Please Note : Certainly it is possible that an endorsement of a book MAY not mean a blanket sanction of every belief or statement in the book. However, if there is anything in the material that the endorser disagrees with, then it is highly irresponsible to issue an endorsement without an appropriate disclaimer. In the absence any such disclaimers one has to assume that the endorser agrees with the book in it’s totality. It is ludicrous to expect everyone who buys and reads recommended material, to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. And again, NO responsible Christian can endorse ANY book, regardless of content, by someone who makes statements like contemplative prayer is able to unite Christianity and Islam. However our ‘leaders’ do it all the time. “Professing to be wise, they became fools” [Romans 1:22]
Rick Warren
Brian McLaren
Rob Bell
Dan Kimball
Spencer Burke
Tony Campolo
Doug Pagitt
Tony Jones
Marcus Borg
Alan Jones
Dave Fleming
Richard Foster
Rick Warren... obviously approves of the Emerging Church movement, although Saddleback is not a direct participant in the movement... Brian McLaren: Warren’s web site features the Innovative Church Conference saying “The 2003 Innovative Church Conference will feature Brian McLaren, founding pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church in the Washington, D.C. area. Brian is a prominent voice on postmodern thinking and church growth. He is also the author of several books including The Church on the Other Side and the revolutionary book, A New Kind of Christian”. [1]
One has to assume from that the fact that Warren favorably mentions Brian McLaren and his books on his site, that he he has actually read these books, and that he is actually familiar with McLaren’s beliefs. See Brian McLaren Dan Kimball: Rick Warren was a contributing writer to Dan Kimball’s book The Emerging Church and says the following on his web site. This book is a wonderful detailed example of what a Purpose-Driven church can look like in a postmodern world. My friend, Dan Kimball, writes passionately from his heart, with a deep desire to reach emerging generations and culture. While my book the Purpose-Driven Church, explained what the church is called to do, Dan's book explains how to do it with the cultural-creatives who think and feel in postmodern terms. You need to pay attention to him because times are changing. [2]
Therefore one assumes, in light of Rick Warren’s written endorsements of Dan Kimball’s books, that he has actually read (over and above the parts he authored) The Emerging Church by Kimball and is also familiar with his beliefs. See Dan Kimball (below) Spencer Burke: Rick Warren also states that Spencer Burke’s The Ooze website is, "one of the best online communities related to post-modern ministry." [3] This means that pastors around the world will likely recognize the Ooze as a trusted source for spirituality. Yet The Ooze promotes contemplative and emergent philosophies, and is considered to be one of the more popular emerging church ministries. See Spencer Burke (below) For more on Rick Warren’s highly questionable bedfellows GO HERE
Dan Kimball
Dan Kimball has a Graduate Certificate in Bible from Multnomah Biblical Seminary, a MA from Western Seminary and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry from George Fox Evangelical Seminary where he also serves as Adjunct Faculty and is one of the pastors of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, CA. He speaks extensively around the country on emerging church and culture issues as well as using the arts in worship. He serves on the editorial advisory boards for Youthworker Journal, Outreach Magazine and REV! Magazine and is several books including The Emerging Church. On Dan Kimball's blog in a "Catch up post" dated March 22, 2007, he says this "Next week, some folks and friends from Zondervan are coming to Santa Cruz where we are filming a DVD project for the They Like Jesus but not the Church book. In prep for that, I spent a couple hours today with my friend Gary, who is in the band The Chop Tops and is in the book and going to be interviewed next week for the video..” [Emphasis Added] 
So who is Gary of the Chop Tops? Surely a ‘Christian pastor’ is not talking about the guy on the right who is also known as Sinner, pictured here with a “Special Message From The Road”. (Apart from the obscene gesture, his hair-do bears an astonishing similarity to Dan’s own). Surely a ‘Christian pastor’ is not talking about a guy who recently stated (07.05.2007) in the Arizona Daily Star that his influences are … “God, the devil and Johnny Cash. "Those are three massive influences on our music. God for obvious reasons, the devil for similar obvious reasons, and Johnny Cash because he is a badass. The guy lived a hard life and dedicated it to rock 'n' roll. You've got to respect that." [4]
The Chop Tops! This wouldn’t happen to be the same rockabilly band that recently re-released their 3rd CD "Evil Six??? Naaah! Cant be! Or is it by any chance the same Chop Tops that give you free ring tones on their site.. The El Diablo ring tone and the My Curse ring tone, unless of course you prefer a Queen of Death T-shirt. And I am sure this cannot be the same group that will be on Van's Warped Tour In June-July, played at The Surly Wench Pub in Tucson on July 7th, the Lucky Devils Bar in El Paso on July the 8th, and so on Surely this isn’t the same group with the lewd hand gestures! [Make NO mistake .. they KNOW what that hand sign means. Another picture showing the same hand gesture is entitled Devil Horns during our set]. But in case you don’t know the significance.. See THIS Page By the way… In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series of films, Chop Top is the younger brother of Leatherface, who wears masks made of human skin [the practice which led to his name] and is a cannibal. Chop Top was probably a serial murderer and a cannibal like the rest of his family.. And if these pictures offend you... Good! I hope so! Kimball calls himself a Christian, but is little more than a particularly nasty wolf in sheep’s clothing [I am being extremely polite.. he makes me want to throw up]. The fact that he introduces these characters, via his blog and dumb book, should offend you... It should offend you very much. Dan Kimball, Labyrinths and Mysticism If the above isn’t bad enough, Dan Kimball says.. "We have neglected so many of the disciplines of the historical church [Desert Fathers], including weekly fasting, practicing the silence, and lectio divina." [5]
He promotes Labyrinths saying “We made our own prayer path After the convention we knew we couldn't keep this experience to ourselves. A few months later we featured a labyrinth as part of Graceland's annual art event at Santa Cruz Bible Church. Graceland artists recreated the labyrinth with a kit we purchased (The Prayer Path, Group Publishing), transforming one of the church's multipurpose rooms into a medieval prayer sanctuary. The team hung art on the walls, draped fabric, and lit candles all around the room to create a visual sense of sacred space. Over two nights we saw more than 100 people go through the labyrinth. It was a joy to see so many people on their knees communing with God through the experiential prayer elements. Meditative prayer like that we experienced in the labyrinth resonates with hearts of emerging generations. If we had the room, we would set up a permanent labyrinth to promote deeper prayer. Until then, however, Graceland will continue to incorporate experiential prayer and encourage our people to stop, quiet themselves, and pray” "Meditative prayer like that we experienced in the labyrinth resonates with hearts of emerging generations." [6]
See Sections on Labyrinths and Mysticism in The Church Dan Kimball and Little Richard
As of August 2008 Dan Kimball’s web site features “Current Happy Music”. Among which is listed Little Richard’s Very Best Of Little Richard. Here are a couple of comments by Little Richard "My true belief about Rock ‘n’ Roll — is this: I believe this kind of music is demonic . . . A lot of the BEATS in music today are taken from voodoo, from the voodoo DRUMS." (Charles White, The Life and Times of Little Richard, p. 197) “I was directed and commanded by another power. The power of darkness ... that a lot of people don’t believe exists. The power of the Devil. Satan” (Little Richard, cited by Charles White, The Life and Times of Little Richard, p. 206).
