Irresponsible Christian College Leaders Allowing Normalization of Homosexuality

It would be no surprise to find examples of the normalization and even glorification of homosexuality (a sin like any other sin) at almost any secular college campus today.  It would also not be in our place as Christians, in some ways, to criticize the leaders at these schools and call them irresponsible, from a Christian worldview.  That’s because they don’t operate from a Christian worldview, and we cannot expect them to hold to biblical standards.  However, that is a much different matter when it comes to universities that call themselves “Christian.”  We are responsible as Christians to hold accountable those who profess to be Christians who are going astray and watering down the Gospel message.  We are to judge those in the church.  “For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?” 1 Cor. 5:12

Southern Nazarene University

The first example of what I call “biblical negligence and malpractice” from Christian leadership is at Southern Nazarene University.  An article in the student newsletter, called “Reevaluation is needed for SNU and Church policies on Homosexuality, spoke favorably of the new view of homosexuality which is so popular in the secular world now, and is now permeating the Christian world.  Here are some sample quotes from the article, which can be read at their website (http://echo.snu.edu/?p=719), or downloaded as well:

“The SNU lifestyle covenant states that students will “abstain from pornography, premarital or extramarital sex, immortal heterosexual activity and homosexual behavior.”….  This leaves homosexual students here, and in the larger Christian community, two choices: to act on their sexual orientation and hide those actions from SNU, or to remain, for all intents and purposes, asexual.”

“The idea of encouraging gay students at SNU to live without those relational intimacies makes me very sad. When I imagine a life in which I would have to deny, hide, or feel ashamed about the loving relationship I share with my fiancé, I can’t help but feel dismal, to say the least. Needless to say, forcing homosexual students to abstain from intimate relationships not only seems unnatural, but also cruel and morbid.”

“However, many Christians are beginning to change their beliefs that homosexuality is indeed a sin….. One professor has told me that she has no problem with homosexual relationships, so long as they abide by the same commitments to marriage, monogamy, and respect as other Christian relationships do.”

“Christian circles are too quick to call homosexuality a sin, without ever having talked to someone who identifies as gay.”
Below is a comment from a friend who is in leadership at a Christian university:

 

“This is so predictable but yet so sad.  The problem starts with a total disregard for the authority of the Scripture.

The author could never come to his/her conclusions without first setting aside the accuracy of the Bible as a pretext.  This is why I make such a big deal about holding fast to inerrancy!! And what terrible logic to claim that abstaining from sexual activity is akin to being “asexual!” Should we assume that everyone who refrains from premarital sex is “asexual?”

The fact that they let this be printed in their student newspaper is also evidence of the bigger problem.

Would they let an article be printed about every other aberrant behavior?  One about pedophilia?  One about incest?  How about polygamy? Bestiality?

If denying one’s biological urges concerning homosexuality makes one asexual then wouldn’t the same logic hold true for these other behaviors??   If the Bible does not speak accurately and definitively on the matter of homosexuality then how can the Church or SNU claim it speaks with authority on ANY sexual behavior?

I would never permit this stuff to be printed on our campus.  And if I ever found a professor agreeing with or encouraging this moral drivel they would be gone immediately.  When the Nazarene schools started inviting McLaren, Pagitt, Jones, and Campolo to speak on their campuses they set the stage for this stuff.”

I agree with this assessment, and it certainly pertains as well to Point Loma in their latest poor decision.

Point Loma Does It Again

The SNU example brings back memories of the debacle that occurred at Point Loma Nazarene University last year, and at San Diego First Church of the Nazarene, which is on the campus grounds.  You can read about that here in this eyewitness account (Homosexuality At Point Loma Nazarene University).  Now the student newspaper has put out an article with an interview of Todd Clayton: (Q@A With Todd Clayton).  Todd is now an alumnus and former ASB Director of Spiritual Life at Point Loma, and the main subject matter of that eyewitness account of the goings on at the school and the local church.  It was a example of how worldly acceptance of homosexuality has permeated the church and resulted in re-defining the seriousness of sin.

