Aristotle’s teacher, Plato also supported slavery and did not see any injustice in the practice as it was, because of the slaves’ “inherent inferiority.” Slaves were essential to running the state so they should be used for their intended use. He said a knife is good if it is used efficiently, that is if it cuts well to accomplish a task. Slaves, most of the populace, were efficient tools to the betterment of society.

However, God looks upon all men as equal, not in ability, but in their status before Him. Consequently, any forced slavery is a sin against God.

Most Americans have an unrealistic and skewed impression of slavery that they have received from a flawed public school system and media moguls. They have been inculcated with the lie (spoken loudly and at length) that white Christians are somehow responsible for slavery! The fact is we did not start slavery. We ended it!

We even hear of Christians who surrendered their own freedom to ransom others. Slaves were granted religious equality and were permitted to hold office in the Church, even that of a bishop. However, it is noteworthy that Christ never commissioned His Disciples to launch a crusade to dismantle slavery. The New Birth would eventually solve the problem.

Social justice warriors on the left have not considered that aspect of the problem.

Loosey goosey Evangelicals who vie with others to see who is more woke are an embarrassment to genuine Christians who take a biblical position on the cultural issues facing our world. Most of those effervescent EvanJellicals would confess they are “profamily” but are not critical of sodomy or same-sex “marriage.”  They would be gladly cast as “Americans” but not as “nationalists.”  Too many don’t know what a woman is and are perplexed about female sanitary products in male restrooms. The problem is most of today’s soft middle of the road, never take a firm stand Christians are a theological, mental, emotional mess. They are very mushy on border issues and quickly hug any leftwing racial issue to their bosoms like an insecure kid and his ever-present security blanket.  

They watched Alex Haley’s televised Roots series sold to the public as a “historic novel.” We saw a handsome black man walking through his idyllic African jungle home when he was accosted by vicious white men, subdued after a valiant effort of resistance, chained, and taken to America where he lived and died a slave on a Southern plantation. That myth has been perpetuated by black preachers (who should be more dedicated to truth) when they tell their people that their ancestors were black royalty who were dragged from their homes by white Americans. Sorry, but it didn’t happen that way.

Black apologist Michael Eric Dyson pitched Alex Haley’s Roots as “unquestionably one of the nation’s seminal texts. It affected events far beyond its pages and was a literary North Star…. Each generation must make up its own mind about how it will navigate the treacherous waters of our nation’s racial sin. And each generation must overcome our social ills through greater knowledge and decisive action. Roots is a stirring reminder that we can achieve these goals only if we look history squarely in the face.”

But Roots doesn’t “look history squarely in the face.” It was fictional from the first page. It was a case of factualizing fiction.

Most Americans still don’t know that historians confronted Haley with his inaccurate screed, and he admitted, “I tried to give my people a myth to live by.” I believe thinking Blacks would prefer to live by the truth rather than a myth. The truth is that Haley pirated (stole, lifted, plagiarized, etc.) from The African, and accused of plagiarism, he settled with the author for $650,000.00.

Some have used the Bible to justify slavery but without success. Exodus 21:16 clearly forbids slavery: “And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him…shall surely be put to death.” So God prescribed the death penalty for those who deal in human flesh! And the death penalty was for both buyer and seller! But what about the Bible supporting slavery in other places? It doesn’t. The Mosaic Law did not establish slavery. The Old Testament recognized slavery as a reality and sought to mitigate it since it was a fact of life throughout the world. The taking of captives in war is another matter but has been a factor in slavery since the beginning of time.

In I Timothy 1:10, the Apostle Paul condemned “menstealers” affirming that such a sin was why the Law of Moses was given.  The epistle of Philemon does not endorse slavery as some suggest. Onesimus was a run-away indentured servant who owed a debt to Philemon, (Paul’s friend) and Paul recommended that Philemon release him when Onesimus returned to him. Paul promised to pay any debt Onesimus owed to Philemon.  In Christ, there is neither bond nor free. All are equal in Christ.

