Faith for All of Life Jan/Feb 2007 Editorials 2 from the Editor
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Faith for All of Life Jan/Feb 2007 Publisher & Chalcedon President Rev. Mark R. Rushdoony Chalcedon Vice-President Editorials Features Martin Selbrede 2 From the Editor 12 From Statism to Editor Theocentric Charismatics Christian Reconstruction Rev. Christopher J. Ortiz Mark R. Rushdoony Managing Editor 5 From the Founder Susan Burns The Religious Foundations 16 By Faith He Still Speaks of Culture Martin G. Selbrede Contributing Editors Lee Duigon Columns 21 The Pulling Down of Kathy Leonard Strongholds: The Power 7 The Foundation of the of Presuppositional Chalcedon Founder Christian Curriculum Apologetics Rev. R. J. Rushdoony Andrea Schwartz (1916-2001) Michael R. Butler was the founder of Chalcedon 9 The Nuts and Bolts Products and a leading theologian, church/ of Law-Keeping state expert, and author of numer- Buddy Hanson 33 Catalog ous works on the application of Biblical Law to society. Special Column Receiving Faith for All of Life: This 29 What Makes This Church magazine will be sent to those who Different? A Look at the request it. At least once a year we ask Reformed Presbyterian that you return a response card if you wish to remain on the mailing list. Church in the U.S. Contributors are kept on our mailing Lee Duigon list. Suggested Donation: $35 per year ($45 for all foreign — U.S. funds only). Tax-deductible contributions may be made out to Chalcedon and mailed to P.O. Box 158, Vallecito, CA 95251 USA. Chalcedon may want to contact its readers quickly by means of e-mail. Faith for All of Life, published bi-monthly by Chalcedon, a tax-exempt Christian foundation, is sent to all who request If you have an e-mail address, please it. All editorial correspondence should be sent to the managing editor, P.O. Box 569, Cedar Bluff, VA 24609-0569. send an e-mail message including Laser-print hard copy and electronic disk submissions firmly encouraged. All submissions subject to editorial your full postal address to our office: revision. Email: [email protected]. The editors are not responsible for the return of unsolicited manuscripts [email protected]. which become the property of Chalcedon unless other arrangements are made. Opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of Chalcedon. It provides a forum for views in accord with a relevant, active, historic Christianity, though those views may on occasion differ somewhat from Chalcedon’s and from each For circulation and data other. Chalcedon depends on the contributions of its readers, and all gifts to Chalcedon are tax-deductible. ©2006 management contact Rebecca Chalcedon. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint granted on written request only. Editorial Board: Rev. Mark R. Rushdoony, President/Editor-in-Chief; Chris Ortiz, Editor; Susan Burns, Managing Editor and Executive Assistant. Rouse at (209) 736-4365 ext. 10 Chalcedon, P.O. Box 158, Vallecito, CA 95251, Telephone Circulation (9:00a.m. - 5:00p.m., Pacific): (209) 736-4365 or or [email protected] Fax (209) 736-0536; email: [email protected]; www.chalcedon.edu; Circulation:Rebecca Rouse. From the Editor Theocentric Charismatics Christopher J. Ortiz “Without agreeing with tongues, we can say that among God-centered charismatics, there are important movements astir. No doctrine of Scripture is more neglected than that of the Holy Spirit. Our emphasis, however, must be God-centered, not man-centered. All humanism is occultistic. The development of faith and life among theocentric charismatics is one of the most promising aspects of 20th century Christianity. Its potentialities are very great.”1 ~ R. J. Rushdoony ust a few years after elected as head of the sixty-five-year-old, The Rise of Charismatics JRushdoony penned 30 million-member National Associa- Charismaticism has its roots in these words, financial tion of Evangelicals, one of the most fundamental Pentecostalism. It was in and sexual scandal politically powerful Christian groups in 1901 that Agnes Ozman first spoke rocked the ranks of America. in tongues at the Bethel Bible College Charismatics as a small Ted Haggard, along with James in Topeka, Kansas, but Pentecostal- host of television evangelists were Dobson, led the charge in opposing gay ism really gained traction during the exposed for rape, fraud, lying, and so- marriage with Haggard teaching that Azusa Street Revivals in Los Angeles liciting prostitutes. Suddenly, the world homosexuality was clearly condemned in 1906. By 1965, there were roughly knew the names of Jim and Tammy in the Scriptures. There was just one 50,000,000 Pentecostals throughout the Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Larry Lea, and problem. Ted Haggard himself was a world. That’s a growth rate of 780,000+ Robert Tilton. Almost immediately the homosexual, and a male prostitute ex- per year. Twenty-two years later the revenue from donations dropped dra- posed Haggard for his hypocrisy reveal- Pentecostal movement was surpassing matically, and it would be several years ing a