Hi,
You are Christian? I see why you disabled comments. You are an arrogant self-serving hypocrite at the very minimum.

The first paragraph, “Following the news today of the nude photos and Miss Prejean’s defense of her lingerie and swimsuit modeling that produced equally pornographic photos online overnight, the official YouTube video posted by Liberty University of Miss California’s appearance in chapel has been removed.” Not one mention of the issue that has brought this up, none, nada, nothing. Do you even know why some evil SOB decided to publish these old and already published photos? I didn’t think so. And why are they just now an issue for you? Lets get back to the subject shall we?

First off , Nude? Really? Nude?

You are nothing but an aggrandizing S.O.B. and DO NOT speak for most Christians! You are a charlatan!

Next we have; “Equally pornographic”? Really? “Equally pornographic”? Really?

In the FIRST sentence you went from “nude” to “Equally pornographic” of which these photos are neither! “Equally pornographic” to what?

“the official YouTube video posted by Liberty University of Miss California’s appearance in chapel has been removed”. Official bolded for your reading pleasure. Youtube is of questionable morals and YOU decide this is credible? What can you say to that? Birds of a feather and all.

I have often wondered what kinds of jobs the children on the short bus got. Now I know.

You wonder where the flock is fleeing too? We are leaving Because we have heard enough from the likes of you. You and your “mainstream religion” have lost your way along with the “mainstream media”. You and your kind are doing more damage to the image of God than Satan himself.

Not one mention from you on the topic in the media, that being marriage between a man and woman incase you never figured out what the real issue is.

Please go suck someplace else. And stop pretending you speak for even one Christian.

Rick

Er, yes, Rick. We’ll let somebody like you with an inability to identify porn and an angry toilet mouth speak for Christ and His “flock” instead. The nude photos haven’t been released. Her recent lingerie modeling shots were. While I was on the panel on CNN last night, the host of the show told the audience that he couldn’t show Prejean’s recent modeling lingerie photos (that she defended yesterday) because they were, in his words, “inappropriate.” Thank you, CNN, for seeing what this sad individual cannot. In the Scripture, Balaam’s donkey had to speak the truth. Now days it’s CNN.

**Updated**

I’ve received email from a “Christian” male and family man who says that the recent topless model shots of Carrie “aren’t porn.” I encouraged him to print these “not porn’ shots off on his printer, tack them on his fridge and let his wife decide now “not porn” they are. I also wondered aloud to him what he must be looking at to judge those shots as not porn. It’s come to this, friends. We’re having to argue with so-called believers in Christ over whether topless bikini shots are porn or not. You wonder why I use the term “fake churches?” It’s really that bad now. The hidden lust and uncleanness in many evangelical males is coming out into the open. God has used this entire scenario to show what’s really going on in private by bringing it into the light.

The following is a small sampling of emails I have received this morning.

Just a quick note to say thank you so much for your ministry. I am a young (35) bivocational pastor of a Nazarene church … Listening to the broadcast yesterday (5/4) I was so encouraged that there are still people out there that hold tightly to the truth of the Word of God. Though I am young, I still preach “old school” and am sometimes criticized for it. The church today often praises what the Bible calls sin. I/We are praying for REVIVAL. Not a few revival services with an emotional experience or a spiritual high, but real revival that totally changes and transforms, even the community. It is hard for me to even read some of these new “Christian” authors today. Most of the books that I read by Christian authors are 30 years old or better. What has happened to biblical preaching, and the living out of holiness? God help us!
I love you guys, thank you so much for your strong stand for righteousness.

D.

Thank you so much for your article on Prejean.
As a Liberty University alumni that will be paying back student loans for years to come I was horrified to see my Pastors with their arms around her. We were taught modesty, humility and gentleness.
I was bursting with joy when I found your website. My husband and I ALWAYS say the church is becoming like Laodicea.
Praise the Lord for your wisdom! You made my day, I am not alone and I will NOT be silent anymore.

I am sharing this with my facebook.

M.

