Educating evangelicals about how to use history responsibly

How to deal with people following Glenn Beck's example of the "Black Robe Brigade"

John Fea, professor of American History at Messiah College, just posted an important article at Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed blog. In response to a pastor's troubled heart about being approached to support a "God and Country" rally in his community, John gives some very helpful historical perspective.

See the entire post here: Beck’s Black Robe Brigade (by John Fea)

Here's a snippet:

"Did most, if not all, of the founders believe in some form of divine providence? Yes. Again, that is a historical question that is easily answerable. But were the founders right–from a Biblical and theological perspective rooted in Christian orthodoxy– when they said that God had a special, unique, and exceptional purpose for America? Again, this seems to be a theological question...

...The Christians associated with these kinds of documentaries blur the historical and the theological. If Washington mentioned God, they argue, then America must have been founded as a Christian nation. There is no attempt to offer theological reflection or critique on the views of the founders because they have been presented as being above reproach. Many of the defenders of “Christian America” believe that the founders have been specially appointed to do the work of God.

There is a lot of misinformation out there. Not everything David Barton, or Peter Marshall, or the Genesis of America people say is wrong, but it is twisted and presented in such a way that does not account for the complexity and fullness of the past.

Historians concerned with the integrity of the past and the integrity of their work must also note that John Adams rejected the doctrine of the Trinity. They should mention that George Washington deliberately avoided taking communion. They must also tell the whole truth about the so-called “Black Regiment.” Most of these clergymen were blatantly anti-Catholic. Others blurred Biblical teachings on freedom (from sin) with political teachings on freedom (from George III). These Christian America pundits tell just one side of the story because the so-called “rest of the story” does not suit their political needs in the present. This is what I mean by indoctrination by historian example. This is history at its worst!"

Why “Attractional” Undermines the Mission of God

The “Attractional Model” of church ministry does evangelism and outreach for the sake of attracting people into the church doors, where they can hear the gospel and get plugged into the church body, assimilated into the community of faith.

The “Missional Model” of church ministry sees mission as the mode of operation for Christianity. Mission means being sent. This has been the God’s model dating all the way back to Abraham, through Moses, into Jesus, and is now the model for us in our cultural contexts. God calls individuals and communities to love him and to obey his governance over all things, and then sends these individuals and communities to proclaim this Kingdom of God.

But there’s a problem, and Alan Hirsch identifies it:

“The Christendom template tends to bolt down this missional impulse by substituting it with an attractional one. So while the local church genuinely does forms of evangelism and outreach, because it measures effectiveness through numerical growth, better programming, and increase of plant and resources, it requires the attractional impulse to support it. The exchange is subtle but profound, and the net effect is to unwittingly block the outward-bound movement that is built into the gospel. Instead of being sown in the wind, the seeds are put into ecclesial storehouses, thus effectively extinguishing the purpose they were made for.”

–Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways, p. 130

Many new North American church movements are ministering through the paradigm of this missional impulse. But is there a way to help established churches and denominations morph into more missional communities? Or is the attractional impulse simply too strong?

We Evangelicals Need to Accept Diversity

It’s happened before, and it’s happening now.

You can tell when America is dealing with a new immigration challenge, because Americans get hostile toward aliens – they create caricatures of foreign people groups and become intolerant of religions with which they are not familiar.

The worst culprits of this injustice, more often than not, are my own people: evangelicals, and especially the fundamentalist evangelicals.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, immigrants flowed into the United States from Ireland, Italy, Russia, and Eastern Europe. The Protestants in America were fearful of this: It threatened their hope of establishing a “Christian America” (that is, a Protestant Christian nation). All these immigrants with their strange religions – Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox – needed to be put in their place, under the rule of Protestant American hegemony.

In the 1960s and 70s, another new wave of immigration flowed into America, with people groups even more severely separated from Protestantism. People from Thailand, Cambodia, South Vietnam, Japan, and China. This coincided with an immigration influx from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Lebanon, Iran, and Egypt. If the Protestants found Roman Catholicism a threat, imagine what they thought of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam!

Evangelical Fundamentalists, when feeling the threat of these foreigners and the consequent and inevitable societal upheaval that accompanies it, make the following case: We need to restore this nation to the time when we were not so threatened, we need to return to our roots as a Christian nation.

