A Christmas Kiss from Heaven

I received an odd Christmas blessing this morning. I drifted off to sleep with the prayer that God would bind me to Him and help me correctly discern everything that it is He would have me do. I prayed that I would not be like the Church at Ephesus of whom He Who was alive, dead and alive forevermore said had lost their First Love.

I spent the wee hours of the night posting what I had copied of the all the critical Amazon online reviews of the Passionate Housewives book onto my other website, after receiving many emails about their disappearance.  All this on the eve of the celebration and remembrance of our Savior’s Birth. It certainly was not what I picked as an ideal Christmas Eve activity.

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My Favorite Advent Meditation

Sixteen years ago, just a few weeks before my second Christmas as my husband's wife, I listened to TL Osborn on a Christian talk-show. He's a Pentecostal who looks both adorable and sinister all at the same time -- a fiery preacher of short stature with red hair, moustache and beard. He reminds me of the type of preaching I remember from my youth -- the type of preaching that is not so frequently heard anymore. I always found him to be adorable and felt a deep sense of love for him -- watching him on the little box in my living room.

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That afternoon, he gave a short and simple message, explaining how the Annunciation can apply to every believer -- perhaps the most profound Christmas message that I have yet to hear. He explained, ever so simply, that like the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, the Holy Spirit comes upon us, the Power of the Highest overshadows us and puts the Word of the Lord into our hearts. Through the Holy Seed of the Word of God that He grafts into our hearts, that which is born of our intimacy with Him brings forth Christ in our lives. All we need to say is "Be it unto me according to Your Word, Oh Lord." I knelt down on the living room floor and wept.

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"Guilt by Association" or "Behavior Unbecoming a Teacher of the Gospel"?

Kinism, an ideology associated with “neo-Confederate, Christian Reconstructionist Nationalists,” defines most simply as a love for one’s own race and ethnicity. 

The Kinism.net / Occidental Christianity website displays this title banner across every page: “Nurturing families and nourishing ethnic identity and biblical liberty. 

Kinism.net fosters cultural antithesis for White Christians.” In their online article entitled “What is Kinism and Why Does it Matter?”, the author makes the following statements:

In the attempt to create a one world, neo-Babylonian government, a loosely organized but relentless campaign is now underway throughout the world to eradicate racial and ethnic distinctions. White Christians are the foremost targets of this campaign….

We at Kinism.net believe that our White peoples have an inalienable, that is, God-given right and duty to seek their own prosperity and existence as distinct nations, apart from all other genetic and ethnic families….

Nevertheless, we stand or fall with no other but the White peoples of Europe, and their standards of beauty, their cultural achievements, the achievements of their civilization, established through the confluence of pagan and Christian traditions, are both irreplaceable and vital to our survival as a people.

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Perception: A Major Problem for Patriarchy

"Escaping Criticism" by Pere Borrell del Caso)

Patriarchy seems to be an outgrowth of Christian Reconstruction which is largely spearheaded by Calvinistic and Reformed groups. Patriarchy is not monolithic by any stretch of the imagination and crosses many denominational bounds however, patriarchy is not limited to Reformed Theology. Because so many different groups and ideologies have contributed to what is now understood to be so-called “Biblical patriarchy,” it can be difficult to sort through. The tension that exists as a consequence of religious freedom in the United States contributes to this problem. 

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May the Lord Alone Rise Again (Neither North nor South)

I believe that truth emerges and vindicates itself, especially for those who have faith in God. In that sense, not much if anything can ultimately work against truth. As a Christian, that is my first and foremost desire – to know the truth and be set free, more and more. But perception is a tricky thing, whenever it appears contradictory and paradoxical, and from different perspectives, the truth can look very different. 

I drove through a bank the other day, and noted how different the bank looked from the front and from the back. To hear a man in the front of the bank describe the entrance and then to hear another man describe the drive through teller lanes, one might be confused or believe that both men could not be speaking of the same building. 

Is either man wrong? Is either man a “tale bearer”? The wise one would say not. Without self assurance or trust in the truth, one man might easily call another a liar and be completely truthful based on his own understanding.

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Getting Back on the Same Page

[Late entry/addendum 21Dec07 AM: I have been asked to make a qualifying statement, so as not to misinterpret the and make false associations regarding the League of the South. My point in mentioning specific groups or individuals who argue for Dominionist or Christian Reconstructionists views as a source for knowledge about the League was meant to highlight that the knowledge came from a source that was viewed by us to be completely reputable and reasonable. It was because of our trust in the integrity of certain key persons or organizations that we trusted in the integrity of the other organizations that they would have recommended many years ago. I am now of the conviction that one is in error to argue slavery or to use other statements from those who advocated for slavery such as RL Dabney without a qualifying statement that repudiates the practice of slavery. Gary DeMar is one example of someone who does so online in qualifying articles about Dabney. Many of these groups or affiliated individuals many actually do so. My germane point references the Dominionist and other Chiristian Reconstructionists as trustworthy sources and not to imply racial related impropriety. My apologies to not stating this more clearly initially. /CMK]

Coming out of spiritual abusive systems is not an easy process. I spoke with someone a few weeks ago who mentioned to me how she and her husband are on different pages in their process of recovery. After writing my last post here, I find myself thinking about that conversation with her.

