So-Called "Religious Leaders" and Jesus

So-Called “Religious Leaders” and Jesus

Tim Haile, for the Parkway church of Christ

Last week’s article addressed the hypocrisy of so-called “religious leaders” in their stand on abortion. As I pointed out, many community leaders and social activists have their roots in religious organizations and churches. They use their religious background and connections when it helps them, but too many of them compromise biblical morality in order to appeal to a broader audience. This compromise sometimes occurs on a much larger scale than on just one or two issues: some go so far as to reject the very foundation of Christianity.

Peter preached, “Neither is there salvation in any other (than Jesus), for there is no other name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus here claims to be the exclusive Savior of mankind. He did not claim to be “a” savior (“one of many”): He claimed to be the Savior (the only one). This claim is quite contrary to the views of many people. For example, almost one fifth of the world’s population is Muslim (over one billion people). They believe that Mohammed is their savior. They view Jesus as being nothing more than a mere prophet in a long line of other prophets. Buddhists view Buddha as their savior. Members of the world’s third largest religion, Hinduism, claim no savior-figure, so they certainly reject the claim of Jesus Christ! Judaism also denies the claim of Christ, for it denies that the Jesus of the New Testament is the Christ of Old Testament prophecy. Of course, there are millions of others who also reject the John 14:6 claim of Jesus, including atheists and modernists.

With multiple millions of people rejecting the claim of Jesus, and with the rise of multiculturalism in our country, it is easy to see why some “religious leaders” would shy away from these words of Jesus. Any bold affirmation of Jesus’ claim will cost them precious followers! In the same way that some men compromise on abortion and gay marriage, some also compromise on the identity, work and role of Christ in an effort to win political favor. Such compromise proves that these men are using religion as nothing more than a political expedient. It is sacrilege for one to use spiritual things for a secular purpose.

View past articles at http://parkwayarticles.blogspot.com. Please join us for worship and Bible study at our building located at 125 Hilltopper Ave, Bowling Green, KY 42101. We meet each Sunday at 10:00AM and 6:00PM for worship, and Sundays at 9:00AM and Wednesdays at 7:00PM for Bible study. Our radio program is aired each Sunday morning at 8:00AM on the WKCT 930AM band. Phone: (270) 842-2049 – Email: timhaile@mac.com.

So-Called "Religious Leaders" and Abortion

So-Called “Religious Leaders” and Abortion

Tim Haile, for the Parkway church of Christ

Community leaders and social activists often have their roots in religious organizations and churches. Many have served as preachers in various churches, often calling themselves “reverend” or “pastor.” I have watched many of these men make the transition from preacher to politician. These men take the speaking and interpersonal skills that they acquired while working as “preachers” and apply those skills in the social and political realm. This is not wrong or sinful in itself, but the compromise that usually accompanies this transition is indeed sinful.

Of course, in order to be effective these “religious leaders” must keep their base of religious backers. They need these religious people for financial and logistical reasons. They need a lot of money (and religious people can be devoted contributors), and they need speaking venues (and huge church facilities are quite accommodative).

However, in order to be truly popular (“of the people”), these preachers must try to appeal also to non-Bible believers. The determination to be liked and accepted by all people leads inexorably to the compromise of certain biblical principles, particularly those relating to controversial issues like abortion, evolution and homosexuality. This has resulted in the development of a strange new breed of “reverends” who are pro-choice (pro-abortion), pro gay marriage, and very modernistic.

No “gospel” preacher accepts abortion, for from the gospel perspective, killing a baby that is in the womb is no different from killing a baby that is out of the womb. The Bible uses the same Greek word (“baby” – brephos) to describe the baby in the womb (Luke 1:41) that it does to describe the baby that was in the manger (Luke 2:12). King David described how God’s watchful eye observed his development while he was yet in his mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-16). The Bible specifies Jeremiah and others as being considered by God while they were yet in their mother’s wombs (Jer. 1:5). These so-called “religious leaders” are fakes and frauds. They need to be challenged on their anti-God positions.

View past articles at http://parkwayarticles.blogspot.com. Please join us for worship and Bible study at our building located at 125 Hilltopper Ave, Bowling Green, KY 42101. We meet each Sunday at 10:00AM and 6:00PM for worship, and Sundays at 9:00AM and Wednesdays at 7:00PM for Bible study. Our radio program is aired each Sunday morning at 8:00AM on the WKCT 930AM band. Phone: (270) 842-2049 – Email: timhaile@mac.com.

