Worldviews
The Newsletter of the Apologetics Resource Center
April - May 2006
The
Da Vinci Code
Dan
Brown’s book was released three
years ago. It sold well over 40 million copies in the
hardback version, which
means it easily had 100 million readers. It has been translated
into 44 languages. It has stayed in the top NY Times bestseller
list for three years. It is the best selling book of all
time (next to the Bible) in only three years.
Now the movie
is out along with multiple millions of paperback versions.
It has become a phenomenon. So what? The author
and movie/book have an agenda. The agenda is to undermine
the credibility of historical, orthodox Christianity
and to promote a new age/Gnostic spirituality in its place.
The
movie/book is billed as a “historical fiction” novel,
but in reality, the author, Dan Brown, claims in the
book and on his website that, “All descriptions of
artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in
this novel
are accurate.” In interviews in the national media,
Brown consistently defends his “research” as
historically accurate. A recent poll revealed that 32%
of its readers believe that its assertions are true.
That has
great significance for us and for the culture. What assertions
does Brown make? The most important are:
1.
There really exists a secret of the Holy Grail, and
the secret is that Mary Magdalene’s
womb is that Grail, which carries the offspring of Jesus.
This bloodline is the
royal ancestry destined to one day rule over the twelve
tribes of Israel and the Christian Church.
2. A secret
society has hidden the documents proving this.
Leonardo Da Vinci was a member of this society.
3. The Roman
Catholic Church won out over the other alternative
Christianities based on other teachings of Jesus when
the
pagan Emperor Constantine chose that particular tradition
as the official version of Christianity, adopting it as
the official religion, all to consolidate his power.
4.
He and these new leaders constructed the 27 books of the
New Testament at that time and destroyed or suppressed
all other gospels in order to make Jesus divine, thus superior
to all other faiths. Jesus was only a human prophet.
5.
Opus Dei is a powerful, secret, Vatican-controlled
group which is assigned the task of suppressing these
secrets and
safeguarding the status-quo of the oppressive male-centered
church.
6. The true teaching of Jesus and the true Scriptures
of Christianity are Gnostic/new age. As Brown’s alter
egos in the book, Langdon and Teabing state, “The
Grail is literally the ancient symbol for womanhood, and
the Holy
Grail represents the sacred feminine goddess which has
now been lost, virtually eliminated by the Church…[the
true Church] is a shrine to all other faiths, to all traditions,
and above all, to nature and the goddess” (pp 238,
434).
Brown’s postmodern
new-age spirituality is again revealed, “Every
faith in the world is based on fabrication [except his
own]. That is the definition of faith…Every religion
describes God through metaphor, allegory, and exaggeration…The
problems arise when we begin to believe literally in our
own metaphors” (pp 341-342).
The success of The Da
Vinci Code and all the many piggyback books (Gospel of
Judas, Jesus Papers, The Jesus Dynasty,
Lost Christianities, Why Christianity Must Change or
Die, etc) didn’t spontaneously occur. The growing
attacks on the authority of the Bible from theological
liberalism,
neo-orthodoxy, the subsequent revival of new-age Gnosticism,
the steady cultural slide into postmodern relativism,
the liberal media’s annual Easter promotions of the
Jesus Seminar’s Scripture and resurrection denying
pronouncements—all
served to create a cesspool for the germination of these
counter-biblical ideas.
Western society is becoming
less and less religious, yet “spirituality” is
increasing. Claims for authority, especially biblical
and moral authority, are under regular attack. Barna’s
research demonstrates that while 45% of Americans are
church-goers, only 22% of adults and 6% of teenagers
are certain that absolute
moral truth exists. 68% of people polled are universalists
and 80% believe there is more than one way to heaven.
Even 37% of “born again” Christians reject
the infallibility of the Bible. 39% of the general population
deny the bodily
resurrection of Christ.
So it is no wonder that
so many are being confused or swayed by The Da Vinci Code
and
the tagalong books,
or
that liberal
theologians are given so many platforms in the media.
Now is the time for the Church to “awake and
rise from the dead” (Eph. 5:11-16). We need
to (1) pray against this attack from the enemy; (2)
intentionally
prepare and
engage people on this issue when they’re thinking
about it with the truth of the gospel; (3) understand
that we must
learn to step out and walk with Him in faith and
be redemptive agents in the hands of our Redeemer,
engaging
people, ideas,
and culture with the Truth.
