1. The root of the abortion question is not whether or not it is sociologically useful, that is granted, but whether or not it is ethical to re-define human life.
2. The real issues behind this intensely emotional debate which has so polarized our nation are: What is a human? (How is man defined? or, How is human value determined?), and, when does human life begin?
3. The abortion issue, is the issue it is, because it involves a primary collision of two differing worldviews: Humanism versus Judeo-Christian theism. It arose because of the loss of a Christian consensus in this country which we have had for almost 200 years.

Angelic beings have been a major (we mean major!) subject of art, architecture, music and literature in Western Civilization, especially during the Medieval and Renaissance periods. Currently, angels are making a comeback.

There are many reasons for rejecting evolution: lack of evidence, faulty logic, never been observed, etc. However, if the teaching of the Bible were our only consideration, would there be sufficient reasons for rejecting evolution? We think so.

One notable characteristic of the counter cultural movement in the late Sixties and early Seventies, was its wholesale rejection of western values, and in particular, the Christian religion. To fill the vacuum, many turned to the religions of the East, one of which was Buddhism. After the Vietnam War a large influx of Asian immigrants brought with them the religion of Buddhism. These two factors, coupled with current movies, Seven Years in Tibet, and Kundun, which put Buddhism in a good light, prompted this brief overview of one of the world’s five main organized religions. For a good overview of this intellectual switch to Eastern worldviews, see: Turning East by Harvey Cox, and The East: No Exit by Os Guiness.

Currently, the whole world seems rife with conspiracy theories. Some examples: the recent winner of the Nobel prize announced, as she received the award, that aids was created to rid the world of the Black Race; the recent tsunami in Asia was caused by the Jews and the U.S. setting off a nuclear bomb on the ocean floor; the Iraq War was concocted at the president’s Crawford Ranch to help his oil buddies; the U.S. government is altering the weather by shifting the jet streams in Alaska with secret giant jet fans. These theories are not just being promoted by the unwashed masses, but often by well-placed, highly-educated men and women.

1. Evolution is an ancient philosophical and religious belief.
   1. Confucius (25 centuries before Darwin) said: All reality unfolded gradually from a single entity.
   2. Bhuddist teachers believed all living things evolved from a prior unitary nature. (See Ninian Smart's Indian Philosophy).
   3. Anaximander and Anaximenes (6th Century B.C.) held that the sun's warmth generated all living forms by acting on moist primeval element. Anaximenes believed, moreover, that plants, animals and humans were generated in that order!
   4. Evolution again became popular in the early 19th century. Many philosophers embraced it as a philosophical position, all before Darwin.

Deconstructionism (D) is a powerful postmodern movement currently in vogue on major college campuses and among the intellectual elite. Its influence, permeates every area of our culture. This movement has given rise to tribalism, political correctness, re-imaging, multiculturalism, and culture wars. It has become a hammer for smashing traditional values.

There are many reasons why the subject of demon possession is a relevant subject of interest among Christians. Some of these are:

1. The popularity of eastern mysticism and religions, i.e. the New Age Craze.
2. The current romantic view of Native American Indian culture and their animistic religion. (No this is not politically correct!)
3. The apparent increase in satanic ritual abuse victims has prompted Christian counselors to question the line of demarcation between mental and spiritual etiologies.
4. A proliferation of deliverance ministries has increased the debate among evangelicals about definitions, methods, etc.
5. The evangelical presses are cranking out a high volume of literature on the subject of demonology both in fictional and non-fictional form. The works of Frank Peretti are bestsellers. We are now hearing of dark angels, territorial demons, generational curses, transference of spirits, and warring in the heavenlies.

It is our duty as Christians to develop a Christian world and life-view which will serve to guide all our thought and action. This is a life-long process. This is taught in several passages of Scripture:

Divine election and predestination are doctrines taught in the Bible, yet most believers avoid these topics like last week's leftover fish. It is commonly believed that these subjects are better left to theologians with too much time on their hands. The mere mention of election and predestination strikes fear in the hearts of some, anger in others. When Christians discuss it, emotions get out of control, heated arguments often ensue, along with name-calling, and pigeon-holing. You're a hyper-Calvinist. You're a rank Arminian. It's a damnable doctrine. These are but a few of the epithets we have all heard.

1. Definition: When a person is truly born of God that person is forever a part of God's eternal family. He can never be lost again. It is sometimes popularly referred to as Once saved always saved.
2. Basis for the teaching:
   1. The total inability of man to reconcile himself to God.
   2. Salvation from beginning to the end is the work of God's grace.
   3. Those who are saved from a state of depravity were chosen before the foundation of the world. Eph. 1:4.5.

