Bob Burney

Remember the old cliché, “Just when you think you’ve heard it all ...”? Well, you haven’t until you’ve heard this. I honestly thought the corporations that print today’s bibles had finally exhausted all of the possible “special editions.” I mean, what else is there after the “Left Handed, Near Sighted, Dyslexic with In-grown Toenail on the Right Big Toe, Giant Print, Red Letter Study Bible”? How about the “Poverty and Justice Bible”? The former is a joke; the latter is the real deal. But, frankly, I’m not sure which one is more ridiculous.

The Bible Society of the United Kingdom has announced its newest addition to avalanche of specialty Bibles we’ve seen in recent years. We’re told in their advertising that finally, after all these centuries and after all the previous special editions of the Bible, God’s real priorities are revealed. Forget about all those other Bibles and special editions—this one is “ground breaking.”

A headline on their Web site declares: “The Poverty and Justice Bible megaphones his voice as never before.” (Hmm—I never thought about God needing a megaphone, but evidently He does, and this Bible is it.) The hyperbole flows from the pen of the promoters: “The Poverty and Justice Bible. You know God cares for the poor. Now you can know how much.”

It is absolutely clear that God does care about the poor and so should we. Unfortunately, as you look deeper into the “Poverty and Justice Bible” (hereafter PJB), it is clear that the voice being “megaphoned” is less the voice of God than the theological and political left.

Even a cursory look at the list of people endorsing this new Bible reveals the agenda behind this it. The Emergents—a group many people categorize as part of the evangelical left—are represented by the likes of Rob Bell and the political left is represented by none other than Jim Wallis. Even Bono is cited as an inspiration and supporter. More than the endorsers, it’s the content that is most troubling.

The “Poverty and Justice Bible” emphasizes the “over 2,000 verses that spell out God’s attitude to poverty and justice.” A noble motive.  However, as the old saying states, “The Devil is in the details.” The Web site for this new Bible proudly presents some of the study materials contained in this special edition. Each poverty passage has its own study guide complete with a “Discover,” “Dream” and “Do” portion. The editors tell us that these practical study guides will help us understand poverty and injustice from God’s viewpoint. As you read them, you quickly discover that these study guides are more from the viewpoint of Al Gore (cf. “An Inconvenient Truth”) than that of God. And illustrations? Absolutely!

Consider this disturbing example of what awaits you in the pages of the PJB. As you study Proverbs 14:9 you are challenged in the “Do” section of the study guide to, “Identify your ignorance and do something about it. Use the media to stretch your mind and make you wise. Seek out wise writers, respected reporters intelligent entertainers—and learn from them.” What? Use the media to “stretch your mind and make you wise”?

The Bible constantly warns us about the “wisdom of the world” (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:20ff.). And this new Bible tells you to get your wisdom from a secular media. Oh, and don’t forget the “intelligent entertainers.” It gets worse. When you study Romans 13:8-10, the “Discover” section of the study guide declares, “Paul was a great traveler. It is estimated that he traveled more than 10,000 miles during his ministry. I wonder, if he were alive today, would he be zooming around on the equivalent of EasyJet? Would he be insulating his tent and reducing his carbon footprint?” I’m not making this up. Do you remember the last time you closed your Bible and meditated on how much insulation Paul should have put in his tent?

In the next paragraph of this particular study guide we’re told that if we really love people as Paul did we would make sure that we don’t harm the environment. Page after page of “application” condemns chain saws, deforestation, clear cutting and all things not “green.”

Had enough? How about this “Dream” section of the guide for Matt. 5:13-16: “You’re at a job interview for becoming a human. You’re asked how you intend to make a difference to this world. What do you say?” (A job interview for becoming a human? Who wrote this stuff, Jay Leno?)

Wait, there’s more. When you turn in your new PJB to Amos 5:21-24 you will be challenged to a deeper walk with Christ when you read this “Do” portion of the study guide: “Cultivate a relationship with your garden (or window box). Show it you care.” Can somebody tell me how I show my window box I care?  

To the committed Christian there is nothing more precious than the Bible because we understand it to be God’s word. When someone prostitutes this precious book for blatant political and ideological purposes everyone loses. Love the Bible, proclaim the Bible, study the Bible, memorize the Bible—but check your theological and political agendas at the door.

