The RADEN Report           October 15, 2000

Rome And Daughters Ecumenical News

Making the right move... LifeWay pulls Weigh Down materials

Christian booksellers received a rude awakening recently when they discovered that they were promoting the best-selling publications of a woman who denied the deity of Jesus Christ. With questions about her doctrinal beliefs surfacing in July, Weigh Down founder Gwen Shamblin posted information on her “ministry’s” website on September 15, indicating that she believes “Jesus and God are two separate beings” and that much of what Christians believe about the Trinity is “man-made Trinity teaching.”

Since that time, churches around the country have discontinued using Shamblin’s materials, Thomas Nelson Publishers canceled publication of her next book, and LifeWay Christian Bookstores announced that it will no longer carry Weigh Down materials. Thomas Nelson Publishers has been clear that this action was made necessary because of “the recent controversy created by [Mrs. Shamblin’s] doctrinal position.”

To discontinue promoting, publishing, and selling the materials of Gwen Shamblin... this is making the right move. To do this with public explination is simply to responsibly admit to an honest mistake in promoting this woman’s credibility.

It is amazing to think that perverted doctrine can come into our churches and into our lives through a weight-loss program! And it’s sobering to consider that so many churches and even the SBC’s LifeWay Christian Resources agency could be responsible for promoting the credibility of someone teaching false doctrine.

The world needs to see more of this sort of seriousness about biblical truth, this demonstration of responsibility by Christian leaders and institutions.

Spiritual Adultery in the Public Square... Hindu priest as guest chaplain in U.S. Congress

Another demonstration of biblical Christian responsibility is found in the October 7 issue of WORLD Magazine. In an unusually bold editorial, Deputy Managing Editor Timothy Lamer stands up for the Truth and against the error of what he labels “Spiritual adultery, A case of infidelity in the public square.”

“On Sept. 14, a joint session of the U.S. House and Senate basically bowed down to Baal,” says Lamer. A Hindu priest from Ohio had been asked to serve as guest chaplain and bring the invocation. (Invoke-ation... now, just which god would a Hindu “invoke” anyway?)

 Is bowing to Baal worse than presenting another “Christian” gospel?

Editing a workbook is not the answer to giving credibility to someone who has endorsed another gospel.

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