Dear Friend, In today's edition of the InfoQuest* for Truth E-Newsletter, we'll look at the Biblical inaccuracies of the popular film, "The Passion of The Christ," the blessing that the Lord has given me through the Kelly McGinley "Retaking America" radio show, helpful guidelines for pastors on voting speech and actions, and an alert regarding Terry Schiavo! CONTENTS: (1) Continued Prayer Request (Cancer) (2) Kelly McGinley Radio Show Report (3) "The Passion of The Christ" Film - Heresy?! What?? (4) Speech/Action Guidelines for Pastors Regarding Government Elections (5) Terry Schiavo ==================== ==================== (1) Continued Prayer Request (Cancer) OnlineArchive.org Use Permission Received A few weeks ago, I reported that a woman from my church, Gale, who is pregnant and who has 10 children with her husband, Ed, was being tested for cancer. Please keep Gale, Ed, and their children in your prayers. ==================== ==================== (2) Kelly McGinley Radio Show Report Well, as you know, I was honored to be a guest on Kelly McGinley's radio show, "Re-Taking America." I had contacted Kelly about her fabulous NewsWithViews.com commentary, "The Marriage Amendment - Another Trojan Horse," and she asked me if I would be her guest to speak about the InfoQuest* for Truth Federal Marriage Amendment ALERT page. It was a great time. I hope that you were able to listen in! It's always been a prayer for me that the InfoQuest* for Truth Ministry would be able to reach as many people as possible, to bring them God's Truth in its many different forms. It's also been my prayer that God would make me one of His ministers of law by making me a Pennsylvania State senator. I see this prayer being answered more every day! Kelly has asked me to assist her in doing her radio show when she takes her vacation days! What a blessing. She's allowing me to send her pre-recorded IQ* for Truth 50-minute monologs on current events through a Biblical worldview! I'll be sure to let you know the next time that you can hear me, on the airwaves in Alabama, or anywhere in the world online! If you don't already have the Free software, Windows Media Player, click on the link below to download and install it on your PC today! http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/player.aspx Tune in to Re-Taking America today! References: "The Marriage Amendment - Another Trojan Horse" http://www.newswithviews.com/McGinley/kelly1.htm InfoQuest* for Truth Federal Marriage Amendment ALERT page http://fp.users.fast.net/InfoQuest/Federal_Marriage_Amendment.htm ==================== ==================== (3) "The Passion of The Christ" Film - Heresy?! What?? OnlineArchive.org Use Permission Received Dear Friend, We've all heard great reviews of "The Passion of The Christ." Well-known Christian leaders like Dr. Dobson have seen it and promoted it. But, is it Biblically accurate? The InfoQuest* for Truth Ministry provides you with The Truth, The Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth, with the help of The Holy Spirit. The Truth is not popular in our society. I don't care what society thinks. I don't care what popular Christian leaders say. I care what the Bible says. Period. I know that you feel the same way, or you wouldn't be reading this, right now, right where you are, looking into your computer screen right now. That's right. I see you! [Just kidding!] This topic is being addressed by me now because it is Red Hot. I am requesting your assistance. Why? I have researched this film online; however, I have not yet seen it (we've tried to see movies since our baby was born, but it just doesn't happen). I am going to provide you with documented facts, regarding false theology, found in the film, from multiple trustworthy sources. By the way, I've got nothing against Mel; I've got great respect for him, and I pray for him to come to understand the true Jesus Christ, and to know that works will never bring Mel to Heaven, only accepting Jesus Christ as his Holy Savior. Mel is a true Patriot at heart, or he would not have been in "The Patriot," and he would not have read the Declaration of Independence from the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I've invited Mel to visit the InfoQuest* for Truth website, when I told him that I was advertising "The Passion" on my site, a few months ago, by posting a message to Mel on the WorldNetDaily "Post A Message to Mel" message board. I pray that he visits. If you saw this film, I want you to reply to this Edition and tell me if what I share with you in this Edition happened in the film. It may require you to see it again. Fine. It's my prayer that we use this information to get to The Truth, The Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth. Period. Before I provide you with notes that I've taken on a sermon that deals with this film, I think that you would benefit from listening to an interview, which will be playing until Friday, March 5, until 1PM Eastern USA Time, on Kelly McGinley's Re-Taking America Website: David Bay will give us his review of "The Passion of The Christ" For his articles go to - News Updates From Cutting Edge Ministries http://www.cuttingedge.org/news_updates/newsupdatemain.html http://www.live365.com/play/retakingamerica?title= Now, for the sermon by Pastor Ralph Ovadal. I downloaded a sermon by Pastor Ralph Ovadal on "The Passion" and listened to it. You can listen/download this sermon from here: http://pcc.sermonaudio.com It's called, "An Ungodly Passion for The Passion." Here are my notes: --- Pastor Ovadal should have started his sermon at its middle, where he points out things