Here are a few quotes from the interview:

“I don’t have to be worried that someone might see me on a date or at a bar and try to get me fired—or worse—tell the newspaper.”

After months of searching, however, I’ve landed back at a place of comfort in my Christian identity. It looks admittedly different than many at Loma, I’m sure: I don’t believe in hell, I don’t think Muslims are wrong, I don’t raise my hands in the air when I sing, I think we should be sexual before we’re married.”"PW: What advice would you give to PLNU students who are coming to terms with their sexuality?
TC: You’re not alone. This is the shrewdest, loudest lie I remember fighting before I was out. (Hint: there are tons of gays at Loma). Be patient with yourself—and with the people you care about. Understanding an orientation that isn’t heterosexual can take time, and you’re not crazy if it does. Find people who will affirm and love you, and—when you’re ready—honestly share with them so you don’t have to journey by yourself. Know that being gay is fun. Go on dates. Don’t be afraid to kiss”

I can see no biblical rationale for the leaders at both of these schools to allow this kind of writing under the banner of the university.  It smacks of approval, it smacks of “tolerance” of anything that is written by the students, and it only leads one to believe that these leaders are okay with this new kind of “Christian” re-definition of sin.  At the very least, they seem to be okay with allowing the open view of homosexuality to be promoted, and that is clearly wrong.  This is their responsibility, and for what its worth, this post is being sent to the university presidents at both schools.  When “academic freedom”, or “freedom of expression”, is used as the basis for allowing the spreading of error filled views of what is or is not sin, then that becomes reckless and irresponsible, and the buck stops at the leadership’s desk.

I received a note on my blog from Todd Clayton, to go and see how he is progressing, as he has a blog now.  I declined to publicize it.  We must pray for Todd Clayton, and all the other students and alumni from Point Loma and Southern Nazarene, who have been misled to think that homosexuality is okay within a Christian context.  This is not so much about Todd Clayton, as it is about the reckless and irresponsible leadership at these schools, and they must be held accountable.  And believe me, the extent of this problem is not just at these two schools, and is a symptom of the overall apostasy occurring in our Nazarene and other Christian universities and seminaries today.

What do our General Superintendents think about this?  This is also being sent to them.  Frankly, I don’t expect a personal answer, but they have my email.  Maybe you can ask them all the same question.

 

Manny Silva

 

Followup To Point Loma Chapel Service of Oct. 28, 2011

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.  2 Cor. 11:3

In my recent post Blind Guides, I alerted you to the Jesus Prayer Retreat at Point Loma Nazarene University, conducted by Frederica Matthewes-Greene of the Orthodox Church.  I made the case that teaching anyone to pray repetitive prayers such as what Frederica teaches is clearly against anything that the Lord taught regarding how we are to pray.  True prayer is simply direct and conscious communication with God, presenting our praise, needs and concerns to Him.  That is how we are taught in Scripture.  We are not taught to pray with vain repetitions.  We are not taught to pray in rote formulaic prayers over and over.  We do not need prayer ropes or beads, as Frederica advocates using.  We are nowhere taught to pray to the dead, or to venerate or kiss icons. We are also not taught “silent” prayer, (emptying the mind) because there is no such thing taught to us.  These are idolatry, mysticism, and disobedience to God’s word, and yet the Nazarene denomination and practically all evangelical denominations are experiencing this in its universities and churches.

