Worldviews
The Newsletter of the Apologetics Resource Center
January/February 2003

Is this your last issue of our Newsletter?
In the final issue and the end of each year, we inform our subscribers that they must resubscribe in order to continue to receive our bimonthly newsletter for the coming year.

And, because it is easy to forget, we send one grace issue - this one - before we drop your subscription. Even though the newsletter is free, it is a matter of good stewardship of the donations we are granted to only send the newsletter to those truly interested or benefited. Regular supporters and those who subscribe to the journal continue receiving the newsletter.

So we encourage you to resubscribe (if you haven’t already) using the form at the end of the newsletter. Read on to consider the value of what we offer to you and the body of Christ.

Considering the Apologetics Resource Center
I would like for you to consider supporting the Apologetics Resource Center prayerfully and financially. We are a specialized type of ministry that is somewhat unique, but strategically is becoming more and more vital for the body of Christ.

The following are some of the ministry activities where we are typically involved.

1. We have been or are currently involved in direct interventions or coaching loved ones of people involved in skepticism, agnosticism, Mormonism, Islam, Roman Catholicism, Church of Christ, Word-Faith, Jehovah’s Witness, Arnold Murray, Hinduism, Landmark/Forum, and New Age.

2. We are embarking on a national campaign to eliminate yoga from public schools around the country.

3. We are organizing a major response in Birmingham to a liberal, anti-Christian group called SPAFER. They have held several public meetings featuring Jesus Seminar leaders and the notorious Bishop John Shelby Spong, during the past two years.

We have engaged in partnership with Samford University and Beeson Divinity School to bring Dr. Darrell Bock, a New Testament scholar from Dallas Theological Seminary, to respond to the false scholarship and propaganda of the liberal establishment who is trying to deny the Biblical account of the life and message of Jesus. (See notice in this newsletter).

4. We are training Christians in apologetics through Birmingham Theological Seminary, Beeson Divinity School, Southeastern Bible College, and a ten-month course on Monday nights at the Branchs' home (see notice).

5. We are producing educational and equipping journals to build Christian resources to engage people and ideas with the life-giving truth of Christianity (subscribe today and get the back issues).

6. We produce a bimonthly newsletter, free, full of information, news, reference referrals, and exhortation for the body of Christ.

7. We send many free information packets out each month to help answer questions on a myriad of issues.

8. We are initiating friendship evangelism/apologetics events in homes and in the workplace.

Since the beginning of ARC, our resolve has been to meet a need that few ministries are prepared to do. We are about being a part of revitalizing the Church in restoring the emphasis of Romans 12:1-2 and Matthew 5:13-16 to recommit to the Lordship of Christ and to not be conformed any longer to the false worldviews, but to be transformed by the renewing of the mind, and to reengage people and ideas that are in rebellion to God, as salt and light bearers. In short, we are calling the Church to return to our true calling as Christ followers and Christ bearers.

We echo the refrains from men like R. C. Sproul, "Evangelism and apologetics are the twin pillars upon which the outreach of the Church is built…they ought never to be separated. They form a two-pronged attack against the fortress of hell and a double-front of defense against the onslaught of paganism...God has ordained both evangelism and apologetics and the obedient Church is faithful to both tasks."

And Os Guiness who wrote, "It is time once again to hammer theses on the door of the Church… Christendom is becoming a betrayal of the Christian faith in the New Testament…In particular, we call for a rediscovery of the gospel in the Church: a renewal of the integrity and effectiveness of Christians in society, beginning with a serious examination of both the theoretical and practical assumptions that shape the life of the Church and society."

Also, ARC is personally involved and equipping others to engage the largest, yet least evangelized mission field in the U.S. and beyond - cults and other religions. This includes one of the deadliest spiritual/ social forces of our day - the New Age Movement, or a revival of ancient Babylonian Mystery religions - paganism.

We need much more financial help. We are regularly receiving calls for help that we cannot physically handle. There are now seven men who have approached us, praying for direction in joining our staff in various capacities.

We very much need to either build or purchase a new office building. We have possibly the best apologetics research library in the country, but because of limited space, we have less than one-half of it unpacked. We have no office or meeting space left.

