More evidence that today's yesterday's evangelicals are tomorrow's today's liberals

Another backlog item:

I like to constantly draw the reader's attention to the prescient warning from Samuel Tow in 1983, Today's Evangelicals, Tomorrow's Liberals. That "tomorrow" has been here for quite some time, and Dr. Tow's warning has come to pass. Submitted for your approval as evidence is the following example of a mainline church and an evangelical church supporting the same non-Christian cause.

From the Religion Calendar of the Edmonton Journal, October 18, 2014, p. G12 (bold in original, links inserted by blogger):

Power of Words--Scrabble Benefit: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., at Southminster-Steinhauer United Church, 10740 19th Ave. Supporting African grandmothers who are raising the millions of AIDS-orphaned children. Proceeds to the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign under the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Cash donations at the door. Visit edmontongrandmothers.org.

Scrabble Benefit: Oct. 26, 2 p.m., at the Sherwood Park Alliance Church, 1 Clover Bar Rd. Eastside Grannies of Sherwood Park need players and sponsors to help African grandmothers who are raising 14 million orphaned grandchildren, having lost their adult children to AIDS. For information or for a pledge package: Carol, 780-464-4195, dmaier@shaw.ca or Cathy, 780-439-6785.

The Stephen Lewis Foundation, started by and named after a socialist politician and former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, sounds like a good cause, but is not Christian. As for the churches mentioned above, Southminster-Steinhauer United Church is the mainline church, with the slogan:

exploring an expansive Christianity and embracing the spirit of the Earth Charter

Click on the links to see what is meant by "expansive Christianity" and the Earth Charter, and you'll see that Southminster-Steinhauer United isn't a Christian church, but one that promotes and practices outright paganism; their god isn't worth worshipping, and they follow a false Jesus. You'll find this church mentioned in another item in this post, which gives a clue to something else it promotes.

Sherwood Park Alliance Church is the "evangelical" church mentioned in the item above. If you click the link for Mission and Vision, this is the first thing you see:

Reclaiming God's Dream.

Broken. Separated. Distant. Alienated. This was the state of our relationship with God after sin severed intimacy. Renews. Chooses. Accepts. This is what God does for us to see His dream of relationship with humanity restored.

Reading that makes me wish I had a flower in my hair (and enough hair to go with it). This looks like something from the late 1960s or early '70s, and more resembles the 1969 Tommy James and the Shondells song Crystal Blue Persuasion than anything you read in the Bible. I used to think "God's dream" sounded nice, until a few years ago when it occurred to me (long after it should have, I must admit) that nowhere in the Bible does it say that God has a dream or dreams, while there are numerous instances of God giving people dreams (e.g., Genesis 20:3; Matthew 2:12). God doesn't have a dream, but He does have an agenda and a prophetic timetable He's working out, and it's being fulfilled right on schedule.

There were a number of other items in the Journal's Religion Calendar that day that offer an interesting snapshot of the religious scene on October 18, 2014 (bold in original, links inserted by blogger):

Tibetan Nuns' Project: Sunday, noon to 1:30 p.m., at Garneau United Church, 11148 84th Ave. Ann Salmonsen speaks about her recent trip to India and a Tibetan Buddhist nunnery that is working to improve conditions for Buddhist women refugees. Free admission. For details, call Garneau United Church, 780-439-2501 or email: garneauuc@shaw.ca

Dancing For Fun: Sunday, 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., at St. Augustine's Anglican Church, 6110 Fulton Rd. Weekly at the lower level. Circles, mixers, line dances. Couples and singles, teens welcome. No experience necessary. Refreshments provided. For more information contact 780-467-5180. $3 per person.

St. Albert Affirm Celebration: Oct. 25, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., at St. Albert United Church, 20 Green Grove Dr. Celebration begins with a diversity fair and potluck dinner at 5 p.m. featuring musical enetertainment, including Edmonton Vocal Minority, as well as a speech by Rev. Nancy Steeves of Southminster Steinhauer United Church. Free admission; dinner guests encouraged to bring a food contribution. For more information, go to stalbertunited.ca

Yoga & Exercise: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m., at Robertson-Wesley United Church, 10209 123 St. Gentle Hatha Yoga class every Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Circuit exercise class every Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. offers cardio and weight training at your own pace. Register today; class size limited. Email: tmail@rwucorg or call 780-482-1587.

Yoga for Christians: Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., ending Nov. 5, at Providence Renewal Centre, 3005 119th St. Prayer of the Heart and Body, with Glenda Sartore. Multi-level yoga practice suitable to both beginners and seasoned yoga practitioners. Wear comfortable clothing and bring a yoga or exercise mat, a blanket, and a strap. Eight weeks: $112, no drop-in. For more information and to register, go to providencerenewal.ca or call 780-701-1854.

Christian Meditation: Mondays, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Star of the North, 3A Saint Vital Ave., St. Albert. Experience the ancient tradition of prayerful stillness. Call for access information, 780-459-5511. Event cost by donation.

Emmaus Inclusive Catholic Community: Celebration of Eucharist, Sundays at 2:30 p.m., presided over by a member of Roman Catholic Women Priests. For information, visit emmauscatholic-community.ca or contact Lori at 780-720-3444, ldexter@telus.net

Edmonton Vocal Minority describes itself as "Edmonton's Queer musical voice." You'll notice that it's mentioned in the item that includes a speech from the female minister at the church that's supporting the same cause as the evangelical church in Sherwood Park. When you see the words "affirm" or "affirming" in relation to the United Church of Canada, it means that they're affirming homosexual behaviour--something that God doesn't affirm, but condemns (e.g., Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:24-32).