Submitted by Terence Blackett
The prophets lie and the priest takes bribes and the people like it so – Jeremiah 5:30
No man can “TRULY” judge another man – no matter what the circumstances. Yet we’re admonished by the Word that we shall judge (fallen) ‘angels’.
So what is the context here?
As Christians, we go to court over civil matters, domestic issues and over legal matters. As men/women of God, while we’re instructed by the Word to take these matters to our religious/spiritual authorities to whom we believe ought to be spiritual enough to arbitrate over – given the difficult impasse on these matters.
Yet this admonition goes unheeded and the ever-growing spotlight focuses on Christians in a less than complimentary manner.
In the news for the last week, is another scandal of celebrity televangelist Eddie Long who is allegedly being charged with sexual impropriety by [4] men who claim that he had homosexual relations with them while they were under his spiritual leadership. Whether this is true or it’s a shakedown – time will tell!
Many prominent Christian leaders today have made a deal (a pact) with the devil by attrition. Duped into compliance by a love of “filthy lucre” and tainted by the spirit of Laodicea (rich and increased in goods) yet void of any real true spirituality. The love of worldliness, pomp, pageantry and fanfare ruins the practical godliness men ought to have. So the devil uses our baser passions to gratify the hole that many of have on the inside.
Hence, undercover sex in the modern church is an explosive and ticking time-bomb.
The World Council of Churches argues that our difficulty in addressing issues of sex and sexuality has often made it painful for us to engage, in an honest and realistic debate, with issues of sex education and HIV prevention.
There’s no denying that the “spirit of Hophni and Phineas are rife in the 21st century church. This is an extension of late 20th century celebrity Christianity and preacher worship going back to Billy Graham (Jesuit sympathizer) and serialists and fall from grace emotional “scum-bags” like Jimmy Swaggart to money-worshippers and false prophet like Oral Roberts. Today, the emblematic charisma of men like T.D. Jakes, Eddie Long, Joel Olsten, Paula White, Juanita Bynum and whole host of others who occupy places on powerful religious television networks like TBN, GOD Channel, INSP and others. So books like SNAKES IN THE PULPIT by Reuben Armstrong and his recent publication – CROOKS AND HOMOS IN THE PULPIT cite a culture of sexual infamy, obfuscation and denial.
Instead of Christ as the object of affection, the popular modern church is attracted to a celebrity, an evangelist, a project, a political cause, a fund-raising campaign, a new building, or supposed miracles and healings. Faith has turned to fantasy with a message of health, wealth, and comfort.
Celebrity Christianity seems more obsessed with money than with souls – more concerned with “seed” than with sanctity. If no one else has noticed, these religious PIMPS* has taken BAD-BEGGING to whole new scientific level.
In that kind of environment “easy believism” flourishes and many people who associate themselves with the church aren’t even Christians. They may have a form of godliness, but they deny its power – while Satan is still using this form of deception, and often his representatives are being disguised as ministers of righteousness – while propagating that which brings death and darkness to the mind and heart of the sinner, they profess to be representatives of enlightened living. This is satanic deception.
Carnal man needs God, but he prefers a “god” that condones carnal behavior. False religion appeals to the carnal nature because it offers loopholes to justify sin and wrong doing. The carnal heart is inherently opposed to God’s Commandments.
Theology in many modern churches is focused on meeting people’s needs, on solving one’s problems so one can live more comfortably. To them the physical body is what is important, not the unseen soul. And for that reason few churches hold to a Christ-centered faith that helps a believer stand in the midst of his trials and look to Jesus Christ for aid and comfort. For all too often the 20th century church took its cues and defined its role by the ways of the world.
Now the 21st century church hastens to accommodate a consumer-oriented culture that wants, above all else, to feel good. And it focuses on action at the expense of character, on doing rather than being. There is nothing wrong with seeking to meet people’s needs or creating programs to do so, and the church setting should be an environment where non-Christians feel welcome. But at the same time the purpose of the church is to follow and promote the Godly doctrines and beliefs found in the Word of God, not to bow down to Satan and the world and accepts false information as its doctrine.
In today’s world more people are concerned with animal rights than with human rights or most importantly the rights of unborn children. Their silence on so many vile, evil, and sinful practices like this, simply tells their followers that practices like these are tolerated by God.
God doesn’t want his followers to be people who love their religion. He wants his followers to be people who love the truth. We use to call evil and ungodly things, sins. Then we gave in and called them sicknesses. Then as they became more and more popular we were persuaded to call them socially acceptable. Then they were called normal. Now we have been convinced to disapprove of anyone who is critical in any way of these ungodly practices. The church of today tolerates just about any type of perversion. There are very few practices that are prevented from entering into God’s house, and much of it is welcomed and accepted with open arms. The biggest thing missing in the churches today is fear of God.
Today in America, while the “double-headed hydra” of same-sex marriage raises its ugly head as a major issue of social policy – within the debate amongst Christian Conservative who believe that the ratification of Proposition 8 law allowing such unions to be deemed as “Marriage” goes against every Biblical mandate.
Even Obama, whom many of us have supported, is in left field on this issue as political expediency will cause the best of us to lie and compromise with the truth that is in God’s Word.
Sexual matters within the church hang like an “Albatross” around the necks of too many ministers and members alike. Most being clueless to take a Biblical position because it would mean the loss of their Tax-Exempt status or vitriol from opposing groups.
The Church hierarchy seems unable if not impotent to engage in an open and honest dialogue about homosexuality, contraception, sterilization, artificial insemination, abortion, masturbation, premarital sex, celibacy and women’s ordination; so no one should be surprised if some with hidden agendas are inappropriately silent about homosexuality and paedophilia (which are top of the list) given that too many good so-called Church-going Christian men seem to be on either on the down-low or engaged in rampant infidelity.
