In our January/February 2005 TACL we briefly mentioned that the story of the saving of 400 Christians in Meulaboh – after they gave in to Muslim pressure not the celebrate Christmas in the city and went up a mountain – was not true. The story is now on numerous websites around the world and gaining additional ‘life’ as it circles the globe through forwarded emails, and is repeated in church bulletins and from numerous pulpits as Christian ‘Good News’ or as a sermon illustration. As it circulates, it is gaining additional comments and introductions – even slight rewording.
Since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001, by Muslim extremists, the world has seen an increase in such extreme acts of violence – and much of it supposedly in the name of God.
Outrage around the world peaked over the deliberate murderous attack by Muslim extremists who had taken over a thousand children and adults hostage at a school in Beslan, Russia. Within days of the deliberate, preplanned hostage taking and abuse of the children and adults at the school, over three hundred had died – more than half being children.
The Battle For The Mind Continues
Outrage and incredulity followed the terrorist bombings and attempted bombings in London on July 7 and 21 – outrage that it should happen in London and incredulity that the perpetrators were mostly British-born Muslims.
Some of the immediate outrage had politicians and others making strong statements condemning the attacks and describing the bombers as evil, scum, filth and more – even before anything was known about them. While such re-actions are understandable, such descriptions of the individuals involved were not really appropriate.
Yes, the acts they committed were terrible and evil – but the young men involved were members of families – they were sons – they had mothers and fathers.
Over the years of dealing with families where a son or daughter had got caught up in a cult or extreme Christian fringe group, we found that parents directly involved thought that it was tragic for their sons or daughters had become involved in a cultic group. Most thought their sons and daughters were good young people – but some thought that OTHER young people were somehow evil and nasty for having enticed their children into a cult and for ‘brainwashing’ or indoctrinating them.
In what many now believe to be nothing but a gigantic con (deception) and publicity stunt, the Raelians, described by some as the ‘conning clowns of cloning’, have managed to capture extensive world media coverage – all on the claim have having produced the first human clone.
Early in 2004 the Australian Federal Treasurer, Mr Costello, told Australians that it would be good for the nation if people continued to work well beyond the retirement age of 65.
His comments attracted a great deal of attention, including statements from businessmen and business councils, newspaper articles and editorials, and floods of ‘letters to the editor’.
Alternative
healing approaches
While some Christians go to extremes and throw out everything that is different, we believe that some of the alternative medicines/therapies can possibly be of some help to some people in some situations - but care and caution is needed. Christians should neither blindly reject NOR blindly accept all alternatives.
AMORC - ‘The Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis’ (also known as ‘The Rosicrucian Order’.)
Founder: H Spencer Lewis (1883-1939)
While still a young man (21) Lewis was elected president of the New York Institute for Psychical Research. He travelled widely in this capacity, including spending time with, and being influenced by, the infamous Aleister Crowley, who was for some time a member of the ‘Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn’. On his return to the United States after some years of travel and research, Lewis spread his message through the official bulletins of his institute.
The year 2003 was a busy and heady year – a run-away best seller (with some 200,000 to 250,000 copies sold in Australia), media interviews, book and writers’ festivals around Australia and overseas, lucrative pre-paid contracts for overseas book rights, and a second book in the pipeline. The dreams-come-true didn’t last however; in fact they turned into nightmares.
Norma Khouri signed books at appearances, spoke with conviction at book festivals, dealt convincingly with media interviewers, and was regarded as a heroine with feminists and other women. She was launched on her road to fame through her book: ‘Forbidden Love’ – also known as ‘Honor Lost’ in the USA.
Have you ever wondered what happened to von Daniken? Who? Don’t you remember the guy who ran around the world holding seminars to promote his books and notions of alien influences and achievements on earth? No, not Rael of the cloning con fame (infamy).
Applied Kinesiology,
what is it?
Applied kinesiology is a system of diagnosis and treatment claimed as being more concerned with health than illness. The alleged goal is to prevent serious disease and the practitioner of applied kinesiology embraces the ‘holistic’ approach.
BACK IN
COURT - Little Pebble still in BIG Trouble
CCG Ministries has reported on the weird world of William Kamm and his claims of apparitions and heavenly messages, many of them supposedly from the Virgin Mary, for a number of years (see articles in TACL issues of: September 1986 and July-August 1996). Our August-September 2002 issue of TACL was a special dealing with child abuse. In it we also reported on William Kamm and his sexual abuse of minors whom he claimed he been allocated to him as his ‘Queens’ by heavenly revelation to enable him to father a new generation which he would lead as the next Pope. We reported:
Bahai's -
Who really are they? What do they believe?
