Lighthouse

Lighthouse Trails Inc

  • HOME
  • ABOUT/CONTACT
  • STORE
  • RESEARCH JOURNAL
  • TOPICAL BOOKLETS
  • FREE E-NEWSLETTER
  • RESEARCH ARCHIVE

Father Whose Daughter Attended IF:Gathering Not Happy With LT Article

Father Whose Daughter Attended IF:Gathering Not Happy With LT Article

February 10, 2015 by Lighthouse Trails Editors
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

LTRP Note: After posting this article by C.H. Fisher, we received an e-mail from a father whose daughter attended the IF: Gathering. Please read the e-mail below plus our response:

To whom it may concern:

I want to state that I have been and I remain a supporter of your faithful exposing of false teachings and teachers. I respect your normal process of checking the facts prior to releasing articles. That is why I am surprised that you reposted the article about the “IF” conferences. This statement alone tells me that this article should never have been posted: “I confess that I didn’t watch any of the conferences, and do not intend to. There isn’t enough time to watch or read everything that is inundating Christianity. It is an overwhelming deluge. However, CT told me everything I need to know to advise every true Christian to avoid them.”

If the writer is trusting [Christianity Today] for information I have a problem right there. I haven’t trusted them for quite some time.

I was not at the conference and neither was the writer of this piece but my daughter was telling me how much she enjoyed some of the speakers she heard this past week at a video conference for women. Guess which one? Yup “IF.” Now I am not pitting her word against anyone except to say that I shared this article with her and her honest opinion was that there were strong misquotes and statements taken out of context. One example is the statement about what if God is real what then…. She said that the actual context was strong encouragement to live lives that reflect strong biblical values and even a warning to the group not to listen to gurus and other false teachers like Oprah.

I write this to you in love and again, I wasn’t there but one thing we all want to avoid is being proven to be crying wolf. Please check the facts and then by all means proceed in faith directing people to the Word of God, The Bible, for correction. Again I love and support what you do. I have purchased material and I will again just please make sure what you post is verifiable.
I continue to pray for you and for the power of God’s truth to change lives.

In Christ _________

OUR RESPONSE:

Hi _______
Thank you for sharing your concerns in your e-mail. ______, although the writer (C.H. Fisher) did not attend the conference, he was basing his article largely on what he knows of the women who were the speakers as well as other documentation. For instance, Ann Voskamp is a figure whom we identify with the emerging church. You can read about her in our article, “Ann Voskamp’s Best Selling Book One Thousand Gifts – A Collision of Inspiration and the New Spirituality.” In addition, IF:Gathering is definitely pushing Spiritual Formation, which is a sometimes subtle but always dangerous spirituality. And the conference is also promoting emerging figures such as Tony Campolo. I realize that your daughter may not have picked up on anything she felt was wrong, but to us, this just proves how these emerging speakers are good at what they do, which is to draw young women away from traditional Christianity and toward a whole new way of thinking. We believe this whole new way is going to hurt these young women, and sadly, most won’t know what is happening until they are heavily influenced.

______, if we go by your reasoning that because we didn’t attend the conference, we should not warn about it, then technically, we shouldn’t say anything about any conference we don’t attend. However, as we see it, a conference often leaves out the “really bad” stuff because that is the hook to get people to become attached to these speakers. Then with books, DVDs, social justice issues, and social media, they present their newfound protégés with the “deeper” information. You can see this on IF speaker Jen Hatmaker’s blog where she lays out the different steps planned for conference attendees after the conference is over (i.e., IF: Gathering, IF

Another example of why we feel the need to warn about this “movement” is Jen Hatmaker. In her book Interrupted: When Jesus Wrecks Your Comfortable Christianity (published by LifeWay) she quotes several emerging figures including Shane Claiborne (quoted over a dozen times) and Catholic priest Richard Rohr. Rohr is the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation. If you want to see the kinds of things Rohr believes in, just peruse his website where you will currently find Rob Bell and Oprah. In addition, consider what we wrote about Rohr in a 2010 article:

Richard Rohr

Rohr’s spirituality would be in the same camp as someone like Episcopalian panentheist Matthew Fox (author of The Coming of the Cosmic Christ). Rohr wrote the foreword to a 2007 book called How Big is Your God? by Jesuit priest (from India) Paul Coutinho. In Coutinho’s book, he describes an interspiritual community where people of all religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity) worship the same God. For Rohr to write the foreword to such a book, he would have to agree with Coutinho’s views. On Rohr’s website, he currently has an article titled “Cosmic Christ.” One need not look too far into Rohr’s teachings and website to see he is indeed promoting the same Cosmic Christ as Matthew Fox – this is the “christ” whose being they say lives in every human-this of course would nullify the need for atonement by a savior.