My cultic church loved Gothard’s material, but they were also strongly influenced by Christian Growth Ministries and New Wine magazine. The church had an elder who participated in Bob Mumford’s ministry (one of the Ft. Lauderdale Five), and Bob participated with Chalcedon. We already supported the Tax Payers Party and American Vision through listening to Marlin Maddox on the radio. I enjoyed some of the Chalcedon material to which our elder introduced us , but when we left that Shepherding/Discipleship church, I wanted to stop support of Chalcedon. I didn’t want anything in our house with the word “Covenant” written on it, quite frankly.

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Not Just Whistling Dixie

Life is a journey. I’ve used the term “learning curve” about half a dozen times this past week, as it is a big part of life’s journey. Maybe that's one of our greatest purposes, progressing along on the curve. I know that in discussing matters of differing Christian doctrine, I stated to someone recently that none of us has a corner on truth, and the real challenge in life is leaving our lives with a whole lot less heresy than when we entered into it. Discernment comes through experience, and our responsibility to exercise it always presses us.

Learning the skill of balance between the innocence of a dove and the wisdom of a serpent takes a great deal of work that never ends for the Christian. I’ve come full circle on the “Kinism learning curve” and the emerging Occidental Christianity. I had no clue.

My husband, a graduate of a Southern college with training under one of the most renowned historians regarding the War Between the States, was quite taken by the initial concepts of “League of the South.” He took the mission and purpose of the organization prima facie, believing that this was an organization that fought for state rights, opposed governmental tyranny, defended agrarian freedoms and promoted Christianity. I came of age at a time when Christian conspiracy theories ran rampant as the first movements of Christian protest began to emerge. There was still an iron curtain, we had just emerged from the Iranian hostage situation, and economic times were just starting to improve. In my early twenties, I chose to participate in crisis pregnancy centers rather than picket, but I admired those who followed through on their convictions. Such was the climate of the day. That’s what good, committed, serious Christians my age did. So it pulled on my heart strings and opposing tyranny held great appeal.

I expressed a great deal of concern about this “League” to my husband however, because I am a strong advocate for equality and very much against hegemony (the posturing of one group over other subordinates). He assured me that this was a good organization that was first and foremost Christian in purpose. He investigated it at the time, to the best of his ability, finding nothing stating that the organization had any racist leanings. I’ve even attended conferences that different states groups have hosted, but this was however all before I had knowledge of this thing called kinism. But times, they’re always ‘a changin,’ aren’t they?

I don’t know if it was 9/11 that set everything into a tailspin or whether it was just the natural progression of things. The aging and passing of good and balanced Christian leaders of yesteryear have not helped matters and the course of events. It’s been a heart wrenching and rude awakening for me. Due to some catastrophic life events, I had no resources with which to be concerned about the state of things in Christianity at large, and then it became suddenly unavoidable. I picked up great momentum on that learning curve, as it seemed that all at once, people who I believed to be honorable and trustworthy suddenly became otherwise. I had coasted through a phase in life, too pressed to keep up with things, but I had convictions and checks along the way.

I urged and pressed for a reevaluation of where we donated funds. I woke up. I questioned and reevaluated those groups that I trusted in times past based on my previous perspective on the learning curve and their gradual changes over time. I learned that many trusted Christian Reconstructionists now functionally advocate for theocracy and authoritarian versus libertarian ideals. I learned that the League of the South made position statements in favor of kinism (although the online documentation of this has recently disappeared). The Monroe-Moscow Axis presented itself. RC Sproul, Jr. seemed to lose more of his mind every day, and I waited for Dad to step in and do something. I’m glad that I did not hold my breath.

I look back on some of these events in shame, but I realize that it was all part of the learning curve that I pursued as a consequence of my service and worship unto the Lord. I regret that we ever gave a dime to the League of the South. I regret that we supported Chalcedon after RJR’s passing. I regret that I ever supported some of these creation science groups. I wish that we had stopped support of American Vision after they restructured and hired a Vice President with great affection for this so-called “Biblical patriarchy.” With the rise in popularity of Vision Forum and Howard Phillips’ actions concerning the pragmatic pro-life equivocation, I am deeply sorry that I ever supported the Constitution Party.

I’m sorry that I took my husband’s word that RL Dabney’s views were consistent with my own without reading them for myself. I’m sorry to discover that my husband believed the words of others concerning Dabney without reading Dabney's words himself. But it’s all part and parcel of the learning curve. The great challenge comes as one decides what one does when one realizes that they were in process and by virtue of good Christian character, trusted that what they took prima facie was appropriate. I believe that my personal actions and testimony have always demonstrated that I am dedicated to equality and freedom. (I'm still proud of the day that I tried to lean out of the car in the middle of a Shreveport KKK rally to scream "Jesus was a Jew" in the US driveby shooting capital, even though they didn't care much about Jews in Shreveport. I'm proud of my work at the "charity hospital" there.)

I was very good at the innocence of the dove, and the wisdom of the serpent came at a high price. I broke bread with kinists because I believed that they were my brethren and because I believed that our purposes were common. I trusted that they had no concern with race and that they argued in no way for the virtues of enslaving others. We were mistaken, and my husband and I repented. And at the other end of the learning curve, I’m pleased that I can have compassion for myself and for those who lead me astray. But that does not make it right.

 Like pendulums, we swing from extreme to extreme, hopefully learning how to be stable and plumb under the power of the gravity of Gospel. They are still my brethren, but I believe that they are in great error. I hope that they believe the same of me but will come to swing my way in time, as they venture on their own learning curves.