We are trusting in and encouraged by God's directions in His word, "Because of the proof given by this ministry, they [the Church] will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all" (2 Cor. 9:13).

And, “not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men's labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we shall be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another” (2 Cor. 10:15-16).

Pray for us, with us, and also ask God if He wants you to be a part of advancing this ministry.

The Areopagus Journal
We are pleased to have received many encouraging compliments regarding the form and content of our journal. Our goal is to supply edification to the body for your own personal growth in the faith and for your ability to engage and effect the minds and hearts of others you encounter with a culturally relevant and faithful understanding of God's life giving truth.

We are changing our format for 2003. Instead of being a 42 page quarterly journal, we will deliver 6 issues annually (bimonthly) with 26 plus pages to our subscribers. Yet the subscription rate remains the same - $20 per year.

We urge you to consider subscribing and adding these to your library for current edification and future research.

Each issue also includes book reviews, cult shorts, apologetic responses to skeptics and notices of conferences and courses offered.

Also, for those who have more recently subscribed or for those who haven't received any previous issues, consider getting any or all of our back issues. You definitely want to get the recent issue on Islam.

We strongly urge you to take advantage of these past issues. Back issues are $4 or 4 for $15 and 8 for $30. Current issue is $5 and an annual subscription is $20.

Utilize the order form at the end of the newsletter.

Islam
ARC recently conducted an apologetics conference at Coral Ridge Presbyterian in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. We conducted twenty-one seminars over four days, plus a mock Christian-Muslim debate between Craig Branch and Dr. George Grant (author of The Blood and the Moon on Islam, among numerous other books), and a Muslim-Christian Exchange between Craig Branch and Dr. F. Shah, president of the Islamic Circle of North America, at First Baptist in Pompano Beach.

The purpose of the Exchange was to introduce the issues of agreement and conflict between Islam and Christianity and to use that forum to promote a number of the seminars at the conference. Dr. Shah asked Craig if he were willing to conduct a larger scale meeting with more time in the future.

We are very willing to be used of God in this way. Pray with us that God will direct our steps in His way and that Muslims will hear and respond to the gospel as we "correct their errors and teach the truth" (2 Tim. 2:24-26).

During this particular exchange, many Muslims attended and sent written questions for the Question and Answer segment. The following are some of the questions asked:

1. If Jesus is God, then who do you pray to? There can be only one leader.

2. Jesus said that we must keep the commandments to enter heaven. Why are you not following what he said?

3. Why do Baptist and other Christian leaders condemn Islam and bad mouth the Prophet Muhammad? Is that the Christian way?

4. If Christians believe that portions of the Bible were changed and written by men at later times, how can we believe in the book’s credibility?

5. Where does Scripture support the Trinity?

6. Christians call Jesus God and Son of God and they are blaspheming. They have made their own religion. You say you believe in one god, but actually you believe in three - the Trinity.

7. If I were a Christian, what would be my motivation to do good if just my acceptance of Christianity in itself, saved me?

Are you able to respond to such questions? One of our ministry goals is to awaken, exhort, and equip the body of Christ to intentionally reach out to the second largest religion on this planet and arguably the second largest religious group in the U.S.

We should not need another Sept. 11 to understand this need. There are mini-Sept. 11 events occurring every day in the Middle East and Asia, against Christian missionaries, American citizens and diplomats.

Americans continue to be bombarded with confusing messages about Islam. In December, PBS presented a three-part series called "Islam: Empire of Faith," which was designed to present Islam's history, great achievements, and a gentle profile of Muhammad.

The editorial writers of the Wall Street Journal responded with, "Religious history is always interesting, but intellectual dishonesty and wishful thinking by T.V. producers aren't. PBS is obviously out to make sure Americans are properly sensitive and respectful of Islam, even if it means distorting Islam's history."

Then again, news stories of the violent side of Islam continue to roll off the presses. Two stories about "militant" Muslim clerics and two separate mosques in London reveal that one leader has been banned from preaching in his mosque because of "inflammatory and extremist views,” and another is facing trial on five counts of inciting murder of "enemies of Islam" (Americans and Jews).