Current church teachings on sexual issues don’t speak to today’s current realities given the propagation of liberal theology and an avant-garde form of postmodernist thinking which shelves the rudiments of Scripture for a more accomodationist type of “gospel” which debars no one or speak to the cherished sins which God hates.
The churches continued unwillingness to DEBATE* matters of social justice and its refusal to acknowledge or discuss the ambiguity and complexity of sexual questions has produced a magisterium that can listen to lying, corrupt politicians, greedy economists and war-hungry military generals but not to women with serious sexual and relationship questions which needs to be resolved given the rampant loss of fathers and husbands, brothers on the down-low and a spiraling miasmic climate of male incarceration.
The Church is often antagonistic to investigations of impropriety by dissenting theologians who discourage honest, impartial study and writing about controversial sexual issues which may highlight areas of possible scandal.
In this short narrative exercise, it would be virtually impossible to give you an honest evaluation of the size of the problem within the modern Church. This simple elucidation of what is a controversial issue does NOT even begin to do justice to the scale of the issues we face. It is because of that I have decided on a 2 part article outlining the scope and scale of this Leviathan in our midst.
Stay tuned…
89 responses to “Making A Deal With The Devil: “The Spirit of Hophni And Phineas” – Prosperity Preachers, Self-Proclaimed Prophets, Sexual Deviants And The Proliferation Of Religious Scandals In The Modern Church”
“And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” – Matthew 19:24
As distasteful, disguisting, and shameful as the failures, sins are throughout the known world of the ‘Church’ Christianity, which causes tremendous hurt and harm to the cause of Christ and His Word, the Gospel, and this kind of behaviour in all of its various forms are nothing new, as it has been going on from the very beginning, and will continue up to the very end.
Yes, sexual immorality, temptation, and all that hinges and surrounds this aspect of man’s being, cannot just be brushed aside, as it is a deep problem affecting many more men and woman than we know about, this is just one of many serious problems within the church world; as is the prosperity preachers, name-it, claim-it, and so on.
But, then again, they are the false prophets who come to us in various shades of deception, who might also be grappling with they own sexual temptations, apart from being ‘false’ prophets, claiming some kind of special ‘revelation’ as God’s end-time exclusive spokesmen, we see them in the JW’s Mormons, SDA, et al, who have twisted and violated the sound principles of biblical interpretion, in order to propagate their various brands of heresy, all the while pointing fingers at others, whose sins in the arena of sexual immorality, are ready meat for the secular media to explore as headline news.
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2008/12/devil-bible.html
http://renwl.org/community/six-recent-sex-scandals-with-black-ministers-you-may-not-know-about-and-why-blacks-dont-report-clergy-sex-abuse
Data collected in many countries seem to indicate citizens are turning away from religion. The mystery which the several dogmas held over people is being shattered daily by a curious public/media. The recent revelation that the Pope might have been part of a strategy of secrecy to protect priests who molested boys in their flock will not help. While we have several religions a stain on one will besmirch others. Even on BU we see evidence of how respective dogmas can be divisive and ultimately act as a turn-off.
Zoe says….
‘But, then again, they are the false prophets who come to us in various shades of deception, who might also be grappling with they own sexual temptations, apart from being ‘false’ prophets, claiming some kind of special ‘revelation’ as God’s end-time exclusive spokesmen, we see them in the JW’s Mormons, SDA, et al, who have twisted and violated the sound principles of biblical interpretion, in order to propagate their various brands of heresy, all the while pointing fingers at others, whose sins in the arena of sexual immorality, are ready meat for the secular media to explore as headline news.
This, to me IMHO, is a low and nasty blow , similar to a shoulder high full toss and dont even say that the ball slipped from your grasp on this occasion.
Cant wait to read de Hood’s response to this.
FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY!!!
Too much of anything is a dangerous thing. There is very little difference between religion and politics. Religion has never solved the world’s problems. Religion is used as a convenience and as an insurance policy when we get old (just in case). Who are we fooling? Man wrote the bible as well as many books that is deemed holy. There are many religious fanatics that are leading large congregations who are so blinded and brainwashed that they refuse to see the character of the person leading the flock. Everyone is responsible for their own spiritual development, not everyone will be at the same level. Gone are the days for following blindly, some of us are too lazy so it is easier following.
In retrospect……
This post by him can also be used to describe Zoe et al.
The struggle continues…..
Question is What did Jesus say would happen as the eschaton approaches? What did Jude and Peter in 2 Peter 2 say? Are we seeing what they said come to pass exactly as foretold?
This is not a problem of the church or religion this a PROBLEM RELATED TO THE DEPRAVITY OF MEN AND IS DESCRIBED WITH GREAT ACCURACY IN ROMANS 1:18 – 32.
MEN WHO REJECT THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD END UP IN THE DEPRAVITY WE SEE AROUND US BOTH AMONG CHURCH MEN & N ON CHURCH GOERS.
Dogma is not held over anyone. MEN CHOSE THE DOGMA THEY WANT TO ADHERE TO BECAUSE THEY REJECT THE KNOWLEDGE FROM GOD THAT IS AVAILABLE,
They accept what their itchy ears dictate them to asccept.
Men turn off not because of what happens in the “church” BUT BECAUSE AS PAUL WRITES “THIER FOOLISH HEARTS ARE DARKENED”
Men have ALWAYS HAD THE CHOICE TO CHOSE GOD OR TO CHOSE TO FOLLOW SATAN EVEN IF HE MASQUERADES IN THE CHURCH.
All of the issues I have raised above are thoroughly discussed in the Epistles in the NT .
