Phil Johnson's Bookmarks—Really Bad Theology

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	Key
	These rankings signify a site's relative quality and importance, not agreement or disagreement. If I disagree strongly, that will be made clear in the annotation.
		Blue-light special.
		Superb site.
		Must see.
		Worth your time.
		Don't lose sleep if you miss it.

5solas.org

There are a few good articles in the "library" section of this site. But there are far too many other articles here that defend various hyper-Calvinist notions. Indeed, high-Calvinist extremism seems to be the distinctive theme of 5solas.org. Its agenda, apparently, is to drive people to still more extreme positions. As a matter of fact, this is the parent site of "Pristine Grace," which takes hyper-Calvinism to new levels of absurdity (see below).

NOTE: I originally placed this site in the "Bad" category, and several regulars from the "5solas" forum wrote to protest that I was being unfair. They demanded a reconsideration and an apology. So I went back and re-read more of the forum just to make sure I wasn't being overly critical. The more I read, the more deeply concerned I became. The Webmaster here is convinced that no Arminian can possibly be a true brother or sister in Christ; he responds with hearty approval to a post charging that Charles Spurgeon preached a false gospel and was a servant of Satan; and he declares that he despises the very notions of human duty and human responsibility. Other forum participants are regularly ungodly in their speech as well as their doctrine. Apparently, no position is too extreme to get a sympathetic hearing from the folks in this forum. This is an unhealthy place to hang out, and I herewith apologize for failing to list it in the "Really Bad" category in the first place.

Absolute Holiness

The gospel according to Pelagianism: "What must I do to be saved?" Easy; you just stop sinning. This Web site teaches that sinners cannot be justified solely by the imputed righteousness of Christ. Instead we must have a "perfect" righteousness of our own. Unfortunately, in order to explain how such "perfection" is attainable by sinners, the author of this Web site is forced to redefine sin, righteousness, perfection, justification, sanctification—and a host of other biblical terms. What need is there for grace in a system like this? (Hint: you won't find much about grace here.) The spirit of Pelagius and Finney is alive and well on the Web, nowhere more evident than at the "Stop Sinning" Web site. My advice is to skip this one, unless you want to read the pages of invective he aims my way.

Affirmation & Critique

This is the journal of "The Local Church" movement (aka Living Stream Ministry), whose guru was Witness Lee. They have some—um—rather unusual views on church polity, mysticism, and the Scriptures. The vagueness of the pseudo-scholarly writing you'll find in the journal is the only thing that disguises how bad this theology is. Incidentally, this group is notoriously prone to be litigious against people who label them a "cult" (see the annotation and links to "Contending for the Faith" below). Cult or not, I think their theology is deplorable. So sue me.

All Men Are Saved!

The heresy of universalism, presented here with overblown assertions and selective Bible quoting. This is seriously dangerous teaching, not only because it lulls sinners into a false sense of security, but also because destroys the fear of God and denies the necessity of faith for salvation.

Are Men Born Sinners? The Myth of Original Sin

Tom Overstreet's facile dismissal of the doctrine of original sin. In the tradition of his mentor Finney, Overstreet complains that "the one great problem of original sin is that it clashes with man's irresistible convictions of justice"—i.e., he just doesn't "feel" it's right. But the alternative Overstreet proposes is the same utterly graceless theology touted by his spiritual ancestors, Finney and Pelagius. This is serious error, not worthy of the name "Christian."

BibleStudyGuide.org

Classic Campbellite theology, distilled in easy-reference format. These folks have borrowed Pelagianism's denial of original sin, mixed it with baptismal regeneration, anathematized everyone outside their circle of Campbellite congregations, declared human merit necessary for salvation—and yet they claim they have no creed but Christ.

Bible Truths

The theology purveyed at this site is even cheesier than the animated .gifs you'll find adorning its home page. These folks deny every biblical truth that points to the sinner's utter inability to save himself. And likewise, at every opportunity, they exalt the sinner's works as instruments of justification. Teaching baptismal regeneration, denying original sin, and aggressively attacking "the view that man's salvation is wholly of God,"—this is sheer Pelagianism. At one point, they unabashedly ask: "Could it be, though, man has focused so entirely on Jesus and his accomplishments in making possible man's salvation that he has diminished or removed man's part in obtaining his salvation?" Wow.