In Germany, a third Islamic fundamentalist organization has been banned for "promoting the use of violence to achieve political goals and also provokes violence." They, too, promote anti-American and anti-Israeli activity, striving for an Islamic theocratic society.

France now has over five million Muslims and 1,600 mosques, making Islam the second largest religion there.

Yet we also do not want people to develop "Islamophobia" against individual Muslims. The majority of Muslims are not fundamentalists. But a significant minority are. And a significant portion of the majority is still vulnerable to be turned toward fundamentalism.

One example of a reaction that is not helpful is a news story of a Florida Conservative Baptist Church whose public marquee stated, "Jesus forbade murder, Muhammad approved murder." This kind of statement doesn't adequately distinguish the various movements in Islam and does not distinguish the normal Muslim concept of jihad from murder.

For a better understanding of Islam, order our recent journal, "The Cross and The Crescent" or order our packet on Islam (see order form).

Yoga Campaign
Many Americans are obsessed with personal appearance, beauty and health. It is the number one life goal. Because of this, the new age alternative "medical" movement is making great gains, opening up Americans to deception, both from the placebo effect, as well as from demonic influences.

Probably the most effective vehicle for this is yoga. Yoga is enjoying exceptional growth. There are more than eighteen million yoga practitioners in the U.S., which has more than doubled since just 1994! 31% of fitness facilities offered yoga in 1996 compared to 69% in 2001. The growth is inevitable, because it is made to order for the 21st Century cult of personal fitness, stress reduction, and liberation based on boundless self-gratification.

But the most incredible and disturbing intrusion is the extent of yoga’s incorporation into public schools all over the U.S. This is a violation of the Establishment Clause and all parents need to aggressively address this.

Is yoga a religion? This question is posed in many ads and news articles on yoga. Invariably, the answer from the yoga promoters comes back "no." One local Birmingham News story on yoga titled, "Beyond Spirituality," quoted a yoga instructor, "[Yoga] Teachers say yoga does not teach any religious orientation, but rather a philosophy of life that focuses on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual good health." It is amazing that so few don't pick up on how absurd that commentary is.

Similarly, the senior editor of Yoga Journal responds to the question of yoga and religion connections, "Of course not. This is like asking if prayer is a religion. No." He then goes on, in typical new age fashion, to try to distinguish between religion and spirituality. He defines "spirituality" as having to do with one's interior life and the evolving understanding of one's self and one's place and search for meaning in the cosmos. He sees religion as the external organizational structure of inner spirituality.

Those who try to hide the religious nature of yoga attempt to create a separation between “religion” and “spirituality.” They project the concept that religion has to have certain rituals, liturgy, a priestly class (gurus), and a concept of God or a Higher Being. But wait - yoga has all of those too!

The American Yoga Association (AYA) too states, "Yoga is not a religion. It has no creed or fixed set of beliefs, nor is there a prescribed god like figure to be worshipped in a particular manner. There is no dependence on an external figure." The AYA also attempts another common argument that yoga is not derived from Hinduism, because it actually predates it.

That is like trying to convince us that because the spiritual activity of prayer to "the god with no name" before Moses and Mt. Sinai or the calling of Abraham, means that prayer is not a religious activity, because it predates formal Judaism and Christianity.

Very much relevant to this new age subterfuge is the 3rd district U.S. Court of Appeals decision in 1979 (Malnak vs. Yogi) where parents challenged a New Jersey public school's use of transcendental meditation in its curriculum. The Court expanded the cultural definition of religion because of the growth of non-monotheistic eastern religions in America. Even though T.M. tried to pass itself off as the "Science of Creative Intelligence" and as a mere exercise or technique, the Court correctly saw this as a religious entanglement and a violation of the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment.

The pernicious strategy of total cultural permeation also involves seducing Christians. The above article continues, "Some churches [and YMCAs] have created versions called Christian yoga, which pairs Christian philosophy and meditation with yoga-like exercises and breathing techniques." Well, "Christian Yoga" is an oxymoron.

Another example is the recent issue of the Birmingham Christian Family magazine, which features a promotion piece in their Healthy Living section, "Christian Yoga." The piece promotes classes at New Age guru Deepak Chopra's local Spa Moksha.