In Luke !8 Jesus asked in verse 8 rhetorically
I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
The answer is NO!
There is a need for the Bible illiterates on BU to sometimes shuit up and listen and learn something instead of perpetually and perennially talking nonsense about things that they really dont understand.
When Jesus returns he will take THE TRUE CHURCH WITH HIM as taught in many Scriptures . The Lord is preserving the TRUE CHURCH FOR HIMSELF cf I peter 1, Jude 24 Phil 1″6 and several others
All the naysayers and excuse makers and those who are turned off will be with out excuse at the Great White Throne Judgement.
If some of you will start correctly a lot of things will become very clear about dogma around you.
Acts 16 30. Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Instead of Zoe dealing with the immorality that lives within the churcheshewould rather attacked a persons religous beliefs .Having gotten that off my chest The church in its igorance has done more harm to those who are homosexual than good. The churches today preten to preach a sermon of inclusiveness and at the same time being hypocrtical in not dealing with the realities of homosexuality. Many homosexuals who become christians do that on the fact that if the outside world are hostile against them ,just maybe those who profess to be christian would be more likely to accept them as their are. However after accepting Jesus as their Lord and Saviour they have found that the act of homosexuality cannot be compromised as evident if the numerous religiuos leaders who have fallen from grace. Threfore the church must confront the problem of homosexuality within its confines and deal with it in a realistic and mature way , because their are people who want to seek the face of that which is right good and proper be them homossexual or heterosexual and its is incumbent upon the shoulders of the church that this burden falls .
HOLY SPIRIT CONFERENCE WITH RODNEY IS A FAKE
http://www.scribd.com/doc/35527597/
The Holy Spirit is a person of Integrity and Rodney Howard Browne, Richard Roberts and John Arnott are not only wolves in sheep’s Clothing but devoid of integrity. Rodney is known for teaching that the pastors must fleece and sheep and Richard was forced to resign as President of ORU for embezzlement of money.
Rodney arrived in America penniless and became a multimillionaire without doing an honest day’s work. And the Roberts “seed faith” teaching is just a shrewd method to rob the poor and needy and make the Roberts rich!
And Bilye Brim is very good friend of Kenneth and Gloria Copeland who have 37 gas wells in the name of their church and are also devoid of any integrity.
RICHARD ROBERTS and his wife LINDSAY Misappropriated school money and other improprieties.
According to the suit, they spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund their lavish lifestyle, including a
stable of horses for their daughters, a $29,400 trip to Orlando and the Bahamas aboard a university jet for a daughter and her friends, and a $39,000 shopping spree at one clothing store for Lindsay.
RODNEY HOWARD BROWNE who is accountable to no one but himself not only practices nepotism but has had members of his family on the payroll of his nonprofit institution!
He believes in repaying evil for good!
GP says……
‘Acts 16 30. Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Who then can say that the SDAs, JWs etc do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?
Who is to say that their faith in Christ is any less than anyone else ?
Are you telling me that unless we are like GP and Zoe, that we are doomed?
Now what is confusing to me is that the same Jews that Zoe defends with every fibre of his being DOES NOT even share his views in terms of the Word.
Are they doomed too?
Should we also add Judaism to Zoe’s list?
The struggle continues…….
“People need to Shut up and listen. “No! People need to be vigilant in knowing and pursuing that which is said on BU as what is the truth by the Bible know it all teachers of the WORD. Many congregations today are filled with people who have done just that to “shut up and listen’ and is no more wiser because of not sharing their interactions or questioning those who were doing the teachings. Here on Bu the other side of the coin is constantly being exposed and the truth of the matter is that those on BU who is doing the teaching would rather not have it. If we as a people going to learn we have to exposed our inner thoughts no matter how foolish or ignorant it may seem to those who are selfrighteous and “full of knowledge”
Georgie Porgie wrote “Men have ALWAYS HAD THE CHOICE TO CHOSE GOD”.
Hants says, all people are NOT created equal and do not all have the intellect to decide for themselves the correct path to follow.
As children we were taken to church and grew up believing that the words coming out of a priest’s mouth were the correct interpretations of the Bible.
As adults we continued to believe. But it turns out that unless you chose the correct “Priests” like GP and Zoe, we have been following Satan’s Priest’s.
Well if I am lucky, God will forgive me for being born in Barbados and for being taken to an Anglican church and for believing the Bible which the Anglican’s follow is the right one.
And maybe he will forgive me for not getting a degree in Theology so I would at least have been able to truly understand his teachings.
And David when are we going to get back to politics,the economy and tiefin lawyers. Us ordinary folks can understand that better than this orgy of intellectual theology espoused by the BU men of God.
HOW TODD BENTLEY FOOLED THE GOD CHANNEL & MANY, MANY OTHERS…
JUANITA BYNUM’S FALSE CONTRITION…WE KNOW ITS ABOUT $$$$$
It is sad when religion becomes a divider. Humans need to stop being like sheep and following blindly without questioning whether it is right or wrong. Deep down many know but are afraid to go against the tide. This includes family as well. Religion and Politics seek to divide and conquer …..can we try something else since none has worked? Are we too blind to see? If I have to choose between a world with religion and one without I will certainly try the one without. It can’t be any worst!
A Scourge of Suspect Credentials and Phony Degrees is Sweeping through the Church by Bill Alnor
It has become rampant within evangelicalism, and especially within the Pentecostal and charismatic traditions. According to Christian Sentinel publisher Bill Alnor, evidence of this is abundant. One can open their latest copy of Charisma magazine and check the upcoming conferences splashed across its pages and note the names of many leaders calling themselves doctors.
However, many do not hold earned degrees. Charisma along with many other publications, have a long time practice of selling ad space to questionable organizations in the degree and credential selling business, including even ministry ordinations for sale.
