Random Apostasies and Heresies

I want to begin this installment of “Random Apostasies and Heresies” with an open letter from Lighthouse Trails Research Ministry requesting that their detractors demonstrate where LTRM is wrong in their warnings about the “Spiritual Formation movement” and its associated mystical spirituality.  This has been the primary focus of their ministry from the beginning.  Please familiarize yourself with this open letter to see their concerns.

I realize that the Evangelical Free Church of America is a denomination wherein the individual assemblies are really just associated rather than under a hierarchy, and that means they don’t always align themselves with a headquarters.  However, supposedly, according to the official EFCA web site, they should have a “common vision” as well as the “same theological convictions.”  With that understanding, I still think it is important to look at the question posed by the Lighthouse Trails Research Ministry: “Does the Evangelical Free Church of America lean toward contemplative?”

Another examination by Lighthouse Trails is about “Chrislam,” which is a heretical movement blending Islam and Christianity.  It is downright spiritually dangerous.  One cannot be a Christian and a Muslim - the faiths are contradictory.

Rachel Held Evans is in the news again.  I don’t understand why such a woman, who demonstrates over and over her lack of understanding what the Bible says, who demonstrates much of what is wrong with liberal theology, can be so appealing to Christians who should know better.  I understand her appeal to the liberal media and liberal so-called Christians, but too many Christians without discernment flock to her books and writings.  Anyway, now she has decided that if you tell the truth about what homosexual behavior is, it has to be because you are “homophobic” and “hateful,” etc.
It is very apparent that she supports same-sex unions and has no problem with homosexual behavior - all the while claiming to honor Christ.  (The support for Evans in the comments section amazes me.)

Neil had a good article demonstrating the dangers of praying to the “Saints” of Romanism.

The New International Version of the Bible has been a very popular version over the years for many reasons, including its readability and formal/dynamic synthesis of translating.  But over the years the publishers of the NIV have been toying around with all sorts of gender-neutral translations, becoming more and more liberal in their overall translational philosophies.  Now the NIV is gone.  Oh, it’s still around - just in another permutation.  Read the Cripplegate article explaining the situation.

Speaking of the Cripplegate, they had an excellent article about whether the early Church affirmed the deity of Christ.  Some good things to know for your next visit by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Starting to get into the weird stuff now, Pope Francis seems to have caused some confusion by preaching what sounded to be universalism - that even atheists could be saved.  Ah, but he really meant you have to be a Roman Catholic to be saved.

Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, KS is not a Christian church, rather it is a cult by every means of the word. A prime example of their cultdom is provided by an article reporting on a woman who left the church, and because of that no family attended her wedding.  Yet the media seems to love Westboro - they love to use them to “prove” how horrible Christians are.

The Mormon Church officially condemns homosexual behavior as sinful, and are against same-sex unions.  So my question is, why do they not excommunicate members who promote homosexuality?  What about the organization, “Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons” - why is the LDS church not publicly denouncing this organization and booting out all members?

Lastly, I’m sure Jesus would approve of a Church who only wants “white” people as greeters because “first impressions matter.”  Yeah, we wouldn’t want the world to know that those dark-skinned people are really just the same as us, would we?  Racism is certainly behind such attitudes, and certainly sinful.  This “church” needs to clean up its act.  Their apology should not have been needed if they had properly taught in the first place.