in the movie that aren't in the Bible; the stuff people care about. Instead, he begins his sermon saying that the movie is bad just because Catholics made/produced/starred in it, and that many Catholic teachings are not Christian because they are not found anywhere in the Bible. To me, I thought, at first, so what if Muslims or tree worshipers made the movie; if the movie accurately reflects the Bible, I don't care if they were kissing trees between each take (note: I honestly do pray for the salvation of anyone who does not have Jesus Christ as their Savior; especially if they're kissing trees, which some people do!!!). Then, after that knee-jerk reaction, I reminded myself that anything that a person produces is a direct reflection of his/her worldview. Here's what shocked me. The movie actually Is NOT Biblically accurate! Here are my notes, which I paraphrase, of Pastor Ovadal's words: ### Actor pretends to be God. Director, actor, and producer are Catholics; worship the mass. Actor had relics of dead saints on the set. Face made up to look like Shroud of Tarin. "The desperate Peter, after the denial, falls at the feet of the blessed Virgin to receive pardon" "I thought Peter asked Christ for forgiveness." It features Veronica wiping the face of Jesus. Veronica is someone who the Catholic Church made up. They say, at the 6th station of the cross, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.There is no Veronica. It didn't happen. It isn't in the Bible. In the movie, she takes away the cloth, and Jesus' image is imprinted in it. That's not in the Bible. It's actually part of Catholic documented symbolism/theology. Click here for an official Catholic description of Veronica: http://saints.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1953 In the movie, after Jesus is scourged, Mary wipes up the blood of Jesus. She's there every step of the way, the co-redemptrix, the co-sufferer, as the Catholic Church teaches. It's specific Catholic theology. She wipes up Jesus' blood. That's not in the Bible. They're playing mind games. They're indoctrinating people into Roman Catholic theology. In the movie, on the way to the cross, Jesus says to Mary "Behold, I make old things new." Jesus did not say that to Mary on the way to the cross. Jesus said that, Rev 21:5, as the risen Christ, sitting on the right hand of the Father. http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&passage=Rev+21%3A5&version=KJV In the movie, the earthquake destroys the temple at the crucifixion, which isn't true, the veil was wrent, the temple was not destroyed. They took out the subtitle where the Jews say, His blood be on us and on our children. No one has the right to take literary license with the Word of God. And, it is a grievous sin to do so. The protestant Christian leaders are promoting the movie, which joins the Catholic makers/actors, of the movie as a Christian movie, which calls the Catholic faith/teachings Christian. Just because "there's Bible in the movie," doesn't mean that it is of God. Satan used "Bible" when he tried to tempt Jesus in the desert, but that doesn't mean that what Satan was doing was good or ok. ### --- Ok. So, what do you think? If you saw the film, did you see these things happen? Before I share one more article on "The Passion" with you, I want to direct you to Kelly McGinley's web page dedicated entirely to disclosing the Biblical fallacies of "The Passion." http://www.retakingamerica.com/article_movie_passion.html Here's a snip from an article, sent to me by Jim Boyes, Director of the Christian Education Awareness Network (CEANet) Internet: http://www2.whidbey.net/jmboyes E-mail: jmboyes@whidbey.net Five Reasons Not to Go See The Passion of the Christ By Andrew J. Webb http://www.providencepca.com/essays/passion.html 3) Its Theology: Gibson's comment about the sacrifice of the altar and the sacrifice of the cross shows the indispensable link in this movie between the Catholic view of Christ's sacrifice and the portrayal of the Crucifixion in The Passion of the Christ. The fact that Evangelicals have uncritically endorsed it speaks volumes about how far the Evangelical Protestant understanding of Christ's death and the related subject of Justification have slipped since the Reformation. In Roman Catholic theology, the intense physical suffering of Christ's Crucifixion is the focus along with the emphasis on physical sacrifice. This is one of the reasons why in Roman Catholic iconography we have so much imagery related to Christ's physical pain and that crucifixes show him still suffering on the cross (the sacrifice of the mass means that Christ's declaration that His once for all sacrifice is completed - "it is finished" (John 19:30) never actually comes, and that His suffering has to be constantly repeated). This emphasis on Christ's physical agony is repeated in Roman Catholic devotional material, prayers, and of course the Passion of the Christ. The theology of the bible however points out to us that the grand importance of Christ's crucifixion lay not in His physical suffering, but in His once for all propitiation of God's wrath (1 John 4:10). Lest we forget, the greatest torment that Christ experienced on the cross was not caused by the nails driven into His flesh, but in His being made "sin for us" and vicariously suffering the righteous punishment of the Father in our place. Even the worst physical torments inflicted by the Sanhedrin and the Romans upon Jesus were nothing by comparison to the anguish of having the sins of all the elect imputed to Him and making full satisfaction for them. Satisfying the justice of the Romans