Thursday, November 10, 2011

MIGRATION AND THE NEW EVANGELIZATION



By Pope Benedict XVI
ABC RELIGION AND ETHICS 26 OCT 2011

The following is Pope Benedict XVI's message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees in 2012.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Proclaiming Jesus Christ the one Saviour of the world "constitutes the essential mission of the Church. It is a task and mission which the vast and profound changes of present-day society make all the more urgent" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14).

Indeed, today we feel the urgent need to give a fresh impetus and new approaches to the work of evangelization in a world in which the breaking down of frontiers and the new processes of globalization are bringing individuals and peoples even closer. This is both because of the development of the means of social communication and because of the frequency and ease with which individuals and groups can move about today.

In this new situation we must reawaken in each one of us the enthusiasm and courage that motivated the first Christian communities to be undaunted heralds of the Gospel's newness, making St Paul's words resonate in our hearts: "For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16).

"Migration and the New Evangelization" is the theme I have chosen this year for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, and it arises from the aforesaid situation.

The present time, in fact, calls upon the Church to embark on a new evangelization also in the vast and complex phenomenon of human mobility. This calls for an intensification of her missionary activity both in the regions where the Gospel is proclaimed for the first time and in countries with a Christian tradition.

Blessed John Paul II invited us to "nourish ourselves with the word in order to be 'servants of the word' in the work of evangelization ... [in] a situation which is becoming increasingly diversified and demanding, in the context of 'globalization' and of the consequent new and uncertain mingling of peoples and cultures" (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 40).

Internal or international migration, in fact, as an opening in search of better living conditions or to flee from the threat of persecution, war, violence, hunger or natural disasters, has led to an unprecedented mingling of individuals and peoples, with new problems not only from the human standpoint but also from ethical, religious and spiritual ones.

The current and obvious consequences of secularization, the emergence of new sectarian movements, widespread insensitivity to the Christian faith and a marked tendency to fragmentation are obstacles to focusing on a unifying reference that would encourage the formation of "one family of brothers and sisters in societies that are becoming ever more multiethnic and intercultural, where also people of various religions are urged to take part in dialogue, so that a serene and fruitful coexistence with respect for legitimate differences may be found," as I wrote in my Message last year for this World Day.

Our time is marked by endeavours to efface God and the Church's teaching from the horizon of life, while doubt, scepticism and indifference are creeping in, seeking to eliminate all the social and symbolic visibility of the Christian faith.

In this context migrants who have known and welcomed Christ are not infrequently constrained to consider him no longer relevant to their lives, to lose the meaning of their faith, no longer to recognize themselves as members of the Church, and often lead a life no longer marked by Christ and his Gospel.

Having grown up among peoples characterized by their Christian faith they often emigrate to countries in which Christians are a minority or where the ancient tradition of faith, no longer a personal conviction or a community religion, has been reduced to a cultural fact.

Here the Church is faced with the challenge of helping migrants keep their faith firm even when they are deprived of the cultural support that existed in their country of origin, and of identifying new pastoral approaches, as well as methods and expressions, for an ever vital reception of the Word of God.

In some cases this is an opportunity to proclaim that, in Jesus Christ, humanity has been enabled to participate in the mystery of God and in his life of love. Humanity is also opened to a horizon of hope and peace, also through respectful dialogue and a tangible testimony of solidarity.

In other cases there is the possibility of reawakening the dormant Christian conscience through a renewed proclamation of the Good News and a more consistent Christian life to enable people to rediscover the beauty of the encounter with Christ who calls Christians to holiness wherever they may be, even in a foreign land.

The phenomenon of migration today is also a providential opportunity for the proclamation of the Gospel in the contemporary world. Men and women from various regions of the earth who have not yet encountered Jesus Christ or know him only partially, ask to be received in countries with an ancient Christian tradition.

It is necessary to find adequate ways for them to meet and to become acquainted with Jesus Christ and to experience the invaluable gift of salvation which, for everyone, is a source of "life in abundance" (cf. John 10:10); migrants themselves have a special role in this regard because they in turn can become "heralds of God's word and witnesses to the Risen Jesus, the hope of the world" (Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini, 105).

Pastoral workers - priests, religious and lay people - play a crucial role in the demanding itinerary of the new evangelization in the context of migration. They work increasingly in a pluralist context: in communion with their Ordinaries, drawing on the Church's Magisterium. I invite them to seek ways of fraternal sharing and respectful proclamation, overcoming opposition and nationalism.

For their part, the Churches of origin, of transit and those that welcome the migration flows should find ways to increase their cooperation for the benefit both of those who depart and those who arrive, and, in any case, of those who, on their journey, stand in need of encountering the merciful face of Christ in the welcome given to one's neighbour.

To achieve a fruitful pastoral service of communion, it may be useful to update the traditional structures of care for migrants and refugees, by setting beside them models that respond better to the new situations in which different peoples and cultures interact with one another.

Asylum seekers, who fled from persecution, violence and situations that put their life at risk, stand in need of our understanding and welcome, of respect for their human dignity and rights, as well as awareness of their duties.

Their suffering pleads with individual states and the international community to adopt attitudes of reciprocal acceptance, overcoming fears and avoiding forms of discrimination, and to make provisions for concrete solidarity also through appropriate structures for hospitality and resettlement programmes.

All this entails mutual help between the suffering regions and those which, already for years, have accepted a large number of fleeing people, as well as a greater sharing of responsibilities among States.

The press and the other media have an important role in making known, correctly, objectively and honestly, the situation of those who have been forced to leave their homeland and their loved ones and want to start building a new life.

Christian communities are to pay special attention to migrant workers and their families by accompanying them with prayer, solidarity and Christian charity, by enhancing what is reciprocally enriching, as well as by fostering new political, economic and social planning that promotes respect for the dignity of every human person, the safeguarding of the family, access to dignified housing, to work and to welfare.

Priests, men and women religious, lay people, and most of all young men and women are to be sensitive in offering support to their many sisters and brothers who, having fled from violence, have to face new lifestyles and the difficulty of integration. The proclamation of salvation in Jesus Christ will be a source of relief, hope and "full joy" (cf. John 15:11).

Lastly, I would like to mention the situation of numerous international students who are facing problems of integration, bureaucratic difficulties, hardship in the search for housing and welcoming structures.

Christian communities are to be especially sensitive to the many young men and women who, precisely because of their youth, need reference points in addition to cultural growth, and have in their hearts a profound thirst for truth and the desire to encounter God.

Universities of Christian inspiration are to be, in a special way, places of witness and of the spread of the new evangelization, seriously committed to contributing to social, cultural and human progress in the academic milieu. They are also to promote intercultural dialogue and enhance the contribution that international students can give.

