30 years ago: Muslim nations call for the expulsion of Israel from "occupied territories"

File under "the more things change, the more they remain the same:"

On January 25, 1981 at Taif, Saudi Arabia, leaders of 37 Muslim nations and the Palestine Liberation Organization convened for the beginning of a five-day conference. Missing was the five-member Iranian delegation, which had been instructed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to boycott the meeting because Iraqi President Saddam Hussein would be there. Libya also boycotted the meeting to protest the presence of U.S. surveillance planes based in Saudi Arabia. Afghanistan was barred because its government was attempting to suppress Muslim rebels, and Egypt was barred because of its peace treaty with Israel.

In an opening speech read by Crown Prince Fahd, King Khalid of Saudi Arabia urged the group to drive Israel out of the Arab territories it had occupied since 1967, and to secure the rights of the Palestinians.

25 years ago: Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard reportedly dies

On January 24, 1986 L. Ron Hubbard, a prolific writer of science fiction whose book Dianetics (1950) served as the foundational text for a criminal organization masquerading as a religious movement called the Church of Scientology, reportedly died at the age of 74 at his ranch in California. A number of books under his name were published in subsequent years, so it seems that Mr. Hubbard was not one to let such a trifle as his reported death interrupt his lucrative career. For useful information on this evil organization, check the Scientology file at the Ross Institute. See my previous post for an article on the purported decline of Scientology under the leadership of Mr. Hubbard’s successor.

The spiritual climate of Pasadena, California in the 1930s and ‘40s is a worthy subject for investigation, and George Pendle’s biography Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons (2005) describes much of the occultism going on there at that time. Mr. Parsons was a brilliant scientist working at what later became the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. He was also heavily into the occult, and was one of the most fervent American admirers of "the wickedest man in the world," English occultist Aleister Crowley. Mr. Hubbard lived in the same house as Mr. Parsons for a time, and Mr. Pendle’s book goes into detail about their relationship.

One new religious movement based in Pasadena in those days that isn’t mentioned in Mr. Pendle’s book is the Radio Church of God--eventually to be known as the Worldwide Church of God--led by Herbert W. Armstrong. The death of Mr. Armstrong took place just eight days before the reported death of Mr. Hubbard; oddly, Mr. Armstrong, on his radio broadcasts of The World Tomorrow, occasionally mentioned the long-forgotten American philosopher Elbert Hubbard, who perished in the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. There’s no connection between the Hubbards that I know of, but one can’t help but notice the similarity between the names Elbert and L. Ron. Is this coincidence--or decadence?

New Year’s Conclave 2011 of The Temple of the Presence offers instruction from the Ascended Masters

If the following is any indication, the New Age movement seems to be getting more up-front and "in your face" with its doctrines.
From Press Release Distribution, December 20, 2010:

Ascended Masters’ New Year’s Conference and Acropolis Sophia® Wisdom School Announced by The Temple of The Presence
Spiritual seekers and those interested in the Ancient Wisdom will want to attend The Temple of The Presence New Year’s Conclave 2011 to learn more about the Ascended Master Teachings.

Ascended Master Teachings
GOD INDIVIDUALIZED
ONE GOD – ONE PRESENCE
Many Sons – Many Daughters

Tucson, AZ (Vocus/PRWEB) December 20, 2010

From December 29 to January 2 gather with other Ascended Master students in Tucson, Arizona, to participate in planetary releases of Spiritual Light and to receive direct instruction from the Ascended Masters. Experiencing this Light and spiritual enlightenment in person at this 5-day Conference, entitled "I AM Thy Kingdom Come!" offers an unprecedented opportunity to understand how to make the Kingdom of God manifest on Earth as it is in Heaven. Live audio broadcasts of all Conference events are available free of charge through The Temple of The Presence website. A live, streaming video broadcast program is also available through The Temple’s e-commerce site. Seeing and hearing the live broadcasts is like sitting just feet away from the Ascended Masters as they deliver their Message of personal and planetary Freedom.

The Ascended Master School of Ancient Wisdom, Acropolis Sophia, follows the New Year’s Conclave from January 3 to 9. This Ascended Master retreat offers students spiritual Teachings and training on the Path of self-mastery and the realization of the God Self, the Mighty I AM Presence. During this 7-day session, receive live Dictations and Discourses from the Ascended Masters and engage in in-depth group discussions on the principles of Cosmic Law. This January’s Acropolis Sophia session, entitled "The Keys to the Kingdom," will teach students how to unlock the full force of the Christ Light by allowing the Mighty I AM Presence to act through them.

The Temple of The Presence makes the Teachings of the Ascended Masters available to all who desire to gain their eternal Freedom and serve God in Life. Learn who you really are, why you are here on this planet, and where you are destined to go. Find out how to use the Violet Flame, a gift to humanity from Saint Germain. Participate in live, scheduled broadcasts and view streaming video of Ascended Master Instruction on the great mysteries of life anytime through The Temple’s Helicon Broadcasting®. Watch our new, introductory video series to learn more about your own, indwelling Divine Self, the individualized I AM that I AM.

The Temple of The Presence is in the direct lineage of the ancient mystery schools that the great Ascended Masters of East and West have brought forth before the Western world over the past 150 years. These activities are organized by those Initiates on the Path for the great awakening of humanity. Please visit The Temple of The Presence (link) to learn more, to participate in scheduled live broadcasts, and to view top-quality streaming video of Ascended Master Instruction and spiritual awareness.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this press release is where I came across it--at a link on the home page of Synagogue 3000, a movement dedicated to reaching out to Jews who may have strayed from the religion in order to draw them back into the flock. Knowledgeable readers will recognize S3K as the organization whose leaders met with Rick Warren in 2005 "to specifically discuss the techniques and strategies pioneered by megachurches in building spiritual community." S3K leader Ron Wolfson's 2007 book God's To-Do List was endorsed by Rick Warren; see my post on that topic.

25 years ago: Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God, goes to the "wonderful World Tomorrow"

On January 16, 1986, Herbert W. Armstrong, founder and Pastor General of the Worldwide Church of God (and "Ambassador for World Peace"), died at the age of 93 after several years of declining health. Mr. Armstrong, who began preaching in 1927, founded the WCG--originally known as the Radio Church of God--in 1933 and began broadcasting on January 7, 1934. Mr. Armstrong proclaimed a number of false doctrines, such as the idea that God is a family and that believers can become part of the "God family." Traditional Armstrongism taught a false, legalistic "gospel" that emphasized the importance of tithing (as much as 30% of one’s income) and keeping the seventh-day Sabbath and observing Old Testament holy days. I can understand how someone can be deceived by the doctrines of Armstrongism. In the late 1970s I was a young Christian, but I hadn’t yet begun reading the Bible with any seriousness. I began listening to Mr. Armstrong’s broadcasts, and what he said seemed to make sense. However, I followed his advice to "blow the dust off your Bible," and began reading it for myself, and exposing myself to better teachers, and I soon concluded that Mr. Armstrong was not teaching the "plain truth."

Mr. Armstrong was also a proponent of British Israelism--the idea that the British and American people are the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. Mr. Armstrong wrote the book The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy, which was first published in 1967 and underwent several revisions over the years after Mr. Armstrong’s predictions failed to come true.

The Worldwide Church of God was known for its school, Ambassador College, which at one time had campuses in Pasadena, California, Big Sandy, Texas, and Bricket Wood, England. The WCG published The Plain Truth magazine, which at its peak was said to reach as many as 8.4 million readers.

Mr. Armstrong had originally intended his oldest son, Dick, to eventually take over "the Work" from him, but Dick was killed in a car accident in 1958. Mr. Armstrong’s second son, Garner Ted, eventually took over the radio and television broadcasts, titled The World Tomorrow. Garner Ted was more telegenic and charismatic than his father, and GTA became a well-known personality. Garner Ted was also known for frequent fornication, and it was this, along with differences of opinion over the direction of the WCG that led to Herbert W. giving his son the boot in the summer of 1978. The elder Armstrong regained his role as the public face and voice of the WCG, but the broadcasts declined in popularity with the expulsion of Garner Ted.

After his forced exit from the WCG, Garner Ted Armstrong founded the Church of God, International, based in Tyler, Texas, but was forced to leave in January 1998 after numerous verified instances of being caught with his pants down. He remained in Tyler and founded the Intercontinental Church of God (also based in Tyler), which he was leading at the time of his death on September 15, 2003 at the age of 73.

It's not known if Herbert W. Armstrong's last words were "And so, this is Herbert W. Armstrong saying, 'Goodbye, friends'," but apparently the WCG wasn't expecting him to ever die. His successor, Joseph Tkach, began his Personal From the Publisher column In Remembrance in the May 1986 issue of The Plain Truth by saying, "Herbert W. Armstrong's illness ended in the manner least expected by all of us. Mr. Armstrong died peacefully in his sleep..."

Within a few years of Mr. Tkach's assumption of leadership, the church began repudiating the doctrines of Armstrongism, to the point that by the mid-1990s the Worldwide Church of God became largely accepted as part of mainstream evangelicalism. In April 2009 the WCG changed its name to Grace Communion International in the United States.

William C. Martin, a professor at Rice University, wrote an article titled Father, Son, and Mammon (Atlantic Monthly, March 1980, pp. 58-65), which he concluded by saying:

Those who continue to regard Mr. Armstrong as God’s Only Apostle for Our Time will accept his claim and follow him to the end. But when the end comes, as it must, the WCG is certain to experience devastating trauma.