They do not show love for and acceptance of these foreigners. They do not love their neighbors as themselves. They instead make them out to be enemies of our God-ordained right to be “One Nation Under (the Protestant, evangelical fundamentalist) God.” And instead of loving their perceived enemies, they hate them.

In 2010, the evangelical fundamentalists are winning a hearing again (aided by politicians like Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin who see a political jackpot in it). Their targets this time are two groups of immigrants: Mexicans and Muslims.

The illegal immigration of Mexicans is certainly an important issue for the country, but here’s the question: Why are fundamentalist evangelicals so threatened by it? I hear a lot from my Christian friends about the illegality of these foreigners. I hear them say “amnesty” with a snarl in their voice (how did such a beautiful word become an ugly one?). Chuck Colson recently showed his exasperation with evangelicals who "demonize immigrants" when he wrote, “The so-called 'facts' about illegal alien criminality...are deliberate misrepresentations or complete fabrications... Christians ought to oppose this demonization of 'the strangers in our midst.' As theologian T. M. Moore wrote, 'God defends strangers. He has compassion for those who have left all and risked all to find new lives in a strange country.'" When I mention to my brothers and sisters in Christ that the Biblical Prophets warned ancient Israel on many occasions that they would be judged based on how they treated foreigners and strangers in their land, they look at me as if I was speaking heresy.

The mosque in New York City is certainly an important issue for the country as well. But, again, here’s the question: Why are fundamentalist evangelicals so threatened by it? Out of one side of their mouths they say that the Muslims have the Constitutional right to build a house of worship there. Out of the other side, they say it is “insensitive” or “inappropriate” to do so (the same arguments used in the past when the powerful in America attempted to marginalize a new people group). Newt Gingrich is saying that Muslims are attempting a “Stealth Jihad” in an effort “to replace Western civilization with a radical imposition of Sharia.” That’s frightening stuff, just the kind of fear-mongering that fundamentalist evangelicals eat up. Jay Sekulow, the lawyer who has made a name for himself for fighting for the religious freedom for evangelicals, ironically is on the front line against the Muslim mosque- Sekulow's American Center for Law and Justice is filing a lawsuit against it.

So, what are we going to do? Will we, as evangelical Christians, fight diversity for the sake some (real or imagined) earlier age? Or will we actually champion diversity, instead of being militant against those that are foreign to us, we could instead show the love and grace of Christ.

Fiery Political Speech Here in Canton - Side-Splittingly Funny

"If nominated tonight, I can guarantee with one hundred percent certainty that what you are seeing from me tonight is what everyone outside those doors is going to get for the next eight weeks." - Phil Davison, during his speech for the Republican nomination for Stark County Treasurer

As a citizen of Stark County, I sure wish that the Republicans would have voted for this guy to be their nominee. It would have been quite entertaining!

This video was taken at one of the schools at which I minister, Malone University, at the Stark County Republican Party meeting. Oh, man, is this funny.

David Barton on Glenn Beck: Uggh!!

My friend and blog sparring partner, Byron Harvey, posted on his blog the full text of David Barton’s defense of Glenn Beck. Barton is an evangelical pop-historian and the founder of Walbuilders, advocating a particular revisionist history of America – one that insists that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. He is a frequent guest on Beck’s program and at Beck events, and teaches his revisionist history at “Beck University.”

Barton has come under a lot of fire recently, because as a fundamentalist Christian, he is not supposed to be explicitly or implicitly condoning Mormonism. So, last Monday on his facebook page, Barton wrote an article entitled, “By Their Fruits.” (again, for the full text, head over to byron-harvey.com).

Barton writes,

"For all those who have asked, thanks for your inquiry and for expressing your concerns about Glenn and his faith. Allow me to address those concerns first by offering some general principles that I find helpful, and then by listing some specific facts that also influence my position."

Barton’s main argument is that you can rest assured that Glenn Beck is a Christian “by his fruit.” He cites Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Matthew, “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit….Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (MATTHEW 7:16-20)

Also, he quotes Jesus when he says, “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (MARK 9:40)

Barton writes,

"Let me now make specific application of these verses. In recent months, I have appeared numerous times on Glenn’s program to talk about historical and political issues, particularly as related to faith and Biblical values. On those programs, I have had repeated opportunity to inform Americans about (as our WallBuilders’ motto declares) “America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious, and constitutional heritage.” I have also participated in several major arena rallies with Glenn.

