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Destructive Doctrines
February 26, 2009 — Mike Ratliff
by Mike Ratliff
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1 ESV)
False professors and false prophets have one thing in common. They are convinced that the ‘religious paradigm’ they love, cherish, follow, and proclaim is true. Of course, they come to this conclusion through what some of them refer to as their ‘thinkology.’ In other words, what makes it true in their hearts is their own acceptance of it. The deciding or defining standard, which is used by these people, is their own value system. They oppose clear Biblical truth because “they just don’t believe it” while they embrace humanistic forms of Christianity simply because their ‘thinkology ‘ gives them a green light.
I am not discounting God working in His people to increase their knowledge of Him, teaching them the truth, so that they will believe, repent, and be saved. No, God does that and uses the truth in our salvation and spiritual growth. No, I am not arguing against that, but notice the difference between the two approaches to knowing what is true and what is not. Those who love their own version of the truth more than God’s truth are using their ‘thinkology’ which is corrupt because it has as its foundation nothing more than humanistic philosophy. On the other hand, those whom God has drawn into His light by His grace are led to believe the truth from a completely different foundation. This foundation is not humanistic philosophy, but instead is God’s Word.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)
^^
Rick Warren, the evangelical preacher, is unworthy in Carolina_Guy's estimation as well. He gets lambasted too.
We're dealing with full blown radicalism with this individual. Extremist fundamentalism rooted in a belief that he is right and all others - even those with slightly different ideas or perspectives - are wrong.
This is the same core worldview that breeds terrorism in Islam. Different religion, but same premise.
We should all take extra gentle care! Certainly no way to win followers.
Have you ever actually read those individuals who are cited in that article? Paul Tillich? Soren Kierkegaard?
Trust me: Neither are what you refer to as "New Agey" and furthermore, they both defend the faith that you are professing!
So June is a bit confused.
If anything, you should only hope and pray that more atheists, more agnostics, and more seekers would actually read them!
Wow.
Take extra gentle care!
Excuse me, June, but you obviously have no idea what you are talking about with regards to Spiritual Formations/Contemplative Spirituality and its seeping into mainstream Christianity. You don't even claim to be a Christian, so I can see how you could make such assumptions. If you do not know the Truth, then you have no idea when the Truth is being altered. There are many wolves in sheep's clothing, but how would you know?
And as far as my analytical thinking and intellect is concerned, my background and profession is scientific in nature so I have all the critical thinking skills I need.
Last edited by carolina_guy; 03-06-2009 at 08:41 PM..
^^
Rick Warren, the evangelical preacher, is unworthy in Carolina_Guy's estimation as well. He gets lambasted too.
We're dealing with full blown radicalism with this individual. Extremist fundamentalism rooted in a belief that he is right and all others - even those with slightly different ideas or perspectives - are wrong.
This is the same core worldview that breeds terrorism in Islam. Different religion, but same premise.
We should all take extra gentle care! Certainly no way to win followers.
Bluefly, Rick Warren not only dilutes the Gospel, but he has transferred the message into one of a social gospel. He has created the seeker sensitive movement that has removed the cross from sanctuaries and forgotten repentance of sins. He has turned church into a multi-million dollar corporation. Furthermore, he is very much involved with ecumenism, contemplative prayer, and a push for global peace by bringing all religions together. This is not Scriptural! In fact, he is epitomizing the very thing God said would happen in the last days!
Just because I am fundamental in my beliefs, where I accept the Bible as the inerrant word of God and believe it is to be read in literal terms, doesn't make me a radical. And if you really think this equates to Islamism, then you also have a fundamentally flawed understanding of Islam itself. But this thread isn't about Islam.
It's amazing to see such vilification for someone who is merely standing up for Biblical truth. This is evidence that the Word (Jesus) is not in you.
...Dr. John MacArthur then put this latest Emergence into a man-centered pseudo-Christianity into its proper perspective when he said:
The Emerging Church Movement is an amorphous sort of loose-knit association of churches that have decided that there is value, there is even virtue in uncertainty about Scripture. The bottom line in the movement is they believe that we aren’t even supposed to understand precisely what the Bible means. And to me, that’s the big issue. It is an attack on the clarity of Scripture and they elevate themselves as if this is some noble reality.
They have finally risen to say we’re honest enough to say, “We don’t know what the Bible really means. We can’t be certain. We are…we’re the truly spiritual ones.” It has overtones of spiritual pride, a false kind of spiritual pride which they call humility. They say, “We’re too humble to say that we know what the Bible means.” The bottom line, I think, in the movement is that it is a denial of the clarity of Scripture. It is a denial that we can know what the Bible really says. (Online source)
Men and women, I’ve said this before, and it sure doesn’t bother me in the least to say it again. This postmodern Emergence skubalon is simply the next logical regression when thinking as men think; and not as God thinks (see—Matthew 16:23). It goes like this: Liberal theology was also known as modern theology.
Those unregenerate dreamers were involved in a futile attempt to harmonize [read: compromise] the Christian faith with the false philosophy of modernism and ended up with what became known as the social gospel. And these are precisely the fools men like Spurgeon were dealing with in the Downgrade Controversy.
Just because I am fundamental in my beliefs, where I accept the Bible as the inerrant word of God and believe it is to be read in literal terms, doesn't make me a radical.
Excuse me, June, but you obviously have no idea what you are talking about with regards to Spiritual Formations/Contemplative Spirituality and it's seeping into mainstream Christianity. You don't even claim to be a Christian, so I can see how you could make such assumptions. If you do not know the Truth, then you have no idea when the Truth is being altered. There are many wolves in sheep's clothing, but how would you know?
June is quite correct about Kierkegaard and Tillich . . . you have obviously not read either and are relying on uneducated opinions of fundamentalist rabble-rousers. Kierkegaard was a passionate advocate of Christianity and Tillich was one of the most influential Protestant theologians of the 20th Century. Most fundamentalists don't have a clue what a true Christian is supposed to be based on the misrepresentations from their clergy and other leaders combined with a simplistic literal reading of scripture they are typically not sufficiently educated to interpret. It is a travesty of ignorance.
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