To One and All,

How do you see our churches participating and events such as Promise Keepers?

-- Anonymous, November 25, 2001

Answers

What about Promise Keepers? August 25, 1999

Some highlights:

I'm convinced, that two of the reasons for the success of PK is.....1) They have some good things to say about families and about men being men; and 2) We have not been saying these things in our churches. (Danny Gabbard)

If the PK's had anything new to offer then we could indeed "spoil the Egyptians" however, anything they do that is positive (and I give them some credit for having some positive aspects) is nothing the Scriptures do not already teach. The Church may have ignored some of these teachings, to our shame, but that is no reason to affiliate ourselves with those who need to be converted rather than accepted as is. One of their basic tenets is that if anyone can call Jesus Lord, he is your brother. That's not the only qualification for unity (Read Eph. 4). (Scott Sheridan)

Great Minneapolis PK Event!!! October 5, 2000

-- Anonymous, November 25, 2001

Duane, I am finding that an overwhelming majority of our churches are mixed up in Promise Keepers. Even my dearly beloved friend Bill Pile of Christ’s Church in the City (L.A.) has evidently had a momentary relapse, as he has attended once again in spite of the concerns he had stated earlier.

My opposition to PK can be boiled down to the following issues:

1. Inter-faith ecumenism (fundamentalists, neo-evangelicals, Catholics, Mormons, third-wavers, etc.) 2. A Trojan horse agenda (they fully intend to eventually exert control in local congregations through their “point men”) 3. Their profuse psycho-heresy (pagan definitions of manhood, God, and Christ) 4. The apostate leadership of PK (Vineyard, Roman Catholic) 5. The merchandizing of the saints 6. The non-Biblical plan of salvation 7. The political agenda

In Mexico and in Latin America, the PK movement is known by several different names: “Hombres Cumplidores de Promesas”; “De Hombre a Hombre”; etc. Nevertheless, they all present the same material and the same agenda. It is sad to see thousands of our CC and COC brethren being sucked into this deception.

-- Anonymous, November 25, 2001

Philip,

Thank you for that post, please continue to fight this movement as it has and will continue to do great damage to the "Chruch".

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2001

Amen and Amen Brother Phillip!!!! I thank you and I thank GOd for you for making these matters quite clear for all of the apostates among us who are leaving the precious doctrine of Christ and following after fables!

If you have read the thread in the archives called "PROMISE KEEPERS" you will see that we have fought about this issue vigorously in this forum. ANd we will continue to fight against this absurd nonsense. Now CHristian should attend a PK meeting unless he is there to preach the truth of the gospel of Christ and oppose the multitudes of errors that many good and honest men are being taught. But, if we do not go their to do battle with the servants of Satan who are leading men away from CHrist and the true gospel of Christ by the thousands convincing them that they are saved when in fact they are miserably lost without Christ our GOd in this world.

I only have a feww minutes, because I am at work. But I wanted to express my hearty AMEN AND AMEN to your post justly and correctly condemning the PK organization for their many false doctrines and our brethren who attend in support of this nonsense should be ashamed of themselves and the elders of the local churches should "mark" them and avoid them according to the teachings of Romans 16:17.

Your Brother in CHrist,

E. Lee Saffold

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2001

Philip, I have been to two conferences and one Pastor's event. I found them uplifting. I learned much- and in some ways they changed my life.

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2001

Dear "wwjdkelley@hotmail.com"

You say,

“Philip, I have been to two conferences and one Pastor's event. I found them uplifting. I learned much- and in some ways they changed my life.”

You know, it’s funny that you would say something like that. I have heard the exact same arguments used by those who embrace the Toronto- Pensacola “revival”, and even those who are members of New Age cults. This kind of thinking is severely lame at best, and a terrible cop- out at worst. I mean, the Roman Catholic Church is the largest CULT in the world, but does that mean they are right or that they preach the truth. Common, you need to be more specific:

1. What exactly do you mean by “uplifting”? 2. What exactly do you mean by “learned much”? 3. What exactly do you mean by “in some ways they change my life”?

Does truth matter to you at all, or are you just in it for the ride? Just because it feels good?

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2001

It seems sad when we believe that we can't learn from those "outside the faith" or whatever term we use. I have friends who belong to different denom's, and yes, I have learned from them. I have attended one PK event, and yes, I learned. The worship was uplifting ... maybe because I was with others of like precious faith, along with all those who had denom backgrounds ... or maybe it was my ability to worship my Lord no matter where I am, but the worship was uplifting. While I certainly did not agree with everything I heard, I did learn.

All truth comes from God. Maybe the person teaching doesn't teach all the truth, but I believe I am mature enough in my faith to "spoil the Egyptians" at events like PK.

Do I make it a habit to attend PK-like events? No. It would be great if the restoration movement had something like that, but they don't. To tell the truth, it is hard for "us' to put together things like that without folks getting all "oh no, we're acting like a denomination" about it. And yes, there might be some truth to that statement, i.e. the NACC in more recent years.

If a person is not mature enough in their faith to glean from a PK- like event, then they shouldn't attend. Or. maybe they are so mature they no longer need or want to attend something like that. That's cool too.

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2001

Darrell You say, “It seems sad when we believe that we can't learn from those ‘outside the faith’ or whatever term we use.” R: Let me pose the following situation, which is not hypothetical by the way. At this very moment, I have tried to dialogue with Mark Martin of Calvary Community Church, a Calvary Chapel in Pheonix, AZ. I love Mark and I believe that he is doing a great service to the Church (in the universal sense) by bringing hundreds if not thousands of people out of the SDA cult in to the light of the Gospel of Grace. Yet, after many attempts to contact him in order to discuss the subject of Christian baptism in the light of Scripture, this is what he had to say: “Philip, Frankly, I'm not sure we're agreed on some essentials such as baptismal regeneration and Church government issues. The Lord bless you and keep you.” I responded to Mark as follows: “Dear Mark, First of all, thanks a million for responding. I appreciate you contacting me in spit of your heavy schedule. I also pray that this is not merely a "hello and goodbye" message on your behalf, as I sincerely believe that you have misunderstood my position on Christian baptism entirely. Can I at least get the benefit of the doubt? Do we give open discussion a chance? In Christ, Philip Watkinson”

Now, how would you handle this situation? It is quite obvious that I am not going to get a fair hearing from Mark or from any other mainline neo-evangelical group. IT IS SO FRUSTRAITING SOMETIMES!!!! You Say, “I have attended one PK event, and yes, I learned. The worship was uplifting ... maybe because I was with others of like precious faith, along with all those who had denom backgrounds...” R: Maybe you do share a common faith with Roman Catholics, Mormons, Vinyard Thrid-Wavers, etc. and that would certainly explain your excitement about PK. If I had the lack of discernment you obviously display in your response, I would be head over heels about PK as well. You Say, “or maybe it was my ability to worship my Lord no matter where I am, but the worship was uplifting. While I certainly did not agree with everything I heard, I did learn.” R: Christ admonishes us to worship in truth as well as in spirit. You may have been worshiping in spirit, but you certainly were not worshiping in truth. What did you learn? How to worship god as a “phallic man”? That is just one of many aberrations that PK teaches. You Say, “All truth comes from God.” R: Indeed it does! But we better know what we mean by “truth” less we become deceived by fool’s gold. You say, “Maybe the person teaching doesn't teach all the truth, but I believe I am mature enough in my faith to "spoil the Egyptians" at events like PK.” R: If you are so mature, what single truth do you feel that PK is upholding that is not at least neutralized by their heresy? You say, “Do I make it a habit to attend PK-like events? No.” R: Why not? If it is feeling a “void” in your life, why not eat it up lock stock and barrel? This is the problem with half-hearted believers – they are never satisfied with the grass on their side of the fence! “It would be great if the restoration movement had something like that, but they don't. To tell the truth, it is hard for "us' to put together things like that without folks getting all "oh no, we're acting like a denomination" about it. And yes, there might be some truth to that statement, i.e. the NACC in more recent years” R: Why do we need humongous events to stimulate our faith in the Lord? You speak as one who needs the Gospel dog-n-pony show to get you through the next “down” in your life. This is quite typical of modern Evangelicalism – “if it isn’t a spectacle it isn’t worth it” mentality. You say, “If a person is not mature enough in their faith to glean from a PK- like event, then they shouldn't attend. Or. maybe they are so mature they no longer need or want to attend something like that. That's cool too” R: Well, that pretty much covers everyone doesn’t it? I am already framed and hanged long before getting a chance to tackle specifics. Speaking of which, it is all “cool” to stick up for what you believe, even smack in the middle of 10,000 sweating, cheering, delirious men that wouldn’t recognize truth even if it slapped in the face!

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

Philip --

I did state: “I have attended one PK event, and yes, I learned. The worship was uplifting ... maybe because I was with others of like precious faith, along with all those who had denom backgrounds...” Your response: "Maybe you do share a common faith with Roman Catholics, Mormons, Vinyard Thrid-Wavers, etc. and that would certainly explain your excitement about PK. If I had the lack of discernment you obviously display in your response, I would be head over heels about PK as well."

Okay -- here we go. My statement was that I was with men of "like precious faith." These were other men from a restoration background who believe in the truth, and teach and preach that truth. ALONG WITH my brothers in Christ, there were people there from all kinds of backgrounds. Nowhere did I say, or try to imply, that I share faith with those you mention above. Maybe I didn't make my point clear. If that caused you to believe I showed a lack of discernment, sorry. One of the reasons for attending the PK event was to see first hand what was happening, and to make some discernments of my own, rather than basing my thoughts on PK on what others said and reported. I think that shows a greater ability for discernment than others MIGHT show by blindly repeating what they have heard about PK.

