2008 California Election Forum

Six Christian ministries are under investigation by a U.S. Senate Committee.

All six ministries have large TV presences and most promote a form of the "prosperity gospel," a distortion of what the Bible says.

The six are Paula White, Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn.

Joyce Meyer Ministries has agreed to provide detailed financial records. Creflo Dollar of World Changers Church and other have refused.

Whatever you may think about the serious theological issues about these ministries, all Christian ministries are under threat of government intimidation (not to mention cost of money, time, stress, distraction from ministry and public exposure and humiliation.)

To hear the National Religion Broadcasters Association opposition to the investigation, click here.

Congress passed a resolution this week to recognize the importance of Christmas.

The resolution states that "Christmas is a time for 225 million Christians throughout this country to reflect on the birth of their Savior, Jesus Christ and it is celebrated as recognition of God's Redemption, Mercy and Grace."

The vote was 372-9. Of the 9 Democrats who opposed it, three are from California.

They were: Congresspersons Lee (Oakland), Stark (Fremont) and Woolsey (Santa Rosa).

Pray for them, please.

Over 80,000 people came to hear Oprah Winfrey endorse Barack Obama in Iowa last week.

It was like a religious revival at the Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire rallies. It was a sort of "Good Housekeeping" seal of approval.

My wife and I watched as Oprah sounded like a preacher during her first-ever presidential endorsement.

She made it clear that she strongly backs the Illinois Democrat, calling him a "politician who has an ear for eloquence and a tongue dipped in the unvarnished truth."

She also said, "There are those who say that Barack Obama should wait his turn. But none of us is God. We don't know what the future holds, so we must respond to the pressures and the fortunes of history when the moment strikes."

She also said that he is a man who loves mercy and would do justly. While her talk used Biblical references, remember, she is not a Christian.

This week the Boy Scouts in Philadelphia had to change their policy on homosexuality-they refused.

For nearly 80 years they have paid $1.00 a year to rent city facilities. If they don't change their policy, they must pay the city $200,000 a year to rent.

The Philadelphia Boy Scouts help 64,000 kids a year by equipping kids to be successful. 70% are inner-city kids, including such programs as after school mentoring.

The liberal Democrats are ignoring that Philadelphia is filled with crime, high delinquency rates and aimless kids. The Boy Scouts need support, not politically correct attacks.

In a free society, we have the right to hold beliefs and views that others may disagree on. What the city is doing is discriminating, and this is just wrong.

Back in 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the group's right to bar gay scout masters based on the principle of freedom of association. But Philadelphia's intolerance to the religious and moral beliefs of the Boy Scouts is trying to get around the court ruling.

“At the end of the day, you cannot be in a city-owned facility being subsidized by the taxpayers and not have language in your lease that talks about nondiscrimination," said City Councilman Darrell L. Clarke, "Negotiations are over.”

On June 1, 2008, the group will be evicted.

“Since we were founded, we believe that open homosexuality would be inconsistent with the values that we want to communicate with our leaders," said Gregg Shields, national spokesman for the Boy Scouts. "A belief in God is also mentioned in the Scout oath. We believe that those values are important. Tradition is important. Our mission is to instill those values in scouts and help them make good choices over their lifetimes.”

Pray they stand strong and the city reverses its policy.

Many churches are finding themselves threatened by city-threatening eminent domain, refusal to allow a new building project or other restructuring.

The Orange Community Christian Church in Orange was repairing their termite-infested shed on church property.

The city filed misdemeanor criminal charges and harassed the chuch for not properly paneling for “historical accuracy.”

Fortunately, the criminal charges were dismissed.