Professor Martin’s prediction came true, although it took a few years for it to become apparent just how devastating the trauma would be. As might be expected, not everyone was willing to go along with the changes instituted by Mr. Tkach, and a number of groups split from the WCG. Partial lists of groups that have split from the WCG (including those that subsequently split from splinter groups) may be found here and here. Among the dizzying array of WCG splinter groups (and splinters of splinters) are the following, with the year of founding (where known) in parentheses:

Christian Biblical Church of God (1983)
Church of God (based in Chickamauga, Georgia)
Church of God, an International Community (1998)
Church of God Faithful Flock (2002)
Church of God Fellowship (1992)
Church of God of the Firstfruits (1991)
Church of God Philadelphia Era (1991)
Church of God, The Eternal (1975)
Church of God--21st Century (2004)
Church of God’s Faithful (2006)
Church of the Great God (1992)
Global Church of God (1992)
Church of God--A Christian Fellowship (with Global Church of God)
Church of the Eternal God (with Global Church of God)
Independent Church of God 7th Day (1999)
Living Church of God (1998)
Philadelphia Church of God (1989)
Restored Church of God (1998)
Sabbath Church of God (2006)
Twentieth Century Church of God (1990)
United Church of God (1995)

It should be mentioned that the Church of God denomination based in Anderson, Indiana was founded in 1881 and has nothing to do with Armstrongism.

The Painful Truth is a site expressing an anti-Armstrong, anti-WCG point of view. The site isn’t run by a Christian, but contains much useful information.
I particularly recommend the complete archive of Ambassador Report, the exposé by WCG alumni that was published from 1976-1999.

Additional information on the Armstrongs and WCG can be found at The Ross Institute. Use "Armstrong" as your search term, and you’ll find enough information to occupy you for a while. A short entry on Mr. Armstrong is at Battered Sheep.

Stephen Flurry of the Philadelphia Church of God has written a book titled Raising the Ruins: The Fight to Revive the Legacy of Herbert W. Armstrong (2006), written from a pro-Armstrong point of view and scathingly critical of the direction of the WCG under the leadership of Joseph Tkach, Sr. and Jr.

Pro-Armstrong blogs can be found at Worldwide Church of God and Herbert W. Armstrong. The World Tomorrow radio broadcasts by Mr. Armstrong are available here and here. Television broadcasts may be found here.

January 16, 2021 update: Go here to see an archive of Herbert W. Armstrong's materials, including magazines and broadcasts. The World Tomorrow telecast Ambassador for World Peace aired several days after his death, and was, as far as I recall, the program's last new broadcast on television. Reruns of radio broadcasts continued for several months thereafter.

Astrological signs won't be changing

And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven. Deuteronomy 4:19

Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts. Amos 5:25-27

Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? Acts 7:42

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. Romans 1:18-25

Some blondes and other airheads who believe in astrology almost had a collective nervous breakdown when a brief item by Bill Ward of the Minneapolis Star Tribune on January 9, 2011 that gave the impression that the astrological signs have gotten out of line down through the centuries went viral:

A recent Harris Poll found that 31 percent of Americans believe in astrology. They're wrong - although not necessarily in the way their detractors might cite.

The ancient Babylonians based zodiac signs on the constellation the sun was "in" on the day a person was born. During the ensuing millenniums, the moon's gravitational pull has made the Earth "wobble" around its axis, creating about a one-month bump in the stars' alignment.

The result?

"When (astrologers) say that the sun is in Pisces, it's really not in Pisces," said Parke Kunkle, a board member of the Minnesota Planetarium Society.

The article provoked a strong reaction from some believers in astrology, especially when they read that a thirteenth sign may be required for the zodiac:

Sofia Whitcombe began her day with the startling realization that she might not be exactly who she thought she was.

"My whole life, I thought I was a Capricorn," the 25-year-old New York publicist said. "Now I’m a Sagittarius? I don’t feel like a Sagittarius!"

Countless people were astonished by the "news" in Monday’s Star Tribune in which Minneapolis astronomy instructor Parke Kunkle affirmed that the Earth’s "wobble" has shifted the zodiac signs. The buzz has raced across the Web like a shooting star.

Some people seemed angry. "I believe it’s a zodiac scam," said Jose Arce, 38, from Fort Lee, N.J., who runs a body shop. "I’ve known myself to be a Sagittarius, I believe, since I was born. So to come up now with some new sign? It’s unacceptable!"...

...Astrologers across the country reported a wave of calls, e-mails or website hits from concerned clients. "People are more attached and loyal to their signs than they thought," said Eric Francis, editor of PlanetWaves.net, who said he had had 25,000 hits on his site since midnight. "It’s interesting how many people are panicking their sign is wrong."

New news or old, most people had never heard it before. And one of the more fascinating elements was talk of a new sign altogether.

By the reckoning of Kunkle and other astronomers, astrologers are not only a month off in their zodiac signs, but they are neglecting a 13th constellation, Ophiuchus (Ooh-FEE-yew-kus) the Serpent Bearer, for those born from Nov. 30 to Dec. 17.

However, astrologers are reassuring their clients that there's nothing to be alarmed about:

Robin Armstrong, an astrologer and astrology teacher based in Toronto, said the issue comes up every few years.

The mixup stems from the fact that the zodiac signs have the same names as the constellations, he said.

"It's just semantics," Armstrong said Friday. "They (astronomers) are measuring a certain thing, and they...assume astrology must mean this because what they're measuring has the same names."

And:

Linda Zlotnick, an astrologer for 32 years in St. Paul, said she and fellow astrologers have long known of the issue raised by Kunkle, but that the most commonly used zodiac — tropical — isn’t affected by it. Zlotnick, also known as "Moonrabbit," said the sidereal zodiac, which isn’t as widely used, IS based on the constellations.

It seems, then, that believers in astrology can relax and not have to concern themselves with adjusting their personalities to fit their signs.

Instead of looking to the stars for guidance, I suggest looking to the God who made the stars:

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Colossians 1:13-17

A useful book on the subject is Astrology: Do the Heavens Rule Our Destiny? by John Ankerberg and John Weldon (1989).

30 years ago: 1,000 people killed by members of Islamic cult in Nigeria

On January 9, 1981 it was announced in Nigeria that at least 1,000 people had been killed in two weeks, as followers of renegade Islamic cult leader Alhaji Mohammadu Marwa had attacked local authorities with bows and arrows, daggers, and swords. Nigerian officials stated that the revolt was backed by Libya.

Matthew 24, the New Age "Master Jesus," and The Message

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Matthew 24:4-5 (KJV)

Lighthouse Trails Research Blog, one of the best resources available, has just published a fascinating post by Ray Yungen (taken from the 2007 edition of his book For Many Shall Come in My Name (Lighthouse Trails Publishing), pp. 151-156) on Matthew 24. This paragraph in particular (from page 152) got my attention:

A basic tenet of New Age thinking is that of the Master Jesus. Adherents to this idea believe during the unrecorded period of His life, Jesus traveled to various occult centers and mystery schools in such places as Tibet, India, Persia, and Egypt; at these places this same Jesus learned the metaphysical secrets of the ages. Therefore, they claim this Jesus spent seventeen years of travel on a pilgrimage of higher consciousness. According to this viewpoint, Jesus of Nazareth became the Master Jesus, one who allegedly gained mastery over the physical world by becoming one with his higher self.

I knew I’d seen the phrase "Master Jesus" before, and I remembered where I'd seen it: The Message. As I’ve previously posted, the phrases "Lord Jesus" and "Lord Jesus Christ" aren’t found in The Message even once, but a quick search at Bible Gateway finds that the phrase "Master Jesus" is used in The Message 73 times (!)--in each instance, a change from the word "Lord."

One such passage that struck me was Philippians 3:20. For purposes of comparison, here’s how that verse reads in the King James Version, New American Standard Bible, and New International Version (2010), followed by The Message’s rendition:

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: KJV

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; NASB

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, NIV (2010)

But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, The Message

The perceptive reader will notice that in The Message’s rendition of Philippians 3:20, there's no statement that we’re waiting for the "Master, Jesus Christ" to come from heaven. To read this version, the "Master" could well be someone who’s already on Earth when he’s revealed as the Saviour--a change in the text that I regard as very suspicious!

Superstitious man in Malaysia leaves his "demon" wife after consulting a medium

As reported by Shaun Ho in the Malaysia Star on January 6, 2011:

KUALA LUMPUR: A superstitious husband stopped having sex with his wife after a temple medium convinced him she was a danger to his life.

The wife, who only wanted to be known as Loh, said her husband has now abandoned her and their two teenage children and is refusing to meet them as he fears for his life.

Self-employed Loh, 44, said her husband first started consulting the medium to solve personal problems.

She claimed her husband’s personality changed after daily meetings with him.

"The medium told my husband I had been casting spells on him for the past 15 years and that I was a demon trying to kill him.

"He refused to eat or drink at home because he thought I poisoned the food," Loh told a press conference held at the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department yesterday.

Loh also said there were no prior family problems and that her husband was very loving although he was superstitious...

...She said her husband, a factory manager, moved out of the house on the medium’s advice in August and had been paying very little for living expenses and their children’s school fees.

He withdrew the children’s savings totalling RM37,000 before moving out and recently asked for a divorce.