Concerning #2 above,
order our “Da Vinci Code Tools
Pack” of five back issues of Areopagus Journal.
They not only enable you to “give an answer” to
the issues raised by Brown and the others, but go
much further
in deepening your understanding of why you believe
what you believe on the essential foundations of “the
faith once and for all delivered to the saints” (Jude
3-4). If you want an even deeper understanding of
Brown’s
book, order any of the additional books listed on
the newsletter order form. With all orders, we will
add a copy of the supplemental
booklet the ARC staff has written to help you separate
fact from the fiction.
Now Is The Time
I was
looking at letters I sent to you, our mailing list, in
Nov. 2003, and Sept. 2005, describing
our support needs.
I then remembered a quote I heard when I began “full
time” Christian ministry 26 years ago—“God’s
work done in God’s way never lacks God’s
supplies.” A
passage that says that another way is “Faithful
is He who calls and He will also bring it to pass” (I
Thess. 5:24).
We know He has called
all Christians, the Church, to (1) be of sound doctrine;
(2) ever increase
our discernment;
(3) to protect the flock from false teachers (including
cults); (4) to not be of the world yet be in the world
redemptively
as salt and light; (5) to defend the faith and to be
ready to give an answer/defense/ response to anyone; (6)
to evangelize
the lost including skeptics, cults and other religions.
We also know the Church is significantly lacking in
these areas.
So that is what we are about.
But another aspect of
God’s
way is to supply the needs of His workers. And it is
God’s way to let that need
be known. Read 2 Cor. 8 and especially chapter 9 and
Phil. 4:10-20.
In Nov. 2003 we had a $46,000 deficit. We also needed
500 more journal subscriptions to break even. We wanted
to expand
by opening an office in Kansas City and to purchase
a bigger office and training facility ($50,000). We
needed
an extra
support to travel to Africa to train pastors. Well,
we opened the Kansas City office and got to minister
in
Africa. We
were thankful.
In Sept. 2005 we let
you know about an increased budget need to add two interns
to our staff
to handle the
increased ministry
load. We still needed the $50,000 down payment on
an adequate building, and the budget deficit was at $36,000.
Our journal
subscriptions had increased from 500-800. Praise
the
Lord! We added one of the interns to our staff and
he is currently
raising his support.
But now we are at a
serious crossroads. If we are not funded we must radically
reduce our ministry.
This
is especially
troublesome as the need for our work is significantly
increasing. These are the current details of the
ministry:
- Our deficit is
now $37,500 which includes one staff member who has not
been
paid anything this
year, January-April.
(Obviously if a key staff member is not paid
he must do something
else to support his family.)
- $21,360 is
still owed to an individual who originally loaned us $60,000
in start up money (no interest).
- One staff
member has left to take another job. Another staff member
took another position but is continuing to work
with ARC.
- Our journal
has climbed to 1260 subscriptions and is now an income
producer and great ministry vehicle.
- We are
still in need of an adequate office facility to adequately
conduct and expand our ministry.
- We have
had to cut our free information packet ministry by
80% as we were sending out nearly a hundred per month
with hardly any recipients responding financially.
So there it is in black
and white. Our ministry is dependent on church mission
donations, individual Christians like yourself,
and journal subscriptions. The bulk depends on individual
Christians who see the value of our calling and ministry.
Prayerfully consider coming alongside with us now. Otherwise
we must significantly fade.
Let Us Help You
Do you
have any friends or family members in a cult or other religion?
Do you know anyone who has come out
of a cult and
is having a difficult time spiritually/emotionally? Let
us help. Ever have Mormon or Jehovah’s Witnesses
come to your door? Do you know how to effectively
respond, planting
a seed or watering other planted seeds? Let us help.
Do you know why you believe and can share with others
on issues
like canonicity, relativism, same sex marriage and homosexuality?
Let us help.
Contact us for coaching,
interventions, information packets, and an especially useful
tool, a subscription
to our
Areopagus Journal. See our website for back issues
as well to see needed
topics you have missed. A journal subscription makes
a great gift – one that keeps on giving.
Kansas City Office
ARC’s
Kansas City office is beginning to expand its work. Director
Keith Gibson is being scheduled
in more churches
and the Lord is directing more strategic opportunities
his way.
Keith needs the people who know him and the people in Kansas
City to step up and commit regular support to ARC to enable
him to go “full time” and full speed. Use the
commitment form at the end of Worldviews.
- Keith is scheduled
to speak at several churches around the Missouri area.