So praise God for the learning curve!!! I’m no longer what I was before and not all that I will be. My heart has been crushed and woven back together in, by and with God’s healing love. The learning curve means we are yet alive, growing and living from glory to glory in Christ. May I begin to worry when the rude awakenings stop. May I always be rudely awakened by my own heresy and sin. And may I leave this life of learning curves with far less sin and heretical belief than I had when I embarked upon the journey. And all glory be to God for his great grace and mercy towards me and those who trust in Him.

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Joe Taylor's Letter to Doug Phillips

April 20, 2007

Joe Taylor

Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum

124 W. Main,

P.O. Box 550,

Crosbyton, TX 79322

Douglas W. Phillips

Vision Forum, Inc.

4719 Blanco Rd.

San Antonio, TX 78212

“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Matt. 5:23-24

Dear Doug,

I apologize for this request being served to you during your busy schedule, but you are gone a lot, and hard to reach.

In addition, the recent judgment from arbitration with the Pete DeRosas and myself has only served to heighten the unresolved conflicts between you and me.

In 2003, you wrote me to complain of my privately exposing your “documentary” video, “Raising The Allosaur.” This review was not actually made public then. However, why shouldn’t it be? Every film that comes out is reviewed and often very negatively.

In your letter to me of January 20, 2003, as well as other correspondence, you have taken the position that my exposure of your video somehow makes me guilty of “slander” and that what I have done “would be actionable defamation in any court of law.” You have accused me of “speaking evil of brothers without working through the biblical guidelines for conflict resolution.” You have accused me of many other things as well, all without any supporting evidence. For example, you’ve accused me of “blackmail.” You’ve even accused me of “anti-Semitism,” a truly outrageous allegation. I have many hundreds of pages of evidence, not to mention hundreds of photographs and many hours of video tape that I believe unequivocally makes my case.

You accuse me that, “You have consistently and willfully refused to follow any biblical guidelines for conflict resolution, notwithstanding our repeated recommendations to you to do just this.”

Yet, many of the very things that you have accused me of are the very things that you yourself are guilty of. And contrary to your accusations, I tried many times to meet with you and practice Matthew: 18, which you so often and loudly demand.

I agreed to mediation with you and Pete DeRosa both. You agreed as well. The problem is that while Pete and I made an appearance and signed the mediation agreement, you never even showed up. And you, Doug, the one who was so insistent, never signed the agreement. Needless to say, nothing has truly been “resolved” by the alleged “conflict resolution.”

It appears to me that the mediation was more a means to silence me and prevent further exposure of un-Christian deeds than it was to resolve conflicts.

I’ve attempted to resolve my differences with you many times. The fact that you evaded signing the mediation agreement doesn’t mean that our issues are resolved or that these problems have just gone away. I’m sure that you’re more than aware of the need to address our disputes. The Word tells us, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Rom. 12:18)

Many friends and associates in the past several years encouraged me to sue you, but I did not because I thought you were a Christian brother. (I Cor. 6:1-8)

Your January 20, 2003 letter states, “We are committed to following biblical guidelines of conflict resolution, arbitration and church discipline.”

I’d like to give you the opportunity to prove that you are sincere about that by extending the offer to you to discuss biblically-based Christian conflict resolution with me.

I’m told that Peacemaker Ministries claims that both their mediation and arbitration are biblically-based. Decisions can also be binding, and it is recommended that we agree to the details of this in advance.

All I’m asking you for at this time is a simple written “yes, I will discuss this with you,” or “no, I will not,” answer. The details would be worked out later. Please have a written response in my hands by May 5, 2007.

My offer is genuine, and made in the interests of the whole creationist as well as the home school community.

Doug, there has been entirely too much strife between us. It should be put to an end. “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Phil. 2:3

In the bonds of Christ Jesus,

Joe Taylor



Blog Host Note 26Feb2019:  At the time that I first read this, I believed that Doug Phillips was a fellow Christian.  We attended the same Presbyterian Church for a time.  During the winter of 2008 into 2009, after reviewing Vision Forum's teachings on what they termed "multigenerational faithfulness," I no longer believe that they're preaching the same gospel that I believe in.  

It is a grave thing to pretend to know the heart of a man, but having carefully examined their doctrine, I no longer believe that they understand faith in Christ -- or at least not the same Christ that I do.  It is a religion of works and elitism, and the goal thereof seems to be to prove to God and everyone else that those who adhere to it reign in superiority over the rest of us deluded chumps.  That is not the Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus, it is antithetic to the battlecry of the Reformation, and it has nothing to do with grace.

I don't know their hearts.  I do know their teachings and their fruit.

I've recently taken this whole blog and put all of the content into draft form in order to review it to remove a moniker to which a Second Generation Adult of this belief system took offense.  I lost a good bit of formatting, and this post required some work.  I just noted Joe Taylor's words where ye also counts Doug Phillips as one who shares the same bonds of Jesus, looking to Jesus as both Lord and Savior.  I used to think the same -- that these ideologues were aberrant, but in their hearts, they were my Brethren.  I no longer see any evidence of that in the life of Doug Phillips.  It is certainly notably absent in the teachings of this religious movement.

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Please Pray for a Fellow Dissident

26Feb2019 UPDATE:  Sadly, the prayer posted here for justice for Joe Taylor did not result in his vindication, and even the Chalcedon Foundation was not willing to come forward to bear witness to Doug Phillips' actions until after the demise of Vision Forum after it closed because of a sex scandal.  People at Chalcedon knew and did nothing until Phillips had fallen into obscurity.

I don't know what happened to Joe.  I do know that Vision Forum seized everything -- including his instruments for excavation, and even his artwork.  I was once at a gathering in San Antonio where I was invited to go see the Allosaur mentioned here.  I also don't know what happened to the property that Phillips seized.

