Vineyard Columbus, Sojourners and paganism

Vineyard Columbus hosted a 3 day "Justice Revival" in April 2008 featuring Jim Wallis of Sojourners as the featured speaker. Some were highly concerned that Vineyard Columbus should allow Jim Wallis, a far left political figure to be the featured speaker at a "revival". Jim Wallis; founder of Sojourners also hosts the controversial and far left "God's Politics" blog site. The far left political nature of Jim Wallis is abundantly clear in his "God's Politics" blogs. Mr Wallis writes love letter blogs for even the most pro-abortion liberals and blistering attacks for conservatives. Mr Wallis continued to stump for liberal politics at the Justice Revival. The politics were slightly more veiled but it was still political stumping.

Competing with the concerns over Jim Wallis's politics were the Sojourners magazines being passed out at the "revival". Many valid Christian organizations have periodicals but no "Christian" magazines I know of carry ads for retreats that teach Buddhism or workshops for pagan idol worship. Additionally, the Sojourners magazine itself is a laundry list of far left political politics including articles like "The Green Gospel" which argued that the essential moral assignment of our time was caring for the environment.

The September 2007 issue of Sojourners Magazine we obtained from the Sojourners table at the revival had a large 1/2 page ad for the "Mandela Center" (www.mandalacenter.org)

The Merriam Webster online dictionary defines "Mandela" as:

a Hindu or Buddhist graphic symbol of the universe; specifically : a circle enclosing a square with a deity on each side that is used chiefly as an aid to meditation

An excerpt from the The Mandala Center's mission statement:

The Mandala Center has an inclusive view on how each person may experience God. There are many pathways, many understandings of God. God is far more expansive than one person can understand, and we are not limited to one interpretation of the Divine.

The ads for a Buddhist retreat and a "Divine Feminine" workshop were among the retreats on the large 1/2 page ad.

• What is Buddhism? An exploration of Buddhist teachings and practice. (Oct 5 - 7); Introduction to Buddhism for those who want to understand this spiritual tradition. Teaching, discussion, instruction and experience in Tibetan Buddhist Meditation. Taught by Don Handrick, Buddhist practitioner and teacher.

• Ancient images/Modern Icons: art making and the Divine Feminine (Oct 10 - 14); Hands on workshop combines interactive pictorial lectures with studio art making as participants develop their understanding of the Sacred Feminine (taught by Mary Saracino).

If you do not know what "the Divine Feminine" is, please review this additional information from the teacher's (Mary Saracino) website:(http://www.marysaracino.com/index.html)

Divine Feminine Workshops

Mary’s been an independent scholar of the Divine Feminine for over 30 years.

In addition to self-study and research, she has participated in two Dark Mother study tours (Sicily in 2001 & Sardegna in 2004) guided by Lucia Chiavola Birnbaum, Ph.D., author of Black Madonnas and Dark Mother.

Mary’s Divine Feminine workshops are an interactive, pictorial adventure. Full of 100s of images of the feminine face of God, the information she presents arises from experiential research, on-site visits to archaeological ruins, museums, and churches as well as her insatiable appetite for reading scholarly works on all aspects of women’s spirituality.

Reclaiming Our Mother:
A three-part workshop on the Feminine Divine

Join Mary in a pictorial exploration of Paleolithic cave art and goddess figurines, Neolithic icons and modern-day Black Madonna images. Trace the multi-millennial memory of the Sacred Feminine and uncover the roots of the primordial “Mother of Us All.”

Humankind’s first deity was dark, female, and African. Who is this Feminine Face of the Divine? And what can contemporary society glean from her values of justice with compassion, mercy, equality and transformation?

To Jim Wallis and Sojourners I must ask: Why is Sojourners, a supposedly Christian ministry, accepting advertising for Buddhism retreats and Divine Feminine workshops featuring "100s of images of the feminine face of God"?