You say; "What did you learn? How to worship god as a “phallic man”? That is just one of many aberrations that PK teaches." I have no idea what you mean, as that was not taught at the session I attended.

I said “All truth comes from God.” Your reply: "Indeed it does! But we better know what we mean by “truth” less we become deceived by fool’s gold." I do know the truth, and am not decieved by fools gold.

I stated: “Do I make it a habit to attend PK-like events? No.” Your reply: "Why not? If it is feeling a “void” in your life, why not eat it up lock stock and barrel? This is the problem with half-hearted believers – they are never satisfied with the grass on their side of the fence!" No void in MY life, and I am in no way a half-hearted believer. Sorry, but you don't know me enough to make such statements. And I don't believe what I posted here was enough for you to do so. You have obviously "read into" what I posted .. and have read into it a lot more than I ever tried to say.

You stated: "Why do we need humongous events to stimulate our faith in the Lord? You speak as one who needs the Gospel dog-n-pony show to get you through the next “down” in your life." My reply: NOT AT ALL. Events don't need to be humongous, but the opportunity to gather together with believers of like precious faith IS something we need, be it a small gathering for a Bible study, a larger gathering for our weekly observance of worship, or a much larger gathering for uplifting and edifying one another. No "dog-and-pony"show needed. But it is great to gather together for worship, no matter how many people there are gathering together.

You stated; "Speaking of which, it is all “cool” to stick up for what you believe, even smack in the middle of 10,000 sweating, cheering, delirious men that wouldn’t recognize truth even if it slapped in the face!" My reply: I wonder why you choose to put my use of the word cool in quotes? For whatever reason, your statement that those attending a PK wouldn't recognize the truth is a very large generalization. I, for one, do recognize the truth, and I know of others at the PK event I attended who also recognize the truth. I can't speak for everyone who attended.

Don't "lump me in" with others, especially when you don't know me, or are trying to paint a picture of me based on one or two posts. If you are not sure of what I believe, then ask and I will answer.

BTW -- I have not attended any other PK events after the first one. I went to check it out first hand ... to compare what was taught in a Berean way ... and while there I was going to worship the Lord. I'm sure that He respected my worship, even among the company I was in. I'm certain I can say the same thing about my Sunday morning worship ... not everyone in the room I am in is a Christian, some may even claim or believe things antithetical to Scripture, but that doesn't negate MY worship.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

Philip,

Would you have rebuked Jesus and Paul for worshipping at the synagogue? Did they agree with everything being taught there?

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

Brethren:

Brother Davis has asked:

“Philip, Would you have rebuked Jesus and Paul for worshipping at the synagogue? Did they agree with everything being taught there?”

Now, this is a ridiculous comparison of what our Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul did with what our brethren do when they attend a PK meeting. Jesus and Paul went into synagogues, not to learn but to teach. Paul went there to convert the Jews to Christ. He did not go there to “learn from those outside the faith” but rather to bring those outside the faith into the faith! And neither Jesus nor Paul went to the synagogues just to obtain an “uplifting” feeling. And Christ went to the Temple and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and said, “it is written my house shall be called a house of prayer and you have made it a den of thieves”. Our Brethren go to PK meetings doing there very best not to "upset" anyone or anything for any reasons! THey are rather COWARDS who are to afraid to stand up for the truth and to unconcerned about it to even care if the truth is being taught. If it is not being taught they simply ignore it as if it is no problem. TO compare these cowrard with our Lord Jesus CHrist and the bold apostle Paul is a pathetic attempt to justify their pathetically sinful behavior in supporting false teachers and false doctrines at PK meetings! THey should be ashamed by they have no shame!

Now it is obvious that Jesus did not go into any place to listen to false doctrine without refuting it. And neither did Paul. But our brethren who go to PK meetings are not going to teach the truth and to preach the gospel or stand against all of the false doctrines that are being taught there, as did Paul and Jesus when they went to either the temple or a synagogue. These brethren, like Brother Davis will go to listen to and support the teaching of false doctrine and false gospels without ever saying a word against them and worse they return and encourage the brethren to attend as well. And they excuse themselves on the basis that there is “some good things to be learned there” as if those good things could not be learned from the word of God anywhere else.

No, we have never said that it is wrong to go into any place as did Paul and Jesus. But it is wrong to go to any place and listen to false doctrine being taught with no intention whatsoever of doing anything to resist it, refute it and stand firm for the defense of the gospel and of the truth. And those who attend these meetings as with the same attitude as Jesus and Paul toward false doctrine not sit idle and do nothing while lies are being taught in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

No, Jesus and Paul did not “agree with every thing that was being taught” in many places that they went but they corrected the false teachings that were being taught. They did not just sit around and enjoy some “exhilarating feeling” and leave all emotionally charged to urge everyone else to attend those meetings where false doctrine was taught because it was so “uplifting” to be there. HA! And they did not attend because such meetings would ““in some ways they change” their life”!

Now, this is just plain wrong to attend these meetings and support the teaching of false doctrine by a plethora of false teachers of various stripes. If we attend those meetings let it be to teach the truth of the gospel of Christ and oppose the false doctrines that are being taught in the name of Christ. But not to disobey the command of Christ given by the apostle John, which was “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things, which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into [your] house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” (2 John 8-11). Now the PK organization and those who teach and preach there do not “abide in the doctrine of Christ”. And therefore they “have not God” and those of you who support this organization and those in it who do not abide in the doctrine of Christ are “partakers in their evil deeds”. And we urge you to repent of this nonsense and teach the gospel, and defend the gospel from those who are anathema for teaching a gospel other than the one that was “delivered to us once for all” (Jude 3).

If you cannot do this then there is no need for any of you to attempt any pretense of being faithful servants of Christ.

Your Brother in Christ,

E. Lee Saffold

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

E. Lee,

While it is true that Jesus and Paul taught in the synagogue, the early church met there for worship as well as at the temple.

(Acts 2:46) Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

(Acts 3:1) One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon.

Why do you suppose they were going to the Temple, E. Lee?

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

Brethren:

Notice what a feeble and pathetic attempt is being made by Brother Davis to justify attending a PK meeting with a pack of false teachers and a bunch of non- Christians to be “taught by them”. Rather than to teach them the truth of the gospel of Christ and resist all false doctrines that are being taught among the PK organization. He says the following feeble things:

“E. Lee, While it is true that Jesus and Paul taught in the synagogue, the early church met there for worship as well as at the temple.”

Indeed it is true isn’t it? And it is also true that they did not attend any meeting in any place to be taught by false teachers anything contrary to the truth of the gospel. Or even to sit cowardly by in frightened silence as lies were being taught that were contrary to the teaching of Christ as our brethren do when they attend PK meetings. Your attempt to support this PK nonsense is pathetic and feeble indeed. But you have shown that the early Christians went to the temple as follows: (Acts 2:46) Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,”

Notice that “every day” they meet in the “Temple Courts” and that they met with each other and they broke bread in their HOMES. But how on earth one can compare this with meeting with a bunch of people who are not in Christ. And how this can be compared with meeting with those who have never obeyed the gospel of Christ and are teaching the false gospel of “salvation by faith only”. And how this is to be justly compared to meeting with those who teach the lies associated with the doctrines and commandments of men taught in the creeds of men which oppose the very precious doctrine of Christ is hard for us to imagine. It seems to us that such would be just an ignorant and stupid comparison. IN fact, that is exactly what it is. But whatever it is not a justification of your supporting the false teachers and the false doctrines taught at PK meetings. Now if you go to these PK meetings to teach the truth to those who seek it and preach the gospel to all of them whether they seek it or not then you would be doing the right thing. And we have often said that we should all gaiter and go to a PK meeting to preach the gospel of Christ and oppose the lies taught by the false teachers who permeate the place. And convert as many people to the truth as we can. But to go their to be taught by false teachers and to support the lies that they teach is wrong according to 2 John 9-11 which incidentally is only one of the many arguments that we have made which you pathetically and helplessly ignore because you have no decent response. And the reason you don’t Brother Davis is that you are a false teacher yourself.

But then he ask us about this verse:

(Acts 3:1) One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon. Why do you suppose they were going to the Temple, E. Lee?”

Peter And John went to the Temple in Acts 3:1 to continue the preaching of the gospel which began on the day of Pentecost. Read what happened at the temple and see for yourself. For after the healing of the lame man we read, “And when Peter saw [it], he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let [him] go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did [it], as [did] also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” (Acts 3:12-19). Now that is the reason he went to the temple at a time when he knew that a large number of Jews would be gathered and he would have a great opportunity to preach the gospel to them. But he did not go there to join in and support the teaching that was going on in the temple. He did not go there to “learn” anything from those teaching in the temple. And he certianly did not go there to listen to a bunch of false teachers like Billy Graham and the liars that preach in PK meetings teach their lies and support them in it. He went there to preach Christ. And we have said that if we go to any place where non-Christians gather it should be with the purpose to teach Christ. And this includes PK meetings, which is a meeting of non-Christians teaching, that which is contrary to the teaching of Christ. And a PK meeting far from being anything even remotely like or akin or compared to the temple or a synagogue.