There is no question of the sincerity of the majority of Baha’is, or of their general pacifity and good moral lifestyle. It is also clearly evident that the majority have a deep devotion, commitment, and obedience to their Covenant and Cause (the Baha’i Faith and its spread throughout the world).
In 1967 David R. Smith suggested in the preface of his book, Some Light on Queer Christians, that there would be people ‘unaware of the way in which extremist Christian groups are working on the minds of people in various church circles today…’ He went on to state that ‘From every hand, and from most countries of the world, tales are being relayed about the latest eccentricities practised by our own generation of Queer Christians.’
Balanced perspective of
a wise man
Agur, son of Jakeh, was a wise man. His wisdom and balanced perception is clearly revealed in his simple prayer to God:
‘Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God.’
(Proverbs 30:7-9)
The March 2004 issue of Australian Reader’s Digest ran an advertisement (p.144) headed: Is Death Final?, and offering a free booklet entitled: Hope. Mentioning the death of loved ones, the advert refers to the Bible and Christ’s death promising a resurrection and opportunity to live again. Readers were encouraged to write away for the free booklet from The Berean Bible Institute, at a Post Office box number in Rosanna, Victoria.
Have you had well intentioned friends send you an email about a coming movie depicting Jesus and his disciples as homosexuals? Have you passed it on to others before REALLY checking it out?
American Occultist, Rosicrucian and Freemason, Manly Palmer Hall, became very active in the 1920s-1930s. Amongst many other things, he believed that ancient Egyptians planned the founding of America thousands of years ago, and that Sir Francis Bacon, Viscount St Albans (1561-1626), wrote most of Shakespeare’s dramas. Hall was enamoured with Bacon, believing him to be a mystical master of great secret knowledge and power. He passed this fascination for Bacon to his wife, Marie Bauer Hall, who claimed that secret documents by Bacon were buried in a hidden vault under a private church cemetery in Williamsburg, Virginia. She claimed that various tombstones contained coded information – which she, apparently, was able to decipher, revealing the location of Bacon’s secret vault.
Extremist followers of Ellen G. White, prophetess and founder of the Seventh Day Adventist movement, have been busy early this year. Materials against Sunday worship were handed out to worshippers as they came out from the Perth combined churches’ gathering, Church Together, at the Burswood Dome on Sunday 23rd March, 2003. This is not the first time that such people have targeted Christians after the Church Together gathering and similar meetings. As people have come away from such meetings extremist and fringe group members regard them as a great opportunity for their literature distribution activities.
Can't do
500 but its a start... (A Dying Little Girl…)
If that little girl was really dying, she would have been dead long ago - and the American Cancer Society will not contribute 3 or 6 or 7 cents because of her.
For years people have been receiving and passing on chain letters which promised good luck/happiness/blessings/financial prosperity etc to those who continued the chain and passed it along to a number of other people. There were often warnings of dire consequences for those who broke the chain.
Start talking about Jesus Christ and controversy can quickly arise.
Not long after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection Jewish Christian leaders, Peter and John, went to join other Jews at the Jerusalem Temple to pray. At the Temple gate they saw, spoke to, and healed a crippled man in Jesus’ name. The amazement of onlookers led to questions and Peter talking to them about Jesus brought before Pilate and eventually killed, but then raised to life by God. This led to their overnight imprisonment; questioning by Jewish religious leaders; demands that they never again speak about or in the name of Jesus – especially as resurrected Lord; further threats against them if they continued to talk about Jesus.
Psychic power is big business – just check the personal columns in the classified adds in the newspaper, or read the material promoting all sorts of psychic issues in weekend newspaper supplements.
Psychics especially make claims about their clairvoyant powers and abilities to see what lies ahead. Many make their money at various forms of so-called ‘fortune telling’.
Dont you believe it -
Little girl lost
A sympathy grabbing email chain letter has been circulating for some time and has been received by a number of people in the past few months.
Easter 2005 is over and gone, but it is still worth reflecting on the realities of Easter.
Mention Easter delight and most people will immediately think of chocolate Easter eggs and other chocolate goodies. That’s the power of advertising. Images of fluffy bunnies, colourfully painted eggs, and chocolate everywhere have become common images of Easter. (Aussie Easter Bilbies are struggling to make it in the advertising image stakes!)
Exclusive Brethren leader dead.
