The following is another installment of the Friday Church News Notes designed especially for use in churches. It is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. For instructions on how to unsubscribe to this list or to change mailing addresses, please consult the information paragraph at the end.

“EMERGENT” SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCHES ROCKING IN TUCSON (Friday Church News Notes, May 4, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - KVOA television in Tucson, Arizona, ran a report last month on “non-traditional churches booming in Tucson.” The Southern Baptist Convention is planting churches in this city with names such as “The Journey,” “City Edge,” “The Element,” and “Epic.” The music is rock & roll, the atmosphere is “non-threatening,” and the message is positive. Sean Benesh, a “church planting strategist” for the Southern Baptist Convention’s southern Arizona association, said they hope to open eight new churches this year. Jeremiah McDuffie, who is starting a church called The Element, said the music is “modeled after popular radio stations,” testifying that “be not conformed to the world” is irrelevant to their program. Mary Ann Schneider, who attended a service at The Element, said: “Traditional church scares people. ... People don’t want to be judged” (“Non-traditional Baptist Churches Booming in Tucson,” KVOA.com). She also said that people don’t like “pulpit pounding.” The Southern Baptist North American Mission Board has 221 church planters working in the USA and Canada. Obviously they aren’t starting scriptural churches. It is impossible to bring the world’s music into the church and to provide a non-judgmental message and be scriptural. Jesus Christ preached on hell frequently and warned people to repent before it is too late. “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Jesus Christ, Luke 13:3). Nothing is more “judgmental” and “threatening” and “pulpit pounding” than preaching on repentance and hell.

HATE CRIMES BILL HEARINGS (Friday Church News Notes, May 4, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The most dangerous legislation in America is HR 1592, the federal “hate crimes” bill that is making its way through the Congress. Hearings for the bill were held two weeks ago, and while homosexual rights activists, the ACLU, and others spoke out in its favor many Christians warned of its consequences. The bill would permit punishment of individuals that perform “hate crimes” based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, and sexual orientation. Wrong-headed laws like this have brought persecution against Christians in Australia, Europe, and Canada. Janet Folger, president of Faith2Action, called it “the most dangerous bill in America” and suggested that it would be better named the “Hate Grandma” or “Hate Free Speech” bill (“Hate Crimes Bill Hearings,” Christian Post, April 18, 2007). The reference to “grandma” is to women who were arrested in Philadelphia and charged with hate speech toward homosexuals. Brad Caucus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, testified about the problems that have arisen over alleged “hate crimes.” He cited recent efforts of the Hindu American Foundation to silence Christian missions and apologetics websites. He said: “HR 1529 is a smokescreen for stifling dissent on important issues of national debate such as sexual orientation, gender identity and religion. This so-called ‘hate crime’ legislation begins to lay the legal foundation and framework for investigating, prosecuting and persecuting pastors, business owners, and anyone else whose actions reflect their faith.”

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WARNS “HOMOPHOBIC” COUNTRIES (Friday Church News Notes, May 4, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from LifeSiteNews, April 26: “In a disgraceful debate in the European Parliament (EP) yesterday, Members of the European Parliament from France, the Netherlands and Italy, among others, vilified Poland as ‘hateful’ and ‘repulsive’ for refusing to allow promotion of homosexuality in schools. A vote was held today to approve an EP resolution chastising Poland for ‘homophobia.’ The resolution -- adopted by 325 votes to 124, with 150 abstentions -- calls for a fact-finding mission to be sent to Poland, for ‘worldwide de-criminalisation of homosexuality,’ and for the Commission to take Member States to court if they breach their EU obligations. At issue was a proposed law in Poland which would forbid ‘homosexual propaganda’ in schools.  Explaining the legislation earlier this year, Roman Giertych, Poland's minister of education: ‘One must limit homosexual propaganda so that children won’t have an improper view of family.’ ... Poland’s Konrad Szymanski said that the debate was evidence that the ‘European Parliament can be led by the nose by a group of extremist politicians.’ ... Despite such a spirited defence, comments by the leaders of EU governing body indicated that there was to be no tolerance for ideas which would view homosexual acts as unnatural.”

SBC PASTORS’ CONFERENCE TO FEATURE ECUMENIST CHUCK COLSON (Friday Church News Notes, May 4, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The speaker’s rostrum at this year’s Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference includes radical ecumenist Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship. Colson, who is scheduled to speak at the first session on Sunday evening, June 10, is a Southern Baptist married to a Roman Catholic. More than 70 percent of Colson’s Prison Fellowship chaplains are Roman Catholic (Calvary Contender, Nov. 15, 1999). Colson wrote the foreword to Catholic Keith Fournier’s 1990 book Evangelical Catholics, saying, “But at root, those who are called of God, whether Catholic or Protestant, are part of the same Body. ... It’s high time that all of us who are Christians come together regardless of the difference of our confessions and our traditions.” In his 1993 book, The Body, Colson said, “The body of Christ, in all its diversity, is created with Baptist feet, Charismatic hands, and Catholic ears--all with their eyes on Jesus.” In 1994 Colson joined Catholic priest Richard John Neuhaus and nine other Protestants and Catholics as originators of a statement called “Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium.” The document stated: “We together, Evangelicals and Catholics, confess our sins against the unity that Christ intends for all his disciples.” After meeting Pope John Paul II in 1995, Colson described him as a great moral leader and a friend of “orthodoxy,” saying, “When my eyes met the pope’s, we stared across centuries of distrust and suspicion and found common ground” (Religious News Service, Oct. 16, 1995). Colson’s invitation to an SBC conference demonstrates the commitment of even its most conservative leaders to the New Evangelical philosophy and their repudiation of biblical separation. Instead of giving this popular but compromising man a hearing, they should be publicly rebuking him. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3).

