Posted: 02/18/08

Chuck Colson Says Christians Don't Know Their Faith-But Does He?

Chuck Colson says Muslims know their Islamic faith better than Christians know their faith. In his new book The Faith: Given, Once For All, co-authored with Harold Fickett, Colson says that America and the West are under attack from the twin challenges of "secularism" and "radical Islam", and the authors believe that a better biblical understanding of Christianity is needed by those who profess it.

Well, I concur with Mr. Colson that evangelical Christians in the West suffer from appalling biblical ignorance and are often unable to defend what they believe. But I would also suggest that the ignorance and resulting compromises are not just found among the masses as some sort of general problem. In short, Mr. Colson apparently suffers from the same affliction. How else can anyone explain his recent participation in the ReThink Conference held at heritic emeritus Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral? What sort of biblical knowledge do you have to have to understand that Robert Schuller has a heretical definition of sin which he has never recanted? I quote from Schuller's own book, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation:

"What do I mean by sin? Answer: Any human condition or act that robs God of glory by stripping one of His children of their right to divine dignity. … I can offer still another answer: 'Sin is any act or thought that robs myself or another human being of his or her self-esteem'" (p. 14).

"Classical theology defines sin as 'rebellion against God.' The answer is not incorrect as much as it is shallow and insulting to the human being. Every person deserves to be treated with dignity even if he or she is a 'rebellious sinner" (p. 65).

"The core of original sin, then is LOT - Lack of Trust. Or, it could be considered an innate inability to adequately value ourselves. Label it a 'negative self-image,' but do not say that the central core of the human soul is wickedness. … positive Christianity does not hold to human depravity, but to human inability" (p. 67).

"Any analysis of 'sin' or 'evil' or 'demonic influence' or 'negative thinking' or 'systemic evil' or 'antisocial behavior' that fails to see the lack of self-dignity as the core of the problem will prove to be too shallow" (p. 68).

"… the core of sin is a lack of self-esteem. … Sin is psychological self-abuse. … the most serious sin is one that causes me to say, 'I am unworthy. I may have no claim to divine sonship if you examine me at my worst.' For once a person believes he is an 'unworthy sinner,' it is doubtful if he can really honestly accept the saving grace God offers in Jesus Christ" (pp. 98-99)

(For more quotes from this book of theological poison by Schuller, click here.)

Where did your host at the ReThink Conference, Dr. Schuller, find that in the Bible?

Railing against secularism and "radical Islam" (is there any other kind?) is a waste of time if even you cannot identify heresy when you see it. Perhaps you did see it, but rubbing shoulders with the world's elite at the Rethink Conference was too important.

While we're talking about a lack of Christian understanding of the doctrines of the faith, what was your acceptance of the Templeton Prize for Religion all about a few years ago? The pagans were strapping unicorn horns onto their heads and leaping through the hotel lobbies at the World Parliament of Religions that year. Just about every idol worshipped on earth had a representative at this Tower of Religious Babel event in Chicago. Imagine our surprise to find you accepting a million dollar prize from New Spirituality promoter, Sir John Marks Templeton. It made us all queasy Mr. Colson.

Here's a quote from a Dave Hunt article about Templeton and his famous prize for religion.

"Ecumenism and compromise are increasingly infecting the highest ranks among evangelicals. A major contributor to that trend is wealthy Wall Street money manager John Marks Templeton. We will quote from two of his books: Discovering the Laws of Life (1994) and The Humble Approach (1981, revised in 1995), referring to them as D and H, with the page numbers. Templeton is best known for having established a religion prize of larger monetary value (currently more than $1 million) than the Nobel Prize. He explains why.

"Microbes slowly evolved into worms, fishes, reptiles, and mammals. Humans did not appear until forty thousand years ago….

According to the Jesuit paleontologist and mystic Teilhard de Chardin [known as "the father of the New Age"]… there came first the sphere of mineral evolution, the geosphere; then the sphere of living things, the biosphere; and lastly the sphere of the human mind, the noosphere…. [T]he human mind is so potent… that no one knows what may happen next. Evolution is accelerating….

Teilhard called for a new theology… a new, unprecedented religion…. Is there evidence that minds are developing into even more miraculous spirits and souls…?

As the religious forms of traditional Judaism and Christianity are losing their powers to inform the contemporary mind, the West desperately needs religious geniuses who can create new imaginal forms….

Theologians… must begin to explore the vast unseen dimensions of our evolving universe….

The next stage of human divine progress on the evolutionary scale needs… geniuses of the spirit, blazing trails for the rest of us to follow. To encourage progress of this kind, we have established the Templeton Foundation Prizes for Progress in Religion."

Templeton has formed a religious research center called the Humility Theology Information Center for the development of "progress in religious thinking" (H, 130). Here are some of his comments regarding the progress in religion which he hopes will come out of this center:

"[N]ew research presently has as its focus the development of… spiritual truth [to be] accepted worldwide regardless of the culture or… religions of any geographical or ethnic area [now that's ecumenism!]….

I am hoping we can develop a body of knowledge about God that doesn't rely on ancient revelations or scripture [such as the Bible!]… that is scientific… and is not disputed because of divisions between religions or churches or ancient scripture or liturgy….

The main purpose of the Templeton Foundations is to encourage enthusiasm for accelerating discovery and progress in spiritual matters…." (H, 135-139)

According to Templeton, the world's scriptures (including the Bible) "were written… [by] men whose minds were limited by cosmologies long since discredited" (H, 61). Nor does the Bible accurately record the words of Christ, because those who reported them "could write down only what they understood… [as] ignorant and primitive… Jews." (H, 39-40)."

(From Dave Hunt's article here.)

Mr. Colson, you can imagine our surprise that you would want to take a million dollar gift for Prison Fellowship from a source that is openly attacking the authority of the Scriptures!

The greatest threats to this country and to Christianity do not come from secularism and radical Islam. The greatest threat we face are the wolves within evangelicalism who are subverting the Gospel, undermining the authority of the word of God and who seduce leaders like Colson to participate and legitimize their apostate ministries. Dr. Robert Schuller, the host for Colson and many others at the ReThink Conference in January, featured New Age leader and Course in Miracles promoter, Dr. Jerry Jampolsky, on his Hour of Power program a number of times. He called Jampolsky's work, "marvelous", and he carries his book, Forgiveness, in the Crystal Cathedral gift shop, even though it is endorsed by one of the world's leading New Agers, Neale Donald Walsch. Colson is silent about this evil going on in the name of Jesus Christ.

How about Colson's co-authoring the Evangelicals and Catholics together document? Do the just live by faith alone or by faith plus works, Chuck? Does Scripture not speak to this? Are we saved by anything of our own merit, or is the only merit found in Jesus Christ alone? Which is it? Is there any wonder there's so much doctrinal confusion around today when our evangelical leaders refuse to accept Scripture alone as their authority?

As far as I am concerned, Colson needs to repent for participating with those who promote the doctrines of anti-Christ and focus his sights on the real threats facing the church today. They are from within.

By Ingrid Schlueter Email: vcyproducer@aol.com Click here for bio and archived articles