If these students meet authentic Gospel witnesses and examples of Christian life, it will encourage them to become agents of the new evangelization.


Dear friends, let us invoke the intercession of Mary, "Our Lady of the Way," so that the joyful proclamation of salvation in Jesus Christ may bring hope to the hearts of those who are on the move on the roads of the world. To one and all I assure my prayers and impart my Apostolic Blessing.



Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Five killed, scores trapped in Turkish quake (AFP)



10 November 2011, 7:21 AM

ANKARA — A 5.6 magnitude earthquake killed five people in eastern Turkey late Wednesday, less than three weeks after a massive quake killed more than 600 in the same area, a government official said.

“Twenty people were found alive and five were dead,” Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay was quoted as saying in televised remarks.

More people were believed to have been trapped under the rubble but Atalay did not give an exact number of the missing.

Television footage showed rescue teams trying to find possible survivors.

The quake occurred at 1923 GMT, with the epicentre in the Edremit district, some 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the Van province, according to the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory. The USGS put the magnitude at 5.6, after having earlier put it at 5.7.

The quake collapsed 25 buildings, 22 of which were empty, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said from the scene.

“Search and rescue operations are continuing in three buildings,” he added.
The quake sowed fresh panic among residents.

One of the collapsed buildings was a six-storey hotel in the Van city centre, private NTV television said. The hotel was mostly occupied by journalists and teams from the Turkish Red Crescent.

The US Geological Survey said the epicentre was 16 kilometres (10 miles) south of Van, with its depth given as 16 kilometres (3.1 miles).

Nine planes carrying almost 300 rescuers were dispatched to the quake region.

The region bore the brunt of the deadly 7.2 magnitude earthquake on October 23, which killed more than 600 people and injured more than 4,150.

Experts, speaking to television stations, said a moderate quake of 5.6 magnitude would not cause any human or material loss under normal circumstances, adding the extent of the current quake could grow because of the fact that the buildings which were damaged in the previous quake were not entirely emptied.

“It would be premature to say if it is an aftershock or an earthquake,” Kandilli Observatory Director Professor Mustafa Erdik told NTV. But in a later announcement, the observatory said it was a separate quake.

In the previous quake, Turkey accepted help from dozens of countries, including Israel and Armenia, both states with which it has frosty relations.

The United States also offered help.

Turkey is earthquake-prone due to being crossed by several fault lines.

In 1999, two strong quakes in the heavily-populated and industrialised regions of northwest Turkey left some 20,000 dead.


Source

Teachers Allegedly Fired for Reporting Abuse



Saintanthonyschoolfl.org
Chanell Morello and Lynn Hoffman are suing the Archdiocese of Miami after they say they were fired from their Catholic school teaching jobs for reporting alleged child abuse.




By ALYSSA NEWCOMB
Nov. 9, 2011


Two teachers, including a former teacher of the year, are suing the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami, claiming they were fired for reporting suspected sex abuse involving the principal and a seventh grade girl.

Chanell Morello and Lynn Hoffman immediately contacted the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Miami Archdiocese after the student made Morello aware of an incident allegedly involving St. Anthony Catholic School principal Norma Kramer.

The principal lifted the student's skirt, "exposing her bare buttocks and genital area to a school employee and another student," according to the complaint.

The suit is in contrast to the turmoil at Penn State University, where two officials face criminal charges and football coach Joe Paterno has resigned for not reporting suspected acts of sex abuse against boys to police. The university president will also be ousted, sources told ABC News.

"This is all about protecting kids," said Jeff Herman, a lawyer for the two dismissed teachers. "These women did just that, even though it cost them their jobs."

The Catholic school student allegedly victimized went to Morello last year "crying and shaking" and told her what happened immediately after incident, according to the complaint.

Morello, who had been teaching for five years, consulted veteran teacher Lynn Hoffman, a former nun, about the girl's claim.

"I felt as if I could be sick to my stomach," Hoffman said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Hoffman confronted Kramer, who she said admitted to the incident.

"She told us she was probably going to be taken out in handcuffs," Hoffman said.

Despite contacting the archdiocese, nothing was done to address the incident, the women said.

"They were told during the year that if they didn't keep quiet, they'd have a problem," said Herman, who has dealt with previous lawsuits against the archdiocese.

The Miami Archdiocese sent ABCNews.com a statement saying it has not seen the lawsuit and is unable to comment, but stressed that the diocese requires "mandatory reporting of inappropriate behavior."

Mark Riordan, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Children and Families, said, "We had full cooperation of the archdiocese in our investigation. However, the findings can not be released without a court order. Our investigation was closed within a 60-day period."

At the end of the school year, the two teachers were given pink slips, something Herman said never would have happened if they hadn't reported the alleged abuse.

"Lynn Hoffman is a former teacher of the year and just before the incident, Chanell Morello was given a glowing review," said Herman. "These are two teachers who were dedicated and cared deeply about their students."

Both women have been unable to find teaching jobs since being let go from their positions.

St. Anthony Catholic School declined ABCNews.com's request for comment, but confirmed that Kramer was no longer working at the school.

Morello and Hoffman are seeking damages in excess of $15,000.




LOT’S HISTORY REPEATING





September - October, 2011


"There are many precious truths contained in the Word of God, but it is 'PRESENT TRUTH' that the flock needs now." Early Writings, p 63.





Elder: robert sessler
E-mail address: lightmin@terragon.com


May God help all of our dear and precious remnant people – especially those with families – who are still living within the large cities and surrounding suburbs of America and all around the world to seriously and prayerfully consider this sad history of Lot, and then may you decide to obey God’s will and in faith look for another place to live that is out in the country. But also realize that just as the Israelites had to first exercise faith in God and walk forward and place their feet in the water of the huge Jordan river before God then worked His miracle in parting that giant obstacle which then allowed His people to safely move into the promised land, so realize that you must also take the first steps in faith in obeying God’s will to move into the country, and as you do then watch for God to begin parting all of the giant obstacles ahead of you by opening doors so that you can indeed move forward into country living!

“Parents can secure small homes in the country, with land for cultivation where they can have orchards and where they can raise vegetables and small fruits to take the place of flesh-meat, which is so corrupting to the lifeblood coursing through the veins. On such places the children will not be surrounded with the corrupting influences of city life. God will help His people to find such homes outside of the cities.” Medical Ministry, p 310.


Read more

.