Election Year Religion (2)

Election Year Religion (2)

Tim Haile, for the Parkway church of Christ

As I mentioned last week, many politicians attempt to quote or interpret Bible passages in an effort to impress Bible believers. Interestingly, some politicians do this while supporting practices such as abortion (even partial-birth abortion) and gay marriage!
Needless to say, there is a movement under way in this country to abandon what is known as the Judeo-Christian ethic. This is a Bible-based ethic – a biblical worldview. This approach accepts biblical principles as its standard of ethics. Political liberals and modernists despise Bible-based ethics, for the Bible condemns many of the practices that these politicians and their constituents support. Barach Obama has been critical of the notion that America should exclusively adhere to a biblical ethic.

Mr. Obama said, “Which passages of Scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests that slavery is okay and that eating shellfish is an abomination? Or we could go with Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount, a passage that is so radical that it is doubtful that our own defense department would survive its application.” There are several problems with Barach Obama’s attempt at biblical exegesis:

1. As a U.S. citizen, Obama has the freedom to criticize the biblical worldview. However, when he perverts Scripture in his effort to make his point, he opens himself up to legitimate criticism. Those who wish to speak on subjects about which, God has spoken, are obligated to “speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11). They may not twist God’s Scriptures with impunity!

2. Obama pits Bible passage against Bible passage, thus suggesting contradiction in the Bible. The Bible contains no contradictions (John 10:35). It is infallible, being divinely inspired in all of its parts (2 Timothy 3:16). The Law of Moses was fulfilled (fully filled) by Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:17, 18). We are “under law to Christ” (the New Testament, 1 Cor. 9:21).

3. Obama cites Old Testament cleanliness laws in an effort to dismiss Bible legitimacy. Some of his audience laughed when he spoke about eating “shellfish.” The cleanliness and ceremonial laws under the Old Testament were given under a theocracy. God gave these laws, and He had His reasons for every one of them! Of course, we are not under those laws today (Colossians 2:14, 15). More to come…

View past articles at http://parkwayarticles.blogspot.com. Please join us for worship and Bible study at our building located at 125 Hilltopper Ave, Bowling Green, KY 42101. We meet each Sunday at 10:00AM and 6:00PM for worship, and Sundays at 9:00AM and Wednesdays at 7:00PM for Bible study. Our radio program is aired each Sunday morning at 8:00AM on the WKCT 930AM band. Phone: (270) 842-2049 – Email: timhaile@mac.com.

Election Year Religion (1)

Election Year Religion (1)

Tim Haile, for the Parkway church of Christ

In their effort to win the majority of election votes, politicians attempt to be all things to all people. This means that those who are not religious, or who are only slightly religious, make every effort to win the religious vote. Those who know little or nothing about the Bible attempt to quote and apply Bible passages in an effort to appease Bible believers. Of course, history records some very interesting and even funny mistakes that have been made by politicians who have tried to use the Bible to win votes. One politician said that his favorite Bible passage was John 16:3. Jesus had just told the disciples that the hour was coming when “whoever kills you will think that he is offering God a service.” Jesus then said in John 16:3: “And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.” The politician obviously meant to say that John 3:16 was his favorite passage, not John 16:3! However, I saw some irony in his mistake, for John 16:3 speaks of some people not knowing God. I suspect that this describes a great many modern politicians.

What is more dangerous is for agenda-driven, politically motivated politicians to attempt to use the Bible to advance their own political agenda. Very few politicians are qualified to accurately interpret and apply Bible passages. Politicians are about compromise. Conversely, faith, by its very nature, does not compromise. Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17), and whatever God’s word defines as sin, is sin. Whatever God defines as error, is error. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. Jesus taught that there is no compromise with sin (Matthew 10:34-39).

A video has recently emerged of a speech that was given by Barach Obama in 2006. In this speech Obama said, “Which passages of Scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests that slavery is okay and that eating shellfish is an abomination? Or we could go with Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount, a passage that is so radical that it is doubtful that our own defense department would survive its application.” This is another example of what happens when a politician attempts to use the Bible to advance his own worldview agenda. Scripture is denigrated and misapplied. We shall examine this more fully in next week’s article.

View past articles at http://parkwayarticles.blogspot.com. Please join us for worship and Bible study at our building located at 125 Hilltopper Ave, Bowling Green, KY 42101. We meet each Sunday at 10:00AM and 6:00PM for worship, and Sundays at 9:00AM and Wednesdays at 7:00PM for Bible study. Our radio program is aired each Sunday morning at 8:00AM on the WKCT 930AM band. Phone: (270) 842-2049 – Email: timhaile@mac.com.