If The Foundations Be Destroyed -Falwell (SCARY!!!)

[Khephra]

(From Mail, so no link and posted in full....provided for those who try to keep up with what the Religious Right is thinking.)

Falwell Confidential

Date: February 19, 2004
From: Jerry Falwell

If The Foundations Be Destroyed

Can present-day social clashes - such as homosexual marriage and religious
expression in the public square - be traced back to the foundations of our
world in Genesis chapter 1? Ken Ham, the founder of Answers in
Genesis ( http://www.answersingenesis.org ), says they certainly can.

Mr. Ham's contention is that church leaders throughout the centuries have
consented to secular notions that counter the biblical account of creation.
By doing so, these theologians and clerics have allowed the absolute
authority of the Bible to be challenged.

Since the foundations of biblical truth were allowed to be challenged,
subsequent generations have continued to venture further and further from
the Bible's dictates, choosing instead to follow social whims and impulses.

It is no wonder then that we find ourselves, as a nation, clashing over
social issues that were once non-issues when the Bible was revered as
ultimate truth by our churches, our schools and even by our government.

But our nation has turned its collective back on the Word of God.

Pollster George Barna recently found that four-of-every-ten people involved
in Christian discipleship programs believe that there is no such thing as
absolute truth. And only 44 percent of adults - and only 9 percent of
teenagers - said that they are certain of the existence of absolute moral
truth.

It's really no wonder that we are losing the battle on homosexual marriage
and other critical cultural issues today.

Mr. Ham, speaking at Thomas Road Baptist Church on February 15, said the
reason for this is quite simple: we are today missing church leadership that
recognizes the Bible as the absolute authority.

I know it's not a popular notion to believe in Satan - or an ultimate evil,
for that matter - but the Apostle Paul warned in II Corinthians 11 that
Satan would use the same method that he used with Eve to convince us not to
fully believe the word of God.

"He wants us to doubt the authority of the Word that will lead to unbelief,"
said Mr. Ham.

He diagramed how bygone theologians began to accept evolutionary thought.
Initially, they said they could accept the conclusion that the earth must be
millions of years old. They concluded that this was all right - that
doesn't affect the Bible in any way. But they had to subsequently
reinterpret the six days of creation. So they placed millions of years or
long ages between the days of creation. So the day-age theory came about,
and then the gap theory which placed millions of years between the first two
verses of Genesis. And then theologians, now on an uncontrollable slippery
slope, concluded that Darwinian evolution could be combined with biblical
teaching.

When we compromise the ultimate truth of the Bible, chaos is the ultimate
outcome.

"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3)

These church leaders who allowed the notion of evolution to be combined with
biblical teachings actually unlocked the door to undermine biblical
authority, Mr. Ham said.

The outcome is that many Americans, believing that the Bible's history to be
inaccurate, now disbelieve many other parts of the Bible. If one part of it
can be challenged, why should the rest of it be believed?

It's a worthy question.

That's why it is so important to defend the Bible's ultimate truth. Mr. Ham
said that when increasing numbers of church leaders give up Genesis as the
foundation for the Bible's absolute authority, our basis for right and wrong
is challenged. We can no longer effectively teach that marriage is designed
by God for one man and one woman.

"Because if you reinterpret the Bible's history, why not reinterpret the
Bible's morality?" he asked. "And don't we see that happening in this
culture? We see the increase in secular thinking. ... because we have lost
biblical authority."

Ultimately, the compromise of the church has led to the increasing attacks
on the authority of the Word of God. Disbelief has swept through the
culture of England and we are not far behind.

Mr. Ham said the response of the church cannot be, "Trust in Jesus," because
much of the world does not believe in the ultimate truth of the Bible
anymore. Simply saying "trust in Jesus" is preposterous if people have
become convinced that the Bible is just another book.

That's where Answers in Genesis comes in. I believe this organization is
developing into one of the most important Christian ministries in the world.
They are now building a massive Creation Museum near the Cincinnati
International Airport, which will skillfully address the issues of Genesis
and further defend the foundations of the Bible.

Answers in Genesis is designed to help the church restore the authority of
the Word of God and give the answers to evolutionary thought. Because of
this ministry, ministers across the nation can preach the Christian message
to a culture that has been taught that the Bible cannot be trusted. The
organization is equipping the church with answers so that we can defend the
faith and challenge the church concerning compromise.

Please visit their website ( http://www.answersingenesis.org ) to learn more
about their efforts. Mr. Ham hopes the result of this vital new project is
a new reformation.