Please check the ARC May-July calendar
for dates and times.
- Keith has found an
office space which would house his library, workspace,
and could hold small classes. The rent
is $250 per month ($3000 a year). Prayerfully consider designating
gifts for this important need.
- Also
there is a ministry board member who has a large, valuable,
strategically located building in Kansas City,
and has offered to sell it to ARC. The former ministry leader
died and they want it to go to us. The cost is $160,000 but
worth much more than that. It is large enough to hold multiple
offices, library, and large seminars. Prayerfully consider
coming alongside ARC and the KC ministry to help us with
a $30,000 down payment and additional monthly support.
- Keith
and a Hispanic ministry director have teamed up to produce
a 10 part DVD on Mormonism
and Jehovah’s
Witnesses in Spanish. This will be very useful and practical
as the growth of Hispanics in America continues to increase
and it can be used in mission work in Spanish speaking countries.
Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are very active in
South America.
- Both
the Kansas City and our Birmingham office are receiving
a growing number of requests for help from Christians who
are in prison. These men are without financial means and
are in a tough environment but our apologetics materials
can be very helpful. Another reason to help us financially.
ARC on the Road
Because
of your support we are able to extend our ministry strategically
and geographically. Now we ask you to pray
for us, that God will demonstrate His power as we “go
into all the world.”
- Steve Cowan travels
to China May 27-June 2, at the invitation of the Chinese
government
and a major university
there, Xiamen
University. As a Christian philosopher Steve will
lecture and dialogue with students, faculty, and Chinese
philosophers
on Religion and Science, Christian Ethics, and
Religious Knowledge. We thank those who designated gifts
for
his travel and we are asking for $400 for his living
expenses while
there. This is an unusual and significant door
God has
opened!
- Clete
Hux will travel to the Berlin area, Germany, October
11-20 at the request
of Global Ministry
Foundation. There
he will teach on cults, comparative religions
and Christianity, and some general apologetics to the
larger evangelical
churches. Even the largest churches there are
small
to us–about
300 members. Germany and most of Europe are post--Christian.
Yet if the remnant there (and here) will step
out and engage with the gospel and give answers
to
their skepticism, the
gospel is the power (dynamite) to convert any
of the lost. Clete is raising support for his
mission
trip.
- ARC already has a
full time office in Romania. Tatiana Mihailuc is an experienced
translator
and she translates
apologetics materials and makes them available
for teaching in the churches there. The Church
in Romania
was hidden underground
for an entire generation under communist oppression.
Now they are free, but more significantly,
under-prepared for
the deluge of cults and secular skepticism.
- Steve
Cowan and Craig Branch will be traveling to Charlotte,
NC, June 9-10. They have been
asked to participate
in the
initiation of “a national scholarly
organization for Christian Apologetics.” The
meeting is being organized by Dr. Norman
Geisler, Dean
at Southern Evangelical Seminary.
This organization will collectively respond
to and include biblical, cultural, historical,
philosophical, religious
and scientific apologetics issues.
- We are
speaking in various churches responding
to The Da Vinci Code and the truth claims
of Christianity.
Call
us to schedule your church.
Culture and Cult News
People
devoid of Christ will seek meaning and purpose in life.
Many go into cults or new age spirituality. There
exist many very deceptive entrees that sometimes even ensnare
Christians. Many will move into materialism, self-esteem
vehicles, unhealthy relationships and multiple superficial
diversions seeking meaning.
An example in a NY Times
story, the producers of American Idol predicted a 10% decline
in their fifth season, the week
before it began airing. The day after the 2 hour season
premier,
they were “shocked.” The ratings were up 10%
to a 35.5 million audience. And it has held.
The media has
so much power and often manipulates. Ask yourself what
are the most important news stories in the
entire world
are at the end of the week. Was it that a school teacher
had an affair with a 13 year old? Or was it the latest
on Brittney Spears almost dropping her baby? The media
creates
the interest and tells us what is to be considered important.
What
is so needed in the church is the development of a Christian
mind and heart that seeks first His kingdom
and
righteousness.
1.
Polygamy & Mormons
There have been a
lot of sensationalist stories in the media recently
about the
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(FLDS). This particular group, led by its “prophet,” Warren
Jeffs, is a polygamous denomination of Mormonism.
The news
is that Jeffs is a dangerous cult leader who is being
accused of promoting sexual abuse of children for generations.
Their 10,000 member group is barricaded in a compound
in
Texas. People fear as law enforcement closes in to investigate
that it could spark another Waco tragedy.