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The big “buzz” in the American Religious community is the recently released report from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.  In the secular and Christian media alike the results were being trumpeted as “shocking”, “disturbing” and “enlightening” as well as many other hyperbolic descriptions.  The keyboards of the “experts” began to hum churning out what all this means for the future of religion in

There will be much controversy about this report but there are certain conclusions that are unmistakable.  Mainline Protestant Denominations continue their plunge downward through mediocrity to total irrelevance.  No surprise there.  Evangelical churches continue to grow - especially those of the non-denominational variety.  Again, no surprise.  The ranks of the “unaffiliated” shows a rapid increase which is somewhat surprising and very troubling; at least on the surface.  Roman Catholicism is declining more quickly than any other “faith tradition” in One in four adults age 18 to 29 claim no affiliation with any religious institution.  Again, not surprising but troubling.   The study will be the fountain of discussion for the foreseeable future.

The report is filled with the typical statistics and analysis but possibly the most important conclusion is the conclusion reached by Greg Smith, a research fellow at the Pew Forum.  He states, “There is no question that the demographic balance has shifted in the past few decades toward evangelical churches.  They are now the mainline of American Protestantism.”   It’s not clear whether he mean them as such, but his words may be incredibly prophetic in scope.  What a fascinating and pregnant thought – Evangelical churches are now the mainline.  Indeed that may be exactly what is happening and it should cause every Evangelical great pause!

The worse kept secret in American Christianity is the continuing demise of mainline denominations.   Is it possible that Evangelicals could now take their place – not in success but in eventual decline?  Absolutely, if they follow the same pattern and it certainly seems that is where they are headed.  Indeed if the course many are charting is followed the Evangelical movement will suffer the same fate as the Mainlines. 

Hundreds of theories have been postulated as to the cause of the death of American Protestantism.  The clearest and most compelling argument must be their departure from Biblical authority.  A few decades ago liberal theologians gained control of the seminaries and instead of teaching their pastoral and theological students to love, trust and revere the Bible as God’s inspired, inerrant revelation to mankind, they were taught to question, doubt and debate the claims of scripture.  To question Truth became the ultimate objective rather than discovering Truth.  The “search” was not a part of the journey – it was the destination.  Young theologians were taught by their professors that Truth was unknowable even the truth of scripture.  They were instructed to believe that the Bible had to be re-interpreted by each generation.  Truth was defined not by the mind of God but the consensus of the present generation.  As years passed this new theology found its way from the seminary to the pulpit.  Something strange happened.  Those in the pew were more discerning than those in the pulpit.  Many couldn’t put their finger on it exactly, but they knew something was wrong.  Sermons no longer gave answers to life’s problems from the authority of scripture, they offered platitudes and philosophy.  Pulpits devoid of authority lost their power and those in the pew found the door.  The result?  Those in leadership analyzed the drastic situation of declining membership, attendance and revenue and decided that the answer was to…. become more liberal!  The farther the pulpit strayed away from the absolute authority of scripture the larger the stampeded to the parking lot, never to return.  The trend in the pulpit continues, the movement out the door accordingly.  The result?  The Mainline is no longer the mainline.  Evangelicals have taken their place – in more ways than one.

Even a peripheral examination of the current fads and trends within Evangelicalism show a shocking trend.  Those were have been characterized by a strict adherence to the authority of scripture are starting to walk in the footsteps of their mainline counterparts.  The that seems to gain strength daily is characterized, to a great extent, by the same propensities as those who led mainline Protestantism into oblivion.  Consider just one example of thousands.  Rob Bell is, without question, one of the most vocal of the Emergent leaders.  In his book, Velvet Elvis, he considers at length the importance of Biblical doctrine in today’s church.  While stressing continually his love for the Bible, his commitment to scripture and his “orthodoxy” he uses an extremely troubling illustration that contradicts his claims of orthodoxy.  He uses the “brick and spring” argument.  In his theology you look at Bible Doctrine either as a brick or a spring.   A brick is hard, unbending, unmovable, and static.  He berates those who hold this view of doctrine as being out of touch, legalistic and rigid.  On the other hand, a spring is pliable, moving, dynamic, constantly changing – it’s almost alive.  He then relates this to a trampoline.  The springs allow someone on the trampoline to bounce and move.  Now, it’s nice to have all the springs in place, but in reality you can remove several of them and still be able to bounce.  This is his view and the view of the concerning Bible Doctrine.  Doctrine is not to be understood but studied.  To question, to discuss, to debate is the end, not discovery and proclamation.  It would be nice to be able to truly “know” doctrine and to have it all in place – but it’s not necessary.   A spring here or there can be removed without hurting the trampoline.  In other words, the Virgin Birth is important, but not vital.  The whole concept of how a person is really justified may never be completely understood – so, as long as you love Jesus – you’re in.  This attack on the authority of scripture is much more dangerous than the liberals who destroyed the mainline denominations because it is much harder to discern.  It’s cloaked in the language and vocabulary of Evangelicalism but under the cloak is the doctrine of doubt rather than confidence.  To question scripture is more important than understanding it.  Same message as classic theological liberalism – different packaging. 