The "Christian" yoga instructor states, "As students inhale, think about breathing in the Holy Spirit and let Him fill you from head to toe." Talking about mixing metaphors and mutually exclusive concepts.

Christian intellectual and apologist Vishal Mangalwadi observes that any health clinics or hospitals [or YMCAs or schools] which say that yoga is merely a technique for physical health and mental "well-being" is "an abuse of the historic Indian cultural tradition of yogic thought and practice." He goes on, “Yoga was never meant to be a fitness regime. It is a Hindu means of salvation - the Self-realization of our true God nature.” Why has there rarely been an Olympic champion from India?

Because of space constraints, I will not go into a lengthy explanation of the origins and various direct religious connections and convergences of yoga. But please request our free packet on Yoga for your own understanding and use in challenging its inappropriate use in either school or quasi-Christian settings.

I will add here, though, that sports doctors, many chiropractors and physical therapists say that there are also significant physical health risks linked to yoga, including nerve damage, muscle and ligament sprains, disk injuries and cartilage tears (Boston Globe, 1/8/03). Even the AYA publicly warns that yoga for children under 16 is not recommended because "their bodies' nervous and glandular systems are still growing and yoga may interfere with their natural growth."

Local News
1. Monday night apologetics training at the Branchs' home begins Monday, March 3rd. We gather at 7:15 p.m. and the formal study goes from 7:30-9:00 p.m.

The study will continue through our curriculum which will take us through Dec. 8th, and a Christmas party, December 15th. This is a time for more serious equipping for apologetics ministry (but is very open for anyone who is interested in a particular topic(s) to drop in and out). Call for directions or if you have any questions (403-0102).

The following is our standard curriculum:

Christian Epistemology - A discussion of the importance of the Christian mind and the cultural mandate for apologetics, as well as the Christian theory of knowledge, the relationship between faith and reason, and apologetics methodology.

Survey of Systematic Theology - A survey of major Christian doctrines such as the nature of God, the Trinity, the incarnation and deity of Christ, the fall and redemption of Man, salvation, and the Church.

Hermeneutics - A study of principles for studying and interpreting the Bible.

Common Objections to Faith - A study of the common objections given to Christian faith by unbelievers.

Cults and World Religions - A study of the major pseudo-Christian cults and world religions.

Cultural and Ethical Issues
1. Building Bridges and Tearing Down Walls - A discussion of the integration of the Christian faith into every area of one's personal life and of practical ways to be salt and light in the world today.

2. Teaching Balance in Theories of Origin: Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design, Workshop, Feb. 22, Troy State University Montgomery, (334)241-9554, (www.tsum.edu/gradschool/LEAP.htm).

8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. ($30) featuring Dr. Don McDonald and Eric Johnston, Esq. Topics covered: Diversity in World Views, Science and Darwinism, History and Theories of Origin, DNA as Evidence of Origin, Intelligent Design, Geology and Theories of Origin, Creation Science and Non-science.

3. Birmingham Theological Seminary presents Carl Ellis, head of Project Joseph, who will conduct classes on Islam at Briarwood Presbyterian Church: March 20 (Thursday) 5:30 - 9:30 p.m., "Radical Islam"; March 21 (Friday) 5:30-9:30 p.m., "Principles of Ministry to Muslims"; March 22 (Saturday) 8:00 a.m. - 12 noon, "Response of the Church to the Islamic Challenge." Cost: $10 for Thursday night and $25 for each other session. For more information, call (205) 776-5354.

4. ARC, Samford University, and Beeson Divinity School present a response to the “Jesus Seminar” and its attacks against the Bible and historicity of Jesus Christ.

Every time the notorious Jesus Seminar group meets to make a pronouncement denying the Biblical and historical Jesus, the news media are there to grant them credibility which they have neither earned nor deserved.

A local agnostic and atheist group called SPAFER has presented programs featuring two Jesus Seminar "scholars" and Bishop John Shelby Spong over the past two years. It is time to respond with the life-giving truth. Join us. You are invited to come and bring friends, even skeptics or seekers.

