The Museum of Idolatry

Answer to "Who Said This"

Thank you to everyone who participated in our interactive exhibit.

The answer to who said that was John Shelby Spong.

The reason we did this is because John Shelby Spong is a crack pot liberal who denies fundamental Christian doctrines such as the substitionary atonement and attacks and denies that he Bible is the inerrant word of God. Yet, this quote sounds exactly like something that any of these Emergents could or has said (especially McLaren).

The Emergents claim that they are a 'third way' or a synthesis and middle ground between liberalism and conservatism. Yet, they are coming to the same conclusions as "modern" liberals. The Emergent movement is nothing more than a Post-Modern form of Liberalism.

***The Last Word*** - Chris Rosebrough, the curator of the Museum of Idolatry discussed this quote with greater depth on the Fighting for the Faith radio program. Click Here to Listen

Who Said This?

This is an interactive Exhibit.

Last week, while we were researching we came across a very obscure and hard to find quote. Rather than tell you who said this and where we found it. We thought that it would be more educational if we reproduced the quote and then asked you to identify the source. We'll reveal the author in a future post. But, for right now we'd like you to read the quote. Think about what it says and then see if you (without using google) can guess who said this. Please submit your guesses along with your reasoning in the comments section of this exhibit.

Here is the quote:

The simplistic claim that Jesus is God is not affirmed in scripture. By that I mean when Jesus was the incarnate one he prayed to God. He was not talking to himself. He had this sense of God beyond himself. He died. God did not die when Jesus died. God was still there with the power of resurrection. So that to make the simplistic identification between Jesus in his incarnation and God is not part of the Christian narrative.

What the Christian narrative seems to me says is that God was in Christ. That when we meet Christ we meet God. I cannot think of God apart from Jesus Christ. I cannot think of Jesus Christ apart from God. But I think that the whole doctrine of the Trinity in the Christian tradition was an attempt to keep separate while affirming the unity. I do not think there is a separation between God and Jesus that would cause me to say that Jesus is not God’s saving revelation in human history.

Who Said This?

A. Brian McLaren
B. Tony Jones
C. Doug Pagitt
D. Rob Bell
E. Someone else - You name the person

Emergent Distractions Away From The Gospel

Once you jettison Sola Scriptura and redefine the gospel like the Emergent Church has, then you will be "tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes (Eph 4:14)."

Now the Emergent Church is encouraging churches to atone for their environmental sins by reducing their carbon footprint so that they can do their part to fighting man-made global warming.

Emergent Rebellion Against Sola Scriptura

Phyllis Tickle, author of the Great Emergence and recent conference speaker at the Great Emergence Conference is on record predicting the demise of Sola Scriptura. At the conference she said "it’s not if Sola Scriptura ends but when" and her books includes this quote against Sola Scriptura:

Always without fail, the thing that gets lost early in the process of a reconfiguration is any clear and general understanding of who or what is to be used as the arbitrator of correct belief, action, and control… The Reformation,…was to answer the question… Sola Scriptura, scriptura sola… While we may laugh and say the divisiveness was Protestantism’s greatest gift to Christianity, ours is a somber joke. Demoninationalism is a disunity in the Body of Christ and, ironically, one that has a bloody history…

Now, some five hundred years later, even many of the most die-hard Protestants among us have grown suspicious of “Scripture and Scripture only.” We question what the words mean - literally? Metaphorically? Actually? We even question which words do and do not belong in Scripture and the purity of the editorial line of decent of those that do. We begin to refer to Luther’s principle of “sola scriptura, scriptura sola” as having been little more than the creation of a paper pope in place of a flesh and blood one. And even as we speak, the authority that has been in place for five hundred years withers away in our hands. (The Great Emergence 45, 46, 47,)

Her book also contains this quote:

The new Christianity of the Great Emergence must discover some authority base or delivery system and/or governing agency of its own. It must formulate—and soon—something other than Luther’s sola scriptura which, although used so well by the Great Reformation originally, is now seen as hopelessly outmoded or insufficient,… (The Great Emergence, 151)

Ironically, Jesus Christ claims that adherence to His Words will set us free rather than put us into bondage under a "paper pope".

John 8:31   So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Furthermore, God's Word itself testifies to its own sufficiency. What other source of 'spiritual information' can make this claim? (Answer None)

2Tim. 3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Scripture and Scripture ALONE gives us the revealed words of God and the only true repository of the Words of Jesus Christ. There is one reason and one reason only why anyone would rebel against Sola Scriptura and that reason is a refusal bend the knee to God and to believe what God has said.

But, since the Emergent Church is now openly rebelling against Sola Scriptura we'd like to help them out by offering them some alternative sources of "spiritual knowledge" that they should consider.

Rob Bell Promotes “Spiritual Practice” of Lectio Divina **Updated**

Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan and rock-star of in the Emergent movement is now openly promoting the use of the so-called spiritual practice of Lectio Divina. You can download a pdf document that explains this practice directly from the Mars Hill Church Web-site.