Dear Ingrid,

Thank you sooooooooooo much for your program of Monday, 4 May 2009. I am a Christian man, but my wife and I have felt like “voices in the wilderness” decrying the lack of modesty and sold-out behavior of Christians and the church today. We have not only been appalled by this response to Miss California’s simple answer during the last part of the competition, but even more to the fact that she’s been held up as someone to be emulated by other young women.

I have written to Focus on the Family before taking them to task for those in the political arena who they have ardently supported because they occasionally threw a “pro-family bone” to them. I’m sorry, but I feel they are convinced that the ends justifies the means used to get there. Absolutely not.

I would not have watched the Miss USA Pageant nor did I. How could I? I knew it would be totally inappropriate for a Christian to watch and I feel for a Christian young woman to participate in. OK, fine, I saw the little snippet of an answer that Miss California gave to the question asked of her. But, why in the world are Focus on the Family and Liberty University embracing Miss Prejean and holding her up as though she’s a huge role model for our Christian young women today to look up to? Yes, I applaud her answer to the question asked of her, but so what?

I thank you so much for being courageous enough to speak out about this on your program yesterday.

D.

I just wanted to drop you a note of encouragement. I cannot imagine being called to wade in the filth that you have to. Because you are faithful to that call, others of us benefit without all that exposure…

G.

Your remarks about Carrie Prejean being a “type of the modern church, augmenting with flesh to attract the world etc….” have me shouting as I read them! Perhaps the best compliment I could give you is this: What you wrote, would do A.W. Tozer and Leonard Ravenhill proud. You’re in the minority on this narrow road, but you’re not alone. Be encouraged, and keep it up! I preach regularly on the side of a highway in front of a strip club. It’s common for patrons to tell me that God loves them and will forgive them. I tell them noone ever went to hell because God didn’t love them, but rather because they rejected the love and mercy of God. God’s love is one thing, but God’s forgiveness is CONDITIONAL. “Except ye repent” and “If we confess” those are conditions…

K.

Dear Ingrid…Thank you for holding firm on our Lord’s truth…Amen to today’s topic, I also agree, has the church lost their minds? No matter how bleak, you are not standing alone…I came out of the homosexual lifestyle, I know there is new life in Christ in my repentance and confession…I just pray that you and crosstalk do not lose your fire and passion for the truth…It seems like everyone is falling prey to either Emergent teaching, Purpose life and just plain lack of discernment…Forget the tea party’s, our brothers and sisters in Christ are sleeping in the pews…Thank you again & again, Ingrid…Praise the Lord for your ministry…Please do not let the camel stick his nose in your tent…Thank the Lord my Hope is in Christ because I could easily lose hope as I see ministry after ministry fall away from sound doctrine…

J.

I am a middle aged man that agrees with you 100%. Your program on the California “Beauty Queen” was right on target.
I don’t have a working television, so I didn’t see the swimsuit competition, and I don’t wish to. I did, however, see two ladies in the parking lot of a local chain store not long ago. They were dressed in a manner that would be pleasing to the Lord. I wanted to jump out of my car and run up to them and thank them for their modesty. Fearing I might alarm them, I didn’t.

But tell your listeners that there are men that appreciate Godly women, not flesh peddlers. And please continue to spreading the word of God without compromise.

Thank You.

K.

As a 26 year old Christian Man who has been struggling for purity and has finally seen victory in his life over sexual sin I want to praise God for you and your ministry especially today’s program. I listened your program on rejoice.org at 3:00 about the supposedly-Christian model and I just want to say I whole-heartedly agree with what you have said and immediately went to the Lord in Prayer for these men who have been defending this model. It is my prayer that one of these men will publicly repent of their sin and their lust. Lets hope the Lord uses this event to show many a Christian man his sins and help them turn to God to desire purity. It is hard to remember Romans 8:28 in these times, but maybe this is just what we need to convict the hearts of these men.

God Bless!

B.

Thank you for speaking to the issue. From a father of seven girls, your last caller asked where are the men to speak to this issue. We are speaking, but we need the older godly women to do as you are doing. Your influence will go much further on these kinds of issue’s. Be Bold! BE Strong!

Thank you so much,

J.

