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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

COMMUNITARIAN SOCIAL JUSTICE AGENDA IN EMERGING CHURCHES


Amitai Etzioni - Hidden Guru of Globalization:

From:
http://fanaticforjesus.blogspot.com/2012/03/communitarianism-collectivist-values-in_05.html:
"American sociologist and educator Amitai Etzioni was one of the prominent founders of this newly shaped philosophy. He believes that individuals have been given too much freedom and not enough responsibilities. Etzioni and other communitarians are in favor of more obligations and fewer rights.[4]They desire the community to live up to the basic principle of the good society. But as you will learn, it will only be good for those in charge."

From the excellent blog, The Communitarian Trap, one of three Christian blogs by its author, is this timely and thorough post, found at:
http://thecommunitariantrap.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hands-and-feet-of-christ-and.html.
Below is the complete, unedited post:

The Hands and Feet of Christ and the Identifying Marks of a Communitarian Social Justice Agenda

The Church on a Mission

 









_______________________________________________________
OUR COMMENT ABOUT "LIFE GROUPS": Here is an example of a feelings based, experiential "life group" 
ministry at a Baptist church, where "teaching and fellowship" are not the purposes. Instead, the focus is
on "sharing personal situations, self interpretation of Bible, group (community) over individual growth,
and how you can be 'used'". This is an excerpt from that church website at 
"Life Groups:
A Life Group is a small group of people who meet in homes in order to develop a deeper spiritual family where 
we experience and demonstrate the love and power of Christ. The goal of a Life Group is not “teaching” or 
“fellowship.”  While these are important elements, the goal is to experience Christ’s love and power.
This is a different purpose than a Bible Study group, where the goal may be to acquire Bible 
knowledge and apply it.  Life Groups maintain a healthy balance on four core values: Sharing, Study, Prayer,
and Service.
Share: Sharing is a time where you get to know others and where you allow others to know you, 
specifically to allow others to know the concrete ways in which you are currently looking for God to act in your
life.
Study: Life-change takes place when both God’s truth and the power of the Holy Spirit operate on our hearts. 
The clearest and most certain place where truth can be found is in the Scripture. For this reason, our groups 
will be driven to and driven by the Bible.
Pray: The purpose of the prayer time is to take the truths of the biblical text and “pray them into 
the heart” of each individual and the group.
Serve: Jesus came “to seek and save the lost.”  The activity, which energized his life, was looking out to 
needs beyond his own:  not an obsession with caring for himself.  The starting point for mission is the other 
members of the group and it grows towards those outside the group. As long as people come to Life 
Group primarily for what they can get out of it, rather than for what they can contribute to it, the group 
will be unhealthy and anemic."
________________________________________________________________________
Churches build community within groups, and in turn they perform service projects that reach into 
the surrounding community. Based on the service/volunteerism of the group, the church becomes a hub 
for the community. As a strategy of change agents, the Church is on a "mission from God" that has 
become the friendly face that is creating a good society, which will unknowingly facilitate the transition 
of Christians and churches into the collectivist mindset for the New World Order.
(OUR COMMENT: 
For example, Willowdale Chapel of Unionville, PA and their $6.5 million "Shine Like Stars" 
"community program" merging church ministries, government, and social service 
organizations. See: http://www.willowdalechapel.org/slscampaign/, and our previous 
post about Willowdale's collectivist/communitarian approach at:
ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2013/02/willowdale-chapel-advised-by-tim-keller.html)


The hands represent the interconnectedness of the group, and 
unity in diversity - also seen in many churches. Ironically the 
ministry photo from the top of the post, parallels Amitai 
Etzioni's book cover. He's the founder of the Communitarian 
Network, and teaches the Third Way political concepts of the 
good society. Unfortunately, his ideas have proven to be 
totalitarian.