Culture Watch
The following are events which should (1) awaken you to the need for the knowledge and solid application of apologetics and (2) motivate you to be a part of sharing the life-giving truth of the gospel to as many as the Lord brings into your life path.

The Church
1. Respected Christian pollster George Barna came under some heat from the cover story of the August 2002 Christianity Today. The article indicated that Barna (discouraged from over two decades of research demonstrating an escalating decline in the Church) was giving up on the Church as a viable institution for change.

Barna is seeking to correct that impression. His statistics demonstrate that the Church is not among the top twelve greatest influences of society - a reversal from past generations. Top influences now are movies, television, the Internet, books, music, public policy and law. Barna still believes the Church has tremendous power if it is properly fed and directed to where God wants to be - salt and light in a dying culture.

2. Barna's recent book, The State of the Church 2002, pointed out that less than 1/3 of Americans attend church weekly; only 1/2 of "Christian" adults contend they are absolutely committed to the Christian faith, only 38% of "Busters" generation say so.

The number of the unchurched has grown significantly from 24% in 1991, to 34% in 2002. Only 10% of regular church goers tithe.

Only 7% of Americans identified spiritual wholeness and development as the factors that produce a successful life. Barna asks, "How is it possible to have more than 120 million adults regularly attending Christian churches, yet only 15 million grasp the message that success is not about personal accomplishment and material possessions?"

3. Over 80 % of Americans claim to be Christian, and a huge majority claim they know all the basic teachings of the Bible. Yet, most of those people claim Satan doesn't really exist, the Holy Spirit is merely symbolic, eternal life is earned by good works, Jesus committed sin, and the Bible, Koran, and book of Mormon all teach the same spiritual truths.

4. Barna's research into the new teenage generation reveals that the most common future desires of teens are quality education, vibrant health, intimate personal relationships and a comfortable lifestyle. 60% claim to be spiritually oriented yet this "spirituality" has mainstreamed into their lives without affecting their lifestyles and values.

Teens who are evangelicals have declined from 10% in 1995, to just 4% today. The "spirituality" has become either of a new age orientation (which coincides with the above top values), or is just an add-on, compartmentalized conscience soother.

By the way, the drop in teenage evangelicals coincides with the adult drop (12% in '94 to 5% today). Only 6% of teenagers are certain that moral absolute truth exists!

This is why ARC is serious about having youth specialists come on staff and address this with the Church.

5. Single adults have historically been neglected by the Church, both in nurture and especially in outreach. Yet they comprise 40% of the population, made up of never married (the largest 60% segment), divorced, and widowed.

Only 1/3 of the singles go to church somewhat regularly. The majority of singles are skeptical of the Bible's infallibility. 1/3 of all singles fit the "born-again" Christian criterion, but the surveys indicated that their values and lifestyles were very similar to those who are not.

6. Some Conclusions: I recently heard a speaker on Islam who made a startling prognostication. He said that by 2020 (in 17 years), every major city in the U.S. would have a Muslim majority population. My reaction was, "This guy is out there!" And then I thought that he was using a bit of hyperbole to make a point.

He then attempted to justify this conclusion with the following points, which are legitimate things to consider. He pointed out that almost all the cities and areas that we find in the New Testament as the Church spread, are now predominately occupied by Muslims. He pointed out that over 400 churches in England have been converted to Mosques and the Muslim population has grown significantly in Europe. He pointed out how secular England, France, Germany, and the Netherlands have become and how the Christian Church, which was once so strong, has almost died.

As we look at the above statistics and others I have shared in recent newsletters, we see how the Muslim growth and the decline of the Church's influence and growth have affected the U.S.

May I repeat, we all must wake up and reexamine our own faith commitment and realize the need to take seriously the great commission and cultural mandate. In other words, become prepared and intentional in our priorities to engage people, institutions, and ideas, redemptively.

7. Some positive signs - A group reflecting about 1/3 of the Church of England has issued a challenge to the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, to promote traditional and Biblical sexual ethics within that church or risk losing his authority. Williams has a permissive liberal view regarding the acceptability of homosexuality both in practice and ordination.