The time for this ministry is now because our politically-correct society is
sanctioning whatever social fad comes down the path. If we are to alter the
present course of our nation it will be because - and only because - the
church daringly declares the foundational truths of God's Word that is just
as pertinent to people today as it was when it was written.

[roguevalley]

1. he's a nut job. revelations and that apocalyptic crap doesn't

even belong in the bible.

[DenverDem]

2. The modern Pharisees.

It is significant that the only scriptures referenced here are from the Hebrew Old Testament or are Paulian obfuscation. Nothing from the Gospels, no quote from the actual Man.

Fundies are not Christians, they are just thieves in the temple. They raise lots of money and spout pre-Jesus legalistic judgementalism. These hubristic ideologues would re-crucify Jesus in a second, for his liberation theology, if he had the bad timing of returning right now.

[Nadienne]

16. I couldn't agree more.

And I've noticed the same thing about Bible-thumping hate-mongers. They preach all the things Jesus rejected. I'm still trying to figure out how they can justify this in their own minds. Are they just that ignorant? Do they do this out of a need for approval? Are they only looking for an excuse to hate and to cause pain? I just can't figure them out...

[Gman]

3. Did you leave off the part where he asks for money??

These are very dangerous people.

[boobooday]

4. Falwell is a psycho

Satan would use the same method that he used with Eve to convince us not to fully believe the word of God.

"He wants us to doubt the authority of the Word that will lead to unbelief," said Mr. Ham.

Translation: Fear women, and submit to authority.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Demonaut]

25. Fuck Falwell, that pasty faced piece of flotsam

[Khephra]

5. Am I right in thinking that he thinks that the Bible is 100% right?

Just wondering.

[megatherium]

24. "plenary verbal inspiration"

is how this doctrine was explained to me by a preacher at a local megachurch I briefly attended two years ago. Plenary meaning the whole thing, verbal meaning word-by-word, inspired meaning of God. At that time I was interested in an evangelical church, and I was trying to guage whether this church would be tolerant of Christians who do not subscribe to this doctrine. He answered my direct question by saying, yes, we do welcome Christians who do not believe this doctrine, but we do preach it from the pulpit here. (Let me say that I was extremely disturbed and confused in the wake of 9/11, which coincided with some personal issues.)

I am familiar with Ken Ham and his message. They most certainly do believe in innerrancy. Ham is an entertaining and well-produced speaker and writer. The megachurch I attended (18,000-member Southeast Christian in Louisville, Kentucky <http://www.southeastchristian.org>) had stacks of his books on display. However, I might mention that the bookstore at the church carried a number of old-earth creationist or "intelligent design" titles (accepting a 4.5 billion year old earth and descent with modification), along with the usual young-earth books.

[Fovea]

30. How can he?

I mean, is he a deuteronomy practicing Christian?
Lets take a look at the suit and shirt, becuase I don't think he is dressed for the part.

Where does he stand on shrimp, on stoning adulterers and other vital questions?

[LawSchoolLiberal]

6. Oh, that's right...

That whole amentdment to the constitution doesn't REALLY give us freedom of religion, it just lets us all choose how we want to worship Jesus;
oh and it has to be Falwell's hateful version of Jesus! And physics is the work of Satan, how dare Georgia put the word "evolution" back in their classrooms?

Seriously, if I hear one more half-assed comment out of the religious right this week, I'm going to take all my non-existent free time this summer and file a federal class action against Falwell and his friends for slander per se on the grounds that they repeatedly implied the whole public they're speaking to are idiots, and therefor have the loathsome disease of excessive stupidity.

[newyawker99]

15. Hi LawSchoolLiberal!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[The Zanti Regent]

7. Who is Mr Ham?

Is he Arnold Ziffel's son?

[RainDog]

8. maybe the men and women who wrote genesis

were not as stupid as Falwell, and when they wrote about the creation of the earth, maybe they weren't being literal when they used the concept of a week to describe the creation of the earth.

how does he know, or how do any of us know whether they were telling a epic tale, using metaphor to talk about the great hero of people in a certain place and time?

just wondering.

[DemoVet]

13. In Genesis there are two versions of the creation of woman and man

The first one has them being created together, the second is the "Adam's Rib" theory. The bible literally begins with a contradiction, the first of many in the book. So, Jerry, which one of those is true? Oh, wait, I know the answer: just seeing that there is a contradiction means that I'm a tool of Satan.
Although I love the language of older versions of the bible (I'm not a Christian, yet the lyrics of the "Messiah" make me all verklepmt) and consider it to be literature, and in places even poetry, I sometimes think that if every copy of the bible, paper or electronic, were to spontaneously combust tomorrow it would be a good thing. Better that it should die than be perverted by the likes of Falwell and Robertson, et al into something it was never intended to be.
Oh, and if you check out the answeringenesis website, don't miss the hilarious cartoons.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/CreationWise/CW_Pages/CW_TOC.asp

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Not totally scary

"Disbelief has swept through the culture of England and we are not far behind."