Additionally, Alnor notes, walk into a Christian bookstore, especially one carrying books from charismatic/Pentecostal writers and check out the titles. It turns out that many of the Christian authors claiming to be “doctors,” hold no doctoral degree (such as a Ph.D., Th.D. D.Min., Ed.D., etc.) from a regionally accredited university at all.
Some of these “doctors” have not even attended a day of college. Others have not completed a two-year’s associate’s degree or a four-year bachelor’s degree.
These “Christian” leaders are deceptive and are knowingly bearing false witness. “They know what they are doing; they insist on calling themselves `doctors’ to imply scholarship and professional credibility,” Alnor said. “Some of them also know what the truth often is: they are not capable of doing doctoral work even if they were admitted into a legitimate doctoral program. They are just blowhards who puff themselves up, trying to impress their audiences.”
Of course, self-aggrandizing behavior similar to this is denounced in Scripture, Alnor said. We are challenged to be humble servants, even “slaves of Christ.” Paul warns us to not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, and Jesus denounced the self-promoting behavior of the doctors of the law and the scribes repeatedly in the gospels, with one of his most stunning rebukes located in Luke 20:46-47.
Sadly, this has affected some of those involved in apologetics and discernment ministries, who are supposed to serve as the eyes of purity in doctrinal and moral issues within the church.
Some very prominent apologists writing books do not have accredited doctorates, yet they are referred to as “doctors.”
On July 14 in a Southwest Radio Church broadcast dealing with apostasy in the church, Dr. Larry Spargimino exposed some of the facts about prominent apologist and author James White of Arizona.
The show stated that White’s degree is from an “unaccredited correspondence school” — the Columbia Evangelical Seminary that has “no library,” “no curriculum committee,” “no bookstore,” and has “no course review procedures.”
The broadcast claimed that many of those holding phony degrees do so for “purely mercenary motivations.”
“Fake degrees are a betrayal of the public’s trust…. These degrees aren’t worth the paper they are printed on. You don’t want someone with a fake degree working in Homeland security, teaching your children and designing your bridges.”
To listen to the broadcast go to http://www.swrc.com/broadcasts/2004/july.htm
Click on July 14 and go to the very end of the broadcast.
It is interesting to note that while White’s website http://www.aomin.org repeatedly lists his title as “Dr.” James White (as he also identifies himself on his radio broadcast), White’s evangelical publisher refuses to list him as “Dr.” on one of his recent books.
White has addressed this issue on his web site, defending his credentials and has privately corresponded with Bill Alnor about it some time ago.
However, Alnor found his explanations to be woefully inadequate. Nevertheless, he is now publicly giving White a chance to respond, and he will reproduce White’s answers in a future E-update without editing his response as long as White answers all the questions.
Click here to see Bill’s questions he has presented to White. Bill would also place on the record that he has a high esteem for much of White’s work, particularly in the areas of the “King James Only” debate and “Roman Catholicism.”
The irony of it is that Noah Hutchings, the host of the regular Southwest Radio Church (SWRC) broadcast that blasted him on July 14, has made false, grandiose claims about himself.
Hutchings, the president of the ministry that boasts of being the “watchman on the wall,” claims the title of “pastor,” but he also claims to be “Doctor” Hutchings.
The “Dr.” title is bestowed on him repeatedly throughout the ministry’s website http://www.swrc.com, and even graces the covers of some of his published books under the by-line “Dr. Noah Hutchings.” Yet he is not a doctor and holds no earned graduate degrees at all.
What makes it even more hypocritical is that on June 15, the day after his attack on White’s educational credentials, Larry Spargimino publicly referred to Hutchings as “Dr.” on the broadcast.
Additionally, the SWRC carries many editorial products that make sensational and wild, false claims written by a slew of men and women with suspect doctorates and credentials.
Frequently SWRC’s daily broadcast features radio guests holding phony degrees. (Bill Alnor would also like to place on the record that he has no esteem for the ministry of Southwest Radio Church, which he deems to be untrustworthy and a waste of listener’s contributions to keep on the air.)
When Bill Alnor called Hutchings several weeks ago to discuss the issue Hutchings conceded that he holds no earned doctorate, but instead has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from a university in Oklahoma.
However, Hutchings said he holds two honorary doctorates from St. Charles school in California and American Christian University in Oklahoma City, both of which do not hold regional accreditation.
Although Alnor did not check these claims out by press time, he has long noted that Hutchings is a long time veteran of dishonest reporting and sensationalism as reported his 1989 book, Soothsayers of the Second Advent. Alnor referred to the SWRC as “The National Enquirer of Christianity.”
Some cases of institutions giving phony degrees are easy to see through.
For an interesting account of how fringe creationist teacher/tax protester Kent Hovind’s doctoral credentials from “Patriot University” collapsed under an inquiry go to http://tinyurl.com/foyj.
Other cases are not as clear cut.
California apologist Robert Morey holds a doctorate from the highly regarded (and regionally accredited) Westminster Theological Seminary near Philadelphia.
However, when he began speaking out on Islam Morey also began claiming to hold another doctorate in “Islamic Studies” from an unaccredited seminary, whose campus more resembles a house on Cheltenham Avenue, Philadelphia rather than an educational institution.
But these cases withstanding, an area of credential abuse within the church involve the substitution of “honorary’ degrees for real ones.
In an egregious action within the field of apologetics, Dr. Norman Geisler of Southern Evangelical Seminary (SES) publicly awarded Hank Hanegraaff, the scandalized leader of the Christian Research Institute, an honorary doctorate about five years ago.
It turns out Hanegraaff long ago had dropped out of Calvin College in Michigan after attending classes for less than two years, sources said.
