The Christian Sentinel
May 2003 issue
Universalism: A Sure sign of
Apostasy Today
Could the Christian Church really
be in the Great Apostasy forecast in the New
Testament, a time of the falling away of the
visible Christian Church into false teaching?
Quite possibly, Jackie Alnor argues. So many
prominent leaders such as UMC Bishop Melvin
Talbert, Roman Catholic leader Fr. Michael
Manning, and Charismatic leader Carlton Pearson
have abandoned the narrow way of the Cross for
Salvation to embrace a doctrine from hell called
universalism.
ByJackie Alnor
ã 2003 Christian Sentinel
| In these days of secular liberalism, the hue and cry
against "intolerance" that we’re hit with daily on our
television sets is now taking root in the visible church structures. The
spirit of the age does not like the doctrine of hell, so the false
doctrine of universalism is becoming more and more popular.
Webster’s Dictionary defines universalism as "the doctrine or belief that all men will be saved, or made happy, in the future state." And the Dictionary of Theology defines it as "the teaching that all people will eventually be saved through the universal redemption of Jesus. Some Universalists teach that even the devil, after a time of punishment, will be redeemed." |
| In last month’s Christian Sentinel E-update William Alnor reported that on the March 11, 2003 "Larry King Live" show United Methodist Bishop Melvin Talbert denied the historic Christian foundational doctrine that Jesus is the only way of salvation. Talbert told CNN’s international audience that we need to "be tolerant with each other and not assume that our way is the only way." |
| Another guest on that program was Grace Community Church
pastor John MacArthur who stood up against the bishop in defense of the
faith. One month later MacArthur made a second visit to the Larry King
Live program, this time teamed up with a new ager, a rabbi, a Muslim and a
Catholic priest. This April 20, 2003 program was on the subject of
"seeking meaning in the aftermath of
war."
The Catholic priest was Father Michael Manning, host of "The Word in the World," a program that has been on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) for a couple of decades. One would have thought that he would have been on the side of the Bible-believing pastor, but instead he joined the other non-believers in attacking MacArthur for saying that there is no salvation in any of the world’s other religions. |
| Manning defended the other religions saying, "One of
the most important things that we have in common is the reality of God. We
are all God believers… We, as Christians today, should be on that same
fire, giving respect to Muslims, to Jews, and to people who honor the
father."
He earlier had made the statement, "We’ve got to be able to understand the presence of God in Muslims. We’ve got to understand the presence of God in all people, and reverence that presence and hold it. God is moving in you, God is moving in the Muslims in a great way, and I need to say, hey God, thank you for that, help me to learn from that." When Manning tried to present Jesus as "the source of all salvation" for believer and unbeliever alike, Mac Arthur had a brilliant comeback. "Well, I don’t want to take the responsibility to have to design and define Jesus and somehow draft up an acceptable Jesus. The Jesus of the New Testament is the only Jesus there is, and the apostle Paul said if anybody preaches any other Jesus, let him be anathema. So we can’t invent Jesus." |
Another Catholic campaign to give positive recognition to all the world’s false religions is seen in the work of the "Family Theater Productions," an organization founded by the late Father Patrick Peyton in 1947. He is the priest who popularized the slogan, "The family that prays together stays together." Now his organization is putting up billboards promoting prayer as a means of world peace. The billboard above shows people from all the world’s religions praying seemingly to the same God -- Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, and Catholics in one accord praying for peace. A quote from their website (http://www.familytheater.org/main/billboards.php) has a familiar ring in it. "The Angelus Awards… showcases… films… which…communicate the values of tolerance and respect for diversity in the human community, peacemaking and dialogue in lieu of gratuitous violence" They boast that their messages have "appeared on more than 60,000 billboards in 134 cities… and seen more than 400 million times by passers-by." |
| During the entire discussion, the new age guru Deepak
Chopra who sat next to MacArthur was squirming uncomfortably in his seat.
In an interview MacArthur told the Christian Sentinel that it
looked "like it was almost painful for him." That was obvious to
the TV audience.
Copra’s venom toward MacArthur came through while at the same time the Catholic priest didn’t seem to bother him. "The fundamental interpretation of Christianity is a cover-up for insecurity," the guru hissed. "Faith depends on the ability to embrace our universality, to have love, to have compassion, to have forgiveness, to think peace and do acts of peace." Yet there seemed to be no forgiveness or tolerance for Bible-believing Christians. Larry King gave MacArthur a chance to respond. "Well, I don’t think that I’m insecure," he said in defense. "The point is that my theology doesn’t grow out of my own opinion. I haven’t sort of looked at the world and decide what’s true and what’s not true based upon my own insight… I can’t invent my own Jesus, and I can’t invent my own religious philosophy. I go to the New Testament." MacArthur told the Christian Sentinel that he felt that "if I hadn’t been there they would have agreed they are all going in the same direction." He added, "Father Manning came across as all-embracing and sounded like a pantheist to me -- more of a universalist/mystic than a man with a historic theology." When asked if he was surprised that Fr. Manning has his own program on TBN, MacArthur said, "The fact that TBN has such a long-standing relationship with him is a clear statement to their utter lack of discernment" It has been the observation of the Christian Sentinel that the Roman Catholic Church is leading the way in honoring all faiths except those who take the Bible seriously. We’ve reported in a past E-Update how the new Catholic cathedral in Los Angeles has a tribute to other religions on their brass door. The description of it they give on their website reads: "Beginning at the bottom of the inner doors… [is] a grapevine, symbolizing the Church. Folded in the grapevine are 40 ancient symbols that represent pre-Christian images from Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. The images include the eagle, griffin, goose, Southwest Indian Flying Serpent, bee, hand, ostrich, dove, Chinese turtle, Samoan kava bowl, the Native American Chumash man, the dolphin, the Tree of Jesse, Tai Chi, and many others" (http://www.olacathedral.org). So it looks like Father Manning is merely following trends in Catholicism today. The universalism banner has also crept up in charismatic circles. Charisma magazine published a report that Oral Roberts’ disciple Carlton Pearson is now promoting this false teaching. They quoted Pearson as saying that "he will stand by his commitment to preach a ‘more appealing and attractive message of God’s unconditional love for all’" (Charisma Oct, 2002). Pearson has been a frequent host of TBN’s Praise the Lord program, but a TBN spokesperson told the Christian Sentinel that "Jan and Paul Crouch have asked Pearson to contact them and they would like to talk to him" before he will be invited back, but he won’t return their calls. Hopefully, Jan and Paul Crouch will have that same conversation with Fr. Michael Manning whose program is still seen weekly on TBN. The same TBN spokesperson said that Manning was no longer on the schedule and when this reporter checked TBN’s on-line schedule and found his show listed, called back and got the voice-mail. We did not get a call back at the time of publication. "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. " (Matt. 7:13-14). |