As a result of these appearances, I have received numerous letters and calls from concerned Christians, some of whom respectfully inquire as to why I would appear with a Mormon, while others directly attack me for doing so. As far as I can tell, most of these concerns stem from judging Glenn based by the label of “Mormon” rather than by the fruits he produces.

For example, no one has yet been to point to any instance where Glenn has attacked or undermined Christ or Christianity on any of his programs. To the contrary, on repeated occasions it has been quite the opposite. (Recall his specific programs on individual salvation, atonement, and redemption through Christ.) Nevertheless, some of his critics refuse to take Glenn at his self-evident words but instead attempt to read into them some secret and hidden meaning, thereby judging him not by his fruits or words but rather by some conspiratorial and unseen meaning they seek to impute to him.

For Christians concerned about Glenn’s faith, I would ask the following questions:

What fruit do you see produced by Glenn? Good or bad? If you judged Glenn only by the fruits he has produced, would you still hold concerns over his faith?

If you did not know Glenn was a Mormon, how would you describe his religious beliefs?

Is God using Glenn to help recover our national strength and health, both politically and spiritually? If so, why would God be using him?
Does Glenn stir and provoke us to good works? (Hebrews 10:24)
Does he bring to light the hidden things of darkness? (1 Corinthians 4:5)
Does he talk openly about atonement, redemption, and individual salvation through Christ? (I can definitely answer this in the affirmative, for I have seen him do so on numerous occasions not only on his program but also in the rallies where I have personally participated with him.)

Christians concerned about Glenn’s faith should judge the tree by its fruits, not its labels. After all, Nancy Pelosi and Bill Clinton openly call themselves Christians, as do Evangelical Christian ministers such as Jim Wallis and Joel Hunter. Although these individuals have the right labels, they have the wrong fruits; yet many Christians have a more visceral reaction to Glenn than to Pelosi, Clinton, or Wallis. This is wrong; it is not Biblical."

Whoa!

That’s a pretty fancy trick to make a professing Mormon more Christian than professing Bible-believing evangelical preachers (Jim Wallis and Joel Hunter)!

Barton’s argument is basically this: Since Glenn Beck is a libertarian, free-market capitalist, Tea-Party leader who equates America with God’s kingdom and propagates a “return to the good old days,” he is a Christian. While Jim Wallis, who is a liberal, associates with Democrats, and hopes for a better America in the future than what he sees as the past and present days of injustice and inequity (especially in regard to power and economics), is not a Christian. Hey, you will know who is a Christian by their fruits!

Barton ends his defense of Beck with these words:

"In conclusion, I have been with Glenn in numerous settings; I have watched him up close and can heartily endorse both his public and his private life. I have witnessed his tender heart, his love for God, and his passion to keep God in America. Glenn and I have prayed together on numerous occasions; he has sought God for specific guidance on numerous situations and I have personally not only seen God answer him but have also seen Glenn completely change his plans after feeling the Lord was leading him to move in a different direction or address a different subject. I judge Glenn by his fruits, not by his labels, and I am honored to call Glenn not only an ally and a fellow warrior (and a General) in the culture war, but especially to call him a good friend."

News Flash to David Barton: Mormon is not just a “label,” David! It is a whole other religion. And we haven't labeled Glenn Beck a Mormon; he has labeled himself as Mormon. And since he is a confessing Mormon, the “fruits” that you cite cannot be taken as evidence that Beck is actually praying and serving the to One True God.

Isn’t it amazing how we (I include Barton and myself here!) like to define “good fruit” based on our preconceptions? Whether I’m a political conservative or a political liberal, “good fruit” is equated with my particular political ideology. Never mind what Jesus would have us understand “good fruit” being, we already think we know.

This is a sure sign that political ideology has turned into idolatry.

We love to make God into our own image.

_

Obama and the Mosque

by John Fea, Professor of American History and Chair of the History Department at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania (originally published at The Way of Improvement Leads Home)

It becomes a sad day in the United States when a president finds himself in political hot water for defending the Constitution. The Founding Fathers would not be happy.

On January 20, 2009 Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. On that day (actually it was a day later since John Roberts messed up the oath) he put his hand on a Bible and said:

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

The Constitution says nothing about whether or not Muslims have the right to build a cultural center near the site of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. But it does make some rather definitive statements about religious freedom. The First Amendment to the Constitution says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof….”