I was not able to get notes from the retreat, but I did listen to the chapel message.  I have a link to it now at my blog, on a new page which will eventually have other chapel messages and speeches from universities that are embracing contemplative mysticism and emergent heresies, as Point Loma clearly is doing.  Here is the link: Chapel Messages At Various Christian Schools.  You may listen to it and get your own conclusions as to what Frederica was trying to accomplish.  One of my conclusions was that this was a subtle way to indoctrinate the students to be open to even more forms of contemplative spirituality and to teach them a works-based gospel of salvation.  Frederica was very good at drawing the students in with her humor and illustrations, and then leading them into new ideas about icons (images), and their use in Christian life.  I believe she was teaching error to them, yet the errors at Point Loma have been multiplying like rabbits.  The administration ought to publicly disclose what their justification is for allowing these practices to be taught.  I will soon be posting profiles of the many false teachers that have been welcomed over the last ten years at Point Loma to indoctrinate students.  (Below is one reader’s review of the chapel message).

Review of Frederica Matthewes-Greene’s Chapel Message

It would take too long and too much space to deal with the entire message. So, I would like to address WHO this woman is, WHAT her life-in-brief represents and HOW she starts this message. However, it seems her message is congruent with WHO and WHAT she represents, et al. (This is my opinion based on the limited information gleaned from this one speech and biographic information found on Wikipedia.)

I would not give her or her speech another thought had it not been given to a captive audience of college students at PLNU.

I suspect that this is the Frederica Mathewes-Green (born 1952) who is an Eastern Orthodox author and noted as a speaker on the subjects of religion and abortion.

Mathewes-Green is reputed to be strongly pro-life and writes and speaks against abortion, but, she is also critical of the more extreme elements of the pro-life movement.

She supports and promotes more dialogue with pro-choice advocates.

She is also a past vice-president of Feminists for Life of America

Her bio suggests Christians have some common ground with her. However, her bio also suggests that she loves the “middle ground” or to ride the fence on some very important issues. This is not the type of thought, discourse or practice that God tolerates in those who profess to believe and follow Him. (Revelation 3:16)

At any rate, Frederica Matthews-Greene starts her talk by referring to pictures or ‘icons’. She even quotes a scripture verse, Genesis 1:26 by saying “we are made in the ‘icon’ of god’. And ‘icon’ just means image.”

Having set the stage she deftly draws the listener further into her subject by suggesting we all have a favorite picture we love – so much that we would like to kiss it. “Go ahead and admit it. It’s OK”, she says.

This is a smartly used speaking technique: emotional seduction.

The listener is now ready and she moves them, almost hypnotically, to the subject of christian icons – ‘which of course are just another name for pictures’.

This reminds me of another verse or two from Genesis:

< Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  Gen. 3:1>

Satan sure came close in his quoting God, and it sure sounded like he said was right.

But it was a lie.

Frederica Matthews-Greene starts her talk quoting scripture, Genesis 1:26 saying “we are made in the ‘icon’ of god’ and icon just means image.”

But is that the truth? Let’s take a closer look:

Genesis 1:27 (with Strong’s concordance numbers) God created man in His own image , in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

image: 06754 םלצ tselem tseh’ lem

from an unused root meaning to shade; n m; {See TWOT on 1923 @@ “1923a”}

AV-image 16, vain shew 1; 17

1) image
1a) images (of tumors, mice, heathen gods)
1b) image, likeness (of resemblance)
1c) mere, empty, image, semblance (fig.)

NOTE: It does NOT mean ‘icon’ or a picture.

In fact, there is no use of this word “image” that suggests anything very useful, very substantial or lasting. It is not endearing, it is not lovely and most likely no one in their right mind would want to kiss a “tselem”.

The word “image” from Genesis 1:26, fact it, refers to a ‘mere, empty image’; a mere shadow of something else (God, in this instance).

It does not mean icon. Fredrica Mathewes-Green comes very close and it sounds right.

But, it is a lie.

Is this important or am I just picking? Just wrestling with semantics?

It is important. It is a matter of life and death. Both now and eternal. (I don’t feel I am overstating my case).

Satan lied to his audience (Eve) and it lead to disastrous consequences, not only for Eve, but for her family (Adam and later her children) and subsequently for the entire human race.

We – you and I – are still dealing with the fallout of Satan’s lies.