Spencer Burke "I stopped reading from the approved evangelical reading list and began to distance myself from the evangelical agenda. I discovered new authors and new voices at the bookstore-Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen and St. Teresa of Avila. The more I read, the more intrigued I became. Contemplative spirituality seemed to open up a whole new way for me to understand and experience God. I was deeply moved by works like The Cloud of Unknowing, The Dark Night of the Soul and the Early Writings of the Desert Fathers." [From The Third Floor Of The Garage: The Story of TheOOZE by Spencer Burke. Thursday May 1, 2003]
[See What Is Centering Prayer.. Origins and History] The back cover of A Heretics Guide to Eternity [2006] by Spencer Burke carries the following statement by Brian McLaren.. “It’s easy for inquisition-launchers to go on fault finding missions; they have lots of practice and they’re really good at it. What’s more challenging, and regarding this book, much more worthwhile, is to go on a truth-finding mission. And yes, even in a book with ‘heretic’ in the title, I believe any honest reader can find much truth worth seeking.
On the subject of salvation Burke says “Because of an overdeveloped sense of both heaven and hell, many people’s theology is almost obsesses with our afterlife destination. Christianity is all about getting saved from sin and saved from hell, the punishment for sin. But this is a distortion, or at least a reduction, of the Bible’s notion of salvation. The idea of salvation on the Bible encompasses many ideas, including things like bondage and liberation, separation and reconciliation. What it doesn’t mean is “saved from hell” or “get eternal life when you die”. When Jesus said to Zaccheus the tax collector, “Today salvation has come to this house,” I am not sure he meant that Zaccheus was guaranteed a spot in heaven. As my friend Brian McLaren has said, the meaning of salvation in the Bible “varies from passage to passage, but in general, in any context, it means to ‘get out of trouble.’” [A Heretics Guide to Eternity. Page 180]
On sin “The focus on sin is also an issue here… Our common language has lost touch with key theological concepts like sin. It’s not the viable way of connecting people with God that it once was. Sin has become a greatly weakened idea in the hands of the religious because they have made it simply the central cog in the wheel that kicks the salvation machinery into motion. It doesn’t really mean much beyond that”. [A Heretics Guide to Eternity. Page 180-181]
[See Sin and Salvation] One review of A Heretics Guide to Eternity made an especially pertinent point. “In one section, Spencer makes the point that "the message of Jesus is about making connections with each other and rooting the world in the love of God." He then goes on in the subsequent paragraph: "Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you. Treat others as you would have them treat you. These are the kinds of things Jesus said to do, and you don't have to become religious or believe a set of prescribed things about him in order to do them."
Yet, not two pages later, Mr. Burke is doing what is done often in the book, heaping criticism on the fundamentalists, specifically the "narrow and literal interpretation" institutional Christians tend to have of John 14:6. He then writes: "So how do I interpret this particular Scripture? First, Christianity as a religion didn't exist when Jesus spoke these words. Compounding this point are two additional facts: no one actually recorded Jesus' words at the time he spoke them, so we have no proof that they are indeed his words, and what he did say, he said in Aramaic, which means that nothing in the Bible as translated into an other language can be taken literally anyway."
I happened to be on the cross trainer when I read those words, words that followed his "love your enemies" soliloquy not two pages before, and I nearly fell off the damned thing. We are clearly led to believe that when Jesus spoke words that ring true in the ears of the Religious Left, we are all to sit up and listen. Yet when Jesus spoke words that hint of exclusivity, then we must question whether he said the words at all or that if he did, we must surely not be able to take him literally because Jesus spoke Aramaic and that precludes us from reading his words literally. [A review of Spencer Burke's A Heretic's Guide to Eternity. www.brutallyhonest.org]
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Doug Pagitt... ...is pastor of Solomon's Porch in Minneapolis and author of several books including Reimagining Spiritual Formation: A Week in the Life of an Experimental Church. He was one of the speakers at the 2006 National Pastors Convention. [http://www.zondervan.com/media/cms/ZCS/NPCschedule_mh_cms.pdf] and was also involved with the Synagogue 3000 meeting between Emergent Christian and Jewish Leaders. (See paragraph directly above). On a December 07 blog, Pagitt said “In January I am part of a very exciting meeting. There is a counter part to Emergent in the Jewish community - young rabbi practitioners who are pursuing new ways of worship and faith in the world. We are joining together in a meeting that the Synagogue 3000 folks are putting together. It is not an open meeting but one by invitation, but it should be a start to a really great conversation”.
[pagitt.typepad.com/pagittblog/2005/12/emergent_christ.html]
Seeds of Compassion A March 13th, 2008 entry on Doug Pagitt’s blog said I will be part of the Seeds of Compassion event in Seattle April 14-17…. I am extremely excited about this event. Rob Bell is the only other friend who is part of the portion of the event I am part of, but the other panelists look terrific.
So What is Seeds of Compassion? According to the SOC website it was an event… “Anchored by the deep wisdom of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, this community–focused event celebrated and explored the relationships, programs and tools that nurture and empower children, families and communities to be compassionate members of society”. [Emphasis Added]
There are those that would argue that this was a secular event. However the Dalai Lama is unquestionably a religious leader and innumerable sources describe the event as an interfaith event. Not just a conversation between people of different faiths, but an effort to bridge the gap and make spiritual connections. For example one attendee, the Rev Katie M Ladd, a United Methodist Pastor in Seattle, Washington described herself as “fortunate to attend the closing event on Tuesday” and said she spent… [Emphasis Added] … “the whole day listening as the panel discussed compassion, interfaith dialogue and respect, hope in the midst of despair and destruction, and the inviolability of the self”.