Loh is worried the medium is taking advantage of her husband’s trust in him, claiming the medium is also heavily in debt.

Loh had also found a newspaper report published in 2002 about another man who had neglected his family after he was "helped" by the same medium.

Loh has lodged two police reports...

...Department head Datuk Michael Chong said he had received three complaints this month involving victims who were duped by mediums.

According to Reuters:

Malaysians often seek spiritual aid from an assortment of faith healers, mediums and witch doctors to solve personal problems and work issues.

But there has been a steady increase in complaints of cheating and sexual abuse, which has prompted the government to announce it will table a bill this year requiring faith healers to register with the Ministry of Health.

Hindu guru in India paid blackmailer £1.4 million over sex video

The U.S.A. has had its televangelist scandals, and India has a scandal with a Hindu guru. As reported by Dean Nelson of the Daily Telegraph on January 5, 2011:

The broadcast of a sex tape showing Swami Nithyananda and Tamil actress Ranjitha last year caused outrage among his followers who rioted near his ashram retreat near Bangalore, Karnataka.

Nithyananda, 32, has built an international following for his 'Life Bliss' programme of yoga and meditation with devotees in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Guadeloupe and Singapore.

The programme takes followers through a 'death experience' for rebirth into a 'new life.' His youthful good looks and charismatic style brought vast wealth to his organisation and personal fame and celebrity, with television appearances throughout India and the world.

But his supporters felt betrayed when the sex tape was broadcast on India's Sun Television channel, portraying him as 'impure'...

...A police investigation brought further allegations of sexual abuse within his ashram and claims of financial impropriety.

According to the Midday newspaper, Nithyananda told detectives he was approached by a journalist last year who told him he had video footage of him with the film actress and threatened to release it to the media if he did not pay him more than £3.5 million. He told detectives the demand was reduced to £1.4 million in negotiations and that the money was paid by one of his followers.

According to detectives, he told them he had had sex with up to 20 of his devotees and had won over many followers by hugging them. He said his success in attracting non-Hindus had caused some resentment.

Focus on the Family's newspaper columns are devoid of Christian content

"Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
"To the curious incident of the use of the Bible in the Focus on the Family newspaper columns."
"There hasn’t been any use of the Bible in those columns."
"That was the curious incident."
--paraphrased from the Sherlock Holmes story Silver Blaze by A. Conan Doyle

Focus on the Family claims to be a Christian ministry, but you wouldn’t know it to read its newspaper columns. I haven’t read the columns by James Dobson, but I have read those by Jim Daly and Juli Slattery, who took over after Dr. Dobson’s departure in 2010. There’s not one quote from the Bible in any of their columns so far, and no advice given that couldn’t as easily have been given by Ann Landers, who wasn’t a Christian (and whose columns were more entertaining). A particularly offensive example (offensive because the authors rely on human reasoning rather than on God's wisdom) was the column of September 23, 2010:

Make a commitment before making a move
By Jim Daly, Juli Slattery

Published September 23, 2010

Question: I’ve been dating the same guy for a year, and he’s wonderful. We’re not ready to get married yet, but we’re talking about moving in together. My very traditional parents don’t approve. What do you think?

Jim: Listen to your parents, and don’t move in together until after you’ve tied the knot. This isn’t about being "old fashioned." Social science research indicates that couples who live together prior to marriage are much more likely to get divorced than those who don’t. You and your boyfriend might think that moving in together will help you build a stronger foundation for marriage later. But you’ll actually be increasing your chances of ending up in divorce court.

This all has to do with the concept of commitment, which is essential to any marriage. The two of you may be very much in love, but the plain truth is that nothing is set in stone. There is no engagement, no ring, no public profession of your lifelong love. Without these things in place, your living together will mimic marriage in some respects, but it will lack that critical element of commitment.

Generally speaking, men tend to take relationships less seriously – and view them as temporary – when marriage vows are not involved. All too often, the woman in a cohabiting relationship ends up getting hurt when the man moves out and moves on. Professor George Akerlof at the University of California, Berkeley put it this way: "Men settle down when they get married. If they fail to get married, they fail to settle down."

Maybe this is true of your boyfriend, and maybe not. The point is that you both need to continue dating and decide whether you’ll ever be ready to get married to one another. If and when that happens, you’ll have the rest of your lives to spend together under the same roof.


Question: But we’re already committed to each other. Is living together really a "death sentence" for the relationship?

Juli: An increasingly common form of "family" in the United States today is a man and woman living together without a wedding ring. So, you are certainly not alone in your consideration of living with your boyfriend as a step toward or even around marriage. In fact, over 50 percent of marriages today are preceded by cohabitation.

But remember that just because something is common, doesn’t mean it’s the best for you. An awful lot of people have cancer, too!

Jim hit the nail on the head here: When you really think about it, cohabitation is giving guys intimacy on their terms. Throughout history, women have naturally longed for the security of a consistent, committed relationship in which to make a home and raise children. Men have been more prone to seek companionship and sexual fulfillment without the responsibilities and limitations that come with marriage. By moving in with your boyfriend, you are taking away any incentive he may have to grow up and make a lifelong commitment to you.

Don’t buy the line that living together before marriage will be a good trial run. As Jim noted, cohabiting couples are much more likely to end up divorced. They’re also more likely to experience depression, poverty, infidelity, and domestic violence.

I know your parents sound old-fashioned and traditional to you, but some traditions persist because they actually work. Marriage is one of them. I’d encourage you not to compromise on this one. If this relationship has the potential to go the distance, don’t saddle it with the burdens that come with cohabitation. And if this guy is worthy of committing your life to, he’s worth the wait – and so are you!

Living together in a sexual relationship outside of marriage is included in what the Bible refers to as "fornication." God’s word has a fair amount to say on the subject--all of it negative, and all of it realistic. See, for instance, Acts 15:20 and 21:25; Romans 1:29; I Corinthians 5:1, 9-11; 6:9, 13; 7:2; 10:8; II Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; I Thessalonians 4:3; Hebrews 12:16; Jude 7; Revelation 9:21.

The Calgary Sun runs the Focus on the Family columns in its Sunday editions on a page that’s supposed to be expressing Christian perspectives. Apparently the editor of that page hasn’t noticed that those columns have no Christian content whatever. As Ingrid Schlueter has noted at The Crosstalk Blog and the now--unfortunately--departed Slice of Laodicea blog, evangelicalism has substituted "conservative family values" and a desire to get back to 1960s’ Mayberry for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

For a particularly striking example of an ostensibly Christian ministry that has gone in a completely secular direction, one need look no further than eHarmony. Those who have become familiar with that name just from their television ads of recent years might be surprised to learn that eHarmony started in 2000 as a dating service for Christians. Its business grew tremendously after Dr. Dobson had eHarmony founder Neil Clark Warren as a guest for two days on the Focus on the Family radio show in 2001. However, around 2005 Dr. Warren (what is it with men in evangelical circles with the surname "Warren"?) apparently got greedy decided that the Christian market wasn’t broad enough, bought back the rights to his books from Focus on the Family--which had published them--and to the reported ire disappointment of Dr. Dobson, who rightly regarded himself as being largely responsible for eHarmony’s success, broadened eHarmony’s base to the point that it now includes people of "all religions," as well as sodomites and lesbians among potential customers. Any Christian emphasis of eHarmony is long gone.

Keep an eye on Focus on the Family; if their newspaper columns are any indication, the rest of the ministry will be heading in the same direction.

25 years ago: Jerry Falwell announces the formation of the Liberty Federation

On January 3, 1986, Rev. Jerry Falwell, who had founded the advocacy organization Moral Majority in 1979, announced that he was forming a new organization, to be called the Liberty Federation, that would deal with a broader spectrum of political issues. The Moral Majority, which was believed to have about five million members, had concentrated on social issues such as abortion and pornography.

Rev. Fatwhale Falwell, who was associated with the Republican Party and was widely regarded as a spokesman for American conservative evangelicals, said that the Liberty Federation would absorb the Moral Majority and would confront such issues as Communist threats around the world, and would support a strong military defense for the United States.

The Moral Majority received a lot of publicity, and is widely remembered; it disbanded in 1989, which will come as a surprise to those who think it still exists. Does anyone remember the Liberty Federation? This blogger doesn't; it's so obscure that it doesn't have its own Wikipedia entry. I've been unsuccessful in determining when the Liberty Federation ceased to exist, but I assume that it's no longer with us. My guess is that the Liberty Federation was disbanded along with the Moral Majority in 1989.

Israel believes that Iran can attack her with 10-12 minutes' warning--WikiLeaks

As reported by Voice of America News, January 3, 2011 (with spelling mistake corrected):

U.S. diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks reveal that Israel believes it would have 10-12 minutes' warning should Iran launch a rocket attack against the country.

The Norwegian daily Aftenposten published a cable from the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv Monday that discusses a November 15, 2009 meeting between an American congressional delegation and Israel's military chief.

According to the daily, Gabi Ashkenazi told the delegation that Iran has 300 Shihab missiles that could reach Israel. He added that Israel's biggest threats were the Iranian-backed Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has more than 40,000 rockets that can reach almost any point in Israel...

...The Israeli defense chief said Israel is not able to protect its entire population despite its anti-missile defense systems. He said 1 million Israelis could be exposed to missiles that cannot be fought from the air.