on a cross was comparatively easy, thousands of condemned men and women including Spartacus and several of the Apostles did that, but only Christ could satisfy the justice of God. Also central to the Christian Gospel, but missing from The Passion of the Christ, is the concept of Christ's active obedience. Christ not only died for the sins of His sheep on the cross, but He established their righteousness through His perfect obedience to God's Law. It is only if His passive obedience in dying on the cross and His active obedience in keeping the law are imputed to believers per 2 Cor. 5:21 that believers will be justified before almighty God. The Passion of the Christ does not even make any pretence of teaching the active obedience of Christ, the entire notion of which is alien to Roman Catholic theology. Therefore if Evangelicals intend to use this as a Gospel teaching tool, they must understand that at best they are teaching only half a gospel, and that the half they are teaching is defectively presented. The sacrifice of Christ was a glorious event in which, in accordance with God's plan, full satisfaction for sin was procured by Christ on behalf of His people (Acts 2:43). The Passion of the Christ leaves us with a vision of the sacrifice of Christ that is only dolorous (Dolorous: Full of grief; sad; sorrowful; doleful; dismal) and which puts into sharp relief the Roman Catholic notion, not only of the importance of Christ's agony, but that of Mary in "offering her Son." In an interview with Zenit, the Roman Catholic News Service, Father Thomas Rosica, the priest who oversaw World Youth Day 2002 and its Way of the Cross through the streets of Toronto, illustrated how The Passion of the Christ, in keeping with Roman Catholic theology, uses extrabiblical content to massively exaggerate the role of Mary: "One scene, in particular, was very moving. As Jesus falls on the Way of the Cross, there is a flashback to his falling on a Jerusalem street as a child, and his mother running out of the house to pick him up. The interplay of Mary and Jesus in this film is moving, and reaches its apex in the scene of the Pietà. The Mother of the Lord is inviting each of us to share her grief and behold her Son."9 This use of extra-biblical material, emphasis on physical suffering, exaggeration of the role of Mary, and explicitly Roman Catholic theology should not surprise us; however, as these are all hallmarks of the primary inspiration for this movie: The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Truth or Fiction? Let me know! For information on Catholicism and other religions, just go to the InfoQuest* for Truth Apologetics page! http://fp.users.fast.net/InfoQuest/apologetics.htm ==================== ==================== (4) Speech/Action Guidelines for Pastors Regarding Government Elections OnlineArchive.org Use Permission Received DO's and DON'Ts of POLITICAL ACTIVITY for PASTORS by James Bopp, Jr. General Counsel National Right to Life Committee National Right to Life Committee 512 10th St. NW Washington, DC 20004 (202) 626-8800 NRLC@nrlc.org http://www.nrlc.org/ 1. A pastor may individually and personally endorse candidates for political office. 2. A church may not endorse candidates for political office, and a pastor may not endorse candidates on behalf of his church. 3. A pastor's personal endorsement may be made from the pulpit if it is clear that it is his personal view and not that of the church itself. 4. A pastor may allow his name to be used as a supporter of a candidate in the candidate's own political advertisements. In this connection, the pastor may be identified as pastor of a particular church. 5. Churches may engage in non-partisan voter registration and voter education activities so long as such activities are not intended to benefit any political candidate or party. 6. A church may allow political candidates to speak on church premises on the same basis that civic groups and other organizations are allowed to. *If civic groups and other organizations are required to pay some rent for using the church property, the political candidate should be charged the same amount. 7. A candidate should not be allowed to appeal to a church organization at a church service for support of funds to be used in his political campaign. 8. Lists of members of the church congregation may be provided to candidates for use in seeking support of raising funds only on the same basis that such lists are made available to other individuals and organizations. *If a charge is normally made for such a list, the candidate should pay the same amount. No favoritism should be shown among candidates in providing a list of congregation members. 9. A church may not establish a political action committee. 10. A pastor and other like-minded individuals may establish a political action committee but care should be taken that the committee is separate from the church. 11. A church may give out Voter Guides. ==================== ==================== 5. Terry Schiavo Update Thanks to William D. for this news. FOR TERRI SCHIAVO UPDATES & VIDEOS OF TERRI Go to: http://www.terrisfight.org See "Update Window" ACTION REQUESTED: Thank Florida Senate Majority Leader James King (R) for Terri's Law, and ask him to allow a vote on SB 692. Also contact Sen. J. Alex Villalobos (R-38), chair of the Judiciary Committee, to enlist his support for a floor vote. (See contact information & talking points below.) WE MUST ACT NOW. The Florida Legislature is in session only 2 months from March 1- April 30. MAKE A COMMITMENT TO CALL ONCE A WEEK AND ASK ONE OTHER PERSON. Mark your calendars. Spread the word.