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

The Global Protests - A Riddle Wrapped in A Mystery Inside an Enigma

by David Icke

27 October 2011

from DavidIcke Website

I am seeing the mentality of what is called the political 'Left’ - which includes the core of the ‘Greens’ - much in evidence in these protests. This mentality thinks it is informed and streetwise about global events when its myopia makes it a manipulator’s party trick.

It sees the world in black and white when the world is multi-colored. It sees an ‘us’ and ‘them’ on either side of an easily definable line based on background, income bracket and voting preference.

Filmmaker Michael Moore is a classic, or at least that is the persona he promotes. Democrats good (or better) and Republicans bad; The Left is good, the Right is bad.

The fact that all these different political ‘sides’ are directed by the same force to give the illusion of ‘choice’ is beyond them to comprehend, not least because they don’t want to comprehend it. To do so would shatter their black and white world view of Left vs. Right and that is the comfort zone they don’t want to surrender. But they must to take this forward.

Michael Moore and so many others of his ilk - including many of those in the Wall Street-type protests - will have enthusiastically supported Barack Obama in 2008 when he was the most obvious fraud you could ever imagine.

If they are continuing with that same black and white ‘us and them’ naivety today - and some are because I have seen them - then they may as well go home. The system will have them for breakfast, dinner and tea.

The Left mentality cannot see the global conspiracy because it can only see the us and them.

To accept the existence of a Hidden Hand they would have to accept that,

the Left is being manipulated by the same force that manipulates the Right and the Centre.

Many can’t handle that and so it is dismissed by reflex action.





Source


Is global governance coming, starting in Maryland?

November 3, 2011



It's hard to predict where exactly any particular issue will go or how it will affect other issues. So for the most part the purpose of the analysis on this site is to point out things to be concerned with, rather than to say exactly what will come from the issues. However, there are some major themes that seem to be occurring in the world, and we can and should occasionally try looking at the bigger picture to see what could be coming.

According to the Canada Free Press on October 31, in Carroll County Maryland the board of commissioners had a panel to discuss Plan Maryland, a supposedly smart growth strategy that Governor O'Malley has been implementing. O'Malley has found a way to apply this plan without legislative approval.

The problem with the plan is that it takes local control away from communities and gives it to the state. The plan includes preserving 400,000 acres in Maryland. The plan incorporates approved building in high density areas in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. O'Malley apparently said that a home on about 2 acres of land is urban sprawl and the plan is to prevent so called urban sprawl. O'Malley is apparently going to implement the plan this month. If communities don't go along with the plan, of course money will be withheld for things such as schools. Now would someone who is really an advocate for education use it as a bargaining chip to blackmail others?

What is it really all about? The idea is not about saving the environment as much as it is about control. This plan follows the plan of the UN's agenda 21. A What is Agenda 21 website explains the goals of the agenda. The goal is to "Integrate economic, social and environmental policies in order to achieve reduced consumption, social equality and the preservation and restoration of biodiversity." The website goes on to explain this includes a focus on social justice and redistribution of wealth. It further points out that the view of Agenda 21 is that private property is a social injustice and universal healthcare is a social justice.

Consider now what is happening with Occupy Wall Street (OWS). This group is supported by many groups that are in favor of more government control. Some of the groups include the Revolutionist Communist Party, the Communist Party USA, Marxist Student union and more. The list can be read here.

The OWS is getting violent and is backed by communists and liberal politicians. There is a lot of talk that their goal is a revolution.

Now consider that the EU appears to be failing economically. Greece is on the brink of collapse and the EU knows that if Greece falls the rest of Europe is likely next. This is all speculation but could we be headed for a world government where the leader of this organization could have substantial power? Who could really lead such a group?


Asteroid to pass close to Earth today

November 8, 2011 | 11:19 am

Asteroid to pass near earth
A 1,300-foot-wide asteroid hurtling through space will make its closest approach to Earth Tuesday at 3:28 p.m. PST, whizzing inside the moon’s orbit but not close enough to endanger the planet, according to NASA officials.

The giant space rock is being tracked by a team of NASA scientists at the Deep Space Network antenna in the Mojave Desert outside of Barstow, as well as the Arecibo Planetary Radar Facility in Puerto Rico.

The asteroid, named 2005 YU55, will come no closer than 201,000 miles to Earth, the nearest an asteroid this big has come to the planet since 1976.

It will not be visible to the naked eye, but professional and amateur astronomers may be able to see it with a telescope.

The flyby allowed scientists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to blast the rock with a beam of microwaves, revealing its ridges, craters and boulders to a radio telescope and providing enough information about its speed and trajectory to allow JPL officials to plot its course for the next 64 years.

Lance Benner, JPL's lead scientist on the project, said the data show that the asteroid will have another close encounter with Earth in 2075, and skim close to Venus in 2029.

"There's no risk of it hitting us, but we've got to continue to monitor it,'' Benner told reporters at the Mojave Desert site on Monday.

The close proximity gives researchers a rare opportunity to study the physical characteristics of an asteroid, adding to the understanding of bodies floating in space and offering a glimpse, perhaps, of the forces that created the universe, Benner said.

NASA has identified more than 8,000 "near-Earth" asteroids, including more than 400 that are at least a half-mile wide. Thus far, none of them is classified as a threat.

The public can follow events via the @AsteroidWatch or at the JPL website.

...

--Phil Willon

Photo: Gary Bury, left, and Robert Haroldsson of the Deep Space Network discuss the giant 230-foot wide antenna that is tracking an asteroid that is larger than an aircraft carrier as it hurls past earth Monday at Goldstone Deep Space Communications Center at Fort Irwin. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times



Uptown Demonstrators March All the Way to Wall Street

Posted on 07 November 2011.

By Céleste Owen-Jones

Altagracia Guzman Vargas is 81 years old, and on Monday she took part in an 11-mile march in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement. “ I am going to walk,” said Vargas, her small eyes sparkling behind circular glasses. “I am going to try my best for the future of the United States.” She brandished a pink and green “Health not Profit$ — Salud no Riqueza$” sign that she drew herself.

Vargas was one of the many Washington Heights residents who gathered this morning on 181st Street and St. Nicholas Avenue, the start of the march, billed as “End to End for 99%,” and ending at Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan, the base of the Occupy Wall Street protests. If enthusiasm was present from the very start — with people playing drums and blowing whistles — it made up for the size of the crowd, at most 60 people. Indeed, before the march began, journalists probably outnumbered protesters, a reminder that the Occupy Wall Street movement has also become a huge media attraction.

But Dimitri Bakhroushin, one Washington Heights resident, was confident that the protest was “going to be like a snowball. We are going downhill and we are gonna grow and grow.”