In our March/April 1996 TACL we reported, in good faith - based on a number of different reports, the death of John Hales, the world leader of the Exclusive Brethren
Exclusive
Brethren Settle Out of Court
The thinking and actions of some religious groups and their leaders can often be difficult to fathom. The Exclusive Brethren and the dictates and actions of its leadership can be particularly peculiar and hard to follow.
In October 1990 our Director met with two Western Australian leaders who wanted to discuss what they regarded as unfair comments about their movement in an article we had published in TACL of June 1990. They were nice men and polite in their dealings with the director (though later correspondence became more abrupt).
The Random House publishing empire, which includes Doubleday, seems attracted to publishing books that cause confusion and promote fiction as fact. In 2003 the company published a couple of best sellers – one totally fraud and the other fiction, dressed up in part, as fact. The first was Norma Khouri’s Forbidden Love (Random House Australia) – a complete fabrication that has set back reform efforts to deal with the real problems of so-called ‘Honour Killings’ (in Australia probably missed through possibly regarding such as part of the general domestic violence scene and statistics). The second was Dan Brown’s abysmally researched piece of fiction, claimed to be based on facts – The Da Vinci Code.
Some housing has been completed, and some land is still to be cleared, in a relatively recent venture taken on by a group of ultra orthodox Jews in Massachusetts, USA. They have commenced a communal farm, ‘Eretz HaChaim’ (the Living Land), and are trying to run it according to principles from the Torah and the Talmud. They intend to grow produce, make maple syrup, and raise sheep, goats, chickens and cows. Gentiles will milk the cows on Saturdays because the Talmud forbids Jews from milking on the Sabbath, but the cows still need to be milked for their comfort. Other examples of their adherence to Jewish principles is that they will let their land lie fallow every seventh year, leaving the corners of the field for the needy at harvest and the chickens will not be fed grain during Passover.
The East invades the West! It appears that the church growth movement has the wrong idea of how to increase the amount of people coming to church. Forget your seeker-sensitive services, your modern worship styles and your evangelism; these things won’t be very effective until you get rid of that stone lion in front of the building across the street.
Finger Lickin' Chicken
Monsters
Everyone likes a good story. Story telling is part of most cultures. Australia has had a long history of story telling - from Aboriginal Dreaming tales to outback country yarns. A lot of stories are just that - stories!
Focus On The
Family - Petition Hoax
OLD HOAX RECYCLED
An email, claiming to be another ‘petition’ for good Christians to ‘sign’ is currently doing the rounds and spreading around the world. It claims that Dr James Dobson, of Focus on the Family, is linked to the effort to prevent an unnamed organization petitioning the USA Federal Communications Commission to ban Christian broadcasting, as well as attempting to remove all Christmas programmes and Christmas cards from schools.
The most common current version of this email chain letter hoax comes as follows:
‘Subject: FW: ChurchLive?
CRY FOR HELP!
To all Christians everywhere, I know you’re not all Americans but those of us who aren’t should join them in this petition. Dr. Dobson is going on CNBC to urge every Christian to get involved. I hope you will think about signing this and forwarding to all your family and friends. Dr. James Dobson, with Focus on the Family, pleads for our action.
An organization has been granted a Federal Hearing on the same subject by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Washington, DC. Their petition, Number 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel of our Lord and Saviour, on the airwaves of America.
Flocking to the Church of Oprah
Is Oprah Winfrey the modern Buddha ? It is very appropriate that she is a woman and black and that, in this electronic age, she can spread her philosophy of life so effectively in a short time-span. Her daily television programme, the highest-rated talk-show of all time, reaches an estimated 22 million American viewers and is seen in 160 foreign countries.
In a compound in the jungles of Guyana, South America, almost a thousand people obeyed the directives of their religious, supposedly Christian, leader, Jim Jones and gave cyanide laced cool drink to their children and drank it themselves. Those who refused to obey were shot. The mass suicide murder at the Jonestown jungle compound shocked a world struggling with identity and the realities of growing up out of the Hippie/Flower Power era and the Vietnam War. Within virtually a matter of minutes some 913 people died on Saturday 18th November, 1978
Jeffrey Bronfman, the USA president of the Brazilian-based, Union of the Vegetable, a supposed religious group has been appealing to the US Federal Court to allow his group to continue to use their ‘sacramental’ tea, a key ingredient of which is the plant hoasca.
‘From Paul’s own words in Galatians 3:1, we know that seducing spirits had infiltrated the church in Galatia. In this verse Paul says, “O, foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you…”
Notice, first of all, that Paul calls them “O, foolish Galatians.” The word “foolish” is the Greek word anoetos (ano-e-tos) and it describes “a person who acts without thinking, reasoning” or “using his mind.”