Trouble was (and still is) Geisler’s institution is not regionally accredited (it maintains TRACS accreditation instead), meaning that a degree from SES would not hold water at many other institutions of higher learning that are regionally accredited (meaning among other things credits from SES may not be transferred to regional accredited institutions).
It was also significant that at the time that SES did not have a doctoral program at all, so Geisler was bestowing an honor on Hanegraaff that his own institution could not grant to anyone. Additionally, after critics of Hanegraaff cried foul about it, with complaints even reaching the influential AR-Talk listserv, Geisler went on Hanegraaff’s Bible Answer Man Broadcast and repeatedly defiantly referred to Hanegraaff as “Doctor.”
There have been other strange acts covering the world of apologists as well. For example, the Evangelical Ministries to New Religions, as part of a call for clear ethical standards among its members created the Manual of Ethical and Doctrinal Standards in the mid 1990s. It states:
“SELF-REPRESENTATION. The way EMNR members represent themselves in terms of background, experience, testimony, education, and expertise is to be honest at all times. This affects us in a variety of ways:
(a) Educational degrees and ordination. EMNR members shall not advertise themselves as having degrees of higher education unless the degree has been legitimately earned at an institution requiring in-class instruction or through an accredited “distance education” facility.
Honorary degrees and degrees from correspondence schools may be advertised provided there is no effect of deceiving the reader through ambiguous description. Degrees obtained from “diploma mills” must not be listed on a member’s resume or biographical summary. Ordination obtained through mail-order institutions should be omitted from one’s list of credentials.
However, even while the manual was being created and agreed upon by the EMNR board, one of EMNR’s high ranking board members for years allowed himself to be referred to as “doctor” at numerous conferences ranging back to the 1980s.
He was even awarded that title in EMNR publications and letterheads dating to the early 1990s. However, a quiet inquiry in 2000 under the leadership of former president John Morehead, revealed that the board member did not hold a doctorate — even the university he taught at refused to list him as such, and so the “Dr.” was quietly dropped before his name on publications and in recent conference announcements.
No admission of wrongdoing was ever made by the EMNR board member, and still many apologists refer to him as “Dr.”
Similarly, many apologists are fuzzy on this issue and related ones dealing with proper academic credentials and accreditation.
For example, apologist Gretchen Passantino speaking on the “Stand to Reason” radio broadcast in Southern California not long ago, was promoting the Southern California extension program at the seminary she teaches at, the Faith Evangelical Seminary as being “fully accredited.”
Instead Faith holds just the TRACS accreditation, which is practically meaningless in the academic world. This means for example that institutions like Biola, Wheaton, Cal State, UCLA and other universities holding regional accreditation would almost never accept credits from Faith Seminary. Further, a degree from a TRACS only accredited institution, would not be considered a legitimate degree at many other institutions of higher learning and those holding such a degree, even a doctorate from such institutions, would almost certainly be unable to teach at any four-year college, university or graduate school.
(Additionally, Bill Alnor has prepared a list of guidelines on accreditation for those interested in pursuing higher education. For an E-mail copy click here or write him at bill@cultlink.com. He also spoke at EMNR’s conference on this issue earlier this year.
To obtain the tape go to http://www.emnr.org.)
A second problem within the church is the astonishing number of people who have been given “honorary” doctoral degrees, who then turn around and call themselves “doctor,” thus quietly implying they have earned degrees.
This is deceptive and goes against academic protocol. In reality, although many institutions of higher learning give honorary doctorates, the secularists — those outside Christianity receiving them know better than to take them seriously.
Thus they don’t refer to themselves as “doctor” at all, since it would be a joke to do so.
Among the institutions most responsible for contributing to the confusion is Oral Roberts University of Tulsa that seemingly doles out honorary doctorates like candy at Halloween to children.
ORU has even presented honorary doctorates to some of the most questionable figures imaginable, even con men and known purveyors of false doctrine and at least one accused sexual predator.
After some of these people are awarded an ORU honorary doctorate, sometimes without serving any time in higher education, a good number of these men and women have gone on to publicly call themselves doctors in their books and in teaching materials.
ORU has doled out honorary doctorates to the late Kathryn Kuhlman and Rex Humbard, both accused of multiple imporprieties; the late plagiarist and false teacher Kenneth E. Hagin; prosperity teachers Frederick Price, Creflo Dollar, Marilyn Hickey, Joyce Meyer, Jesse Duplantis, Paul (David) Yonggi Cho, his wife, and Kenneth Copeland; former NFL player Roosevelt Greer; the late entertainer, Bob Hope; false teachers and founders of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Paul and Jan Crouch.
But most egregious was ORU’s awarding of honorary degrees to the following teachers who were exposed in international scandals for various instances of crookedness: Bishop Earl Paulk (who has faced a slew of sustained sexual misconduct accusations over the years); disgraced television preachers Robert Tilton and Larry Lea (who were both targets of Prime Time television exposes by Diane Sawyer); and faith healer Benny Hinn, who has faced dozens of major scandals during the past 15 years.
And there are many other lesser known false teachers given honorary doctoral degrees since ORU began the practice in 1972.
@island gal
The corrupters of religion and the profiters are the problem for those are the ones who the multitude sit and listen to without question.
@David page 9 of todays advocate has an interesting article about a drug called Hebreprot-p.
THE COMMODIFICATION OF THE GOSPEL….
@David, satis est.
THEY SAY CARLTON* FLEW (climbed) SO HIGH….
YA’ GOTTA LOVE CARLTON & THESE GUYS!!!
Christians talk about others accepting the overwhelming world* as if it is something that is to be accepted without question. Such an approach contradicts the innate characteristic of free spirit said to occupy human beings.