When slavery is discussed, it usually focuses on Southern slavery with more heat than light. Slavery has been a reality since Joseph was sold into slavery in the early days of civilization as recorded in Genesis. Far more Whites have been slaves than Blacks, and it has always been wrong.

Black slaves were first taken to Europe in the late 1400s and to the New World in 1502. Between 1500 and 1860, it is estimated that over nine million Blacks were taken from Africa to the New World, but less than three percent were sold in America during the 350 years preceding the Civil War. Brazil was the biggest market by far.

Black slaves usually fell into one of three categories: (1) captives taken in war or those kidnapped by black chiefs (2) convicted criminals such as killers, thieves, etc.) (3) those born into slavery.

Some suggest that white men introduced slavery to the African continent; however, that is a fairy story. Slavery was known throughout Africa for centuries before white traders sailed into African ports. Slaves were used as money to pay taxes, to purchase a wife, cattle, or crops. As the black historian Nathan Huggins pointed out, “virtually all of the enslavement of Africans was carried out by other Africans.”

Some have tried to defend slavery because the enslaved Blacks were taken to “enlightened” countries where they heard the Gospel of Christ. Sorry, but that dog won’t hunt! While Christianity is the answer to paganism, the residual effects of slavery do not justify the buying or selling of humans.

The degrading, dastardly, and despicable practice of slavery has gone on since the beginning of time in all nations of the earth, but most Americans only think of North America when they think of slavery.

While slavery is a blot on the face of America (and the world) there were some residual benefits that black leaders admit.  In his Up From Slavery, Booker T. Washington said that the Negro was the beneficiary, not the victim of slavery!

Muhammad Ali fought George Foreman in the mid-1970s in the African nation of Zaire and after his victorious fight, Ali flew back to the U.S.  On his return to America, a reporter asked Ali what he thought of Africa, and he replied, “Thank God my granddaddy got on that boat.”

Evidently, Ali thought that something positive came out of slavery, and while he had major problems, famous Greek philosophers were more troubling about slavery than the brain-damaged boxer.

(Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives who ran a large Christian school in Indianapolis and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Boys authored 20 books, the most recent, Reflections of a Lifetime Fundamentalist: No Reserves, No Retreats, No Regrets! The eBook is available at Amazon.com for $4.99. Other titles at www.cstnews.com. Follow him on Facebook at Don  Boys, Ph.D., and visit his blog. Send a request to DBoysphd@aol.com for a free subscription to his articles and click here to support  his work with a donation.)

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”  John Bunyan, Baptist Preacher

Genuine Christians are known for their love for people, all people; however, love is not revealed by songs, statements, and slogans but by acts of kindness, help, sacrifice, etc. The Bible often refers to love, and that love was finally put on display to the world when God became man in Bethlehem, lived and preached for about 33 years then willingly died on a cross for each person’s sin. His love and deity were demonstrated with a victorious resurrection.

The world was never the same after that.

Following Christ’s ascension, Christians were visual examples of God’s love demonstrated by how they lived, gave, served, and preached during good and difficult times. The world has experienced one disaster after another and each time, Christians have been there to help as is obvious today in African nations ravaged by famine, war, and natural disasters. And now we see  Ukraine where civilians are hungry, cold, and hurting. We have seen many Christian groups active in Florida and other southern states following catastrophic storms.

Weather-related and other natural disasters in recent years have supported the fact that Christians are very giving, loving people willing to serve, sacrifice, and suffer to help those in need, whatever the religious, political, or racial factors of the sufferers. Not having a bureaucracy to slow their responses, Christian groups are usually the first on the scene and the last to leave.

That’s the way it should be even though the main message of the groups is personal salvation, they also have a passion to help others. Disasters in far-flung cities and nations have seen numerous acts of kindness to help people get through disasters and improve their political, social, religious, and day-to-day lives.

The first world pandemic (thought to be smallpox) was the “Antonine Plague” of 165-180 which killed about five million people.  Soon after, in 249, the so-called “Plague of Cyprian” broke out during a very troubled time that lasted until well into 271. It killed 5,000 people per day in Rome.