Many people would argue that this practice is a powerful ways of connecting with God and growing in Christ. We want to challenge that notion by simply applying some Biblical and critical thinking.

According to Rob Bell’s explanation of the Lectio Divina”

Lectio Divina is an ancient spiritual practice from the Christian monastic tradition. In Lectio Divina, we seek to experience the presence of God through reading and listening, prayer, meditation and contemplation. (Emphasis Added)

Wow!! It is VERY BOLD to make the claim that by practicing Lectio Divina one can 'experience God's presence'! Remember we are dealing with the God who not only made the universe, He also destroyed the Earth via a flood, destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah via fire from heaven, practically wiped out Egypt via plagues, thundered from Mt. Sinai as Israel received the 10 commandment and is the very same God that we will all have to stand before on judgement day. If you are going to make the claim that someone can 'experience God's presence' then you had better be sure that you've got your facts straight because God doesn't turn a blind eye to false man-made religious practices. In fact, God promises to judge them.

So, How does Lectio Divina work? According to Rob Bell:

Begin by choosing a section of scripture that you would like to read and pray. You can choose the text randomly or use a liturgical book like the Book of Common Prayer. Try not to set a goal for how much content you will cover. The goal is to listen for God and experience his presence.

Preparation - Next, do what you must to quiet and prepare yourself to hear from God. If you need to find a quiet room, or sit in silence for several minutes, or sit in a comfortable chair, take whatever posture will help you prepare to receive and experience God’s presence.

Reading/Listening - When you sense that your heart is prepared, begin by slowly reading the passage of scripture that you have selected. Don’t move quickly through any sentence or phrase. As you read, pay attention to what word or phrase or idea catches your attention.

Meditation - Next, begin to meditate on the word, phrase, or idea that captured your attention. Repeat it again and again. What thoughts come to mind as you meditate on this word, phrase or idea? What are you reminded of in your life? What does it make you hope for?

Prayer Now begin to speak to God. Tell God what word, phrase or idea captured your attention and what came to mind as you meditated upon it. How is God using this word, phrase or idea to bless and transform you? Tell God what you have been thinking and feeling as you’ve listened and meditated. Tell God how you hope this word, phrase or idea will change your heart to be more like his.

We have some very simple and basic questions we’d want to ask Rob Bell or any other Emergent leader promoting this so-called spiritual practice.

1. Can you provide us with even one example from the Bible of people who practiced Lectio Divina?

The answer to this question would be a resounding no.

2. Can you provide us with a single passage of scripture that promises that we can “experience the presence of God” through the use of this or similar practices?

Again the answer would be “NO”! God no where sanctions this practice nor promises that people can 'experience His presence' through such practices.

3. What type of hubris and arrogance does it take to for a person to believe that they can experience God’s presence through whatever methods they choose to concoct or practice?

The answer is simple. The Creator of the Universe has no where promised anyone that they can ‘experience His presence’ through such man-made monastic methods. Therefore, it is pure arrogance and folly to believe that God would allow you to experience His presence through any such methods including Lectio Divina, Peyote, or dancing around oak trees naked while waving chicken feathers.

If you actually read your Bible rather than randomly picked texts in order to find words or phrases to meditate on you'd learn that it is no small thing to experience God's presence. Here's what happened to the prophet Isaiah when he experienced God's presence.

Isaiah 6:1   In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4   And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

***Update***

Marty Python's Flying Circus Church has just finished a satirical radio sketch on Rob Bell's Lectio Divina that utterly decimates the absurdity of this so-called spiritual practice. Click Here to Listen

The New Emergent "Translation" ***Updated**

Emergent leaders such as Brian McLaren, Leonard Sweet and Chris Seay who are sick of the being confined by the exacting language of the true scriptures have created their own slippery, ooohy gooohy, "translation" of the Bible that will finally set them free from doctrinal and theological restrictions. The name of this new 'bible' is called The Voice.

Below is a video describing the Emergent 'Translation'.

If you'd like to experience just how badly the New Emergent 'Translation' mangles God's word, click here to download a pdf of the Emergent version of the Gospel of John.

The Curator of the Museum of Idolatry holds a degree in Biblical languages. According to the Curator, "The New Emergent 'Translation' Bible is soooo bad it makes the Message Paraphrase look like a literal translation".

**Update**

After learning that the NET Bible is a real, scholarly, and good translation of the Bible we've decided to stop referring to the New Emergent 'Translation' as the NET Bible.

We're still looking for new acronyms for this apostate 'bible'.

McLaren's Endorsement of Obama

This ad clearly shows where the Emergent Church ends up. Once you chuck the Bible and God's Law as your standard for morals then men like Brian McLaren can deceive themselves and others into believing that someone like Obama has character and "supports families" while he votes to uphold the murder of unborn children as well as babies that have survived botched abortions. Is that what Jesus would do?

The Shack's False Godhead

The Shack is being advertised as THE book that will help you "see God as you never seen him before". (that's an understatement!)

Below is a simple graphic that shows you the unholy trinity at the heart of The Shack.