So what young women attending IF are going to get is Hatmaker’s spiritual views, which according to her book, have been influenced by Richard Rohr and Shane Claiborne.

Shane Claiborne

Shane Claiborne is a disciple of Tony Campolo, a major figure in the emerging church. Claiborne’s book Irresistible Revolution has a foreword by liberal political activist and anti-Israel/Christian Palestinianism spokesperson Jim Wallis of SoJourners organization.

Jen Hatmaker is just one example of why this warning by C.H. Fisher needed to go out. We researched a number of the other women speakers at IF: Gathering after we received your e-mail and discovered that of the ones we have researched thus far, they all have emergent leanings to one degree or another.

We want to also say that C.H. Fisher was using Christianity Today as a source of information, not as an endorsement of CT. We, ourselves, often use secular or even emerging news sources to back up our stories. Neither LT or Fisher sees CT as a godly source of information. But as reporters, we gather our information from various sources to document our articles.

One last thing, we are not saying that these women speakers are not sincere in what they are doing. But we believe they are sincerely wrong.

Posted in: A Global Spirituality, Conference Alerts, Contemplative Organizations, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Oprah Winfrey, The Emerging Church Tagged: ann voskamp, If:gathering, jen hatmaker, letter to the editor, one thousand gifts, richard rohr, Rob Bell, Shane Claiborne, tony campolo, women

Search the Research

Categories

  • A Global Spirituality (542)
    • Chrislam (32)
    • Ecumenism (174)
    • One-World Religion (88)
  • Book/Film Reviews (595)
    • A Course in Miracles (3)
    • Book/Music Excerpts (266)
    • JESUS CALLING (66)
    • THE SHACK (60)
  • CHILDREN AT RISK! (562)
    • Abortion (55)
    • Child Abuse (79)
    • Children and Homosexuality (21)
    • Children and Meditation (89)
    • Education (51)
    • Homeschooling at Risk (28)
    • Kids and the Occult (19)
    • Transgenderism (74)
  • Christian Organizations (132)
  • Christian Publishers/Bookstores (72)
  • Churches in Crisis! (850)
    • Alpha Course (9)
    • Assemblies of God (26)
    • Bethel Church (Redding) (17)
    • Calvinist/Reformed (103)
    • Charismatic (40)
    • Christian & Missionary Alliance (18)
    • Concerns for Calvary Chapel (192)
    • Free Methodist (2)
    • Mennonites (7)
    • Saddleback (243)
    • Southern Baptist Convention (30)
      • Beth Moore (3)
    • Wesleyan Church (3)
    • Willow Creek/Hybels (59)
  • Conference Alerts (109)
  • Contemplative Spirituality (967)
    • Contemplative Churches (64)
    • Contemplative Colleges (192)
    • Contemplative Denominations (271)
    • Contemplative Organizations (103)
    • Contemplative Practices (239)
      • Enneagram (1)
      • Labyrinths (3)
      • Lectio Divina (67)
    • The Ancient Mystics (76)
  • Defending the Faith (861)
    • Creation/Evolution (59)
    • Discernment (48)
    • Persecution (158)
    • Spiritual Deception (290)
    • The Preaching of the Cross (112)
    • The Word of God (194)
  • General Information (287)
    • RESOURCES (215)
  • Health (187)
    • Mindfulness (43)
    • Reiki/Energy Healing (35)
    • Shepherd's Bible Verse Tea (1)
    • YOGA (88)
  • Hinduism (37)
  • Homosexuality (359)
    • Same-Sex Marriage (163)
    • Transgenderism (82)
  • Interspirituality (187)
  • Israel (142)
  • LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (308)
  • Missions (129)
    • BRYCE HOMES FOR WIDOWS & CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL (95)
  • Music (45)
  • Native Spirituality (39)
  • New Age movement (390)
    • Oprah Winfrey (25)
    • Paganism (17)
    • pantheism & panentheism (94)
    • Roma Downey (13)
  • New Evangelicalism (104)
  • On Christian Faith (259)
    • Encouragement (30)
    • The Gospel (68)
  • Publishing News (68)
  • Purpose Driven Movement (272)
    • Rick Warren (133)
  • Remembering Communism (48)
  • Remembering the Holocaust (115)
  • Road to Rome (251)
    • The New Evangelization (94)
  • Signs of the Times (1,003)
    • Canada (48)
    • Dominionism (13)
    • Eschatology (96)
    • False Signs and Wonders (62)
    • FOR MILLENNIALS (19)
    • FREEDOM (169)
    • Hate Crime Laws (67)
    • Islam (70)
    • Politics (330)
    • Pornography/Sexual Abuse (48)
    • The "New" Sciences (25)
  • Spiritual Formation (188)
  • The Emerging Church (491)
    • The New Missiology (33)
    • Universalism (29)
  • The New (False) Spirituality (102)
  • The New Spirituality (210)
  • The Role of Meditation (261)
    • Mystical Practices (103)
  • World in Crisis (181)
  • YEARS IN REVIEW (69)