Rodney Stark wrote in The Rise of Christianity, “Christians stayed in the afflicted cities when pagan leaders, including physicians, fled.” As the first symptom appeared, victims often were thrown into the streets, where the dead and dying lay in piles.

St. Dionysius of Alexandria witnessed the pagan reaction to the plague: “At the first onset of the disease, they pushed the sufferers away and fled from their dearest, throwing them into the roads before they were dead and treating unburied corpses as dirt, hoping thereby to avert the spread and contagion of the fatal disease; but do what they might, they found it difficult to escape.”

The early Christian leader continued, “Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with them departed this life serenely happy; for they were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbors and cheerfully accepting their pains. Many, in nursing and curing others, transferred their death to themselves and died in their stead.”

Dionysius added, “But with the heathen everything was quite otherwise. They deserted those who began to be sick, and fled from their dearest friends.”

The last pagan emperor, Julian the Apostate, scolded the pagan priests for not being the example as the Christians were during another plague in 362. He attributed the growth of Christianity to their compassion and sacrificial service during dangerous and deadly times.

In A.D. 540, the Plague of Justinian smacked the Greek Empire with 10,000 deaths per day! When the pestilence had passed, there was so much depravity and general licentiousness that it seemed, said Procopius, that “only the most wicked were left alive.”

There is no doubt that the plague of Justinian nudged Europe into the Dark Ages, so informed people are aware of the present danger posed by repeated terrorist attacks against our nation. Those attacks would affect our constitution, community, commerce, churches, and culture; they could affect your character as well. Christians with character will be a major ameliorating force in helping civic officials clean up the mess.

The incredible chaos from the COVID scandal with all the lockdowns, school closings, business bankruptcies, medical confusion like never before, unnecessary deaths, terminated workers, political controversy, etc., is a perfect example of an impact upon every person.

Along with other disasters, the plague of Justinian reduced the population of the Mediterranean world by 40% before 600.  Repeated subsequent waves of the plague continued to smash the area throughout the 6th, 7th, and 8th centuries.  Constantinople (now named Istanbul) was the most important political and cultural center of the Western world and the hub of Christian civilization. Constantinople came to a standstill as food started to run out, and law and order broke down turning into anarchy.

Millions of Europeans died of the plague, receiving little help from the medical establishment or the Roman Catholic Church. Consequently, the people lost respect for them and began to examine the old “truths” with an inquiring mind. They discovered that many of the old “truths” were without foundation, so the people decided to think for themselves. At this time, the Pope gave permission for the bodies of plague victims to be dissected in an attempt to garner knowledge about the plague. This inquiring and commendable spirit and challenge to past authorities was the beginning of modern science. I salute the pope for his salutary and courageous decision.

Others think the plague helped spark the Protestant Reformation. However, John Wycliffe had ignited a flame in England in the late 1300s when he exposed the nonbiblical doctrines of the Roman Church. He demanded that the Bible—not the church—was to guide all Christians. He supported his positions with his new translation of the Bible. Yes, the plague impacted the nation, but it was only a minor impetus for the Reformation. John Wycliffe (and his Bible) was the “Morning Star of the Reformation.”

In light of the foregoing horror stories, should we expect to see similar results from the crises we would face when terrorists strike again and again and again? As we face the possibilities of biological, chemical, or nuclear warfare, what impact would it have on your life, if you live through the events?

Major epidemics, famines, and natural disasters, not only have a profound effect on the political, business, and agricultural life of a nation, but they also change people. My purpose is to consider the possibility of horrific, adverse reactions to epidemics and disasters that face us. Human reactions in the past have wrought havoc upon society and if the next terrorist attack is biological or chemical, we could face the same experiences of people in the past when the pestilence was natural, not man-made.