For more information [See Rob Bell and Seeds of Compassion] And Footnote on The Dalai Lama
Doug Pagitt and The Bible
In Whatever Happened to The Bible, Roger Oakland said this... “Quoting from his book Church Re-Imagined: The Spiritual Formation of People in Communities of Faith, Pagitt stated: At Solomon’s Porch, sermons are not primarily about extracting truth from the Bible to apply to people’s lives. In many ways the sermon is less a lecture or motivational speech than it is an act of poetry - of putting words around people’s experiences to allow them to find deeper connection in their lives… So our sermons are not lessons that precisely define belief so much as they are stories that welcome our hopes and ideas and participation. [Doug Pagitt, Church Re-Imagined: The Spiritual Formation of People in Communities of Faith, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2005, p. 166]
According to Pagitt, the Bible is not about truth and doctrine but about “hopes and ideas and participation”. Besides, rather than a pastor teaching the Bible, Pagitt believes there should be equal opportunity for everyone to dialogue in order to come to a consensus of what the Bible might be saying. Pagitt writes: To move beyond the passive approach to faith, we’ve tried to create a community that’s more like a potluck: people eat and they also bring something for others. Our belief is built when all of us engage our hopes, dreams, ideas and understandings with the story of God as it unfolds through history and through us. [Doug Pagitt, Church Re-Imagined: The Spiritual Formation of People in Communities of Faith, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2005, p. 167]
This potluck brand of Christianity that tends to take the Bible lightly has some serious flaws from a biblical perspective. While certain parts of the Bible may be read as poetry, there is much more to know than putting words around people’s experiences. The Bible tells us that God is always right and man is almost always wrong. When we rely upon human consensus we will end up with man’s perspective and not God’s revelation. This is a dangerous situation that has the potential to lead people astray”.
In Body Prayer Pagitt says [Emphasis Added] There is a rhythm to life. We find it in the ocean tides, in the rising and setting of the sun, in the beating of our hearts. And there is a rhythm of God—a rhythm that encompasses life, both the life we can readily see and the unseen life of the spirit. The rhythm of God beckons us, guides us, and dwells in us. When we discover the rhythm of God, we find the heart of God, the dreams of God, the will of God. As those who are created in the image of God, we are endowed with this rhythm. We can find it, step into it, and live in it. This is the kingdom of God—to live in sync with the rhythm of God. (Doug Pagitt and Kathryn Prill, Body Prayer, 127) [See The Message of Jesus]
Doug Pagitt and Bono Pagitt says on his blog that he was not a Bono fan, would not have paid to go to a concert and as far as U2 was concerned he couldn’t “help but mouth the phrase "over-rated". However something happened to change his mind. In his words: “Through an email I read an article on the Relevant website of one persons experience at a concert. I can't find the article on the website, but I read it in the email. It is called "How to Dismantle an Idolized Bono". She was disturbed by Bono's call to Coexist (which is as much a marketing effort of a line of products as anything else, it seems to me). But the articles author raises concerns about Bono not being what she thought because of his call for "oneness" and his use of the Coexist logo which included the Crescent Moon, Star of David, and Cross. The article makes statements that made we groan aloud, and yell in frustration a couple of times. It drove me to Bono's side, to come to his defense, to join the Coexist crowd. So, here's to you my man Bono”. (Source)
The article in question talks about the author’s experience at one U2 concert at at Madison Square Garden, in which she made the following statement... “About five songs into their set, Bono stopped the show and strapped on a headband with writing on it. I stared up at the JumboTron to see that the handwritten lettering said: COEXIST.  Coexisting sounds like a great idea. I fully support the peaceful philanthropy that Bono has encouraged, and this seemed like another way that he was trying to spread the message. Except, it started to feel like more than a political message. The “C” in “coexist” was the Islamic crescent moon, the “X” was the Star of David, and the “T” was the cross of Christ. Bono pointed at the symbols on his headband—first to the cross, then to the star, then to the crescent moon—and he began to repeat: “Jesus, Jew, Mohammed—all true. Jesus, Jew, Mohammed—all true.” He repeated the words like a mantra, and some people even began to repeat it with him.”
She goes on to sat that this was devastating and “was, without question, the most disturbing experience” of her life”. Then prays for Bono and “the hearts of the millions of people that he impacts on a daily basis”. that “he would speak the Truth without ambiguity...that the name of Jesus would grace his lips, without being equated with Judaism or Islam or any other religion” What is really scary is that Bono is arguably one of the most influential persons alive, nominated to be the president of the World Bank, and the Nobel Peace Prize. What’s even scarier is that our pastors’ cannot tell the difference between Universalism / Pluralism (both rampant heresy) and ‘marketing efforts’.
Doug Pagitt interview with Ingrid Schlueter:
May 16, 2007 Crosstalk radio program. As quoted on Doug Pagitt A Christian Message? Apprising Ministries. http://www.apprising.org/archives/2008/01/doug_pagitt_sha.html.
Original Source. http://www.crosstalkamerica.com/shows/2007/05/the_emerging_church_movement.php Ingrid Schlueter: So what you’re saying is that the question of whether the Gospel exists in other religions is a thrilling question that we should be asking. Doug Pagitt: I think it’s the biblical question. Yes, I think it’s the right biblical question. I think, I find that you couldn’t read the New Testament without that question being raised and without the answers to it being the answers that we should be paying to; which is there is no culture or religion which holds God in complete isolation or purity. (15:25-15:56)
And then a bit later along the same line: Ingrid Schlueter: So we could interpret what you’re saying as how is God at work; how is the Gospel present within Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism—all of the different religions of the world. Doug Pagitt: Yeah, for sure because—I mean—Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, those are not—I me—they are the right way to say ‘em. They are “isms,” right; so they are a school of thought, and they are also embedded in a particular cultural setting. And so I think someone could say, “yes, I can see how God—how God is expressed, talked about, understood, through these schools of thought.” Which I find to be quite helpful and they’re not all in contrast with my Christianity. (17:05-17:47)
Doug Pagitt and Chris Sheay Incidently Doug Pagitt’s book Reimagining Spiritual Formation: A Week in the Life of an Experimental Church is endorsed on the back cover by Chris Sheay, founding pastor of University Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, and presently pastor of Ecclesia of Houston. Sheay is author of The Gospel According to Tony Soprano (the Soprano crime family is about as godless as you can get on television). A couple of quotes from Pagit’s book. "When people discover we are a church with a yoga class ... they sometimes assume that we're simply out to appeal to the cultural creatives and the neo-hippies." (Reimagining Spiritual Formation. p. 53,). "God also invites us to be re-created and to join the work of God as co-(re)creators." ( Church Re-Imagined, p. 185.