The Robert Brow Model Theology Web

Brow is a Canadian Anglican pastor and author who is determined to wear the label "evangelical" but who rejects virtually everything else associated with evangelicalism. Brow's famous article "Evangelical Megashift" in the 19 Feb 1990 issue of Christianity Today correctly predicted the doctrinal drift seen today in the Emergent movement. Brow called it "'new-model' thinking" (though it looks remarkably like old-model heresy). The point of view he advocates on his website is a curious mixture blending generous doses of Socinianism, modernism, and theological liberalism with post-modern relativism. (There's a troubling measure of libertinism thrown into Brow's strange brew, too. He believes all kinds of sexual fantasy can be explored freely without guilt unless our imagining "turns into a decision to commit adultery." His article "Sodomy in Leviticus" also suggests that Scripture is tolerant of homosexual activity as long as it doesn't involve penetration.) But the worst aspect of Brow's theology is his unrelenting attack on the forensic "model" of justification and the substitutionary "model" of the atonement. Brow insists he has new, better "models" for these doctrines—but what he is really selling is the dressed-up wreckage of early-model liberalism. To label such notions "evangelical" is simply duplicitous. Or maybe somewhere along the line he got diverted from the models and started sniffing the modeling glue.

Rodney Howard Browne

He calls himself "the Holy Ghost Bartender." Christianity literally laughed itself sick over this man in the mid-1990s. For the life of me, I cannot see why anyone would place any credence in such a man.

Brother Jed

Jed Smock is a campus preacher who is legendary for his eccentricities. He has openly embraced the heresy of Pelagianism.

The Cathars

(Click past the multiple "welcome" pages.) This group trace their lineage to a Medieval sect (The Cathari, also known as the Albigenses), who were targeted by the Catholic Church in the Inquisition. Though some of their practices anticipated the Anabaptist and Protestant movements, the Albigenses also had ties to older Gnostic heresies. The dualism of the Manichaeans is still evident in Cathari doctrine, which relegates all material things to the kingdom of darkness—thus inclining the Cathars to an unwholesome spirit-matter dualism. Some of the material you'll find here attempts to downplay this group's dualism. (Whoever wrote the material doesn't seem to have a clue what dualism or gnosticism are or why those are dangerous systems.) But a link on their site directs readers to a document about Cathar belief that reads like a Gnostic manifesto. At the same time, there seems to be an almost unbridled willingness to embrace all kinds of creeds (except Roman Catholicism). The Cathars aren't wrong about everything, of course, but at the end of the day, their system is more cultish than Christian.

Crisis Publications: A Call To Reform

The subtitle of this page is bitterly ironic, because they obviously hate the theology of the Protestant Reformation. The doctrine featured here is a revival of the ancient Pelagian heresy blended with some bizarre notions about sinless perfection borrowed from the most extreme elements of the "Holiness Movement"—served up with a chip-on-the-shoulder contempt for John Calvin and the theology that borrows his name.

Christian Churches of God

The theology you'll find here is an amalgamation of legalism, Arianism, and several other deadly errors. It mirrors the original (strongly anti-trinitarian) doctrine of the Herbert W. Armstrong cult, of which it is an offshoot.

Kim Clement

The Trinity Broadcasting Network's newest, goofiest false prophet. This guy has invented his own unique theology and sells it with classic overblown TBN flamboyance. Another wolf in televangelist's clothing.

Contending for the Faith

"The Local Church" (see "Affirmation and Critique" above) has often been called cultish, and they have used litigation to try to quell their critics. This Web site is devoted to telling their side of those conflicts, while explaining why they reject historic Christianity. The documents you'll find here are fascinating. But they don't tell the full story. For instance, there's nothing here about how the group acquired and squelched Jim Moran's Light of Truth Ministries Web Site. After Moran's unexpected death in January 2003, The Local Church purchased Moran's Internet domain (ltm.org), including all rights to his in-depth exposés of their group. They replaced Moran's material with their own literature, including this legal notice, and have managed thereby to get Moran's critique of their movement out of circulation. These tactics are a classic example of how easily truth can be twisted and disguised in the hands of people willing to employ whatever pragmatic tactics they can to defend their errors. Make no mistake, however: the theology promulgated by this group is really, really bad. For an account of why it is bad theology, see this page from the Apologetics Index. Also, while we do not recommend Miles Stanford's material in general, (see under "Bad Theology"), he wrote an informative critique of Nee and Lee.