In order to keep this particular thread on track we will tell you one thing that is for certain. They did not go to the temple or the synagogue to listen to a bunch of false teachers teaching lies and condoning and accepting all the lies that were being taught. And the Holy Spirit was guiding them and they were out teaching. They were not meeting with persons who were not Christians at all in order to be “taught by them”. They were preaching the truth of the gospel of Christ in both places and they were not participating in the worship being lead by those who were not Christians. You imply that they were joining in the worship being lead by those who did not even believe in Christ as the Son of God. And this you could not prove if your life depended upon it.

The absurd length that false teachers will go to in order to support their lies is amazing, isn’t it brethren. But we cannot expect any more than this from Brother Davis who is a false teacher and one who perpetually supports those who teach not only contrary to the doctrine of Christ. But he also supports those who teach a gospel other than the true gospel, which was once for all delivered to the saints. And his support for that false teacher Billy Graham as well as his support for the organization called PK, which is nothing short of a den of vipers, is proof enough that he has no love for the truth of Christ.

Beware of such men, Brethren.

Your Brother in Christ,

E. Lee Saffold

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

Check out the following report:

Promise Keepers & Phallicism

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To date the Promise Keepers organization continues to support Robert Hicks’s book The Masculine Journey. As we have reported previously, Hicks’s book is not based fully on the Bible, but rather on his own personal experience of what it means to be a man. Hicks forms arbitrary stages in which to place his own personal experience and subjective psychological notions. By giving biblical labels to these stages and mixing in some biblical truth, he makes it appear that the Bible validates everything he says about manhood.

Hicks contends that "this word [zakar] reflects the phallic male in his distinct sexual aspect." He says:

We are sexual beings at our most primary (primal) level. The Bible never pretends or expects us to be otherwise. It meets us and describes us where we are, where we live and have our being. To be male is to be a phallic kind of guy, and as men we should never apologize for it, or allow it to be denigrated by women (or crass men either) (p. 24).

Hicks reduces the biblical definition of manhood to one body part. He says, "The Bible simply defines manhood by the phallus" (p. 49). Needless to say, Hicks is attempting to squeeze biblical manhood into his categories. He says:

Possessing a penis places unique requirements upon men before God in how they are to worship Him. We are called to worship God as phallic kinds of guys, not as some sort of androgynous, neutered nonmales, or the feminized males so popular in many feminist-enlightened churches. We are told by God to worship Him in accordance with what we are, phallic men (p. 51).

One book on which Hicks relies is Daniel Levinson’s The Seasons of a Man’s Life. Hicks says the book is true on the basis of his own experience and on the basis of what he considers "excellent research." Levinson investigated the lives of forty men and came up with what Hicks calls "certain predictable eras in the male life cycle" (p. 19).

Levinson admits that the study was influenced by Freud, Jung, and Erickson, but also included others, such as Wilhelm Reich (p. 5, Levinson et al). In reviewing one of Reich’s books, Alan Morrison says:

In his book, ‘The Murder of Christ’, he [Reich] claimed that the Fall expounded in the third chapter of Genesis was an allegorical tale depicting the beginnings of sexual repression in human society, while Christ—who he claimed was the ultimate ‘Genital Man’—came to give humanity an example of perfect sexual and energetic health. The reason that the Lord Jesus Christ was killed by the people, according to Reich, was because the sexually-maladjusted world could not take His dynamically-healthy sexual energy. (Morrison, The Serpent and the Cross, p. 254).

There have been various phallic cults throughout history, such as the Celts and Druids. Barry Fell, in his book America B.C., has a chapter on "The Ritual Phallic Monuments."

Hicks’s book The Masculine Journey and the Promise Keepers’ continued support of it are one fatal flaw in the movement. And, speaking of phallicism, is it mere coincidence that the Promise Keepers hope to assemble one million men around the Washington Monument in Washington, DC in 1997?

(From PAL V3N4)

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-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

Dear one and all,

I shall continue to post articles from respected sources until we can discuss specifics on PK. Check this one out!

Promise Keepers, Catholics, and Mormons...Together

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Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT) is a document signed by a number of well-known Evangelicals and Roman Catholics. Contained within the document, which attempts to bring ecumenical unity, are some seriously compromising agreements regarding proselytizing and doctrinal distinctions.

Having read the ECT document, we wondered about Promise Keepers with respect to Roman Catholicism. We had heard many rumors about the involvement of Catholics in the Promise Keepers and particularly the impression Catholics might have about the organization.

Assuming that the Pope would not return a phone call, we did the next best thing. We called Cardinal Roger Mahoney at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. We explained that we were interested in the Cardinal’s position on the Promise Keepers.

We were told to contact Father Alfred Burnham, who is the Director of the Ecumenical Office of the Archdiocese. The call to Father Burnham revealed some startling information. We asked if any of his remarks were published. He said the same information was available in the March 31 edition of The Tidings, which is "the Archdiocese paper." We obtained that issue of The Tidings and read the article titled "‘Promise Keepers’ Promises Spiritual Renewal for Men."

The article describes Promise Keepers this way:

Promise Keepers is a basic program of evangelization for men of faith, begun among more fundamentalist and evangelical Christian communities, but now being expanded to include Catholic congregations.

The article reveals that Father Christian Van Liefde, pastor of St. Hillary Church in Pico Rivera, "at the urging of Cardinal Roger Mahony, has studied the feasibility and appropriateness of utilizing Promise Keepers at the Catholic parish level.

The article goes on to state:

While noting the evangelical roots of the program, Father Van Liefde says there is no "doctrinal issue which should cause concern to the Catholic Church."

"Promise Keepers places a very strong emphasis on returning to your own church congregation or parish and becoming an active layman," Father Van Liefde points out. "There is no attempt at proselytizing or drawing men away from their faith to another church."

In a phone interview with Father Van Liefde, we asked about the possibility of proselytizing. How could he be sure there would be no proselytizing? He said the Promise Keepers representatives told him that there would be no proselytizing, "rather just the opposite." He mentioned promise number 5: "A Promise Keeper is committed to supporting the mission of the church by honoring and praying for his pastor, and by actively giving his time and resources." Van Liefde confirmed that proselytizing was discussed with the Promise Keepers representatives, who referred to promise 5 as proof that none would occur and that men would be sent back to their own churches.

The article further indicates that there have been Promise Keepers seminars at the local parish level. One of the seminars was described as having "presentations by local priests."

After describing the national growth of the Promise Keepers, the article reports:

Father Van Liefde, however, is optimistic that Promise Keepers can grow at the parish level as well—and without adversely impacting existing parish programs or finances.

"Rather, the opposite is true," he asserts. "One of the primary promises of the program is to return to one’s local church and become a force for good in the local community. Another is the commitment to financial support of one’s local church. The men are challenged to give generously of their time, treasure and talent to their local church."

Father Van Liefde envisions regular gatherings of small groups of men, perhaps in the parish hall, on a parish or joint parish basis. Such gatherings would follow a large-scale event like the upcoming Coliseum weekend."

At the end of the article is a detailed announcement and encouragement for Catholic men to attend the Promise Keepers Conference at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on May 5 and 6.

There you have it. Promise Keepers and Catholics together. One of our concerns about the Promise Keepers movement is its ecumenicalism. The above is just one example of that.

How about another example? What about the involvement of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons)? By calling Salt Lake City and several temples, wards, and stakes of the Mormon church, we found that, while there is no official position on the Promise Keepers, many Mormon men have participated in the past and will do so at the Wake Up Calls and regional meetings this year. We heard much agreement from Mormon leaders with the seven promises of the Promise Keepers. These Mormon leaders praised the movement and commented on how attendance "has been a life changing experience for some of the Mormon men."

And, yet another example comes from a Council Bluffs, Iowa newspaper article indicating that a Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) was participating with the Promise Keepers. The article mentioned that the Promise Keepers had given a presentation to the RLDS men. We called their central office in Independence, Missouri and learned that RLDS had no official position on the Promise Keepers. We then called Joe Hanna, the Iowa State RLDS president. Hanna said that the RLDS church in Council Bluffs was "very high" on the Promise Keepers and "would no doubt be going with it." He also said that he had no problems with Promise Keepers.

We then called Bob Watkins, who pastors the RLDS church in Council Bluffs. He said that he was very supportive of the Promise Keepers and that he had "no problem with it at all." Watkins said, "It’s a wonderful program. The men at my church will be participating."

In addition to Promise Keepers and Catholics together, we now have Promise Keepers, Catholics and Mormons together. This seems to be an ecumenicalism of proportions never experienced since the Reformation. There have been single issues, such as abortion, pornography, and prohibition, that have drawn a spectrum of churches together, but none have reached the popularity and ecumenicalism of the Promise Keepers.

We have received reports from other countries indicating that they are beginning to have Promise Keepers meetings as well. Where will it end? Will Promise Keepers attain their goal of 75,000 clergy in Atlanta, GA, and one million men in Washington, DC, in 1996? And then what? And then where? Is this, as some have proclaimed, the greatest move of God since the day of Pentecost? Or, is this part of the last days scenario signaling the Lord’s return?

PAL V3N3 (May-June 1995)

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PsychoHeresy Awareness Ministries 4137 Primavera Road Santa Barbara, CA 93110 www.psychoheresy-aware.org

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

Promise Keepers, OBE and Values Clarification

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Christians are becoming aware of the dangers of Outcome Based Education (OBE). Nevertheless many of these same parents allow psychologically-based, values level discussions in Sunday school and Bible study. OBE curriculum methods are safely ensconced in the very churches that teach against OBE in the public schools. And psychologically-based values level discussion questions are central to the four-year-old men’s movement called Promise Keepers.