"Rev." Fred Phelps is not a member of the "Christian right"

I’ve never recognized "Rev." Fred Phelps of "God Hates Fags" infamy as a Christian, and I’ve long suspected him of being an agent of the enemy. I don’t wish to demonize the entire Democratic party in the United States, but Mr. Phelps’ political connections aren’t those one would usually associate with a member of the "Christian right," according to this post from HillBuzz:

(1) Is Fred Phelps a Democrat?

Yes. Fred Phelps is a lifelong Democrat who ran for Governor of Kansas three times…in 1990, 1994, and 1998. Fred Phelps ran as a Democrat. Fred Phelps is a Democrat who strongly supported Al Gore for years, briefly broke away from Gore during the Clinton years because Phelps hates both Bill and Hillary Clinton with a passion (because of Bill’s infidelities), but has seemingly reconciled with Gore and loves him again. Phelps’ son is also a big Al Gore supporter and was a Gore delegate in 1988 to the Democrat Convention.

(2) Is Westboro Baptist a Democrat organization?

Yes. Westboro Baptist is a Democrat organization that exists as a hate-group run by Democrat Fred Phelps, the former Democrat contender for Governor of Kansas in 1990, 1994, and 1998. Phelps and Westboro Baptist hate the United States Military and engage in picketing military funerals. They also hate gays, which is consistent with the Democrat Party’s general feeling towards the gay community — if people are sharp enough to cut through the PC propaganda and take a hard look on how Democrats in general really see gays... Democrats use gays for a funding source but have great contempt for them and are, in fact, more hateful toward gays than conservatives because the image of the gay-hating conservative is actually conjured by the Left as a boogeyman in the gay community, using Democrats like Fred Phelps and his Democrat hate-group Westboro Baptist to provide the caricature the Left wants to imprint on conservatism...

HT: The Blog of Walker

Former Jehovah's Witness accuses JWs of moving children to avoid blood transfusions

Another backlog item, as reported by Tom Blackwell in the National Post, September 28, 2009:

The boy was just five years old and desperately ill, but as he crouched in the back seat of Donna Ryder's car, he became more fugitive than cancer patient.

Police in New Brunswick were already out looking for the child when, according to Ms. Ryder, she hid him and his mother in her Dodge Omni and drove them to Fredericton, away from children's aid officials who might have forced the son of Jehovah's Witnesses to accept a blood transfusion.

Fellow officials of the Church then took over, whisking the child to their Canadian headquarters, she says. The patient and his family ended up eventually in Mexico for alternative treatments that abided by the sect's controversial -- and vigorously enforced -- ban on receiving blood. He died soon after.

It was a particularly dramatic episode, but Ms. Ryder alleges that the Church regularly transports sick children far from the reach of child welfare authorities -- and the possibility of forced transfusions -- before the cases can turn into high-profile court battles.

Witnesses stake out the hospital rooms of children around the clock, mostly to offer support but sometimes hustling the patients away when it seems likely an attempt will be made to impose a transfusion, charged Ms. Ryder, who did legal work on Witness cases for several years before leaving the church.

"It makes me feel ill when I recall my part in that," said the 58-year-old, now a social work student at Ryerson University. "I was terrified I was going to get arrested.... When a doctor says a child needs a blood transfusion to live, that becomes a necessity of life. To work behind closed doors and under the rug to spirit the child away is not protection, it's illegal."...

...Ms. Ryder's allegations were firmly dismissed, however, by a top church official, who said the Witnesses as an organization never transport children to avoid legal action, though parents may choose to take them to a health-care facility or practitioner who is willing to provide treatment without blood.

"Treatment options are a personal decision of parents," Warren Shewfelt, the Witnesses' Canadian national director, said in an emailed response to questions. "Responsible parents make treatment decisions based on where they can get the best medical care in accord with the law and with the co-operation of their treating physicians."

As for Ms. Ryder's comments, her "accusations and innuendo ... are devoid of any facts and are completely false," he said...

...Another former Witness who was a paralegal for the church in the 1990s, though, largely confirmed Ms. Ryder's account, saying he can recall at least four cases where the Witnesses moved sick children out of province or out of the country to circumvent an expected attempt by child welfare authorities to gain custody so a transfusion could be carried out.

"It doesn't happen often but it has happened," said Michael Saunders.

Barbara Anderson, an employee of the church's world headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y., in the 1990s, also said she was aware of organized attempts to move sick children from situations where they could have blood forced on them, though she believes it is much less likely to take place today.

Female Lutheran bishop in Germany resigns over criticism of her handling of sexual abuse allegations

Another backlog item:

Not only are women not biblically qualified for positions of leadership in a church (see I Timothy 3:1-12), it seems as though they can be just as bad as men when it comes to covering up sexual abuse scandals. As reported by Agence France-Presse on July 17, 2010:

HAMBURG—The world's first female Lutheran bishop resigned Friday after abuse accusations in her northern German diocese of Hamburg, the latest casualty of a scandal to have rocked the church.

Maria Jepsen, 65, came under fire for bungling the case of a pastor accused of abusing young boys and girls in the 1970s and 1980s. She reportedly knew for several years about the case but failed to act.

"My credibility has been called into question," she said at a hastily convened press conference to explain her decision.

"Therefore, I am no longer in a position to continue the duty I promised to God and to my congregation when I was ordained and when I was elected as a bishop," added Jepsen.

According to German media reports, a 46-year-old woman said she had been the victim of repeated sexual abuse by the pastor between 1979 and 1984, abuse to which the pastor admitted when confronted by his superiors in the church.

But the abuse victim said she had revealed the abuse to Jepson as far back as 1999.

Jepsen has said she was only told about "unworthy behavior" by the pastor and only learned about the precise nature of the abuse this year.

Without reacting directly to the criticism against her, Jepsen on Friday called for abuse cases, in Ahrensburg and elsewhere, to be cleared up as quickly as possible.

In 1992, Jepsen became the first woman to be appointed as a Lutheran bishop and was elected to a second 10-year term in 2002.

The Protestant Church in Germany, which has about 25 million members, is still reeling from the shock resignation in February of its head, Margot Kaessmann, who was caught drunk behind the wheel.

Buddhist idolatry on display in Alberta

Another item from the backlog:

And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Revelation 9:20

The verse above is just one of the passages of scripture that indicates that the Great tribulation will be characterized not by atheism, but by idolatry. An example of this took place at Westlock, Alberta on July 25, 2010, as reported by Chris Zdeb in the Edmonton Journal on July 26:

Peace and tranquillity are what we long for, but those qualities are elusive and rare in our lives. So when the opportunity presents itself to get closer to that state, many take it, which is why more than 4,000 people from across Western Canada and the United States gathered Sunday in the country, 45 kilometres north of Edmonton.

They had come to see the Jade Buddha of Universal Peace, which is supposed to bring inner peace and happiness to those who see it. How could it not, under perfectly blue prairie skies, with cheery yellow canola fields nearby and the air heavy with the sweet smell of freshly cut field grass warmed by the sun?

Excited children leaned forward in anticipation and adults held digital and video cameras at the ready as a gold cloth adorned with red Buddhist symbols was slowly pulled away, revealing a four-metre high statue of a young, slim, smiling Buddha sitting cross-legged on a mammoth alabaster throne...

...The four-tonne statue, valued at approximately $5 million, is the largest such figure in the world, carved from a 100-million-year-old gemstone boulder mined in northern B.C., near the Yukon border. It was commissioned by an Australian couple and was finished in December 2008. It took sculptors and artists in Thailand five years to complete. It has been touring the world to promote universal peace. At the end of the tour, the statue will be on permanent display in Victoria, Australia, where the couple who commissioned it live.

The atmosphere at this event wasn't entirely spiritual. According to Bonnie Hutchinson, who was in attendance, and whose views could be described as New Age, it seems that Buddhists have their equivalent of the moneychangers in the Temple:

On the pavilion in front of the altar, a singer was entertaining the thousands of visitors, passing around a hat for contributions. This was not Buddhist chanting. This was pop singing for pure entertainment.

In stalls and large tents between the main building and the altar, were kiosks selling clothes, food, and lots of other things. Healthy lively commerce was much in evidence...

...At first I was a bit surprised. I expected to feel the incongruence of the Jade Buddha surrounded by Western Canadian farm country. But I did not expect to feel the same kind of atmosphere I’ve experienced at lots of "tourist trap" places I’ve visited...

...Of course there would be entertainment. As one of the organizers said to me, "We knew with this many people and lots of children, we would have to provide some entertainment." (He went on to tell me that the monks would be chanting at 9 p.m. that evening.)

As for all the emphasis on "peace," it's worthwhile to remember that according to Daniel 8:25, the Antichrist "by peace shall destroy many." Romans 5:1-2 states the path to true peace:
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Jewish populations in Yemen and Ethiopia have distinct histories

From the abstract of the article Mitochondrial DNA reveals distinct evolutionary histories for Jewish populations in Yemen and Ethiopia by Amy L. Non, Ali Al-Meeri, et. al., published in the January 2011 issue of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology:

A high frequency of sub-Saharan African L haplogroups was found in both Jewish populations, indicating a significant African maternal contribution unlike other Jewish Diaspora populations. However, no identical haplotypes were shared between the Yemenite and Ethiopian Jewish populations, suggesting very little gene flow between the populations and potentially distinct maternal population histories...Specifically, Yemenite Jewish mitochondrial diversity reflects potential descent from ancient Israeli exiles and shared African and Middle Eastern ancestry with little evidence for large-scale conversion of local Yemeni. In contrast, the Ethiopian Jewish population appears to be a subset of the larger Ethiopian population suggesting descent primarily through conversion of local women.

