Baptist Standard Gives Credence to NAR Threat
wilkyjr printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Sun Oct 16, 2011 at 06:24:56 PM EST
Some secular and Christian writers are claiming the threat from the New Apostolic Reformation movement is a fictitious boogey man.   The fear mongering has been conjured up in the brewing pots of leftwing socialist- types staffed with Jewish writers according to some.  It has been said many of these writers are akin to those who wrote of Jews connected to conspiracy myths.  The latest publication of the Baptist Standard, the official Texas Baptist newspaper, carried an article about the alarming movement.  The Texas newspaper, connected to the Baptist General Convention of Texas, is hardly a leftwing depository of anti-Christian bigots staffed with Jewish authors.
The article is found on page 12 of the latest publication and can be found online at the Standard's site.  It begins, "In recent weeks, an arcane and scary-sounding religious term has crept into the lexicon of the 2012 campaign,..."  Peter Wagner and Lou Engle are mentioned as well as Mike Bickle.  Wagner's link to the Uganda anti-gay bill is spoken of.  

The article goes on to say some experts see little evidence of the movement having much influence.  It then goes on to list some of the players on the platform at Rick Perry's gathering in Houston. Perry's connection to the group is noted.  Daniel Burke wrote the article for the Religious News Service and the Standard considered it worthy of publication.

I ran into some resistance with some state workers when I mentioned the idea of Wagner being connected to Rick Warren and some possible Dominion influence.  My opinion was sluffed off as overstating the case.   People are starting to take notice. Bruce and Rachel have brought this movement into the public square and more and more people seem to be taking notice.  Note to Bruce and Rachel,  The Baptist Standard is the largest Baptist paper in the world.

Just this weekend I participated in a heritage festival in East Texas.  Friday was school day and about half the students were homeschool students.  Everyone I spoke to knew what the "full quiver" movement was about.  Some were practicing it and had several in their homeschool groups participating.  (This is a Dominion project encouraging Christian women to have as many children as possible to take dominion over the society through sheer numbers in voting.)  Homeschool mothers spoke about their views of American history with revisionists perspectives.  I was told Jefferson was an evangelical Christian. He never had affairs nor fathered children out of wedlock.  These "myths" were not accurate.  These moms knew about Rushdoony.  Years ago this movement did not have this sort of connections.  Most of these moms had more than three offspring.  There is a definite attempt at raising up a new army of recruits to  promote a view of the nation few are aware of.




Display:
http://www.baptiststandard.com/index.php?option=com_content&t ask=view&id=13075&Itemid=53

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"I believe in a President whose views on religion are his own private affair" - JFK, Address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association
by hardindr on Sun Oct 16, 2011 at 08:24:56 PM EST

Thanks for the link connection.

by wilkyjr on Mon Oct 17, 2011 at 08:52:44 AM EST

I believe these people exist. I've been hearing about them for years (decades, really) only under other names: the family, reconstructionists, etc. And there's also the Vatican which has poured its resources into taking away women's reproductive freedom. Other groups are trying to take over the military (the Ambassadors of Christ for one) which isn't mentioned very often on this site.

The point is, what do they have to show for it? Gays have more rights than ever, women have fewer abortions but only because they have better contraception and the Catholic Church has been unable to stem the child sexual abuse scandal. This is why they are retreating in isolated communities like the quiverfuls so they can at least control their own women and brainwash their own children.

I predict that the real world will always intrude upon their "utopia" and that demographics (not just here, but globally) are against them.

by lindak on Tue Oct 18, 2011 at 10:15:11 AM EST

If that were true, they wouldn't be growing in numbers and power.  About the only thing I could say is that they generally are reactive instead of proactive... they tend to rush to close the gate and scream bloody murder only after the horse has gotten out.  People seeking their rights tend to be proactive, and that would explain why repressed people have started gaining their rights while the dominionists rant and rage.

It also depends on the area, I will admit.  Some areas are fairly clear of their influence, and you only read about them (on rare occasion in the news, more often on blogs/sites like this).  In others... well, if you step outside your front door you have a strong chance of being preached at or proselytized.

by ArchaeoBob on Tue Oct 18, 2011 at 10:53:51 AM EST
Parent

I can affirm that Lancaster County, PA, is fertile ground for the Dominionists. I'm going to be a bit vague here because I'm not home to look up details at the moment, but I can say that last year there was a huge End-Times Prophecy conference at the new convention center downtown, and the big independent Bible church between Manheim and Mount Joy regularly hosts Dominionist speakers. There is a home grown religio-political group called ACTION that blatantly states their goal is getting "good Christians" elected to local offices.