Brenda Fischer was concerned when she saw the OBE methods being used in Sunday Schools and Bible studies. She says in her Christian News article "How Do You ‘Feel’ About the Bible?":

Feeling-centered Bible study uses the same learning techniques as Outcome Based Education (OBE). . . . It is a method of teaching that uses opinions and feelings to manipulate social change or "required outcomes." . . . A feeling-centered Bible study does the same thing. Rather than learning what the Word of God says (the facts), participants focus on how they feel about particular passages of the Bible (their feelings). And just as in OBE, these Bible study programs generally promote ideology or "outcomes" that may or may not reflect Biblical truth.

This kind of study encourages people to look inside themselves for answers.

Values level teaching was specifically designed to move society away from making life decisions based on fact (or God’s Word) and on to making decisions based on feelings (or self). This method of teaching is accomplished by changing the way discussion questions are worded. . . . When this method is employed in Bible study, the Word of God is only used as a tool or a starting point for delving into the feelings of the class. Even though a Scripture passage is read in class the foundation of the study is not the Scripture, but the student. The solid Word of God is effectively lost once the discussion gets off what the Bible says and onto how you feel about what the Bible says. (Emphasis in original.)

Here are some of the psychologically-based discussion questions from Hicks’s study guide to The Masculine Journey:

Many men get trapped in the "performance syndrome," which values a man for what he can produce. By contrast, Christianity places a high value on men for no other reason than just being. What gives you your greatest sense of worth and dignity? Be honest. (p. 22)

What word picture describes the way you feel when you are convinced you have great worth and dignity? Draw or describe that picture. (p. 23)

Using this story [of Solomon] as a mirror for your own life, what do you see? At what points do you see your noble nature reflected? Where do you see the savage? (p. 25)

[In reference to the story of Samson] In what ways have the women in your life used the "if you really loved me" line? What crazy thing were you once willing to do in the name of love? (p. 36)

The violent-bloody realism of battle is found in the life of David, the gibbor who decapitated Goliath (1 Samuel 17:51), but also loved God, wrote poetry, played stringed instruments, danced, and wept. Does this image of a warrior surprise you? Men are taught not to show fear or tears. Do you? (p. 45)

All the classic elements of wounded male behavior—retreat, licking wounds, self-pity, depression, giving up the cause—are evident in 1 Kings 19:3-10. What examples of each can you find? When have you felt or acted likewise? (p. 66)

These are just a brief sampling of values level and psychologically loaded questions from Hicks’s study guide.

Quite often people confuse such questions with biblical application questions. Fischer describes the difference:

A values level question asks how I feel about a Scripture or an issue relating to Scripture. Biblical application has its basis in fact. Values level has its basis in feelings. (Emphasis in original.)

Pastors and church workers, as well as all Christians, need to start evaluating Sunday School curriculum and group Bible study materials to see if what they are using is truly biblical or if psychoheresy has subtly slipped in, as with Promise Keepers.

Brenda Fischer’s Quick Methods to Test Curriculum

1. Look at the questions. Are there a great deal of values level questions? Many studies will have a few fact questions, but quickly lead into a discussion of feelings. Also, are some questions worded in such a way that they seem to be promoting ideology outside of the intent of the study of Scripture?

2. Watch for new ideas or descriptions of God that seem foreign or unbiblical or anything that just doesn’t sound quite right. This should be a red flag. It may suggest that the study has a motivation that goes beyond the desire to encourage spiritual growth through a knowledge of God’s Word.

3. Don’t be thrown off if you find parts of a study that are bad and other parts that seem fine. If there isn’t a certain amount of traditional teaching most curriculums would be rejected immediately. It is actually the more subtle curriculums that pose the greatest threat because for every questionable point there are typically 2 or 3 very good points. The good actually serves to camouflage the bad. This is the reason that values level teaching has gained a foothold in many conservative churches.

(From PAL V2N4)

---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Return to: Article Topics | Titles | Top PsychoHeresy Awareness Ministries 4137 Primavera Road Santa Barbara, CA 93110 www.psychoheresy-aware.org

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

Philip,

Have you actually verified any of these things with Promise Keepers, or are you just cutting and pasting information as if it were fact without really knowing for sure?

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

Berry,

Like I said, I will leave the cross-examination to others. I want to discuss specifics. Did you even read the articles? Can you disprove any of these assertions? If not, than I shall continue posting until someone can.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

Bill McCartney founded the Promise Keepers through the inspiration of his Vineyard pastor, James Ryle. Randy Phillips, the president of Promise Keepers, is also a member of James Ryle’s Vineyard Fellowship. James Ryle claims to be a modern prophet with revelatory powers. His book, A Dream Come True: A Biblical Look at How God Speaks Through Dreams and Visions, forwarded by Bill McCartney, encourages Christians to seek Jesus through dreams and visions. (6) At a 1990 Vineyard Harvest Conference in Denver, Rev. Ryle stated that God had instructed him to reveal to the church that the Beatles and their music were the result of a special anointing of the Holy Spirit - and that God was looking for others upon whom to place that anointing in order to bring about a worldwide revival through music --

"The Lord has appointed me as a lookout and shown me some things that I want to show you…The Lord spoke to me and said, 'What you saw in the Beatles -- the gifting and the sound that they had -- was from me… It was my purpose to bring forth through music a worldwide revival that would usher in the move of My Spirit in bringing men and women to Christ…" (7)

In an evaluation, entitled "Promise Keepers: Growth and Caution," Chris Corbett of Point of View radio ministry chronicled the connection between Promise Keepers and the Vineyard Movement. This profile of the Vineyard, in fact, describes the doctrinal foundation upon which the Promise Keepers Movement was built:

"The Vineyard movement of churches is controversial even within its Pentecostal base. It has been labeled ‘hyper-Pentecostal’ by its detractors, which have included figures such as Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel and evangelist David Wilkerson. Currently, the Vineyard is a major conduit for the ‘Holy Laughter Movement’ in which those said to be filled with the Holy Spirit during a meeting might begin laughing uncontrollably, becoming paralyzed, roar like a lion or howl and bark like a dog.

"Promise Keepers founder Bill McCartney's pastor, James Ryle, who is on the Board of PK, is a highly controversial figure. His participation in the ‘Laughing Revival’ was written up in a Washington Post article (11/18/95) about the Laughing Movement at the Pasadena Vineyard Christian Fellowship: At the Pasadena church, James Ryle, chaplain of the University of Colorado football team, is telling the congregation how Jesus freed him from his own demons -- growing up in an orphanage and serving jail time for selling drugs. He tells many jokes about his missing middle finger, lost to a lawn mower. There are waves of tear-wiping laughter. Ryle makes sound effects, including some animal noises. He snaps his fingers, bangs the podium, paces and tells how God will appear here in suits of fire, oil, water. ‘You will feel! And the glory of the Lord will put you down!’ (A Rush of Ecstasy and Alarm, Carol McGraw)

"The Vineyard movement has been closely associated with the signs and wonders means of evangelism. Founder John Wimber follows closely the doctrines of George Eldon Ladd who was a professor of Biblical Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Ladd introduced radically new ideas of the kingdom, redemption and Christian unity. According to The Doctrines of the Kingdom of God, by Carl Widrig (1995), . . . Ladd’s ‘gospel of the Kingdom’ had a tendency to distract Ladd away from emphasizing the saving information of the gospel of Jesus' death on the cross." (8)

The Vineyard Movement has assumed the Gnostic mantle of William Branham, George Warnock, Paul Cain and others, who formerly tried to introduce Latter Rain/Manifest Sons of God teachings into the Pentecostal movement. Recently, when Kansas City Prophets Bob Jones and Earl Paulk were exposed for moral failure and Rev. Ernie Gruen challenged the error of modern false prophets, John Wimber provided a covering for their sin through affiliation with Vineyard Ministries. The issues of fornication and heresy were never dealt with and these prophets continue to promote their false doctrines through the Vineyard Fellowship.

The Word of God has carefully defined the eligibility criteria for those who shepherd the flock of God. I Thessalonians 5:12 commends believers to "know them which labour among you." However, leaders of parachurch ministries are often protected from scrutiny. I Timothy 3 sets forth precise qualifications for an elder candidate, who must be "above reproach" and "one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity (for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)…" A secular magazine, GQ, noted that Bill McCartney is "the only major college football coach in America with two illegitimate grandchildren sired by two different players upon his only daughter." (9) When the requirements of Scripture are ignored in the local church, the spiritual body becomes dysfunctional. Yet many parachurch leaders like Bill McCartney, who would not qualify as elders of a local church, are shepherding millions of Christians worldwide. In addition they receive millions of dollars in tithe money that rightfully belong to local churches. Jesus identified the hireling as a shepherd who does not receive his authority lawfully -- by the high standard given in the Word of God:

"He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." (John 10:1)

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

"They kept not the covenant of God

and refused to walk in his law."