three-year, monthly, paid relation- 17,000,000. This represented a yearly before parachurch organizations would ship with Haggard who had been using growth rate of nearly 10,000,000. regain their financial footing. the alias “Art” to hide his identity. The numbers multiplied exceed- Despite these dramatic examples It took less than a week, after his ingly as the Charismatic movement of scandal, the modern Charismatic exposure, for Haggard to cease his began in the late 1950s. The simplest movement continued its unprecedented public denials and admit to both homo- definition is that Charismatic equated growth. A movement once scorned as sexuality and drug use. Yet the Haggard to mainstream denominations engaging “holy rollers” became both a social and revelation is barely a blip on the radar in in the Pentecostal experience of Holy political force with one leader reaching comparison to the earlier scandals of the Spirit baptism and the accompanying for the White House (Pat Robertson) late eighties. The church and the general spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians and others acquiring numerous posi- public are becoming more tolerant of 1–14. Here is a hundred-year chart of tions of influence within the lobbying Christian sin and scandal. the exponential growth of the Pentecos- apparatus of the Religious Right. Despite its enormous population, tal/Charismatic movement: Ted Haggard the Charismatic movement continues to 1901 – 40 members In 005, Time magazine listed Rev. struggle with scandal, materialism, and 1945 – 16,000,000 Ted Haggard as one of the twenty-five abuse of power. Yet within its numbers 1955 – 7,000,000 most influential evangelicals in America. are multitudes of faithful men and 1965 – 50,000,000 Until recently, Haggard was the senior women who have placed God at the 1975 – 96,000,000 pastor of a 14,000-member Charismatic center (theocentric), and this group, in 1985 – 47,000,000 mega-church (New Life) in Colorado my opinion, holds the Biblical solutions 1990 – 37,000,000 Springs, Colorado. He made the list in to one of the world’s largest Christian 1995 – 460,000,000 Time magazine because in 003 he was communities. 000 – 550,000,000 members Faith for All of Life | January/February 007 www.chalcedon.edu Faith for All of Life Maybe I’m just a simpleton, but is Reconstructionists enced so much embarrassment from this not the most significant Christian and Charismatics their leaders were they thoroughly revival/movement since the Reforma- Rushdoony had little interac- ingrained in such doctrines as total tion? The early American awakenings tion with the Pentecostal/Charismatic depravity and the abiding validity of are but a faint moment in comparison. movement until the late seventies when God’s law? Reformed doctrine wars Again, despite the scandals, abuses, and Christian Reconstruction began its against egotism. Presbyterianism serves wrong doctrines, the movement grows “great invasion” into the ranks of the as a stopgap to one-man rule. The- unabated as it streams into the new Charismatic community. It actually onomy stifles the alleged promptings millennium. wasn’t a planned invasion. Like other of the Spirit that lead Christians into groups, Charismatics discovered the the most dubious ethical decisions; e.g., The Basic Makeup writings of Christian Reconstruc- “God told me to leave my wife.” And Charismatic Christians now com- tion and quickly sought out thinkers presuppositionalism demolishes the prise the largest Protestant body in the like Rushdoony. By the mid-eighties, idea of neutrality that leaves millions of world. However, this can be easily chal- thousands of Charismatics, including Christian children in public schools and lenged because Charismatics are found me, were reading Reconstructionist equal numbers of adults living compart- in virtually every Christian denomina- literature. mentalized lives. tion known. As a movement, it is the Rushdoony cultivated personal In short, it’s not so much the largest, but as a denomination, it is ill relationships with a few noteworthy Charismatic doctrine of the Holy defined. Charismatics during the 1980s such as Spirit that creates its problems. It’s their At present, Catholicism remains the Dennis Peacocke, Bob Mumford, Bob doctrines of God, man, soteriology, and largest Christian body with a total of Weiner, and Joseph McAuliffe—as you ethics that cause the greater damage. 1.086 billion as of 005. Charismatics might recall, McAuliffe wrote a regular Their emphasis upon the Holy Spirit is represent more than half that amount. column in the Chalcedon Report for a beneficial and still needed. Rushdoony And with the growth rate of Charismat- number of years. The strong political understood this. ics, they will likely exceed Catholics in and activist stream of the 1980s mixed The Changing Face number despite the fact that millions of with this new community of Charismat- of Charismatics Catholics fill their ranks. It is a serious ics to create a more socially influential Despite the more obvious errors mistake to dismiss Charismatics as was movement.