When the Founding Fathers thought about religious freedom they often had Muslims in mind. Thomas Jefferson made sure that Muslims were protected under the Virginia Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom, a document that influenced the writers of the First Amendment.

George Washington declared that “the bosom of America” was open to “receive…the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations and Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges” whether they be “Mohometans (Muslims), Jews or Christians of any Sect, or they may be Atheists.”

Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and devout Christian, implied that Islam would be taught in public schools in the United States when he wrote: “I had rather see the opinions of Confucius or Mohammed inculcated upon our youth than see them grow up wholly devoid of a system of religious principles.”

When earlier this month Barack Obama told a group of Muslim-Americans that Muslims “have a right to practice their religion like anyone in else in this country and that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property…” he was defending the Constitution and acting in accordance with the views of the Founding Fathers.

Very few of the opponents of the Muslim community center near Ground Zero would argue with anything of this. They will admit that the New York Muslim community has a Constitutional right to build their facility.

Instead, the opposition has been focused on the wisdom of the decision to build this community center so close to the site of the tragic events of 9-11-2001. It would seem that a religious group concerned about interfaith dialogue and its image among the American people would think twice before building a place of worship near such hallowed ground.
Yet, as insensitive as the decision to build may appear to ordinary Americans, Obama was correct. Defending the Constitution is what presidents are supposed to do.

As expected, Obama has gotten into political trouble for this comment. Democrats facing mid-term elections are distancing themselves from his remarks. More people think Obama is a Muslim today than they did a year ago. All because he decided to publicly defend the Constitution.

I say shame on Obama’s political opponents for using the president’s remarks as a political weapon. Instead of condemning him for what he said, they should be returning to their home districts and teaching their constituencies about the meaning of the First Amendment and, subsequently, the meaning of America.

These so-called defenders of interpreting the Constitution literally and in accordance with the wishes of the Founders have a lot to learn about placing historic American values over American politics.

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Evangelicals' Opposition to Mosque Undermines Their Own Faith

Michael Gerson was the chief speechwriter and a senior policy advisor for George W. Bush from 2001 thru mid-2006 and a member of Bush’s White House Iraq Group. A Presbyterian, he graduated from Westminster Christian Academy and Wheaton College. He is now an op-ed columnist for The Washington Post.

In yesterday’s column, “In mosque controversies, some Christians undermine their own faith,” Gerson writes,

“Christian fundamentalists who undermine religious liberty in order to target Muslims are playing a game of intolerance roulette. That First Amendment might come in handy someday…”

“…The purpose of social influence for Christians is not to favor their own faith; it is to serve a view of universal rights and dignity taught by their faith...”

“…Freedom of religious worship and expression is essential to human dignity -- which makes blocking the construction of a mosque for religious reasons a violation of Christian belief.”

Good for Gerson, who breaks from the pack. He has the guts to not join the many conservative pundits and politicians who are jumping on the bandwagon of the religiously intolerant hoping to grab ratings or votes from conservative evangelicals.

As an evangelical myself, I look at this whole mosque controversy, scratch my head and ask, “What happened to our desire for religious liberty?” Evangelicals, of all people, should be on the side of religious tolerance in the public square.

The Greatest Challenge to Christianity in the West

 

“I have come to the conclusion that for we who live in the Western world, the major challenge to the viability of Christianity is not Buddhism, with all its philosophical appeal to the Western mind, nor is it Islam, with all the challenge that it poses to Western culture.

It is not the New Age that poses such a threat; in fact, because there is a genuine search going on in new religious movements, it can actually be an asset to we who are willing to share the faith amidst the search.

All these are challenges to us, no doubt, but I have come to believe that the major threat to the viability of our faith is that of consumerism.

This is a far more heinous and insidious challenge to the gospel, because in so many ways it infects each and every one of us.” 

- Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church, pp. 106-7

What is the Bible Really About?

Is the Bible basically about me and what I must do,

or is it basically about Jesus and what he has done?

Tim Keller explains how the entire Old Testament is about Jesus Christ.