As a listener, I would be very careful when a speaker, purporting to be speaking on behalf of God, the Church or the Bible, starts by misstating, misquoting or misrepresenting facts. In this case facts about what the bible says on certain verifiable matters:

Our created image in relationship to God.

In this case she changes the meaning of a key verse to make a point from her own point of view. It is not biblical. It is not the truth.

Yes. It is important. It is a matter of life and death.

Mike Young

Blind Guides

“Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” Mat. 15:14

Our Christian college students are being introduced to contemplative or centering prayer practices, which are all part of the new spirituality.  Instead of the word of God, experience and mysticism is the new way.

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.“

“Well, just 90 more to go and I’ll reach the minimum required repetitive prayers as prescribed by Sister Frederica.  I am so happy to have found this new way of getting closer to God.  Boy, did my parents miss out on this, and they were Nazarenes for over 50 years!  I’d better do it right, and not make a mistake, or it could interfere with my getting closer to God.  I’m glad Frederica suggests to always use my prayer rope, so I can go to the next notch on the rope each time I repeat the prayer, and I won’t lose count.  Maybe as I advance I can repeat the prayer 200 or 300 times!  Double the blessing!  But hey, I’m only a novice.
But you know, I’ll make it work even better when I build my little corner altar at home with all the icons as Sr. Frederica also suggests.  I’ll pray to them, I’ll kiss them too, and I’ll pray to the dead saints and ask them to intervene for me before God.  After all, I can’t keep track of all my prayer needs anyway, so who better to send them to God but the old dead saints!
Wow, this is awesome.  Why didn’t the Nazarene church think of this years ago?  I could not even find this in the manual!”

Before you think I’m making light of anything, let me reassure you, this is serious.  It made my blood boil, as many other stories have lately from our “Christian” universities.  I ask again, to what extent will Nazarene universities go?  It is clear again to to me that those in leadership at our universities, and some in national, district, and local leadership, are either aiding and abetting a concerted effort to bring us “back to Rome”, or they are just as complicit in this effort by turning the other way and doing nothing.  So, what is it that made my blood boil?

Teaching Students To Pray A Mantra (A Hindu/Buddhist Manner of Prayer)

What made me upset again is a speaker that Point Loma Nazarene University invited to come on Oct. 28-29 to conduct a two day retreat, and speak in chapel as well.   That guest is Frederica Matthews-Greene of the Orthodox Church.  The name of the retreat?  Jesus Prayer Retreat.  Registrations are already closed, so it must be very popular.

In my fictional conversation at the beginning, it basically describes what the Jesus Prayer is.  It’s a short prayer, a tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church and other similar groups, that is repeated over and over again.  In other words, it is a mantra.  It most likely originated amongst the Desert Fathers in the 5th century.  It is the use of an Eastern mystical practice, except you insert Christian phrases in it.  For what purpose?  According to Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, the late patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church:

the Jesus Prayer “more than any other,” helps us to be able to “stand in God’s presence.” This means that the Jesus Prayer helps us to focus our mind exclusively on God with “no other thought” occupying our mind but the thought of God. At this moment when our mind is totally concentrated on God, we discover a very personal and direct relationship with Him.”

But do we really need to, or should we, repeat a prayer over and over in order to attain a better relationship with God?  The Jesus Prayer, as opposed to a simple prayer, helps us to “stand in God’s presence?”  Friends, this is all derived from pagan practices. The original goal of a mantra is to get your mind in an altered state of consciousness.  Besides Hindus and Buddhists, it is even practiced by those who are part of Islamic Sufism.  Yet we see this foolishness more and more introduced to our youth by undiscerning leaders who should resign or repent from doing these things.  However, the most important thing is that prayers such as this violate Holy Scripture’s command not to pray with vain repetitions. (Mat. 6:7)

What else does Frederica Teach?