DAVID @ BU
“Even on BU we see evidence of how respective dogmas can be divisive and ultimately act as a turn-off…”
I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY!!!
Yet though I am in agreement – I am cautious not to start espousing a form of “MORAL OR SPIRITUAL RELATIVISM” as postmodernist thinking and especially for us good ‘ole sociologists who tend to lean heavily on the “crutch” of structuration theory and as a result often find ourselves neither in the Black or White column – but languishing more in the “grey areas” of life… It can sometime be an unnecessary evil…
The real problems exist in the fact that [1] we refuse to “POLICE” ourselves…. [2] we cannot fairly, honestly and judiciously constructively criticize ourselves and [3] we have this inordinate ability and “gravitas” to elevate “self-righteousness” to stratospheric levels…
SO GUYS LIKE ME ARE CONSIDERED THE “bad-boys” WITHIN THE RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT BECAUSE WE REFUSE TO SHY AWAY FROM EXPOSING THE “dark” SIDE OF THE “lie” WE AS CHRISTIANS LIVE… THAT GOES FOR MY OWN CHURCH OR ANY OTHER RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT FOR THAT MATTER!!!
It however goes without saying anyway David, as my viewpoint on BU & elsewhere has always been sacrosanct… REGARDLESS OF THE CRITICS’ DAMNATION!!!
I can’t dress it up and make it look pretty.The plain truth is that too many men like money and power and then they use that money and power to get as much sex as they can. And even the old dribbly ones who can scarcely get it up still looking for sex and money and power.
This is the truth plain and simple. NO lotta long talk.
The women and children should make a new rule for the men. Since men have long been making rules for women and children.
Any man who wants to go into religious ministry has to be castrated first.
This would help to weed out some although I admint not all of the perverts.
Then these castrati would be able to concentrate on serving God and his people instead of as at present concentrating on serving their own sexual desires.
Surely any man who love God would be willing to give up his nuts for God’s sake. It seems to me a tiny sacrifice (or ok 2 tiny sacrifices)
Isn’t it amazing how many people(esp men) don’t want women to lead in the church. Dem mens fraid dem gine loose outta de glorious sex and wemmen. It is time wemmen tek de chuch from dem wutless mens.
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE UNASHAMED
“I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line.
“I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
“My past is redeemed; my present makes sense; my future is secure.”
“I’m finished and done with low living, smooth knees, mundane talking, cheap living.”
“I no longer need prosperity, position, promotions, or popularity.”
“I no longer have to be right, first, recognized, praised or rewarded.”
“I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.”
“My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear.”
“I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed.”
“I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ.”
“I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, and preach till all know.”
“When He comes for His own my banner will be clear.”
That’s why I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!!
@Terrance Blackett,
You’ve hit the nail on the head with your abundant research on these frauds.
Unfortunately, it appears that the clothed people are the main perpetrators.
I wholeheartedly agree with you: holders of the honorary degree should not title themselves as “Dr”. They do so, indeed, to subtly convey that they have subjected themselves to vigorous research. This is deception and fraud.
There are quite a few of these people in Barbados parading these “degrees” who don’t even have an associate degree.
How can you preach to people with an open face while practicing deception.
By the way, in as much as you might not like Oral Roberts University’s policy -it is a REGIONALLY ACCREDITED university. But remember: money talks!
Where did the the Apostles Lucille Baird and David Durant earn their doctorates?
John Walcott | October 3, 2010 at 3:19 PM |
You speak of folk in the “church” using titles. This is clearly of man
If you would read the Nt you will find that church officers have no rank or titles.
You will find that though the NT reads in some places, PAUL, CALLED TO BE AN APOSTLE, that at no time does it ever refer to him as the apostle Paul.
In 2 Peter 3 for example, Peter refers him as our beloved Paul
Nowhere in the true church should believers have titles or rank. The scriptures , however, speaks of TWO OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH the deacon or the pasrtor-teacher who is also called elder or overseer.
::
Re How can you preach to people with an open face while practicing deception.
This has been going on by apostates from the time of the early church Read about it in 2 Peter 2 and Jude . And it will continue until the second coming.
It is noteworthy that both 2 Peter 2 and the book of Jude describes the end or reward of all apostates and “church” charlatans.
You need not worry about such as their reward/jugement is sure. Individuals should try to ensure that they make their “calling and election sure” as taught in 2 Peter 1.
islandgal246 | October 3, 2010 at 11:49 AM |
Re Isn’t it amazing how many people(esp men) don’t want women to lead in the church
Below I have copied the three Scriptures that folk in serious sane sober Scripture believing churches follow in this matter.
Re Dem mens fraid dem gine loose outta de glorious sex and wemmen.
Serious sane sober Scripture believing men who are not apostates don’t go church for sex. At any rate they ought to
I Timothy Chapter 3
1. This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3. Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4. One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5. (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6. Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8. Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9. Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
11. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Titus 1:5-8
5. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: 6. If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8. But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9. Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
I Timothy Chapter 2
10. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11. Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
11. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
12. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
13. For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
Yes, I whole heartedly agree, that those with ‘honorary’ doctorates, who don’t even have an associate degree, should not use the title of ‘Doctor’ it is simply not right; also, invariably when they attempt to teach the ‘Word’ it becomes patently obvious how shallow their substance is, yet they carry the fancy titles of Rev. Apostle, Dr. so and so.
Those who have studied earnestly and diligently at Bible College and Seminary, burning the mid-night oil, a true labor of love for His Word, know that you never truly stop being a student of the ‘Word’ for after one’s formal graduation, then you really start studying in earnest, again, always consulting the library of the informed, as it never stops in being able to ‘rightly divide’ the Word of God, the most awesome responsibility there is, as to mislead one soul, whose eternal destiny may depend on what one teaches, is a tremendous task, to say the least.