At the Root of Volunteerism
Volunteerism is an integral part of Communitarianism. It is part of being a good citizen. Based on the 
writings of Amitai Etzioni's Communitarian Network, the following statement describes how volunteerism 
fits into the community:
"National and local service, as well as volunteer work, is desirable to build and express a civil commitment. 
Such activities, bringing together people from different backgrounds and enabling and encouraging them 
to work together, build community and foster mutual respect and tolerance."[1]
Their logic is that you need to build community in order to create a collective mindset. Creating a collective 
mindset eliminates individualism, which is what America's social-political ideals were built upon. Collectivism 
is the basis for Karl Marx's Socialist/Communist philosophy. In collectivism, the group consensus comes first 
over one's personal ambitions. Wikipedia states that:
"Collectivism is any philosophic, political, religious, economic, or social outlook that emphasizes the
interdependence of every human.[2] The term interdependence in the Communist Manifesto (1848)
in describing the universal interdependence of nations in comparison to the old local and national seclusion
of independence and self-sufficiency."[3]
Marx and Engel's social relationships and processes are associated with Feudalism, including the 
interdependence of church and state, and the economic interdependence of families. Coincidentally, 
Feudalism is a system that is interconnected and interdependent, as you see below.[4]




















Realizing that these concepts lead to Communism, note what this U.N. representative said about unity in 
Diversity and interconnectedness:
 "...the highest possible attainment of a civilization, a testimony to the most noble possibilities of the human 
race. This attainment is made possible through passionate concern for choice, in an atmosphere of social 
trust." Michael Novak, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Commission [5]
Interdependence, unity in diversity, and interconnectedness are New Age/occult concepts that are taught 
in Theosophy. The Theosophical Society promotes the following:
"An essential principle of theosophy is its concept of a holistic world view which emphasizes the unity and 
interconnectedness of all life, the basic oneness of all people and all species of life. Its  philosophy points to 
a divine spark in each of us that is always part of the Source from which it arises."
These three teachings are being used to bring in the single authoritarian government. Take note of this 
statement from the UNESCO website. When following the link, you will see that all these concepts are there. 
It is man's solution to peace - which skirts around the true solution for peace:
Today, sustainable development calls to rethink our relationship to the economy, to society and the 
environment, bearing in mind that the emerging and future challenges of humankind do require 
collective responses, which implies the kind of solidarity that can result only from a culture of peace, 
non-violence and dialogue which condenses “that which binds” cultures and societies to each other 
and from within. In turn, a culture of peace fosters sustainable development since it is aimed at helping 
people cope resiliently and creatively with ethical, cultural, political, environmental and other social 
transformations.
True peace is not the lack of conflict between men, but the lack of conflict between men 
and God. God has given us the solution to human conflict and that solution is the person 
of Christ Jesus. There is only one “roadmap to peace” and it is the path with Jesus.[6]

If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you would know that Antichrist will come in peaceably 
on a platform of peace, prosperity, and safety for all nations and all religions - deceiving the majority.
Satan has cleverly uses doctrines of demons to get the church on board with cleverly disguised global 
and community missional goals to assist the Enemy in securing the world for his purposes. Even the 
overemphasis of the teaching on love - it all plays a part of the elimination of intolerance, so that proponents 
can bring about civic cooperation, create responsibilities, and achieve common good  for the 
community/world.[7] 

The Purpose of the Church
Within the last decade, the corporate church has created a new mission for the Church - to be the hands 
and feet of Christ. The Purpose Driven and Emergent/Missional churches have used 1 Cor. 12:12-26 to 
create an unified Christian workforce for the world. Please read closely:
"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, 
are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews 
or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body 
is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; 
is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; 
is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole 
were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the 
body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they 
many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: 
nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, 
which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be 
less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more 
abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, 
having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. That there should be no schism in the 
body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member 
suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it."
The true meaning of these verses is directed toward genuine believers, so that:
  1. Each believer in the Body of Christ will seek unity within the Body, and
  2. Each believer has a different spiritual gift, their position within the Body has an important part. 
It does not mean that the Church is to become the volunteer "good works" workforce for 
the community or some far-off land. If coupled with the Great Commission, it still isn't the 
correct use of scripture.
(Comment from us:
For example: "Good Neighbors Home Repair" of Kennett Square, PA, 
www.goodneighborshomerepair.org, an ecumenical, interfaith, interdenominational volunteer
organization that uses the services of students and others to do needed home repairs for the 
poor. Trouble is, they get exposed to mystical contemplative practices where they have meals 
and sleeping accomodations under the guise of "worship".)