Ghosts? Who’re You Going to Call?
Afraid of ‘spirits of the past’? It seems that some USA businessmen, particularly in San Francisco, do have a fear of the ‘spirits of the past’ – especially of past failures.
A real estate area in the city has been labelled the ‘dot-com graveyard’. It is an area where numerous companies associated with the Internet technology and commerce (e-commerce) had ‘congregated’ during the early heady days of the predicted Internet commerce boom. But then came the bust, and businesses folded up and, one after another, disappeared, leaving empty premises in a significant area of San Francisco.
The year 2003 did not get off to a good start for many people. Disaster and tragedy marked the beginning of the year for many around the world. For some the traumas of tragedy and disaster from 2002 flowed over into 2003, for others new troubles marked the beginning of the year.
The Bible speaks of God as a warrior, and He commanded the Israelites to make war against the peoples living in the land of Canaan, as punishment for their godless lives and to prevent them from causing the Israelites to turn away from Him.
Salt Lake City, Utah teenager, Elizabeth Smart, then 14, disappeared in June 2002. She was gone – and no-one knew where. In March 2003 she turned up again. But she had never been too far away. Disguised and in the company of her polygamous ‘husband’ and his ‘other’ wife, the teenager had made no effort to run away back to her own family.
Some of the crazy email hoaxes added together (author unknown)
Clairvoyant Criminologists?
During the first few weeks of September, 2003, Australia’s Channel 7 television screened several programmes in which clairvoyants and spiritualists made dramatic claims.
Several claims involved the supposed possible identification of suspects in unsolved murder cases.
The presentation was such that some people believed here were the answers that the police had been looking for, for many years. Yet hard evidence was missing. While police are interested in all information brought forward, not all of it equals usable evidence that can lead to conviction. There are potential dangers of innocent people getting caught up in unsubstantiated accusations based on supposed insight or intuition.
IN TROUBLE AGAIN
They first came to our attention during the 1981-82 Christmas season for the literature they were distributing to young people in Perth . We reported on them in June 1985. A group of young people, including a 12-year-old girl from India, walked across the Nullarbor, and were nicknamed the ‘Nullarbor Walkers’. We stated then: ‘We are concerned by the group’s current walk to prove God...if these walkers had been honest in their intentions they would have quietly crossed the Nullarbor without any prior publicity...it has become a publicity stunt to gain sympathy (plus money and provisions) and open the way to further youthful converts…Many Christians naïvely think concern about this little group is all “much ado about nothing” but there have been, and unfortunately probably will be some more, young people whose lives have been disturbed and negatively affected by this small cult. Families have also been disrupted and deeply hurt because of this cult. Small cults can be as damaging to individuals and families as large cults.’
Over the years, the group, led by David McKay, has accumulated a long list of publicity stunts from graffiti on Sydney subway walls to gluing money to pavements, grown men wearing giant nappies, to wearing robes and remaining silent in court. For McKay it seems that ‘publicity is the name of the game’ – all with the purpose of attracting young people to his community with its Biblically distorted teachings and practices.
Informed, Thoughtful, Fair and Honest?
We undeniably live in the age of ever-expanding information technology. Instant contact and communication with people on the other side of the world is a reality that our predecessors could only dream of.
In court with the International Church Of
Christ
Around the world the International Church of Christ (ICC or ICOC) has, for many years, been called a cult, and sometimes much worse. In what was apparently meant to be a test case, the ICC in Singapore, through its Central Christian Church, in1992 initiated legal action for being publicly labelled a cult.
A minister in Japan with the Protestant, United Church of Christ, late in 2001 received a special award.
Is It Worth Dying For…? Part 1
Carol Balizet and her bizarre beliefs? Tragedies have occurred as a result of people follow her teachings.
Is It Worth Dying For...? Part 2
Carol Balizet and her bizarre beliefs? Tragedies have occurred as a result of people follow her teachings.
Is It Worth Dying For…? Part 3
Carol Balizet and her bizarre beliefs? Tragedies have occurred as a result of people follow her teachings
Is
There a Doctor in the House?
Another story on Channel 7’s local Western Australia’s ‘Today Tonight’ programme focussed on supposed ‘psychic/spiritual surgery’.
Miranda Eastman worked on the story and interviewed our Director, Adrian van Leen, for comments relating to the case. A tiny, but appropriate, fraction of Adrian’s recorded comments were aired as part of that programme segment shown on Monday 8th September.