J | October 3, 2010 at 11:44 AM It is amazing that except for Eli”s sons Hophni and Phineas that NO OT priests were charged with sexual immorality.
In the NT according to 1 Peter 2 ALL BELIEVERS ARE PRIESTS
Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit instructed the early church and the church age that sexual immorality ought not to be named once among them check 1 Corinthians. Again if you read 2 Peter 2 and Jude such behavior was rampant among false teachers and apostates.
Please kindly note that neither in the OT or NT is the qualification you prescribe for church leaders given. And a church leader cant have sex with a church member without their consent, Other wise one is dealing with rape Ah lie? Not saying it is condoned because the Scriptures does not permit it.
Do you know that it is taught in 1 Corinthians that to commit sins of sexual immorality is TO SIN AGAINST ONE”S OWN BODY?
The reasons why church leaders are REQUIRED BY SCRIPTURE TO HAVE A WIFE is to protect against such. If a church leader is appointed in accordance with the regulations as outlined above an commits sexual immorality then the woman with whom he does it is just as guilty because she would/ should know that the man is off limits
islandgal246 | October 3, 2010 at 9:13 AM |
It is sad when religion becomes a divider
There are only two religions my friend. That espoused by those who seek to sincerely teach the Word of God, and those who seek ANOTHER GOSPEL OR TEACHING OR TO ADD TO WHAT IS TAUGHT IN THE WORD OR THOSE WHO IRRELIGIOUS.
If you think of what I have said you will see this makes sense
Next note that the CROSS AND WHAT IT REPRSENTS DIVIDES MEN
It divided the soldiers at the foot of the cross, it divided the believing disciples and the rest of the male onlookers, it divided the thieves, it divided the women at the foot of the cross and the women in the mocking mob. The cross has always divided men and it always will. There are believers and there are unbelievers NOTE THAT THERE ARE UNBELIEVERS IN THE “CHURCH”.
You will find that RRUE believers are not sheep. True believers have given up their lives for their belief in Christ. They are doing it to day. True believers in Christ are willing to suffer torture and ridicule True believers don’t run with the crowd nor do they follow BLINDLY TRUE BELIEVERS STUDY AND DO LIKE THE BELIEVERS AT BEREA AND CHECK THE SCRIPTURES FOR THEMSELVES TO SEE IF WWHAT THEY WERETAUGH IS SO OR NOT.
Re Humans need to stop being like sheep and following blindly without questioning whether it is right or wrong.
VERY FEW PEOPLE REALLY DO THIS OK MANY ASK QUESTIONS AND MAKE THEIR CHOICE AND THEN MOCK BELIEVERS
RE Deep down many know but are afraid to go against the tide. This includes family as well. YES MANY KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT AND CHOSE WRONG LIKE PILATE HUMANS DO THIS ROUTINELY
BUT THEY HAVE THE CHOICE TO DO THIS WITH THE FREE SPIRIT OF THEIR HUMANITY TO CHOSE !
FREE SPIRIT OF YOUR HUMANITY TO CHOSE !
Re If I have to choose between a world with religion and one without I will certainly try the one without.
You see you do have the chance to chose what you want to believe or not believe unlike what some twit on BU has said. You are indeed exercising in this case YOUR FREE SPIRIT OF YOUR HUMANITY TO CHOSE !
I have been brought up to respect the church and its people but most of all, the teachings of christ.I was priviledged to have been to Bible school and been bestowed a bariffle of diplomas,certificates and the works! I got a special document which read thatI had studied the life and the body of christ and was worthy of a certificate of excellence. I look back on my journey through the church and I am not ammused years later.In the church I have been a victim and bore a special anger for those who are preaching one thing and doing another. I almost become an athiest but my higher power has been good to me.I almost committed suicide this is why I no longer believe in breaking down any church pew.
Jimmy Swaggart used to make me cry everytime he came on television. So I was positive it would never happen to me again.Not so lucky…Jippy Doyle almost made me miss work some afternoons .The videos presented should be viewed over and over again because something is to be learned from them.The church has become a stomping ground for those seeking self establishment and personal gain. It has become the market place for financial gain. I am not impressed!!
The Doctorate degrees which some preachers proport to have ,confuses me since given the timing casts some doubts in my my mind.There was a time when The Angilcan church,The Catholic and The Methodist were heavily recoginized with their priestly qualifications but now Sam Cuchie and de Duppy have a title.Terrence Blackett has awakened in me years of questions and
so few answers.I am bitter still but hope one day to find my way over! Members of the church and men and women of the cloth
How do you repair the lives you have disrupted? I urge ALL BU family to watch Pillars Of The Earth. My head is bloodfied but un-bowed(adpt).
Hants | October 3, 2010 at 9:02 AM |
Re Georgie Porgie wrote “Men have ALWAYS HAD THE CHOICE TO CHOSE GOD”.
Hants says, all people are NOT created equal and do not all have the intellect to decide for themselves the correct path to follow.
Hants my friend ask BT he would tell you that Jesus chose fishermen and humble men. So you don’t have to.be an intellectual to come to Christ Just take up a NT and read it and ask God to make it meaningful to you, and show you HIS WAY. As say in John 14; 6 or Acts 4:12 etc
Re As children we were taken to church and grew up believing that the words coming out of a priest’s mouth were the correct interpretations of the Bible.
I had the same experience I was expected by my Rector to become a priest I was such an ardent and fervent Anglican. But then I heard the Gospel message and chose to believe it at age 16. I am glad I did. THE GOSPEL MESSAGE IS NOT PRESENTED IN THE ANGLICAN CHURCH THAT WE KNOW even though passages from the Gospels and epistles are tread each week.
