CPT Supporter World Council of Churches - One Church Faith Movement?

In recent days, most of America has heard about Christian Peacemaker Teams and their non-Christian way of thanking those who put their lives at risk to rescue three of their group. Instead of a plain and simple thank-you, their spokesman took the opportunity to deliver a political message against them!

Which begs the question - who supports these folks?

The World Council of Churches is one of the CPT supporters, amongst others. The World Council of Churches - sounds like a super organization, right? IMHO, you would be wrong to believe in the WCC or their mission.

What the WCC is working towards is a blended, ultra or uberchurch - from their own words, its easy to see they believe in a "melding" of the world's various faiths, even though those faiths have been and always will be at odds with one another at their most basic, core beliefs:

"Christians must take full account of the experiences of those who have been living for centuries in religiously plural societies, as well as of the convictions of those who are newly stimulated by the broadening religious plurality of their surroundings."

Folks, right there is the first indication the WCC has an agenda. There in plain sight is a call for Christians to accept the legitimacy of other religions and beliefs simply because they have been practiced longer than the Christian faith!

As a Christian, you are supposed to give weight, value to those who have been following Ba'al all these eons. After all, how can they be mistaken - they've practiced their faith for eons!

As a Christian, you "must" weigh the convictions of those who are "newly stimulated" by the ever expanding reach of non-Christian doctrine? Newly stimulated?

"Our experience in dialogue suggests strongly that many "classical" Christian theological presuppositions and convictions need to be informed and challenged afresh by the realities of our times."

Here it is again - in plain view - Christians, your strongly held beliefs (in their words: "theological presuppositions and convictions") are NOT informed - they need CHALLENGED by the REALITY of the WORLD. They need revised because they simply do not fit the world around you!

Gee - aren't they (the WCC) proclaiming the Bible needs a rewrite?

Convictions "need to be informed and CHALLENGED afresh by the realities of our time." What new realities exist in "our times" that have not existed for time immemorial?

None that I can see - how about you?

Next they reach deep into their cauldron, as do most non-believers, and start tossing scriptural quotes at us under the heading, "Interreligious Relations and Dialogue":

Interest in a Christian approach to people of other faiths can already be seen in the New Testament. In the book of Acts, Peter, responding to the realities of a multi-faith context, says to the gentile Cornelius, "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him" (Acts 10.34-35).

This basic understanding of God's direct access to all people echoes what is asserted in the Hebrew scriptures by the prophet Malachi when he says, "For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering for my name is great among the nations says the Lord of hosts (Malachi 1.11).

It is in this light that people within the modern ecumenical movement have been trying to grasp the meaning of their obedience to the gospel in a world of many religions and cultures.

Whoa - stop right there. Its very convenient to search the Bible for a passage to support what YOU want but readers - you MUST take Biblical passages in "context" - because what comes before and after a passage further deepens the understanding we are to gain from reading the passage.

"Peter, responding to the realities of a multi-faith context..." A pretty big presumption if one reads just that passage and nothing else - of course, its an even bigger LIE and here's why:

Acts 9 (immediately prior to Acts 10) is the conversion of Saul to Paul and is a wonderful message to all - none are beyond the salvation found through Jesus Christ. Saul (Paul) persecuted the Jewish followers of Christ, hauling them into Jerusalem for trial and often death. What better choice to illustrate the reality of salvation, a renewal to a greater purpose than one (Saul) who persecuted the Jewish Christians?

It is CLEAR the passages are speaking of THE God, the One, the Only, the God Of Israel. They do NOT speak of any other god. How can I say this? The whole Bible speaks of The One, The Only True God, The God Of Israel. IT DOES NOT SPEAK of "the realities of a multi-faith context" in the world.

What follows 34-35? Why 36-43 of course!:

36. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

37. You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached —

38. how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

39. "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree,

40. but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.

41. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen — by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

42. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.

43. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

So what part of THOSE words should we challenge? Maybe 42 where God appointed Jesus as "judge of the living and the dead"? No, I don't think so - nope, no way, no how. How about 43 where "everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name"? Nope - no way - for this is Christianity itself.

I do not see much room for challenging those passages, unless I did not believe in Jesus the Christ.

Choosing Malachi 1-11 to support their mission? Was that a smart move? Well, let's take it context - what preceeds Malachi 1-11?

1. The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.

2. I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,

3. And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

4. Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.

5. And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.

6. A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

7. Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.

8. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.

9. And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.

10. Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

11. For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

12.But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.

13. Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.

14. But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

Now let me ask you folks - do you still believe what the WCC proposed earlier?

This basic understanding of God's direct access to all people echoes what is asserted in the Hebrew scriptures by the prophet Malachi...

Do you really believe the WCC's interpretation of Malachi now? I never did.

What else does the WCC have to say?

People engaged in dialogue have felt their own faith challenged and deepened by the new dimensions of religious life which they have observed, and many find in interreligious encounter a new impetus for doing theology and reviving spirituality. Communities in dialogue function as the leaven in the larger community, facilitating the creation of a society transcending religious barriers.

"Communities in dialogue function as the leaven in the larger community, facilitating the CREATION OF A SOCIETY TRANSCENDING RELIGIOUS BARRIERS"? A lot of big, one dollar words.

Folks - that is a clear call for humanity to "rise above" their faith, to believe in the ability of humanity to "transcend" religious "barriers". In other words - put no faith in your Faith but instead, believe in humanity - if we only talk about things, we can rise above even our faith, our beliefs, our religion.

Why, your Faith is a barrier which ties you down; it keeps you from transcending barriers!

We stand at the historic moment when the Christian theological tradition must take full account of the experiences of those who have been living for centuries in religiously plural societies, as well as of the convictions of those who are newly stimulated by the broadening religious plurality of their surroundings.

Our experience in dialogue suggests strongly that many "classical" Christian theological presuppositions and convictions need to be informed and challenged afresh by the realities of our times.

Again I ask you - what convictions need to be "informed and challenged afresh by the realities of our times?" And more importantly, why must CHRISTIANS adjust and revise their Faith? What "classical theological presuppositions and convictions" - that Jesus is The Christ, The Messiah?

Do you think there is anything "new" under the sun? Sorry to disappoint you - but there is nothing new under the sun. Forever there has been a force in this "reality" trying to get you to believe in the power of humanity, diversity and the mish-mash of many religions in an attempt to accomodate, even confuse everyone. The goal is to keep you from knowing and loving the one True God and His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

This organization (WCC), no matter their works, cannot be called a Christian organization. They ignore what Jesus told us via John 14:6:

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you or your church is supporting the CPT at least now you know who one of your co-supporters is and what they believe. I urge you to reconsider your continued support. CPT - shame, shame - how can you accept their money if you are Truly a Christian organization?

The puppet dances by the puppet-master's strings. Those who supply the money call the shots. The CPT is more than they seem to be - they are a political action group closely tied to the anti-Bush campaign. They align themselves to the Democratic party which is all about turning moral issues into political issues.

Even worse - they are supported by the WCC, an organization with a mission to alter "classical theological presuppositions and convictions" of Christianity, to conform Christianity to the world around it.

It is my hope CPT truly "sees the light" and rediscovers the true mission of all Christians - "sharing the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ."