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Emerging Church Leader, Brian McLaren, Promotes: Islam and Christianity Reach the Same God During Mystical Experiences
New Book by Tony Campolo says mysticism [contemplative prayer] will unite Christianity and Islam.
According to Tony Campolo, in his book Speaking My Mind, he has several suggestions for Christians - the bottom line is he believes we need to "redefine ourselves,"... "recast our opinions," and "entertain the possibility that we might be in error" about particular issues. He says we need to stop being so stubborn about these issues. What are those issues he speaks of? They are everything from mysticism to homosexuality and an array of other changes we need to make in our attitudes, behaviors and ideas. With regard to mysticism (contemplative prayer) he believes, "mysticism provides some hope for common ground between Christianity and Islam." He asks and then later answers the question, "Could they (Islamic Sufis) have encountered the same God we do in our Christian mysticism?" His answer - of course! Sound like Thomas Merton? It should. Campolo emulates Merton, Schuller and a host of other New Age, mystical leaders all rolled into one. And as far as he is concerned, the real problem for the whole world lies with "rigid" Christians who believe in the possibility of Jesus' soon return. According to Campolo, they are to blame for wars, and a host of other evils in the world. I am reminded, as I read his book, of Alice Bailey and Barbara Marx Hubbard,whose clear and obvious hostility towards believers shouted out from the pages of their writings.
The most alarming thing about this book is that Brian McLaren's name is on the back cover, telling us the book is a "great bargain" and that Campolo's voice is one that "needs to be heard." Brian McLaren, named recently by Time magazine as one of 25 most influential evangelicals, is also considered the statesman and leader for the fast growing emerging church movement, which is just a disguised Trojan horse for contemplative prayer with a close connection to Richard Foster, Rick Warren and other contemplatives. Remove the contemplative, mystical element from the emerging church and you have nothing more than couches and candles. While many of the young people in this movement may be searching for a more genuine faith and cannot be criticized for that, we believe the leaders, such as McLaren, are leading thousands astray, whether they realize it or not. If McLaren agrees with Tony Campolo, and he must or he wouldn't have said so, then great deception is lurking around the corner and many are heading right into trouble and into a belief system that shouts All Paths Lead to the Same God. And as for believers who refuse to recast their opinions or redefine their views that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation and access to the living God, hold on to your hats - it's going to be a rocky ride.
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If you haven't read Day of No Return, we suggest you do. It is a true story of Christians in Germany in the 1930s and just what happened to those who stood for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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