Doug Pagitt and Yoga “In a September 2007 CNN Primetime News interview Doug Pagitt and John MacArthur were asked “Should Christians practice yoga?” As space is limited, I’ll summarize the interview. Doug Pagitt pastors a church that offers CY [Christian Yoga]. During the exchange, he stated that in his view those who practice yoga are looking for a whole, complete and healed life. “Yoga can be a positive thing in our lives,” he asserts. And of all the people he knows who practice yoga, none of them ever found themselves opened up to something negative or demonic or evil. (But Pagitt’s dead wrong! A number of people have been negatively affected by yoga. More on this later.) The host asked Pagitt what Jesus would think about yoga. He replied that even though yoga predates Christ by a few thousand years, He never spoke against it. (What Padgitt seems to forget is that Jesus didn’t speak against a number of things He certainly would have disapproved of.) We also learn from Pagitt that he believes Christianity and yoga are not in competition with each other and are not enemies of one another. And the same goes for Shelley Pagitt. Shelley is the wife of controversial Emerging Church “guru” Doug Pagitt. Shelley will be leading a CY class at Zondervan’s 2008 National Pastors Convention. On the website we discover that attendees are welcome to join Shelley “for a time of prayer, stretching, and meditative reflection as you begin your day at the NPC.” CY is being offered to Church leaders and no one has a problem with it? [Marsha West Can A Pagan Practice Be "Christianized?"]
In regard to Pagitt’s remark about how none of the people he knows that practice Yoga have ever found themselves opened up to something negative or demonic or evil, perhaps he needs to read What Eastern Gurus Say About Occult Practices. In short those who practice the occultism of the East also warn of its dangers. This is why those who seek the so-called "wisdom from the East" frequently get more than they bargained for. Also See Yoga...an ancient path to spiritual growth.
Tony Jones "Emergent doesn't have a position on absolute truth, or on anything for that matter. Do you show up at a dinner party with your neighbors and ask, 'What's this dinner party's position on absolute truth?' No, you don't, because it's a non-sensical question." Tony Jones at the 2005 National Youth Workers Convention
In The Sacred Way Tony Jones, the National Coordinator for Emergent-US, provides us with a list of what he refers to as "Contemplative Approaches to Spirituality." [1] These "spiritual disciplines" would be: "Silence and Solitude, Sacred Reading, The Jesus Prayer, Centering Prayer, Meditation, The Ignatian Examen, Icons, Spiritual Direction, and The Daily Office." In Why is the Emerging Church drawn to deconstructive theology?" March 26, 2007, Tony Jones says the following … I am quite convinced that the Bible is a subversive text, that it constantly undermines our assumptions, transgresses our boundaries, and subverts our comforts. This may sound like academic mumbo-jumbo, but I really mean it. I think the Bible is a f***ing scary book (pardon my French, but that's the only way I know how to convey how strongly I feel about this). [http://churchandpomo.typepad.com/conversation/2007/03/why_is_the_emer.html]
[More On Tony Jones.]
Marcus Borg
In the summer of 2006 McLaren will be speaking in Portland, Oregon at the Center for Spiritual Development with interspiritualist Marcus Borg. Marcus Borg, author of eleven books [whose work has been translated into seven languages], is described by The New York Times as "a leading figure among the new generation of Jesus scholars,". Describing himself as both a historical Jesus scholar and a Christian, Borg is a member of the infamous Jesus Seminar who focuses on the gospels as a “developing tradition”. The conference, titled The Church in the 21st Century, will take place at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral on June 14th - 16th. McLaren reveals his admiration for Borg in his recent interview and on his website (www.brianmclaren.net/archives/000487.html) says he has "high regard" for Borg and finds find his work “helpful and important in many ways”. He adds that Borg’s “newest book, The Last Week (with Dominic Crossan) is very informative and useful, and shows that so-called liberals do indeed take the Bible very seriously, contrary to what many of my evangelical friends think”. This word from Lighthouse Trails Research.. “…And yet, Borg is clearly against the Atonement and the doctrine of the Cross. In Borg's book, The God We Never Knew, he states he is "a Christian of a nonliteralistic and nonexclusivistic kind" (p. viii). In plain terms, this means he does not believe the Bible should be taken literally nor does he believe that Jesus Christ is the only avenue through which man can obtain salvation. Of contemplative prayer, Borg says, "I learned about the use of mantras as a means of giving the mind something to focus and refocus on as it sinks into the silence" (p. 125). Borg goes so far as to say that Jesus Himself "would have been shocked at the suggestion that he was divine" and puts Him in a category with Buddha and Mohammed.”
[See Did Jesus Claim To Be God] A second book by Marcus Borg is entitled Reading the Bible Again For the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously But Not Literally. An Editorial Review by Michael Joseph Gross on amazon.com says the book is… “…written for lay people whose faith has been frustrated by their misapprehension that fundamentalism's claim to be the one true faith is valid. Borg, a professor of religion at Oregon State University, describes an alternative to fundamentalists' so-called "literal" readings of scripture. (He believes that such "literal-factual" readings do not live up to that description, and that the limitations of such readings have alienated many people who would otherwise remain part of the church.) Borg calls his alternative "historical-metaphorical" reading, a way of "taking the Bible seriously without taking it literally."
Alan Jones On the back cover of Reimagining Christianity Brian McLaren says “… Alan Jones is a pioneer in reimaging Christian faith that emerges from authentic spirituality. His work stimulates and encourages me deeply” []
Which is interesting in light of McLarens claims to uphold historic creeds and Alan Jones’ mindset regarding key issues of the church. On pages 167-168 of the book Alan Jones says [All Emphasis Added] “To some, the cross is an unwelcome symbol of where Christians have gone off track… The other thread of just criticism addresses the suggestion implicit in the cross that Jesus’ sacrifice was to appease an angry God. Penal substitution was the name of this vile doctrine. I don’t doubt for one moment the power of sin and evil in the world or the power of sacrificial love as their antidote and the peculiar power of the cross of forgiveness and restoration, but making God vengeful, all in the name of justice, has left thousands of souls deeply wounded and lost to the church forever.
