Melanie Phillips’s Articles » I think, therefore I’m guilty

I am not her biggest fan but here is a superb commentary on the parlous state of UK society today, where freedom of speech is the preserve only of those approved by the thought police.

“It is difficult to say when, exactly, the priorities of the British police shifted from the prevention of criminal offences towards criminalising people for causing offence. The police have become the thin blue line against the Wrong Opinion. Instead of protecting society against oppression, British police officers have become the agents of oppression…

…if you are a white Christian man upholding traditional family values and expressing a desire to stop immigration and leave the EU, while being sceptical of man-made global warming and believing that Darwinian evolution does not explain the origin of life on earth, Britain is no longer your country.

But don’t worry. Utopia is taking its place. The police are on their way to tell you.”

Melanie Phillips’s Articles » I think, therefore I’m guilty

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Ignorance and superstition defeated by light and faith. God still works today, you just have to look.

The people in Rijul's village worshiped a plethora of gods and goddess, and Rijul's family was no different. But there was one god that captured most of their devotion.

Rijul and his family believed if they worshiped this god, it would give them power to have victory over their enemies. But Rijul received no strength as he battled his own inner weaknesses.

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BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Ayatollah demands end to protests

The story is told of Ayatollah Khamenei getting a phone call in the middle of the night. When he answered it an urgent voice said, “You must come and fix my TV!”

“But I am not a TV repair man, I am Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader” he replied.

I know” said the man, “You are the only one who can fix my TV.”

“But I am Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. How on earth do you expect me to fix your TV?”

“You are the only one who can do it” came the reply, “You are the only one who can get these Imam’s off my television!”

Such is the power of cultic leaders.

The Supreme Leader’s speech at Friday prayers illustrates very well how absolute power is wielded in a cult.

Step one: Assert that while people inevitably have different opinions nevertheless there is a power that stands above all the controversy and remains untainted by questions of authority. This power paternal and absolute always knows and does what is best and if you know what is good for you you will recognise this one fact. To do otherwise is to defy reason and risk disaster.

Step two: Create a ‘them’ to put fear into people and distract their attention from the issues at hand; in this case the ‘great evil’ of the United Kingdom. This is an old and trusted ploy and has been used by leaders all over the world based as it is on the sound reasoning that people vote with their fears and not with their hopes. For Mugabe the ‘them’ is ‘British Imperialism’. Reagan used it in the 1980’s when he spoke gravely of the ‘axis of evil’. Bush used it in recent times when he concocted his ‘war on terror’.

Step three:  Challenge your listeners about where, in light of the above, their loyalties lie. Fawn over the people by congratulating them on how great they have proved to be, what they have achieved by their sacrifices. Remind them of how much their leaders have sacrificed for the greater good (its all in his speech) and dare them to break that wonderful image with doubt and dissent. Threaten them with unnamed consequences if they fail and promise them great security and progress if they submit to the only authority.

It works for most people every time but of course there are those who see through the facade and insist on change. They are the ‘disappeared’, the political prisoners, the excommunicated and the examples to others of what can happen to those who dare question or doubt the wisdom of the Supreme Leader and his Revolutionary Council (or army council, or Governing Body, or quorum of apostles, etc)

Those who submit know, many of them, that as they beat their breasts, shed tears, chant slogans and swear loyalty they are playing parts in a fiction and that issues are not truly resolved. But what can one man do? But to do nothing is itself a choice and an activity and for evil to triumph requires only that good men do nothing. There are good men and women in Iran today who are determined to do something and maybe we should stop demonising Islam and start praying for those courageous Muslims in Iran who are pressing for change.

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Ayatollah demands end to protests

The Mormon Message of Prophets

The problem was simple yet profound. How do I make sense of life? I remember thinking “Is this it?” In the words of one of my favourite films, “Is this ‘as good as it gets’?” The Mormon answer seemed profound yet simple - “God speaks today!” Of course, with benefit of hindsight I can identify myriad problems with the Mormon message. But I remember the thrill of hearing that message for the first time, “God speaks today”, and the thrill of anticipation – what is God going to say to me?

The message of Mormonism centres on “living prophets”. John Taylor, third Mormon president, wrote, “the principle of present revelation…is the very foundation of our religion” (Journal of Discourses, p.371). Elder Joseph W. McMurrin was one of the First Seven Presidents of the First Council of the Seventy from Oct.5 1897. In a General Conference address in April 1902 he said:

“…the same divine authority, the same inspiration that came from God, our Father, which enabled the Prophet Joseph Smith to speak of the future history of this work, is with the Israel of God today. A Prophet of God stands in the midst of the people now, clothed upon with every gift, key, power, and authority, that was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and that same inspiration, that same power to penetrate the future, to comprehend the purposes of the Almighty, is with the Priesthood that is in our midst today.”

