Scientology

I don't know if you've noticed the commercials for Scientology recently. Surely, many people are aware of the celebrity followers of Scientology, such as Tom Cruse and John Travolta. Over my fall break in October, I went back to my hometown of Wheaton, Illinois, with one of my best friends. Over that weekend, the two of us took the 45 minute train ride into downtown Chicago, and the two of us saw a group, dressed in costumes, picketing Scientology in Millenium Park. In this lecture,the late Dr. Walter Martin discusses this bizzarre group, which he has described as "cultic, occultic, pseudoscientific, and theologically aberrant."

An Interesting Video on the Bible vs. the Book of Mormon

While this video doesn't really explicitly deal with Mormon theology, I found this movie extremely interesting. As I've probably mentioned, I have an aunt & uncle who raise beef cattle, hay and corn on a 200 acre farm in western New York, about halfway between Rochester and Syracuse. Incidentally, this farm is only about 10 miles from the town of Palmyra, New York, where the Book of Mormon was first published, and one evening over the summer, we were at a parade in Palmyra, and were across the street from the place where the Book of Mormon was first published. I've also been right past Hill Cummorah, where Joseph Smith allegedly found the golden plates.

I'm also, right now, taking a course in Biblical Archeology, so I'm kinda famalliar of the Biblical sites mentioned that are being excavated in Israel.

Another Look at the Jehovah's Witnesses

Chances are, the vast majority of us know about the mission's efforts of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Some of us may have even had Jehovah's Witnesses come by, trying to convert us to their beliefs. I remember a couple summers ago, we had a couple Jehovah's Witnesses come by my home, and I actually didn't realize that they were Jehovah's Witnesses until I recognized the Watchtower logo on one of the magazines they had in their bag. But, I don't think that a lot of us are fully aware of what they believe, and the autocracy that the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society holds over the lives of the members. I encourage you to watch this series of videos if interested.















"Now, actually, concerning false prophecy, we read "And if you say in your heart, 'How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?'—when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:21-22)

A Glimpse at the Theology of Jehovah's Witnesses

Similar to the cartoon that I posted regarding Mormonism, we see the heretical theology of the Jehovah's Witnesses exposed. The group was founded by Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916). Now, besides the theologies mentioned in the cartoon, Jehovah's Witnesses reject the doctrine of the Trinity, argue that while the atonement removed the effects of Adam's sin, the work of the atonement won't be completed until the faithful survivors of Armageddon return to heaven under the rule the Jehovah. They also refuse to be subject to human government, and deny the existence of a hell of eternal conscious torment, and teach that Satan has been anihilated. Perhaps most famously, they believe that Jesus Christ has returned in 1914.

Admittedly, I'm only fleshing this stuff out from Walter Martin's Kingdom of the Cults.

A Look at Seventh-Day Adventism

I find it a shame that there are Christians who are willing to embrace Seventh Day Adventism as a Christian denomination. Even the late Dr. Walter Martin (1932-1989), a renknowned cult expert, apologist, the original "Bible Answer Man," and author of the landmark book Kingdom of the Cults disastrously has implied that Seventh Day Adventism is indeed a Christian denomination. However, we see that Seventh Day Avdentism is not a Christian denomination, but a cult. I do find it interesting that, in this video, Christian Scientists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism and Seventh Day Adventism have swapped theologies.

This video goes extensively into the false doctrines and indeed the false prophecies of the Seventh-Day Adventist founder Ellen G. White (1827-1915). Now, I'm not saying that we should kill false prophets, however, we read in Deuteronomy 18:20, that the consquences for false prophets are indeed dire: "But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die." We also read how to distinguish false prophets from true prophets: "When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him." As pointed out in the video, Ellen G. White's prophecies have clearly not come true.











I leave you with this quote, commending the Bereans: "The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." (Acts 17:10-11)

A Glimpse at Mormon Theology

Within these past couple weeks, word came out that Marie Osmond felt moved by the spirit to sign on with a "Christian" music label to record a CD. Now, the problem is that Ms. Osmond is not Christian, but Mormon. There was also a case shortly before Christmas 2008, in which a well-known Christian organization, which I will keep nameless, promoted a book by conservative political commentator & practicing Mormon Glenn Beck concerning Christmas. However, eventually this organization rescinded their promotion of this book. Then, of course, there was the somewhat infamous case of Joel Osteen claiming that Mitt Romney, a devout Mormon, was indeed a Christian, because he believed in Christ as his Savior. However, clearly, as illustrated by this video, Mormonism is not Christianity.



We read Paul's words in Galatians 1, words that echo throughout time and seem to become increasingly relevant today. "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8-9)

On a side note, for those of you who don't know me personally, I have relatives in upstate New York who have a 200 acre farm where they raise beef cattle, hay and feed corn. Now, interestingly, they don't live too far from where Hill Cummorah is, and one time when we were in downtown Palmyra, New York this summer, we were across the street from where the Book of Mormon was published.