Thursday, October 25, 2007

Heretics

A beloved friend of mine has become engrossed with a couple of sites that fancy themselves "Heretic Hunters". I waded through these sites and compiled a list of these heretics. After seeing many of the names on the list, I went ahead and added my own name to the list just to be on the safe side. We'll see if I lose any sleep over it. Feel free to submit your own name if you'd like me to add you to the list. The sites are Lighthouse Trails and Apprising Ministries, but I like to call them Load of Crap 1 and Load of Crap 2. The list includes, not only individuals, but also organizations and denominations as well that are labeled as heretical.

It's a bit long, but here's the list of heretics (recognize anyone?):

Alpha Course
Rick Warren
Awana
Bruce Wilkinson
Youth Specialties
Brennan Manning
Rob Bell
The Pope
Catholicism
Brian Mclaren
Dan Kimball
Tony Jones
Erwin McManus
Mark Driscoll
Zondervan
Doug Pagitt
Bill Hybels
Moody Bible Institute
Eugene Peterson
Bob Coy
David Crowder
Billy Graham
Mennonites
Beth Moore
Max Lucado
Donald Miller
Tony Campolo
Campus Crusade
Michael W. Smith
Newsboys
Jeremy Camp
Delirious
Phil Keagy
Rich Mullins
Baylor University
J.K. Rowling
Tim Lahaye
Chuck Swindoll
David Jeremiah
Kay Arthur
World Vision
Leonard Sweet
Phillip Yancey
Josh McDowell
Luis Palua
Greg Laurie
NavPress
Intervarsity
Christianity Today
Relevant Magazine
Lutherans
Episcopalians
American Baptists
Presbyterians
Methodists
Women of Faith
Oprah Winfrey
Emerging Church Movement
Emergent Church Village
Joel Osteen
T.D. Jakes
Ed Young Jr.
Southern Baptist Convention
Lifeway Stores
Mother Theresa
Quakers
TBN
Bono of U2
N.T. Wright
“Christ-Followers”
Rick Mckinley
Craig Groeschel
Andy Stanley
Mark Beeson
Lew Graff
Chris G.
Ryan C.
Matt E.
Matt B.
Fred U.
Shane B.



40 comments:

Darkness said...

I will take the chance and be added to the list. I won't mind spending eternity with these few key people.

Anonymous said...

I wonder, who ISN'T on the heretics list? Maybe just Lighthouse Trails and Apprising Ministries?

Anonymous said...

They have "Chrits Followers" listed. Do they mean anyone who calls themselves a Christ follower is a heretic?
What complete and total freak-a-loos!
I'll take hanging with Brennan Manning and Billy Graham (Billy Graham is a heretic?!?!?!) over the people who point fingers any day.

Anonymous said...

Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a "theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the Orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. By extension, heresy is an opinion or doctrine at variance with those generally accepted as authoritative."

Chris Goeppner said...

please, i would consider it an honor (in a weird way) to be on the list. thanks.
my name is Chris Goeppner.

Anonymous said...

Congrats, Lew! This must mean it's time to write a book.

Anonymous said...

Add me to the list please.

the8thperson said...

Is this kinda' like the "blasphemy challenge"? Next post, why don't you guys just take the mark of the beast? I'm sure that will be a lot of fun too. It's all about the experience right?

Darkness said...

We would mark ourselves that way but its just not out there enough for most people. Oh and by the way, it is about experience if you chose to have an experience with God everytime you go to church. God places himself in our lives to help guide us through the ins and outs. So don't we experience God everyday as long as we stay on the path or even if we don't stay on the path.

You can pull the trigger on these people if you want to, but I know most of these people by name but do not have a clue where their hearts are. If and only if chose to condemn these people, we will find out where their hearts were when we stand before God and he allows us into the kingdom.

Or if this all doesn't make sense to you then here is somethin' a little more simple:
"Don't throw stone when you live in the glass house.:

Anonymous said...

Oh, but it's so much fun to compile lists of all the people who are wrong, isn't it? How else can we demonstrate how very, very right we are?

And when you're singularly right, when you're the only one who knows what's going on, don't you have an obligation to make enormous lists of everyone else, to show the world they are wrong and you are right?

I mean, just imagine if people didn't know Mother Theresa was a heretic. Weak people might be led astray by her example and start loving, serving, feeding, clothing and otherwise helping the poor in the name of Christ, instead of making lists!

We certainly can't have that, can we?

the8thperson said...

Dan,
The catholic church would be quick to damn anybody who is not catholic.

Mother Theresa was a heretic and yes... many people were led astray by her. I pray that she repented before she died and put her faith in trust in the Lord Jesus rather than her religion and papal father.

You can't get to heaven by doing good works. Nor can you get to heaven by worshiping Mary, the QUEEN of HEAVEN and a Jesus who needs to be crucified week in and week out.

the8thperson said...

Rev2,
Only God can and will judge the hearts of these men. But think about the warning that goes to anyone who takes the mark of the beast. It will not be about the heart, but about the mark. If you reject Jesus Christ you are condemned already.

Glass house??? What scripture is that?

Anonymous said...

yo Lew,

add Fred and Matt

Darkness said...

Chris,

Maybe instead of promoting a couple websites and blasting out your condemnation of these people, you should start to pray for these people that they are reformed of their ways. I think that it was put correctly in saying that you putting together these types of lists is fun and righteous for you.

Sorry, but I wasn't quoting scripture with the glass house thing, but if you want to quote scripture then you can start with
"Don't try to remove the log from your brothers eye when you still have a spec in yours."