Jeffs teaches
that a man must have at least three wives for complete
salvation and they all must gather to “Zion,” which
is the compound in Texas, where the group will also
experience salvation. Many men therefore have sex with
minors.
The FLDS received little
interference for generations while living in Utah and Arizona.
There are tens of
thousands of
polygamous “fundamentalist” Mormons,
gathered in various groups under different “prophets” in
Utah and Arizona.
This incident with Jeffs
has caused attention in the media on the widespread practice
of polygamy
in those
states, which
had led to the Utah government and courts to begin
to take some action.
This has been a significant
embarrassment for the “official” Mormon
Church as it exposes one of their fundamental
doctrines and the superficial, pragmatic way it was handled
in 1890
(not
to mention the cover-up and “looking the
other way” attitude
it has produced ever since).
The truth is that
the originator of Mormonism (The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints),
Joseph
Smith,
introduced this doctrine “from God” early
on in 1833. His first plural wife was a 16 year
old household worker. He
subsequently had about 30 wives.
Smith and the second president and prophet,
Brigham Young, declared it was an essential
doctrine
to be practiced
for eternal life. Thus it was commonplace until
1890 when the
Federal authorities began intense pressure
(Utah was to be a part of the United States)
as LDS
doctrine was in obvious
conflict with federal bigamy laws.
The then
prophet--president, Willford Woodruff issued a “manifesto” (note
it was not a new “revelation”)
forbidding the practice in this temporal
period (it still exists as an “eternal
doctrine” in the next spirit-world
and future new heavens and earth).
The “fundamentalist” Mormon
groups correctly saw the contradiction and
compromise and claimed to be holding
on to true Mormonism while the “official” LDS
church is apostate.
Now the LDS spokesmen are just bearing
false witness to the media by telling a
half-truth,
saying that
the LDS church
no longer believes in polygamy. The doctrine
has never been rescinded and if it was
it would be
a glaring
contradiction. An eternal law can’t
be temporary. And the doctrine is believed
to be practiced still in another phase
of their “law
of eternal progression.”
But there
is even a more significant issue involved
here. There is a direct tie-in
to the growing
movement of homosexual
activists to legalize same-sex marriage.
After all, they say, the state should
not pass laws
that interfere
with
the free exercise of religion. The government
should not be allowed
to define marriage.
Because of the notoriety
of the Warren Jeffs case, the Utah Supreme Court was
forced to
decide on
a case, Utah
v. Holm,
where a member of Jeffs’ group
was convicted of “felony
bigamy” and two counts of “unlawful
sexual conduct with a minor.” His
defense was that there was “no
evidence of causal relationship” that
plural marriage carries inherent evils
for adults and children.
The Utah court
found otherwise but there was a dissenting
opinion from
the chief
justice, claiming
there is “no
logical justification for criminal
penalties for religion – based
domestic relationships that may differ
from culturally related legal standards.”
Is
this is a stretch? Think again.
The U.S. Supreme Court has already
ruled
that Indian
groups may
smoke Peyote
or marijuana for religious rituals
while remaining against the
law (for now) for everyone else.
Legal opinions and case law are
the basis
for changes in
morality.
2. What did your child
learn in school today?
We
have written extensively about the new and growing encroachment
of yoga being conducted (and required) in public schools
around the nation. Order our journal “Stretching
the Truth” to be thoroughly informed.
But the
agenda to implement new age/occult philosophy into
the lives of upcoming generations involves much
more than
that. Another revived effort is to incorporate transcendental
meditation into the school systems as well.
As Christian
parents, we have not only the responsibility for our
own children’s protection but we are also “our
brother’s keeper.” We are the good Samaritans.
We must aggressively and knowledgeably address and
eliminate these illegal practices and programs.
News
stories are now coming out reflecting an organized
effort by the Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment,
the
TM university in Iowa. Their modus operandi is
to establish front organizations to promote TM. In Portland,
Maine
it is called the Maine Committee for Stress Free
Schools. In
Montreal, Canada it is called the Greater Montreal
Committee for Stress Free Schools.
They hold school
board, educators, and parents meetings emphasizing stress
being the #1 crippler
of educational
and life performance,
and offer their program that claims, “every
problem you have in education gets resolved.”
Their
mantra is that most of the students at Maharishi’s
school score repeatedly in the top 1% of national
standardized tests, and they reel off an impressive
array of medical and
scientific “studies” to substantiate
their claims.