In the Eleventh Century, Christendom was split into the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. Subsequently, throughout the Middle Ages the Roman Catholic Church drifted toward Pelagianism (away from doctrines of grace) contrary to the warnings of some of its theologians. Early in the Sixteenth Century, the monk, Martin Luther, led a Reformation against the corrupt theology of Rome. These reformers became known as Protestants. In the years 1545-63 the Roman Catholic Council of Trent condemned the doctrinal distinctives the Protestants stood for. The rift widened. For more than the next four hundred years Catholicism was largely a monolithic religious organization. In the years 1962-65 the Catholic council known at Vatican II brought about some monumental changes. Among the changes was the recognition of Protestants as separated brethren rather than apostates. Some have referred to Vatican II as the Catholic Reformation. Today the Roman Catholic Church claims nearly one billion members world-wide.

Existentialism as a philosophy, or world and life view, is largely a 20th century phenomenon. It is the very antithesis of Christian belief in that it asserts the total autonomy of man. Hence it is one of the most virulent forms of humanism. It spread rapidly because its adherents often convey its message in more artistic form rather than in dry philosophic tomes. Instead, their medium is often novels, plays, art, or movies. They are often profoundly moving and entertaining because they speak to real human conditions.

This briefing, we believe, is necessary, because in our opinion, the level of propaganda and anti-Semitism hasn’t been higher since WWII. In addition, the dominant media has been untrustworthy in informing the public. Currently, anti-Israel sentiment among the academic left on college campuses, and in Western Europe is unprecedented in recent times. Note the three following quotes:

When most people think of fascism today they think of an egomaniacal fuehrer, or possibly an ideology that was defeated in WWII and more recently espoused by uneducated skinheads. The most common, but largely false and simplistic answer given to the question, What is fascism? is: "The extreme right wing of the political spectrum," or, "The polar opposite of marxism."

1. Pagan: The realm of pure idea, pure mind or spirit, disembodied spirits.
2. Islamic: A place of male sensual delights. Beautiful women, food, water, etc.
3. Current misconceptions:
4. The Biblical Words: OT. samayim. NT. ouranos. Both have physical and spiritual meanings. The word occurs over 500 times in the Bible.

In February 1997 it was announced that a sheep had been cloned at the Roslin Institute in Scotland. The ethical reverberations were heard around the world, not because it was a sheep, but because the possibility loomed that a human would soon be cloned as well.

The miraculous assumptions of Christianity are a major stumbling block to its critics. This anti-supernatural view was pretty well summarized by the philosopher, Spinoza in the 17th century: Miracles are violations of natural laws. Natural laws are immutable. It is impossible for immutable laws to be violated. Therefore, miracles are impossible.

Is a theological position held by professing evangelicals heretical if it espouses the following positions: God does not know everything; He sometimes makes mistakes and regrets His actions; He may have a material body; He is not unchanging; He suffers like us; He takes risks; His sovereignty is limited; He does not punish people eternally in hell; devout people of other religions who have not heard of Christ will be saved; the Bible is not error free; Christ’s death did not pay the penalty for man’s sins; Love is God’s primary attribute?

As Christians we must view everything through the lense of the Biblical Worldview, making all thoughts captive to Christ; and always seeking the mind of Christ (IICor 10:5; Phil.2:5). This includes political philosophy and economic theory, though many Christians still mistakenly think these areas are neutral territory. The truth is, some theories harmonize better than others.

Over the last several months you may have heard someone use the term "postmodern," or "postmodernism." You also may have heard someone say something about a "paradigm shift"(see below). Postmodernism is a new way of looking at reality that is becoming strongly entrenched in all areas of our culture. A previous briefing paper (#52) on Deconstructionism was a more in-depth critique of a specific postmodernist movement as it affects a particular area. (See also briefing papers #50, and #54 on Existentialism and Fascism for related insight).

The Roman Catholic Church claims 800 million members world-wide making it the largest Christian organization of any kind. As an organization it has been one of the most influential forces in the history of Western Civilization. It cannot be taken lightly. In the lieu of recent and significant changes in the RCC, and due to increased interest in the RCC among Evangelicals and Protestants, serious questions need to be asked. (See also CIM Outline #47 Evangelicals and Catholics.)

1. It was a recent subject of the television show Prime Time Live(Jan. '93), many talk shows, and the subject of at least a half-dozen recent evangelical books. Psychologists (some Christian) are now concentrating their entire practice on treating SRA.
2. Non-christians are also writing on the subject. See Surviving the Unbelievable in Ms (Jan. Feb. 1993) and the following books When Rabbit Howls, Satan's Children, and Suffer the Child.
3. Some believe that those who have undergone therapy for SRA number in six figures (see The Satanism Scare, by Richardson, Best, and Bromley.) Bob Larson, who has a nationally syndicated radio call-in show that frequently features SRA, believes there are hundreds of thousands of adults who have been so abused (See also his book: Satanism: The Seduction of American Youth).

The issue of race is one of the hottest issues in our land today. The Bible has much to say on the subject, and the Church needs to preach a biblical perspective; it needs to apply it in its Body life, and with reference to the world, it needs to be a light in a dark world. It needs to set the example and lead. With a Bible in its hand the Church should be telling the Government how to act, not vice-versa.

