We live in an era of too much information; an era wherein anyone/everyone can post whatever they want to post on the Internet—unchecked, unverified, unaccountable, unhindered, and unstoppable. Rumors, gossip, baseless accusations, outright lies, fear-mongering, hate rhetoric, hoaxes, slander/libel, and false information now litter the Internet.

So today's word of advise from me to all of you is: BE CAREFUL!!!

Most tragic is how so-called "Christians" are contributing to this proliferation of misinformation and disinformation throughout cyberspace. It's almost beyond belief that individuals supposedly indwelt by the Holy Spirit could be partakers of such activity. But the facts show that a significant number of "Christian" blogs & websites have indeed become dedicated to attacking others; more specifically, dedicated to attacking other Christians!

And such attacks are not just limited to simple assaults on other points of view, but penetrate into the realm of questioning another person's Christianity, misrepresenting the faith of others, and deliberately seeking to destroy the reputation of various public figures (i.e., fellow believers). These persons have actually formed a new "cult" of sorts.

This "cult," which I have termed the "Cult of Online Discernment Ministries (ODMs)," has demonstrated that its real mission/ministry is the destruction of fellow Christians with whom they disagree. Ironically, they do it under the guise of defending the faith against cults and false doctrine via apologetics/discernment. This has caused great division within the church—unnecessary division because their attacks are based on things that have NOTHING to do with doctrinal teachings or whether or not a person is in the church. They base their attacks on:

- political views,
- methods of preaching,
- preferred styles of music/dress,
- different perspectives on various non-essentials of the faith,
- positions on eschatology,
- public friendships/associations they enjoy with certain believers/unbelievers
- certain verbiage used to communicate biblical truths

The targets of these Online Discernment Ministries (ODMs) are summarily labeled heretics, false teachers, deceivers, conspiratorial players in some Antichrist scenario, apostates, fake brethren who lead fake churches, compromisers, New Age sympathizers—the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, the way these people/ministries make their charges stick is by use of:

- half-truths,
- false information,
- outright lies,
- faulty reasoning,
- unsubstantiated assumptions,
- quotes taken out of context, and
- manipulation of facts

As a public figure, I myself have been enduring this kind of persecution for years—as have several of my friends and associates in ministry. It's been discouraging, frustrating, and painful to witness.

So, for the sake of all that is good, right, true, just and biblical—don't believe everything you read on the Internet:

- Test all things, and hold fast to that which is good (1 Thess. 5:21).
- Verify information before you simply believe it.
- Go to the actual sources of isolated quotes that sound damning (they're often taken out of context).
- Contact, if you can, the person being attacked and ask them for confirmation of what you've heard.

And for those of you who, like me, have had unkind/untrue things said about them on the Internet, hang in there. JUDGMENT WILL ONE DAY COME.

I close this word of warning/caution with a quote taken from someone who, in my personal opinion (as a professional apologist for over 15 years), is one of the worst of the worst ODMs. She has posted her attacks repeatedly against God's people and encourages others to do likewise (very much like Jezebel encouraged false charges to be brought against God's people, see 1 Kings 21:10). She stated the following in one of her recent posts:

"Technology affords so many opportunities now to communicate with others and the world that can be used for good. It also offers us many new snares and opportunities to sin. . . . [W]e need to be ready to examine ourselves and honestly look at our motives and behavior in light of God’s Word. If we can’t control the temptation a technology brings, we need to do rapid surgery and get rid of it so that Satan does not gain a foothold in our lives. If we can use a technology for God’s glory with a clear conscience, we need to carry on and thank God for the opportunity."

Indeed. I couldn't agree more with this individual. Now, let us all pray that such people will begin following their own words of counsel and in so doing, not only avoid hypocrisy, but also avert God's judgment and God's chastisement in their lives.

peace in him,

RICHARD ABANES

For another EXCELLENT article dealing with this same issue, see the recently posted "Great Damage: The Gift of Discernment Used in the Flesh" by Pastor James McDonald of Harvest Bible Chapel!!

(Note: Not all websites/blogs committed to offering discernment/apologetics information is included in this category of Online Discernment Ministries. I am exclusively applying that term to a very specific kind of apologetic/discernment organization/person that is active on the Internet. These types of persons/organizations are more akin to witch-hunters than professional apologists or even lay/responsible apologists.)

