Hi David;

Thanks for your reply. I understand your unwillingness to enter into a debate. There are no shortages of things to debate, and it is usually unfruitful anyway. But what does is say about the state of the Church when people refuse to confront the things that are clearly wrong? It is that we don't care about the issues or that we wish to avoid confrontations with those "significant" men whose approval we so highly esteem?

I just watched a report on the channel 9 Sunday program on Benny Hinn and Reinhard Bonnke. Both men were portrayed as charlatans - and not entirely without good cause. Reinhard Bonnke came off looking a little better, but I am sure that the unsaved would be struggling to differentiate between them. Benny Hinn was quoted as saying "Just after the year turns to 2000, economic tragedies will break all over the earth, but those who have been supporting God's work will be protected." He then took up his offering. Benny Hinn went on to claim healing for people that were not healed (some even got worse and died) and some of those he had extracted large donations from. How long will the Church tolerate this kind of CRAP*?! What hope is there for the future of the Church if wise and educated believers (like you) are not convicted about all this? Until we oppose these things which are wrong, we remain implicated in them through our sin of silence and complicity. While the church is being led and seduced by the foolish and the greedy, the world has every justification to reject our message. And in case you hadn't noticed, the problem is not going away, it is getting worse - especially here in Australia. Has anyone else noticed this cultural drift in recent years? God can guard His own reputation, but those who are not stirred to holy anger about all this must care nothing for the mission of Christ, the purity of the gospel nor the glory of the Church.

Are there any brave men out there who are willing to say "Enough!" and to risk your reputation for your convictions? It is easy to believe all kinds of things... but the most accurate indicator of what we truly believe is what we are prepared to publicly say, backed up by the things that we do. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do (and say) nothing.

- Allan

*(I am sorry if this offends but the Apostle Paul used a word like this too - see Phillipians 3:8)

A l l a n W e a t h e r a l l I n s i g h t G r a p h i c s : W o r l d v i e w M a g a z i n e : P O B o x 7 0 0 B e l g a v e 3 1 6 0 . V i c t o r i a A u s t r a l i a http://www.pastornet.net.au/worldview