Keep on claiming the heretics of this world and you may find yourself in the wrong place in the end.

Anonymous said...

I'd cosider it an honor to be named in any list that included Driscoll, Bell, McManus, David Crowder and Mother Theresa. Add me to that list brotha!

ShaneBertou

Unknown said...

Let me also respectfully point out that the Catholic Church does not condemn people for not being Catholic (which is an interesting accusation from someone with a list of heretics, by the way).

At least since Vatican II (and probably sooner), protestants are often refered to as "our separated brethren," which is a far cry from "heretic."

the8thperson said...

Dan,
Read between the lines!
Roman Catholics were killed hundreds of thousands of Christians. You, nor Billy Graham, can bridge the gap between the Catholics and Bible Believing Christians. All you are doing is broadening "the way" which was designed by God to be narrow.

The Pope calls themselves "The only True Church". What do you think is meant by that? He even said that there are no true churches outside of the Catholic Church. In their doctrine, it is written that Catholics are the only ones who go to heaven. They've just gotten "seeker sensitive" like most modern-day Christians.

the8thperson said...

rev2,
There is only one way to the Father. If any man preaches another gospel, let him be accursed.

the8thperson said...

Meant to say...
Roman Catholics killed hundreds of thousand of Bible believing Christians.

Anonymous said...

Yes, and Protestants waged the Crusades and led the Salem Witch Trials, unfortunately. Oops.

Yes, the Catholic Church claims to be the one true church - therefore saying that Protestant churches are not churches. But saying that Catholics were once killing Protestant Christians does not accurately depict the general relationship between Catholics and Protestant Christians. I don't believe that they want to kill us.

Anonymous said...

***That is, not the medieval Crusades [obviously those were hundreds of years before Protestantism existed] but the time in America between 1800 - 1860.

Anonymous said...

Actually, we rarely call anyone a heretic. Most of the people we discuss on our site do have one thing in common though - they promote what we call contemplative spirituality, which is another term for eastern mysticism. While we are very careful not to attack the personal make-up or life of any person, we do believe it is scriptural to point out false teachings that can lead to spiritual deception and put followers in harm's way.

revolution said...

I am familiar with many of the names and organizations on that list and yet, I'd never even heard of "contemplative spirituality" until I ran across sites like LOC 1 and LOC 2. I guess I must not be a very discerning Christian. If I am a Christian at all.

Anonymous said...

if billy graham, the moody institute and the emerging church movement are heretics by you definition then count me in with them....

seriously dude, why not try actually reading your bible rather than just thumping it...

tedted33 said...

Cris,

You seem to be the only one in this thread that has done your homework. I do not understand why any Christian would want to be on a heritic list. Some of the people on this list hold to the Idea that all roade lead to Rome. I do not know the doctrine of all the people on the list, but some of them do belong on the list do to non-biblical theology taught by them. If you people would spend less time following popular preachers and writers and spend more time in God's word you would unserstand that false teachers are all around us. Jesus warned of this in scripture. Please I am asking you to do your homework on this list. Some of the names may not belong there, but how will you know unless you tests their teachings against scripture.

Anonymous said...

Whew!

John MacArthur, Jerry Falwell and D. James Kennedy aren't on the list.

I can sleep better now : )

Seriously, though, I would love to see a chart of not just the names, but the alleged heresy espoused by each one.

Some of the names I know nothing about. Others I hold in high regard. And, there are some on the list, that by there own writings/words have held to beliefs outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity.

Since I think most of us would agree that none of us have all the answers, I guess an interesting question would be how wrong and on what doctrines do you have to be wrong to be a heretic?

I would say there is no room for error in soteriology.

But what about eschatology and ecclesiology? How much of that do you have to have correct?

Anonymous said...

I've spent a lot of money on books by some of these heretics. And seeing as I didn't keep the receipts and can't return them, you better just go ahead and add me to the list. Thanks.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I'm sure on someone's list.

This website has caused me much, well, sadness, laughter, and anger. www.jesus-is-savior.com

Judi Smith said...

Jesus said to the Pharisees and others who were trying to stone the woman caught in adultery, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

I would posit that for anyone to have perfect doctrine, they must have perfect knowledge. We know that in this earthly life we will not be perfect in any way. We all fall short.

1 Cor. 8:1b-3 - We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God.

Dan Lower said...

I definitely belong on this list.

They're probably too busy praising God right now, but John Wesley and Jacobus Arminius, anyone? Also, St. Francis of Assisi. Definitely too nature-friendly.

Dan Lower said...

Also, G.K. Chesterton.

Shane Bertou said...

Got some incoming traffic from this post today. Glad to see I'm still on the list! :-)

Anonymous said...

I would agree with the list. There Are several missing and when I get them listed I'll post it.

Anonymous said...

Joyce Meyers is she on the list? She should be.

Anonymous said...

I got blocked from posting on Lighthouse Trails after I asked them why they promote heresy teachers and conferences. I didn't get an answer, but any angry person on the other end. The truth will set them free, but obviously, they cannot handle the truth!

Pastor Nar said...

Feel free to add me to this list of 'heretics' ...

Pastor Nar

Outlaw Preachers

Anonymous said...

And the biblical definition is basicaly a principal that teaches other than what the bible says.

Matt Stone said...

I am dissappointed they didn't have me on the list.
mattstone.blogs.com

The Prodigal Son has come home said...

Add my name to the list. Paul Best. Shaven-headed, bearded, heavily-tattooed Irish Ruined-Brethren, part-time Methodist, part-time Anglican, part-time Baptist, occasional Quaker (it’s complicated)

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