RSS Recent Posts

  • The New Evangelization From Rome December 11, 2019
  • Ouija Angel Boards December 11, 2019
  • The New Gnostics in Today’s Church December 9, 2019
  • “Despite Common Core Promises, U.S. Kids Repeat Poor Performance On Latest Global Test” December 5, 2019
  • Southern Baptist Convention Adopts “Critical Race Theory”—A Dangerous Marxist “Solution” That Will Not Work December 2, 2019

Lighthouse Trails Writers

  • anita dittman
  • berit kjos
  • bill randles
  • carl teichrib
  • carolyn a. greene
  • caryl matrisciana
  • catherine brown
  • cedric fisher
  • chris lawson
  • david dombrowski
  • diet eman
  • egerton ryerson young
  • gregory reid
  • harry a. ironside
  • jim fletcher
  • john foxe
  • john lanagan
  • judson casjens
  • kevin reeves
  • l. putnam
  • larry debruyn
  • linda nathan
  • lynn lusby pratt
  • maria kneas
  • mary danielsen
  • michael tays carter
  • mike oppenheimer
  • mike stanwood
  • nanci des gerlaise
  • paul proctor
  • ray yungen
  • roger oakland
  • ruth hunt
  • sandy simpson
  • tamara hartzell
  • tony pearce
  • trevor baker (songwriter)
  • warren b. smith

Calendar

December 2019
S M T W T F S
« Nov    
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  

Archives

  • The New Evangelization From Rome
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 11, 2019 at 2:05 pm

    The New Evangelization From Rome LTRP Note: The following is an extract from Roger Oakland’s booklet, The New Evangelization From Rome—Or Finding the True Jesus Christ. By Roger Oakland When Christians speak of evangelism, they are usually referring to efforts to fulfill the Great Commission. Just before ascending to heaven, Jesus commissioned every believer to proclaim the good news when ... [Read more...] The post The New Evangelization From Rome appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • Ouija Angel Boards
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 11, 2019 at 3:21 am

    <strike>Ouija</strike> Angel Boards “While most children in the seventies knew enough truth to place divination in the forbidden realm of the occult, today’s children—who often feel more comfortable with occult games than biblical truth—see nothing wrong with pagan practices.”—Berit Kjos By Lynn Lusby Pratt “Well, would you try to Christianize a Ouija board?” When I’ve asked that question, ... [Read more...] The post <strike>Ouija</strike> Angel Boards appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • The New Gnostics in Today’s Church
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 9, 2019 at 1:29 pm

    The New Gnostics in Today’s Church By Bill Randles(Author of the new release, War Against the Saints) I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. (1 John 2:21) The church is undergoing perhaps her final assault from within, as she has been beset with ... [Read more...] The post The New Gnostics in Today’s Church appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • “Despite Common Core Promises, U.S. Kids Repeat Poor Performance On Latest Global Test”
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 5, 2019 at 1:51 pm