He goes on to say “What does the image of the cross mean to me? It is a sign of the necessary crucifixion of idealogies in the face of concrete human experience- the crucifixion of power plays, the crucifixion of a god we think we can conceptually control. It is also a sign of humanity’s need to find someone to blame or it’s ills. When we suffer or are threatened we look for scapegoats… The cross speaks directly to this dark issue of scapegoating... In calling the victim Lord, Christianity is weird, and we have lost touch with the strangeness of it”.
These are some more excerpts from Reimagining Christianity (all Emphasis Added) "The Church's fixation on the death of Jesus as the universal saving act must end, and the place of the cross must be reimagined in Christian faith. Why? Because of the cult of suffering and the vindictive God behind it." (Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity p. 132) "The image of the child Jesus sitting on the Buddha's lap appeals to me and captures the spirit of this book. It is an image of the Kingdom. "The Kingdom" is a sort of shorthand signifying an inclusive community of faith, love and justice." (Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity p. 12) "The phrase, 'I am a practicing Christian but not a believing Christian' is extraordinarily wise." (Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity p. 16 ) "Christianity as a set of beliefs doesn't work for me. At the same time, I acknowledge the need for ritual and celebration in my life and find fulfillment and joy in many traditional practices. I light candles and ask for the prayers of the saints.... These disciplines ... do not require me to believe literally in angels and the Virgin Birth." (Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity p. 31). “The Roman Catholic writer James Carroll certainly thinks so. He believes that we have made the sacred mistake of putting the cross at the center of Christianity in the wrong way. Carroll insists that Catholics must not only "reverently and silently" remove the cross from Auschwitz but, far more fundamentally, must remove the cross from the center of Christianity. The Church's fixation on the death of Jesus as the universal saving act must end, and the place of the cross must be reimagined in Christian faith. Why? Because of the cult of suffering and the vindictive God behind it.” (Alan Jones, p. 132 Reimagining Christianity). "The other thread of just criticism addresses the suggestion implicit in the cross that Jesus' sacrifice was to appease an angry god. Penal substitution [the Cross] was the name of this vile doctrine."—p. 168 (Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity p. 132) “Such writing disturbs our inherited certainties and, for some, seems to mean the total dismantling of traditional Christianity. It also invites us to learn a new language. Many Christians have come to see that the very foundational documents of Christianity are polluted (St. John's gospel in particular, with its insistent mantra of the Jews, the Jews, the Jews as responsible for opposing and killing Jesus). This language must go. Believers are being challenged in their understanding of who and what Jesus thought he was. This is good. This doesn't mean that I agree with Carroll in every particular, but I do think that basic beliefs should always be open to reimagining” (Alan Jones, p. 132 Reimagining Christianity). “Duffy is right when he insists: The cross is not some arbitrary demand of God imposed on a hapless victim. . . but a marker where human beings find them- selves, at the intersection of justice and mercy, time and eternity, death and life. All of which, of course, is the language of myth: but myth is the coin of religion, which makes sense of our world by telling such stories.” (Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity p. 133 ). “The goal of the converted life is to find God in all things and is based on the conviction of the unity of reality. Everything is connected” (p. 200). “Jesus and Buddha have this in common with all great spiritual teachers-- to make human beings more conscious of themselves” (Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity p. 194).
So who is Alan Jones? The short answer is that he is an interspiritualist and a mystic… Also the dean of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Grace Cathedral reminds me of a hornets nest… chock a block full of dangerous little creatures that you need to stay well away from, or suffer the consequences. Apart from Alan Jones, Grace Cathedral also promotes… Labyrinths: Grace Cathedral is home to The Reverend Dr. Lauren Artress, founder of Veriditas …the Voice of the Labyrinth Movement. Artress, who does not disguise her contempt for “fundamentalism” and the “religious right,” whose “literal interpretation of the Bible . . . breeds small-mindedness and mean-spiritedness.” [See Labyrinths] United Religions Initiative (URI): Rev. William Swing of Grace Episcopal Cathedral relates how the UN first contacted him in 1993 about heading up a worship celebration on its behalf: “Three and a half years ago, a telephone call arrived in San Francisco from the United Nations asking if we, at Grace Cathedral, would host a great interfaith worship service honoring the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter in our city.” This request is allegedly what prompted Swing to become involved in the United Religions Initiative (URI). He continues, “I got out of bed the next day determined to commit the rest of my life to an initiative that would create a United Religions which would, in appropriately spiritual ways, parallel the United Nations.” [See The Interfaith Agenda]
Living Spiritual Teachers Project Alan Jones is a member of the Living Spiritual Teachers Project along with [the group consists of some 80 individuals] Marianne Williamson (See critique of her book A Return To Love), Marcus J. Borg (Jesus scholar and fellow of The Jesus Seminar), Brother David Steindl-Rast: (Benedictine monk and hospitable pioneer in Christian-Buddhist dialogue), Sharon Salzberg (Buddhist cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society), Andrew Harvey ( persuasive presenter of the nurturing presence of the Sacred Feminine)and Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese monk, poet, scholar, and retreat leader) [See Thomas Merton and Thich Nhat Hanh]. Lawrence Kushner (Jewish rabbi, scholar, and commentator and wise and witty teacher of the spiritual practice of mystery, Thomas Keating: (Catholic abbot and participant in multifaith dialogues and co-founder of the Centering Prayer movement) and Neil Douglas-Klotz (Sufi Founder of the worldwide network of the Dances of Universal Peace, now based in Seattle, WA). Quaker and Evangelical leader, Richard Foster, has recently been added to the list. [Also See A Look at Richard J. Foster’s Celebration of Discipline HERE] BTW: Thomas Keating “... is a significant voice in the dialogue in our time. Keating has met and spoken with the Dalai Lama on at least six or seven occasions. He has grasped the subtleties of Buddhist spirituality, and has entered into long and fruitful dialogues with Buddhist teachers at the Naropa Institute, a Tibetan Buddhist graduate school in Boulder, Colorado. Some years ago, he established the Snowmass Conference, composed of fifteen members, each of whom is a spiritual teacher in one of the world religions. They have been engaged in significant conversations since the early eighties, and produced what they call The Guidelines for Interreligious Understanding, the fruit of their long deliberations and mutual sharings”. (www.consciouschoice.com/1995-98/cc116/bridginginfinite1106.html) See more about Thomas Keating And Footnote on the Dalai Lama The goal of this group of about twenty-five of the Living Spiritual Teachers Project is to destroy the belief that Jesus Christ is the only way for redemption and to integrate other world religious beliefs into Christianity. For those who may wonder if this could possibly be true, take a look at the Living Spiritual Teacher's poster child - Wayne Teasdale... Wayne Teasdale has been described as: • teacher of the unity among the world's religions
• founding member of the Board of Trustees of the Parliament of the World's Religions
• lay monk who combined Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism in the way of the Christian sannyasa (www.spiritualityhealth.com/newsh/items/blank/item_9272.html) Link is no longer valid.