In 1977 Spencer Kimball, 12^th Mormon president declared in a General Conference address, “I bear witness to the world today that more than a century and a half ago…the heavens were once again opened, and since that time revelations have been continuous.”

The missionary discussions present it in this way:

“One important way God shows His love for us is by calling prophets, who are given the priesthood – the power and authority given to man to act in God’s name for the salvation of His children. Prophets learn the gospel of Jesus Christ by revelation. They in turn teach the gospel to others…The teachings of the prophets are found in sacred books called scriptures.

Whenever people choose to disregard, disobey, or distort any gospel principle or ordinance, whenever they reject the Lord’s prophets…they distance themselves from God and begin to live in spiritual darkness. Eventually this leads to a condition called apostasy. When widespread apostasy occurs, God withdraws His priesthood authority to teach and administer the ordinances of the gospel.

To end each period of general apostasy, God has shown His love for His children by calling another prophet and giving him priesthood authority to restore and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ anew…Such periods of time headed by prophetic responsibility are called dispensations.

After the death of Jesus Christ, wicked people persecuted the Apostles and Church members and killed many of them. Without Apostles, over time the doctrines were corrupted…Without revelation and priesthood authority, people relied on human wisdom to interpret the scriptures…False ideas were taught as truth…The doctrines…became distorted or forgotten. This apostasy eventually led to the emergence of many churches.

When the circumstances were right, Heavenly father once again reached out to His children in love. He called a young man named Joseph Smith as a prophet. Through Him the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth….A living prophet directs the Church today” (Preach My Gospel, A Guide to Missionary Service, p.p.32-37, Pub. LDS Church, 2004, emphasis added).

That message still excites many today and fills them with the same anticipation I felt all those years ago. “What will the living prophet say?” The words of a Mormon hymn sum up well the typical Mormon’s attitude to it:

The morning breaks, the shadows flee; Lo, Zion’s standard is unfurled!

The dawning of a brighter day, Majestic rises on the world.

Has morning broken? Have shadows fled? Does God speak today through living prophets?

Coming up:

Testing Mormon Prophets

Testing a Mormon Prophet

21 Questions about Mormonism - a Cult?

In the midst of the publicity storm surrounding Mormonism FOX News at the end of 2007 compiled a list of 21 questions to put to The Mormon Church. The Church objected to answering some of the questions on the grounds that they misrepresent the basic tenets of the Mormon religion.

Qu. "Many of these questions are typically found on anti-Mormon blogs or Web sites which aim to misrepresent or distort Mormon doctrines," the church said in a statement. "Several of these questions do not represent ... any serious attempt to depict the core values and beliefs of its members."

You may judge for yourself whether the questions are fair and whether they have answered or evaded them. However, Mormons have traditionally revelled in the title “peculiar people” so it does seem churlish to complain when others ask about those things that mark them out as peculiar. We begin today to look at the questions (Q) and answers (A) with comments (C) and quotes (Qu.):

Q: Why do some call the Church a cult?

A: For the most part, this seems to stem from a lack of understanding about the Church and its core doctrines and beliefs. Under those circumstances it is too easy to label a religion or other organization that is not well-known with an inflammatory term like 'cult.' Famed scholar of religion Martin Marty has said a cult means a church you don't personally happen to like. We don't believe any organization should be subjected to a label that has come to be as pejorative as that one.

C: I have commented before on how peculiar it is that a church claiming to be Christian should be so consistently “misunderstood”, even by “other Christians”. The Mormons seem to be constantly fighting a rearguard action against misunderstandings and misconceptions. This is all the more puzzling for a church with an ongoing professional programme of self-promotion. Is Mormonism hard to understand? Why does the church continually have to “explain” itself? It is a truism that someone who does a lot of explaining usually has a lot of explaining to do. Blaming your detractors is not good enough; the Mormon Church does have a lot of explaining to do and it would be wise to ask why.

As to the assertion that no organisation should suffer the pejorative label of cult, it should be remembered that Mormonism is founded on the teaching that all the creeds of “Christendom” (that’s your church and mine) are “an abomination” and that all who profess those creeds (that’s you and me if you are a Christian) are “corrupt”. Perhaps Mormons should remember that people who live in transparent dwellings should seriously consider the consequences before hurling things at others; that what goes around comes around; that people don’t so easily forget that Mormonism is established on terms that remain antagonistic to and pejorative of others.