, the ‘quiet Beatle’ and the youngest of the lively Liverpool quartet (born February 25, 1943) died from cancer on the 29th November 2001George Harrison
It Takes Guts to Stand Up
for Jesus
...yes but the eamil virus warning is a hoax
On March 22, 2003 Milton George Henschel, died aged 82. Henschel held the reins of the JW organisation since assuming the presidency of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (WTBTS ) (also known as the International Bible Students Association – e.g. in Singapore) in 1992. Since the 1970s he served on the ruling and ‘spiritual’ committee of the organisation, the Governing Body and was one of the corporate Director of the movement until he stepped down in a major restructuring move in October 2000.
JESUS
CHRIST –
STILL THE REASON FOR
THE SEASON?
Christmas time is a mixture of everything from issues of deep faith, family unity, excitement and joy, to crass commercialism, drunken immorality, painful loneliness, tension and frustration, even religious and community anger and disharmony.
Some left-leaning proponents of multi-culturalism have contributed to this tension and disharmony.
For example, in the Nature and Character of Racism section of the Western Australian Government’s August 2004 Racial and Religious Vilification Consultation Paper (p.9f) ‘cultural racism’ is described in ways which could lead many to believe that the Government and the framers of the Consultation Paper were too dismissive of Australian cultural traditions and values, and too ready to reject these in favour of allowing other cultural values to be expressed.
CCG Ministries’ Chairman, and senior pastor of the Thornlie Church of Christ, Rob Furlong, wrote the following comments in response to the question of what he thought constituted a Biblical model of leadership.
Maharishi
money games -
Spiritual Regeneration Movement
Spiritual Regeneration Movement’. Somewhere along the way he also called himself the ‘Maharishi’ [maha = great, rishi = seer, wise man, prophet] and proclaimed himself a ‘Yogi [a practitioner of yoga who has gained great knowledge and power and can teach these to followers].In 1957 an Indian, with the surname Mahesh, started a movement in he called the ‘
It seems that some members and leaders of the Church of Scotland are in denial.
In 1987 serious questions were raised within the Church regarding the probable incompatibility of Christians being involved in Freemasonry. At the time thousands of men were involved in both the Church and Masonic Lodges. As a result of concerns raised, an official two-year study of the issues was undertaken and a report issued in 1989.
The Church of Scotland General Assembly was told in 1989 that the study revealed ‘very real theological difficulties’ with Freemasonry, and that the name of Jesus seemed to be suppressed in Masonic activities. Church members were asked to reconsider their involvement in Freemasonry. Unlike reports from some other denominations, the Church of Scotland report fell short of actually declaring Freemasonry to be incompatible with the Church and the Christian Faith.
Rumour, deception, hoaxes, urban myths and legends have all utilised the printed page. Faxes and emails (especially emails) have greatly increased the spread of rumours, deception, hoaxes, urban myths and legends. Some of these are aimed at Christians - and Christians are all too eager to pass them on to those on their email address lists and fax contact lists.
Mormonism - Why Mormonism is not
Christian
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was officially started in the USA in 1830. This was also the year in which the Book of Mormon (BoM) was published by the founder, Joseph Smith, Jnr. It was founded on the many claims of Smith, which included: supposed visits by God and Jesus, various angels, Peter, James and John, as well as Moses and Elijah; revelations given to him by God; the ability to translate ancient documents and gold plates with ‘Reformed Egyptian’ script - and all this is claimed to have happened during the 1820s to 1840s.
As far back as the mid-1960s, our Director, Adrian van Leen, put together a paper: THE BOOK OF MORMON – TRUTH OR FANCIFUL FICTION? His opening comments then, have now regained recent relevance.
‘The Book of Mormon claims to present a history of the people of ancient America. There were three migrations from the Middle East to America. The first was in about 2 200 BC when the Jaredites came away from the Tower of Babel. The next migration about 600 BC leaving from Jerusalem under the leadership of Lehi and Nephi. This second migration of Israelites from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh is of major importance. These Israelites are considered the ancestors of the American Indians. However, as we shall see, there are many problems associated with this claim.
This hoax email chain letter has reappeared with some updated variations, and the movie now has a name! (BUT it’s STILL a HOAX!!) Unfortunately this IS as someone suggested, ‘Another of those petitions which don’t do much other than clog the system’
New Freedom for Peacock Followers?
Now that the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein has been over thrown, will there be more freedom for the Yezidi, the followers of the ‘Peacock God’?