Dad's Day Off

One struggles to find words to express the Really-Deep-Down-Badness of this site. Let's just say it is b-b-b-b-bad to the bone. This guy hates the doctrine of the Trinity, insists there will be no everlasting punishment of the wicked, and is convinced the epistles were included in the New Testament canon by mistake—just to name a few of his more glaring errors. Things only get worse from there. Here's a statement from one of his articles: "It was not necessary for Jesus Christ to come to earth, in physical form as a man born of woman, in order for man to gain preservation for his soul. Practice under the Mosaic Law, if followed faithfully, was quite adequate and effective to accomplish 'soul saving.'" Obviously, that flatly contradicts Hebrews 10:4; Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16—and scores of other biblical statements that point to Christ's atonement as the only way anyone can be saved.

The proprietor of "Dad's Day Off," Noah Russell, is a black-belt master at ripping proof-texts from their contexts to lend artificial credence to his views. He sneers at his theological critics: "With the mountain of evidence that is provided herein from the Bible, are you sure that you want to 'blacklist' my website?" Well, let us be the first to offer an emphatic "YES!" "Dad's Day Off" is a good signpost, however, to remind us that armchair theology and Internet access can be a deadly combination.

End-Time Deliverance Center

Stan and Elizabeth Madrak, Demonbusters. According to these people, all your problems are demonic, and they can teach you about "deliverance." Learn how to "return all curses sevenfold." Read the on-line deliverance manual (IF you can GET PAST the ODD TEXT FORMATTING, that is. SOMEONE at demonbusters.com CANNOT LAY OFF the CAPS-LOCK KEY!) And here's something you probably do not know: "You do not have to have your demons cast out to make it to heaven, but it sure makes your life down here better."

Essays on Theology and Ethics

In the words of this page's author, this site promulgates "the views of a theologian deeply influenced by modern science, historical studies, cultural relativism, ecological concerns, pragmatism, and the like"—everything but Scripture, which is decidedly against the views you'll find here.

The Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary

A "Protestant" nunnery. The late Mother Basilea Schlink was the order's founder. She blended mysticism, crypto-Catholicism, Proto-Mariolatry, and all the accoutrements of medieval asceticism and convent life. No wonder the term evangelical has all but lost its meaning. Note: For an insiders' look at what life in this cult is like, read "Charlene's Personal Story: A First-hand Account of a Former Sister of Mary."

Exposing Those Who Contradict

L. Ray Smith rants and raves with sophomoric sarcasm against the doctrine of eternal punishment. He also insists evil was "created" by God. He seems to have a particular vendetta against D. James Kennedy. This would be amusing if it were not so thoroughly unbiblical.

Family Radio

This is Harold Camping's network. The music is very nice and nostalgic if not a little kitschy, sounding very much like Moody Radio did in the 1960s. But the teaching here is profoundly bad. After being out of control for more than a decade (during which Camping's board and co-workers refused to hold him accountable to Scripture) he finally wigged out completely shortly after the turn of the millennium. He had already utterly embarrassed himself and sacrificed all credibility in the early 1990s by predicting that Christ would return to earth on September 6, 1994. After that prediciton failed to materialize, Camping continued to make false prophecies, culminating in his absurd pronouncement that the Church age has come to an end and we are living in the Tribulation. God is through with the church, Camping insists—and judgment has now begun. Camping tells his listeners they need to leave their churches and look to Family Radio to be the main vehicle through which the gospel is preached to the whole world. (You can guess where Camping thinks Christians need to send all their money.) This once-fine ministry is a tragic example of what can happen when one man is given too much control with no accountability.

Charles Finney Sermons and Articles

A collection of sermons and other material from the 19th-century revivalist who steered American evangelicalism onto a theological dead end.

Note: In response to several e-mail messages challenging my right to classify Finney as "really bad," I posted an article explaining why he was a heretic, and documenting his errors with his own words. You'll find that article at http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/articles/finney.htm.