Some years ago a friend of mine was told that she didn't deserve the local Republican Committee support for a run for school board member because she wasn't Christian enough. She's Lutheran.

From signs that I have seen ~ both things like letters to the editor in the local paper and literal yard signs, bumper stickers, etc. ~ I fear that the potential for harassment and possibly even violence is simmering not too far below the surface. In the past I've received harassing letters and phone messages in response to some of my columns. Derogatory letters to the editor are almost always ad hominem attacks ~ never an engagement with the substance of an argument.

by MLouise on Tue Oct 18, 2011 at 01:23:03 PM EST
Parent
I was in class at Lancaster Theological Seminary on Wednesday night when we discussed the fact that there was a big NAR-related conference occurring in downtown. Most of my classmates had not heard of NAR until then and I didn't know the conferences (Mon-Wed and Wed-Sat) were occurring less than a mile from a well-respected mainline seminary. One of the big leaders in the Dominionist movement lives in Mechanicsburg, which is 50 miles or so west of Lancaster. I have heard NAR rumblings in my area, which is halfway between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. Very, very disconcerting...

by RevRuthUCC on Sun Oct 23, 2011 at 02:08:33 PM EST
Parent
It's good to know that some of the folks, at least, at LTS are keeping an eye on Dominionist activity in the area. I did my Master's work there in the '80's. There were excellent professors there then, and I'm sure the current crop is just as fine.

Were the conferences you mentioned being held at the new convention center in the old Watt and Shand building? That's where the Prophecy conference was last year. I think I need to keep a closer eye on what they are booking. They could just be trying to fill rooms, but it seems possible that they are also trying to establish it as a Dominionist center. That would be really scary.

LCBC is another site to watch. They are the ones who brought in speakers from The Wallbuilders last year. I wanted to attend to see what was going on, but I had a scheduling conflict.

If you want to chat more about local goings-on, contact me through my blog.

by MLouise on Tue Oct 25, 2011 at 09:49:52 PM EST
Parent




The ultimate goal of many dominionists is to set in motion a chain of world events (the all-nations-against-Israel mantra) that would help hasten the return of Jesus Christ.  For them, one of the most probable ways of accomplishing that goal would be to place a small number of people who have executive authority over our nation's military.  

As demonstrated by Dubya's tenure in office, it only took a small number of people to engage in a war of aggression in Iraq.  There was also an unprecedented clamp down on civil liberties under the guise of 'national security.'  (Think Guantanamo and the Patriot Act.)  

Given the inroads dominionists have made into our military (with things like the Jesus Loves Nukes doctrine), I think it is safe to say they would not even need to win the 'culture war' at home in order to accomplish their agenda.  

by LupusGreywalker on Thu Oct 20, 2011 at 10:12:55 AM EST
Parent



What paper do you work for?

by wilkyjr on Tue Oct 18, 2011 at 02:58:15 PM EST
I'm not sure if your question was directed to me or not, but I'll answer since I mentioned having a newspaper column. I write for the religion section of the Lititz Record Express, a local weekly. I've also contributed guest columns to the Lancaster Sunday News, which is the largest county-wide newspaper. And I regularly have letters to the editor published in both the daily Intelligencer Journal/New Era and the Sunday News (all owned by the same family).

I don't work for any of them. My arrangement with the Record-Express is rather unusual. They have right of first publication, but I retain all other rights to anything I submit, and I'm not paid by them. In recent months I have started a blog (at the encouragement of friends, who wanted me to put my writing on line). All my columns from 2010 and 2011 are now on the blog, and I'm posting older ones as I get them updated. I'm at singingwithcrows.blogspot.com.

Writing about religion from a progressive view in an extremely conservative Bible-belt area is quite a challenge. I try to start from where people are and push the edges without jumping so far ahead that I lose the readers who might be willing to question their assumptions. The backlash when I started was quite vicious at times. Now I think the "regular opposition" has decided that since I'm not going away (I've been doing the column for 12 years), it's not worth responding unless I hit a real hot-button issue. On the other hand, I get quite a bit of private thanks from progressive and mainline pastors in the area who wish they could get their congregations to expand their understanding.

My apologies for all this personal info if your question was not for me.

by MLouise on Thu Oct 20, 2011 at 12:05:11 PM EST
Parent


ML it was directed to you and I appreciate your response.

by wilkyjr on Fri Oct 21, 2011 at 09:26:47 AM EST


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