The front line of the march with State Sen. Adriano Espaillat (far right holding banner), Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez (left of Espaillat) and 81-year old Altagracia Guzman Vargas. Photo by Céleste Owen-Jones/Northattan.

By the time the march reached 125th and Broadway, around 300 people were chanting “We are the 99 percent” in a joyful party-like atmosphere.

Monday’s protest was the first organized demonstration from Northattan since the Occupy Wall Street movement started two months ago. State Sen. Adriano Espaillat, who walked the whole 11 miles with the crowd, said the mission was “to give this movement a new face.” Later, he said that “this is not just a Wall Street thing, this is a Washington Heights thing, this is a Harlem thing, this is an East Harlem thing. This is about communities that have been left behind for decades.”

Occupy Wall Street protesters have often been criticized for a lack of diversity, a perception that northern Manhattan residents were trying to change. The crowd, in sex, in skin color and in age, was very different than the occupiers of Zuccotti Park, who tend to be white and under 30 years old.

“There is not enough representation of blacks, Latinos and Asians in this movement and we need to show our support,” said Councilman Robert Jackson, who joined the march in Times Square. Marisol Alcantara, the West Harlem Democratic leader, said: “We are all part of the 99 percent, especially communities of color, immigrants, and what is happening in West Harlem is happening to the rest of the city.”

Other politicians, from Northattan and beyond, joined the march, too, including State Sen. Gustavo Rivera of the Bronx, Councilmen Ydanis Rodriguez and Robert Jackson from Northattan. They repeatedly asked for the restoration of “the millionaires’ tax” and for social and economical justice: “We bailed out Wall Street, we bailed out the banks,” declared Espaillat when still on 181st Street, “but these stores right here, they are shut down, haven’t been bailed out.”

With the sun shining and the temperatures unseasonably high, the march quickly turned into what looked like a celebration: As the crowd passed Columbia University and later Times Square, people danced in circles, played musical instruments and chanted slogans, to the delight of tourists and passers-by who took pictures from their phones and cameras.

Washington Heights resident at the meeting point on 181st and St Nicholas Avenue. Photo by Céleste Owen-Jones/Northattan.

While police were ever-present, they seemed relaxed and confident that the protest would remain under control. “We are working closely with the police to make sure that traffic doesn’t disrupt the march,” explained David Segal, one of the march’s organizers. For most of the time, protesters remained on the sidewalk and even respectfully stopped and got silent when an elderly woman was taken away in an ambulance, blocking the street they were about to cross.

Many protesters had taken a day off work in order to take part in the march. Lourdes Ernandez Coltera, a teacher in Washington Heights, was one of them: “Today I’m taking a day off, or I should say a community day off to be with my neighbors.” Coltera said she was particularly worried by the price of health care, which many couldn’t afford. “Inequality makes us sick,” read the colorful sign she was holding proudly. Three hours later, Coltera was still marching with energy and a smile, showing no sign of giving up.

As the protesters approached Zuccotti Park, their enthusiasm grew as drums rolled a welcome. It was 4:30 p.m. and getting dark when the protesters finally reached their destination, six hours after they left Washington Heights.

“We walked 11 miles,” Guillermo Linares, a New York State Assemblyman, told the crowd. “We walked as immigrants, as working class, as New Yorkers, and we are going to keep supporting the takeover of Wall Street,” he added.

If the crowd had decreased somewhat, with no more than 200 people entering the geographical heart of the movement, they still believed they had opened a new chapter of Occupy Wall Street, in which people from Northern Manhattan are to play a bigger role.

Additional reporting was provided by Frederick Bernas, Tomos Lewis, Dalal Mawad, Isha Soni and Benjamin Teitlebaum.


Source

Bishops’ agenda more devoted to internal matters than to societal ills

November 7, 2011 6:01 pm

Catholic News Service
Nancy Frazier O'Brien




During the Nov. 14-16 meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore, the bishops will decide whether to include two new optional memorials, for Blessed John Paul II and Blessed Marianne Cope, in the proper of saints calendar for the Uni ted States. CNS file photos


The U.S. bishops’ fall general assembly in Baltimore will be shorter than usual and focus primarily on the inner workings of the church than on larger societal issues.

The Nov. 14-16 meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, originally scheduled to last until Nov. 17, will include a discussion on religious liberty that could touch on a wide range of topics. But the main business of the gathering will be on liturgical, financial and organizational matters.

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, elected to head the USCCB for a three-year term last November, will open the meeting with his first presidential address. If tradition holds, the talk will present a “state of the U.S. church” message and a look at the challenges Archbishop Dolan foresees for the coming year.

It could also be the first USCCB meeting for Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, recently appointed as the new apostolic nuncio to the United States, who has said he hoped to arrive in the U.S. in time for the assembly.

Looking back on one of their biggest challenges of the past 18 months, the bishops will vote on whether to make their former Task Force on Health Care into a permanent Subcommittee on Health Care Issues under the Committee on Doctrine.

The subcommittee would address such issues as “guidance in implementing the bishops’ ‘Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services,’ non-Catholic hospitals in Catholic health care systems, for-profit Catholic health care, canonical status of Catholic health care facilities, conscience protection and health care reform,” according to a USCCB news release.

Members of the subcommittee would represent the committees on doctrine, canon law and church governance, pro-life activities, and domestic justice and human development and could include other bishops or consultants, the release said.

Also up for a vote at the meeting is a resolution to support yearly voluntary financial reporting by each diocesan bishop in the U.S. to the archbishop who heads his ecclesiastical province.

The resolution, proposed by the Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, “acknowledges the legitimate rights of the diocesan bishop to administer the material resources of the diocese” yet “provides a vehicle for fraternal cooperation and support among all bishops of the province and assist the metropolitan archbishop in his own special solicitude” for the dioceses in his province, according to material distributed to the bishops with the resolution.

The resolution would be in effect from January 2012 through November 2016. The first such resolution was passed by the bishops in 2000 and renewed in 2004 and 2006.

Under the process outlined in the resolution, members of each diocesan finance council would certify yearly that they have met, reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements of the diocese and the management letter, if any, for the fiscal year and that they have been consulted in accord with the requirements of canon law.

Canon law requires a diocesan bishop to consult his finance council on such matters as selecting and removing the diocesan finance officer, determining appropriate investment strategies and selling diocesan properties whose appraised value is more than the minimum amount determined by the bishops’ conference.

Several liturgical matters are scheduled to come before the bishops for a vote. They will decide whether to include two new optional memorials, for Blessed Marianne Cope and Blessed John Paul II, in the proper of saints calendar for the United States and whether to approve a new translation of the Rite for Blessing the Oil of Catechumens and the Oil of the Sick, and for Consecrating the Chrism.