Psalm 78:10

Promise Keepers is a non-denominational parachurch organization, formed in 1990 to "celebrate Biblical manhood and motivate men toward Christ-like masculinity." Last year, nearly 1.1 million men attended Promise Keepers events at 22 stadiums around the United States. The movement has grown exponentially in the six years since it was founded by Bill McCartney, who was then the head football coach at the University of Colorado. It now has a full-time staff of 430 at its headquarters in Boulder, Colorado and an annual budget of $97 million. The headquarters produces videos and a radio show, maintains a Web site, publishes books and several newsletters, and keeps in contact with 38 state offices and a handful of international affiliates. Sixty percent of its budget comes from men who pay $60 apiece to attend the stadium events and the remainder from donations and sales of instructional materials. (2)

Promise Keepers plans to expand its outreach globally. Last summer, seventeen men from four countries that hold affiliate or near- affiliate status (Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) met at the PK headquarters in Colorado. Promise Keepers’ December 1996 New Man magazine reported that representatives of 30 nations have made official inquiries about forming a Promise Keepers organization in their countries.

President Clinton has endorsed the Promise Keepers movement on the McNeil-Lehrer Report and Hillary Clinton praised this non- denominational ministry to men in her book, It Takes a Village. (3) The L. A. Times ran a favorable article and the New York Times gave Promise Keepers front page recognition. A New Age Journal article noted that Promise Keepers combined the secular men’s movement (founded by New Age poet Robert Bly) with the political evangelicalism of Pat Robertson. (4) And the Atlanta Journal- Constitution gave the following appraisal: "Promise Keepers combines the Jesus Saves preaching of Billy Graham with the male-bonding message of Robert Bly, the call for racial conciliation of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the marital advice of Ann Landers." (5

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT

After the September, 1996 conference in New York, the Promise Keepers issued a press release:

"(Queens, NY) -- Like an army of Christian crusaders, 34,600 highly motivated missionaries and nearly 2,500 volunteers were turned loose on the New York metropolitan area today with the closing of the two- day Promise Keepers Conference at Shea Stadium. A nationwide radio broadcast on 398 stations reached over 250,000 listeners per quarter hour, while a strong national and international media presence assured the message would reach millions more…" (10)

What is the spiritual "message" that has almost overnight catapulted thousands of men across the nation to become missionaries to their cities and has also attracted the attention of national and international media? The multi-ethnic gathering of men in New York City heard from several popular Christian speakers, including Charles Colson, formerly a key political aide to President Nixon and the founder of Prison Fellowship. Colson shared the "message of Jesus" which he learned in jail: "If you trust in God, it doesn’t matter what religion or race you are, we all belong to each other." (11)

Perhaps this unifying message best explains the favorable coverage given to Promise Keepers in the secular press and the political arena. The message of Jesus Christ who said, "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6) is politically incorrect today. When Charles Colson received the $1 million Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, presumably for his co-authorship of The Evangelicals and Catholics Together Document, he quoted John 14:6a -- but omitted the rest of the verse!

The Promise Keepers statement of purpose is: "To unite men through vital relationships to become godly influences in their world by making promises to Jesus Christ and to one another that last a lifetime." In order to become godly influences in their world, the men must keep the sixth of "Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper":

"A Promise Keeper is committed to reaching beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity . . .A Promise Keeper is willing to cross over the lines that have divided the church and meet with at least one man of a different race or denomination at least once a month."

Overseeing the implementation of the Promise Keepers’ agenda are Point Men or Ambassadors who are assigned to local churches and communities. The Ambassador Candidate booklet states:

"Because Promise Keepers is committed to building relational bridges, Ambassadors must avoid negative political and denominational remarks and discussions . . . walls of denominationalism are difficult to break down -- this process may take six months to a year." (12)

Many pastors have reluctantly yielded to the pressure placed upon them by these change agents, who exert substantial influence and generate enthusiasm for Promise Keepers within evangelical churches.

Those who benefit most from Promise Keepers’ ecumenical orientation are Catholic and Mormon leaders, who see in the movement an opportunity to build their own churches. They actively encourage their men to attend rallies and to form PK groups within their churches. After studying the feasibility and propriety of utilizing Promise Keepers at the Catholic parish level, Cardinal Roger Mahoney of Los Angeles concluded --

"There is no ‘doctrinal’ issue which should cause concern to the Catholic church. Promise Keepers places a very strong emphasis on returning to your own church, congregation or parish and becoming an active layman. There is no attempt at proselytizing or drawing men away from their faith to another church . . . The Promise Keepers seems to me to be a wonderful way to prepare for the Third Millennium of Christianity which begins in the year 2000." (13)

Presaging the spiritual direction that Promise Keepers will be taking is its clarion call for unity under a common leadership. In February of 1996, a National Clergy Conference was held in Atlanta to "tear the hearts of pastors wide open so that a single leadership can be produced." Bill McCartney continued, "And I think He's going to put them back together again as one. One leadership. We've got to have one leadership, one leadership only." (14) McCartney had lamented the division among the clergy at an April, 1995 meeting in Detroit and disrespectfully demanded a reason from any pastor who refused to attend the upcoming Clergy Conference:

"We have a great army that we are assembling. They're the Christian men of this nation. However, our leadership, our clergy are not uniform. Our clergy are divided. Division is many visions. There's no unity of command…there is tremendous division in our clergy…this gathering in Atlanta should exceed 100,000 clergymen. Why? Because we have many more than that, and every single one of them ought to be there. We can't have anybody pass up that meeting. If a guy says that he doesn't want to go, he needs to be able to tell us why he doesn't want to go." (15)

During this conference, an altar call was given for the pastors, who knelt while McCartney led them to confess sin for "putting up barriers on account of denominational dogma." Previously, McCartney had stated, "We need you (priests and ministers) to rightly divide the Word of Truth for us because we can't do it ourselves." Is Promise Keepers hereby calling Evangelicals to revert back to the style of church government from which the reformers struggled to release God’s people -- a united clergy under a single command? Should we also wonder who former Catholic Bill McCartney might have in mind for this "single command"? In his autobiography, From Ashes to Glory, McCartney refers warmly to his Roman Catholic background and remarks: "I never had the feeling I was discarding or even rejecting all that I had been taught." (16) However, in a negative reference to the Protestant Reformation, he proudly announced at the Atlanta Clergy Conference:

"No such meeting was held in the past 400 years, and it is exciting to see the denominational barriers come down as we have Protestants and Roman Catholics here together. The purpose of this meeting is to have the unity of the church."

The recurrent theme in conferences and Promise Keepers' literature is "Breaking Down Denominational Walls." A recent issue of the New Man carries an article written by founder and president of Concerts of Prayer, David Bryant, entitled "Prisoners of Hope." Bryant asserts that revival starts with brokenness, not over personal sin as set forth in Scripture, but for the lack of unity among denominations: "Repent of the disunity of the church that makes it impossible for God to pour out a broad-based spiritual awakening…We must repent of divisiveness caused by our denominationalism …" (17)

In Promise Keepers' rationale, maintaining a denominational preference is hate-mongering equivalent to racial prejudice. To commit the men to this social/religious agenda without undue delay, Promise Keepers now includes commitment cards with each conference attendee’s syllabus. The manufactured transgression of denominationalism is repeatedly the focus of altar calls in rallies and guilt projection onto readers of Promise Keepers literature. Remarkably, however, the weighty sin of homosexuality is marginalized in the Promise Keepers official statement as "a complex and potentially polarizing issue," and homosexuals must be included and sensitively tolerated within the movement.

"…Promise Keepers also recognizes that homosexuality is a complex and potentially polarizing issue. There is a great debate surrounding its environmental and genetic origins, yet as an organization we believe that homosexuals are men who need the same support, encouragement and healing we are offering to all men. While we have clear convictions regarding the issue of homosexuality, we are sensitive to and have compassion for the men who are struggling with these issues. We, therefore, support their being included and welcomed in all our events."

But what saith the Scriptures? I Corinthians 5 forbids fellowship with unrepentant fornicators for good reason: "Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" That a Christian men's movement, where men will be congregating and bonding with other men in close relationships, would take a worldly position on homosexuality should sound an alarm within the Church. A powerful expose of the largely homosexual composition of the Nazi Party, The Pink Swastika, paints a somber portrait of the German Wandervogel youth movement, which in its early stages drew the attention of homosexual men. This wholesome hiking and camping society for boys was infiltrated by homosexual pederasts, who preyed upon the innocent. Authors Kevin Abrams and Scott Lively note that:

"Right under the nose of traditional German society, the pederasts laid the groundwork for the ultramasculine military society of the Third Reich. The Wandervogel was certainly not a ‘homosexual organization’ per se, but its homosexual leaders molded the youth movement into an expression of their own Hellenic ideology and, in the process, recruited countless young men into the homosexual lifestyle. The first members of the Wandervogel grew to manhood just in time to provide the Nazi movement with its support base in the German culture. As Steakley put it, ‘[the] Free German Youth jubilantly marched off to war, singing the old Wandervogel songs to which new, chauvinistic verses were added.’" (18)

This eye-opening book tracks another aggressive homosexual agenda -- in America -- and printed an essay written in 1987 by a certain "Michael Swift," which has also been placed in the United States Congressional Record:

"We shall sodomize your sons, emblems of your feeble masculinity, of your shallow dreams and vulgar lies. We shall seduce them in your schools [Project 10], in your dormitories [forced homosexual roommates], in your gymnasiums, in your locker rooms, in your sports arenas, in your seminaries, in your youth groups [Wandervogel, Boy Scouts], in your movie theater bathrooms, in your army bunkhouses ['gays' in the military], in your truck stops, in your all-male clubs, in your houses of Congress, wherever men are with men together." (19)

THE MEN'S MOVEMENT

It was only as an adult, upon reading The Peter Pan Syndrome, (20) by Dan Kiley, that I understood Peter Pan to be a type of boy who refused to grow up. Never, Never Land was an enchanting utopia where children could remain children, never putting away their childish things. That America is beset with men who refuse the obligations of manhood is a recognized fact even in secular society. Census Statistics show record numbers of biological fathers who have abandoned their families. In 1993, 6.3 million children in the U.S. were living in a single parent home. In 1994, there were an estimated 11.4 million single parents, a number that has increased by an average of 3.9% per year since 1990. (21)

It seems that our permissive culture fosters irresponsibility at every level of society. Progressive education has succeeded in "dumbing down" American students, the mass media stoops low to accommodate the least common denominator of moral degeneracy and intellectual torpor, judicial legislators penalize law-abiding victims yet reward criminal behavior, a professional medical establishment for profit disposes of unwanted human products of conception and church pulpits withhold from spiritually famished congregations the sincere milk and strong meat of God’s Word.