I’d like to thank you for shining the light. I did not think too much about the Miss California statements, but what I did think, I just agreed with what I heard “other” conservatives/Christians saying that she had courage. What you talked about on Crosstalk today was great, it really made me think about the topic from a true Christian perspective and you are exactly right, big deal, she made a statement about marriage, but everything else she stands for is anti-Christian! I like to think of myself as a Christian that might not always see things right, but when the light is shown to me I will almost always agree with the Christian side, and that is what you did today!

J.

I just found your website and I can’t tell you how much I agree with what you are saying. I was feeling somewhat uneasy with the way Christianity is portrayed in America, how sometimes it seems like Christians are making ground, as with Miss California, but then realize that it is actually very damaging. Thank you for what you do. I am a 22 year old and I’m about to get married (in two months) to a very wonderful godly man! It’s funny that people are quite surprised to find out that although we have our apartment at the beginning of July we will not be moving in until after we are married, as we have stayed abstinent. It just feels kind of lonely sometimes when you realize that many of the people you go to church with and school with are semi-casual Christians. I want so badly not to be, I want to be all that God calls me to be. Thankfully, my soon-to-be-husband does as well. We are the “most prude” as some people call it, about movies and television, and people call us judgemental (all I do is not watch it, I don’t bash them over the head, but I suppose people feel cornered and attack).

I apologize for the rambling letter, I just feel like my life is at a turning point. I can choose God’s way or the world’s way. The world wants you to think you can have both, and I sort of fell for it for a while. But I’m realizing that that is not the truth, and I was wondering if you had any advice (I know I will start studying my Bible more every day and praying). It seems as if I have gotten into theology more than God in the past year, if that makes any sense. Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks again, your site has helped open my eyes more and realize we really can’t be friends with the world. It also scared me that there are so many false teachers and even people who claim to be pastors are going down a scary road.

K.

Ingrid:

In speaking of the “unfruitful deeds of darkness” in Eph. 5:11-12 (which we know include immorality and impurity from vs.3), Paul states plainly that it is “disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret”.  It is one thing to confront unfruitful deeds of darkness (or as Paul writes, to “expose” them).  For Mark Driscoll to enjoy speaking of these things is a disgrace.  I don’t think that even he could stand Eph. 5:12 on its head to say anything other than what it plainly says.  It is a disgrace, and he brings shame upon the name of Christ in speaking the way he does.  (Paul also speaks of filthiness, silly talk, and coarse jesting in Eph. 5:4)

Thanks Ingrid for all your work…

Derek Green
Braidwood Bible Chapel

Ingrid,

When I read your article, “The American Pastor Police Report Grows Daily,” something dawned on me. No doubt you remember the story of King David and his fall into sexual sin with Bathsheba.

“Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. “

- II Samuel 11:1

Notice the phrase here: “But David stayed at Jerusalem”.  At a time when he, as the leader, should have been engaging in battle, he opted not to, sending others to do his work for him. While the pastors and ministers in places like Azerbiazan and China get arrested for being salt and light, engaging in the moral war that rages; predominantly, American pastors are “staying in Jerusalem”.  In Jerusalem, it’s so much easier for them to tell people how to “have their best life now” or how we should have a “generous orthodoxy” than it is for them to stand up in their pulpits and condemn the California Supreme Court for declaring good that which is evil.   Martin Luther spoke against this taking of the easy road:

“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.”

As with King David, could their fall into sexual sin be a result of their avoidance of their rightful place at the front of the battle?

Grace & Peace,

D.R.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgjIEuLEusw[/youtube]

A Slice reader responds:

“Rabbi Lustig presents a rather diverse group of people representive of all nations and religions who, according to him, are “equal in God’s eyes”.

But, if I understand the Word of God correctly, all of humanity, every individual from all of history, representing all nations and all faith systems will stand before the heavenly throne on the great Day of Judgment to give account to God. And, according to the words of Christ, his definition of diversity will be seen and known as such: sheep and goats. That’s it!

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”  (Matthew 25:31-33)

Righteous heaven bound sheep. Unrighteous hell bound goats. So much for equality.”

P.