The Jan. 23 feast day for Mother Marianne, who was beatified in May 2005, is already observed as an optional memorial in the Diocese of Syracuse, N.Y., where she entered religious life, and the Diocese of Honolulu, where she served for many years caring for those afflicted with leprosy.

Pope John Paul’s Oct. 22 feast day would also become an optional memorial on the U.S. liturgical calendar if approved at the meeting. The late pope was beatified May 1.

Each of the liturgical items requires a two-thirds vote of the Latin Church members of the USCCB, followed by confirmation by the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. The congregation has already approved liturgical texts in English and Spanish for each of the optional memorials.

The U.S. bishops had hoped to include the rites for blessing oils and chrism in the new translation of the Roman Missal that debuts on the first Sunday in Advent. But the Vatican said the rites should be included in a revised edition of the Roman Pontifical, the collected liturgical ceremonies celebrated by bishops, or in a separate ritual text.

If they are approved, the bishops are hoping for quick confirmation by the Vatican so that the rites can be printed and distributed for use during Holy Week, the week of April 1 in 2012.

Also on the bishops’ agenda are a variety of reports on issues of interest both within and outside the conference. They include:

– An update by Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington on the process of incorporating Anglican groups into the U.S. Catholic Church under Pope Benedict XVI’s 2009 apostolic constitution “Anglicanorum coetibus.”

– A report by Bishop Kevin J. Farrell of Dallas, chairman of the Committee on National Collections, on new guidelines for administering USCCB collections in dioceses.

– Information from Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, on the work of Project Rachel, a post-abortion healing initiative.

– A presentation evaluating the USCCB reorganization, as well as reports on the conference’s priority plan and three priority initiatives for 2013-2015.

– A report by the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth and its Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage.

The bishops also will vote on the 2012 conference budget and elect a new secretary-elect, chairmen-elect of five committees, board members of Catholic Relief Services and a chairman for the Committee on International Justice and Peace.


Source


.

‘Ad limina’: US bishops set to begin round of consultations in Rome

November 7, 2011 6:56 pm

Catholic News Service

John Thavis



Pope Benedict XVI meets Nov. 4 with U.S. bishops from northeastern states on their "ad limina" visits to the Vatican. Seated from left are: Bishop Robert J. McManus of Worcester, Mass.; Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell of Springfield, Mass.; Bishop John B. Mc Cormack of Manchester, N.H.; Bishop Salvatore R. Matano of Burlington, Vt.; Pope Benedict XVI. Pictured at right are Bishop George W. Coleman of Fall River, Mass.; Auxiliary Bishop Francis J. Christian of Manchester, N.H.; and Bishop Richard J. Malone of Portland, Maine. CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano




U.S. bishops are preparing to make their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican, an intense series of encounters that will bring many of them face-to-face with Pope Benedict XVI for the first time.
Beginning in early November and extending through much of next year, the visits will constitute the most comprehensive assessment of church life in the United States since the German pope was elected in 2005.


The visits also give Pope Benedict a platform for commentary, and Vatican sources say the leitmotif of papal talks to the bishops will be “new evangelization” in U.S. society.


The approximately 200 heads of U.S. dioceses, some accompanied by auxiliary bishops, will arrive in Rome in 15 regional groups, and each will bring a “Report on the State of the Diocese” that will serve as the basis for discussions. The schedules for the weeklong visits combine prayer and liturgy with more businesslike encounters at key Vatican offices.

The meetings with the pope have always been the highlight of the “ad limina” visits. Pope Benedict has lately adopted a modified format, meeting with 7-10 bishops at a time instead of individual encounters. U.S. bishops can expect small group discussions lasting about 45 minutes to an hour, featuring a relatively unstructured give-and-take with the pontiff.

The pope also addresses the larger regional groups of bishops, usually on a particular theme or aspect of the church’s experience in the United States. He will not give a formal speech to each regional group, however. Instead, plans call for him to address only five of the groups — part of a cutback in papal appointments that has been instituted gradually over the last few years.

Pope Benedict’s talks will undoubtedly be combed for comments relevant to the 2012 election year campaign in the United States. Vatican insiders say the pope will avoid wading into partisan politics. Nevertheless, his talks are expected to touch on perennial hot-button issues like abortion and gay marriage — not because they may be electoral topics, but because they are challenges to fundamental Catholic moral teaching.

Vatican sources said that under the general theme of new evangelization, which aims to strengthen the faith and “evangelize culture” in traditionally Christian countries, the pope is likely to focus on several key areas:

– How culture and religion should intersect, especially in current situations
found in secular society.


– Education and the particular importance of Catholic schools.

– Building good relationships between bishops and priests, which have suffered in the clerical sex abuse scandal.

– Religious freedom as a challenge not only in countries where Christians are a minority, but in places where radical secularism is taking root.


The “ad limina” visits are often described as the Catholic version of branch managers reporting to the head office. Vatican officials say that’s a misconception.


“If we only looked at the administrative aspect of these visits, we would not understand them. They are first of all moments of communion and collegiality, a faith experience,” Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, head of the Congregation for Bishops, told Catholic News Service.


He said that when the groups of bishops pray and celebrate liturgies together, hold meetings with the Vatican and then engage in informal conversations among themselves, they are able to take a break from purely local affairs and look at things from a more universal perspective.
The visits are also a time when bishops and the Vatican can remove “prejudices” that may arise on issues that are treated in the media or public debate, but often without much direct communication between Rome and local church leaders, Cardinal Ouellet said.

“They clarify questions with us and we clarify questions with them. It is really very positive,” the cardinal said.

The title of the visits comes from the Latin phrase “ad limina apostolorum” (to the thresholds of the apostles), a reference to the pilgrimage to the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul that the bishops are required to make.

Several U.S. groups also plan to celebrate Masses at the altar of the tomb of Blessed John Paul II. Many of the bishops were, in fact, appointed by the late pope and feel a special connection to him.

Cardinal Ouellet’s office coordinates preparation for the “ad limina” visits. Each bishop is asked to prepare in advance a report on virtually every aspect of diocesan life, including family life, education, clergy and religious, lay involvement, vocations, priestly formation, religious practices and demographics.

These reports are taken seriously at the Vatican, Cardinal Ouellet said. They are circulated to heads of Vatican agencies and to the pope ahead of time, so that meetings can be productive.
The U.S. bishops plan group meetings with officials of several Vatican agencies. They include the congregations in charge of doctrine, clergy, bishops, worship, education and religious orders, and pontifical councils that deal with ecumenism, the family and laity. The bishops are being encouraged to meet with the council for new evangelization, and some will hold talks with the council for health care.