The Christian Communist uses several passages to advance their theological and political theory based upon 
the view that the teachings of Jesus Christ compels Christians to support Communism as the ideal social 
system. Christ did not support any political system. He merely wanted believers to be connected with one 
another, and not fly solo. Since it is often times difficult living separate from the world system, He desired us 
to stick together. He wanted us to encourage one another in love, in spite of our giftings and differences 
within the Body.














"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Gal. 6:2
The modern church now sees fit to assume the key role of managing the transformation of society. 
That is a far reach from the original intent  for the purpose of the Church.
With the emphasis on the concern for community and social justice issues, this should cause us to 
question the genuine purpose of the Body of Christ. The Bible says that it is to: worship God (Luke 4:8; 
John 4:23), study His Word (2 Tim. 2:15), pray (Acts 2:42), love one another (John 13:35), bear one 
another's burdens (Gal. 6:2), learn how to live as godly people (Titus 2:11-12), for the perfecting of the 
saints (Eph. 4:12), and to spread the Gospel (Matt. 28:18-20).

Buzz Word: The Use and Meaning of Words
Change agents routinely alter the meaning and use of biblical words and phrases. For instance, 
the Emergent/Purpose Driven church use of the phrase "the hands and feet of Christ." This 
phrase actually has two meanings - one true and the other false. The first meaning is used in 
Gospel outreach. It describes one who goes out to preach the Gospel to an unsaved world headed toward 
judgment. It is one who reaches their surrounding community through Gospel Mission ministries to the poor, 
and prison outreach, as they deliver the “good news” that condemned sinners worthy of judgement from 
God’s wrath, having offended a holy God. It has been used over the years within the Church to emphasize 
that each individual believer, as they work in ministry, may be the only Jesus the unbelieving world will ever 
see. It's the basis for lifestyle evangelism, and it can often silently lead people to the Lord. 
The second use of the phrase is relatively new. The Purpose Driven, seeker friendly church, is 
one that improves society. Outside of bettering society, the missional concept has no content; 
it specifically denies a mission of proclaiming an escape from God’s coming wrath. 
For the Emergent, “The journey is the reward,” and the journey will certainly end well for all.[8] 
If it has a Gospel presentation, it's typically a weak one, or no Gospel at all. It mobilizes the unrepentant 
to good works - to be the hands and feet of Christ.













You can see the contrast in the sermon notes of this popular preacher, who will remain nameless. In his
Gospel-driven message,  he says:
"The work of Jesus Christ in the world is in the hands of those who belong to Him. In that sense, Christ has 
no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet. The Lord commissioned His earthly ministry to His followers,
saying, 'Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the 
Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you (Matt 28:20)'"[9] The phrase 
sounds similar to that of the Emergent/Missional church, but this preacher's church has only outreach to 
their local Gospel Mission, a prison ministry, a local Christian college, and a pastor's training program. He is 
not flawless, since his church promotes interdependence with government, but it doesn't seem to be 
promoting social justice missions projects.

Now let's look at Rick Warren's writings. In the following quote, Warren was speaking about disaster relief
for Hurricane Katrina:
"Disaster presents Christians with unprecedented opportunities to mobilize the Church
and become the hands and feet of Christ. We need to become audio-visual Christians – 
not just talking about it, but doing it." [10]

















Straight from Rick Warren's Dominionist plan.[11] What makes it uniquely 
Communitarian is the interconnectedness of the social, political, and economic sectors.