The Gospel Truth

Don't let the name fool you; neither the gospel nor much truth of any kind can be found here. This is sheer and unfettered Pelagianism, featuring, of course, the favorite patron saint of all modern Pelagians: Charles Finney. For those naive souls who continually insist that Finney was no Pelagian but has merely been misunderstood by his critics, that argument is debunked by the unedited versions of Finney's original works, which can be found here. Moreover, follow the link to "Subjects of Importance by authors other than Charles G. Finney," and you'll be led to a plethora of articles attacking the doctrine of original sin, excoriating Augustine, and extolling Pelagius (or "St. Morgan of Wales," as he is known in the whitewashed retelling of his life featured here). "Moral government theology" (complete with its toned-down doctrine of the atonement), manipulative evangelism, perfectionism (along with its evil twin, so-called "holiness" doctrine), and Scripture-twisting that specifically targets Romans 6—11 are all hallmarks of classic Pelagianism. You'll find them all in copious quantities here. Watch out; this stuff is deadly heresy—not "the gospel truth" at all, but a different gospel completely (see Galatians 1:8-9).

Benny Hinn

Do I really need to explain how completely bad Benny is?

The Interactive Bible

This is a huge repository of Q&As, warnings against "false doctrines," and various opinions on certain doctrinal issues. The problem is, many—perhaps most—of the "answers" you'll find here are wrong. This is mostly classic Campbellite theology, married to a strong Pelagian denial of original sin, resulting in a different gospel from the one taught in Scripture. Don't be confused by what you find at this site. The error may be very subtle, but it is quite deadly.

Isaiah 58 Broadcast & Tracts: A Pentecostal Resource Center

Radical Pentecostalism, with a strong penchant for all the worst theological aberrations. According to various articles you'll find here, the Bible is NOT the Word of God; if you do not speak in tongues you are not truly converted; "there is no such thing as a 'sinner saved by grace'"—and salvation is merited by works of obedience. This is "another gospel" (Gal. 1:8-9). One article at this site says, "We have no part with Christianity." They got that right!.

The Latter Rain Page

A mind-boggling (and brain-numbing) collection of confusion and seriously flawed theology. This is an amalgamation of the worst errors of pentecostalism, blended with the rankest variety of Semi-Pelagianism, seasoned with a lot of homespun misinterpretations of Scripture—pretending to be delivered by divine inspiration. According to the author of this page, if you oppose his views on the so-called "latter rain" or "the five-fold ministry" (i.e., if you deny that the leaders of his movement are true "Apostles and Prophets" with full apostolic authority and miracle powers), you are part of the harlot church and are probably guilty of blaspheming the Holy Ghost, too. No sign of the gospel here, either. The page of articles on "Theology" has nothing whatsoever to say about justification by faith.

Liberals Like Christ

More seepage from the sewer of Socinianism. Here's a site that pits the apostle Paul against Christ in order to justify a socialistic gospel—touting leftist politics and kneejerk liberalism, rather than faith in Christ alone, as the way of salvation. Skubalon.

The Light Unto the World

Yet another self-anointed expert who reckons he is the first person in nearly 2000 years of church history to figure out the true message of Christ. And (surprise!) according to him, the gospel demands that you attain sinless perfection. Above all, you have to obey the Mosaic ceremonial laws regarding holy days. If you fail to observe Pentecost (or any of the other Jewish feasts or Sabbaths), you will go to hell. Want to go to the hottest part of hell? Observe Christmas. Apparently Colossians 2:16-17 and Romans 14:5 are not in this fellow's Bible. Neither is Galatians 5:4. The "light" offered on this page looks an awful lot like old-fashioned legalistic, Pelagian darkness. This guy would have welcomed the false teachers the apostle Paul condemned in Galatians. (And why is it that these people with an Elijah complex always seem to favor screaming bold typefaces, wall-to-wall text, and lots of underlining and exclamation marks?)

More Light Presbyterians

A misnomer if there ever was one. These people say they are "seeking the full participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of faith in the life, ministry, and witness of the Presbyterian Church." I'd love to turn John Knox loose in one of their conventions and see what would happen.

Newswatch Magazine

This is what happens when you try to revive the legalistic heresies of Herbert W. Armstrong by force-feeding them a steady diet of classic right-wing conspiracy-buff fodder. Although this site suggests that its mission is "Making clear today's news in light of Bible prophecy," you'll find precious little here that is clear, and even less that has any legitimate connection to Bible prophecy.

