Christian Journalism UNDER SIEGE at Union College; Cliff Goldstein Wants the Facts

Dear Power of Pride,

Me and my brothers enjoyed a really sweaty workout at the bathhouse yesterday. Afterwards, in the sauna, we got to discussing the importance of religious liberty — which, believe it or not, is under attack in America!!

I mean, sure, we have the First Amendment. But really bad things are happening out there.

A group of crusading journalists at a small paper in Lincoln is being attacked — reportedly on grounds of Christian journalism!

My homie Vince, who is intersexed, thinks this is just a sign of the times.

What is your take on this tragedy?

Derrick

!!YOUR ANSWERS FROM POWER OF PRIDE – GAY ADVENTIST NEWS!!

Dear Derrick,

“Christians continue to be martyred abroad, but few American believers are aware of how pervasive religious persecution is around the world.” http://www.preaching.com/resources/preaching_online/11549660/archive6/

The reasons for persecution are not difficult to figure out:

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12

I presume you are talking about the recent series of attacks on the talented journalists at the nationally-known Clocktower newspaper.

These people are not just highly-professional journalists.

“As a journalist, my job is to present facts in a clear, coherent form while being as objective (or unbiased) as humanly possible.” (Savannah Bowers, Opinion Writer’s Response, The Clocktower, 14 Nov 2008, p. 7)

STRIKING A BALANCE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL

They also strike a delicate balance between good and evil:

“Finding a balance between left and right, good and evil, biased and unbiased, is difficult because we are human. Our writers do the best they can to uphold these standards.” (Bowers, supra)

THE SUBTLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD

But no matter how hard they try, they can’t please everyone!

“The difference between Christian writers and secular writers may not be evident to some. Both are appealing to different groups, both will be criticized for their content and both will continue to portray ideas in positive or negative ways.” (Josh Kanen, CT “Encouraged” to Put College in Positive Light, The Clocktower, 23 Oct 2008, p. 1)

LOOK, WHO SAYS ITS EVEN NEGATIVE?

“To say that a Christian writer should never write or “spin” anything with a negative light is a biased statement. Negativity is subjective. What seems negative to one person may not be negative to another”. (Eric Todd cited in Kanen, supra)

Regular readers will remember the recent investigative piece on same-sex love at Union College. Conservative readers would be appalled, and exclaim something like, “Wow, Union College is coming out of the closet as gay.”

More liberal readers would react to the same piece with something like, “Finally Union is syncing up with Cliff Goldstein’s theological breakthrough!!”

TELLING IT LIKE IT IS

But the award-winning Christian journalist Savannah Bowers was just reporting the facts.

“and I again I think this works I tend to be somewhat of a cognitive kind of person. This is the modernist in me. I’m not this touchy-feely kind of stuff. I WANT THE FACTS!” (Cliff Goldstein, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6lnMNjBFyo)

ADVENTIST GENERAL CONFERENCE SABBATH SCHOOL QUARTERLY DIRECTOR:

“I’m sure Jesus looks approvingly on ‘loving, monoganamous, and committed’ homosexual sodomy, don’t you?” Cliff Goldstein (click for citation)

Elder Goldstein is a top Adventist theologian:

“I edit the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guides (the “Quarterly”), the official denominational teaching publication for the world SDA Church; the publisher is the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.” (Clifford Goldstein, Graffiti in the Holy of Holies: An Impassioned Response to Recent Attacks on the Sanctuary and Ellen White, Pacific Press Publishing, 2003, p. 12)

PROCLAIMING THE DOCTRINES ON HUMAN SEXUALITY

Elder Goldstein wants the Adventist community to know about “what we believe and why we believe it.”

“I’ve always had a burden to just sort of ground our people in what we believe, let ‘em know what we believe and why we believe it. With. Not so much as an end in itself.” (Cliff Goldstein, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6lnMNjBFyo)

Which is why our Adventist brother proclaims these doctrines in books, on the web, and in video.