I have listened to over three hours of some of her podcasts.  Frederica also writes regularly for the multifaith web magazine Beliefnet.com.  Her husband is the founding pastor of Holy Cross Orthodox Church.  Feel free to go and listen to the podcasts at Ancient Faith Radio.  Here are some of the things she believes and teaches, and therefore, potentially will be taught to vulnerable students at PLNU.

The Jesus Prayer – vain repetitions that are forbidden by the Lord
Praying to icons
Praying to or for the dead
Veneration of Mary

The Orthodox Church practically believes all the same heresies of the Roman Catholic Church, with some exceptions, so I’m sure I can find more problems, but is this not enough?  Frederica is probably a very nice lady, and she herself is not the main issue.  In fact, I greatly respect her stance to protect the unborn.  The issue and question is, why is a Nazarene school such as PLNU allowing her to speak and thus expose the students to the heretical beliefs that she brings with  her?  What happened to the doctrine of separation, that we ought not to hold hands and fellowship with those who teach another gospel?  What is going on with the leaders at this school?  What is their justification for this?  Are vain repetitions of a prayer now considered within the norm of evangelical Christianity, and Nazarene doctrine?  But this is not a one time mistake.  PLNU has a history of dubious and heretical speakers at their chapel services, which I will be posting on soon.

For instance, the school last year had the heretic Brennan Manning speak in chapel twice (Jan. 13 and 15, 2010), as well as way back in 2002.  And remember Rob Bell as the main speaker at the Pastor’s retreat?  He also spoke at chapel on Feb. 18, 2011.  Radical Michael Eric Dyson spoke in chapel, as did Gabriel Salguerro, who was a speaker at the heretical and blasphemous Wildgoose Festival.  And there was Jim Ball, who spoke on Creation Care madness on Sept. 12.  There was Shane Claiborne, who was also at the Wildgoose Festival, and creation denier Karl Giberson.  Emergent Philip Yancey has spoken there, as well as mystic/emergent Tony Campolo, and also emergent author Donald Miller.  Another speaker was Doug Hardy of NTS, who promotes interspirituality and Celtic mysticism at our very own seminary.  Emergent pastor Scott Daniels (who denies he is emergent and who thinks emergent is dead) has been a speaker in chapel.  I had to go back to around 1968 to see some solid Nazarene voices who spoke at chapel, including the late Dr. William McCumber, who spoke out against the emergent church movement.  And let’s not forget the debacle over the homosexual affirming group that was being allowed to conduct meetings on campus, albeit at the Point Loma Nazarene Church.
I could go on and on.  These people either have no shame, or have no ounce of discernment, which should disqualify them from leading this university!  They need to repent of what they are doing to this “Christian” school, including putting the souls of many students in danger.

What Happened To Separation?

We are commanded over and over in scripture to stay away from, avoid, have no fellowship with those who teach another gospel.

Romans 16:17   Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Ephesians 5:11   And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

1 Timothy 6:3-5   If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

2 Timothy 3:5   Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Revelation 18:4   And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

So why is Frederica Matthews-Greene coming to Point Loma?  Would anyone concerned like to ask the leaders at the school this question?

What Happened To Depending On Jesus Alone?

Now we need to pray the Jesus prayer and use prayer beads?  I choose to rely solely on Jesus Christ and place my faith and trust in Him alone!  According to Scripture, this practice is clearly unbiblical, and thus straight from the pit of hell.  I would certainly like to get the opinion of our General Board leaders, since they are charged with interpreting the doctrines of the church.  Am I wrong in objecting to this?

What Happened To Our Leaders?

Mary Paul is vice president for Spiritual Development.  I don’t have her email, but the school number is (619) 849-2200
Bob Brower is President, and his email is: president@pointloma.edu
Mark Carter is the school chaplain and I have already documented some of his mystical leanings in an article here: Point Loma Welcomes Brian McLaren and Embraces Contemplative Spirituality.

The email address for our General Superintendents is: bgs@nazarene.org
The General with current jurisdiction over PLNU is J.K. Warrick.