This reflects the double meaning for 1 Cor. 12: 12-27, and how these are man's idea, not God's.
Mobilizing an army of Christian workers is a man thing, not a God thing. This was never seen in
the Bible, but is seen in the U.N. Millennium Development Goals - an organization Rick Warren has had 
closecontact with.[12]

Ironically, another famous person used the same concept of service. Teresa of Avila put it like this:
“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which 
he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands 
through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are 
his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

Teresa of Avila (1515 – 1582) was a prominent Spanish mystic, a Roman Catholic saint, 
involved in contemplative prayer. She wasn't hearing from the Lord, rather from the spirit 
world.
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false 
prophets are gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1
"Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: 
they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD." 
Jeremiah 23:16

 Calling a Spade a Spade
What once seemed like a harmless principle on the unity of the Body taught in 1 Cor. 12: 12-27, 
is now the rallying cry of  the corporate Church. The once clear-cut purpose of the Church has 
now been molded by change agents to have the elements of  Tony Blair's interfaith Faith 
Foundation, the Roman Catholic-rooted  liberation theology, and Purpose Driven/Emergent 
church/missional model.
















Can you see how the Church has moved from freedom to servitude? Christians are slowly being
brainwashed to think like Communists.[13] Some in Christianity have traditionally viewed our service
to God as an act of slavery, taking the ancient images of slavery and superimposing them onto modern
Christianity. Their is a notion that our normal relationship and service to God should be that of a slave to
a master, instead of that of a child of God responding out of love and gratitude to a good God. In reading
the following verse, being slaves is not the picture of what Jesus described to us of who we are. He does
desire our obedience and service, but it is in our freedom that we do so.
 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the 
servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have 
heard of my Father I have made known unto you." John 15:13-15

 Leadership Network
Church planting goals, sales tactics, and community "good works" outreach goals sound as 
though they are biblical, but actually spill over into a goal of reaching the local community 
with the totalitarian agenda of Communitarianism. They are using the concepts developed 
by the Leadership Network, whose goal it is to reach your church's global missions program.
__________________________________________________________

 (Our Comments:
See our previous post: 
in which we pointed out:
"What in the world is going on?
    Do pastors learn this way of "doing" church from their seminary training? In part, yes. 
The other source is perhaps Rick Warren via Peter Drucker. Another would be the church 
growth methods of the "Leadership Network"http://www.leadnet.org/ for so-called "next 
generation pastors" running multi-site church "campuses" into change agents (facilitators) 
as described in:
See YouTube videos from Leadership Network Channel:

Leadership Network promo 2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2iiXC0LY4g.


Communal Morphing by Steve Saccone: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqyhR2PFr9U.

    To quote the Leslies again: "Drucker has dedicated much effort into bringing the church 
into conformance with the “systems” model of governance, which is known as Total Quality 
Management in the corporate world.""In this model, parishioners are “customers.” "The 
focus shifts to “outcomes” which means that people will have to be held “accountable” for 
“performance.”" "Peter Drucker grew up under the influence of the German philosophies of 
the 1800s." "The Corporate and the Church subsume their identities and comfortably merge 
with State into one comprehensive “system” of governance for mankind.")
_______________________________________________________________











The Leadership Network's logo symbolizes the interconnecting network of feudalism. "The Feudal 
system had a ruling class who owned all the land and wealth, and provided security and safety to 
all the serfs. In turn the serfs provided work and servitude to their master. But many people do 
not realize the collective aspect of how serfs lived together.[14]" 


While watching the video, take note of the "global message," the use of Socialist Peter Drucker's name
(founder of the Purpose Driven model), the concern for sustainability, their use of guided solutions,
and the desire to change the world.


Then there is this video by the Leadership Network. Note as they speak about social justice. I should
mention first that the phrase "social justice" was coined by a Jesuit, and "is a part of Catholic social teaching,
the Protestants' Social Gospel. It is one of the Four Pillars of the Green Party upheld by green parties 
worldwide. Social justice is a secular concept, distinct from religious teachings, emerged mainly in the late
twentieth century, influenced primarily by philosopher John Rawls. [15]" In case you don't know, the
Jesuits lead the counter reformation and the Reconstruction movement of the Roman Catholic Church,
and are Dominionists.