Joe thought that he'd participated in a Christian process of making peace among fellow Christians, and he was asked by those who he viewed as fellow brothers in the faith to sign an agreement to commit to pursing peace with one another.   His trusting spirit was caused when learned later that every time he spoke about the matter or wrote about it in an online chatroom, he was violating a legal agreement that held him to silence about the matter.  In a system of mediation much like Peacemaker Ministries offers, Christians are deceived into signing away their rights in a manner that puts them at a disadvantage.  If their plaintiff is a minster or leader, the targeted individual signs away a good bit of their power and their legal recourse.

Phillips used the courts in the State of Texas to bankrupt Joe Taylor, and they took everything he owned as payment for the penalties Joe incurred for violating the agreement.  He could not afford an attorney on the many occasions that he traveled to to face Phillips in court, so he never managed to gain a favorable decision in the court.

Read more HERE.



Original Post from December 2007:

For those of you who are unaware of the controversy regarding Vision Forum's participation in a 2001 dinosaur dig, please visit Raising the Truth to read the whole, well-documented story.

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The saga has not yet come to an end. The wrongfully maligned Joe Taylor, now without any funds has again been outmanipulated by Doug Phillips in an attempt to cover up the evidence concerning Phillips' reported manipulation and "hijacking" of a Creation Science excavation project. Please read Joe Taylor's letter to Doug Phillips in the blog post to follow.

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This new post on another blog describes Joe Taylor's dilemma who planned to go to court in Lubbock, TX, but due to the intervention of the deep pocketed Doug Phillips, the case has been reset in Austin, TX. Joe Taylor has no attorney (and no money) and his legal advisor is now unable to attend the Austin hearing due to the change of venue on very short notice (actually less notice than the law allows from my understanding).

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A blog post from "May Justice Prevail"

December 13th, 2007 at 2:02 pm

Doug Phillip’s friend and attorney of the DeRosa family, Ed Watts has contacted the sheriff of Crosbyton, TX to take possession of the contents of Joe Taylor’s Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum in Crobyton, Texas and auction them off. Joe has been trying to have his case heard in court to get the 2004 mediation and 2007 arbitration overturned. Phillips/DeRosas did not follow proper procedure. Joe was not allowed to bring witnesses nor was he allowed to present his evidence. He was given a take it or leave it offer.

Several of the 7 points of objection in Joe’s filing are that the Mediator/Arbitrator should not have accepted or promoted the roles of both Mediator and Arbitrator in this case and the Mediator/Arbitrator did not avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest as he was involved in the subject matter of the Agreement and Decision.

In 2004, Dana and Brenda Forbes sold their interest in the Allosaur to Joe in order to force Phillips/DeRosa into what Joe thought would be a christian mediation. Joe had to pay the Forbes $40,000 from the mediation money. Joe also had borrowed money from family and friends to stay afloat while he tried to resolve the conflict outisde of court. Joe did not make money on the allosaur for all his work excavating the dinosaur. He lost the money from casts, his film, and lost opportunities as well. He also had his credentials stolen and given to the DeRosas.

At the 2007 aribitration Joe was fined over $100,000 for telling the truth about the Allosaur debacle including Doug’s film, “Raising the Allosaur.” One of the charges was for answering questions on this website and the now defunct Badonicus site.

Doug’s assistant Bob Renaud told a group of us this May 2007, that he called in by phone to Joe’s arbitration proceeding as a witness that Joe Taylor is a racist based on his comments to these sites. Joe was also fined for writing other letters speaking the truth about the allosaur debacle.

They are trying to seize Joe’s Lone Star Mastodon [Late entry/addendum 17Dec07 9pm: I wsa contacted by the author of this post who asked that I remove part of a statement until they can obtain additional confirmation and corroboration. So I have deleted 9 words at the end of this sentence and will restore them when I have the author's permission.] Joe has been bullied and brutalized, financially and emotionally devastated by these folks that call themselves christians.

Joe’s lawyer had a chance to nail Doug on ethical violations in the spring of 2003 for unethical involvement in the case. Joe’s attorney, Shannon Norris agreed not file charges when Doug’s friend, VF board member and VF attorney Don Hart called Shannon and asked him not to, citing Doug’s remorse. (Shannon and Don had been friends in law school) Those of us that know the truth and have seen the evidence, want Joe to get a fair hearing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Please pray that this matter resolves favorably and that the innocent parties realize vindication. The person who posted this comment states that they have first hand knowledge of the miscarriage of justice and have submitted it to the proper authorities. Please pray that God gives these authorities great wisdom and that He governs their actions. Pray for justice for all the parties involved (and allow the Lord to work His mercy after the truth has been revealed). Please pray that God shows Himself STRONG to those who place their faith in Him.

Sadly, Joe Taylor believed that the legal mediation was not a legal proceding but a Christian attempt to reconcile. His naivete came at a high price. May God give him more wisdom than he can contain and great favor, showing mercy to all of the parties involved. Have faith in God's Providence, Love and Power to root out and tear down wickedness in this situation. Please pray that the truth would be revealed and realized.

May this be a mighty demonstration of God's Glory and Might.

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Cults and Christmas Trees (Part II)

photo courtesy of freefoto.com

Celebration of holidays within non-liturgical, Bible-based groups often poses matters of legalistic concern. Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, reject the celebration of all traditional holidays, even including the specific celebration of the birthdays of their followers. Seen as legalistic and pagan practices, Jehovah’s Witnesses likewise reject consideration of the many feasts of the Jewish tradition practiced throughout the lifetime of Jesus.