The sad state of the union was the focus of the National Parenting Association Task Force on Youth Violence on December 15, 1995. Last year an editorial in the Wall Street Journal applauded the National Parenting Task Force on Youth Violence for meeting with Promise Keepers representatives to seek solutions for the breakdown of the family. When these spokesmen were asked the reason for the ministry’s success, the editorial made no mention of Promise Keepers leading men to faith in Jesus Christ, but rather "to affirm their commitment to Christianity..." (22) Surely, the world will give the church a favorable opinion -- until it insists that Jesus Christ is the exclusive Way of Salvation.

In response to the present state of emergency in families caused by rampant "Peter Pan Syndrome," the stated purpose of Promise Keepers is to move men toward Christ-like masculinity -- men of integrity and purity. This being a worthy goal, it is disappointing to discover that the practical premise of Promise Keepers is that spiritual maturity can be developed in men by means of pep rallies, psychological teachings, sharing, mentoring, male-bonding, making promises and rites of initiation rather than through the consistent application of God's Word. Supplementary to the stadia events, study guides are produced by Promise Keepers to guide the men in weekly or monthly meetings. The focus is not serious Bible study; rather the groups are modeled after the psychological encounter group format that was largely discredited after the 1970’s, even within the psychological community. In these vulnerable settings, men are encouraged to explore and expose their inmost feelings and intimate experiences before a group that is led, not by a church elder, but by random leaders and mentors.

The Masculine Journey

The study guide often used is based on a book entitled The Masculine Journey, which was a joint project of Robert Hicks, Promise Keepers and NavPress. This book derives its theories of manhood, not from Scripture, but from a variety of New Age authors, such as Daniel Levinson, Sam Keen, Robert Bly, Patrick Arnold, Robert Moore and occultists Carl Jung and Margaret Mead. Nor do the concepts used to define "the masculine journey" to become a "new man" parallel Biblical principles, but rather pagan systems of religion. Although Robert Hicks pays lip service to the Bible, he frequently betrays a low view of Scripture: "I am often amazed at how God sometimes uses secular sources to communicate His truth better than Christian ones." (23)

The Masculine Journey and its accompanying Study Guide glorify the heathen motifs found in the secular men’s movement. Terms such as "sage," "warrior," "phallic male," "noble savage," "wounding," and "rites of passage" are prevalent. In fact, The Masculine Journey encourages the Promise Keepers to "study the men’s movement" and make referrals to their friends. (24) Hicks liberally and favorably quotes the works of Robert Bly, which present the reader a panorama of the pagan concepts that permeate the secular men’s movement -- which he founded. Robert Bly’s ideology assumes that the basic need of men is to "go back to ancient mythology . . . to visualize the wild man that is part of every modern male." (25) His classic book, Iron John, which is frequently quoted in Masculine Journey, is characterized in Resurrecting Pagan Rites as --

"…a treatise on the need for men to experience the ancient occultic rites of initiation. This agenda is not hidden, but rather the entire theme of the book. Pagan rites of initiation are a cross-cultural phenomenon common to primitive societies past and present, and are also a component of secret male societies such as the Freemasons. In Iron John, it becomes evident that the life stages or cycle of the male journey is defined in terms of the stages of the rite of initiation. Initiation can be defined as:

"The methodology of the ancient Mysteries: long and intensive training with the aim of elevating the one who undergoes it go begin (initiate) living a new, higher life, often described as being on the level of Godhood, above and beyond the state of ordinary mortals -- hence, the initiates of former times were viewed as incarnate Gods by ordinary people. (Seekers Handbook, p. 297) An initiate is: someone who underwent the full course of training in the Mysteries, and who thereby became elevated to a superevolved or God-like state, gaining powers of knowledge and extraordinary faculties that allowed him to assume responsibility for teaching and guiding the human race, and specifically for initiating culture.

"Robert Bly writes that young boys ‘in our culture have a continuing need for initiation into male spirit, but old men in general don't offer it…the active intervention of the older men means that older men welcome the younger men into the ancient, mythologized, instinctive male world. (pp. 14,15)’" (26)

It is this pagan model for manhood, rather than the biblical model of holiness that is likewise archetypal throughout The Masculine Journey and Study Guide. Nowhere in either book is there a clear presentation of the Gospel. "Rather the study leads men through potentially intensive, emotional turmoil and abandons them at the doorstep of rituals and ceremonies that bear little resemblance to the Christian faith." (27) Carefully camouflaging the barbaric nature of pagan customs, Robert Hicks laments that the church lacks appropriate "rites of initiation" for young men, such as:

"…celebrating the experience of sin. I'm not sure how we could do it. But I do know we need to do it. For example, we usually give the teenagers in our churches such massive dose of condemnation regarding their first experiences of sin that I sometimes wonder how any of them ever recover. Maybe we could take a different approach. Instead of jumping all over them when they have their first experience with the police, or their first drunk, or their first experience with sex and drugs, we could look upon this as a teachable moment and a rite of passage. Is this putting a benediction on sin? Of course not, but perhaps at this point the true elders could come forward and confess their own adolescent sins and congratulate the next generation for being human." (28)

It is noteworthy that the Boulder Valley Vineyard, pastored by James Ryle and attended by Bill McCartney and Randy Phillips, sponsors "Rites of Passage: The Defining Moment of Manhood" (29) in which men progress from one "order" of manhood to another. Such "orders" or levels of initiation are not found in Scripture, but are an integral part of secret societies like the Freemasons.

The Masculine Journey makes much of the "wounded" and "warrior" stages which successively follow the "phallic" stage in male development. In pagan cultures and in the secular men's movement, there is a concerted effort to break the ties between men and women, replacing them with male-bonding. Hicks concurs with Bly that male bonding is a means to restore men's identities as members of a warrior class. These rites of passage often take the form of dehumanizing and traumatic rituals which inflict physical pain and involve sexual abuse. The survivor of this torture is presum5ed to have experienced "inner death" leading to the "new birth" of a "new man." (Is it mere coincidence that the Promise Keepers' magazine is entitled New Man?) It has been submitted that these rituals expose the individual to demonization:

"For some in the men's movement, then, the definition of manhood is clearly rooted in the rite of initiation, and it involves a change in consciousness. Moore and Gillette describe it graphically as ‘Death -- symbolic, psychological, or spiritual -- is always a vital part of any initiatory ritual.’ They advocate the use of active imagination as a psychological technique, but caution that it can cause one to possibly ‘encounter a really hostile presence…’The change in consciousness that results from these rites of initiation may in fact be demon possession, which is the ultimate intention of pagan rituals." (30)

In The Masculine Journey, Robert Hicks enthusiastically reflects on "phallic rites of initiation" and the "warrior rituals" of pagan cultures and suggests that corresponding rites are desperately needed in the church. To elevate this profanity to a spiritual level, Hicks launches into a breathtaking portrayal of Jesus Christ as a "phallic male," crediting The Last Temptation of Christ with presenting a true image of Jesus Christ. Hicks subtly implies that Jesus may have had sexual relations with a woman, but it just wasn't recorded -

"But it was never recorded that Jesus had sexual relations with a woman. He may have thought about it as the movie The Last Temptation of Christ portrays, but even in this movie He did not give in to the temptation and remained true to His messianic course. If temptation means anything, it means Christ was tempted in every way as we are. That would mean not only heterosexual temptation but also homosexual temptation? I have found this insight to be very helpful for gay men struggling with their sexuality." (31) (Italics added)

Hicks would not label homosexuality as sin, but rather draws upon the lustful presentation of Jesus in this movie to comfort those who struggle with their "sexuality." Yet Romans 1 declares that vile affections are God's judgment upon those who worship the creature rather than the creator -- hardly a description of Jesus Christ! Rick Meisel, of Biblical Discernment Ministries, takes great exception to this passage in Hick's book, calling it --

"More blasphemy -- the movie The Last Temptation of Christ is referred to in a positive light! Claiming that Jesus is a 'phallic male,' Hicks says Jesus 'may have thought about it as the movie… portrays.’ (p.81) -- referring to Jesus thinking about having sexual relations with a woman! But doesn't Hick's suggestion make Jesus guilty of the sin of lust, thereby embracing the movie’s blasphemy? In fact, the movie portrayed graphic sexual desire, not merely temptation.

"Hicks has an obsession with the male sex organ. He writes, 'We are called and addressed by God in terminology that describes who and what we are--zakar , phallic males. Possessing a penis places unique requirements upon men before God in how they are to worship Him. We are called to worship God as phallic kinds of guys, not as some sort of androgynous, neutered nonmales, or the feminized males so popular in many feminist-enlightened churches. We are told by God to worship Him in accordance with what we are, phallic men.’ (p. 49) This is the language of pagan religionists, not the Bible!