And this one on community engagement being a mission for God.
See explanation of "cross domain" at the 8 minute mark especially:



Service Projects









Community service and Christian service projects are good things to do. Seeing the lives of 
the lost being touched by these projects is also good. Giving to the poor, needy, and 
oppressed is called for in the Bible. But we should not be ignorant of the fact that something 
greater is presently taking place. We should not be reluctant to question the change in the 
overall mission of the church, and try to see how it fits into the big world picture, even if they 
mention a generic "God" and say the Gospel is being preached.
(Comment:
See our notes above about the: 
"Good Neighbors Home Repair" 
Willowdale Chapel at:

Most of us have been taught not to make waves, be compliant, and not question authority, since it is
viewed by some to be sinful to disagree. We must understand that there is nothing wrong with questioning
what the church experts claim - since they are fully capable of being wrong. Many times this includes how
they use scripture.










Communitarian ideology has infiltrated the corporate Church, making it completely acceptable 
to become servants to the world. As their indoctrinating educational church materials continue 
to flood the Church, positions will continue to move believers from the socially conservative 
camp to the Communitarian camp, whether they realize it or not. As long as church members 
internalize the values of what they are being taught by these fraudulent evangelism experts, 
they will always fall prey to those who have grander ideas.

Perhaps we should consider these verses about helping the needy.
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your 
Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as 
the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto 
you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand 
doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee 
openly."
Could it be that when we help the poor, needy, and oppressed, that we do it in secret? Perhaps we should 
question whether these open acts of service are to be done on an individual basis among the Body of Christ 
first, then serving unbelievers who are open to the Gospel, second. Has the church considered that the 
people in their own congregation may be in need nearly as much as the heathen people in far-off lands? 
This is just one example of a possible inconsistency in the way we are doing things today in the church. 
It seems to me that helping those in private shows far more of a heart of compassion than that of an army 
of follower volunteers. If we are compassionate, we will help them without the group.

Specifics 
The following is a list of social justice issues. It is only an excerpt of a greater list from a Catholic university
website.

Catholic Social Justice Issues
  • Access to food, clean water and shelter 
  • Community: promotion of the common good, e.g. education 
  • Development of poor countries in an effort to alleviate human misery 
  • Dignity of the human person from creation: abortion; euthanasia; the death penalty 
  • Family-friendly economic policy—where does the US stand in this regard? 
  • Global responsibility for alleviation of economic inequality 
  • Human dignity: how poverty affects human rights 
  • Marginalization of the poor 
  • Pacifism, disarmament 
Children's Rights
  • Exploitation of children 
  • Child soldiers in Uganda 
  • Child workers enslaved on chocolate farms in Ivory Coast 
  • Child workers in India 
  • Human trafficking – prostitution 
  • Right to free education 
  • Right to adequate healthcare 
  • Rights and their corresponding social responsibilities
Climate Change
  • Climate change inequitably impacts developing countries 
  • Help is needed to adapt to climate change—technology, policy, etc. 
  • Effect of sea level rise to small island nations, e.g.
  • Enable the most vulnerable states and populations to become more resilient to climate change by 
  • mitigation and adaptation 
Criminal Justice 
  • Challenges of terrorism: extraordinary rendition, torture and unlawful detention 
  • Death penalty / capital punishment 
  • Human trafficking 
  • Police powers and human rights 
  • Prisoners’ rights 
  • Racial profiling 
Conclusion
When Christians walk through the doors of a church, they would never anticipate that they would be
intentionally deceived by a political agenda, no matter how subtle it is. This is why Communitarianism is
so cleverly disguised. It combines the believers desire to spread the good news, alongside the political
objective of creating a collectivist mindset. It is truth mixed with lies, and made to appear biblical.

As these church volunteer/service projects continue, allow my words to challenge you in determining how
participating in Christian community projects are part of the globalist/Dominionist/Communitarian plan to
transform the world. God's Word was intended to mean something very specific, but change agents have
seen the opportunity to manufacture this ingenious plan of the Enemy. Not only does it provide the
opportunity to create world socialism, but also a future false great awakening to accept a false messiah
figure. It is a conspiracy, and it's real.

It is a global deception...

"The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, 
and against his anointed, saying, 'Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from 
us.' He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them inderision." Psalm 2:2-4

...and the Church is participating in it.

"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing 
if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according 
to their works." 2 Cor. 11:13-15

 Need I say more.
Related Posts
Communitarianism: In Transition to Collectivist Values - Part 1
Communitarianism: In Transition to Collectivist Values - Part 2

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