Dear Ingrid:

I love apologetics, I love smart Christians in general, D. James Kennedy, R.C. Sproul, Ravi Zacharias, they are brilliant scholars who studied the Bible as well as being Renaissance men in that they have an excellent knowledge of the world as well. However, the simple fact remains, that when we try to conform or compromise to the world, no matter how many books you’ve sold or how big your ministry is, you are not doing what God wants you to do. Period. I read through the prayer and found it to be very, very inoffensive, matching up with the Jewish people’s current perspective of God. Ravi knows how important the exclusive belief in Christ is in orthodox Christianity. As with the whole Rob Bell scenario that is still exploding over at alittleleaven.com (closing in on 200 comments), I have come to the belief that it is not enough to simply represent Christianity at a conference without preaching the gospel. How are the people going to believe what they have not heard? I mean, isn’t that Christianity 101? That’s what we need to get back to.

I suppose telling a lot of truth makes you a good Christian ministry, but apparently telling the whole truth makes you malicious.

L.

Hey Ingrid, long time reader, first time writer, keep it up!

Just wanted to let you know that I checked out the homepage of Church at Rock Creek and found the new sermon entitled Toxic People, a three week study. It sounded familiar and then I did a quick search and came up with something very interesting.

(This won’t surprise you) but, apparently, they copied Rick Warren’s sermon and splashed on some new graphic design to fool people into thinking that the pastor came up with it on his own. Ha! I remembered the title only because I was at another megachurch and heard this exact same sermon “preached” on. At least Johnathon Edwards had the scholarly decency to write his own sermons. Anyway, thought I’d point it out so you can see the true shallow pathetic nature of this “movement”.

L.

Yes, L., sermon recycling is a common practice these days as men like Rick Warren offer sermons for purchase on their websites. Today’s pastor can order a turnkey ministry online with Rick Warren’s sermons, movie excerpts from WingClips.com, and canned music if he doesn’t have a hot band to play Sunday morning. I heard from one reader on Monday whose pastor read an entire sermon from the pulpit Sunday as his own. The problem was, it was written by a nationally known Bible teacher. They borrow one another’s words, it says of the false prophets in Jeremiah 23. Pastors today do this when they have nothing to say from the mouth of the Lord. They’re not in contact with God and that’s why they have to take their sermons from one another. The spiritual fruit of this kind of leadership is everywhere in our carnal churches.

A reader sent in these thoughts on the emerging teachers today.

Dear Ingrid,

These emerging church types, along with the New Agers, often use Christianized talk, but with a different meaning. They state that the words in the Bible can mean anything and ultimately there is no ascertainable meaning. This sounds very “spiritual” in an intellectual way; but I use these facts to combat this:

1.) The words on the page is NOT the Scripture, but the meaning of the words on the page is the Scripture. I think that this is a carry-over from Rome; when they would parade around holding up this huge bible, acting as if that book and the words thereon was God’s Word! If the written words on the page of the book is God’s Word, then how can our Blessed Redeemer be called “The Word.” It is the meaning, the message of the book that is the Scripture!

2.) If words can’t be ascertained and the meaning of the book is the Scriptures, then that statement is a blatant denial of the Scriptures. They are denying the Scriptures, plain and simple. Yes, there are differences in interpretation of some aspects, but the core doctrines of the faith remain and identify the remnant. To say that since there are differences in interpretation and therefore lets just accept any interpretation regardless is a denial of Scripture, as both epistles to Timothy and Hebrews 4:12 plainly state.

3.) If their premise on words and meaning is correct, it is not only a denial of Scripture but a denial of the Sovereignty of God and his character. If a Sovereign God can’t communicate to us with a book stated numerous times to be His word, then just how sovereign can He be?

S.A.

Ingrid -

Thanks for the piece you did about the so called phenomenon of “Christian Death Metal.”

I became a Christian in 1990, just as some of this stuff was breaking out in the world.  I had been a huge fan of the usual suspects (Anthrax, Slayer, Metallica, etc.), as well as some of the more obscure, rank, and guttural forms of Death and Thrash metal (Venom, Carcass, Napalm Death, etc.).

When I began serving the Lord, I was initially a fan of the Christian brands of this stuff.  Being really young in Jesus, I just took it for granted that these bands served the Lord and were genuinely trying to be a light in a dark place.  I offered them my total support and patronage.

