Bridge of Reason

Most Christians who talk to Jehovah’s Witnesses will eventually come across the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society’s [WBTS] booklet “Should You Believe In The Trinity” [abbreviated to “Trinity” from now on.] As with most WBTS publications, the booklet gives the impression of being a well-produced, scholarly work. It is only as you check it out carefully that the errors begin to come to light. It may not be easy to get a Witness to investigate this publication but we want to give the opportunity to lovingly show some of the faults in it and hope you will be able to do the same with the next one that calls at the door. It is not wise to try to tackle all the arguments at once, concentrate on one at a time. I have tried to see personally every book that the WBTS refer to. This was not easy at first because the WBTS left out references to page numbers, where and when published etc. Initially, thanks to the British Library I have managed to see most of them. Since completing my research,

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The Western World seems to have been fascinated by "the east" forever. Certainly, since the nineteenth century, with its spiritualism, theosophy and varieties of esoteric movements, we have fallen for the notion that the primitive, simple and "peaceful" religions of the east have so much more than the Christianity with which we grew up. These reports from Compass paint a quite different picture. The persecution of Christians across the world, often at the hands of so-called "peaceful" religions, gives the lie to the myth. We should not be completely naive about the deceivingly comforting stories of far, far away.   Buddhist clerics and local council officials are holding 13 newly converted Christians captive in a pagoda in a southeastern mountainous district of Bangladesh in an attempt to forcibly return them to Buddhism. A spokesman for the Parbatta Adivasi (Hill Tract) Christian Church told Compass on condition of anonymity that local government counc

George Orwell's 1984 is being lived out in Quebec as a repressive new law mandates that, regardless of their religious affiliations, teachers must teach and students learn the most meaningless pluralism imaginable while parents with strong religious beliefs are ignored as the state takes over their children's spiritual development. "No religious leaders are solicited for their views in this text, but Françoise David, the radical-feminist leader of the Marxist party Québec Solidaire is “interviewed.” Beside a large picture of Mme. David, benignly smiling, face upwardly tilted in the old Sovietic mode, the question is posed: “What would you say to those adolescents who don’t feel concerned about feminism?” David replies: “[Adolescents] need a feminist analysis in their life.” Paganism and cults are offered equal status with Christianity. Witches “are women like any other in daily life;” “Technologically [the Raelians] are 25,000 years in advance of us.” And considering that

(This article first appeared in Southern Baptist Theological Journal , Summer 2005) . Christians are supposed to defend the faith (Jude 3), preserve the Gospel’s purity (Gal. 1:6-9; 1 Peter 3:15), test all things (1 Thess. 5:21), and correct those who have doctrinally erred (2 Tim. 4:2). Equally relevant scriptures include Eph. 4:15, which mentions speaking the truth “in love,” and 2 Tim. 2:24-26, which says to correct using “gentleness and respect.” Unfortunately, these latter two passages often take a backseat to what becomes the overriding aim of witnessing—that is, make sure that someone realizes he is wrong. But this unbiblical approach never results in a person falling to his knees, repenting, and shouting appreciation for being shown the error of his doctrinal ways. Instead, emotional walls go up defensive arguments are launched (no matter how baseless or illogical they may be), and a golden opportunity to show Christ’s love is lost. Sharing Your Faith With Mormons « “PoP cuLT

Most Christians who talk to Jehovah’s Witnesses will eventually come across the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society’s [WBTS] booklet “Should You Believe In The Trinity” [abbreviated to “Trinity” from now on.] As with most WBTS publications, the booklet gives the impression of being a well-produced, scholarly work. It is only as you check it out carefully that the errors begin to come to light. It may not be easy to get a Witness to investigate this publication but we want to give the opportunity to lovingly show some of the faults in it and hope you will be able to do the same with the next one that calls at the door. It is not wise to try to tackle all the arguments at once, concentrate on one at a time. I have tried to see personally every book that the WBTS refer to. This was not easy at first because the WBTS left out references to page numbers, where and when published etc. Initially, thanks to the British Library I have managed to see most of them. Since completing my research,

  Many words associated with Christianity have been removed from a children's dictionary in Britain. Come on! Tell me you're surprised. Oxford University Press has excised words like "aisle," "Saint," "devil," "bishop," and "chapel" from its Junior Dictionary and replaced them with words like "blog," "interdependent" and "celebrity," says The UK Telegraph. As something of a dictionary enthusiast (I won't put it stronger than that, although it is something of an obsession actually) and as a sold out Bible-believing Christian I had to share this. The original blog comment is very good (please do look at it) but the subsequent posts are utterly priceless for anyone who truly appreciates the intelligent use of words and the right application of reason, and all done in the best possible taste. I can only add that when your culture and history is being systematically removed from the

With its usual modesty and demonstrating its typical self-effacing character the Mormon Church has announced the publication of The Joseph Smith Papers. Aimed at scholars and “serious students of the life of Joseph Smith”, it draws on some 6,000 documents taken mainly from the archives of the Mormon Church but also from the Re-organised Church (The Community of Christ) and some private collections. The aim is to produce a definitive, scholarly edition of Joseph Smith’s papers in approximately thirty volumes produced at a rate of two volumes a year at just under $50 a volume. Did someone say hubris? One wonders how many Mormons, let alone non-Mormons, will actually end up with a set. If you’re determined to own a set yourself it will likely take you fifteen years to complete it, although they hope to speed up production. Certainly, for the average Christian what you meet on the doorstep will not change. The story of Joseph Smith as presented by missionaries and shared by the typical Mo