The continuing atmosphere of death and constant terror drove men to look honestly at their lives and at their religious experience. This resulted in thousands becoming more sincere and placing more emphasis on their personal relationship with Christ. It also led them away from the established churches in various countries. Printing had been invented in 1450, and people were now reading the Bible and doing their own thinking for the first time in over a thousand years. They realized that church membership and church attendance did not produce personal satisfaction or personal salvation as they had been taught. Following personal conversion, those new converts (but old church members) lived and died as Christians.

Christians believed they had a responsibility to help others as a Christian duty, so during times of famine they shared their food; in times of sorrow, they wept with the bereaved; and in times of pestilence, they nursed the sick and dying. The non-Christians and the pagans took notice of such kindness–and at a time when other institutions were damaged, discredited, and often dissolved, the Christian churches were deployed and developed. William McNeill wrote: “Pagans fled from the sick and heartlessly abandoned them.” Christians stayed and served–and died.

That’s what real Christians have always done and are doing as I write. Love is always shown in the daily activities of selflessness, service, and sacrifice thanks to Bethlehem, Calvary, and an empty tomb.

(Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives who ran a large Christian school in Indianapolis and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Boys authored 20 books, the most recent, Reflections of a Lifetime Fundamentalist: No Reserves, No Retreats, No Regrets! The eBook is available at Amazon.com for $4.99. Other titles at www.cstnews.com. Follow him on Facebook at Don  Boys, Ph.D., and visit his blog. Send a request to DBoysphd@aol.com for a free subscription to his articles and click here to support  his work with a donation.)

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”  John Bunyan, Baptist Preacher

A Man was born and lived in the Middle East many centuries ago who has vastly influenced my life. I cannot look at a sunset, watch hummingbirds hover at my kitchen window, observe the intricacies of a rose, or hear the lisping of a child singing, “Jesus Loves me this I know,” without thinking of that Man and His lasting impact upon the world.

When Christ was born in Bethlehem, God came to visit the earth with His plan for every person’s personal redemption.

However, Christ did not accomplish what is normally considered greatness during His more than three-year ministry. He did not raise or lead an army yet has more followers than any military leader; he never wrote a book, yet more books have been written about Him than any other person who has lived. He did not pass any laws yet his command to love those who hate you and love your neighbor turned a violent, vicious, and vile culture into a thriving civilization.

He was hated by Rome, the world’s mightiest power, but it now stands in ruins as revealed by a few destroyed buildings and a few ancient roads. His words have been used as the foundation for the founding of nations and famous historian Will Durant declared, “The triumph of Christ was the beginning of democracy.”

Christ’s command for sexual fidelity in the husband-wife relationship raised women from being without any rights as nonpersons to incredible love, respect, and almost worship status. His disciples built hospitals, schools, rest homes, etc., all over the world. The major universities in Europe and America were founded by His dedicated disciples. His Sermon on the Mount set a new standard for man’s treatment of his fellow men, the epitome of personal morality.

Slavery had always been an accepted and approved fact of life, yet His followers abolished it in England and America since He told His followers we should treat others the way we want to be treated. That forbids all slavery. When the famous agnostic and critic H. G. Wells was asked who had left the greatest legacy in history, he replied, “By this test Jesus stands first.” 

Yale historian Jaroslav Pelikan wrote of him, “Regardless of what anyone may personally think or believe about him, Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of Western culture for almost twenty centuries…It is from his birth that most of the human race dates its calendars, it is by his name that millions curse and in his name that millions pray.”

Christ was the motivation for the world’s famous paintings, sculptures, and architecture yet He was a simple carpenter.

His followers taught that men must work hard to provide for the family; build a business, pay good wages to employees; etc. This was the foundation for free enterprise that provided strong nations and much personal happiness. It is responsible for the modern free enterprise system that has brought security, freedom, independence, happiness, etc., to millions of people for two thousand years.

Christianity played a significant role in shaping Western civilization where each person had personal worth and could expect, even demand, justice from kings, parliaments, and courts.

Inspired and influenced by Christ’s message, Christian churches and missionaries have been at the forefront of providing relief to communities around the world affected by natural disasters or violent conflict.