"Hicks makes numerous erroneous statements about male sexuality. Claiming that the second stage of manhood is the phallus (penis) stage (p. 48), Hicks goes on to state, ‘The phallus has always been the symbol of religious devotion and dedication.’ (p.51) And, ‘Improper teaching on the phallus will drive men into sexual sins because their spiritual God-hunger is not satisfied. Sexual energy is essentially spiritual.’ (p.55) (This is teaching from the demon worshippers in India; it's called TANTRA sex yoga.) Again, ‘Our sexual problems only reveal how desperate we are to express, in some perverted form, the deep compulsion to worship with our phallus.’ (p. 56)

"Hicks claims that what keeps men moving along this ‘masculine’ journey is having some other male mentors in their lives and seeing Jesus as the primary voice of God in each stage. ‘Jesus…was the second Adam…was very much human . . . was also very much zakar , phallic . . . I believe Jesus was phallic with all the inherent phallic passions we experience as men.’ (pp. 180-181) [This seems to be either the result of Freudian brainwashing or hanging out in locker rooms. Either way, it's blasphemous!]" (32)

Promise Keepers stopped distributing this controversial book at conferences upon the exposure of its contents and strong objections from numerous discernment-oriented ministries. However, the organization did not withdraw its endorsement of The Masculine Journey, but rather defends its theology as being Biblically sound:

"Several passages in The Masculine Journey by Robert Hicks (1993, NavPress) could be understood in more than one way. Some of the content of the book has unfortunately lent itself to a wide range of interpretations and responses involving theological issues which Promise Keepers does not feel called to resolve. These are controversies which neither Promise Keepers nor the author could have foreseen, and which have proven to be a distraction from the focus of our ministry. Therefore, Promise Keepers has discontinued marketing and distributing The Masculine Journey. At the same time, we believe Mr. Hicks's core theology is consistent with orthodox evangelical Christianity, and that The Masculine Journey was a forthright attempt on his part to deal with male issues from a biblical context" (33)

Meanwhile, a survey of Christian bookstores shows that men’s movement type books, with references to Robert Bly and other New Age authors, are proliferating in the Evangelical church. (i.e., Tender Warrior and Locking Arms by Stu Weber) Ezekiel’s prophecies concerning Israel somehow seem relevant to this present apostasy:

"Her priests (McCartney, Ryle, Hicks) have put no difference between the holy and the profane, neither have they showed the difference between the unclean and the clean." (Ezekiel 22:26)

In Promise Keepers' theology, Roman Catholicism is undifferentiated from Christianity, biblical separation is condemned as the equivalent of racial discrimination, and the holy Son of God is no different than sinful man.

PHALLIC CULTS

There are other disconcerting implications regarding the stages of manhood and proposed rites of initiation found in The Masculine Journey. Webster’s defines "phallus" as: "a representation or image of the… reproductive organ, worshiped as a symbol of generative power, as in the Dionysiac festivals." The PsychoHeresy Awareness letter states, "There have been various phallic cults throughout history, such as the Celts and Druids. Barry Fell, in his book, America B.C., has a chapter on "The Ritual Phallic Cults." (34) The Druidic cult is still popular internationally with over one million members and there is evidence that the Order of Freemasons either evolved from or was patterned after the Druid tradition. Chapter Two in Masculine Journey is entitled "Noble Savage." Robert Hicks may have borrowed this term and other cultic concepts like initiation rites, oaths and male bonding from the Celtic Druids. In The Trojan Horse, How the New Age Movement Infiltrates the Church, Brenda Scott and Samantha Smith identify the Noble Savage with the Druidic custom of human sacrifice:

"Stuart Piggott, a respected archaeologist and recognized authority on Celtic history, agrees: ‘It is hardly realistic to exculpate the Druids from participation, probably active, in both the beliefs and practices involved in human sacrifice (which after all had only been brought to an end in the civilized Roman world in the early first century B.C.) The Druids were the wise men of barbarian Celtic society, and Celtic religion was their religion, with all its crudities. It is sheer romanticism and a capitulation to the myth of the NOBLE SAVAGE to imagine that they stood by the sacrifices duty bound, but with disapproval on their faces and elevated thoughts in their minds.’" (Stuart Piggott, The Druids, 1968, pp. 110-112) (35)

Scott and Smith also document the historic link between the Druids and present day Freemasonry:

"'Druid traditions were also preserved with Freemasonry, which is thought to have evolved from the Druids or at least alongside of them. This connection is addressed in Gould's History of Freemasonry. (James Bonwick, Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions, Salem N.H.: Ayer Co., 1984, p. 71) The three part structure of the masons is identical to the three offices of druidic priesthood: Ovates, Bards, and Druids. Also, ‘the secret teachings embodied therein are practically the same as the mysteries concealed under the allegories of Blue Lodge masonry.’ (Manly P. Hall, An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalist and Rosicrucian Symbolic Philosophy, Los Angeles: The Philosophical Research Society, 1977, XXIII).

"Political and religious suppression forced the Druids to go underground. Many thought that the religion had disappeared, but it survived, handed down within families and villages to resurface again in the early eighteenth century. There are three main druidic colleges. . .In fact, druidism has become so accepted socially that Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince of Wales both accepted posts as honorary Druids in the Wales Gorsedd. (Sophie Moore, The Gnosis Interview) . . .By 1988, there were estimated to be over one million adepts (spiritual masters) and the movement is growing." (36)

Former 33rd degree Mason, James Shaw was the highest ranking adept to defect from the Masonic Order. After his conversion to Christianity, Rev. Jim Shaw wrote pamphlets and books to reach other Masons with the Gospel and to expose Freemasonry. In The Deadly Deception, Jim Shaw explained that the foundation of all Masonic symbolism is Phallic Worship.

"Since the true meaning of Masonic symbols (and thus, the true meaning of Masonry itself) is to be known only by the Prince Adepts of Masonry, we must hear what they say concerning them. They (Albert Pike, Albert Mackey, J.D. Buck, Daniel Sickles and others) teach that Masonry is a revival of the Ancient Mysteries (the mystery religions of Babylon, Egypt, Persia, Rome and Greece).

"These Ancient religions had two meanings, or interpretations. One was the apparent (exoteric) meaning, known to the uninitiated, ignorant masses; the other (esoteric) meaning was the true meaning, entirely different, known only to a small, elite group, initiated into their secrets and secret rituals of worship. These mystery religions were forms of nature-worship, more specifically and most commonly the worship of the Sun as source and giver of life to the Earth. Since Ancient times, this worship of the Sun (and of the Moon, stars and of nature in general) has been sexual in its outworkings and rituals. Since the Sun’s rays, penetrating the Earth and bringing about new life, have been central to such worship, the phallus, the male ‘generative principle,’ has been worshipped and the rituals climaxed with sexual union in the mystery religions of Isis and Osiris, Tammuz, Baal, etc. In summary, then, since the Ancient Mysteries (especially those of Egypt) are in fact the Old Religion of which Freemasonry is a revival, the symbols of Masonry should be expected to be phallic in true meaning. This, in very fact, is the case." (37)

It seems that there is more to Promise Keepers than meets the eye. In his recent book, The Illuminati Formula, researcher and author Fritz Springmeier, who has interviewed many former Illuminati, states: "The infiltration and control of the Christian religion has been one of the easiest tasks of the Illuminati." The lluminati is the elite body that controls the various orders of Freemasonry, which in turn help to finance their New World Order. When esoteric concepts and terminology show up in the Christian Church, it is not unreasonable to assume that those who introduce and promote them have some personal knowledge of these occult religions and perhaps even an affiliation with them. Of course, it is for this reason that the membership rolls of the Masonic Order are kept secret. The plan to infiltrate the Christian Church and convert it into a vehicle for the New World Order depends upon these subversive agents maintaining their cover within the Church.

JOEL'S ARMY

In a Media Spotlight Special Report entitled Promise Keepers: Is What You See What You Get?, Rev. Al Dager examined the dynamics of a typical Promise Keepers conference --

"These mass meetings are characterized by group euphoria, religious commitments and technical exhibitions… Suddenly a low rumble (is it thunder?) begins softly and becomes louder. It’s the sound of a jet aircraft piercing the stadium from the huge speakers strategically placed for maximum effectiveness. The large screen displays the takeoff of a jumbo jet as the announcer welcomes the crowd to the flight for restored manhood. The stadium, full now, erupts in a cheer …They expect to hear words that will kindle in them a zeal for commitment to their role at home, in their church, and in their community. The first speaker, Greg Laurie, gives an impassioned message, calling for response to the offer of salvation or recommitment to Christ. To thunderous applause, about 3,000 men stream from every area of the stadium to take their position in front of the stage. A good beginning to an emotionally charged day just getting under way." (38)

As a young man, Latter Rain/Manifest Sons of God forefather, Paul Cain, first envisioned Joel’s Army in training and then graduating to fill the stadiums by the thousands. At the 1995 Prophetic Power and Passion Conference in Alabama, Cain recounted his dream:

"And I had a dream that became a recurring dream, and it was about all the stadiums -- and we've told this hundreds and hundreds of times all across America, all over the world, in fact -- and I saw these stadiums and football fields, soccer fields and sports arenas, all of them filled with thousands and thousands of people, sometimes over 100,000 in each place." (39)

Recently, Cain stated that the Promise Keepers Movement is the realization of his prophetic vision. Co-founder of PK, James Ryle, also responded in an interview to a question whether Promise Keepers could be fulfilling the prophecy of raising an army in Joel 2: "Yes… 300,000 men have come together so far this year under Promise Keepers… Never in history have 300,000 men come together except to go to war. These men are gathered for War." (40) The Suitable Helpers newsletter for women participating in Promise Keepers also echoes the Gnostic militant theme of the Latter Rain/Manifest Sons of God: "Our Lord is calling out a great host of men ready and willing to become ‘Christs’ in their homes: Promise Keepers. In grand, bold sweeps, God is mustering an army." (41)

Al Dager advises extreme caution concerning religious/political coalitions: "We would do well to take a lesson from history and remember that Hitler made his plea for acceptance of Nazism based upon a platform of anti-communism, anti-homosexuality, patriotism and morality." Christians would benefit from the historical perspective presented in Richard Terrell’s book, Resurrecting the Third Reich. The following is an excerpt from this work, which reveals the diabolical origin of an elitist, controlling and militant mindset -- and its inevitable end.