Scripture makes no condemnation of the observance of these traditional celebrations, and Jesus himself made no such protests in reference to their practice. Per the accounts of his life in the Gospels, at the least, Jesus observed both Passover and Pentecost. Many such cultic groups make an argument from silence that such traditions are not mandated by Scripture, but neither are they condemned within Scripture. Many groups generally go beyond the belief that they are not mandated to state that such practices and participation denote sin.

Although many doctrinally sound Christians take issue with the celebration of Christmas, this particular holiday presents an interesting example of another potential marker of both religious control and manipulation. Some Christians maintain that the celebration of Christmas ranges from questionable to pagan, originally deriving from adaptations of pagan holidays into Christian tradition.

Some cite 1 Cor 11:23-26 as a Scriptural proof that Christians should not observe a celebration of Christ’s birth, but to only focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus. Another criticism concerning the holiday surrounds the symbolism of Christmas trees as a violation of Scripture. Old Testament proofs supporting this interpretation include but are not limited to Lev 14:37, Deut 12:2, I Kings 14:23, Psalm 37:35; -- all passages that reference green trees. Following a desire to yield the utmost honor to God, some Christians decline celebration of Christmas with decorations and, as previously stated, many decline celebration of the holiday altogether.

Doug Phillips does not observe Christmas personally, stating that it is a Catholic holiday. Christmas was not formally observed at Doug’s local church per the statement of a former member of BCA:

“The congregation was split about half and half on the Christmas issue. There were definitely NO Christmas programs or any talk about Christmas, but it really depended on who was leading worship as to what hymns we sang. Sometimes we did sing a Christmas hymn or two, but they were VERY limited, as most of them contained words that many in the congregation did not agree with….
There was one family at BCA who had a Christmas party every year and everyone was invited, although not everyone attended. On the other hand, if you went to the Phillips’ home in December, you would find lots of poinsettias, nutcrackers, and green and red decorations. Beall decorates quite festively for someone who doesn’t celebrate Christmas.”

This does not identify Phillips as a cultist, but it certainly serves as a possible marker for legalism. It is another “red flag” that often accompanies both very legalistic and unbalanced churches in addition to many Bible-based cults. Within my former spiritually abusive, cultic church, I was surprised at the many questions about whether my family decorated a tree. It was one of those strange, frequently asked questions that did not initially make sense. The odd nature of what seemed like a strange obsession with Christmas trees was soon followed by many other “unwritten” and informal ideals maintained by our Shepherding/Discipleship Movement group, another spiritually abusive system practiced by many denominations.

In their attempt to be holy (literally “set apart” in the original Greek) and perhaps more importantly, in an attempt to appear holy, these legalists often demonstrate inordinate focus on avoiding or eliminating non-essential (not profound doctrinal or salutary significance) aspects of the Christian life such as celebration of holidays. They may even spend more time, energy and resources denouncing something like Christmas than most people expend in the celebration of such holidays. Such over focus and fixation clearly demonstrates legalistic behavior, thus expanding into control leading into manipulation, abuse and exploitation.

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"Do You Have a Christmas Tree?"

This was a weird and common question that was asked of my husband and me during our first Christmas season at Severn Covenant Church outside of Baltimore.

We both found all of this to be very strange, and I wish that I knew then what I know now. I grew up in an area settled by Moravians, a pietistic religious group that used the Christmas story as a tool of evangelism. The Moravians were originally the disciples under the teachings of John Hus who was influential during the Reformation. The Moravians are also noted to have inspired John Wesley while on a rough boat ride across the Atlantic, praising God on the rough and wild sea. So to not celebrate Christmas seemed rather odd. (And although I was baptized in the Assemblies of God church as a young girl, I was also baptized Moravian on what was believed to be my infant deathbed. For those who know what an APGAR score is, mine was a 2 at both intervals. I’m a Moravian, in that sense, from day one!)

All that is to say, Christmas comes naturally to me and to my husband who once played in the Moravian Trombone Choir at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem, PA in the town where he grew up. I lived just over the top of South Mountain in Allentown where the City of Bethlehem displays a huge, illuminated star above the city during the Christmas season. As Christmas approaches, I was reminded of some of the strange practices that arise in aberrant and legalistic churches, many of whom do not observe Christmas but will follow some of the Jewish holiday celebrations as a novelty or will observe Passover, for example.

I’ve started an article that my editor has yet to finish and return to me, but I do have the Christmas portion of the article on my other website. Join me here over the next few days as I present the article here also. I do hope that you take advantage of the season, putting aside the materialism and what the world has made of things and worship the Lord and his birth. Jesus emptied Himself of His fullness to become a mere man, and a helpless infant at that! What a miracle this is in itself, as he was born to be a sacrifice for us, wrapped in the same type of swaddling cloth that He would one day be wrapped in after his death. Stand still with the world for a moment this year and worship Him, rejoicing in His humble birth. Sing with the angels and rejoice.

Part I: Introduction From my recent study of Doug Phillips and the doctrines propagated by his many, intertwined branches of ministry (Boerne Christian Assembly, Vision Forum, Vision Forum Ministries, National Council of Family Integrated Churches, National Center for Home Education under the Home School Legal Defense Association, and others), 

I note a trend of practices and philosophical similarities common to other legalistic Christian denominations and movements. Although, to my knowledge, these trends have not been documented by the counter-cult movement as diagnostic for cults and cultic groups, there are common “markers” and “red flag” symbols that tend to follow legalistic and cultic practices. These aid in the identification of groups for whom legalism is a central doctrinal tenet. These are by no means suggested as criteria for determining either theological cults (groups denying the deity of Christ, per the “traditional Walter Martin definition”) or psychological cults (groups practicing techniques which dull critical thought through manipulation without the knowledge or consent of the subjects/followers). 