Outside the Camp

An on-line periodical whose editors once labeled themselves "Calvinists," but who in reality always promoted an especially pernicious variety of hyper-Calvinism. This site's reprehensible "Heterodoxy Hall of Shame" condemns Thomas Boston, Charles Spurgeon, Horatius Bonar, A.A. Hodge, John Murray—and John Calvin himself!—as quasi-Arminian heretics for their stance on issues such as the free offer of the gospel. The owners of this site despise "Tolerant Calvinism"—the view held by those of us who think evangelical Arminians, though wrong on the doctrine of election, are nonetheless our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Jesus Name Apostolic Holiness Church

I first noticed Steve Winter (the proprietor of this site) several years ago because of his viciously abusive Usenet posts. In those days his website was called "The PreRapture Web Page." It's full of proof that not everything that masquerades as Bible-believing Christianity really is. From his writings, it seemed pretty clear that Mr. Winter was rather seriously mentally deranged. The video-sermonettes now posted on the web site erase all doubt about that.

The Preterist Archive

Preterism suggests that the Tribulation prophecies of Matthew 24 were fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. But much of the propaganda you'll find here is not mere preterism; it's hyper-preterism (though on this Web site the terms "consistent preterism" or "full preterism" are generally preferred). Call it what you will; this view is heresy. It echoes the error of Hymenaeus and Philetus, who taught that the Second Coming was already past, thus overthrowing the faith of some (2 Tim. 2:17-18). Hyper-preterists teach that all New Testament prophecy is now fulfilled; the Lord has returned; and we now live in the New Heavens and New Earth. Sound bizarre? It is. Modern preterism is largely a reactionary movement against the fanaticism of premillennial end-times extremists. Hyper-preterists react to the end-of-the-world doom-and-gloomers by running to an opposite extreme, but their fanaticism is actually driven by a similar spirit.

The proof is seen in the evolution of this website. Its webmaster recently said he has abandoned full preterism in favor of something he calls "preterist-idealism." The site features an article celebrating preterism's universalist roots. It's a quagmire.

Here's a rule of thumb: when you encounter someone whose whole view of theology is shaped and driven by any eschatalogical theory (be it pre- post- or a-millennial), so that eschatology becomes that person's primary concern and the issue to which every conversation inevitably returns, you've found a candidate for the "really bad theology" category.

Pristine Grace

That's an odd name for a site that is doing more to befoul and degrade the doctrines of grace than practically any other Web site I have seen. This is classic hyper-Calvinism of the most virulent kind, teaching that the gospel is not to be preached indiscriminately to unbelievers; insisting that faith in Christ as Savior is not the duty of all who hear the gospel; and denying that the gospel message contains a well-meant offer of divine mercy to all who hear.

One featured article insists, for example—contrary to 2 Corinthians 5:20—that "the gospel is not a plea." The forum is mostly devoted to arguments supporting various fallacies associated with hyper-Calvinism. The Webmaster, Brandan Kraft, seems naturally drawn to radical ideas. (The name he uses in the forums is "Darth Gill; Absolute Hardshell Hyper.") He recently renounced hyper-preterism, which was a step in the right direction. But he hasn't yet come to grips with the evils of hyper-Calvinism. He is teaching, in essence, that sinners are under no obligation whatsoever to obey God. That, by any biblical measure, is really bad theology.

By the way, for an antidote to this site's historical revisionism about the doctrine of common grace, read Louis Berkhof or John Murray on the subject.

Pristine Grace Website

This is the original "Pristine Grace Website," apparently unaffiliated with 5solas.org (see entry in this category)—but equally devoted to the very same hyper-Calvinistic hobby-horses (denying common grace, the free offer, faith as a duty, etc.) This site includes an abridged version of Joseph Hussey's 1707 work God's Operations of Grace But No Offers of Grace, which is one of the earliest manifestos of hyper-Calvinism. Other articles of historical interest here include sermons by J. C. Philpot and John Brine. The Webmaster here is Mike Krall, who likes hyper-preterism almost as much as he likes hyper-Calvinism. The layout won't win any awards for ease of use or aesthetics, but it's a veritable gold-mine if you're looking for polemical material defending virtually any kind of hyperism.

The Prophecy Reformation Institute

More hyper-preterist drivel. This site is little more than unabashed self-promotion by John Noe, who peddles his hyper-preterist books here. Noe is convinced hyper-preterism is "the only solution to the liberal/skeptic attack on the Bible"—as if anti-Christian theology were an apt reply to anti-Christian philosophy. No, thanks. You'll find nothing at The Prophecy Reformation Institute worthy of the name "reformation."