In The Shack 'god' the father is an African American WOMAN called Papa (a goddess!), 'god' the son is a plain looking Middle Eastern man with a big nose and 'god' the spirit is a small, delicate little Asian girl (another goddess!). The Shack also teaches the heresy of modalism and is chock full of other serious doctrinal errors.

Sadly, Christians are buying this book in droves and claiming that it's changed their lives or opened their mind to new ideas about God. But, this book teaches false doctrine, false theology and a false triune godhead and the author has publicly rejected the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.

This is not the one True God of the Bible. This is an idolatrous picture of God that contradicts what God has revealed about Himself. Christians should not read this book in their quest for finding spiritual truths because the false teaching is so bad and so dangerous that this book can only be classified as 'spiritual poison'.

Heed the warnings of scripture.

2Th. 2:9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

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Further Resources

YouTube Video Exposing the False Doctrine of The Shack as it relates to the doctrine of the Trinity.

Tim Challies Review of The Shack

Rob Bell's Comments at Seeds of Compassion *** Updated***

***Update***
We've added more video and more context to some of the videos so that you can get a more complete picture of what Bell said and the context in which he made those comments.

Rob Bell shared the stage today with "his holiness" the Dalai Lama during an InterSpiritual panel discussion at the Seeds of Compassion conference.

Bell's defenders claimed that he would be a voice for Christianity at this event. But, right out of the box Bell's comments accomplished nothing more than blend with the ooooie goooie non-sensical one world spirituality that was being promoted at this event.

Here was Bell's opening remarks. Pay close attention to Bell's spiritual platitudes. Notice that he merely says that love, forgiveness and compassion are a 'better way'. It sounds nice. It sounds spiritual. But without Christ these thoughts have no meaning. There is nothing distinctly Christian about what Bell says.

In the next video Rob Bell answers the question that a twelve year old boy asked. Here was his question...

"What can I do to not be so hard on myself when I make a mistake?"

If Bell were giving a Christian answer then he should have mentioned the forgiveness of sins won by Jesus Christ on the cross. Here was Rob Bell's answer...

In this third video pay close attention to how Bell allegorizes death and resurrection so that it can fit neatly and inoffensively into the generic one-world spirituality being promoted at this event.

This final video gives more context regarding the 'spirituality' that was being promoted at this event.

Please watch the entire event video so that you can see these comments in their full context. You will find that this event taught that all religions have the same essence and a one world spirituality AND Rob Bell, by his presence and lack of saying anything that was distinctly Christian and because he didn't even mention Jesus Christ and His crucifixion for the sins of the world (the gospel) appeared to be in agreement with the other speakers.

If Christ Has Not Been Raised...

+++We apologize for the length of this exhibit. But, it deals with the Core of the Christian Faith+++

With the celebration of Jesus' death and resurrection rapidly approaching here is something to consider...Scripture is absolutely clear that if Jesus has not been raised from the dead then Christianity is not true and your faith is in vain. Here is what 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 says:

1Cor. 15:12   Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

God's Word could not be ANY clearer. Now compare this passage of scripture to what so-called Bible scholar John Dominic Crossan said in the documentary, "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" and ask yourself who are you going to believe? Are you going to believe God's Word as penned through the Apostle Paul, who was an eye-witness to Christ's resurrection or will you believe contemporary "scholar' John Dominic Crossan?

There is a word that describes John Dominic Crossan and that word is Heretic.

On a related note: Brian McLaren of the Emergent Church in his latest book Everything Must Change quotes favorably from Crossan's latest book. McLaren and Crossan reinterpret the message of the gospel in such a way as to practically eliminate the doctrine of Christ's Penal Substitutionary Atonement (This is the Biblical teaching that tells us the Jesus was pierced for our transgressions and died as our substitute on the cross in order to propitiate God's wrath against our sins). Brian McLaren doesn't teach that Jesus died as our substitute. Instead, after quoting Crossan on pages 122 and 123 McLaren redefines Jesus' death on the cross by saying "Jesus will use his cross to expose the cruelty and injustice of those in power and instill hope and confidence in the oppressed."

That is not the Biblical gospel! There isn't a single verse in the scriptures that teaches this!

That is a bunch of Emergent goblidy gook!

But here again the scriptures tell us plainly what the gospel is and so we ask who are you going to believe?

Mark 10:45 [Jesus said] "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

John 10:15 [Jesus said] just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Romans 4:22 That is why his [Abraham's] faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Romans 5:6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Corinthians 15:1   Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, [the gospel] which you received, [the gospel] in which you stand, 2 and [the gospel] by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3   For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Galatians 1:3   Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Gal. 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

1 Timothy 2:3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all..

Titus 2:13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

1 Peter 1:17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

Heb. 2:17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

1 John 2:2 Jesus is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Isaiah 53:4   Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

Isaiah 53:7   He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living, For the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due? 9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

Isaiah 53:10   But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

So...are you going to believe the clear Word of God or will you instead believe men like John Dominic Crossan and Brian McLaren?