A number of people were very grieved when they discovered that materials including pagan ads had been passed out at the Justice Revival, by Sojourners. Consequently, some (including myself) brought it to the attention of senior Columbus Vineyard pastors. What was very disturbing was how quickly Vineyard pastors dismissed materials they had not even seen. On June 5th I asked Rich Nathan and another senior Vineyard pastor if they had read any of Jim Wallis extremely partisan "God's Politics" blogs and they both said no. I asked them if they would be interested in being given a copy of the Sojourners magazine with the pagan ads but they declined. Rich Nathan brushed aside the pagan ads saying that because it was an ad and not an article that it was not really a problem. Rich Nathan continued to maintain that Jim Wallis was a model Christian and was fully open to bringing him back.

Several people (including 2 or 3 Vineyard pastors) tried to warn Rich Nathan about Jim Wallis before the Justice Revival but he continues to defended the Justice Revival citing the 150 people that came forward as evidence of good fruit. In response, I must point out that an unspecified number of people including kinship leaders and long time members permanently left Vineyard Columbus because they were distressed by the politicization of the church. One kinship leader said that he noticed that attendance was down by several hundred people immediately following the revival. What value should we place on those people who consciences were so wounded as to compel them to leave?

And how do we measure the influence (good or bad) that mixing paganism with Jesus will have? Will the Holy Spirit of God be pleased or offended and what will the consequences be? What value should we place on that? I must ask: Was there no one available to speak who would not open a door to demonic realms with ads for pagan worship? Was there no one available who was not deeply embroiled in partisan politics?

Finally, when Jesus told told the disciples to let down their nets for a catch the results were nothing short of miraculous. When Billy Graham came to speak at Cooper stadium thousands of people came forward. Just last month, a small church just down the road from my house had 300 people come forward during their 3 day outdoor tent revival. While we rejoice with every salvation; 150 people coming forward at a 7000 member mega church does not seem like feasting, it seems more like famine.

Jim Wallis, Sojourners and abortion

One of the Sojourners buzz words is "A consistent ethic of life". This quirky sounding phrase is the latest catch phrase for opposing capital punishment. Knowing that the Bible lists about 30 capital crimes (for crimes such as rape and murder) one wonders why Sojourners (supposedly Christian) would advocate something clearly contrary to Biblical law which we know to be Pure, Holy, Righteous and given by inspiration of God.

Knowing that Jim Wallis is a far left liberal, I was tempted (at first) to take consolation in the thought that he would at least protect the lives of unborn children (part of a "consistent ethic of life") but that hope was short lived.

If you don't want to end abortion, then you don't really think it's murder in the 1st place. Jim Wallis claims to be pro-life but considering his writings and actions, it's hard to put any stock in that claim.

Consider this book excerpt:

If the Democrats could take the opportunity of a political defeat to really reassess their language and style, the way they morally frame public policy issues, and their cultural disconnect with too many Americans including many people of faith, they could transform the political discourse. But it will require a serious re-assessment. And if they are further willing to re-examine their positions on some of the cultural/moral issues the Republicans beat them with in 2004, they could virtually change the political landscape. If the Democrats could be persuaded by both good political sense and sound moral values to moderate some of their positions by becoming anti-abortion without criminalizing an agonizing and desperate choice, and being pro-family without being anti-gay, they would change politics in America by giving permission to millions of voters who would naturally vote for them except for the cultural and moral divide they feel with Democratic language and policies.

"becoming anti-abortion without criminalizing an agonizing and desperate choice". Wallis pro-life "stance" is a gutless, hand wringing, retreat, compared to the rage filled, blistering personal attacks he has launched against various political enemies. Jim Wallis began frothing at the mouth in February when some local Cincinnati DJ kept referring to Barack Obama as Barack "Hussein" Obama. Why could not Jim Wallis save some of that rage in an effort to save millions babies from "an agonizing and desperate choice".

Not to make too fine of a point but Obama is so staunchly pro-abortion that he even voted against the Illinois Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Bill which would have protected babies who managed to survive botched abortions. Live babies were left to die after surviving botched abortions, yet Wallis has continually come out swinging hard and fast against Obama's political opponents. In contrast, even NARLA did not oppose the bill.