It wasn’t long before the Spirit began to convict me about this.  I began to develop a sensitivity and started discerning an unholy mixture.  The lyrics often preached, but the sounds and images were so contrary to Christ and His Spirit that I could no longer justify my involvement with it.  I no longer listen to these kinds of bands, “Christian” or non, but I do regularly flip through publications that promote and cater to “Christian” artists in the extreme music scene to stay abreast of where its heading.  When I was listening, there was at least a standard of morality and the bands truly preached Jesus.  At this point, there is literally nothing to distinguish the alleged Christians in this scene from the world.  The imagery is vile, the music cacophonous and dark, the testimony of Christ and His word is absent, and the lifestyle far from holy.

I wrote Doug Van Pelt, who is the founder and editor of HM Magazine.  This magazine is far and away the premier fanzine for all things “Christian Metal.”  I addressed my concerns about the direction of his magazine and the scene it was embracing, as well as the increasing absence of vital testimony.  His response was that we were “wrong” to use rock music in a “utilitarian way,” that is, solely as a tool for reaching lost people (as if that were ever legitimate in the first place).  He said that Christians have a right to “express themselves artistically,” and that personal artistic expressions by the artists were as important to the health of the church as evangelism.  Then in some twisted logic, he asserted that my “utilitarian” view of art had been deemed heretical by the church in some former era.  I returned the volley, explaining that I was under the impression that, “I no longer lived, but Christ lived in me,” placing me under the obligation to glorify Him directly and specifically with all the work of my hands.  I received no answer on that.

The bottom line here, though, is that “Christian Death Metal” is really more symptomatic of a deeper problem.  The root problem is that we aren’t teaching our kids to, “come out from among them, being separate and touching no unclean thing.”  We aren’t teaching them to abandon their idols.  We aren’t teaching them to “stop judging by mere appearances, making a right judgment.”

We are teaching them that Jesus is “cool,” that being a Christian is “cool,” and that if we don’t want to be a bunch of irrelevant, self-marginalized goof’s, we need to carry the Gospel on skateboards with awesome guitars.

It used to just be man-centered, un-Biblical, faulty reasoning.  But it is starting to push the boundaries into some really manifest wickedness.

Thanks again for calling it out.

Blessings,
J

Dear Ingrid,

I wish to comment on the “Quote of the day” post on 1/3/08, where it was stated:

“Worship is now an experience, and its an experience you have to reach
multiple senses. I think thats a step to reach the society where we are.
Church, in the last five years, has really accelerated in the understanding you have to be at least at pace with society technologically, if not ahead.”

A quick background. I have been a “videophile” all my life. I have been
fascinated with video technology since my dad let me use a Super 8 mm
format film camera when I was a kid. Since that time, I have been a
video director, technical director, assistant director, camera operator on
both standard definition and high definition systems, video engineer,
CG operator, and recently audio “engineer” (just learning). I have used
systems with screens that literally cost a million dollars and then some.

Unfortunately, I made the sin of letting the technology dazzle me too much
in church over praising God. And when I felt like my worship was hollow
and worthless, and that “nothing was happening” when I went to the
services I used to look forward to, I had to ask a very damning question:
who, or WHAT was I worshiping? The answer wasn’t God or Jesus. And that
forced me to answer some really deep questions and bring some dark things to the Light.

Let me warn anyone and everyone who is in video or sound production
who will listen: I made the mistake of praising the creation, rather than
the Creator. Don’t be mistaken: my mission is to spread the true Gospel
to the end of the earth, via video and audio and transmission by whatever
means is available (including word of mouth, of course!). But instead of
using equipment as a great *tool*, I let the means become the end. Thankfully, the Lord revealed this to me, and I have repented.

In saying this, I am not asking you to throw any of your equipment
away. I want you to consider this: what goes out on the “program”,
“preset” or “air” feed…or what goes over the sound system…or on Tv
and radio, for those in that area of ministry…is what God is watching
and hearing. Every word. Every sound. Every pixel on the screen. Is it
glorifying Him? Really? Are your videos edifying the body of Christ, full
of quality teaching, or is it more like a laser light show?

