies

Midwest Christian Outreach has a good article about deception, and how it wrecks people’s lives.  All cults use deception to gain and hold converts.  MCO uses the Jehovah’s Witness as one of their examples.

Going along with deception, the Watchman Fellowship has an article (a “Profile”) explaining common patterns in cults.  Worth examining.

Speaking of deception and the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jon over at Mind Renewers has been writing a series on the false teachings of the JWs.  Take a look at Part One, and you should have your appetite whetted for the rest of the series.

When it comes to deception, cults aren’t alone in using such tactics; the Roman Catholic Church has been a master of deception for centuries!  With them, it is a case of the blind leading more blind astray.  This week I was linked to an article in which the author discusses the RCC deception of praying to Mary, and why it is problematic.  I previously address this issue in my article, “Mary, ‘Mother of the Church,’ Is Not the Mary of the Bible.”  If you missed that article, I recommend you review it if you want to learn more about the Romanist Mary and why she is unbiblical.

Speaking of the Romanist Church, it seems that a Catholic school in California fired one of its teachers because he “married” another guy, stating that the relationship is not compatible with Church teachings.  He’s been a teacher there for 17 years.  I think they are going to lose this case - and should.  It seems the guy has been in this relationship for ten years, and the school knew about it; it is only because he is now “married” that they have a problem with it.  Their claim is that they don’t discriminate against “private lifestyle choices,” but the new “marriage” has made it public. 
So let me get this straight; if this man was involved in any “private” sexual immorality which the school knew about, they would still let him teach there.  But if it becomes public he can’t?!?  This is rank hypocrisy!  The man should have been fired ten years ago when they learned of his relationship.  They should have known better.  If they want to make it a rule that sexual immorality makes them unable to teach, then it shouldn’t matter if it is public or private.

The Mormons claim that the original plates of the Book of Mormon were inscribed using a language called “Reformed Egyptian.”  Of course there is no evidence of such a language ever existing.  Someone who works with Mormons decided to write a Wikipedia article about “Reformed Egyptian” so anyone searching can see what a fraud it is.

Now that I’m on the subject of Mormonism, I am SHOCKED to learn that they are actually becoming soft of the subject of homosexuality.  As strong as they have been against homosexuality throughout history, to learn they are becoming supportive of it is something I never dreamed would happen. I guess I’m a bit behind the times on this, because one of the articles Mr. Stone links to is dated September 2011, when the church put a “gay” Mormon in a leadership post. 

The United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society seems to have no end to their apostate activities.  If you are a member of the UMC and read this article, explain why you are still a member of that denomination.  As Neil says, they are beyond parody.

I keep reading articles about a new book, “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth.”  There has been much exposure about the author’s lack of credentials, and much more exposure about the book’s revisionist history.  Denny Burke has a good article about why he isn’t reading the book, and I have to agree with him 100%.

Now it’s time to look at some false teachers in the news.

Pat Robertson says that there is no sin associated with a “sex-change” operation.  Hmm, a man mutilates his body to look like a woman so that he can have sexual relations with another man and there is no sin associated with it?  It is still homosexual behavior justified by mutilation of appearances.  Contrary to Robertson’s belief, there is no such thing as a “man trapped in a woman’s body.”  (see this link for another report)

Mark Driscoll.  What can I say?  And yet he is still seen as a worth teacher.

Finally, some humor to send you off with.  It’s a good parody of what passes for “praise” songs in so many churches today.