“Such are the warnings which God has given to guard men against changing in any manner that which He has revealed or commanded. These solemn denunciations apply to all who by their influence lead men to regard lightly the law of God. They should cause those to fear and tremble who flippantly declare it a matter of little consequence whether we obey God’s law or not. All who exalt their own opinions above divine revelation, all who would change the plain meaning of Scripture to suit their own convenience, or for the sake of conforming to the world, are taking upon themselves a fearful responsibility.” (Ellen White, The Great Controversy, p 268)

You see,

“Ideally, I believe a true understanding of the doctrines would help us come to a true understanding of the character of God, a true understanding of who Jesus was, and what he did for us, what he promises to do for us, and the hope that we have. And I, so, that’s sort of a thing for me I would love to see our people really grounded“. (Cliff Goldstein, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6lnMNjBFyo)

I don’t think anybody in the gay community is complaining!!

Maurice and Roy really like our Adventist brother Goldstein’s theology. They came into the message during a Tupperware evanglistic thrust in the Berkeley gay village. Today, they are happily married and attend a progressive Adventist fellowship in the Bay Area.

For years, Adventists in charge of communicating “a true understanding of who Jesus was” were down on gay love.

But now the editor of the Bible study guide:

“You know, but again, the upshot of it is, is I think, I, and I guess it’s kind of neat that I have the job that I do as the editor of the Bible-study guide.” (Cliff Goldstein, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6lnMNjBFyo)

has proclaimed a new, social gospel, which is sure to receive an enthusiastic welcome in Guerneville, Berkeley, Angwin, and Key West.

GAYS HAVE FEELINGS TOO

Imagine that you had developed feelings of the sort expressed at right. Wouldn’t you feel positive towards a Christian journalist who wrote in an unbiased manner about the feelings that you and others share??

SOURCE OF RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE

“The recent wave of criticism about Christian journalism was brought to the attention of the Union College Clocktower by several adamant staff members all saying the same thing, “Don’t write articles that make Union College look bad.”" (Kanen, supra)

The prophet Jeremiah experienced just this sort of pressure. “Jeremiah, don’t make the people of Israel look bad”.

19:15
“Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all its towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it; because they have made their neck stiff, that they may not hear my words.

20:1 Now Pashhur, the son of Immer the priest, who was chief officer in the house of Jehovah, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.
cb(20,2);
20:2 Then Pashhur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in the house of Jehovah.” (Book of Jeremiah)

WRITERS OF THE HOLY BIBLE REPORTED BOTH THE GOOD AND THE BAD

But the Holy Bible tells things like they were. And since there is more evil than good in the world, large portions of the holy book deal with matters of evil.

These “adamant staff members” are nothing new!

“They had supposed that the disciples would be overcome with fear and confusion when brought before the Sanhedrin. But, instead, these witnesses spoke as Christ had spoken, with a convincing power that silenced their adversaries. There was no trace of fear in Peter’s voice as he declared of Christ, “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.”" (Ellen White, Acts of the Apostles, pp. 63, 64)

PROPHETIC REBUKE FOR HARD-PARTYING COLLEGE

The Lord knows just where to raise up prophets. He deploys them to places where people have fallen into sin. Often places where “fellow students got wasted and drank like fish friday night, only to get up on sabbath morning and give their testimonies and preach sermons.” http://plattevalley.blogspot.com/2006_02_05_archive.html

The prophetic team at Union College has their work cut out at this well-known party school.

But they are one meek group. Instead of taking the prophetic mantel upon their shoulders, they leave it at “Christian journalism”. But the work is similar to that of a Jeremiah, Elijah, or St. John.

ALL-OUT ATTACK !!!!

“This attack on Christian Journalism is brought on by the same criticism given to the Union College Clocktower. The Clocktower has the obligation to break unbias news whether that news is negative or otherwise.” (Kanen, p. 5)

Attacks on honest Christian witnessing (reporting) are nothing new, and are in fact a fulfillment of prophecy!

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” 2 Timothy 4:3

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