It has been my experience, however, that noting these trends in churches or Bible-based groups serve as a potential indicator of legalism and of cultic doctrine and/or behavior. Preferences and traditions differ from expected standards within churches, however over the course of the histories of many religious groups, preferences and traditions can become requirements. Many groups follow this pattern as they respond to the pressures exerted by their church leaders by means of the legalistic focus on reasonable standards, subtly shifting them into essential doctrines on the same level as the fundamental, essential doctrines of the Christian faith. Cults, by nature and definition are also legalistic, but not all legalistic religious groups may be qualified as cults. There are also times and seasons in both the life of the individual and in the life of the church when the focus on specific doctrine(s), in response to particular pressures and events, does not constitute the type of legalism described above. 

Used properly, they preserve an acceptable trend and temporary means of sustaining vigilant contending for the faith. However, the continued employment or exploitation of such a sustained and narrowed focus on less essential concepts to the exclusion, addition or even replacement of the essential doctrines of the Christian Faith poses a potential threat to the healthy, balanced Christian life of both individuals as well as entire groups. 

The criticism brought against the Kansas City Prophets presents a valuable example of such a sustained focus beyond reasonable and edifying use. Within this movement, the work and experience of (what was understood by that group as) the manifestation of the Holy Spirit supplanted the value and potency of Scripture. This aberrancy of the Kansas City Prophets demonstrated by views about the working of the Charismata within the lives of believers became a “theological innovation.” Vision Forum and the teachings of Doug Phillips represent a theological innovation very comparable to this Charismatic example. Promotion of family and legalistic interpretation of Biblical ideals of family displace and redefine the central, orthodox doctrine of grace and also the evangelism of the unbeliever through avenues outside of the life of the family. Standards of family become tantamount to the essential doctrine of Christian liberty through grace, serving as “markers” of salvation within Doug Phillips’ patriarchy doctrine.

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Animal Farm and the World of Orwell

I’ve never seen the film version of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” so I recently watched a copy of the older, animated version of the book. I appreciated the ability to be able refresh my memories of this great work through the film, while able to accomplish some other busy work at the same time. 

To refresh the memories of the reader here, Animal Farm tells the story of an alcoholic farmer who neglects the care of his animals, so the animals unite and organize themselves, running the drunken farmer off the premises. The animals then take over the operation of the farm, doing the work without the direction of the farmer and having much success, exceeding that of the farm under the direction of the farmer. They rename their farm “Animal Farm” in defiance. 

The pigs begin teaching the animals how to read, so that they will be less vulnerable to domination in the future. As with the book that I last revisited about five years ago, I am most impressed with the list of rules that the animals paint on the side of Animal Farm’s barn for all to see. The pigs make their bold statements and new code for living on the barn as a reminder. 

The film proved to be the same for me, and perhaps it made even more of an impact by virtue of some of their depictions. I loved the dripping, wet paint. “Four legs good. Two legs bad.” The ruling class, the pigs, paint soon discover the need to amend the list to “cover their backsides” and find justification for their new, human-like behaviors. The rule stating that “No animal shall sleep in a bed” must be modified, for the bourgeois pigs have developed a fond appreciation for the comfort of the farmer’s abandoned bed. T

hey amend the rule with a clause that clarifies their “original” intended meaning so that the rule “rightly” reads “No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets.” In the film, I appreciate the small detail of an obviously different color and appearance of the paint used to paint the amendment clause. 

The rule of “No animal shall harm another animal” must be revised as well after Napoleon, the pig in charge, orders the second episode of execution of his dissenters. How this smacks of Robespierre’s ironic end during the French Revolution! 

The rule is amended to read “No animal shall harm another animal without cause.” Near the end of the film and the story, when the bourgeois pigs no longer resemble pigs but look more like the humans they have overrun, they paint the most poignant amendment of all.

“All animals are equal,

but some are more equal than others.”

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Making Slaves of Men

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The man
Of virtuous soul commands not,
nor obeys.
Power, like a desolating pestilence,
Pollutes whate'er it touches;

and obedience,
Bane of all genius, virtue, freedom, truth,

Makes slaves of men, and, of the human frame,
A mechanized automaton.

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Queen Mab

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A "Roar" for Powerful Words!

Jo at www.followtheroadlesstraveled.blogspot.com has bestowed upon me the “Roar for Powerful Words” Award!

 It seems that it all started with this interesting fellow in New Zealand who wanted to encourage “good, powerful writing on the Internet/Blogosphere.” So in order to increase exposure to his writers circle called “Shameless Lions” and to demonstrate that there are good bloggers out there producing valuable stuff, he created the “Roar Award.”  He thought that it was also a good opportunity to stimulate thought about “exactly what it is that makes writing good and powerful.” As a recipient, Seamus Kearney asks that I choose and distribute the award to five other “blogs I love, can’t live without where I think the writing is good and powerful.”