    “Despite Common Core Promises, U.S. Kids Repeat Poor Performance On Latest Global Test” LTRP Note: The following news story is posted for informational and research purposes. If you would like to read more about Common Core, see Berit Kjos’ article, “A ‘Common Core’ For a Global Community.” If you know a family whose children are in public school, please consider sharing a copy of Kjos’ article with them. ... [Read more...] The post “Despite Common Core Promises, U.S. Kids Repeat Poor Performance On Latest Global Test” appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • Southern Baptist Convention Adopts “Critical Race Theory”—A Dangerous Marxist “Solution” That Will Not Work
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 2, 2019 at 8:43 pm

    Southern Baptist Convention Adopts “Critical Race Theory”—A Dangerous Marxist “Solution” That Will Not Work On November 25th, Lighthouse Trails received a link to a YouTube documentary titled “The Stain of Albert Mohler”(1) that documents how the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) passed a resolution (Resolution 9) this past summer (2019) which adopts “Critical Race Theory” (a theory that claims to be a solution to ending racism but according to critics ... [Read more...] The post Southern Baptist Convention Adopts “Critical Race Theory”—A Dangerous Marxist “Solution” That Will Not Work appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • Letter to the Editor: Reminder About Study Showing Adverse Effects of Meditation
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 2, 2019 at 2:13 pm

    Letter to the Editor: Reminder About Study Showing Adverse Effects of Meditation Dear Lighthouse Trails: This article came up in a feed, and I thought it might be a useful reminder to your readers. It’s a 2017 shallow academic re-run of what LHT has devotedly and thoroughly covered in depth for years! I imagine a title like: “Study Names 59 Categories of Unexpected and Unwanted Side Effects ... [Read more...] The post Letter to the Editor: Reminder About Study Showing Adverse Effects of Meditation appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • World Leader of Salvation Army Meets With Pope Francis/Vatican to Discuss Ecumenical Plans
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 2, 2019 at 1:50 pm

    World Leader of Salvation Army Meets With Pope Francis/Vatican to Discuss Ecumenical Plans According to a November 2019 posting on the Salvation Army website titled, “World Leader of The Salvation Army General Brian Peddle meets His Holiness Pope Francis,” it appears that the Salvation Army is part of the growing ranks of evangelical organizations in the race toward unity at all costs. The post from the Salvation Army ... [Read more...] The post World Leader of Salvation Army Meets With Pope Francis/Vatican to Discuss Ecumenical Plans appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • A Word About Salvation Versus “the Contemplative Way”
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on December 1, 2019 at 1:18 pm

    A Word About Salvation Versus “the Contemplative Way” By Ray Yungen Knowing Jesus Christ is not merely religion or spirituality but is rather a personal relationship with Him. Romans 10:2 speaks of those who have a “zeal for God but not according to knowledge.” Many contemplative writers describe a spiritual despondency they suffer before turning to mystical prayer as a remedy, and consequently ... [Read more...] The post A Word About Salvation Versus “the Contemplative Way” appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • Being Thankful Through It All
    by Lighthouse Trails author on November 28, 2019 at 8:27 am

    Being Thankful Through It All By Warren B. Smith In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Thankfulness is our attempt as believers to express the inexpressible—the amazing gratitude we feel for the amazing grace bestowed upon us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He not only ... [Read more...] The post Being Thankful Through It All appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

  • Ironside: “If Only I Could Be Sure I Was in the Right Church.”
    by Lighthouse Trails Editors on November 24, 2019 at 2:40 pm

    Ironside: “If Only I Could Be Sure I Was in the Right Church.” LTRP Note: The following is from Harry Ironside’s book Full Assurance. By Harry Ironside A comment put to me: “If I could only be sure I was in the right church, I would feel secure; but there are so many different churches that I get all confused and upset.” My response: The church is not ... [Read more...] The post Ironside: “If Only I Could Be Sure I Was in the Right Church.” appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Inc.

Show Buttons
Hide Buttons

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name [Jesus Christ] under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12

HOME ABOUT US RESEARCH JOURNAL BOOKLET TRACTS RESOURCES OUR WEBSITES

Copyright 2002-2019. Lighthouse Trails Publishing, Inc.