Unless the Evangelical church wakes up to the fact that the authority of the very Word of God is under attack in their very own movement – Evangelicalism will indeed become the new “mainline” with the same results.  

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George Barna, the beloved Christian Pollster, announced to the world that the was dead in his book, Revolution, a year ago.  That was not a problem, however, because Mr. Barna also announced a “New Reformation” that would sweep our land.  He promised that this was going to “amount to a Third Great Awakening in the , but with a very different look, feel and outcome than previous religious upheaval.”  According to Mr. Barna the age of the local church was dead indeed and would be replaced by simple house churches and non-traditional gatherings of believers.  The book caused quite a stir in the Evangelical world, but fortunately it was mostly ignored and Barna’s ridiculous and unbiblical claims faded into obscurity.  That was then.  Like some B Horror movie, “He’s Back!”  This time Barna is not only continuing his claim that the Church is dead, he’s dancing on her grave!

Few people have done more for Evangelical Christianity in the last 20 years than George Barna and his research organization.  Month after month and year after year The Barna Group has provided vital research into religious trends across the American Religious landscape.  He has provided information that has been invaluable in analyzing the spiritual temperature of As Festus accused Paul of becoming mad from too much knowledge, maybe too much polling “hath made him mad.”  Sadly, the latest polling data released from the Barna Group is nothing more than blatant propaganda for Barna’s personal views and a shameless shill for his newest book where the dancing is frantic indeed. 

It is more than rare that an “objective” pollster releases the results of a poll that is at least ¾ commercial for the pollster’s newest book.  Oh, and the poll results, through an incredible coincidence, reinforce the conclusions of the book.  All the credibility that the Barn Group has worked so hard to establish now lies in the ashes of self-promotion. 

The gist of the poll is that Americans are now embracing “various alternatives to a experience as being fully Biblical.”  Among the more startling results of the poll is that 89% of adults feel that an individual family worship time is just as Biblical as corporate worship at a church.  75% believe a “house church” is valid and 69% feel watching a religious TV program is just a Biblical as attending a Church.  Unlike most Barna polls, the wording is extremely vague and somewhat misleading.  There is no indication that those responding to the poll feel that these activities are to be to the exclusion of a local church experience, but that is the way the statistics are presented.  Objectivity is gone and Barna’s personal bias is obvious.  Read the poll and you come away with the conclusion that indeed the local church is either dead or dying.  The “research” portion of the article at www.barna.org ends with the surprising number of pastors who are now embracing house churches.  Indeed, Barna states that “two out of three pastors agreed that ‘house churches are legitimate Christian churches.’”   He slides in quickly that most of those pastors are from liberal, main-line denominations.  He then takes a swipe at those who disagreed and implies that those pastors who do not support “house churches” are the ones making the big bucks from the Again, an enormous departure from the objectivity of past polls. 

Following the brief results of the latest poll, Barna then uses the results of the poll to hype his new book, “Pagan Christianity”.    This is where things really get bizarre.  One of the more sensational claims of the new book is that most of what happens in your local church has “pagan” origins.  A sample:

            Church Buildings are “pagan”.  Yep, straight out of the Pit.  Barna tells us that all of the early met in homes.  Proof?  Well…. Everybody knows that.   The evidence is the argument of silence.  Obviously the early churches began in homes because there was nothing else!  It would be just as obvious that as thousands came to Christ – homes would quickly have become too small.  There is no Biblical “proof” that only homes were used. 