SCRIPTURES ON WHICH TO MEDITATE

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor."
Exodus 20:15

"Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness."
Exodus 23:1

"A perverse man stirs up dissension and a gossip separates close friends."
Proverbs 16:28

"An angry man stirs up dissension."
Proverbs 29:22

"A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies."
Proverbs 12:17

"A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will perish."
Proverbs 19:9

"Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor."
Proverbs 25:18

"Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence …"
Psalms 101:5

"He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool."
Proverbs 10:18

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice."
Ephesians 4:31

"Remind the people to … slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men."
Titus 3: 1-2

"The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire and is itself set on fire by hell."
James 3:6

"Therefore rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind."
1 Peter 2:1

UPDATE: “CULT” EXPLANATION

A number of person’s have asked me to further explain why I would use the word “cult” in reference to these ODMs. Please consider my following explanation.

In the above article, I list a number of tactics/techniques used by the ODMs -- i.e., half-truths, false information, outright lies, faulty reasoning, unsubstantiated assumptions, quotes taken out of context, and manipulation of facts. These are the practices that suggest the ODMs have begun descending into the realm of a cult. Why?

Because these are some of the very same tactics used by cults and cultists to mislead/deceive their followers. Cults use such tactics to lead people away from the one, true God. And tragically, the ODMs have used such techniques to cause division and dissension throughout the Body of Christ.

So what we now have are some of the same “red flags” indicative of "cult" activity currently visible within the ODM community—i.e., "red flags" usually only seen in a group of religious persons that are a “cult” from a psychological perspective.

At this point it seems I should explain: What is a cult?

“Cult” is a misunderstood word. It does NOT always mean kooks or socially dangerous people! That has become the sensational, Jonestown-inspired, narrow, seriously negative connotation attached to the word. Actually, the word itself simply means a group of people. Slightly expanded into its religious meaning, it basically refers to three different kinds of groups that can be classed as a religious “cult” from three different perspectives:

1. Sociological - what you normally think of when you think of a cult: Jonestown, David Koresh, Heaven’s Gate suicide cult, and similar groups. It's sociologically a cult because it diverges away from what is normal for society. Such groups often live in isolation, might engage in immoral sexual activity or physical abuse of member (especially children), and even stockpile weapons. Illegal activity is sometimes, but not always involved. It's a socially unacceptable group in some way, usually in a very negative way.

2. Psychological - any religious group that uses, for lack of a better expression, mind games: i.e. they conceal information, are not upfront about their beliefs, use intimidation to keep members in line, side-step/hide information that places the group in a negative light, etc. Mormonism, for example, would fall into this category — and that has been documented. Other tactics used by such groups would include use of half-truths, false information, outright lies, faulty reasoning, unsubstantiated assumptions, quotes taken out of context, and manipulation of facts.”

3. Theological - any group that claims to be doctrinally compatible with a certain world religion, when in reality, it is NOT compatible. Most world religions have these kind of cults. Mormonism is a cult of Christianity. Hare Krishna is a cult of Hinduism. Nation of Islam is a cult of Islam. And so on and so on.

The activity of these ODMs would immediately fall into the the cult category from at least a psychological perspective.

Moreover, also with regard to the psychological status of a cult, such groups of people (i.e., “cults”) often have a very rigid “us vs. them” mentality that usually paints them as the “remnant,” so to speak, amid a chaotic/apostate world. Everyone else who does not share their beliefs down the line, or meet their approval on just about everything, are summarily dismissed as being of the Antichrist, apostate, heretical, satanic, deceivers/deceived, liars, demonic, blinded, unsaved, or worldly. This characteristic, too, has been demonstrated repeatedly by the ODMs and their followers (and it is beginning to be shown more intensely and more commonly as time passes).

Now, from a theological perspective, the ODMs and their followers are getting DANGEROUSLY close to being cult-like from that angle as well. Why? Because these people are increasingly becoming more vocal about kicking out of the church anyone/everyone who DOES NOT meet their conditions of TRUE salvation, TRUE Christian faith, and TRUE biblical ways of running a church (including the appropriate ways of preaching).

Doctrinal assessments, which are biblical, have gone out the window. And just about anything is now used by them to point the accusatory finger and label someone a false preacher, deceiver, heretic, New Ager, anti-Christ pawn, or member of a fake church. This is seriously approaching a place of adding non-biblical conditions to the pure Gospel of grace based on simple faith in the Jesus Christ of the Bible, who died for our sins on the cross, and by whose shed blood we are cleansed from all sin and unrighteousness.

Remember, we are saved by grace through faith. And the gospel is the not linked to how we preach, what we wear, who we vote for, who we associate with, why we like certain music, or how we try in our own subjective/flawed ways to share our faith the best we can with those whom God places in our path. The Gospel is simple and unchanging:

“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…”
(1 Cor. 15:1-4).

(For two following up articles dealing more extensively with this same ODM issue, please see ODM Update: Another Apologist Speaks Out and ODMs: A Cult Is Born?)