THE CHURCH MILITANT
Ephesians 5:11-"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them". This Christian News Blog maintains a one stop resource of current news and reports of its own related to church, moral, spiritual, and related political issues, plus articles, and postings from other online discernment ministries, and media which share the aims to obey the biblical commands to shed light on and refute error, heresy, apostasy, cults, and spiritual abuse.
"Just cleared by an internal report in the “Fast and Furious” gunrunning debacle, Eric Holder, the nation’s top lawman now faces allegations that his connection to Dr. Tyrone Cecil Malloy is a conflict of interest that helps explain Holder’s failure to prosecute abortion providers who run afoul of federal law.Documents obtained by Watchdog show that Holder’s wife and sister-in-law co-own, through a family trust, the building where Malloy operated. A Georgia grand jury indicted Malloy on Medicaid fraud charges in 2011. A state medical board twice reprimanded the doctor.A statement from the Georgia Department of Law shows the building was home to Old National Gynecology, Malloy’s medical practice devoted to the performance of abortions. In December 2011, the statement says, a DeKalb County Grand Jury indicted Malloy, Old National’s owner and operator, and his former office manager CathyAnn Edwards Warner on two counts of Medicaid fraud. The indictment alleged Malloy and Edwards accepted nearly $390,000 in federal medical assistance payments for medical office visits associated with the performance of elective abortions and for ultrasound services that were never performed."
http://www.dianabutlerbass.com/, described within this program by CBS as a "church historian" (actually a liberal/progressive one), and wherein a variety of liberal "christians," humanists, atheists, hedonists, homosexualists, feminists and pagans explain how America is rejecting Bible-based (real) Christianity. Here is a video of Bass being interviewed about her book "Christianity After Religion", http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5DoQMGyjC0, in which she describes her preference for a new form of experiential spirituality rather than a reformation of old forms of spirituality and old institutions which are supported by the openly gay Catholic Andrew Sullivan and Ross Douthat of the New York Times debating "bad religion" in this video:
From the Boy Scouts: “scouting is a youth program, and any sexual conduct, whether homosexual or heterosexual, by youth of scouting age is contrary to the virtues of scouting. The Boy Scouts of America does not have an agenda on the matter of sexual orientation, and resolving this complex issue is not the role of the organization, nor may any member use scouting to promote or advance any social or political position or agenda.”
Obama and company never looked so sad that gun control legislation was defeated. Despite the down-turned lips and downcast expressions, Obama will bypass Congress and implement executive orders to get his way.
SPECIAL REPORT: Assemblies of God “Believe” Conference Makes Bold Move –
Brings in Contemplative Key Player Ruth Haley Barton
This August, in Orlando, Florida, the Assemblies of God USA will be presenting their General Council Conference, which takes place every two years. The title of this year’s
event is ”BELIEVE.” Scheduled to speak to “women in ministry” on one of the nights is
Ruth Haley Barton. This is a bold move that the Assemblies of God is making because
Barton is a major player in bringing contemplative mystical (i.e., mantra-based) prayer
into the evangelical church.
The mission statement for the conference is “Believe we are on the cusp of an unparalleled
Spiritual awakening.”1 On the conference website, it states: GENERAL COUNCIL is the Assemblies of God’s largest gathering. It takes place every two years bringing church leaders together from all around the world.2
It also says that the event will inspire encounters with God, shape the Assemblies of God
movement, and enhance [AOG leaders] ”skills and be inspired to advance the kingdom of God.”
While the Assemblies of God denomination has been going in the contemplative direction for
some time, especially within the AOG theological seminary, to bring a major contemplative
player in as a speaker to the movement’s main leadership conference illustrates how much
AOG has absorbed contemplative spirituality over the last few years especially.