Human remains found in Israel may be the world's oldest

I believe the Bible, and not in macroevolution, but I find this item interesting. As reported by Associated Press on December 27, 2010:

Israeli archaeologists said Monday they may have found the earliest evidence yet for the existence of modern man, which, if proven, could upset theories of the origin of humans.

A Tel Aviv University team excavating a cave in central Israel said teeth found in the cave are about 400,000 years old and resemble those of other remains of modern man, known scientifically as Homo sapiens. The earliest Homo sapiens remains found to date are only half as old...

...The accepted scientific theory is that Homo sapiens originated in Africa and migrated out of the continent. Gopher said if the remains are definitively linked to modern human’s ancestors, it could mean that modern man in fact originated in what is now Israel...

...According to today’s accepted scientific theories, modern humans and Neanderthals stemmed from a common ancestor who lived in Africa about 700,000 years ago. One group of descendants migrated to Europe and developed into Neanderthals, later becoming extinct. Another group stayed in Africa and evolved into Homo sapiens — modern humans.

The issue of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology that this study appears in hasn't yet been posted.

50 years ago: Israel denies reports that it's working toward producing atomic bombs

On December 20, 1960, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Avram Harman called on U.S. Secretary of State Christian Herter to deny reports that Israel, with French aid, was developing the capacity to produce atomic bombs. Mr. Harman confirmed that a nuclear reactor was being built in the Negev Desert with French aid but that it was "exclusively for peaceful purposes."

On December 21, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion told the Knesset that reports of an Israeli A-bomb program were "deliberate or undeliberate" untruths.

On December 22, the U.S. State Department said that it felt that the Israeli nuclear reactor project "does not represent a cause for special concern."

On December 23, United Arab Republic President Gamal Nasser warned that any attempt by Israel to build an atomic bomb would mean war with the U.A.R.

20 years ago: Government of Canada bars hundreds of delegates from world congress of International Council of Christian Churches

Another item from the backlog that should have been posted months ago (warning--lengthy post ahead): In August 1990, the International Council of Christian Churches, which had been founded in 1948 to counter the liberalism and apostasy of the World Council of Churches, held its 13th World Congress in Vancouver, British Columbia, only to find that more than half of the expected 1,200 delegates had been barred from entering the country by the Government of Canada, ostensibly for fear that they would try to illegally remain in Canada. This was, of course, nonsense; these delegates were pastors of congregations in their homelands, who would not have abandoned their people, and had always returned home after attending ICCC congresses in various countries in years past.
At the same time that the Canadian federal government, under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Employment and Immigration Minister Barbara McDougall, barred Bible-believing Christians from attending the ICCC congress in Vancouver, this same government allowed 7,000 sodomite activists, carrying who-knows-what diseases, into Vancouver to promote their ungodly lifestyle.

Carl McIntire, President of the ICCC, told the story in the Christian Beacon, September 6, 1990:

Canadian Gov’t Sabotages ICCC Vancouver Congress:
More than 600 delegates, a majority of those expected, were forbidden admission to Canada by consulates and embassies around the world. Congress strongly reacted; local citizen filed complaint with Human Rights Commission. McIntire appeals to Mulroney and Bush

By Carl McIntire

The International Council of Christian Churches’ 13th Congress had the shock of its 42-year history when it assembled on the campus of the University of British Columbia, where the World Council of Churches met seven years ago. As the brethren arrived to participate, representing their churches, it became clear that the Canadian consulates had vetoed the Congress. They denied visas to hundreds from third-world and other countries.

The local press picked up the story and featured it, with Vancouver’s largest paper, The Sun, heading its report, "Fundamentalists Want Damage From Ottawa," on August 18.

Day after day the Congress assembled in the large gymnasium bedecked with flags on three sides, prepared for a delegation of 1200 or more. It was less than half full, the smallest Congress since the beginning in 1948.

As the story and reports unfolded, the Council charged that it was World Council of Churches’ interests in the Canadian consulates that blocked the delegates from coming.

A lengthy appeal, "A Call for Help," was unanimously adopted after hearing the testimonies of those who were able to get there after much difficulty. The local committee, headed by Wayne Poley, who had handled other Canadian Human Rights Commission complaints, stepped forward and initiated the complaint against the Canadian Government. On the opening night the Council had to pay $13,500 for empty beds which were reserved and which men could not enter the country and occupy.

A communication was sent to the Prime Minister by Dr. McIntire and also President Bush and U.S. Secretary of State Baker. This document together with communications and supplements filed with the Prime Minister and President Bush are here reproduced.

To our knowledge nothing like this has happened before in relation to any religious organization meeting in the western world.

A Call for Help and for Religious Freedom

The 13th World Congress of the International Council of Christian Churches, meeting on the campus of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, August 8-16, 1990, has been afflicted in a manner that had never been anticipated. More than 600 delegates and participants who were scheduled to come from abroad and take part in this Congress were denied admission to Canada by that country’s withholding visas for them to enter. This constituted more than half of the expected attendance...

When the ICCC decided at its 12th Congress in Cape Canaveral, Florida, to come to Canada, it was believed that church representatives from more than 100 nations in which they maintain ICCC membership would be able to come. The indication given by the top officials in Ottawa was that they would give their full cooperation to this end. As it has now turned out from the reports that have been coming in from country after country, the Canadian Embassy refused to give visas except to a very few.

That the ICCC is a religious body has been recognized in all the other countries where it has met and it has been treated as such by government officials.

In Canada itself, the Canadian Council of Evangelical Protestant Churches, founded in 1953, has been recognized by the government as a religious body entitled to tax exemption. The same is true of International Christian Relief, Canada, of the ICCC which has just sent 80,000 lbs. of relief goods to Romania. All the ICCC churches in Canada from Nova Scotia to British Columbia are recognized by the Canadian Government and are entitled to tax exemption. They carry on their ministry freely. The denial by the Government of visas to these delegates and participants constitutes a great fracture of the free exercise of religion. The emphasis on human rights and non-discrimination on the basis of race, color or religion has become a recognized standard among the nationa and particularly among the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations.

So devastating has been this denial of entrance to these church leaders that the operation at the Congress was less than half of its expected attendance and it has done great injury to the Council’s operation and existence in various countries.

The denial has been so sweeping and massive that, whatever the motivation may have been, Canada has used visa power to afflict, discriminate and persecute a religious movement as represented in the ICCC. Not only were the denominational representatives prevented from coming in country after country but representatives of the new church bodies joining the Council were forbidden to come. The invitations of the Council were rejected. They could not be dangerous crooks.

The contrast between the composition of the Council assembled in the past stands out with the previous Congresses in 1983 and 1988 where the Philippines with its churches over the islands sent more than 200 delegates who were admitted to the United States. This time not more than 15 were allowed to enter Canada, of the more than 180 who were qualified to come. The same is true of India where the ICCC has churches over the entire country. In 1983 and 1988 the United States admitted more than 200 to each Congress. This time in Northern India 183 stood in line with all their papers to receive visas. Not more than 5 or 6 were admitted. The Anglican Bishop, the Rev. V. Som Nath and Bishop Gian Chand Kanwal finally got visas. Bishop Kanwal, Vice-President for the ICCC in Northern India, spent five days remonstrating with the Embassy to Canada. He presented the case and nature of the ICCC to them--182 people, all paying their own way and all properly commissioned to come to the Congress; all had their papers. He and many of them slept on the road all night. He was able to explain to the Consul the nature and ministry of the ICCC in India, all to no avail. Various pressures were used and he finally got his visa. He was told that the ICCC was no Council of Churches and also told that if it were the World Council he and the other applicants would be able to get a visa to Canada. He was asked if the ICCC was a branch of the World Council of Churches. This report indicates that there were various factors involved in these denials.

In Southern India the ICCC has a very large constituency. The same situation prevailed where more than 200 were denied and not more than a dozen were allowed to come. When he arrived in Canada, Dr. J. Buraga, President of the India Council of Christian Churches, discovered the same thing that he faced in New Delhi had been going on in other countries in denying visas. He personally made sure that those who made applications had all the necessary documents which the government required and, finally, as he remonstrated by telephone, he was simply told that they did not deal with problems by phone. They gave him a visa. He has traveled around the world for the ICCC and has been back and forth to the United States without any problem. He had been previously in Canada. In the neighborhood of...350 visas were denied for India alone. The Canadian Consul in New Delhi spoke disparagingly of the ICCC saying to some of the delegates, "Why do you want to go there and waste your money and time?"

Only one of our 21 delegates from Haiti received a visa and he was permitted to stay for only one week. Twelve of the Brazil delegation of 20 who had their round-trip tickets, everything in order representing churches, were summarily denied visas. From Nigeria, where the ICCC had 27 denominations, not one delegate was admitted. One delegate from Ethiopia was allowed to enter Canada. Even in the case of South Korea the Canadian Embassy refused to admit a sizeable number of the duly appointed delegates to Canada. Whatever motivation directed such a repressive act, the facts are here were Christian leaders who were god-fearing, law-abiding citizens, responsible for Christian churches in their land. They were not transferring dope; they do not belong to subversive terrorist organizations, nor have they joined revolutionary activities. This council over a period of 42 years has developed into a fellowship of 547 denominations which are faithful to the historic Christian faith--the same faith that had its great influences in the development of Canada and the western world by those who fled religious persecution in Europe.