The Mormon Church trades on the modern creed that every religion is of equal value, everyone’s right “in their own way”; there is no blame and therefore no shame; and the “everyone’s a victim” culture of today. However, Christians know that there is right and wrong, truth and falsehood, righteousness and sin and a way that seems right to a man but that leads to destruction (Prov.14:12). Mormonism is founded on the claim that the ways of Christendom lead to destruction. Christians, in turn, warn others that there is no salvation in Mormonism. They teach that we are apostate, and we teach that they are a cult and in serious error. It’s a messy old place sometimes but welcome to the real world.

And for those who want to jump in and declare “a curse on both your houses” – your going to fall out of bed in a minute. It’s your world too and you can be just as jealous and defensive of your own creeds. You know you can, don’t deny it, so stop claiming the moral high ground; it makes you sound too much like you have an axe to grind. And if you really think the world would be a better place if everyone left everyone else alone why not set the trend and keep it to yourself.

Coming up:

Jesus: the Son of God?

Kolob: Where God Lives?

Anglican Church of Canada Portrays Jesus as a Recovering Racist

We have known for some time that when it comes to issues of faith Canada has fallen out of the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down. This is another example of how totally out of touch with reality and sound biblical exegesis you get when  you are driven by a profoundly liberal social and political agenda. This Lent they give us Jesus the racist. All I can say is come soon Lord Jesus because look at what they are doing with your holy name.

"In a brochure on '2009 Lenten Meditations' put out by the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC), Jesus is portrayed as a recovering racist. 

The brochure's reading for March 27 is taken from Matthew 15, which relates the familiar story in which Jesus has a discussion with a Canaanite woman. According to the ACoC, "This is not a story for people who need to think that Jesus always had it together, because it looks like we've caught him being mean to a lady because of her ethnicity.""

Anglican Church of Canada Portrays Jesus as a Recovering Racist

Dear Saints - Its the Real Thing

The Real Thing (Revelation 3:14-22)

“It’s the real thing!” So went a famous advertising slogan some years ago. In this, the last of the seven letters to the churches, there could not be a clearer illustration of the importance of having the real thing. The letter is addressed “To the angel of the church in Laodicea” and later in the letter we find one of most iconic images of Christ in the Bible, made famous for us in the painting of the nineteenth century artist William Holman Hunt: “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (v20)

As we are often reminded, Christ is seeking admittance to the heart of the saint and not the sinner. Here is a letter to the church and its members, not the world and it’s lost. There is an urgency about the Saviour’s mission, “I am about to spit you out of my mouth!” And there is the exposure of a powerful delusion that is at work in the church that considers itself rich and wanting for nothing. But they didn’t have the real thing.

Laodicea was a fabulously wealthy city, famous for three things: banking, schools of medicine and a textile industry. It was so wealthy that, when it was destroyed by an earthquake in 60 AD Tacitus was able to say that the city, “without any relief from us, recovered itself by its own resources”. Time and again we have seen the danger of adopting the spirit of the society around us and here, in Laodicea, that same self-sufficiency and pride in personal wealth and resources in their secular lives had made the saints lukewarm in their religion. They were a church, they met and worshipped, they were busy churchmen and women who sang the latest choruses, kept the flowers fresh in the side chapel, the church silver polished and the collection plates filled and yet Christ wishes for them that they were either hot or cold. It is a damning indictment to be told that it would be better to be utterly cold towards Christ than wallow in a false piety.

Those who are falsely pious inevitably put their trust in false things and Christ stands at the door of their hearts offering what is true. He tells the saints in Laodicea that they are “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” and he invites them to purchase from him three things that contrast starkly with Laodicea’s wealth:

1. “Gold refined in the fire, so that you can become rich”

Peter refers to faith as “of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire”, that it “may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Pe.1:7)

2. “White clothes to wear, so that you can cover your shameful nakedness”

White robes contrast with black woollen clothing for which the city was famous and nakedness was seen as the ultimate humiliation in the ancient world, while to be clothed in fine clothing was a great honour.

3. “Salve to put on your eyes, so that you can see”

Laodicea’s medical schools would have used a famous salve, brought in from nearby Phrygia, to treat eye complaints. However, Christ alone gives true sight (Jn.9:39)

He stands at the door of hearts gone lukewarm and complacent in things of faith and offers the priceless wealth of faith that is of greater worth than gold, righteousness that is not our own and true insight into the things of God. To all who will open their hearts he offers to come and eat; a picture of leisurely intimacy and association – the real thing.

When it comes to counterfeits the Bible gives us ample warning; Paul wrote to the Colossians:

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world” (Col.2:8)

Whether it is worldly wealth and self-sufficiency or the hollow and deceptive philosophies offered by the world we are to guard against the counterfeit, contend for the faith and refuse to settle for anything less than that which Christ offers and has won for us through his atoning work on the Cross; the real thing.

Previous Posts in this Series:
A Message of Hope
Remember Your First Love
Be Faithful
Be True
Hold On!
Wake Up!

A New name