Save the serial killers but unborn babies are little more than mud to be scrapped off on the unwelcome mat. I console myself with the thought that the Lord Jesus will carry those little ones to a place so wonderful that the horror of their premeditated murder will be but a memory too faded to remember. As for Jim Wallis, I guess whatever political candy Wallis thinks Obama will be handing out is more valuable than the lives of the 1,000,000 + babies who will die this year in the name of convenience.

Holy Father how did we come to this? Our nation is not fit to live, please either remove this murder of infants from us or in mercy, end our lives that we not continue in this shame and wickedness.

As Ohio Goes, So Goes This Nation

At a "Justice Revival" in April 2008, hosted at the 7000 member mega church Vineyard Columbus, Rich Nathan the senior pastor said not once but twice that the "revival" was not about politics. If that was not strange enough, Rich Nathan insisted that the "revival" would be "pushed into the tired political boxes of right and left". Unable to imagine Billy Graham making such a pronouncement at his revivals, the mere fact that Mr Nathan felt he had to quash criticism with a preemptive strike is a splinter in rational minds. How could a "revival" possibly be confused with politics? It soon became clear that Rich Nathan's comments were meant to quell murmurings about some of the highly controversial speakers, such as Jim Wallis who fiercely advocates political solutions to national and global social problems.

Mr. Wallis is very controversial and is a liberal left political figure as deeply involved in partisan politics as Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton. Mr Wallis hosted "Pentecost 2007", a political rally for liberal democrat presidential candidates; Edwards, Hillary and Obama.  Mr Wallis's blog "God's Politics" came out swinging to defend Barack Obama (who advocates abortion and gay marriage). Wallis even defended Obama's pastor Jeremiah Wright's hate speech as "prophetic truth telling".
Minutes after assuring the audience that the revival was not about politics, as though he had not heard himself, Rich Nathan added:

"part of the reason we are doing this Justice revival in Columbus is because you know, as Columbus goes so goes Ohio, and as Ohio goes so goes this nation"

--> This statement (repeated several times during the Justice Revival) makes little sense outside the purely political fact that Ohio is a vital election swing state. Historically which ever candidate wins Ohio wins the presidency. Wikipedia said this regarding "swing states" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_state

"Ohio has often been considered a swing state, particularly during the 2004 election, having voted with the winner in every election since 1948 except for 1960. It has often been said that "as Ohio goes, so goes the nation."

1. As Ohio Goes, So Goes the Nation...Again, Kate Snow, ABC World News, November 6, 2007
2. As Ohio Goes, So Goes The Nation. Sometimes., "The Washington Post" March 6, 2008

There was much more about the Justice Revival that smacked of liberal partisan politics than can be mentioned here but the idea that the Justice Revival was not about politics is just plain wrong.  Mr Wallis's "God's Politics" blog site gushes praise for even the far left liberal politicians like Ted Kennedy and Barack Obama while aiming un-christ like blistering criticism of conservative politicians (like President Bush).

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but let's not wrap our politics in swaddling clothes and claim that it's a revival.

Social Justice, Vineyard Columbus and "gay rights"

The Vineyard Church of Columbus, a the 7000 member mega-church pastored by Rich Nathan hosted a 3 day “Justice Revival” back in April. On the 2nd night attendees were scolded by Shane Claiborne because he said the church was perceived as being "anti-gay". Mr Claiborne ended in a high spirited proclamation that the Vineyard was going to show that they weren't “anti-gay, judgmental and hypocritical”. Mr Claiborne is one of several "friends” who writes blogs for Jim Wallis “God's Politics” blog (as does Rich Nathan). It should be noted that Jim Wallis, the featured speaker at the “Justice Revival” openly promotes homosexual rights as a “Social Justice” issue. Considering that only homosexuals were mentioned in Mr Claiborne's generous proclamation (and not generically extended to all the lost and fallen) serious Christians rightly question if Mr Claiborne was merely advancing a shared goal from the Vineyard Columbus pulpit.