I’m also to define those qualities of writing that I find essential to writing good and powerful blog posts. Hmmm. The person who nominated me blessed me with words that humbled me greatly, considering that I found it strange to be nominated. I post mostly things recanted from many far wiser than myself and don’t really write much prose. (…although I do display and actual, original poem as my first post on the Under Much Grace Blogspot!) So I would have to say that, in regard to this type of writing here, I would encourage others to first write something of some lasting value so that the person is changed for the better in some lasting way. I believe that this is always a goal. Second, I don’t think that I can get away from the instruction to be direct and concise. (After already winning awards for writing in many competitions, I went to have my first college research paper reviewed before turning it in for a grade.

The poet, Paul Martin, advised me then to always write in active voice, so I consider that to be an essential element of being direct and concise.) And though I personally fail at this quite often (as if I don’t at all the others?), I believe that is a must to write everything as an act of worship unto God. As a Christian, I believe that all men (and women) must give an account for every word that they communicate over the course of their lives, so how much more should we endeavor to worship God in our blogging, there for every soul with a computer to see? I now bestow this honor upon five blog authors that I absolutely cannot live without, although I do not frequent some of them that often. Keep in mind that this is an honor for those who write powerful words and those that are also literary.

To avoid too much cronyism and possible Lion Inbreeding, I’ve picked the most trenchant of blog hosts, so don’t be disappointed if you don’t see your own blog here…. I hope that you will visit these blogs of the newest award recipients!

 Andrew Sandlin of “Andrew Sandlin. net” and the "Center for Cultural Leadership” ( he who first noted that my writing was “trenchant” and probably why I like his work)

Robin Phillips of “Robin’s Readings and Reflections” (well known for his work on courtship that he could sell for financial gain but offers online for free)

Molly Aley of both “Adventures in Mercy” and “Complegalitarian” (for so eloquently tackling the topics that I would like to devote myself to but have too many other things to communicate first) 

Cheryl Schatz of “McGreggor Ministries Outreach,” JW Info Line and “Women In Ministry” (Yes, I can nominate her for her excellence even if she is one of those fully fledged egalitarians and I'm just mostly so!) Dusman of Grace in the Triad (who I discovered via remarkably wise comments made on Cheryl’s Women in Ministry site)

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Dominion or Tyranny?

quote from Some Are More Equal Than Others

by Sara Robinson

" This is a new and ugly phase in the history of Christian America. Whenever one group begins to assert a legitimate, God-given, government-approved right to dominate and deny rights to others, it's also another ominous sign of creeping proto-fascism. 

We are now sharing this country with a substantial class of people who not only harbor the fierce belief that they are superior to the rest of us -- yes, a master race, and their rhetoric is starting to work that meme as well -- they also believe that the future of the country is at immediate risk unless the non-believers are restrained and subdued, placed under total control of their betters. Further: they believe that they are justified by God to do this by any means necessary -- within or without the Constitution."

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Is it All In Their Heads?

Daniel G. Amen, MD

is a well known psychiatrist, author of several best-selling books, and is also a dually credentialed specialist in nuclear medicine brain imaging.

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Among other things, I think that, in this forum, it is also reasonable to note that Dr. Amen is a "born again" Christian and was among the first class of medical doctors to graduate from ORU.

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He is somewhat of a unique but growing number of psychiatrists that do not rush to prescribe drugs, but also considers and prescribes nutrition, healthy mental habits, healthy lifestyle and natural products for the treatment of psychiatric disorders and other organic diseases of the brain.

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~~~~~

This is from his recent publication in the Opinion Section of the Los Angeles Times:

What do Rudy Giuliani's messy personal life, John McCain's temper and Hillary Clinton's inability to seem authentic have in common? Maybe nothing. They may be just overblown issues in the otherwise normal lives of candidates under the political microscope.

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Such symptoms, however, may mean a lot -- such as evidence of underlying brain dysfunction. Sometimes people with messy personal lives have low prefrontal cortex activity associated with poor judgment; sometimes people with temper problems have brain damage and impulse control problems; sometimes people who struggle with authenticity have trouble really seeing things from someone else's perspective.

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As a neuropsychiatrist and brain-imaging expert, I want our elected leaders to be some of the "brain healthiest people" in the land. How do you know about the brain health of a presidential candidate unless you look? The brain is involved in everything humans do....

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Three of the last four presidents have shown clear brain pathology....

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Functional scans, such as Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, provide a window into the brain. Doctors can now see healthy or dysfunctional brain patterns, much as we can assess the strength of a heart or measure hormone levels, and recognize trouble....

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A national leader with brain problems can potentially cost millions of people their lives...

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Ensuring that our president has a healthy brain may be more than an interesting topic of conversation. It can be important information to put into the election equation. A president with brain problems could wreak havoc on the U.S. and the world at large.

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Maybe we shouldn't leave the health

of our president's brain to chance.

~~~

We have the tools; shouldn't we look?

excerpts from

"Getting Inside Their Heads ... Really Inside"

LA Times Opinion - Editorial

December 5, 2007

Daniel G. Amen, a neuropsychiatrist and director of the Amen Clinics,

is the author of "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life."

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Objectification and Scapegoating of Women

If you follow this link to BBC Radio,

access the podcast in the left hand column entitled

GlobalNews: 05 Dec 07 AM Condoleezza Rice in Africa//Rape in Iran//Cluster bomb ban

Just beyond the midpoint in the podcast, listen to the story of a Leila, a 22 year old Iranian woman who was arrested for prostitution at age 18, pimped out by her husband. Leila's own mother sold her for sex from the tender age of 9 years in order to support their family before selling her off into this marriage. Her husband received a sentence of 5 years of incarceration, not for pimping which is permitted by law, but for providing the location for illegal sex. Other women in the home who also engaged in prostitution in the home were not charged. Leila was held accountable for setting the example for conduct within the home. During the process of investigation of the activities within the home and neighborhood, Leila’s brothers confessed to raping Leila and received 99 lashes as their punishment.....

Leila was sentenced to death by hanging for the crime of incest,

informed of her fate by a prison guard.

Leila is alive today because of the bravery of another woman, her attorney who has become, according to the BBC reporter, a “thorn in the side of the Iran’s conservative judiciary.” This lawyer comments that Leila was the original victim; however she was also, quite hypocritically, the accused.