One of the things I love about Keller is that he takes a high Christological approach to Old Testament studies. For a more in-depth on-line audio class on this subject, search for the "Preaching Christ in a Postmodern World" podcast in iTunes from Reformed Theological Seminary. You'll find the entire audio (35 free sessions!) of Tim Keller and Edmund Clowney teaching a D.Min. course on Christocentric preaching. Though it's a "preaching class," the concepts are applicable and essential for anyone who studies the Scriptures.

_

What Was Wrong with Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor Rally?

I’ve heard it a lot from friends that support Glenn Beck: Come on, Bob! Why are you so upset with Glenn Beck and his “8/28 Restoring Honor” rally on the National Mall in Washington DC? Is it that you are so politically left that you can’t stand a right-winger successfully gathering hundreds of thousands to talk about God and Country?

Even the Huffington Post reports that the “Glenn Beck 'Restoring Honor' Rally Delivers Religious, Not Political Message”. So what’s to criticize about that?

Everything.

I don’t have a problem with a media celebrity leveraging his or her popularity to advance their political views. I also don’t have a problem with a media celebrity leveraging his or her popularity to advance their religious views. This is America, where everyone is granted the freedom of speech.

But there are huge problems with evangelicals embracing Glenn Beck as a spiritual leader. Beck is very clear: He intended the "9/28 Restoring Honor” not to be a political event but a spiritual one. He talked a lot about how he prayed with people, and he began his main speech by saying, “Lord, speak slowly!”

A commenter on my earlier post, Glenn Beck is a False Prophet, said, “Stop twisting the truth just because you dont believe in the politics that follow a righteous life. Glenn never once promotes Mormonism, just the belief of return to our maker as our founding fathers did.”

Really? I beg to differ.

Glenn Beck’s Mormonism warps his ability to discern myth from truth about America being a “Christian Nation.”

His zeal to “restore honor” to America is directly linked to his Mormon beliefs. At the 8/28 Rally, Beck said,

“The story of America is the story of humankind. 5,000 years ago, on the other side of the planet, God’s chosen people were led out of bondage by a guy with a stick who was talking to a burning bush. Man first started to recognize God and God’s laws. The chosen people listened to the Lord. At the same time those things were happening on this side. On this land, another group of people were gathered here and they too were listening to God. How these two people were brought together, again, happened because people were listening to God. They didn’t have the right to worship God the way they saw fit so they got down on their knees. And they didn't want to come to this land, they just did because they felt that’s what God was telling them to do. And with malice towards none they got into their boats and they came. God’s Chosen People: The Native Americans and the Pilgrims.” (see the video here)

Native Americans and Pilgrims?

The Book of Mormon tells the story that a small band of Israelites under Lehi migrated from Jerusalem to the Western Hemisphere about 600 B.C. Upon Lehi's death his family divided into two opposing factions, one under Lehi's oldest son, laman (the father of the Lamanites), and the other under a younger son, Nephi (the Nephites). “The Lamanites, from whom many present-day Native Americans descend, remained to inhabit the American continent… The role of Native Americans in the events of the last days is noted by several Book of Mormon prophets.” (Brigham Young University wiki on Native Americans).

Evangelicals might not have caught how Beck slid Mormon theology into his 8/28 speech, but there it is, hidden right under their noses. Why did that sneak by? Perhaps it is because evangelicals have already bought into the myth that the Pilgrims were God’s chosen people to come to America to make this a Christian nation, so they missed the Native American reference.

But the myth that the Native Americans were a tribe of Israel, thus the “Chosen People” of America is just as full of holes as the Pilgrims being God’s Chosen People and that America is some kind of “Promised Land.”

Certainly the Pilgrims saw themselves this way. Pop-historians like David Barton like to quote from the Pilgrims about how they were seeking to create a Christ-centered theocracy in the new world, escaping from the evil bondage of the religious persecution of Europe. Beck is one of these pop-historians, stating that this is proof that God has ordained American as His nation.

But the honest historical and theological question is this: Were the Pilgrims right?

Attention Evangelical Christians: Glenn Beck is a MORMON!

Over the weekend, because of Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally in Washington DC, this blog was smokin’ with visitors, reading my post “Glenn Beck is a False Prophet.”

I am grateful that so many people were investigating this.

In that post, I said that Beck is a false prophet because he is claiming to hear from God a "Plan" and is acting prophetic in proclaiming that all Christians should "get behind God" concerning Beck’s plan. If Beck were a confessing Christian, I'd be wary of this, but I have a major issue with this because he is a confessing Mormon.