During the”Justice Revival” Mr Wallis, who founded Sojourners repeatedly referred to evangelist Charles Finney who signed people up at his revivals to end slavery. About 3 weeks after the Justice Revival, Sojourners sent a “survey” to revival attendees which included an invitation for volunteers to work on a bounty of liberal political issues including “GLBTQ rights” (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer "rights"). Will Vineyard members be helping homosexuals fight for same-sex-marriage and adoption "rights" during this election year cycle?

Several comments by Rich Nathan have made it into several openly gay news and blog sites including an Associated Press story is also being quoted in gay news sites. 365gay.com had an article “Evangelical Group Seeks To Move Away From Anti-Gay Focus”:

An evangelical group that wants to reshape the movement's political reputation for being focused on opposing abortion and same-sex marriage is hoping that a series of meetings stressing its roots in women's suffrage and abolition will help it break out of the mold.

"Lots of people feel that the evangelical label has been taken captive by a very narrow political program," said the Rev. Rich Nathan, senior pastor at The Vineyard Church of Columbus, which is hosting the revival. "Folks don't feel that that represents them. Many of the so-called evangelical leaders are saying, we didn't elect these people, they don't represent us. How did they become our spokespeople? How did this narrow agenda become our agenda?"

The Bible is very clear about what is sin and what is not. Rich Nathan may argue that he does not support gay rights or marriage but when he says such things and allows such things to happen in his church at a so called “Justice Revival” mature Christians may rightly raise questions.

Rich Nathan's hand is on the tiller of the Columbus Vineyard and he is responsible not only for what his guest speakers say but also where his guest speakers lead the sheep under his charge.

The Desperate Need To Learn Wisdom

In his May congregational email entitled “The Desperate Need To Learn Civility As A Church And As A Culture” Rich Nathan, a gifted public speaker, expressed dismay and scolded the uncivil language a number of people used when expressing how upset they were about the Justice Revival. But just last month Mr Nathan threw civility under the bus taking potshots at creationists and global warming skeptics from the pulpit. Nathan performed impersonations of creationists and global warming skeptics as 2 dimensional, Archie Bunker stereotypes at a service for teenagers and 20 somethings. Using creationists and global warming skeptics as object lessons of people who “were not the brightest or sharpest knife in the drawer” Nathan went so far as to imply that they were waging a “culture war against science”. The teenagers roared with laughter at Nathan's uncivil remarks but those of us with gray hair know that you have to watch what you say to the young-uns as they are not known for their discernment and will learn to mimic his contempt and unchrist like treatment of others (especially creationists).

As Paul's letters to Timothy point out; church leaders need to be held accountable to a high standard of conduct but when that involves a popular speaker like Nathan, bringing accountability becomes not only more difficult but also more important. Hero worship of a charismatic leader can lead to a feeling of invincibility in a pastor and the feeling that the pastor can say or do no wrong in the congregation. When combined with a Jesus as pacifist mentality in the congregation, holding a pastor accountable becomes even harder.

I hope that the parents of all those teenagers are merely unaware of Mr Nathan's bad behavior and not condoning it by their silence.

Peeling back the veil of Social Justice

Rich Nathan and Jim Wallis hosted a so called “Social Justice” revival back in April of 08 and Nathan continues to advocate "Social Justice" from the pulpit. Not being a biblical term, "Social Justice" is little more than a fuzzy buzz word to most people. If you asked 10 people what “Social Justice” was you would likely get 11 different answers (yes, I meant to say 11). What exactly is Social Justice?