Profitable Doctrines in God's Word from an Endtime Prophet

Originally subtitled: "Topics For Adult Male Pentecostals Only." Here's another self-appointed "prophet" whose sick obsessions are evident even in the list of topics he writes about. According to him my merely posting this negative review of his Web site falls under the category of blasphemy according to the "Nine Noahchide Laws for Gentile observance" which sets forth this principle: "Gossip, talking about Pentecostals behind their backs with negative statements is sin." If you want to see the full significance of this "prophet's" own waywardness, note his paraphrase of Galatians 1:10: "The life goal of all Pentecostals is to daily persuade [convince] God, they are living holy enough to be saved in the resurrection day."

But I can't leave this site without giving you a sample of what sort of "Bible study" (by which he evidently means "Scripture twisting") you'll find here. This is what the "prophet" says in a study titled "Job's First Ten Children": "For Job's years of dedication to God, and support of them they lived a double standard, hypocritical lifestyle, and repaid their father with dishonor. This is a good argument for Pentecostals not to have children, because of the almost certainty they will serve the Devil, and reject God's direction for eternal life in Christ Jesus." OK. Well, I know one Pentecostal whom we certainly hope does not have children.

The Prophetic Equipper

It's a pity the theology isn't as good as the graphics you'll find here. Despite its promise of "advanced training," there's precious little sound theology at this site. Its original incarnation (known as "The Christian Student Equipper") featured a lot of homespun musings about various issues—always leaning toward classic Pentecostal-Arminian positions, notably lacking in biblical substance, and with a slight post-modern slant. The current website reflects the drift hinted at in the new name: it's all about "prophetic" ministry—which seems to entail just about everything but biblical teaching. Subjectivity blended with a postmodern worldview and gone to seed.

Restoration Movement

Information about the Campbellite movement and its history.

Dr. Gene Scott®

W. Eugene Scott, Ph.D. actually registered a trademark for the name "Dr. Gene Scott." He was the quintessential Southern California religious wacko—until he dropped dead from a stroke in February 2005. If you think a foul-mouthed, immoral, cigar-chomping, narcissistic windbag would make a good spiritual leader, Doc would have been the perfect guru for you. One of his best-loved "worship" choruses was a little ditty he wrote titled "Kill a Pissant for Jesus." He's gone, but his website lives on.

Pastor Melissa Scott

Dr. Gene Scott®'s teaching lives on, too. His third wife, Melissa, took over his pastoral position and his teaching role. Slightly more cogent than her husband, she still teaches the same bad theology.

Seventh-day Adventist Church

A modern version of the same kind of legalism that threatened the Galatian Church in the New Testament.

Shepherd's Chapel

Arnold Murray is this group's guru, and he teaches a host of errors, including the notion that modern Jews are really descendants of Kenites, whom Murray claims descended from Cain and usurped the chosen-people status of the true Israelites. Murray's teachings are immensely popular in the "Christian Identity Movement," which advocates racism and white supremacism. The Christian Research Institute archive has a helpful on-line exposé of Murray and the Identity Movement.

Streams Ministries Online

The design here is fairly slick, but that's about the only good thing I can say about this site. This is the ministry of John Paul Jackson, one of the infamous "Kansas City Prophets." He's still peddling his own imagination as if it were the Word of God. He now specializes in interpreting dreams and visions. You can submit your dreams to him for interpretation (I advise strongly against this), or he offers something called the "Dream Certification Process." This seems to be a training program where you can learn to invent dream-interpretations like Jackson does. But I couldn't tell for sure, because you have to register to use that part of the website, and since I take Deuteronomy 13:1-5 seriously, I want nothing to do with a "prophet" who usually gets his predictions wrong.

TBN

"The largest Christian television network in the world"—unfortunately. The spirit of Tetzel is alive and well on cable TV. Bad doctrine, spurious claims of divine revelation, mawkish emotions, gaudy makeup, and tawdry decorations all contribute to the unique ambience that is TBN. To borrow some biblical language, TBN is "the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird" (cf. Rev. 18:2).

