www.Bennett.BibleForToday.org

APRIL, 2004

Dr. David C. Bennett, Editor (DCB)

PO Box 1241 - Dubbo - NSW 2830

Phone/Fax 02-6884-2846

Email: Bennett@BibleForToday.org

Permission is given to forward material contained in the AIB Newsletter.

Purpose: To inform and warn God's people of religious, social, and political events in today's world.

Sydney Morning Herald (SMH Hereafter) 18 March, 2004 OPEN SEASON (Edited by DCB) "The Australian Bureau of Statistic's latest figures reveal a 10 per cent decline in those who exchanged vows in 2001 compared with 1981; and a 34 per cent rise in couples who tossed their wedding-rings in 2002 compared with 20 years ago. What's more, de facto marriages rose by almost 63 per cent in 2001 compared with 1991."

"How will the changing nature of relationships affect today's youth in years to come? The Australian Family Association's national vice president, Bill Muehlenberg, says society will be undermined if youth opted for open relationships and ‘no commitment’."

He went on to say that "Societies are made up of strong families and strong families are made up of strong commitments and relationships. And if we have a weakening in that, then everybody, in the long term, suffers."

Editor’s Comment: A nation is only as strong as its families and the same goes for churches.

SMH 17 March, 2004 BOOS AS ABBOTT TELLS STUDENTS ABORTION RATE A NATIONAL TRAGEDY (Edited by DCB) AUSTRALIA "The rate of abortion was a national tragedy and society had too lax an attitude towards sexual promiscuity among teenagers, the federal Health Minister, Tony Abbott, told students yesterday." Abbott, a Roman Catholic told students "there were 100,000 abortions in Australia each year, which he labelled a measure of the nation's moral health."

He went on to say "where people understand that actions have consequences and take responsibility seriously. If just half the effort was put into discouraging teenage promiscuity as into preventing teenage speeding, there might be fewer abortions."

Editor’s Comment: In the state of New South Wales there are 800 abortions each week and approximately 40,000 annually. Abortion is legalized murder and is not only happening on a world-wide scale but is encouraged.

Agape Press - SAME-SEX MARRIAGE OPENS POLYGAMY DOOR, FAMILY EXPERTS WARN (Edited by DCB) USA "Pro-family advocates are worried that legalizing homosexual marriage will lead to other perversions of the family and feel there is cause for concern among defenders of traditional marriage that the legalization of same-sex marriages could lead to a push for polygamy." Peter Sprigg, senior director of the Family Research Council's Center for Marriage and Family Studies "feels that within the next 15 to 20 years, a major effort to legalize polygamy will be underway in the U.S."

"Family Research Council (FRC) president Tony Perkins agrees and says FRC spokesman as well as other pro-family leaders have been confronting same-sex marriage advocates about the slippery slope downwards from homosexual marriage to polygamy and other distortions of the God-ordained family. And the answer, he says, has been silence."

Editor’s Comment: Hebrews 13:4 "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." Psalm 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD..."

Agape Press 19 March, 2004 KNIGHT SAYS PARENTS MUST CHECK CHILDREN'S BOOKS MATING 'KING AND KING' (Edited by DCB) USA "A pro-family leader says parents in Wilmington, North Carolina, need to ‘raise Cain’ about a controversial book in an elementary school library.

At issue is a book in the library of Freeman Elementary School called King and King (Tricycle Press, 2002). It is about a prince who spurns a number of eligible princesses before falling for another prince. The illustrated children's story ends with the two men marrying and sharing a kiss."

Editor’s Comment: This issue is not going to go away. 2 Timothy 4: 2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."

The Age 23 March, 2004 STRANGE BREW (Edited by DCB) Australia "If you believe statistics, Melbourne is the witch capital of Australia. According to the 2001 census there are 4155 pagans in the metropolitan area — the highest concentration in Australia. Another 1459 lurk mysteriously elsewhere in Victoria.

Are more people falling under witchcraft's spell? There is no doubt. The number of Australians identifying themselves as either witches or wiccans more than quadrupled in the five years between the last two censuses."

Editor’s Comment: Ephesians 6: 12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Associated Press 21 March, 2004 GAY PASTOR ACQUITTED IN CHURCH TRIAL (Edited by DCB) USA - A jury of 13 pastors acquitted "a lesbian Methodist pastor charged with violating church doctrine drew praise and scorn Sunday across a denomination that may see its divisions over homosexuality laid bare at a major conference next month."

Karen Dammann openly "declared her sexual preference in February 2001, when she sought a new church appointment. She and her partner of nine years, Meredith Savage, married this month in Oregon. They have a 5-year-old son."

Editor’s Comment: Psalm 1:6 "For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

Des Moines Register (DMR Hereafter) 20 March, 2004 FIND OUT HOW YOUR CHAKRAS ARE (Edited by DCB) Iowa, USA - The Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center was the sponsor of a class on the "Seven Centers of Wholeness: Everything you wanted to know about charkas". This class was taught by "an expert on the interpretation of the Eastern philosophy of the chakra system for Western lifestyles...at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ."

Editor’s Comment: Chakras are of Hindu origin which includes among many things yoga and reciting mantras. 1 Timothy 4: 1 "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.

DMR 23 March, 2004 CHURCH GETS READY TO ROCK (Edited by DCB) Iowa, USA - "For those unafraid to rock, a new suburban church salutes you." September 12 is the launch date for the Rock of Faith Church, in Waukee, Iowa. It calls itself "the church for those who are not afraid to Rock." Music is the main thrust of this new "church" and "will feature Christian alternative bands and music."

Their website www.rockfaith.com says you will not be talked down to but will hear "…music that moves you and makes you move."

Editor’s Comment: Music plays a big part in many of today’s churches but the verses relating to music in the New Testament church would barely fill a 3x5 card.