Ever heard of Barack Obama's friend and political fund raiser (**) William (Bill) Ayers? Bill Ayers is a leading Social Justice advocate. He has written books on Social Justice including “Teaching for Social Justice” and as a tenured professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago is teaching “social justice” to your children's future teachers. Here us a link to one of his many “Social Justice” books:

William [ Bill ] Ayers - Teaching for Social Justice: A Democracy and Education Reader

Did you hear the joke... what do Barack Obama and Osama Bin Laden have in common??? They both have friends who bombed the nation's capitol. A few may recall that Bill Ayers is a 70's era domestic terrorist from a group called the "weathermen". The weathermen bombed about 2 dozen buildings across America (police stations, the Capitol and the Pentagon) to aid the Vietnamese communists during the Vietnam war. Bill Ayers published his book "Fugitive Days" on 9/11, 2001 and on this dark day in American history, as America was reeling from it's deadliest terrorist attack on American soil was quoted as saying "I don't regret setting bombs. I feel we didn't do enough". Mr. Ayers, published a memoir celebrating his exploits, and once described himself as ''guilty as hell, free as a bird.''

You don't have to dig too deep to discover that Social Justice is just the modern buzz word for Marxism (which Ayers advocates). Here are a few quotes from Bill Ayers:

“We need to look beyond our isolated situations, to define our problems globally. We cannot be child advocates . . . in Chicago or New York and ignore the web that links us with the children of India or Palestine.”

“In a truly just society there would be a greater sharing of the burden, a fairer distribution of material and human resources.”

For another course, titled “Improving Learning Environments,” Ayers proposes that teachers “be aware of the social and moral universe we inhabit and . . . be a teacher capable of hope and struggle, outrage and action, a teacher teaching for social justice and liberation.”

Here are 2 articles revealing some of the very disturbing things Ayers and friends are teaching our children's teachers about “Social Justice” such as "Math for Social Justice".

The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug by Sol Stern

Obama's Little Red Schoolhouse

One of Ayers' descriptions for a course called "Improving Learning Environments" says a prospective K-12 teacher needs to "be aware of the social and moral universe we inhabit and . . . be a teacher capable of hope and struggle, outrage and action, teaching for social justice and liberation."

Rich Nathan may object saying that he is not advocating bombings (and he is not) but the very real and dangerous point, is the meaning of this very fuzzy, un-biblical term "Social Justice". As Bill Ayers is writing the leading educational text books on Social Justice. And he is teaching the teachers who will be in our classrooms and on our school boards, about Social Justice, I would say that Ayers has the last say on what "Social Justice" will or will not mean to the millions of school children who will be indoctrinated into what this unrepentant domestic terrorist has to say.

** Ayers and Obama served on the woods board together and Ayers hosted fund raiser parties for Obama at his house.

creationists and Global Warming skeptics mocked from the pulpit

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On 7/27/08 Rich Nathan, senior pastor of the Vineyard church of Columbus, crossed a line of ethical behavior while speaking to the Joshua house congregation (a service for hundreds of teenagers and 20 somethings). Mr Nathan, as a negative object lesson was implying that creationists and skeptics of global warming were ignorant Archie Bunker stereo types who were waging a culture war against the “reigning paradigm of science”.

Mr. Nathan suggests (quite wrongly) that we should just accept whatever dogma the "scientific"community currently happens to be peddling at the time without close scrutiny or debate. If Rich Nathan examined history a little more carefully he would be reminded of the "reigning scientific paradigm" in the days of Charles Darwin, which was that blacks and women were inferior. Please consider these quotes by evolutionists Charles Darwin and his bulldog Thomas Huxley and consider the consequences of just "accepting" the "reigning scientific paradigm" without debate.

"The more civilized so-called Caucasian races have beaten the Turkish hollow in the struggle for existence. Looking to the world at no very distant date, what an endless number of lower races will have been eliminated by the higher civilized races throughout the world." (Charles Darwin, 1881, 3 July, "Life and Letters of Darwin, vol. 1, 316")

"At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate, and replace, the savage races throughout the world." (Charles Darwin, The descent of Man, Chap. vi)

"The chief distinction in the intellectual powers of the two sexes is shown by mans attaining to a higher eminence, in whatever he takes up, than the woman. Whether deep thought, reason, or imagination or merely the use of the senses and hands.....We may also infer.....The average mental power in man must be above that of woman."
(Charles Darwin, "The descent of Man, pg. 566")