To offset the ICCC’s meeting in Vancouver and overlapping it was the gathering of homosexuals. There were 7,002 delegates at the Gay Pride games from 27 countries with the questionable factor of AIDS so general in their community. This gathering of foreigners was so freely admitted, while another gathering, one of Christian church leaders, ran into a hostility which reduced their presence by more than half who would have been able to fill out the program as contemplated and organized. The partiality shown here can only mean that the churches were picked out for this special treatment.

One thing is clear that the ICCC represents the world-wide organization of churches which do not support--and many have come out--of the WCC. The religious issues between these two bodies are matters to which Christian people are entitled, both to have their opinions and to take a stand. This Council reporting this repression considers it to be religious persecution of the first order against the churches of Jesus Christ.

It calls upon the Canadian government to apologize to the ICCC and to discipline all who were responsible for it. It authorizes an appeal to the Human Rights Commission of the UN with a petition that Canada be called to account before the nations of the world. No way does this council question the right of the Government of Canada in its use of visa power to protect the interests of their citizens but such a blanket and general use of this power to inhibit the free exercise of religion is a violation of the Constitution of Canada which is supposed to guarantee such freedom.

Here is perhaps the first example in the 20th Century where government power has been used against any international Christian body. Political, ideological, ecumenical, and various factors are involved in the conflict between the WCC and the ICCC. They raise the question of whether within the government consular officers around the world there is an anti-ICCC bias and a pro-WCC interest which could be among the real and subjective factors that precipitated this destructive attack upon this Christian body. This Council also requests the support in this protest all who believe in religious freedom and human rights and no discrimination on the basis of color, national origin, race or religion.

In Canada there have been times when the Council has spoken out against the Government, an activity of the ICCC through its regional organization headed by its representative, Mr. Tom Linton.

The Government in an official action organized and assisted in sponsoring an interfaith religious service of worship on February 14, 1988, commending Canada for maintaining religious freedom. This was objected to as a government-run religious function and operation. Participating were the churches of the WCC in Canada, which dominate the religious scene together with the Roman Catholic Church and a number of evangelicals who were willing to compromise and participate in this fusion of religious bodies, all at the behest of the state.

Here is a case where the International Council in its promotion of religious freedom has insisted that the Government be separate. The separation of church and state is essential for the protection of the churches in their ministry and freedom.

In protesting this action against the ICCC it is the desire of this Council that such a strong protest be manifested that nothing like this will occur again in Canada or any other country. Religious persecution and repression led various groups from Western Europe to come to this part of the world that they might build their churches and homes on the basis of Christian principles and see that they live under a government which in no way would interfered with law-abiding activities of Christian bodies.

Has the day come when it is no longer possible for world international gatherings of churches to assemble freely without fear of being restricted and being molested by the state?

As a Bible-believing Fundamentalist body, maintaining the common doctrines of the Christian faith, the ICCC has been expanding rapidly and has church bodies in more than 100 nations. At this assembly more than 100 applications were received from new church bodies over the world. Is what Canada has done in afflicting this Council to be a precedent and an example for other countries when the Council gathers for its various church meetings? Here is a cry for help.

Even those who do not agree with its position and activity in the religious world must recognize that what was done to the ICCC could also be done to others, and the day of religious freedom has now entered an eclipse. A protest is now being made by this Council. It sits in an auditorium that is less than half full; at least 600 seats are empty, and there is the constant realization that a secular state has intervened to see that the ICCC’s world-wide ministry is restrained, restricted and repulsed. These more than 600 Bible-believing Christians are denied the privilege of going back to their countries to carry on their ministry for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ with the inspiration derived from the Congress.

When the WCC people in these embassies and others in sympathy with them use their personal positions to inflict this damage by such an abusive power, we need to call upon all governments, including the United States, to take some appropriate action to show their disdain and disapproval of Canada’s abuse of the International Council of Christian Churches.

Leaders Kept From ICCC Congress by Consulates

The attack of the Canadian Government on the ICCC through its consulates left a small company who carried out the prearranged program with some of its prayer leaders and speakers kept from entering the country. For nine days all were conscious in all the sessions that the assembly had been decimated by the Canadian officials, that actual registration came to only 502, including American visitors...

...The people who came went away realizing that a new form of persecution manifested itself, and the Canadian Government was used to implement it against this Council...All left praying that God would overrule the attack made by the Canadian Government, and instead of hurting the Council, this kind of opposition would strengthen the believers to be courageous and be bold in carrying out the Great Commission, which is upon them from Jesus Christ.

From The Vancouver Sun, August 16, 1990:

Fundamentalists want damages from Ottawa
By Douglas Todd
Sun Religious Reporter

A worldwide group of fundamentalist Christians meeting in Vancouver is seeking $5 million in damages from the federal government--charging Canadian consular officials denied temporary visas to more than 600 conference delegates.

"We feel it’s a form of religious persecution and discrimination," Carl McIntire, 84-year-old president of the International Council of Christian Churches, said at a Friday news conference.

Delegates from Haiti, the Philippines, India and Brazil were among those refused entry, said McIntire, who claims his organization represents millions of anti-Communist, "Bible-believing" Protestants.

About 600 delegates made it to the annual convention at the University of B.C.

However, more than 180 delegates from India were denied visas in early August, said Bishop Gian Kanwall of the All-India National Church. Canadian High Commission officials in India refused delegates because of fears they would illegally immigrate, Kanwall said.

The ICCC had to pay UBC’s Gage Towers $13,000 for unfilled rooms, McIntire said.

Vancouver resident Wayne Poley this week sent a letter to the Canadian Human Rights Commission calling for the federal immigration and external affairs departments to pay more than $8,000 compensation to each delegate refused entry.

"We have claimed damages of $5 million, which is $8,000 for each of the 600 representatives turned away. That is well within the history of settlements made in Canadian human rights cases," Poley, a conference official, said.

Jerry Maphree, an immigration department spokesman in Ottawa, said: "With 600 refusals (at consuls around the world), I would have thought a trend would have developed and we would have heard more about it."

Saying he would have to choose his words carefully because an official complaint has been filed, Maphree said the delegates would never have been denied visas on ideological grounds. "Whether they hold radical views or not is irrelevant."

The main reason people are refused temporary visas to Canada, Maphree said, is when there is concern they would not return home. Visitors must also prove an authentic reason for their trip.

ICCC officials said they felt it was unjust their members were denied visas to the conference, which ended Friday, while there were no such problems for the visitors who took part in Vancouver’s recent Gay Games.

The ICCC, which was formed in 1948 to oppose the more liberal and ecumenical World Council of Churches, has never experienced wholesale visa denials for any other annual convention held in other countries, said McIntire.

McIntire also speculated senior government officials might have "colluded" with the "powerful World Council of Churches" to keep out delegates.

The authoritative Encyclopedia of American Religions says the ICCC is the most rigorously fundamentalist of three major world bodies representing Protestant Christians. The encyclopedia says the ICCC and McIntire, who is also founder of the U.S. Bible Presbyterian Church, staunchly oppose communism, modernism and pacifism.

I didn't hear if the ICCC’s appeals to the Government of Canada were successful, but I suspect not. The Human Rights Commission, then as now, was not known to be friendly toward Christians (see Ezra Levant’s book Shakedown (2009), an excellent exposé of the Canadian human rights racket), so that protest presumably went nowhere.

The cabinet minister responsible for the barring of the ICCC delegates from Canada, Barbara McDougall, was promoted in 1991 from Employment and Immigration Minister to External Affairs Minister. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney resigned in 1993, by which time polls showed a higher percentage of Canadians expressing a belief that Elvis Presley may still be alive than supporting the Mulroney government. Mr. Mulroney was replaced as Prime Minister by the forgettable Kim Campbell, who guided the party to a disastrous, if inevitable, defeat in the 1993 federal election. The Liberal Party, under Prime Minister Jean Chretien--whose name, ironically, means "Christian" in French--proved to be far more anti-Christian than the one it replaced.

At the end of 2010 Canada has a minority government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada; unrepentant Mulroneyites are prominent in the party and government, and "Lyin’ Brian" Mulroney is now revered by them as an elder statesman.

Carl McIntire went to be with the Lord on March 19, 2002 at the age of 95. The International Council of Christian Churches had held at least four world congresses since 1990, none of them, as far as I know, in Canada.

Pennsylvania parents who practiced faith-healing are convicted of manslaughter in their son's death

Walter Martin has been credited with saying, "Bad exegesis leads to bad theology, which leads to bad morality." Yet another tragic example is that of a Pennsylvania couple who let their 2-year-old son die as a result of their fanatical opposition to medicine. As reported by Joseph A. Slobodzian in the Philadelphia Inquirer on December 11, 2010:

The Rhawnhurst couple who put their faith in prayer as their 2-year-old son died of bacterial pneumonia were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter Friday.

Continuing the silence they have kept since their arrests in April 2009, Herbert and Catherine Schaible said nothing after the Common Pleas Court jury of eight men and four women delivered the late-afternoon verdict. The couple also were pronounced guilty of endangering the welfare of a child...