Yezidism (alternative spellings: Yazidism or Ezidism) is an ancient religion (probably more accurately, a syncretistic religious mixture) that has existed amongst the Kurds of Kurdistan – a region (not officially recognised) taking in areas of Northern Iraq, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Iran and Syria. The Yezidi religion was, in the past, regarded as the main religion of the Kurds scattered across these various countries and areas.
No instant answers - no simple
solutions
Our Western society today seems to be characterised by a desire for instant everything - from instant tea and coffee (and other food products) to instant solutions to the complex problems of life. The other side to the ‘instant coin’ is the ‘throw away’ syndrome. If it doesn’t work as well as we want -throw it away, and get another...!
WHICH GOD WILL YOU BE SERVING THIS YEAR?
There are innumerable gods being served today. Some are old and familiar gods; others are ‘modern’ gods.
There are ancient household gods and modern household gods. There are those who worship and serve ancestral family gods, and there are those who worship the family as a god.
Some worship and serve idols, others idolize their possessions, positions or powers.
The gods of pleasure, experience, feelings, are worshipped, served and obeyed, by vast numbers of people today.
There have always been multitudes of gods, and today, in our sophisticated society, we have them all.
But they are all false gods.
Rick was an active, enthusiastic Christian and church member. Some would call him zealous. He was certainly keen to promote Jesus Christ, and to give no ground whatever to Satan. As a young businessman involved in the IT (information Technology) industry, he did his best to keep up with what was going on in the world, and used every opportunity (carefully and sensitively) to promote relationships that encouraged an openness to Jesus Christ.
Reflexology is a form of foot massage but it is difficult to determine what it achieves, for the practitioners of this therapy vary in their claims and practices
Twenty years ago (1985) CCG Ministries issued a ‘CLARIFICATION STATEMENT ON THE ORANGE PEOPLE’. This was issued as a general handout and also published in TACL (No.2 Mar-May 1985, pp.7-10 & No.3 June 1985, pp. 14-18). In it we stated: ‘We are sure that available evidence earlier this year indicated possible plans for Rajneesh and leading members of his hierarchy to consider Australia, probably W.A., as their next home…We want to share the reasons for that belief and our concerns with this particular cult.
We believe that the recent outrageous statements and behaviour of Rajneeshee leader, Sheela Silverman, has clouded the issues of genuine concern over the teachings, activities and plans of the Rajneesh movement. We believe that the majority of the Orange People are NOT as ill-mannered as Sheela Silverman. There is a real danger that her amateur dramatics will over-excite people and throw a smoke-screen around less obvious activities and plans of the Rajneeshees. At the same time, Sheela Silverman represents a top-level example of the affect of total commitment to Rajneesh as Bhagwan (God).
During the year 2000, numerous emails circulated on the Internet passing on the dramatic story: ‘BACK FROM THE DEAD The Remarkable Testimony of a Buddhist monk in Myanmar (Burma) who came back to life a changed man!’
With CCG Ministries’ involvement in Asia, including Myanmar, we were very interested in this story and its authenticity.
It was brought to ‘life’ on the Internet through the promotion of a Christian missionary organization then called, Asian Minorities Outreach, later changing its name to: Asia Harvest, headquartered in Texas, USA, and operating from Thailand. Its Director, Paul Hatthaway, has written several books, including ‘The Heavenly Man’.
Who and what are they? There are two major bodies in Australia calling themselves Revival Centres. Both these bodies came out of the Christian Revival Crusade, when, in 1958, the Christian Revival Crusade (then known as the Commonwealth Revival Crusade) adopted a constitution .
Rodney Howard-Browne
Continuing Controversy
When the ‘Toronto Phenomenon’, or so-called ‘Holy Laughter’, became a prominent focus for many churches in the early to mid-1990s it caused significant controversy across the Christian community. One of the central proponents of this ‘movement’ was Rodney Howard-Browne.
In 1995 CCG Ministries was asked to address some of the issues related to this development. A number of articles were written and the CCG Ministries’ Board asked that two meetings be organised, to raise awareness and concerns about Rodney Howard-Browne’s (then) impending visit.
Sai Baba – Trying to shine in schools
Followers of Sai Baba have been trying to gain access to primary and secondary (high) schools in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They have come up with a programme called ‘SHINE’ – ostensibly for ‘Spreading the Light Through Human Values’. Under the auspices of the Sathya Sai Organisation of Australia & Papua New Guinea (and in Western Australia, the Sai Resources & Service Centre) they have been circulating schools with brochures and invitations to participate in their programme. The programme includes having students express themselves in relation to suggested Human Values topics through written essays and visual arts.