As a little background, in 2005, Lighthouse Trails addressed the issue of contemplative coming
into AOG when we discussed Professor Earl Creps, director of the Doctor of Ministry at the
Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. Creps is probably one of the earliest figures within
the AOG movement to bring contemplative into AOG. In one document titled “Leading Others
and Myself,” Creps lists a number of New Spirituality, emerging church and contemplative
proponents as people he turns to.3 A 2006 LT article, “Assemblies of God: Committed to Spiritual Formation, Contemplative and Emerging,” stated: If Assemblies of God Theological Seminary is any indication, then AOG is headingstraight towards contemplative spirituality and the emerging church. Earl Creps . . . is a heavy proponent of both contemplative and emerging. In hiscourse syllabi over the last five years, Creps has classes with titles such as “Leading the Emerging Church” and “Models of Ministry in the Emerging Church.” Syllabus reading materials include those from Henri Nouwen, Brian McLaren,Ken Blanchard,Dan Kimball, . . . and Leonard Sweet. A visit to Creps’ “Spiritual Adventures” blog gives a hearty helping of emergent discussion. Inone blog, Creps tries to show how there might be a union between Pentecostalism and the emerging church [i.e. contemplative], saying the relationship is “gaining some traction.”
As in most cases now, contemplative starts coming into a denomination through seminaries,
colleges, and universities, and in time reveals itself in the main body of that movement. That
is now what is happening with AOG bringing in Ruth Haley Barton to the General Council
event this year where AOG leaders from around the world will be participating.
For those who have followed Lighthouse Trails, you will know that Barton was trained at the
Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Washington, DC where she, according to her own
words, was “under the guidance of Tilden Edwards, Rosemary Dougherty and Gerald May.”
On Ruth Haley Barton’s Transforming Center website, she enthusiastically acknowledges
being trained there, but the site gives a vague and almost oxymoronic disclaimer saying:
“While she values allthat she has gained from the teachers and institutions in which she has
studied, this does not imply endorsement of everything taught in these environments.”4
(emphasis added)
We could talk about the beliefs of Tilden Edwards, Rosemary Dougherty, and Gerald May,
but we have in other articles that can be looked up on our research site and read. Basically,
these teachers are contemplative mystics who adhere to panentheism and universalism. It
was Edwards who said that, “This mystical stream [contemplative prayer] is the Western
bridge to Far Eastern spirituality (Spiritual Friend, p. 18). In other words, contemplative
spirituality draws all religions together in unity under the common denominator of mysticism. Who is Ruth Haley Barton?
After Barton finished her training at the Shalem Institute, she became the Associate Director
of Spiritual Formation at Willow Creek Community Church and co-authored (with John
Ortberg) a Spiritual Formation curriculum for Willow Creek. In time, Ortberg moved on to
become pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian in California, and Barton left to found the
Transforming Center, which claims to train thousands of pastors and leaders in the
contemplative way. She has written a number of books – virtually all having the core message
that you gain intimacy with God through the silence (that is her predominant message). Some
of these books are: Invitation to Solitude and Silence (foreword by Dallas Willard), Sacred Rhythms, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, and one of her more recent ones Pursuing God’s Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups.
So what is it exactly that Barton teaches? In a Christianity Today article titled “Drawing Closer to God,” Barton describes the practice of contemplative prayer, saying, “Ask for a simple prayer
to express your willingness to meet God in the silence . . . a simple statement . . . such as ‘Here
I am. . . . ’ Help yourself return to your original intent by repeating the prayer that you have
chosen.”
In Barton’s popular book, Invitation to Solitude and Silence, she goes into more depth: Identify your sacred space and time. Explore all the possibilities for a time and physical space in which you can be alone on a regular basis (p. 40) Begin with a modest goal, especially if silence is a new practice for you. Ten, fifteen or twenty minutes of time spent in actual silence is realistic, depending on such factors as your personality, pace of life, reliance on words and activity (p. 41). Settle into a comfortable yet alert physical position (p. 41). Ask God to give you a simple prayer that expresses your openness and desire for God. Choose a prayer phrase that expresses your desire or need for God these days in the simplest terms possible. It is best if the prayer is not more than six to eight syllables so that it can be prayed very naturally in the rhythm of your breathing. Pray this prayer several times as an entry into silence and also as a way of dealing with distractions. Distractions are inevitable, so when they come, simply let them go by like clouds floating across the sky. Help yourself return to the prayerful intent by repeating the prayer you have chosen. Use your prayer phrase for as long as it captures what is most true about your heart’s desire for God, and link it with a body posture that also helps you express your spiritual desire (pp. 41-42).