These discussions involve shared concerns and interests, but some bishops also schedule private meetings with Vatican officials to deal with specific diocesan issues.

The group encounters are usually hosted by the prefects or presidents of Vatican congregations or councils. That isn’t always possible, but Cardinal Ouellet said the top officials of Roman Curia departments “must have a very good reason not to meet the group.” Meeting with the world’s bishops is considered a priority task for curia agencies, he added.


Source


.

Bishops from northeastern US begin 'ad limina' visits with prayer

ADLIMINA-STPETER Nov-4-2011 (370 words) With photos. xxxi

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Praying together at the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul and meeting Pope Benedict XVI should be a moment for bishops to reconfirm and strengthen their faith, said Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston.

The cardinal was the principal celebrant and homilist at a Mass Nov. 4 in the grotto of St. Peter's Basilica in a chapel before the saint's tomb.

Concelebrating were the bishops of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut -- the first group of U.S. bishops making their "ad limina" visits to the Vatican to report on the status of their dioceses.

In his homily, the cardinal told his fellow bishops that after Jesus' arrest in the garden of Gethsemane, "Peter flees. He's trying to follow the Lord at a safe distance, something we all try to do at one time or another. But Peter discovers it's impossible; you can only follow the Lord up close."

After the Resurrection, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him, because love is the measure of faith, the cardinal said.

"Jesus doesn't ask Peter if he's excelled in his intellectual prowess or his organization skills or his fundraising capacity or his Myers-Briggs score. Jesus only asks, 'Do you love me?'" he said.

Cardinal O'Malley said love of the Lord was a prerequisite for Peter's ministry and is a prerequisite for the ministry of bishops today.

Peter's love for the Lord brought him to Rome, the cardinal said, but -- according to legend -- as persecution grew Peter decided to flee again. Leaving the city, he saw the risen Lord and asked him, "Quo vadis?" ("Where are you going?"), and Jesus replied he was going to Rome to be crucified again. Peter renewed his faith and returned to the city where he met a martyr's death.

"Each of us has gone through a 'quo vadis' moment or two in our vocation as bishops," the cardinal said. "Hopefully, our being together at the tomb of Peter and close to Benedict will renew us in our generosity, courage and faith in following Jesus up close so that we can say with all our hearts what Peter said, 'Lord you know all things. You know that I love you.'"

END


Source
.

Ortega, the anti-abortion Sandinista who has conquered the Church


11/ 8/2011

The new President of Nicaragua is inspired by Chávez but is on excellent terms with the Fmi


Pablo Manzo
São Paulo



President Daniele Ortega with Barack Obama


For the third time running, Nicaragua has elected to power the outgoing President Daniel Ortega, the former Sandinista guerrilla who in 1979 defeated the Somoza dictatorship. Hehad ruled the country between 1985 and 1990, after defeating the CIA-funded paramilitary contras. His landslide victory yesterday, with 62% of the votes in the first round, was predictable. Now, this controversial leader who is inspired by Marx, but has come to terms with right-wingers, now faces another five years in power. Accused of rape in the past by one of his daughters and unable, in theory, to stand again according to the Constitution - which in his case was not applied - 65 year old Ortega continues to be a "leftist", especially on the international front. When Gaddafi and NATO intervened in Libya, for example, he maintained the same position as Fidel Castro. For ideological reasons, but perhaps also because one of his top advisers is Mohamed Lashtar, the Colonel's 51 year old cousin. For years Mohamed has managed the flow of capital between Tripoli and Managua.

And Sunday he was elected to Parliament. He holds the same intransigent position, bordering on anti-Semitism, with regards to Palestinian-Israeli issues, perhaps encouraged by his friendship with the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Meanwhile, a few months ago Daniel had even proposed a referendum to ask Washington for millionaire damages for the old Contras issue, dusting out the sentence issued in 1984 against the U.S. by the International Court of Justice. Then, after closing the alliance with the rightists, nothing more was done about it because what is most striking about Ortega is his pragmatism.

He is a Sandinista yes, but he is also at odds with practically all of the original founders of the "Frente", the re-elected president maintains good relations with both the International Monetary Fund and with Taiwan, the bete noire of the emerging China, which opened to the market but is still Communist. Certainly Ortega’s triumph was favored by the two billion dollars that President Chavez slipped into his pocket - something like 7.6% of GDP in Nicaragua, where 78% of the population lives on two dollars a day - between 2007 and today, in other words during his last presidency. The fear of defeat and the closure of the Venezuelan tap certainly influenced voters, who benefit from Ortega’s welfare projects, including the hundreds of cows that his government donated to poor farmers in Nicaragua.

However, Ortega proved his pragmatism on the domestic front, in particular, where he had "his" Sandinista Frente form an alliance with anyone willing to govern with him, regardless of their ideology. From dissident groups of liberals to conservatives, going for a Christian Democrat party to an evangelical one, even a fraction of his enemies par excellence, the Contras, supported him in the end.

The other decisive element for his reappointment was the alliance with the local Catholic Church, as was confirmed within hours of the vote, by an appeal made during the mass by Cardinal Miguel Obando to all the faithful to vote in favor of the "anti-abortion" candidate, in other words Ortega. The Nicaragua of the Sandinista Ortega is now the country with the toughest anti-abortion laws in the world, with penalties of up to six years in prison for women who interrupt their pregnancy and eight years for doctors who assist them. Medical abortions, in cases where the mother risks death, which is common practice in 98% of UN member States, in the Nicaragua governed by the former Sandinista guerrilla, it is prohibited.

Source
.

Monday, November 07, 2011

Dominionism for a New World Order - Paul & Phillip Collins



Dominionism for a New World Order - Paul & Phillip Collins
From: anonymoustruther2 | Aug 2, 2011
Paul and Phillip Collins on Future Quake, in which Dominionism, Evangelicalism and the New World Order (among many other things) are discussed.

Dominionism: Marrying Christianity to the Kosmos

In John 18:33, Pilate asked Jesus, "Art thou the King of the Jews?" In John 18:36, Jesus replied, "My kingdom is not of this world." The original Greek word for "world" is kosmos, which connotes an arrangement, system, order, or government. Jesus was not expressing derision for the physical world, but with the usurious political systems that had come to dominate it. Some Christians have construed this response as a rationale for indolence and have embraced an apathetic brand of political abdication theology. However, Christian proponents of political abdication fail to consider the transliteration of kosmos and the historical background against which the term was invoked. Jesus was not condemning political activism. Instead, He was condemning the world's political systems of that time, specifically the oligarchical model of the Roman Empire and its surrogate, the theocracy of the Pharisees.