(Friends, in spite of all that is happening, let’s not forget that there are students and faculty at Point Loma Nazarene University who are standing up against this stuff.  They need our prayers and support).

Addendum: You will be able to listen to Frederica speak at the PLNU chapel service Friday morning, Oct. 28, at 9:45 am Pacific Time (12:45 pm Eastern Time)

 

Extreme, Wacky, Nonsensical Liberalism Once Again At PLNU

“Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22)

I would like to offer my services to Point Loma Nazarene University, and several other Nazarene and other Christian schools of late, to help them schedule speakers who are more in keeping with solid, biblical and holiness teaching.  Apparently these schools are struggling in the area of discernment.  I do not claim to be pre-eminent in this area, as I can attest to the fact that I have met many, many Christians in the past three years who are very capable of doing the same task very well.  They are a mix of pastors, evangelists, and laypeople alike who I know would have the common sense in scheduling speakers that are totally opposite of the ones who are polluting the minds of our youth today with emergent, liberal, and social justice/environmental garbage.

 

My friend Brenda summed it up well: “…yet another liberal, distorting scripture to advance a liberal agenda to the students.  THIS IS COMPLETE LIBERAL NONSENSE!!”

 

Another friend, Debby, expressed her anger (yes, its okay to get angry, especially when our kids are getting snookered for 30 grand per year) when she said: “Oh my goodness….what a NUT!!! Yes, agree with Brenda, another LIBERAL, Totally Distorting The Holy Scripture for their NUTTY Agenda and taking our kids right down the merry NUT Pathway!!!! Grrrrr!!!!!”

 

Monty simply said: “Reminds me that Satan knew scriptures too.”

 

Annette said: “This is RIDICULOUS!!!!! Maybe Al Gore should have been invited to the chapel service!”

 

Brooke asked: “Is there no one at PLNU who can stand up against this garbage?”

 

And finally,  from a parent of a PLNU student: “According to speaker Jim Ball, the fact that we don’t buy into this  “great, spiritual fact” of man-made global warming makes my husband and me money-hungry, fearful, arrogant, insecure deniers equivalent to the priest and Levite in the story of the Good Samaritan. Apparently, we are outwardly religious, but inwardly selfish as we “pass by” the millions of poor victims of global warming, blinded to the fact the risen Lord leads the way in the charge against it.

 

This is NOT what we are paying thousands of dollars to send our kids to a Christian, Nazarene school for them to hear in chapel!”

 

What’s all the fuss?  More undiscerning selection of speakers being brought in to talk to young students whose minds are still being molded and shaped daily by the word of man- not the word of God- and for a pretty high yearly tuition to boot!  I submit to you, then, the following excerpts from a chapel service at PLNU on September 12.  The guest speaker was Jim Ball, a radical environmentalist. I understand it could be a bit boring, and it may not be your favorite subject.  Just keep in mind words such as: “another gospel”, indoctrination, deception, and brainwashing.

 

 

Jim Ball, author of Global Warming and the Risen Lord:

 

“You may know that President Brower is a leader on creation care. He is one of our evangelical climate initiative leaders, which he became in 2006, and then recently we asked him to sign onto a statement on mercury pollution, which he gladly did, so we’re grateful for President Brower’s leadership…”

 

This morning, I’m going to be weaving together a number of stories to help us reflect upon a Christian approach to climate change. How many of you have seen any of the Narnia movies or read the books by C.S. Lewis? Ok, uh, at one point in the Narnia book Prince Caspian, Lucy, the youngest of the brothers and sisters from England who find themselves in the magical world of Narnia, where, even though they are children they are regarded as kings and queens, Lucy sees the great Aslan, a lion who is the real ruler of Narnia, but the other children – Peter, Susan and Edmond – don’t see him.”

 

(Reads excerpt from Prince Caspian)

 

“So, when it comes to global warming, what is it that Lucy can see but that the others can’t just yet? It is the key spiritual fact about this tremendous challenge and spiritual opportunity – the real truth about global warming is: It is the risen Lord who is leading the way in overcoming it. For Christians, this is what global warming is really all about – following the risen Lord as He leads the way.