He is said the have been.. ... initiated into sannyasa--renunciation, the way of the solitary monk--by Dom Bede Griffiths, who was for many years the director and spiritual guide of the famous Shantivanam Ashram in south India. Teasdale ... enlarged the program and ambitions of this new monasticism by leaps and bounds in opting for an intermonastic life--that of a solitary monk drawing nourishment from all tradition... " (Details)
In Bridging the Infinite Christians and Buddhists in Conversation, Wayne Teasdale says the following: "The British historian Arnold Toynbee once remarked to a Buddhist thinker, Daisaku Ikeda, that the most significant event of our period in history is the meeting between Buddhism and Christianity. These prophetic words are often quoted in various forums around the world devoted to the encounter between these two venerable traditions. These two traditions are so different that this is a momentous suggestion. If Christianity can be taken as representative of all theistic traditions, and it is related creatively and fruitfully with Buddhism, a non-theistic religion, and somehow their differences can be reconciled, then all the faiths can similarly be brought into harmony. If they can maintain their mutual openness, trust, and respect in dialogue in the decades ahead, such a breakthrough will become a reality".... "It was Bede Griffiths who inspired my own desire to go to India. He and I had corresponded since 1973, and we met for the first time in 1979, then in 1983. With his encouragement, I drank profusely from the well of Indian mysticism, then discovered the Buddhist tradition firsthand. In April, 1988, I took part in a Buddhist/Christian monastic dialogue, which lasted a bit more than 70 minutes. Through this conversation, I met the Dalai Lama for the first time, and I remember vividly the impression I had on that extraordinary day: in our meeting, through us, Christ and the Buddha are also meeting". (Details)
Message by Alan Jones Entitled "Who Is God?"
From 30 Good Minutes, a weekly ecumenical and interfaith program on WTTW 11 (PBS) in Chicago. In the beginning, before there were any beginnings and endings, there was no place that was not already God! And we call this unimaginable openness, "Ain Soph" - Being-without end. Then came the urge to give life to our world and to us. But there was no place that was not already God. So "Ain Soph" breathed in to make room, like a father steps back so his child will walk to him. Into the emptiness "Ain Soph" set vessels and began to fill them with divine light, as a mother places bowls in which to pour her delicious soup. As the light poured forth, a perfect world was being created! Think of it! A world without greed and cruelty and violence! But then, something happened. The bowls shattered. No one knows why. Perhaps the bowls were too frail? Perhaps the light too intense? Perhaps "Ain Soph" was learning. After all, no one makes perfect the first time. And with the shattering of the bowls, divine sparks flew everywhere! Some rushing back to "Ain Soph," some falling, falling, trapped in the broken shards to become our world, and us. Though this is hard to believe, the perfect world is all around us, but broken into jagged pieces, like a puzzle thrown to the floor, the picture lost, each piece without meaning, until someone puts them back together again. We are that someone. There is no one else. We are the ones who can find the broken pieces, remember how they fit together and rejoin them. This is the repairing of the world -- the mending of creation. In every moment, with every act, we can heal our world and us. We are all holy sparks dulled by separation. But when we meet, and talk and eat and make love, when we work and play and disagree with holiness in our eyes, seeing "Ain Soph" everywhere, then our brokenness will end, and our bowls will be strong enough to hold the light, and our light will be gentle enough to fill the bowls. As we repair the world together, we will learn that there is no place that is not God! This generous and open-hearted God is not as alive and well in our world as one might think. What we call "God" is sometimes little more than a makeshift idol of our fears and prejudices. In fact, the word "God" has a tortuous history! It is a revelation and a threat to some people that the idea of God has changed over time. We find it difficult to understand that the statement, `I believe in God' has no "objective" meaning. It only means something in context, when proclaimed by a particular community. (Details)
Remember that This is the man of whom Brian McLaren says “...Alan Jones is a pioneer in reimagining a Christian faith..”) And in an interview With Lydia Talbot (On The Same Page). Talbot: Unfortunately, the story of the Christian faith is often misperceived, distorted and maligned. How is it in today's culture that people can discern the difference between a shallow theology and a larger one that you talk about? Jones: I think a lot of it has to do with the approach to, for example, the Creed. When I was growing up, a monk who influenced me greatly changed my whole view of what the Creed is by saying, "You know, they are the chapter headings of a love story. If you look at each segment of the Creed, instead of seeing it as an explanation or some difficult pill to swallow, you see it as the chapter heading for a tremendous story about how madly in love with the world God is." Talbot: You are not only in love with the United States and with the spirituality that you transmit, you are doing exciting things in San Francisco at Grace Cathedral, with the performing arts and music. Tell a little bit about how you are going to approach the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. Jones: Well, that is exciting. We have been asked by the United Nations Fiftieth Committee to have an inter-faith service on Sunday, June 25, 1995, the 26th of June being the fiftieth anniversary. Lots of things are going to be coming to San Francisco for that event and, of course, there will be other events later on in New York City. We want to draw the inter-faith community to celebrate their traditions and ask questions about how can we become one human family. There is so much to divide us, so much polarization.