"No rational man, cognizant of the facts, believes that the average Negro is the equal, still less the superior, of the white man.....it is simply incredible to think that.....he will be able to compete successfully with his bigger-brained and smaller-jawed rival, in a contest which is to be carried on by thoughts and not by bites." (Thomas Huxley, Darwin's bulldog, 1871, Lay Sermons, addresses and reviews)

I am sure that Mr Nathan would not advocate Darwin's racist views but that is not the point. Would Jesus want you to just accept a "reigning scientific paradigm" without close scrutiny? Some scientific paradigms should be debated and as is is common knowledge that evolution is taught exclusively in the public schools Mr Nathan should realize that hearing two sides of a formerly one sided debate is balance, not a culture war.

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Regarding global warming, it is public knowledge that thousands of scientists reject 'global warming'. Sex may sell cloths and movies but in the grant driven scientific community, those who generate the most fear get the most funding.  Before the United States spends well in excess of a trillion dollars to stop the sky from falling, let us make sure we are not merely buying the emperor a new set of clothes by questioning reigning scientific paradigms considered too sacrosanct to be questioned.

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Text excerpts from a sermon Rich preached on July 27, 2008, at Joshua House, the occasion being Eric Pickerel’s last Sunday. The title of the sermon was: C.A.L.L.E.D. to be a Leader. This excerpt was from the outline - #4 “A leader is a life long learner.”

I have met 25 year olds who have become really old in their thinking. They’ve, at 25, become inflexible and intolerant of other ideas, and the cement is poured around their feet, and some kind of weird sort of loyalty to those who came before them. To some theology from the 16^th century or the 20^th century or historic Vineyard, and this is what we are going to be and they become old in their thinking.

and

I have met 60 year old Christians and 70 year old Christians who are amazing young in their thinking. They are open and flexible, and available to God, because they see the Christian life as this incredible adventure of pursuing Jesus. This exciting adventure that never gets old, I’m pursuing the Lord and even if the Lord is going to shake up old paradigms or He’s going to change and revise my thinking, I’m going to keep on the learning curve, I want to keep on being alive and excited about new discovers and fresh things.” Eric, Julia, Jonathan just stay young in your thinking. Stay open and flexible and just willing to test things, challenge existing paradigms and status quo.

I told you about the Jesuit before, last week, I read a book on leadership, about written by a former Jesuit Priest, it was called, “Heroic Leadership”, it was written by a guy name Chris Lowery. He was a Jesuit Priest; he went on to go into the business world. He worked for JP Morgan as a managing director. He tells the story in “Heroic Leadership” about this Jesuit Priest name Clavius. And Clavius believed that it was important for the priest not only to be experts in theology, but to be experts in astronomy and mathematics. And for 50 years he just taught astronomy and mathematics to would be Jesuit Priest in Rome. He believes that the Jesuits’ would have their greatest impact if people around the world said these guys are just the very best in science. That if you want to know science, go to the Jesuits.

Now, contrast that to the contemporary evangelicals. When the world looks at the evangelicals and said, if you want people who are just the (pause) not the brightness or sharpest – you know knife in the drawer – if you want folks who are anti-science, who, if there is something that scientist are agreeing too, like global warming – we are agin it (then made sounds like disgust) – evolution, forget about that!. You know, let me just say something to you guys. I mean, I do not know where you are at, but here’s where I’m at.

I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in Jesus Christ. I don’t believe in science, I believe in Jesus Christ. But my view of science is that if there is a reigning paradigm in science, I just have to accept it. I don’t have a need to fight the reigning paradigms in science or declare culture war on science. I’ll just have to say “OK.” Now the paradigm may change in 40 years, it has in the past, it probably will in the future. But, if there is a reigning paradigm – you do not, as a young adult, have to fight it like your parents and grandparents. Don’t fight out war. You have enough wars of your own to fight. Don’t fight old battles, there losing battles.