EVANGELICALS AND ISLAM (Friday Church News Notes, May 4, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - BILLY GRAHAM has said, “Islam is misunderstood. ... Muhammad had a great respect for Jesus, called Jesus the greatest of the prophets except himself. I think we’re closer to Islam than we really think we are...” (quoted from Dave Hunt, Judgment Day, 2005, p. 132). Graham’s long-time friend, ROBERT SCHULLER, has sponsored at his Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, a joint Christian-Muslim Institute for Peace. He told the Imam, Alfred Mohammed, that if all of his (Schuller’s) descendants became Muslims, it wouldn’t bother him as long as they weren’t atheists. Two months after 9/11, Schuller, who on Sunday mornings has the largest religious TV show in the world, basked in the acclaim of Muslims at a Villa Park, Illinois, mosque. Schuller co-hosted this “Evening of Religious Solidarity” with Imam W. D. Mohammed. One of the honored guests, pseudo-Muslim Louis Farrakhan, praised Schuller as a “mighty spiritual giant,” whose Hour of Power television program he watched with approval for about thirty years (FinalCall.com, Nov. 14, 2001, quoted by Hunt, p. 133). When Franklin Graham called Islam “evil and wicked,” CHRISTIANITY TODAY disagreed, saying that “Islam would not have become the second largest world religion if it were ... as thoroughly evil as these comments suggest” (“Muslim Phobic No More,” Editorial, Christianity Today, December 9, 2002, p. 28, quoted by Hunt, p. 133). In an article titled “Allah Does Not Belong to Islam,” HANK HANEGRAAFF’S CHRISTIAN RESEARCH JOURNAL declared: “Allah is the God Arab-speaking Christians worship. The Arabic Bible is replete with the word Allah, beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation. Jesus Christ is even called the son of Allah in the Arabic Scriptures. ... Allah is simply the word or term for God in another language ... equivalent to ... English God ... French Dieu ... Spanish Dios. ... We can join our Arab brothers and sisters in Christ who often say, ‘Allah be praised!’” (Helen Louise Herndon, Christian Research Journal, vol. 25, no. 1, 2002, quoted by Hunt, p. 133).

LEGISLATORS IN CALIFORNIA PUSHING ANTI-SPANKING BILL (Friday Church News Notes, May 4, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Democrats on a legislative committee in California have advanced a plan that would make criminals of any parent who uses “a stick, a rod, a switch” to discipline their child (“Parents Who Spank Being Made Criminals,” WorldNetDaily, April 19, 2007). The proposal is by California Assemblywoman Sally Lieber of Mountain View.  Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families, warns: “AB755 biases police officers, social workers, district attorneys and juries to regard traditional methods of child discipline as hateful, harmful abuse. This irresponsible committee has passed a very irresponsible bill. Since juries already have broad authority to convict and sentence child abusers, AB755 is unnecessary. The real purpose of the bill is to transform good parents who use traditional methods of discipline into suspected child abusers in the eyes of the law.” According to the bill, a parent who spanks his or her child will be placed on probation for four years, forced to attend a “nonviolent parental education class,” and be the subject of a criminal court order “protecting the victim from further acts of violence.”

STUDY PROVES THAT TV RATINGS ARE A SHAM (Friday Church News Notes, May 4, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - A study by the Parents Television Council has demonstrated that television ratings are a “sham.” The study found that shows contained offensive programming without the proper warning label 67% of the time. (Labels include an “S” for sexual content, “L” for indecent language, and “V” for violence.). The V-Chip technology is therefore of little value, since it is based on the ratings. The study said: “The ratings system is a sham meant to keep Congress at bay while Hollywood continues to pump more and more of its toxic content into America’s homes” (“Study: TV Ratings a ‘Sham,’” Baptist Press, April 24). 

SEEKING INFORMATION ABOUT THE LATE DR. BRUCE LACKEY (Friday Church News Notes, May 4, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The editor of the Friday Church News Notes is writing a short biography of the late Dr. Bruce Lackey and needs your help. If you sat under his ministry or otherwise knew him and would to share something with me for this project, please take a few moments to write. Thank you. Brother Cloud.

JESUS CHRIST, THE THEME OF SCRIPTURE, MEETS MAN’S DEEPEST NEEDS (Friday Church News Notes, May 4, 2007, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from “The Unfolding Drama of Redemption” by W. Graham Scroggie: “In another way also may we see that Christ dominates the whole Biblical revelation, and see also how the presentation of Him, alike in prophecy and history, promises to meet, and does meet, man’s deepest needs. Man the sinner needs someone who will redemptively represent him; he needs someone who will reveal God to him; and he needs someone who, with authority and effect, will rule over him. In other words, man needs a priest, a prophet, and a king; a priest to represent him before God; a prophet to reveal God to him; and a king to take control of, and to rule in and over the whole kingdom of his life. In vain will man find such an one among his fallen fellows, but in Christ the need is supplied in every respect.”