With all the technology we have, there is an incredible, I would dare say
unprecedented opportunity to bypass secular media, who generally won’t
report on anything we do anyway these days (unless it’s a scandal or other
controversy), to preach the Gospel via multimedia. What I see on major
“Christian TV” networks may look very professional in the world’s eyes,
but in terms of content, most of it is starving the people who are watching or listening of the real and true Gospel that this world so desperately needs to hear! So before you get that high-definition video, Dolby 7.1 or higher sound system (again, nothing wrong with these), please, for the sake of your soul, and of those in your church, seriously
pray over this:

1. Is your church really grounded in the Word of God? If the answer is no,
forget everything else. This needs fixing first. And NOW.

Then, if AND ONLY IF #1 is true…

2. Is it your goal to “look great” with your video, or to have a system
so that the message of the Gospel can be proclaimed clearly?

3. Is the goal of your sound system to make the church “rockin’”, or to
bring a sweet, sweet sound to our Lord’s ear?

4. Is your goal in being online is to share to others the deep things of
God, or to “be cool”?

I’m now the audio engineer at my church (since no one else wants to do
it, and I’m learning, baptism by fire!). I make sure everyone sounds their
best, and that the recording goes well for our podcast. The purpose for
this is so that our congregation is assisted in hearing the Word
proclaimed, joyfully praising God, and for those who missed our services
due to illness or whatever reason, can hear it online. And then,
edify other saints and bring the Gospel to the world. I’m blessed and
surprised to hear people from all over the world listen to our podcasts!

So we’re considering, for our small church, to get a small video system so
that our tireless childcare servants in the basement can watch and hear
the service while the very young ones are taken care of. They literally miss one service every several weeks because they can’t watch or hear the service now. If we do get the system, we will not do it to keep pace with technology; but to edify the saints and the servants of God. That should be the underlying reason for any technology (or anything else) in the church, period. Sometimes, the bigger and better technology brought into the church just reflects the style over substance found there. Don’t let that get into your hearts, brothers. Been there, done that.

Thanks, Ingrid, for your ministry and that of VCYAmerica.

G.S.

Note: The only editing done on this email is for language and identity.

Hi. My name is barb t********.
i found your article quite offensive, and here is my reason.

i am a catholic, and i firmly believe there is a god, but i don’t attend services very often. so would that make me a “satanist”?
i don’t think so.

so would that make a band “satanist”, because their lyrics don’t speak of praying, or of christ himself?
i believe not.

now what i do believe is that you are an extremely ignorant person. you are ignorant in the fact that anyone who doesn’t worship jesus is satanist. MANY people do believe in god, but it doesn’t have to be OUR god.
so would that make arabics satanist because they believe in allah, and not jesus christ?
would that make people who use “swear words” or people who “involve copious uses of the f-bomb spinkled with liberal uses of the s-word” in their daily language, satanists?
i don’t think so.

and another thing.
i read your article about “all i want for christmas body worship”
are you F****** kidding me?
noone said that “jiggling to mariah carey in tight jeans” was the new way to worship god.
thats another assumption on your part.

is it because mariah carey didn’t sing directly about jesus, that she is a “satanist?”

mariah carey is an amazing singer [with an 8 octave range, as a matter of fact.]
i find it ridiculous that you’re basing “the new way to worship god” on what a few girls did, instead of basing your judgement on the christian population as a whole.
i find it to be B*** ****.

and what the F**** are you talking about when you mean that you “fully expect Christian pole dancing to make it to church on Sunday morning very shortly.”

are you joking? because of what a few girls did, you’re going to believe that of all things, POLE DANCING is going to be brought into the house of god?

i firmly believe you are i need of some psychiatric help.
i am offended that you believe that you are speaking for the lord himself, and that you believe you are right in what you write.
you are NOT jesus, and you are most definitely NOT god.
so keep your ingorance to yourself, and open your eyes,
because people that don’t believe in what YOU believe does not make them a satanist.

oh and i am sorry for involving “copious uses of the f-bomb spinkled with liberal uses of the s-word” in my email.

-barb-

&& by the way…

f.y.i., just in case you want to criticize people, continue to be an ignorant basketcase, and make more wrong assumptions.