            Pulpits are “pagan”.  Yep, also out of the pit.  According to Barna, all pulpits are “stagecraft borrowed from Greek culture.”   I guess Mr. Barna has never read Nehemiah 8:4 where Ezra stood behind a “pulpit of wood” and expounded the scriptures. 

            Sermons are “pagan”.  Mr. Barna informs us that “preaching a sermon” came from “Greek sophists” of the late second century.  I wonder what you would call it when Ezra expounded the scripture, Moses declared the Law, Peter preached at Pentecost, Paul declared the truth on Mars Hill etc.?  Looks like a sermon, sounds like a sermon but Barna assures us that that the preaching of sermons has no place in today’s worship. 

The list goes on and attacks most everything in the typical church whether contemporary, traditional or progressive.  If it meets in a building, has a pastor or any leadership structure its pagan. 

What has happened to George Barna and The Barna Group is anyone’s guess.  We can only hope that his latest rantings about the continued death of the Church will be ignored by the masses and he will do his dancing on the grave of the Church – alone.

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In sports, strategy is difficult to over emphasize.  Coaches meet for hours with their staff devising a strategy that will best meet the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing team.  That strategy changes from week to week and from opponent to opponent.  If you win, the strategy was genius – If you lose, it was lousy.  That’s great for athletics, I’m sick of it with politics.

I’ve been around the block a few times and have been through more election cycles than I like to admit.  I’ve never seen such a pathetic scenario in a national primary process.  I believe much of the blame lies at the feet of the “strategy trumps principle” movement within the Conservative Right. 

When conversations first began in conservative circles about the ’08 election all of the talk was about Hillary.  The earth would stop spinning on its axis if we had Madame President.  There were furious strategy sessions about how to stop Hillary.  Anything, anything was better than Hillary.  The Games began.

There were problems, however, with the Republican ticket as well.  Do you remember when Rudy was out in front in all of the polls?  Conservatives began panicking because the Mayor is clearly Pro-choice and “inclusive” of homosexuals.  The Republican Party was doomed!!   Rudy had to be stopped!  “Somebody call Fred!”  Rudy was a lock!  The Games continued.

There were the surprising Evangelicals that threw their support behind Mitt Romney.  His Mormonism was a concern, his flip flops on Life issues, marriage and taxes were certainly disconcerting but he was better than Rudy!  After all, Rudy had to be stopped and at that point in the game it seemed the best strategy. 

Next, Fred Thompson was the savior of the party.  He would ride into the race on a Tennessee walker, slowly moving to the front of the pack.  He was smooth, experienced, a good communicator and a former actor.  The ghost of Reagan rose from the grave.  The strategy changed but the Games continued.

Way back in the pack of candidates was the grumpy old guy that lost in the last election.  John McCain is like that cantankerous old uncle at the family reunion.  No one likes him but everyone fears him.  Just stay away from him and he’ll go away.  Old John hardly entered into the strategy at this point in the games. He was in the rocking chair out on the back porch mumbling something about national defense.

Fast forward.  Hillary is sinking, Rudy has returned to Metropolis, Fred’s horse came up lame and Uncle Grouch is the presumptive Republican Nominee.  At each stage of the “Game” the “coaches” had barked out their strategies.  Evangelicals who had a problem with Romney’s Mormonism, his flip flops on Life Issues and marriage listened as the coaches told us this was the best strategy to stop Rudy and Hillary.  No, we had to get behind Fred!  Wait, Romney is sliding – no, he’s gone!  Uncle Grouch got up out of the rocking chair and took over the reunion!

What’s the result now of all of these wonderful political strategies passed on to us lemmings?  Real Conservatives are finally united!!  They all believe that John McCain may be the worst Presidential Candidate in memory from the Grand Old Party. 

Is it possible that fewer games, less political strategy and more emphasis on principle could have produced a different result?   Is it possible that we would be in a different place if there had been more emphasis on character and policy?  Is it possible we’ve put altogether too much emphasis on stopping a candidate rather than finding the absolutely best candidate and getting him elected?  Unfortunately, it’s too late to know this time around.   Next time - fewer games, please.

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