What they don’t tell the
listeners is that almost all of these “studies” were
conducted by in-house Maharishi University
professors, that there is other
research that demonstrates psychological problems
can occur, and that
the initial 3 day course is $2500 per person.
On top of that, the 3rd circuit Federal court
rightly determined years ago that TM in public
schools
violates the Establishment
Clause of the 1st amendment (Malnak v. Yogi –separation
of Church and State).
In addition to TM and
Yoga, there is a continued effort by new
age educational proponents
to adopt other meditation
programs in self-esteem, gifted, phys.ed.,
and health classes.
These stealth programs include progressive
relaxation techniques, guided imagery (often
spirit guides),
and creative visualization.
Some sex and drug education classes also
employ controversial techniques.
John Ankerburg,
John Weldon and I wrote a powerful book in 1992 that
systematically exposes these
programs, their
roots,
their agenda and all the legal and ethical
problems inherent in their use.
This is
a must read book for everyone—parents and
grandparents, to understand exactly
how to effectively respond and rid
the system of these harmful programs.
Order Public Schools: The Sorcerers New Apprentice? from
us today (formerly
published by Harvest House, titled
Thieves of Innocence).
3.
Take action!
Years ago we became aware that the most
popular local “Christian” radio station
in Birmingham carried cult programming– 2 splinter
groups from the Herbert Armstrong’s Worldwide
Church of God. They teach/taught that they were the
only one true church, denied the Trinity,
denied the physical bodily resurrection of Christ, and
taught salvation was earned by keeping the 10 Commandments
plus
more law.
After much pressure
and resistance, the station eventually took them off the
air. In the process, we
discovered that
the FCC does not require Christian stations to carry
any programming that is in conflict with their teachings.
We
also learned that commercial interests and pragmatism
took precedence over the responsibility to teach sound
doctrine
and protect the flock from fatal error.
Now there has
been a resurgence of cult programming on local and national “total
Christian” stations
and networks. Our brother James Kieferdorf has expended
his time and resources
fighting this from his home in Dallas, Texas.
He documents
that programs such as Ron Dart’s, “Born
to Win” program as well as other Armstrong cult
splinter groups like the United Church of God and other
Churches of
God (not to be confused with the Pentecostal Church
of God head quartered in Cleveland, Tennessee or the
Church of God
headquartered in Anderson, Indiana) are on many stations.
Some of the programs are “Wonderful World Tomorrow” and “Beyond
Today.”
These cult programs may be heard on Salem Broadcasting,
Crawford Broadcasting and Inspirational Family Radio.
They are on
some local stations as well. They also carry a number
of Seventh-day Adventist programs which are often
cultic.
Do a little research
and see if these programs are on your town’s Christian radio. If so, contact
us for some guidance and help to get them removed.
Mr. Kieferdorf has
been successful with a number of stations already.
Crawford, Salem, and Inspirational are dragging their
feet. You can
make an important difference! An eternal difference!
Letters
Thank you for
publishing your latest Journal. Some year’s
prior I was faced with the same issues you mentioned in
the Journal…I find it unusual, how some people can
take these books and claim that Christianity has withheld
them
because they feel it contains knowledge that is contrary
to our Christian belief system…This journey has brought
me ever closer to Jesus Christ, but my lack of understanding
of God’s word made it easier for [my spouse] to leave
the Church where our children were brought up and where
her parents raised her…Thank you for all your support
and prayers! ...Minnesota
I
truly appreciate the time you took to spend with me. I
can honestly say that I came away
with a better understanding
of apologetics, and some very confusing questions were cleared
up. Thanks again for the work ya’ll do and your patience
with an ignorant teenager…Birmingham, AL
I
am presently incarcerated in Tennessee Department of Corrections…Your
magazines build me up and stimulate me in a good historical
Christian sense. In prison the Word of Faith movement is
out of control and that is why I have written: In hope that
you may supply me with apologetic insight to effectively
reprove and exhort those who have been misled…Any free
info on (1) The Word of Faith Movement; (2) Joyce Meyer;
(3) Relativism and Postmodernism, would be helpful! ...Tennessee
Thank
you so much for leading seminars at our recent Collegiate
Evangelism Conference
here in Montgomery. I appreciate your
willingness to prepare and lead your breakout session – an
important part of the CEC weekend. Students gave all of the
sessions extremely high marks…Thanks again for your
part of an important collegiate ministry even in our state…Alabama
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