In regard to Barton’s disclaimer on her website, she can say that she does not endorse everything
she was taught at Shalem Institute, but the fact of the matter is what she just described above is
the essence of what Shalem believes and teaches. Everything they teach stems from this mystical
prayer. Perhaps she is implying that she does not adhere to their panentheistic (God in all) and
universalist (all are saved) views, but that would be ironic because these are the things that are
produced by practicing contemplative prayer. Ray Yungen calls them the “fruit” of contemplative
prayer. In A Time of Departing, Yungen discusses Shalem and its role in Barton’s spiritual life. He
includes a quote found on Shalem’s website to show the underlying roots of Shalem’s ultimate goal: In Christianity and other traditions that understand God to be present everywhere, contemplation includes a reverence for the Divine Mystery, “finding God in all things,” [panentheism] or “being open to God’s presence, however it may appear. (5)
Yungen shares his concerns about Ruth Haley Barton: “[Barton] echoes [goddess worshipper]
Sue Monk Kidd in many ways, including the general malaise or condition of the human soul.
Barton recounts: A few years ago, I began to recognize an inner chaos in my soul . . . No
matter how much I prayed, read the Bible, and listened to good teaching, I could not calm
the internal roar created by questions with no answers. (“Beyond Words“)
“The following scenario Barton relates could be the wave of the future for the evangelical
church if this movement continues to unfold in the manner it already has: I sought out a
spiritual director, someone well versed in the ways of the soul . . . eventually this wise woman
said to me, . . . “What you need is stillness and silence so that the sediment can settle and
the water can become clear.” . . . I decided to accept this invitation to move beyond my
addiction to words (“Beyond Words”)
“By ‘addiction to words’ [Barton] means normal ways of praying. She still uses words, but only
three of them, ‘Here I am.’ This is nothing more than the Cloud of Unknowing or [Henri Nouwen's]
prayer of the heart. Like Richard Foster, Barton argues that God cannot be reached adequately,
if at all, without the silence. In referring to I Kings 19 when Elijah was hiding in a cave, Barton
encourages: God loves us enough to wait for us to come openly to Him. Elijah’s experience
shows that God doesn’t scream to get our attention. Instead, we learn that our willingness to
listen in silence opens up a quiet space in which we can hear His voice, a voice that longs to
speak and offer us guidance for our next step. (“Beyond Words”)
“What Barton fails to mention here is that Elijah was a valiant defender of the belief in the one,
unique God – Yahweh (as seen in his encounter with the 450 prophets of Baal), and he never
went into an altered state of silence in his personal encounter with God.” (A Time of Departing,
2nd. ed., pp. 172-173)
Those reading this who are skeptical about what we are saying may be asking, “What’s so
wrong about repeating a word or phrase and going into an altered state of silence?” To this
we answer, this state of silence is the same state that occultists and Eastern meditation
practitioners enter when practicing transcendental meditation (TM). We can prove this by the
words of one of the men who trained Ruth Haley Barton – Gerald May (from Shalem Institute).
May wrote the foreword to a book titled Zen for Christians. In that book, he says the following:
I began to explore Eastern religions . . . I was taking my spiritual business elsewhere. Or
so I thought. What surprised me, eventually, was that my foray into Buddhism led me in a kind
of circle, back to my Christian roots. Over time, Buddhist practices [meditation] somehow
revealed to me the rich resources of Christian contemplative tradition that had been there
all along . . . I was not alone in that experience. . . [Those on the contemplative road] in their
searching, many turned toward the East and experienced exactly what I had – an
eventual discovery of deep nourishment [Eastern enlightenment] within their own original
traditions. The phenomenon happened so frequently that we gave it a name: “pilgrimage
home.” May was correct in stating that so-called “Christian” contemplative prayer is the
same as Buddhist meditation. As one adherent admitted, “The meditation of advanced
occultists is identical with the prayer of advanced mystics” (Kirby,Mission of Mysticism, p. 7).