Internal conflict is dividing the Russian Orthodox Church over the canonisation of Ivan the Terrible, Russia’s first tsar (czar), known for committing mass murders, including those of his son and prominent clergymen, as well as his many marriages; and also of Grigory Rasputin, described by journalist, Andrei Zolotov as ‘the lecherous mystical healer who compromised the [Russian] monarchy in its waning years.’
An aggressively vocal faction within Russian Orthodox Church has been pushing for the canonisation of Ivan the Terrible and Rasputin for about a decade now.
Scoll a forgery? - An
insight into Mormons
Arizona, USA. The find was of immediate interest to Mormons, ex-Mormons and critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.In January this year (2002) a rolled up piece of lead, a cylinder referred to by some as a scroll, was discovered in a national park in
A year 2000 massive class action lawsuit on behalf of former Hare Krishna children who were abused, while in the movement’s schools and centres, led to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) – the official name of the organisation better popularly known as the Hare Krishnas – filing for bankruptcy in the USA in 2002.
A year 2000 massive class action lawsuit on behalf of former Hare Krishna children who were abused, while in the movement’s schools and centres, led to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) – the official name of the organisation better popularly known as the Hare Krishnas – filing for bankruptcy in the USA in 2002.
Sex in the City… What About the Church?
In early August of this year I was invited to attend the inaugural Sexual Integrity Forum at Parliament House, Canberra. The Forum was called to discuss a variety of issues pertaining to sexuality but its chief purpose is best summed up by the Convenor of the Forum, Warwick Marsh, who wrote that the Forum was part of the process of ‘the restoration of sexual integrity in Australia.’
For the past three years the Church I pastor has been specifically and deliberately involved in this process of helping people re-gain their sexual integrity. In fact, in the past 2-1/2 years we have had the incredible blessing of being able to assist well over 100 men deal with their sexual addictions and purity issues.
What does all this have to do with CCG Ministries and why an article about it in TACL? I believe we only have to look at recent history to find the answer to that question. For many of us, the sexual scandals of Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart, although occurring in the late ‘80’s, are still fresh in our minds. Then during the ‘90’s the general public were rightly horrified at the sexual abuse that was rife within the ranks of the Children of God/Family. More recently, 60 Minutes aired a story that once again brought that whole situation into the spotlight of public scrutiny.
Signs of the Times and
Survivalism
In the lead up to entering the new millennium, many people, especially many Christians, were able to identify with the following comments from a writer and commentator on contemporary events and the Second Coming of Christ. A great number of people were, and still are, able to agree with these quotes and descriptive comments about the current ‘Signs of the Times’, and regard them as pertinent to our times:
There is some confusion with the terms spiritualism and spiritism. Some see these as interchangeable. To others, the correct term is spiritism and they object to the use of the term ‘spiritualist,’ believing they are one and the same.
Christians need to be alert and ready to check out information – including free offers of help or materials, or recommended websites of interest.
Early in 2003 a denominational state women’s magazine published some recommended websites. On later checking these, it turned out they weren’t quite as helpful or orthodox as people had initially assumed.
In the November/December 2002 issue of a leading national Christian women’s magazine a free offer was made by a reader of the magazine. The offer was for a free Bible reading guide, which would allow the reader to read the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice, in the one year.
Suffer the Little
Children:
Part 1 Outline of the issues - History and Biblical Position
Part 2 Perspectives on the problem
Part 3 Catholic church in crisis
Part 4 High cost of compensation
Part 5 What can WE do?
Suffer the Little Children: The year 2002 has been developing as a year of disturbing exposure of the extent of the evil of child abuse – especially sexual child abuse – and particularly that perpetrated by priests, pastors and other church leaders. The pain and suffering of children across the globe has caused increasing anguish and anger in caring people everywhere.
Taliban
and September 11 related hoaxes
Taliban and September 11 related hoaxes. Late last year and email was rapidly circulating around the globe, with both Christians and non-Christians, highlighting the very serious plight of women in Afghanistan
The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The King and I, opened in London in 1951. The starring role of King Mongkut was played by an unknown actor, Yul Brynner. Brynner, born Taidje Khan, had been a nightclub performer, a circus trapeze artist and had done some work in early television. His stage performance as the King of Siam (now Thailand) brought him recognition and fame. Brenner played that role for 34 years – on stage, in the movie, and on television – a total of 4,625 performances of the part, making his last curtain call as King Mongkut in 1985. He died in October that year.