The Current Controversy: For most of 2000 years of church history men of faith have held to the teaching of the eternal punishment of the wicked. Currently, among evangelical Christians, some scholars of renown are espousing the position known as annihilationism. This is the belief that the wicked ultimately cease to exist, i.e. punishment is not eternal. These men are Clark Pinnock, John R. Stott, Phillip E. Hughes (now deceased), and John Wenham. This view is also held by Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and The World-wide Church of God (Armstrongism).

A flood of great proportions is described in Genesis 6-9. The text never indicates that it was anything other than a historical event. The Flood, and, or Noah, the builder of the Ark, are mentioned 7 more times in the OT. These passages are Gen.10:1,32; 11:10; I Chron. 1:3; Isa. 54:9; and Ezek.14:14,20. The NT also assumes that a great deluge came on the earth as the result of God’s judgement: See Matt. 24:37-39; Lk. 3:36; 17:27; Heb. 11:7; I Pet. 3:18-21, and II Pet. 2:5; 3:3-7. ( See Noah and the Flood in Jewish, Christian and Muslim Tradition in the Biblical Archaeologist, Dec. 1984.)

Due to the release of the Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of The Christ, understanding the events surrounding the death of Christ is of supreme importance to believers who endeavor to understand a fuller meaning of Christ's death and to share that meaning with unbelievers.

Some evangelicals believe the gift of prophecy should be revived in the church today. This briefing analyzes this proposal.

In a list of the Evangelical church's greatest controversies of the 20th Century, the gift of tongues would have to be near the top. This conflict abated somewhat during the mid-eighties when some leaders of the charismatic movement down-played the importance of the gift.

One of the major questions of our time is: Who is man? The question arises in many issues of our day

1. In the issue of abortion, is a fetus human? When does it become human or have worth?
2. In euthanasia, when does man cease having value?
3. In questions of ecology, is man more important than a snail darter?
4. Ultimately, how is man different from other living things? Is there a human difference?

There are 215 million people in the world who align themselves with one of the branches of Orthodox Christianity sometimes known as The Eastern Church. Beyond some stereotypes, Westerners (Protestants) know very little about the distinctive beliefs of this large branch of Christianity. There are an estimated 5.6 million Orthodox Christians in the U.S.

Interest in Biblical prophecy intensifies as we near the end of the millennium. (If Christ was born in the spring of 4 B.C. it is already 2002!). Along with an increase in sensationalism we are also witnessing a revival of a view of Biblical prophecy that was popular in previous centuries but almost unheard of in this one. Now its revival is chronicled by the appearance of books, tapes, many websites, and a growing number of adherents. The prevailing view for most of this century is that nearly all the great NT prophetic passages point to some future fulfillment. This view is generally known as the futurist (FT) view of prophecy.

Many philosophers have held that the existence of evil in the universe is the Achilles heel of Christianity, and that it constitutes evidence for the nonexistence of the Christian God. This problem has been expressed in the following syllogism:

If God is all-good, he would destroy evil.
If God is all-powerful, he could destroy evil.
But evil is not destroyed.
Therefore, such a God (all-good and all-powerful) does not exist.

As a result of recent terrorist attacks carried out by those claiming to be followers of Islam there is increased interest in one of the world’s fastest growing religions.

One of the most important aspects of the Christmas story is the Star which lured the Wise Men from their homeland to visit the Christ Child. The emblem overwhelms us; it appears on Christmas trees, cards, decorations, at nativities, and is the subject of carols. It is a prominent feature in the story of C hrist's birth. Was the star a totally supernatural occurrence? Or, if it was an astral event, can it throw light on a more precise date for the birth of Christ? This has been a question of much speculation over the centuries. New light from the science of astronomy and archaeology may indeed give us insight into an event that was undoubtedly the supernatural event of all time, but it may have been accompanied by some interesting providential handiwork of the Creator.

1. They are the foundation of the Church. Eph. 2:19,20.
2. According to Acts 1: 21ff., there seems to have been three qualifications to be one of The Twelve:
3. They were chosen only after Jesus spent the entire night in prayer. Lk. 6:12,13.
4. They spent three years in training with Jesus.
5. Four lists of The Twelve are given in the NT. They are found in Matt. 10:2ff., Mark 3:16ff., Luke 6:14ff., and Acts 1:13ff. The Twelve are arranged in three groups of 4 each.

(If we had no scientific knowledge of origins, and only what the Bible tells us, what would we know? The following is a brief outline of the Bible's teaching on origins. It is not meant to be exhaustive, but we think it includes the major ideas of a Biblical doctrine of creation. A Christian who believes in the absolute authority of the Bible will begin his quest for knowledge about origins with the Bible's teaching as a given. All other observed facts and assumptions of science will be interpreted in its light. The teachings of science will never be used in such a way where an interpretation of Scripture becomes forced, e.g. seeing the pattern and progression of evolution in Genesis One.)

Today more than any time in history worldviews are in collision. Ideas do have consequences! Today there is no longer a worldview consensus in our country. The conflict and the polarization (see the abortion issue as an example) and political gridlock we see are the result of the demise of the Christian consensus which once undergirded our society. Currently, our society is multicultural or pluralistic and there is no strong worldview consensus.