That being said, there is another variety of so-called "Christians" that constitutes an equally extreme polar opponent to abdication theologians. This other polar extreme is known as "Dominionism." While abdication theologians construe the Scriptures as a rationale for complete political abdication, Dominionists distort Genesis 1:28 to legitimize a purely political agenda. Dominionists totally politicize the Gospel, thus marrying Christianity to secular institutions. Once it is wedded to secularism, Christianity adopts the same anthropocentric premises of secularism. One of the anthropocentric premises that tend to pervade secularized Christianity is the notion that man must save himself. This was a core contention of communism, fascism, and other forms of anti-theistic sociopolitical Utopianism. In the context of Dominionism, this contention is given a marginally theistic interpretation: Man fully embodies and facilitates the march of God on earth. However, there is very little difference between the anti-theistic and theistic iterations of this contention. In both instances, the adherent's gaze is firmly fixed on the ontological confines of this world.

As is the case with all Hegelian dialectics, the dialectic extremes of abdication theology and Dominionist theology produce the same outcome: totalitarianism. The abdication theologian surrenders to totalitarianism, whereas the Dominionist actively creates totalitarianism. Basically, Dominionism is a cult of neo-Gnostic jihadists committed to goals that almost mirror the objectives of earlier sociopolitical Utopians.
Article continue here.
http://www.conspiracyarchive.com/Commentary/Dominionism_N...

More Collins Brothers articles here. MUST READ!!!
http://www.conspiracyarchive.com/Articles/index.php?n=16
http://www.conspiracyarchive.com/Articles/index.php?n=45
http://www.conspiracyarchive.com/Articles/index.php?n=54

video from: http://www.youtube.com/user/FutureQuakeArchive


‘Spirituality in Action: Chaplaincy in a Challenging Context’

A meeting of the Jesuit University Pastoral Care Europe (JUPC) will take place in Mount St. Joseph Retreat House, Malta, on 3-6 November. The theme is: ‘Spirituality in Action: Chaplaincy in a Challenging Context’. Irish Jesuit Leon Ó Gioláin (pictured here) will attend, while Fr. James Hanvey S.J. will facilitate in prayer, reflection and sharing on the socio-political and ecclesial realities of contemporary Europe and the challenges these pose to our ministry.





Related:

Malta: Mount Saint Joseph

St JosephOur base in Malta is Mount Saint Joseph retreat house, which is on the edge of Mosta, the largest town in Malta. It is run by the resident Jesuit community.

The Jesuits and the Dominicans are the most scholarly of the religious orders in the Roman Catholic Church, but they are very down-to-earth. The Jesuits are particularly good at using Scripture and the imagination - both head and heart. They take ecumenism for granted and people of all denominations are welcome to make retreats at Mount St Joseph.

Mount St Joseph was purpose-built as a retreat-centre and the building is light and airy. Although it is on the edge of a town, the extensive grounds and the views make for a peaceful and prayerful atmosphere.













Lou Dobbs exposes the Jesuit Order live on CNN



Uploaded by on Apr 30, 2010

Lou Dobbs speaking to Fr. Tom Reese S.J from Georgetown University says "You didnt answer a single question I asked father, but then again YOU'RE A JESUIT, you can get away with that". On the same day, October 5th 2009, his home was fired upon by a drive-by shooter just missing his wife standing outside. He resigned a month later.



Is It Negative and Unbiblical to Name False Teachers?

Posted: 11/28/10


By Brannon Howse

www.worldviewweekend.com

After our Worldview Weekend Rally in Rockford, Illinois on Sunday night November 21, 2010, we were informed that the church we had been renting for the past few years does not want us to return. What is really sad is this is the church in which my wife grew up and has included five generations of her family dating back to her great grandparents on both sides of her family. One set of great grandparents were two of the original 13 founders of this church.

At the conclusion of our November 21, 2010, Rockford Worldview Weekend we were told that three months before the rally the church staff had voted for Worldview Weekend not to return in 2011 because our 2009 rally was thought by some of the church staff to be too negative and that it was inappropriate to name the name of false teachers.

I asked what their senior pastor thought about that evening's Worldview Weekend Rally but was informed that the senior pastor had chosen not to attend the conference.

Please understand that I am not going to name the church because those that attended the conference and live in the area know the church of which I speak. I am not writing this article because of some kind of personal offense but to highlight how Biblical truth has become an offense to most of America's churches.

Many such churches would claim to love truth but what they really love is a man-centered Christianity that helps them obtain success in their marriage, finances, family, and a positive attitude that produces health and a successful personal life without the pain of dying to self, picking up the Cross of Christ and being persecuted for proclaiming Truth.

II Timothy 4:3 tells us that many Christians will only want to hear what makes them feel good and appeals to their flesh; "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears."

The 2009 speakers that joined me for the Worldview Weekend Rally in Rockford, Illinois included me, Dr. Erwin Lutzer and Dr. David Reagan.

In my 2009 presentation I spoke on the topic of my book Grave Influence and I did name such Emergent Church, false teachers as Pastor Brian McLaren who has said the cross and hell is false advertising for God. I named Pastor Bill Hybels that signed the Yale document that states that Muslims and Christians worship the same God. Hybels has also had Brian McLaren at his church. I also mentioned Pastor Rick Warren who sits on the advisory board of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation that seeks to bring the religions of the world together. I also named Pastor Rob Bellwho has proclaimed an abundance of heresy and who has also spoken as Bill Hybel's church. I spoke on why pagan spirituality was doubling in America every eighteen months and how many New Age practices had come into the churches of America such as "Christian" yoga and contemplative prayer. I explained how Christian could proclaim the Gospel to a postmodern culture that has become more interested in spirituality than theology. I also warned last year, as I did this year, that many churches are being compromised from within by church staff that do not adhere to the Biblical mandates and purposes of a New Testament church and are an inch deep and a mile wide in their doctrinal and theological understanding and commitment. I warned that the remnant should understand that our greatest opposition would not come from the government but from those that have the title "reverend" or "pastor" in front of their name. Click here to hear a few minutes of the presentation I presented at this church in 2009.

In 2009, Dr. Lutzer spoke on
seven lessons America should learn from Nazi Germany and Dr. Reagan spoke on 50 signs we are living in the last days. All three of us used a lot of scripture to equip those in attendance to understand the times and know what God would have them to respond.

Worldview Weekend is thankful for the churches that will allow us to rent their buildings but the increasing trend is that we are being forced to rent more and more hotel ballrooms because so few churches have leaders, staff, and pastors that have clear discernment, real courage under fire, and an unwavering commitment to Biblical truth in an age of non-judgmentalism, tolerance, and Christian happy talk.