.Re But it turns out that unless you chose the correct “Priests” like GP and Zoe, we have been following Satan’s Priest’s.
Again you don’t have to follow me or Zoe. I have never ever met Zoe. I certainly do not go to his church or church group, but his interpretation of the Scriptures coincides with that which I have learned by studying the Bible myself reading proper commentaries listening to good teachers and letting the Holy Spirit sift the wheat from the chaff for my understanding.
And you don’t have to get a degree in Theology in order to be able to truly understand his teachings. There are many who understand with out Theological degrees. Let Christ into your heart and the Holy Spirit will help you to understand the Word of God and to discern the writings of demons and devils and apostates.’’
As titles were being discussed. Should pastors be referred to as Father when the bible says the following, or am I interpreting it wrong?
Mat 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Technician
Re Are you telling me that unless we are like GP and Zoe, that we are doomed?
We have not said so at any time.
And you know the way Techie! You confess to having been exposed!
Re Now what is confusing to me is that the same Jews that Zoe defends with every fibre of his being DOES NOT even share his views in terms of the Word. Are they doomed too?
This ought not to confuse you at all if you would read all the scriptures on the subject .
Do you think that Zoe does not know that most Jews don’t believe their Bible and what it says about Jesus?
Do you think that Zoe does not know that such Jews are lost and DOOMED according to the precepts set out in John 3:16=36 or John 5 or elsewhere ?
Do you think that Zoe does not know that the SAME rules applies for ALL MEN?
However, if you would read Romans 9-11, and several OT prophecies about Israel or the Jews as a nation you will see that the Bible clearly teaches that GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH THE JEW. You will see that God will begin a new relationship with the BELIEVING REMNANT AFDTER THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON.. You will see also that God has some unfinished promises to keep concerning his chosen people.
You need not take our word for it but you could listen to what I say and read it for yourself if you have time. You will find that the man’s theology is as sound as a bell man !
Technician | October 3, 2010 at 8:22 AM |
RE Zoe says….
‘But, then again, they are the false prophets who come to us in various shades of deception, who might also be grappling with they own sexual temptations, apart from being ‘false’ prophets, claiming some kind of special ‘revelation’ as God’s end-time exclusive spokesmen, we see them in the JW’s Mormons, SDA, et al, who have twisted and violated the sound principles of biblical interpretion, in order to propagate their various brands of heresy, all the while pointing fingers at others, whose sins in the arena of sexual immorality, are ready meat for the secular media to explore as headline news.
This, to me IMHO, is a low and nasty blow , similar to a shoulder high full toss and dont even say that the ball slipped from your grasp on this occasion.
Cant wait to read de Hood’s response to this.
Again you are wrong Techie The behavior above is especially dealt with in 2 Peter 2 and the book of Jude man. Zoe is accurate. I am not naming denominations now, Ok I am talking about APOSTATES OF ALL FAITH
read it for yourself man dont take my word.
@ GP
“There are many who understand with out Theological degrees.
***********************************************
Is this meant to suggest that those with theological degrees understand?
If so, who are they? and to begin with, can we find out from them why God created the Devil and why Jesus spoke in parables -which ensured that those listening had no idea what he was talking about?
Georgie Porgie | wrote on pm October 3, 2010 at 6:30 PM “It is amazing that except for Eli”s sons Hophni and Phineas that NO OT priests were charged with sexual immorality.”
Dear Georgie Porgie: because it is not recorded in the Bible that does not mean that it did not happen. Until recently if a priest/pastor etc committed a sexual offense nothing was recorded. In all of Barbados’ history the only pastor who has been convicted of molesting a child is Jippy Doyle. You may want to believe that Pastor Doyle is the only sexual predator in the history of the church in Barbados, but I know that he is not the only one. The same with the Scriptures. Do you really think that if any if the notables in the Old or New testament had committed a sexual offense against a minor it would have been recorded?
You go on the say that a minister should be the husband of one wife etc and I kow those Scriptures very well. The thing is most of these MONSTERS do have one wife and yet they still can’t keep their doggies in their pants. So I say OFF WITH THEIR NUTS. A minor sacrifice.
And you go on to say that the women in the church should know better that to have sex with the pastor and are therefore just as guilty as the pastor. The thing is GP you know very well that a lot of these men like to have sex with with children and teenagers who do not have the life experience needed to rebuff them. You bet not a married pastor fella gine ask me a question. Because if he did I would OFF WITH HIS NUTS. Whether or not the Bible advises this as a cure.
I know a Bajan fella who as a young married teacher went to Jamaica and had a child with a woman. The child was almost 2 when he left JA. The child and its mother NEVER heard from him again (not up to now) At the time he disappeared back into Barbados the child mother had no idea he was a married man. She thought that he was her staunch man and her child father. When he was finished teaching he was ordained into the Anglican church (I think that he is a HC boy too GP, one of your peers, if I call his nam certainly you would recognize him) and is still a priest in St. Vincent. A right rascal. If he ever shows up at my church I walking straight out the door.
It is alright quoting the Scripturs but we all know that there are a lotta, lotta wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Dear Bush Tea:
Jesus spoke in parables because parables make the story sweeter an more memorable. Wh’ happen to you? Didn’t your father sit wuna down at night and tell some sweet old stories.
You really want a completely literal world?
And if there was no devil who would Christians have to blame their sins on?
Jippy Doyle can say that the devil (instead of his doggie) made him do it. And so can all the other Christian rascals.
If you should horn Mrs. Tea (and I am sure that you never have) then you can say “the devil made me do it.
If I should call in sick tomorrow even though I am feeling hale and hearty I can say “the devil made me do it”
Christians need the devil as much as the OT folk needed a scapegoat.