Tentmaker Online

More universalism masquerading as biblical Christianity. Recently the proprietor of this site has added "full preterism" to the list of heresies he embraces.

a true church

This group used to be called "God's Word Fellowship." The original name was inappropriate enough, but the new name could hardly be less fitting. In the first place, this is not a true church at all, but a cult based on the teaching of one man—Darwin Fish (yes, that's his real name). In the second place, the indefinite pronoun is misleading, because Darwin and his acolytes don't really believe there are any other true churches out there. As a matter of fact, their public "ministry" consists mainly of picketing churches and large evangelical gatherings while handing out literature condemning all the best-known Christian leaders and historical figures as heretics. Among their more serious errors, they deny the doctrine of the Trinity and teach that God is human. See our FAQ warning about the errors of this group. Or see this page for an analysis of Mr. Fish that mirrors his own look and feel.

The United Pentecostal Church

Oneness Pentecostalism—a deadly blend of Pelagianism, Sabellian modalism, and extreme Pentecostalism.

Worldwide Church of God

Once a cult, always a cult, it seems. This is the group founded by Herbert W. Armstrong, who blended elements of Arianism, Seventh-day sabbatarianism, Anglo-Israelism, Galatian-style legalism, Pyramidology, and various other quirks and heresies into a deadly mix of false doctrines. Armstrong also falsely prophesied some end-times events, including the "rapture" of the church (he predicted the group would be miraculously taken to Petra in Jordan in 1972). After Armstrong's death in 1986, the group abandoned his anti-trinitarianism, disclaimed his rigid Saturday-Sabbatarianism, and made several other significant and much-publicized concessions to historic Christian orthodoxy.

But are they really orthodox? They teach a doctrine of post-mortem salvation; a muddled view of justification; and a confusing version of "the gospel of the kingdom" that still contains strong elements of Armstrongism. Doctrinal confusion seems rife within the group, and their teachings have been constantly in flux since Armstrong's death. Their halting movement toward evangelical "orthodoxy" still looks as if it may de-rail before they actually shed all their founder's false teachings.

WCG's published "Statement of Beliefs" does include an appendix with the Nicene Creed, the Disciples' Creed, and the definition of Chalcedon. But there is no explicit affirmation of these historic formulae—and the introduction to them warns that "creeds can become formal, complex, abstract, and sometimes equated with Scripture." Furthermore, the modern doctrinal statement offered by the WCG fudges on issues like soul sleep and eternal punishment. ("Does the punishing of the wicked last forever? The Bible can be interpreted in different ways on that." The Bible can be interpreted "many ways" on just about everything. It has only one true meaning, however—and therefore only one right interpretation.) And when the WCG deals with vital doctrines like justification by faith, those articles of faith are abbreviated and framed in unnecessarily ambiguous language. (For example, Scripture is affirmed as inspired and "foundational to the church"—but not expressly said to be the sole and sufficient rule of faith.)

The WCG today is certainly not as solidly in the mainstream of the evangelical movement as some of the recent giddy reports (cheered on by the WCG's own tireless PR department) have tried to make out. It appears uncertain at this point whether they intend to be truly orthodox, or merely stake out a permanent position on the fringe, doing what they have always done: borrowing popular errors from other groups and trying to amalgamate them into a mongrel system that is uniquely their own.

In any case, as much as we would have liked to see them in a different category, Scripture and conscience compel us to say frankly that the theology of this group is still really bad.

Youth With A Mission

If you wonder why I would link a well-known and widely respected organization like YWAM in the "Really Bad" category, see "Youth With A Mission and Theology: A History"—an account of YWAM's propagation of "Moral Government Theology." See also "The 'Spiritual Mapping' of Youth With A Mission" for even more documentation regarding YWAM's dangerous flirtation with Pelagian ideas. YWAM has long touted a faulty view of the atonement in their training sessions at home and overseas. The result has been a proliferation of pseudo-Christianity, weakened churches, and Pelagian tendencies wherever these doctrines have taken hold.

Martin Zender.com

Here's a dude who bills himself as "the world's most outspoken Bible scholar." Brazen he surely is; scholarly he most certainly is not. Zender has a cocky yet blathering style of teaching that (apparently) some have mistaken for proficiency in handling Scripture. Like the proverbial stopped clock, he even manages to intersect with a point of truth from time to time. But this guy is by no means to be trusted. His best-known heresies are his denial of hell and his belief that God is going to save everyone. Despite his angry claim that he "defies labels" (I_am_not_a_goshdanged_Universalist), he is a universalist. "Universalism" is, after all, the technical name for the doctrine he is peddling. You'd think the world's most outspoken theological hack would understand that much. But, then, that's why we think he's a Really Bad hack.