... Their pastor, Nelson A. Clark of the First Century Gospel Church of Juniata Park, which teaches healing through prayer and eschews medical care as evidence of a lack of faith in God, seemed crushed by the jury's conclusion.

"We are hurting now," Clark said as he left the Criminal Justice Center courtroom. "That should not have been. That was not what we wanted to hear. Not involuntary manslaughter."

The Schaibles' 2-year-old son, Kent, died after fighting what began as a cold and progressed over two weeks to bacterial pneumonia. According to testimony, Herbert Schaible, 42, and Catherine Schaible, 41, prayed for their son and thought he might be getting better.

But on the night of Jan. 24, 2009, the Schaibles discovered that Kent was dead. They called the church's assistant pastor, Ralph Myers, who came to the house, joined the parents in prayer, and then called a funeral director.

"We tried to fight the devil, but in the end the devil won," Herbert Schaible told homicide detectives in a statement read to the jury during the trial, which began Tuesday...

... First Century Gospel Church preaches a literal reliance on faith and prayer to heal, and cites such scriptural bases as Abraham's faith in God when he offered to sacrifice his son Isaac. While the church considers members who obtain medical care to have sinned, it does not shun those who see a doctor.

According to testimony, the church permits dental care, such as cleanings and filling cavities, and does not proscribe modern inventions such as personal computers.

A glance at the What We Believe section of the website of First Century Gospel Church shows that the church is mostly sound in doctrine, but fanatical on the issues of healing and money:

Believing faith in the atonement work of Jesus includes trusting God for healing without medicine, for divine protection without devices, and for daily needs without laid-up money. Acts 3:16 "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him." When we worship and serve God, He heals us of illness Exodus 23:25.
Psalm 91:9-10 "If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent." Our trust is to be on God everyday for everything in life. Matthew 6:19-20 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth... But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven," by giving it to charity.

The church has posted a sermon titled Healing Ministry of Jesus, which includes:

A minister who claims to teach from the Bible, but goes to a hospital for medical treatment, is not trusting God in faith on the Blood sacrifice of His Son. The minister’s decision reveals his serious lack of faith. To preach that Jesus came to save us, but not to heal us, is false teaching—and we are warned to watch out for false prophets Matthew 7:15; 2 John 1:8.

Our close friends should share our believing faith in Christ, and our trust on God for health, healing, and Heaven. Jesus said His true followers were those who did His Father’s will Matthew 12:50—and it is His will to trust Him in believing faith for healing.

God sent His Son to shed His Blood, and to heal those oppressed by the devil Acts 10:38. If we accept Christ as our Savior, we also have to accept Him as our Healer, because Jesus defeated Satan who causes sickness. It is a sin to trust on medical help and pills; and it is real faith to trust on the Blood of Christ for healing. Romans 14:23 "All conduct not based on faith is sinful." God wants us to repent of the sin that caused the illness, and to trust Him alone for the healing.

Moses was educated in Egypt, and would have known about the Pharaoh’s medical plans, so he would have taught the Israelites to use medicine—if that was God’s will, but Moses did not do that. He always told them to go directly to God in prayer about everything.

Sickness is from the devil, but we can be healed by faith in the Blood of Jesus. John 14:13 "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."...

...Many would not receive eternal life, because they would not trust God in faith for healing. If anyone has more faith in doctors and drugs, than they have in God and the Blood of Christ, their salvation would be in serious jeopardy.

First Century Gospel Church seems to have difficulty understanding progressive revelation. Because God revealed himself to Old Testament Israel in certain ways doesn't necessarily mean that we can expect Him to reveal Himself in the same ways today. The healings and other miracles performed by the Lord Jesus Christ were done not only out of compassion but to demonstrate that He was who He claimed to be. The healings and other miracles performed by the apostles helped to validate the fact that they were men sent by Jesus Christ to proclaim His message.

The position of First Century Gospel Church on healing raises a few questions in my mind. If it's sinful to accept medical treatment, why is Luke referred to by the apostle Paul in Colossians 4:14 as "the beloved physician?" If First Century Gospel Church is correct, shouldn't Luke have been required to give up the practice of medicine upon his conversion to Christ? Paul's last letter, II Timothy, contains the statement in the latter part of chapter 4, verse 20, "Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick." Nowhere is it implied that Trophimus (or Paul, for that matter) were lacking in faith in this situation.

Moreover, if healing necessarily goes along with trusting in Christ, why do Christians die at all? The fact is that Christians prior to the return of our Lord continue to die, in most cases as the result of illness. As Walter Martin said, "There is one illness that you will not recover from, and that is--your last one."

I believe that Jesus Christ still heals today, but only if it's His will to do so; He will grant people the state of health that will bring the most glory to Him. I've known Christians who were not healed of disabilities or illnesses, and maintained a strong Christian witness without being healed. Joni Eareckson Tada is a well-known example of this, but there are many others with a similar testimony.

In My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers made the following comments on the difference between faith and fanaticism in the entry for April 26, which deals with God's command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac in Genesis 22:

The great point of Abraham's faith in God was that he was prepared to do anything for God. He was there to obey God, no matter to what belief he went contrary. Abraham was not a devotee of his convictions, or he would have slain Isaac and said that the voice of the angel was the voice of the devil. That is the attitude of a fanatic.

I suspect that the First Century Gospel Church is too devoted to its convictions on the subject of healing, leading the church to turn a blind eye to the unnecessary deaths of children. Since 1971, there have been almost two dozen such deaths within the congregation of this church, as reported by Mensah M. Dean in the Philadelphia Daily News on December 7, 2010:

* The six children of Roger and Dawn Winterborne: Bruce Winterborne, 7 months, died in 1971 of bronchial pneumonia; Roger Bruce, 20 months, died in 1973 of bronchial pneumonia; Marjorie Dawn, 5 months, died in 1974 of bronchial pneumonia and dehydration; Larry, 6 months, died in 1978 of bilateral bronchial pneumonia with dehydration and malnutrition; Jocelyn, 4 months, died in 1980 of bronchial pneumonia. The family had moved to Norristown at the time of a sixth child's death in 1983 at the age of 4 days.

* Sharon and Jeffrey Still, premature twins, died Feb. 6 and 7, 1990, respectively following an unattended home delivery. Their sister Karyn, 9, died the next year in a measles outbreak that also killed five children, ranging from 19 months to 13 years old, from other faith-healing families.

* Kimberly Wilson, 18 months old, died March 12, 1992, of pneumonia and myocarditis.

* Dean Heilman, 22 months old, was a hemophiliac and bled to death on July 8, 1997. His parents were convicted of manslaughter and child endangerment.

* Lisa Carpenter, 15, died of meningitis in 1984. Her brother, Leroy, 17, died of a ruptured appendix in 1989.

* An unborn boy died Jan. 1, 1994, because his mother was hemorrhaging. She died during the delivery.

* Curtis Houston, 16, died of a leg infection in 1994, a few months after his mother and baby brother died. He had broken his leg a year earlier.

* Benjamin Reinert, 10, died Dec. 31, 2002, of untreated leukemia.

* Kent Schaible, 2, died Jan. 24, 2009, of bacterial pneumonia. His parents go on trial for involuntary manslaughter today.

* Amy Fox, 3, died March 11, 2009, of meningitis.

Most American "evangelicals" believe "good people" in other religions can go to Heaven

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Psalms 14:1-3

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; I Timothy 2:5

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified...
...I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Galatians 2:16, 21

It's becoming more apparent every day that it's questionable how many people who claim to be "evangelicals" are actually Christians. As reported by Stephanie Samuel in the Christian Post on December 17, 2010:

The majority of Protestants and evangelicals believe that good people and people of other religions can go to heaven, according to author David Campbell.

Campbell, who co-wrote American Grace, How Religion Divides and Unites Us, contends that surveys of 3,000 Americans, used to write the book, show that American people of faith, though devout, are very tolerant. So much so that most believers also believe that good people, despite their religious affiliation, can go to heaven.

Among the faiths, 83 percent of evangelical Protestants agreed that good people of other religions can go to heaven. Ninety percent of black Protestants also believe good people can go to heaven.

When prodded further, more than half – 54 percent – of evangelical Protestants said yes, people of religions other than Christianity can go to heaven. Sixty-two percent of black Protestants agreed with the statement.

I have to take issue with Council on Foreign Relations member (i.e., wolf in sheep's clothing) Richard Land's comment:

While Land said it is possible for Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans and even Catholics to follow the tenants of their faiths and have salvation in Jesus Christ, he stated that the same is not true for Buddhists, Muslims and Mormons.

I very much dispute the belief that one can have salvation in Jesus Christ while following the tenets (not "tenants") of the Roman Catholic church, which, in its official teachings--the Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent and the documents of the first and second Vatican Councils--actually anathematize the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Voodoo priests among 45 people lynched in Haiti as a result of a cholera epidemic

As Paul Harvey used to say, "It is not one world." As reported by BBC News on December 24, 2010:

Voodoo priests in Haiti are being lynched by mobs who blame them for spreading cholera, the country's government has said.

At least 45 people have been lynched in recent weeks as Haiti continues to be ravaged by a cholera epidemic.

Haiti's communications minister has made an appeal for the lynchings to end and called for a campaign to ensure people understand how cholera spreads.

More than 2,500 Haitians have died from the water-borne disease since October.

Another 121,000 people have been treated for symptoms of cholera, with at least 63,500 admitted to hospital, figures show...

...Although many Haitians still practise voodoo or use aspects of voodoo in their religious worship, the latest violence erupted out of fears the traditional priests were using their powers to spread the infection.

Officials counted 40 people killed - mostly voodoo priests - killed in one region of Haiti, the AFP news agency reported, with five others killed elsewhere.

"The victims... were stoned or hacked with machetes before being burned in the streets," communications ministry official Moise Fritz Evens said.

Haiti's communications minister said she abhorred the killings and insisted that the answer was to improve general education about how cholera is transmitted.

"Voodoo practitioners have nothing to do with the cholera epidemic. We must press for an awareness campaign about the disease in the communities."

A highly prominent voodoo leader, Max Beauvoir, told Reuters news agency police were not doing enough to stop the violence.

"Since the earthquake some people have been blaming us, saying that we cast spells and did evil things which brought the earthquake as a punishment," he said.

Edmonton's Singing Christmas Tree, formerly a Christian presentation, is now thoroughly secular

The Singing Christmas Tree, a tradition in Edmonton, Alberta, was first presented in the 1960s by and at Central Pentecostal Tabernacle, and was an explicitly Christian presentation. The church moved to new quarters in 2005 and was renamed North Pointe Community Church. The original facility was demolished in 2007, and the Singing Christmas Tree disappeared.

It was revived in 2009, and is back in 2010--as a thoroughly secular event, now held at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. The 2010 Media Release mentions the presence of dancing men in Santa Claus suits and members of David Foster’s band (with impressive credentials in the popular music business), and is promoted as a Broadway-scale production. In years past, there were no Santas, and all the artists came from the church.

The vision of The Tree is to give families and individuals a holiday performance to celebrate and attend and most importantly an opportunity to give back to the community. In 2009, The Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree Foundation was pleased to donate all net proceeds ($30,900) to Santas Anonymous.

Santas Anonymous is a long-running Edmonton charity created and operated by radio station CHED to distribute toys to poor children. I don’t object to it as a charity, but it’s a completely secular charity. The reader will notice that in the paragraph cited above that no reason is given for the holiday that the performance is celebrating.

There are still Christians involved in the Singing Christmas Tree (North Pointe's senior pastor, Bob Jones, is on the board of directors, but isn't the chairman of the board), but there no longer seems to be anything distinctively Christian about it--not from their publicity, at least. The Singing Christmas Tree has become so secular that in the current Media Kit, there isn’t even one mention of Jesus Christ. So goes the North American "evangelical" church in 2010.

December 5, 2011 update: The link to the 2010 Media Kit is no longer valid, but you can see the November 10, 2011 Media Release. Once again, no mention of Jesus Christ. As if that isn't secular enough, check out their media advisory from October 27, 2011 where they boast about having Santas carolling door-to-door--on Halloween. The advertisement for the SCT running on Edmonton radio stations in 2011 features the very secular song The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

January 6, 2014 update: It was more of the same for 2013, with advertisements being displayed at the Churchill Light Rail Transit station downtown promoting the SCT as an entertainment spectacular, with nothing about the Lord Jesus Christ. From their current (2013) website (bold in original, link added by blogger):

Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree Foundation
The Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree Foundation (ESCTF) is a non-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. The primary purpose of the foundation is to help local charities and showcase local talent while bringing a Christmas spectacular to Edmontonians and visitors every year.

The foundation owns the tree structure, provides overall direction to The Singing Christmas Tree production team, and annually selects local charities to support through the proceeds raised at The Singing Christmas Tree and other events.

Throughout the year, the Foundation continues to help feed the mind, body, and spirit of our local youth by providing music enrichment experiences to underprivileged children in socially vulnerable communities that have been hit by a decrease in government funding.

This year, the ESCTF donated a complete set of new instruments for three elementary schools, as well as funding field trips for students to take in a musical experience in our city. A portion of The Singing Christmas Tree tickets are also donated to youth in our community to continue to inspire them and introduce them to live music and performing arts.

Over the past four years, ESCTF has donated a combined total of $392,000 to local charities such as Santas Anonymous and Edmonton’s Food Bank! This year, in addition to working with established local and global charities, proceeds from your ticket will go to individual causes throughout the City as a way of bringing Christmas year round to children in need through gifts, food and music education...

...FAQ – We’ve Got the Answer.

Q) What will the proceeds go towards?

A) All net proceeds from The Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree 2013 will go to The Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree Foundation. A portion of the proceeds go to local charities such 630 CHED Santas Anonymous and Christmas Bureau, and the Foundation then works closely with other individual causes and organizations to bring Christmas year round to children in need through gifts, food and music education.

The following quote, from the top of the Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree home page, speaks volumes as to the current direction of the SCT (bold in original):

"I moved to Edmonton in December 2011 and at that time I had no idea how lucky I was to be invited to the Singing Christmas Tree. I accepted the invitation without really knowing what the show's concept was all about. The Singing Christmas Tree turned out to be the most original, genuine, heartwarming show that I have ever experienced. The unique icon of a giant tree, dressed with real singers, is visually stunning and spectacular in sound. The performance draws your heart and soul through an emotional journey that truly reflects the spirit of Christmas.

I returned in 2012, this time with very high expectations, and again, I was truly moved by the performance.

I guarantee anybody who has yet to attend, that by the time you leave the performance, you will come out a better person. Isn't that what Christmas is all about?"--Len Rhodes, President & CEO, Edmonton Eskimos

Well, Mr. Rhodes, that may be what "Christmas" is all about, but it isn't what the birth of Jesus Christ was all about. As those of us who've seen the television special A Charlie Brown Christmas will recall (as spoken by Linus in that program):

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:8-14

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown Mr. Rhodes.

December 4, 2015 update: I notice a couple of differences this year:

1/There seem to be more local performers among the soloists, and are connected with the church. This seems to indicate that the event may be moving back toward the Christian event that it used to be; however, the content seems unchanged from recent years.

2/Unfortunately, one of the "Frendship Sponsors" (sic) is River Cree Resort & Casino in Enoch. The reader may come to his own conclusions as to the propriety of welcoming a casino as a sponsor of an ostensibly Christian event.

December 15, 2017 update: From the ECST's About the Show page:

Imagine a stage decorated with whimsy, a 35-foot singing Christmas tree, and an audience in wonder!

Imagine dancing Santas! Beautiful ballerinas! Amazing acrobats! Stupendous singers! Colourful costumes and breathtaking sets – coming together to make spirits bright!

Imagine a stage adorned with thousands of glimmering lights, filled with a choir of 150 talented singers, all accompanied by a live orchestra in the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.

At least there are no casinos listed among the sponsors for 2017; that's an improvement.

December 17, 2018 update: From the Singing Christmas Tree page at the site of the John Cameron Changing Lives Foundation (bold in original):

Every holiday season, the Singing Christmas Tree inspires cheer and lifts spirits in the Metro Edmonton Region!

December 13-16th, 2018

Tickets on sale now! This spirit-filled event sells out quickly, so don’t hesitate.

This talent-studded evening consists of dancing Santas, ballerinas, Christmas classics, and most impressively – a 35-foot singing Christmas tree of 150 choir members.

The Singing Christmas Tree is Edmonton’s most inspiring and charitable Christmas event of the year. Every December, the Singing Christmas Tree raises funds in support of the John Cameron Changing Lives Foundation.

This meaningful event has become a means of enriching and changing lives for people of all ages and walks of life in the Capital Region. Not only does the Singing Christmas Tree spread the cheer of the holiday season, they are changing the community for the better.

The John Cameron Changing Lives Foundation is dedicated to improving mental health through music; I have no quarrel with it as a charity, but it has nothing to do with Jesus Christ. A secular rock radio station is now one of the sponsors.

November 20, 2019 update: This year's Singing Christmas Tree is being billed as the final edition--good riddance. A different secular music station is one of the sponsors, but I prefer the music on that station to that of last year's sponsoring station. I may have overlooked this in previous years, but Stephen and Lynn Mandel are among the sponsors. Mr. Mandel was Mayor of Edmonton (2004-2013) and a cabinet minister in the Alberta provincial government of Premier Jim Prentice (2014-2015), and is well remembered by this blogger for his bigoted anti-Christian comments during the 2012 Alberta provincial election campaign. I doubt that he would sponsor the Singing Christmas Tree if it were still a Christian event.

The Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium's information page on the Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree indicates that the final edition will provide more of the same worldly entertainment that's characterized the event over the last decade:

We hope that you will be Rocking Around The Tree with us, as this year’s 50TH and FINAL Singing Christmas Tree is upon us! We are delighted to perform a concert filled with Christmas cheer and Holiday spirit, where you will witness the pure joys of this longest running Christmas Spectacular! Witness the treasures of our event this Holiday season by attending the Singing Christmas Tree at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium through Thursday, December 19th, 2019 – Sunday, December 22nd, 2019. Throughout the years, this family tradition has been and continues to be the perfect way to spend this year’s magical Christmas season with your loved ones. Experience bright-shining moments as our outstanding 150-voice Rock n' Roll Choir, phenomenal 38-piece orchestra, energetic 60-voice children's choir, Viva Dance Company, and the Edmonton Eskimos Force Drumline presents your all-time favorite Christmas classics. All net proceeds from our ticket sales go back into the community supporting Mental Health Initiatives within our province. This is definitely a concert that you will not want to miss! We hope to see all of you again, one last time.