Who are the “advanced mystics”? There are plenty of them, names you probably know:
Henri Nouwen, Richard Foster, Thomas Merton, Richard Rohr, and to that list we add Ruth
Haley Barton. Consider this: On Barton’s website, she sells books by Catholic priest and
contemplative activist Richard Rohr. In addition, she quotes him (in a prominent spot)
in her recent bookPursuing God’s Will Together fromhisbook, Everything Belongs.
Typical of other contemplatives, such as Thomas Merton, Rohr believes that everything is
connected together and that all is divine (thus, everybody belongs to the kingdom of God).
In his 2011 book,Falling Upward, Rohr implies that we all are ”immaculate conception[s]”
(p. ix). If these things are true, then there was no need for Jesus Christ to die on the Cross
for the sins of mankind. We would not need a Savior because we would already be
divine ourselves. In truth, contemplative spirituality is the antithesis of the Gospel. That is why
there are countless mystics who claim to know God (or Jesus) but will have nothing to do with
the Cross.
In a YouTube teaching video "Sacred Rhythms Group Bible Study" by Barton, she tells viewers,
“You have nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain [if you follow her instructions],”
but we say you have everything to lose and nothing to gain if you go down the contemplative path. Sadly, instead of being on the “cusp of an unparalleled Spiritual Awakening,” it appears that the Assemblies of God is going to be losing “a whole lot” in the days to come as they further open themselves to the contemplative “silence” and the spiritual deception that accompanies it. Our warning here is to be taken seriously. William Shannon, Thomas Merton’s biographer, validated our concern when he made the following observation: If one wants to understand Merton’s going to the East it is important to understand that it was his rootedness in his own faith tradition [Catholicism] that gave him the spiritual equipment [contemplative prayer] he needed to grasp the way of wisdom that is proper to the East. (Silent Lamp, p. 281)
This is what Tilden Edwards meant by the bridge to Far Eastern spirituality. Merton didn’t
become a Buddhist; rather he grasped the way that “is proper to the East.” That is how Merton,
as a Catholic monk, could say, “I intend to become as good a Buddhist as I can.”* In other words,
while you don’t become a Buddhist, you absorb the Buddhist view into your Christianity. This is
the underlying herald cry of the contemplative prayer movement, and it is something that can
never be reconciled with the message of the Cross.
The ironic thing is that the Assemblies of God has traditionally held to the biblical view of the end
times whereas contemplative spirituality lines up with a universal world religion, which will
encompass all humanity and unite under the man of sin. There has never been anything on the
scene before that would allow a universal religion that appeals to people on a broad scale. But
first people have to hook up to the common factor and binding agent of this one-world religion,
and that is contemplative prayer!
*David Steindl-Rast, “Recollection of Thomas Merton’s Last Days in the West” (Monastic Studies,
7:10, 1969).
Pastor Ralph Ovadal of Pilgrims Covenant Church, Monroe, Wisconsin, www.pccmonroe.org, has commented on the remarks of Melissa Harris-Perry of MSNBC. He recommends that all Christians should remove their children from the Godless government school system and that the Bible declares that it is the parents' responsibility to educate the children. Listen to his excellent 26 minute sermon here: http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=41213917230, or see srmonaudio.com at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=41213917230 for download.
What other pastors have dared to speak out on this issue? We will attempt to find them, but don't hold your breath!
Meanwhile, there has been outrage from secular media about this issue, comparing Harris-Perry's remarks to those of Hitler:
Here again is Harris-Perry urging a collectivist mindest when it comes to education of our children. Go to 8 minute mark for the tirade:
and also:
Harris-Perry has a history of exploding at people who don't agree with her thoughts and ideas, such as in this video. Just hold your ground and don't cower or knuckle under to her demagoguery.
WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID THE CATHOLIC CHURCH INSTEAD: Richard Bennett's Berean Beaconwww.bereanbeacon.org. He is an ex-Catholic Benedictine priest, educated by the Jesuits. See the latest YouTube video from Richard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BheUebiKZaI.
A prior video from Richard about Rick Warren given at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London:
Mike Gendron's Proclaiming the Gospel http://www.proclaimingthegospel.org/.
The following videos show how the Catholic Church has morphed over the centuries, and how tradition is equal to and/or above the Word of God:
Ken Silva of Apprising has the following articles about Rick Warren:
David Cloud's Way of Life reports:
Roma Downey, the Roman Catholic co-creator (with her husband) of the History Channel’s popular “The Bible” miniseries, says Pope Francis is “a new pope of hope” (“Roma Downey,” Christian Post, April 4, 2013). Downey, famous for her role as “the angel Monica” in the new-agey TV series “Touched by an Angel,” plays the part of Mary in “The Bible” miniseries. She says the example of Pope Francis will cause “the seeds of hope to flourish in people’s hearts and people’s lives.” In an earlier interview, Downey said, “I have prayed to Mary and loved her my whole life” (“The Bible: An Epic Mini-Series,” Catholiclane.com, Feb. 28, 2013). Roma attended the University of Santa Monica http://www.universityofsantamonica.edu/, offering Master's degrees in Spiritual Psychology, “founded by New Age spiritual and self-help guru JohnRoger” (“Roma Downey Happy Out of Spotlight,” Beck/Smith Hollywood, April 23, 2013). She says that she listens to books on tape by New Age guru Eckhart Tolle, who teaches the divinity of man. The creators of “The Bible” miniseries have not been afraid to add to and change God’s Word.
Don Green sermons from Vimeo video: "Why Are We 'Protestants'? We Reject the Papacy": http://vimeo.com/62695090. "Why Are We 'Protestants'? We Affirm Sola Scriptura": http://vimeo.com/62713346. Robert Zins, http://www.cwrc-rz.org/, debates a Roman Catholic priest who believes in universal salvation (universalism):
Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro has authored and sent a letter to Chuck Hagel, Secretary of Defense, and signed by 10 lawmakers demanding to know the reasons: http://delauro.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1211:bipartisan-group-urges-hagel-not-to-purchase-from-rosoboronexport&catid=2:2012-press-releases&Itemid=21.
The above reads in part, followed by the letter to Hagel:
"Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) led a bipartisan group of members today urging Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel not to purchase additional helicopters from the state-owned Russian arms dealer Rosoboronexport. That company has continued to transfer weapons to the Assad regime, enabling mass atrocities. The group sent the letter amid reports that the Department of Defense is considering purchasing 20 helicopters for the Afghan National Security Forces from the firm.
Last year DeLauro authored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act prohibiting the use of funds to enter into any contracts or agreements with Rosoboronexport. That provision is now law. However, there is an exemption if the Secretary of Defense deems it to be in the interest of national security. The members asked Secretary Hagel to explain his justification, writing “What is the national security justification of continuing business with Rosoboronexport? Relatedly, last year, DoD notified Congress of plans to purchase 33 Mi-17s from Rosoboronexport for the Afghan National Security Forces. What is the national security justification for theadditional20 helicopters this year?”
Here is the full text of the letter:
The Honorable Chuck Hagel
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000
Dear Secretary Hagel,
We write to oppose any continuation of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) business relationship with Rosoboronexport, Russia’s primary arms exporter and an enabler of the ongoing mass atrocities in Syria. In January, Section 1277 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13 NDAA; P.L. 112-239), which expressly prohibits the use of funds to enter into any contracts or agreements with Rosoboronexport, was enacted into law. Further, during consideration of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2013, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved an amendment prohibiting further contracts with Rosoboronexport by a vote of 407-5. We urge you to uphold this law and clear expression of Congressional intent by ensuring that any further DoD procurement of helicopters for the Afghan National Security Forces is not conducted through Rosoboronexport.