Theophostic:
God’s Light or Satan’s Lie?
CCG Ministries’ Chairman, and senior pastor of the Thornlie Church of Christ, Rob Furlong, has carefully examined and evaluated one of the ‘latest’ Christian counselling ‘fads’ sweeping through a number of churches (across various denominations). Several people were interested in introducing Theophostic counselling at Rob’s church, and so his evaluation, from a Biblical perspective, was more than just a theoretical interest. His report raises serious issues for Christian leaders considering this approach for their church:
WHO REALLY ARE THE BAHA’IS?
There is no question of the sincerity of the majority of Baha’is, or of their general pacifity and good moral lifestyle. It is also clearly evident that the majority have a deep devotion, commitment, and obedience to their Covenant and Cause (the Baha’i Faith and its spread throughout the world).
We like our heroes – and we like them to be better than average.
From comic and cartoon characters to entertainers and sporting heroes – we like them to be super heroes; people to look up to and perhaps even model or copy.
Sporting heroes and personalities have been with us almost since the beginning of time. Big strong men have always been regarded as heroes by the general population. Take Goliath of Gath – he was the tall super-hero who was the champion of the Philistines.
You probably did not notice anything unusual occurring on Monday 10th November – and that’s probably because nothing unusual actually occurred – at least for most people.
However, in Badung, West Java, Indonesia a group of people with great expectations meeting in a two-storey house had their activities interrupted by police just after 3 pm.
The Future
of Christian Broadcasts at Risk?
Another of the numerous Christian urban myths is being circulated as a email chain lette
Informed, Thoughtful, Fair and Honest?
We undeniably live in the age of ever-expanding information technology. Instant contact and communication with people on the other side of the world is a reality that our predecessors could only dream of.
Christians exist to communicate. Since Jesus Christ first gained his followers, one of the essentials of following has been passing on the message and being his witnesses to the world.
Academic and professional research into new religious movements and cultic groups began to develop seriously in the 1960s and 1970s, intensifying after the tragic deaths of members of Jim Jones’ People’s Temple, in Guyana, South America in November 1978. This has been noted by a number of people, including sociologists Robbins and Anthony (1982). The Jonestown tragedy proved a changing point in my own life, after ten years in pastoral ministry as an ordained clergyman
(A Description) Occult activity is a reality that, for many years, was more widespread in Perth than in other Australian capital city. Part of the reason was that Perth was regarded as the "CITY OF LIGHT". Perth was given this 'title' when American Astronaut, John Glenn, flew over in his Gemini spacecraft in 1962.
Are YOU one of the Passionate Few? Frank Boreham was a passionate preacher - and had been since the age of 17. He was also a great reader - having, early in his ministry commenced the habit of buying and reading a new book each week.
Around Christmas time some cult groups, extreme Christian fringe groups and ultra-conservative Christians sometimes join forces to attack any observance of Christmas. They express their criticism against mainstream Christians for their endorsement of and involvement in supposed rituals of pagan origin. They will confuse some immature and naïve people with references to Encyclopedia Britannica, and the like. Some will focus on the day of the month, as part of their criticism. The actual day or even month of Jesus earthly birth is not known – and by tradition has come to be celebrated at this time of the year. The date is not the most significant issue in relation to Christmas. Focussing on and arguing about dates will lead people to miss the reality and significance of God’s timing in the Incarnation.
AMORC - ‘The Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis’ (also known as ‘The Rosicrucian Order’.)
Founder: H Spencer Lewis (1883-1939)
While still a young man (21) Lewis was elected president of the New York Institute for Psychical Research. He travelled widely in this capacity, including spending time with, and being influenced by, the infamous Aleister Crowley, who was for some time a member of the ‘Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn’. On his return to the United States after some years of travel and research, Lewis spread his message through the official bulletins of his institute.
THE SAD SAGA OF TWO
PENTECOSTAL PAULS
Over the past 18 months scandals have exposed the double standards of various preachers. Amongst them have been Paul Crouch and Paul Cain.
Paul Crouch is one of a number of U.S. Word Faith millionaire preachers/teachers. He founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) in 1973, purchasing a television station in 1974 and going on to develop one of the largest world television empires, using satellites to beam his programmes around the globe. He, and his wife Jan, were in partnership with Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker of the PTL (Praise the Lord) in the early years of their media activities.
The Tale of
the Resurrected Monk
Since at least early 2000, emails have been circulating on the Internet