See? Even Falwell hold out some hope for America.

[mac2]

10. Falwell is a religious crook....

using God to get his wealth and power. A fat cat...like some of the other religious leaders who use fear and tyranny for their own agenda. HIS religious truth is the only truth. He's an Orwellian religious leader.

He's rich on the money of his flock and tax exempt status. We have to get rid of this in our tax laws. It is not Constitutional. It's destroying our democracy and freedom of/or not religion.

[Rich Hunt]

11. that is exactly correct

I remember when I was a kid...I used to watch the televangelists. I didn't share their religious beliefs, and some of them were probably scam artists, but their style was different back then - very entertaining & rousing....and not overtly political. In moved the scary authoritarian elitist fat cats to take over the whole thing.

[teryang]

23. His corruption is written all over his face

...he's the picture of Dorian Gray.

[hatrack]

12. Pardon my French . . .

Why don't we all just go out and live in the fucking desert and herd fucking goats and stone unbelievers and people who kindle fire on the Sabbath and jump at preachers' shadows and quiver with fear when the next solar eclipse comes along?

Would that be Biblically correct enought for you, Falwell, you fat, smirking, ignorant son of a bitch?

[DemoVet]

14. You know, Hatrack, you oughta learn to let go and express yourself...

stop pussyfooting around and just come out and speak your mind!

[hatrack]

17. Yeah, my wife always nags me for holding back too much . . .

;-)

[Ilsa]

18. It's a lot cheaoer than going to therapy, though, isn't it?

My minister says the same about writing LTE's when he knows he's going to get blasted for his positions. (He wouldn't work with the "pro-life" group here because they are so nasty and unloving about their cause, etc.)

[smirkymonkey]

20. Go hatrack!!!

I kind of think that's what they have in mind. :)

[Sugarbleus]

22. LOL n/t

[smirkymonkey]

29. You Rock, Hatrack!!

:yourock:

[RainDog]

19. I think I just had a message from God

God told me that the theocrats here should all apply to emigrate to Israel, where their true allegiance lies.

I don't hold that against them.

In fact, I ENCOURAGE THEM to leave this secular state, founded on Enlightenment, and frankly, near-atheist principles of the goodness of human reason and equality.

It's probably really hard for those people, who have to believe in subjecting themselves to an arbitrary power and to make themselves subservient in order to be able to wake up in the morning to accept that the majority of people in this country do not believe we should be subject to their medieval interpretation of the relation of religion and the state.

Their pov is antithetical to democracy.

Render unto Ceasar that which is Ceasar's...just because the theocrats happen to have been born in this country, if they do not embrace the Constitution and Bill of Rights, they should go somewhere which shares their Judeo-Christian will to power.

No one, as far as I know, has asked to hold a vote to see if we want to abandon democracy and become a theocracy.

Israel is the only nation which has been founded as a Jewish state, and since Christians are the ugly stepchildren of Yaweh, maybe they should, like the prodigal children, go home. Of course, ultimately the rational Israelis wouldn't want them either.

Does that sound nasty? Yes, it is. It is meant to be. I'm sick of them and wish they would go rapture themselves.

I just watched Bill Moyers' Now program about the Tali-born-agains and their belief that they OWN Israel..God gave it to them cause God gave it to the Jews...funny, bet the Jews don't interpret their religious history that way...

This is an age of fundamentalists fanatics. There is no difference between them, whether they are so-called Christians, Jews, or Muslims.

It is really sad to say, but if all the fundamentalists of the world suddenly disappeared, I would imagine that the entire world would be a more peaceful place, considering recent history.

[Sugarbleus]

21. I was thinking on something similar to your post just

the other day. I was thinking they could go to Afgahnistan or Saudi Arabia, somewhere like that, where fundamentalism is encouraged. Except, I wouldn't let them take their weapons with them. :evilgrin:

[donhakman]

26. The God business has a booming box office.

[yellowcanine]

27. Falwell also used to think racial segregation was Biblical

As far as I know he has never explained how he managed to get that interpretation of the Bible wrong so is it fair to way we ought to distrust his current exegesis of the "foundational truths of God's words". What has changed, Jerry? Why should we believe you now?

[Tank in Texas]

28. Yuck.

Note to Falwell- read some Marcus Borg books for an examination of Christianity from a different viewpoint. What you are doing is desecrating some truly beautiful teachings.