 

…Unfortunately, in the years to come, there will be many more climate change orphans…indeed, in our lifetime, billions of the world’s poor will be impacted by global warming, and millions will die.”

 

(Recounts the story of The Good Samaritan)

 

“Here is where this parable and global warming intersect for us: The priest and the Levite were not the ones who robbed the man, just as in our time we didn’t create the conditions of poverty – a situation that makes the poor much more vulnerable to the impacts of global warming – but the priest and the Levite did pass by on the other side. Righteousness and love are the presence of good and loving acts, not simply the absence of bad ones. By not helping the man in the ditch, the priest and the Levite made his plight worse and failed to love God and be who God created them to be. Today, collectively, we are, in fact, making the plight of the poor worse through global warming. Knowing their plight and not doing what we can to overcome global warming is like passing by on the other side. We may be highly observant of what it means to be outwardly religious in our community. So too, I’m sure, were the priest and the Levite. That’s exactly why Jesus chose them to be characters in his parable, but if we don’t help the poor, who through no fault of their own find themselves victims in the ditch of global warming’s impacts, then all the religiosity in the world won’t bring us closer to the Lord. Why? Matthew 25 lets us in on a little secret about the parable of The Good Samaritan. You’ll recall that in Matthew 25 Jesus says that what we do to the least of these we do to him. While the Good Samaritan is Christ-like in his behavior, it is Jesus himself who is the man in the ditch. To get close to the Lord is to tend to him while he’s in the ditch. The point of the parable is to be a neighbor, to be a Good Samaritan, to go and do likewise…In terms of the problem of global warming, right now, as a Christian, it is as if you are approaching a victim of global warming in the ditch. You are just within sight of the person. You don’t quite yet know what’s going on. Is it risky to go over to this person? You can’t quite yet tell anything about who it is – just that there is a lump in the ditch that looks human. “Whoever it is could be drunk,” you think to yourself, “Maybe not a victim at all!” but as you venture closer, you come to find that it is a child, not a man. It is a young, baby girl…she is in distress. Is she sick…weak from hunger…both? Maybe she has an infectious disease! Where are her parents? Who is responsible for this baby girl? How did she get in this situation? Suddenly, you notice that someone else is in the ditch with her – it is the risen Lord. It is here that we must ask ourselves some questions about the spiritual resources God has given us in our journey with the risen Lord. Who are we becoming with the spiritual blood of Christ’s saving grace flowing in our veins? Who are we becoming with the uplifting strength of Christ’s Spirit – the Holy Spirit – residing in our hearts? Who are we becoming with the risen Lord walking beside us with his glorious face reflecting the compassionate fire of the Father’s love? Who are we in light of this? Are we becoming religious people who pass by on the other side and ignore the victims of global warming or are we becoming those who let our passion for the Lord transform us into those who have the courage and strength to love others as we love ourselves whoever and wherever they may be, in whatever situation they find themselves? What will our response to the impacts of global warming on others, especially the poor, say about our walk with the risen Lord?”

 

“Right now, you may be like Lucy. You’ve grasped this great spiritual fact about global warming. You’ve seen the risen Lord as he is leading the way in overcoming global warming, but just like Lucy’s brothers and sister didn’t believe that she had seen Aslan and voted against going the way she knew Aslan wanted them to travel, it could be that some of those close to you don’t yet believe that the risen Lord is leading the way. As we saw earlier in the movie Prince Caspian, Lucy says, “I knew it was you! The whole time, I knew it, but the others didn’t believe me.” Aslan replies, “And, why would that stop you from coming to me?”

 

Concluding remarks by Mark Carter, PLNU Chaplain: “As we think about our chapel theme, “All Things Being Made New” and the connection of realizing that being made new in the image of God, our faith, our life, our transformation must be lived out in the world around us.”