~~~~~

Fundamentalist belief systems within Iran and ideas concerning the value of a woman provide the basis for this type of objectification of women. Leila’s story demonstrates the fallacy of scapegoating that can occur as evidence of the fruit of the beliefs that under gird a nation. I am reminded of this article and another one, too. I am also reminded of the better example of Jesus, Who when presented with a woman who had been caught in adultery replied “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” This is not to say that He did not excuse the wrongs that were done, for the Bible tells us that Jesus wrote in the sand. 

We are not told what was written there, but many speculate that He may have written the sins of the adulteress’ accusers. This is not to argue that we should not punish criminals by granting them automatic mercy or light sentences.

What a stark contrast to the rigidity of and the fruit of service to the Letter of the Law Christ’s revolutionary and merciful example demonstrates both then and now.

Psalm 85:10 (NKJV)

Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.

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Mind Wars and Ethics

Moreno, JD. From the dust jacket of Mind Wars: Brain Research and National Defense (a book investigating military applications of brain neural interface): Moreno takes us on an exciting journey exploring the fascinating, formidable and frightening questions for social ethics and public policy.

Page 176: 

[I]n dealing with emerging neuroethical dilemmas in the national security context we can learn from previous ethical quandaries, especially in terms of the conditions under which we have those discussions. I also agree that in many cases, the ethically acceptable course of action will be a matter of weighing and balancing rather than appeal to an overarching moral doctrine, although basic guidance from some principles is going to be needed. 

For instance, a number of the scientists, lawyers, ethicists, and advocates with whom I spoke in writing this book agreed that there had to be vigorous protection of at least one nonnegotiable premise when considering the appropriate security applications of neuroscience. In the law, this principle might be expressed in terms of the protection afforded in the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution regarding self-incrimination: “to be a witness against himself.” Philosophically, this can be expressed as the proposition that no one else should be able to decide what goes into my brain or who “reads” it.

Those who exact milieu control within Christian groups by vilification of their critics and concealment of fact seem to believe that it is perfectly acceptable to decide what goes into the brains of their followers.

The secular world demands a high ethical standard in these matters.

How can such an ethical standard of accountability be expected from the secular world

if Christ’s Church cannot model it for secular society

within the context and realm of our own Christian subgroup?

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Prologue to a Farce

James Madison

Fourth President of the United States

Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives.

A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy or perhaps both.

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I Always Contradict Him

If [Man] exalt himself,

I humble him,

If he humble himself,

I exalt him;

And [I] always contradict him,

Until he understands
That he is an incomprehensible monster.

Blaise Pascal

French scientist, mathematician and Christian philosopher

in his

Pensees

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A Little Leaven

photo courtesy of pdphoto.org

Charles Spurgeon said:

"Numbers of good brethren in different ways remain in fellowship with those who are undermining the Gospel;

and they talk of their conduct as though it were a loving course which the Lord will approve in the day of His appearing. 

 The bounden duty of a true believer towards men who profess to be Christians, and yet deny the Word of the Lord, and reject the fundamentals of the Gospel, is to come out from among them (II Cor 6:14-18).

[. . .]

Complicity with error will take from the best of men the power to enter any successful protest against it. If any body of believers has errorists among them, but were resolute to deal with them in the Name of the Lord, all might come right, but confederacies founded upon the principle that all may enter, whatever views they hold, are based upon disloyalty to the truth of God. If truth is optional, error is justifiable…. 

It is hard to get leaven out of dough, and easy to put it in. This leaven is already working. Our daring to unveil this deep design [that is, this deep-laid scheme] is inconvenient, and of course it brings upon our devoted head all manner of abuse. But that matters nothing so long as the plague is stayed. Oh, that those who are spiritually alive in the churches may look to this thing, and may the Lord himself may baffle the adversary."

in “Notes”

Sword and Trowel

October 1888

Reproduced at www.spurgeoun.org/s_and_t/1088nts.htm

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Christmas Monikers (and a cat in a box for your viewing enjoyment)

Something online reminded me of the story of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Oddly, that statement has vanished from the blog on which it originally appeared.

In a post about the evils of what she believes to be gossip, a Blog Host posted a response in the comments section of her article in reply to someone's inquisitive comment. Therein she stated things that she intimated but did not want to come out and state directly, possibly over the concern that people might identify her direct statements as gossip??? She then communicated her (?gossip?) by giving all the players the names of characters from Seuss's books.

I've really got to thank her. I so fondly remember absolutely loving "The Cat in the Hat" when I was little. I would have had my mother read to me from morning 'til night, constantly before I learned the skill myself. Aside from a little book called "The Wolf and the Seven Kids" which my mother could quote in her sleep, "The Cat in the Hat" was my favorite second, but I remember very little of the specifics of the story. I was so relentless, that my parents, on a very limited income, bought a cassette player for Mom to record the books for me (so that she could get back to being a passionate housewife). I remember not liking the tape recorder thing very much, but I was all the more motivated to learn to read for myself.

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