Dave Fleming
McLaren has also endorsed an even more disturbing book... Dave Fleming's The Seeker's Way. McLaren writes: "I'm a huge fan of all Dave Fleming's work. He's brilliant for starters, and more - he's an energetic and engaging writer who lives what he writes about. I'm especially enthusiastic about 'The Seekers' Way' because it presents an approach to spiritual life and growth that is accessible to everyone and gives resources both to the beginner and the seasoned seeker." (http://www.theseekersway.com/pages/2/index.htm)
On the back cover Brian McLaren says “Seekers are not meant to travel alone.’ The Seeker’s Way provides rich interviews with several sage traveling companions. At the end of each chapter, you’ll feel, as I did, that you’ve just had a leisurely and meaningful conversation with two charming, winsome people—the interviewee and the author himself." [Brian McLaren, pastor, Cedar Ridge Community Church; author, A New Kind of Christian; and fellow, Emergent]
Dave Fleming describes himself as “a spiritual seeker, leadership coach and organizational midwife. He works with businesses, churches, non-profit organizations and individuals to help them express the inherent greatness that lies within.” (http://www.theseekersway.com/pages/5/index.htm. Emphasis added) “The Seeker’s Way brings hope to people who are longing for a deeper, more mysterious expression of their faith and who want to remain connected to a tradition that often lacks depth. In the book, Fleming interviews spiritual seekers as Marcus Borg, Lauren Winner, Wayne Teasdale, Alan Jones, Joan Chittister, Phil Gulley, and Jim Mulholland. Their thoughts and stories provide a rich texture to Fleming’s own insights into the cultivation of a spiritual life”. (http://www.theseekersway.com).
NOTE: Most of the people listed as being interviewed by Fleming are members of Living Spiritual Teachers Project, mentioned above in connection with Alan Jones author of the book Reimagining Christianity. There is more on Wayne Teasdale in the section just above. Dave is an organizational midwife. He works with organizations and churches around the country to assist in the birth of greater organizational effectiveness, more dynamic organizational systems and leadership development. His unique style assists organizations to transform conflict into the raw materials of change. (http://www.davefleming.org/pages/3/index.htm)
An organizational midwife?? Let’s see what Fleming is helping give birth to.. In The Seeker's Way Fleming openly admits his belief that Christianity is limiting and that other belief systems can also lead to God. The product description of The Seeker’s Way says it [Emphasis Added] “…brings hope to all who are longing for deeper considerations of what it means to connect with the divine. It serves as a guide to those who want to open themselves more fully to meaning, authenticity, and wholeness”.
Fleming also states “A seeker admits the limits of particular belief systems and acknowledges that God is far bigger than any human being’s conceptions.” “The path of Jesus does not lead so much to assurance as to adventure and transformation.”
Interesting since my Bible says just the opposite using the very same word… assurance. For we have become partakers of Christ, if truly we hold the beginning of the assurance firm to the end; [Hebrews 3:14] But we desire each of you to show the same eagerness, to the full assurance of the hope to the end; [Hebrews 6:11]
One of the book reviews of The Seeker's Way says…. (misspelling in original) “Drawing allusions and references from Buddhist monks, Hindus, and Muslims, as well as Christian luminaries such as Brother Lawrence and St. Augustine, Flemming encourages believers to get into relationship with others from different faith traditions. Establishing a seeker's group is one way, and to that end, Flemming includes an epilogue on starting a seeker's group. Those who embrace emergent voices and are not afraid of other faith traditions will find this book salve to the soul. Jesus in the lotus position will not encourage staunch traditionalists. It will, however, reveal much to those who can endure the discomfort of facing other faith traditions.
The discomfort of facing other faith traditions??? I am afraid there is nothing uncomfortable about facing other faith traditions, other than the fact that one knows that they are unsaved.. condemned to death. That does make me very uncomfortable. Whoops! but one must not forget that “He (Fleming) knows the location of every Starbucks in the country, and which ones have T-Mobile Hotspots”. (From his site)
That has to count for something.
Richard Foster
One of the pioneers of the Emerging Church movement is perhaps the best known Quaker in the world today. “In 1978, Quaker Richard J. Foster authored the very popular Celebration of Discipline (New York: Harper and Row, 1978). The book, together with the film series, was widely popularized. In the book, Foster promotes the inner healing experience, claiming that he learned it from Agnes Sanford (p. 137). He also encouraged the visualization of Bible stories and becoming active participants in the biblical events. In so doing, as he put it "you can actually encounter the living Christ in this event, be addressed by his voice and be touched by his healing power. It can be more than an exercise of the imagination; it can be a genuine confrontation. Jesus Christ will actually come to you (p. 26)”. (Don Matzat Source)
Also "[W]e must be willing to go down into the recreating silences, into the inner world of contemplation. In their writings, all of the masters of meditation strive to awaken us to the fact that the universe is much larger than we know, that there are vast unexplored inner regions that are just as real as the physical world we know so well. They tell us of exciting possibilities for new life and freedom. They call us to the adventure, to be pioneers in this frontier of the Spirit." (Celebration of Discipline, 1980, p. 13.)
However In his book Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, he said "I also want to give a word of precaution. In the silent contemplation of God we are entering deeply into the spiritual realm, and there is such a thing as a supernatural guidance," he explains. "While the Bible does not give us a lot of information on that, there are various orders of spiritual beings, and some of them are definitely not in cooperation with God and his way! … But for now I want to encourage you to learn and practice prayers of protection."
Which is extremely strange. Why in the world would I put myself in a position to have to fend for myself in an unknown spiritual realm surrounded by spiritual beings that are “not in cooperation with God and his way”? What good are “prayers of protection” when we are disobeying God by venturing into the spiritual realm. Read Article on Richard Foster and Renovaré Also See What Eastern Gurus Say About Occult Practices
Those who practice the occultism of the East also warn of its dangers. This is why those who seek the so-called "wisdom from the East" frequently get more than they bargained for.
Richard Foster and Renovaré, Foster is the founder of Renovaré, which "is committed to working for the renewal of the Church of Jesus Christ in all her multifaceted expressions." However “Renovaré is an international, New Age, ecumenical organization that emanates from the religious traditions of Quakerism, whose message is that today's Church is missing out on some wonderful spiritual experiences that can only be found by studying and practicing the "meditative" and "contemplative" lifestyle "of early Christianity." In actuality, Renovaré espouses the use of the early pagan traditions of guided imagery and visualization, astral projection, "Zen" prayer techniques for meditation (i.e., Buddhism), and Jungian psychology (i.e., a blend of Eastern mysticism and Roman Catholic mystical spiritual tradition, which nicely fits the New Age model), all as means of obtaining "personal spiritual renewal" in the lives of believers”. The Renovaré Bible includes the Apocrypha and declares that “Most of the Church throughout much of history has accepted the Deuterocanonicals as Scripture….” The Renovaré Bible introduces what it calls “Spiritual Disciplines” to help one’s “spiritual formation.” Neither term is found in the Bible The Renovaré Bible honors Catholic heretics and occultists as “saints” and their writings as a framework within which to understand Scripture. The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola are endorsed even though they involve occult techniques that have caused many to be demonized. The Renovaré explanatory notes deny the Divine authorship of much of Scripture—even that Moses wrote the Pentateuch. Read Article
Richard Foster and Thomas Merton Richard Foster cites and/or quotes Thomas Merton on at least nine separate occasions in his 1998 book Celebration of Discipline and considers Thomas Merton’s book Contemplative Prayer as being: “priceless wisdom for all Christians who long to go deeper in the spiritual life.” "Thomas Merton has perhaps done more than any other twentieth-century figure to make the life of prayer widely known and understood ... his interest in contemplation led him to investigate prayer forms in Eastern religion ...[he is] a gifted teacher ..." (Spiritual Classics - p.17) “A must book,” Spiritual Classics, p. 17.