The "god" of Mormonism is not the God of Christianity. Mormons are polytheists, believing in many gods, each ruling individual planets.

The "god" of Mormonism is not eternal, but was once a man.

The “god” of Mormonism has a physical body and so does his wife.

The “god” of Mormonism does not exist as a Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate gods.

The “Jesus” of Mormonism was created by sexual union between God and Mary. He was married. His death does not provide atonement for sin.

“Salvation" for a Mormon is not granted by grace by faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ, but in our exultation into being gods ourselves.

It’s important that evangelicals know that when Glenn Beck uses Christian language—talking about Jesus Christ, salvation, etc.—he is using terms that mean one thing to evangelicals and a different thing to himself as a Mormon. He is increasing his evangelical following because too many people are unaware of his equivocations.

The Apostle John warned about in this in his first letter:
"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." (1 John 4:1-3)

Again, in spite of his Christian rhetoric, Beck does not acknowledge the Jesus revealed by orthodox Christianity. Period.

Beck appeals to evangelicals who champion conservative politics because he uses the rhetoric of a radio evangelist. He consistently attacks Barack Obama with religious arguments. Beck recently said,

“You see, it’s all about victims and victimhood; oppressors and the oppressed; reparations, not repentance; collectivism, not individual salvation. I don’t know what that is, other than it’s not Muslim, it’s not Christian. It’s a perversion of the gospel of Jesus Christ as most Christians know it.”

But I have to ask, What right does a Mormon have to accuse anybody else of perverting the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Brannon S. Howse makes a great point at his apologetics blog, Worldview Times.

Would you approve or disapprove if some of America's evangelical pastors and religious leaders announced they were going to show up at "Oprah's Divine Destiny" meeting at the Kennedy Center for an evening that would include uplifting music and nationally-known religious figures from all faiths as they unite in prayer and recite historical speeches? Would it concern you if you knew that on her radio program Oprah has taught the book called A Course in Miracles written by Helen Schucman? This book and the workbook include such quotes as:

"A slain Christ has no meaning."
"The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself."
"Do not make the pathetic error of 'clinging to the old rugged cross'."
"My salvation comes from me."

True Bible-believing Christians would not approve of evangelical pastors and leaders uniting with Oprah in a self-described, religious and spiritual meeting. Why? Because most Biblically thinking Christians do not agree with Oprah's liberal politics and they know that the truth of God's Word and Oprah's pagan spirituality do not mix.

However, many of these same Christians will have no problem when some of America's evangelical pastors join radio personality and television host Glenn Beck for a spiritual program, because unlike Oprah, they share Beck's conservative, political views. To many it makes no matter that Beck is a self-described Mormon because his political views trump his religious views and for this reason many will justify taking part in "Glenn Becks Divine Destiny" program at the Kennedy Center on August 27^th.

Evangelicals Getting Snookered by a Mormon

"A Mormon television star stands in front of the Lincoln Memorial and calls American Christians to revival. He assembles some evangelical celebrities to give testimonies, and then preaches a God and country revivalism that leaves the evangelicals cheering that they’ve heard the gospel, right there in the nation’s capital.

The news media pronounces him the new leader of America’s Christian conservative movement, and a flock of America’s Christian conservatives have no problem with that.

If you’d told me that ten years ago, I would have assumed it was from the pages of an evangelical apocalyptic novel about the end-times. But it’s not. It’s from this week’s headlines. And it is a scandal."

-Dr. Russell D. Moore, Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice-President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, from his blog, Moore to the Point.

also see: Glenn Beck is a False Prophet

Some of my favorite iPhone apps

On Friday, The Washington Post had an article on "The 18 Best iPhone Apps." Many of the apps that they list are either irrelevant or too expensive, and there are incredible apps that they failed to list that left me scratching my head.