Ironically, Archbishop Williams has stated that he believes Freemasonry and Christianity are "incompatible," even "Satanically inspired." But even with that encouraging news, the Canadian diocese has voted to bless homosexual marriages while the American diocese is expected to pass on it at its annual conference in July.

Another positive sign is Gene Veith's comments in his "Culture Beat" section of World magazine (1/25/03). He noted "declines in fast food, bestsellers, and record sales suggest a growing national boredom." He writes, "...pop culture is evidently experiencing a recession." Veith comments that "...pop culture is the attempt to turn cultural artifacts - music, books, food - into commodities to sell and consume…pop culture is interested primarily in selling them to a mass audience which means they must appeal to the lowest common denominator." I concur. And if you've been paying attention to the vein of advertising, pornography, and instant gratification fixes that saturates the market, you will concur also.

Veith goes on to observe that the declines in many of those markets indicate that the public is growing bored and unsatisfied with the empty formulas of pop culture. It is reflective of what Isaiah and Jesus teach about not working for the food that doesn't satisfy but come to Him, the true bread of life which endures (Isa. 55:2-3, John 6:27).

Veith concludes with a challenge, "Christians have tended to make themselves slaves of the pop culture, imitating its worst features. Now that pop culture is exhausting itself and the public is looking for something different, Christians have the opportunity not just to follow, but to lead."

True, there are many who are hardening to the level that pop culture offers and are open to even more depraved sensual arousal for sought after fulfillment, and the media and pop culture are willing to exploit that, but also many are open to learn about the One who truly satisfies and offers eternal life, which begins now.

8. Putting all those earlier negative culture notes together reinforces the reality of another story run in a Canton, Ohio newspaper (1/19/03), regarding how the new spiritual search of many are leading "some to customize their journey."

Because the Church has retreated and in large measure capitulated to culture, many are adopting a vague new age spirituality. The story focuses on a drug and alcohol counselor, a yoga instructor and a Unitarian.

The drug and alcohol counselor found the “higher power” of AA. Listen to his explanation and his misunderstanding, “...it is not a religion. It’s a manner of living. It embodies certain principles and suggestions, but it has no doctrine.” Do you know how to respond?

The yoga instructor was raised a strict Catholic. In studying yoga, she moved from the health benefits to the spiritual nature of yoga. She found “freedom” from being a sinner and “loves the feeling it gives.” She adds “God is in you, in every cell. I have lived previously. I’m probably going to live again.”

The Unitarian feels a “strong connection with Jesus Christ and honors him as the deity I was raised with.” But then adds, “I believe the Christianity that evolved from his teachings doesn’t really reflect what Jesus taught.” She now believes “all roads lead to heaven. It is just a matter of how much time it takes to get there.”

These testimonials are the same as those now regularly heard on television, other media, in bars, in health spas and on the street. It is a time of designer religion and man setting himself up as the ultimate reference point, i.e. God.

The March-April Newsletter
Our next issue will focus on a number of important cult related topics such as:

1. Sometimes illegal, often bizarre new age strategy and curricula in public schools

2. New Age Alternative “Medicine”

3. The terrorist organization - Scientology

4. Latest Mormon strategies and suppression of intellectuals.

5. UFOs revealed.

6. Jehovah’s Witness crisis

7. Roman Catholicism’s legacy of sexual abuse

8. The bioethical dilemma of cloning

9. A crisis in the International Church of Christ

10. The growth and deception of the New Age Movement

11. And more.

So do not fail to renew your subscription to ARC’s newsletter, today. And if you believe ARC must be enabled to fulfill its mission, become a regular or a periodic financial supporter.

Letters
Clete, thank you for your investment in the Lord’s people at Meadow Brook. Your years of preparation have been a great benefit. The enclosed check is our investment in you and your ministry. Gadsden, AL

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for arranging for me to come here to Wellspring to heal. I appreciate this opportunity more than it is possible for me to express to you. I pray that when I get back home you will help me to discover a way to be able to serve this most worthy ministry so that more people will have the tools they need to help them recover from the dehumanizing effects they experienced in the name of “religion!” Ohio

Thank you so much for sharing your message about cults at the Sav-A-Life Conference. It was much needed information. We truly appreciate your giving heart and spirit. - Birmingham

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