Yet Merton was not a Christian. He was a twentieth-century Roman Catholic who claimed he saw no contradiction between Buddhism and Christianity. Even Henry Nouwen describes Merton as being heavily influenced by Hindu monks. (Pray to Live page 19 – 28). [More on Thomas Merton] Richard Foster and Tilden Edward In Celebration Of Discipline Foster also recommends several other books that are “helpful” to read. He heartily endorses Tilden Edward’s book, Spiritual Friend. Edward’s is founder of the Shalem Prayer Institute in Washington, DC. (All Emphasis Added) “This mystical stream (contemplative prayer and other monastic traditions) is the Western bridge to Far Eastern spirituality (and to that of Sufis Moslems …); This exchange, together with the more popular Eastern impact in the West through transcendental meditation, Hatha Yoga, the martial arts, and through many available courses on Eastern religions in universities, has aided a recent rediscovery of Christian apophatic mystical tradition …” (Tilden Edward, Spiritual Friend. Pages 18, 19) “Thomas Merton in many ways helped pave the way for recent serious Christian investigation of these potential Eastern contributions.” (Tilden Edward, Spiritual Friend. Page 164) “The new ecumenism involved here is not between Christian and Christian but between Christians and the grace of other intuitively deep religious traditions.” (Tilden Edward, Spiritual Friend. Page 72).
Richard Foster and Thomas Kelly In Streams of Living Water Richard Foster quotes Thomas Kelly in the beginning of chapter two “Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, …”
Richard Foster and Ignatius of Loyola Richard Foster promotes teachings by Ignatius of Loyola, A Jesuit Priest: Ignatius of Loyola in his spiritual exercises constantly encouraged his readers to visualise the gospel stories. every contemplation he gave was designed to open the imagination. He even included a meditation entitled "application of the senses," which is an attempt to help us utilise all five senses as we picture the Gospel events. His thin volume of meditation exercises with its stress on the imagination and tremendous impact for good upon the sixteenth century." ("Celebration of Discipline" page 22.) (Emphasis added.)
And teaches that we can bring Jesus into our presence by the use of the imagination: "As you enter the story, not as passive observer but as an active participant, remember that since Jesus lives in the Eternal Now and is not bound by time, this event in the past is a living present-tense experience for him. hence, you can actually encounter the living Christ in the event, be addressed by his voice and be touched by his healing power. it can be more than an exercise of the imagination it can be a genuine confrontation, Jesus Christ will actually come to you." (Celebration of Discipline., p.26. (Emphasis in original.)
About which Albert James Dager correctly says.. "One can no more actually bring Jesus into his presence through such figments of one's imagination than a Catholic priest can change wine into the actual blood of Jesus. The Lord cannot be manipulated by our whims of fancy. And contrary to Foster's mystical ruminations, Jesus exists at the right hand of the Father during this present time. Those who think of eternity as "timeless" do not understand the reality of God's nature or of His domain. Time does exist in eternity, and I would challenge Foster to show us from Scripture where this is not true."
Richard Foster and John Wimber Foster commends John Wimber's honesty in the forward to Power Healing. He affirms Wimber's apostolic role and claims that "Divine Center" is an Eastern mystical term, meaning "God is a universal consciousness, residing within everyone, guiding them on the path to evolutionary perfection." More About John Wimber and The Vineyard
And Finally One Readers Comments His books “are arrayed with quotes and instructions from New Age teachers who are well versed in the beliefs and agenda of the occultists. Although many of his musings and enthusiastic devotions are “pleasant” to read, indeed quite inspiring to those who are unaware of the traps, they either directly contradict the Bible, or lead into demonic possession. When I read “Celebration of Discipline” for the first time, many years ago now, I was strangely moved by it, until my eyes were opened by the Holy Spirit. It seemed “spiritual” and seemed to promise a new way of living. Foster seems to present deep love of Christ in his teaching. Some of the book is just common sense, such as the teaching about living a simpler life-style, being less concerned about material possessions. But, the “good” is vastly out-weighed by the questionable sources and lead-in to the spirituality of the New Age”. (A Critique On The Ministry Of Richard Foster. (Wendy Howard, editor of Despatch magazine, Queensland, Australia).
More About Richard Foster
End Notes [1] http://legacy.pastors.com/RWMT/?ID=117 [2] http://legacy.pastors.com/RWMT/?ID=125 Page on file [3] http://legacy.pastors.com/RWMT/printerfriendly.asp?issue=247&wholething=1. Page on file [4] Chop Tops bringing rockabilly here By Gerald M. Gay Tucson, Arizona | Published: 07.05.2007. http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/ent_index/190280.php [5] Dan Kimball, The Emerging Church, page. 223 [6] Dan Kimball. A–maze–ing Prayer.. The labyrinth offers ancient meditation for today's hurried souls. http://web.archive.org/web/20041019214503/www.vintagefaith.com/artilces/labyrinth.html FootNote The Dalai Lama... Not exactly what he says he is and certainly not what he is popularly made out to be. There is something very sinister behind this smiling ‘Man of Peace”. He believes in and teaches on the coming of the Maitreya.. and has initiated thousands of people into the Kalachakra initiation, part of which is the Shambhala myth which prophecies and promotes, on an ideological basis, a “holy war” (Shambhala war) by Buddhists against non-Buddhists, in which “supremely ferocious warriors will throw down the barbarian hordes” and “eliminate” them. The Kalachakra texts say that the 25th Kalki king will emerge from Shambhala with a huge army to vanquish "Dark Forces" and usher in a worldwide thousand-year Golden Age. And who are these ‘Dark Forces’? Shri Kalachakra I. 154 says “Adam, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mani, Mohammed and the Mahdi” are characterised as the “family of the demonic snakes” | 
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