 

Jim Ball quote (not from chapel talk): “It is the love of God in the hearts of those in denial about climate change, or those who are not taking action, which will help them both see and do the truth. Their desire for truth must become stronger than their desire for money, or stronger than the arrogance/insecurity that fuels their ideology, or stronger than any fears that may be preventing them from accepting and acting upon the truth about climate change.”

END OF QUOTES

 

This is utter, complete nonsense.  When will it end?  Sadly, it may not, and that is why many of us will not send our children to these “Christian” schools that compromise and have bought into all that foolishness.

Additional resource:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-jim-ball/love-and-truth-and-global_b_899713.html

Would Jesus attend PLNU?

The following was posted by an alumnus of Point Loma Nazarene University recently.  I believe they reflect the concerns of many Nazarenes, alumni, as well as parents of students who attend, or are thinking of attending, Point Loma Nazarene University:

by Nathaniel Spatz, May 2, 2011

In recent weeks, professors have written articles that answer timeless questions such as “what retirement plan would Jesus have?” and “would Jesus drive a BMW?”

This caused me to come up with a question of my own: Would Jesus attend PLNU? Or if He visited, what would He say? Here are a few points to consider:

•  Would He be pleased that a PLNU biology professor is praised by the Atheists Coalition of San Diego for his work on Darwinism and evolution?

•  Would He be pleased that PLNU asked Brian McLaren to speak in chapel, an emerging church leader who calls God a “woman and a chick” and refuses to call homosexuality a sin? A person that places a higher value on an individual’s “experience” as the way to find the truth of God than the truths in God’s Word?

•  Would He be pleased that PLNU hosted a pastor’s conference in honor of Rob Bell, a person who is a proponent of universalism, or the no-vacancy-sign-in-hell-is-lit-up so all people go to heaven? Pretty diminishing to Jesus, wouldn’t you think?

•  Would He question why the administration did not speak up when a professor emailed the student body about a “Good Friday Walk With the Suffering” which equated “Jesus being nailed to the cross” to “immigration reform” and “Jesus being laid in the tomb” to the “environment and global warming”?

•  Would He ask why the administration did not ask their director of spiritual development to step down after coming out as gay and who made this statement: “Thanks be to God that He made me gay. This is my proclamation: I am gay. I am a Christian. And I will continue to live in that manner.”

Many professors have suggested that John 3:16 is about the environment. I was called “selfish” for thinking the translation of “kosmos” said otherwise. I disagreed that Jesus died for people and the planet, tree stumps and empty water bottles included.

In my four years at PLNU, I had a Bible professor claim that modern Israel is worse than Hitler ever was, that parts of the Old Testament are only myths, that some of the miracles that Jesus claims to have performed in the Gospels are false, and that some books in the Bible are “irrelevant.” There are professors that claim that God makes mistakes and that He does not know the future, despite more than 400 verses related to eschatology. I even had a professor claim that human life has no more value than a plant.

The chapel leadership continually chooses to invite social and theological liberals to speak, and then hosts pastoral conferences in their honor. Do many of the school’s supporters mistakenly believe that the chapel leadership chooses speakers that align with their traditional evangelical or Nazarene beliefs? If their supporters believe this shows that PNLU is deceiving through omission rather than communicating the “merits” of these speakers to the supporters in the same vigorous way they communicate to the students.

Charles Swindoll said: “Our society would have us think that if we truly love people, we’ll accept them regardless of their beliefs. This is called ‘tolerance.’ Yet what kind of love lets someone believe a lie that eventually destroys them? That’s not love; that’s indifference, the opposite of love.”

I encourage professors, faculty, parents and students to study the Word in order to best present yourselves to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and  who correctly handles the Word of Truth.

Nathaniel Spatz

2010 Alumnus of Business Management

Brian McLaren’s Attack Against Hell And Jesus’s Atonement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SOUfsX2fbk&feature=related