So I thought I'd create my own list. Here you go -
Some of my favorite iPhone apps:

Productivity Tools
Dragon Dictation
No typing is needed, as all I do is speak into my iPhone to text message, email, tweet, update my Facebook status, or send notes and reminders to myself. Free

Awesome Note
I use this all the time for to-dos, to keep track of people's names and info, to jot down notes to myself. Free for Lite version, $4 for full

Springpad
With Springpad, I use my iPhone to record products, restaurants, wines, or random thoughts. It automatically organizes what I save and then adds extra helpful information, like directions, reviews, showtimes, menus, price comparisons, and other web links to research my thoughts further. This info is always available on my iPhone and also on the web for reading on my laptop. free

Reference Apps
Google app
Why use the Google app instead of just using Google in Safari? The main reason is this: Voice Search. Click on the microphone icon and talk, and Google finds it. How easy is that? Plus it saves all your searches in a list, so you can quickly click on any search from the past that you need the results for again. free

epicurious
My favorite app for cooking. I can search for ideas based on “main ingredient,” “meal/course,” “cuisine,” “dietary considerations,” “dish type,” or “season or occasion.” free

Pocket Universe
Looking up at the night sky, I can hold my iPhone up and with its built-in compass it displays the same view of the sky I see in front of me, complete with the names and information about all the stars and constellations. $3

YouVersion Bible &
Logos Bible Software
I use these two Bible apps all time. With YouVersion, you get access to just about every version of the Bible you can name (44 translations in 21 languages), a search function, bookmarking, and reading plans. Logos’ free version has a limited number of translations (including ESV, NLT, NAS, HCSB, and NKJV), but it includes original language texts and tools. Simply tap-and-hold on a Bible word to see the underlying Hebrew or Greek. “Text Comparison” (see picture above) lets you quickly see a verse in multiple versions, with differences highlighted. If you own Logos Bible Software version 4 for your computer, this app gives you cloud access to books from that vast library, running in sync with it (remembering your favorite resources, bookmarks, and settings). free

Utilities and Timesavers
Lose It
I agree with The Washington Post that Lose It is a wonderful tool for keeping track of caloric intake, but it also keeps track of caloric burning too, as I also enter the exercises I do. Set goals and watch the weight come off with weekly reports sent to your email inbox. free

AT&T myWireless
With this app, I can keep track of my usage. It reminds me when my bill is due, and I can pay my AT&T bill within the app. free

Motion X: GPS Drive
While the Tom Tom app costs $50, I get turn-by-turn directions from a friendly female voice for only $1 for the app and $3 each month that I use it (which isn't always, so I can re-up that payment the next time I want to use the app).

Mint.com
Who needs Quicken anymore when all my financial information is tracked and recorded with Mint? The iPhone app gives me password-protected access to information about my budget, cashflow, and investments. Mint.com keeps track of all items in my checkbook and credit cards, assigning them categories so that I can track my spending. I can also access all this information on the web, along with graphs and charts to help me keep a handle on things. And all this is free!

Audio and Photo Tools
Pandora
Perhaps it’s so obvious that the Washington Post skipped this, but if you don’t already have Pandora on the iPhone, you’re missing perhaps the greatest app ever invented. It’s a personalized radio – simply type in the name of one of your favorite artists, songs or classical composers and Pandora will create a "station" that plays their music and more music like it. free

iheartradio
I can listen to my choice of over 750 local radio stations from across America. free

PhotoShop Express
Taking pictures with the iPhone gets more creative with this app. Crop, straighten, rotate, and flip. Change exposure, saturation, tint, and contrast. Adjust with soft focus, or sharpen. Add effects: vibrant, pop, border, vignette blur, warm vintage, rainbow, white glow, and soft black and white. Add borders. Photoshop Express is a companion to Photoshop.com where you can do even more online, including uploading and storing 2GB of photos and videos. free

Entertainment Apps and Games
ESPN ScoreCenter
Easy access to the sports scores of all my favorite sports, highlighting the teams that I follow. By clicking on a score, I get a detailed recap of the game with a seamless integration with ESPN Mobile Web. free

Plants vs. Zombies
This is a very fun game. Protect your home from invading zombies by strategically placing plants that have different defending capabilities. $3

Tap Tap Revenge
Tap Tap Revenge is a music game in the tradition of games like Rock Band, Guitar Hero or Dance Dance Revolution that puts your rhythmic skills to the test. Tap through the beats or shake left and right as the arrows fall. Lots of music from which to choose for free, or add favorite artists at an extra cost.

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Check out this new blog: "Make College Count"

My friend and CCO colleague, Derek Melleby, has launched a new blog "Make College Count."

Derek is a specialist with the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding and CCO on the transition from high school to college.

This resource will be a breath of fresh air for those who care for college freshmen. Check it out at www.howtomakecollegecount.com.