No one ever said being a watchman on the wall that warns of impending danger was going to be a popular job but if popularity is what we seek then we are not seeking to be faithful to the One we serve and thus we have failed in our calling.

Warning the church of emerging dangerous, unbiblical trends, false teachers, a false gospel, and unbiblical theology and doctrine has now become negative in the eyes of many of today's hirelings. Jesus Himself told us that we would see those that claim to be shepherds/pastors that really have little concern for the sheep. In John 10:11-13 we read:

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

Listen to this audio of Pastor John MacArthur as he explains how Jesus named the names of false teachers and how this is the job of all Biblically minded Christians and true shepherds. In this audio clip Pastor MacArthur calls out Rick Warren by name for teaching a false gospel.

Worldview Weekend will not be deterred in speaking truth no matter how unpopular it becomes with individuals or members of a church staff.

Needless to say, I was concerned how my wife would respond to this criticism since she was raised in this church. Her response revealed to me, once again, how blessed I am that God gave Melissa to me as a helpmate. Melissa's response was "why are you surprised, you knew this church was becoming increasingly liberal over the past few years. I was shocked they let Worldview Weekend return for the 2010 rally."


Melissa encouraged me to shake the dust from my shoes and go out and find a hotel ballroom. She also encouraged me to continue to bring the Worldview Weekend to Rockford because of all the people, including life-long friends, that come up to her at the resource table to express their thankfulness that Worldview Weekend returns to Rockford, IL each year.

In fact, that night, while standing behind our resource table, a medical doctor, that is a member of this church, handed my wife a letter he had written to his children after last year's Worldview Weekend in Rockford. In his letter he wrote in part:

…I attended a Worldview Weekend Rally at [name of church removed] on Sunday evening, November 22nd, and found it to be very helpful, informative, stimulating and timely."

This father went on to recommend that his children read some of the books written by the speakers.

At this point in time, all three books impress me as being coherent, credible, plausible, relevant, responsible, strategic and timely. I believe that they qualify as priority reading for serous Christian believers and church leaders who need and want to be alert to the crucial times in which we and our families are living."

This letter reveals a common response and a common problem that I have seen all across America-lay leaders that are more Biblically grounded, discerning, and committed to Biblical truth than some of their own church staff.

The Worldview Weekend in Rockford was held at another location a few years ago and has consistently had a large attendance regardless of where it is held. Thus, if you live in or near Rockford please know we will return and have already secured a hotel ballroom for the November 2011 Worldview Weekend Rally in Rockford, IL.

Let me answer the question of our article. Is it negative and unbiblical to name false teachers? The Bible is filled with examples of Jesus and others naming false teachers by name. For example, the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy names numerous people by name.

2 Timothy 1:15: Phygellus and Hermogenes
2 Timothy 2:17: Mymenaeus and Philetus
2 Timothy 3:8: Jannes and Jambress
2 Timothy 4:10: Demas
2 Timothy 4:14: Alexander the coppersmith

In III John 9, John named Diotrephes.

Jesus called out the false teachers in Matthew 23 and Luke 11.

I truly believe that one reason why God allows false teachers is to provide believers with a test of whether they will be faithful in their Biblical mandate to expose false teachers and thus protect the sheep from the spiritual poison of wolves in sheep's clothing.

Ephesians 5:11 makes it clear we are to expose false teachers; "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them."Pastor Jim Bublitz gives further insight into the positive results that come when we name false teachers by name:

If a shepherd/pastor will not point out the wolves that are among the sheep then this should be a clear warning to the flock that the shepherd/pastor does not have their best interest in mind. Such a hireling is not called of God but is simply involved in an occupation for personal gain as revealed in I Timothy 6:5.

In addition, such non-shepherds are revealing that they are more interested in their reputation and being seen by the larger community as tolerant and non-judgmental as defined by the unsaved world.

False teachers also give the sheep the opportunity to test the commitment of their shepherds/pastors. If the pastors/shepherds on your church staff fail this Biblical test then it is time for the leaders of the church to replace such hirelings with real shepherds. If this Biblical action is not taken, then it is time for you to find a new flock that has a shepherd that will alert the sheep to the spirituality immature and even wolves in sheep's clothing that are on his own church staff.

Show me a shepherd/pastor that will not name false teachers and I will show you a false teacher.


From those words it is clear that God allows teachers of error for the same reason as He does persecutors of His people: to test their love, to try their fidelity, to show that their loyalty to him is such that they will not give ear unto His enemies. Error has always been more popular than the Truth, for it lets down the bars and fosters fleshly indulgence, but for that very reason it is obnoxious to the godly.

The one who by grace can say "I have chosen the way of Truth" will be able to add "I have stuck unto Thy testimonies" (Psalm 119:30, 31), none being able to move him therefrom.

"For there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized." (1 Corinthians 11:19).

Committed Christians must publically name false teachers because it is impossible to privately correct public false teaching.

This fall I received an e-mail from a young lady that is a junior in high school near Atlanta, Georgia. In her e-mail she stated that because she had attended two Worldview Weekend Rallies in Atlanta and heard me expose the false teaching of emergent Pastor Rob Bell, she had been equipped to reject his false teaching when a Bible study group at her Christian school decided to read one of his books. She informed me that she immediately recognized the name of Rob Bell and remembered what I had spoken. This young lady had the courage and conviction to politely hand the book back to the group and to warn them of Bell's false teaching.

This young ladies testimony has come to my mind many times this fall and has been a real source of encouragement to me to continue to speak truth no matter how negative or offensive it may be to the non-discerning.

If I had not named the name of Rob Bell, how would this student had known to reject his book and false doctrine? If I had not named the name of Rob Bell would this student now be spiritually deceived? If I had not named Rob Bell by name would she have been able to warn her peers to this spiritual poison?

The late Pastor Vance Havner wrote, "We live what we believe; the rest is religious talk." Living what we believe includes our willingness to name the name of false teachers and to endure the criticism and persecution that will surely follow. To do any less would be treason to our calling, to our mandate, to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

When we expose false teaching and false teachers we are proclaiming and defending the authority, accuracy, and application of God's Word; the very thing that false teachers seek to undermine.

Living what we believe requires speaking Biblical truth and Biblical warnings no matter how negative or offensive it may be to the spiritually immature, non-discerning or wolves that crept in among the sheep.

Jude 3:1-4 commands all believers to contend for the faith that is under attack from false teachers.

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Truth is never negative to those who seek to serve The Truth.

Distributed by www.worldviewweekend.com

Source