"What was to take possession of the German consciousness was a militant romanticism . . . According to this way of thinking, the Divine Spirit is manifested in the spirit of a people, in their collective genius and total culture or Volkgeist . . . Germany developed a kind of communal mysticism which contained its own Teutonic concept of a chosen people, called to redeem civilization from its decadence . . . rallies were glorious pageants that stirred the emotions, which depended not on any revelation of Scripture, but on pure feeling . . . Even today, still photographs of these meetings have a powerful and gripping presence . . . The Volkish concept of the social organism was effectively symbolized in mass meetings that expressed a sense of eternity, awe, and mystery, effects stimulated by cathedral of light nighttime mass meetings in which antiaircraft lights sent brilliant shafts of illumination into the darkened sky.’ (42)

According to Terrell, orthodox Christianity was supplanted by the German Volkish faith, which was preached to the German masses in large rallies. The Christian Conscience notes the present parallels:

"Is Promise Keepers creating a new folk religion? The large mass rallies, the exaltation of emotion over reason, the lack of doctrinal integrity, the taking of oaths, the focus on fatherland and fatherhood, and the ecumenical inclusion of aberrant esoteric doctrines bears a disconcerting similarity to an era which gave rise to one of the most dreadful armies in history. The infiltration of Manifest Sons of God doctrines into Promise Keepers combined with New Age ideologies appears to create a new American folk theology: pantheism, the idolatry of self, the belief in a divine mandate to take the land, the superiority of a group, and the necessity of group hysteria."

A similar portrait emerges from the prophetic passages of Scripture. II Thessalonians 2 foretells that the delusion of a "divine spirit" will take possession of a deceived people. This watershed event will render a divine mandate for "Joel's army," under the command of a counterfeit Christ, to make war on the saints. The Gnostic doctrines of the Latter Rain are preparing many to believe the strong delusion of their own divine incarnation:

"The Glory, in the Latter Rain understanding, is the visible manifestation of the Spirit. Now, in light of the satanic nature of this deception, it is not surprising that deceived Christians are being led to expect a manifested spirit and not the visible return of the Lord Jesus . . . the return of the "lord" to his church, in glory, before (or perhaps even instead of?) the physical return of Jesus." (43)

Paul Cain has best expressed the Second Coming of the Latter Rain:

"I don't know what the second coming is to you, . . .but let me tell you he's coming to you, he's coming to his Church, he' s coming to abide in you, to take up his abode in you . . . I want you to know he's coming to the Church before he comes for the Church. He's gonna perfect the Church so the Church can be the Image, be Him, and be his representation." (44)

A recent best-seller by Francis Frangipane, The Days of His Presence, identifies Promise Keepers as a main catalyst for this worldwide transformation:

"The Spirit of the Lord is moving on so many fronts. In just the past ten months we have seen racial reconciliations take place among Southern Baptists in Atlanta; in Memphis, leaders from Pentecostal denominations, once divided along racial lines, are now reunited, while white Evangelical leaders repented with blacks in Chicago. We can truly say the Lord is moving mightily on his people. Mix in the March for Jesus [20,000,000] and the [1,100,000] Promise Keepers, and we are seeing the stage set for what I believe will be the greatest awakening of this century." (45)

Movements such as Promise Keepers are fully dedicated to breaking down all denominational walls, regardless of essential doctrine, in order to bring about a unified church with a "central command." Promise Keepers leaders say that they are building "Joel’s Army." Bill McCartney has even invited the Christian men of Louis Farrakhan's Million Man March to join the PK Million Man March this October. (46) If the radical homosexual movement infiltrates PK (and they have threatened to seduce our sons "wherever men are with men together") and PK merges with the secular men's movement and Louis Farrakhan's movement, we could one day have a monster like Hitler's S.A. or S.S. Few recall that it was the wholesome German Wandervogel movement, infiltrated by Nazi gay activists, which developed into the Hitler Youth Movement -- which later matured into the ultramasculine, militaristic, highly disciplined and dreaded Nazi Storm Troopers -- or S.A.

Revelation 17 describes a massive religious and political entity which has become skillful in the exercise of spiritual and political power. However, MYSTERY BABYLON is not "the Lord’s army" -- but the bloodstained warrior church. The various Gnostic streams of the Latter Rain will soon merge, becoming a deluge that rivals the days of Noah.

Part II: A Sacred Assembly of Men

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ENDNOTES

New Man, July/August, 1996, pp. 52-54. Washington Post, Laurie Goodstein, Dec. 16, 1996. It Takes A Village, Hillary Rodham Clinton, (Simon & Schuster, 1996), pp. 41-42. "Promise Keepers: Ecumenical ‘Macho-Men’ for Christ," Biblical Discernment Ministries, P.O. Box 679, Bedford, IN, 47421-0679, p. 26. http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/pk/ Ibid., p. 2. James Ryle, A Dream Come True: A Biblical Look at How God Speaks Through Dreams and Visions, 1995, p. 228. Ibid., p. 22. http://rapidnet.com/~jbeard/pklie.htm Dallas/Fort Worth Heritage (June 1995), "Promise Keepers: Growth and Caution," Chris Corbett. GQ, January, 1996, p. 111 as cited in "Promise Keepers:Ecumenical ‘Macho-Men’ for Christ," P. 25. Official Promise Keepers Web Site on the Internet, 9/26/96 http://www.promisekeepers.org/pkpress/218a_142.htm Ibid. "PK: Ecumenical Macho-Men for Christ," Rick Meisel. "Promise Keepers' Promises Spiritual Growth for Men," The Tidings Archdiocese of L.A. paper, March 31. 1995. Promise Keepers, Detroit Silver Dome, April 29, 1995. "An Open Letter to Bill McCartney," Rev. Bill Randles 8/95. Bill McCartney, From Ashes to Glory, (Thomas Nelson Pub. 1995), p. 47. "New Man," David Bryant, Strang Communications Co., 600 Rinehart Road, Lake Mary, FL 32746, p. 32. The Pink Swastika, Scott Lively and Kevin Abrams, Founders Publishing Corp., Box 20307, Keizer OR 97307, 1995, Chap. 1, p, 34. Ibid., Chap. 7, pp. 194, 195. Dan Kiley, The Peter Pan Syndrome, Avon Books, 1983. U.S. Census Bureau, Oct., 1996. "Family Values Gain Ground," The Wall Street Journal, Dec. 28, 1995, p. A6. Robert Hicks, The Masculine Journey, (NavPress, 1993, P.O. Box 35001, Colorado Springs, CO 80935,) p. 162. Masculine Journey Study Guide, (NavPress 1993) pp. 42,90. "Connecting With the Wild Man Inside All Males," Utne Reader, Nov./Dec., 1989, p. 58. "Resurrecting Pagan Rites," Part I, Sarah and Lynn Leslie, The Christian Conscience, Dec., 1995. "Promise Keepers: Encountering Men At Risk," Sarah Leslie, The Christian Conscience, Jan. 1995. Robert Hicks, The Masculine Journey, p. 176. "Rites of Passage" brochure, Boulder Valley Vineyard Conference, August 25-26, 1995. "Resurrecting Pagan Rites," Part I, op. cit. Robert Hicks, The Masculine Journey, p. 181. "Masculine Journey," Rick Meisel, Biblical Discernment Ministries, http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/pk/ PK Web Site: http://www.promisekeepers.org/27ba.htm PsychoHeresy Awareness Newsletter, of July/Aug. 1995. The Trojan Horse: How the New Age Infiltrates the Church, Brenda Scott and Samantha Smith, Huntington House, pp. 51. Ibid., p. 59. James R. Shaw, The Deadly Deception, Huntington House, 1988, p. 143. "Promise Keepers, Is What You See What You Get?," Albert Dager, Media Spotlight Ministries, p. 1. Prophetic Power and Passion Conference, Christ Chapel, Florence, AL, Aug. 30, 1995. "Latter Rain and the Rise of Joel's Army," Jewel van der Merwe, Discernment Newsletter, Sept./October 1994, p.7. Suitable Helpers newsletter, February, 1995. "The Christian Conscience," April, 1995, Resurrecting the Third Reich, Richard Terrell, Huntington House, 1994. "The Significance of Filled Stadiums," Ed Tarkowski. Grace Ministries tape, Nov. 1988. The Days of His Presence, Francis Frangipane, 1996, Arrow Publication. Washington Post, Laurie Goodstein, op. cit.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001