Russia continues to transfer weapons through Rosoboronexport to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Since the Syrian uprising began, Russia has continued to serve as the Assad regime’s chief supplier of weapons, enabling the mass murder of Syrian citizens at the hands of their own government. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, approximately 70,000 Syrians have been killed since the Syrian conflict began nearly two years ago. Despite the ongoing atrocities, Russia’s special envoy to the Middle East, Mikhail Bogdanov, announced on February 13 that Russia would continue to supply weapons to Assad’s regime. In addition, Rosoboronexport Director Anatoly Isaikin told reporters that “in the absence of sanctions, we are continuing to fulfill our contract obligations.” As you know, it is Russia’s veto power as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council that has blocked the imposition of sanctions on the Syrian regime to this point.
Last summer, DoD notified Congress of plans to exercise an option in an existing contract to purchase additional Mi-17s from Rosoboronexport – plans that Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and human rights groups opposed. Despite these clear objections, DOD proceeded, and in response Congress enacted Section 1277 of the FY13 NDAA.
Despite this new law, we learned that the Army intends to enter into a new contract with Rosoboronexport in the coming weeks to procure 20 additional helicopters for the Afghan National Security Forces. This plan runs in direct contravention to both the spirit of the FY13 NDAA and the clear legislative intent of Congress – to ban further business dealings with Rosoboronexport. In our view, any attempt by DoD to utilize prior-year funds would constitute a direct subversion of existing law.
The United States Government has imposed punishing sanctions on Syria and invested precious diplomatic resources to end the conflict there. The NDAA provision is intended to bolster U.S. policy and ensure that U.S. contracts with Syria’s primary arms dealer do not undermine it. In order to make certain that U.S. policy on Syria is clear, consistent, and effective, we strongly urge you to certify that no new contracts are concluded or options acted upon between DoD and Rosoboronexport. Moreover, we urge you to hold an open competition for any further purchases of helicopters for the Afghan National Security Forces.
Accordingly, we request that your Department prepare a detailed briefing focusing on the following questions and present it to us before the Army takes any action on the pending contract.
What steps has DoD taken to ensure compliance with Section 1277 of the FY13 NDAA and to consider alternative suppliers of helicopters for the Afghan National Security Forces.
Section 1277 requires DoD, in order to exercise its waiver authority, to certify to Congress that conducting further business with Rosoboronexport is “in the national security interests of the United States.” What is the national security justification of continuing business with Rosoboronexport? Relatedly, last year, DoD notified Congress of plans to purchase 33 Mi-17s from Rosoboronexport for the Afghan National Security Forces. What is the national security justification for theadditional20 helicopters this year?
The Government Accountability Office and the Defense Contract Audit Agency are undertaking a Congressionally mandated examination of the Army’s existing contract with Rosoboronexport. How is DoD planning to address and incorporate the review’s findings into its practices and protocols?
What steps is DoD taking to ensure that it does not support – financially or otherwise – enablers of mass atrocities?
Thank you for your serious attention to this request. We appreciate your prompt response.
UPDATE OF APRIL 12, 2013 from American Family Association:
An Army officer has sent an email to subordinates labeling conservative Christian organizations as "domestic hate groups" and stating their values don't align with "Army values."
AFA has obtained the 14-page email sent out by Lt. Col. Jack Rich telling other officers and soldiers at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, that, specifically, the American Family Association and the Family Research Council are "domestic hate groups" because they oppose homosexuality. Rich said: "When we see behaviors that are inconsistent with Army Values, don't just walk by - do the right thing and address the concern before it becomes a problem."
Rich took inflammatory and incendiary language directly from the website of the anti-Christian Southern Poverty Law Center, then purposely and specifically chose AFA and FRC as examples of "domestic hate groups." There are thousands and thousands of people enlisted in the United States Army who are themselves Christian and would resent the fact that this one lieutenant colonel is purporting to speak for the whole Army by saying AFA and FRC don't represent "Army values."