At this time of the year, the world’s attention is on that Man’s birth, but the account is usually tainted by many mistakes, misconceptions, and misuse of Christmas. The season has been hijacked by the greedy to make a buck and by the profligate to provide an excuse for excess—even obscene parties and orgies.

We assume that Mary rode a donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem but there’s no mention of a donkey. Nor is there a mention of an innkeeper only that there was no room in the inn. There’s no mention of a stable filled with oxen, donkeys, etc., and there’s no mention of animals at His birth. In that day and place, mangers were common feeding boxes kept in the main room of village houses because the animals were often housed just a few feet away in an adjacent room.

There is no indication the star hovered over the manger on the night Jesus was born. After all, the star was to guide the wise men not others. When the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds watching their flocks by night (Luke 2:8–11), they weren’t told to look for a star. The star was given not to the shepherds but to the Magi. The shepherds were told “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12).

According to Matthew, Magi (meaning magic-practicing priests) visited King Herod, seeking the location of this new King of the Jews. The wise men from “the East” (India, Persia, and Arabia) came hundreds of miles with hundreds in their entourage to celebrate His birth. Their journey probably lasted a year or more and involved hundreds of soldiers, animal wranglers, cooks, advisors, etc.  People did not travel for months through the difficult and dangerous territory without the protection of soldiers, abundant supplies, etc.

Many have questioned the reality of pagan wise men making such a trip because of a strange star and an obscure Scripture passage. However, such critics overlook that Jews were a major portion of the population in Persia and Babylon, with roots going back hundreds of years. It is only reasonable that when exiled Jews heard of the birth of a new king, they were stirred to know more. Moreover, they were motivated to find Him asking, “Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”

The origin of Jews in Persia (Iran), possibly 20% of the population, is connected to the transportation of Jews of the Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. from Samaria (capital of Israel) to Media and Persia following a three-year siege by Assyria. This is called, the ten lost tribes of Israel. The people of Samaria were removed to Persia and replaced with non-Jews from other conquered territories with the expectation of them disappearing as separate entities.

The remaining two Jewish tribes known as Judea in the south were taken into captivity in 587 B.C. and the city of Jerusalem including Solomon’s Temple was destroyed. Jews settled down in Babylon and lived in peace, although in captivity, for 70 years. Then the famous “Cyrus Declaration” allowed the Jews, living in exile beside the Euphrates River to choose to return to their homeland of Judea to start life anew and to reestablish their religious practices by rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem.

Those Jews who remained had a continuous presence in Babylon (Iraq) from Jerusalem’s fall to the time of Cyrus (whom God called anointed) who invaded Babylon in 539 B.C. and freed the Jews from Babylonian captivity. Many Jews chose not to return to Jerusalem since they had settled down for two generations in Babylon. The Persian or Babylonian descendants were, in my opinion, ancestors of the “wise men.”  

When the Magi asked Herod about the child’s birth, he knew nothing and was perplexed that a rival had been born. Hearing of this new King of the Jews disturbed him, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where Christ was to be born. Matthew 2:5 says, “And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet.”

The wise men found Christ in a home, not a stable, with his mother, where they give Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. There’s no mention of three wise men or kings, just three gifts. Far from being kings, they were probably astrologers, either Jews or those greatly influenced by Jewish colleagues.

While many of the above mistakes surrounding Christ’s birth are minor, bigger mistakes are being made by professing Christians with a deleterious impact on their children.

Parents must not fall into the quicksand of modern celebration by succumbing to the Santa Claus myth which distorts the truth of Christ’s birth by subtly blending truth with the myth of Santa Claus. Parents must never lie to their children about Santa Claus, making him similar to Christ who knows when you’ve been good or bad. Santa now is a big man in a red suit with God-like qualities. All of this teaches the child to believe that, just like Santa, God can be pleased with “good works,” done in order to earn His favor. Also, they teach that no matter how bad the child has been, he will still be rewarded by God just as Santa never failed to bring gifts.

Each nation comprises all kinds of people: atheists, humanists, secularists, do-gooders, good-doers, traditionalists, religious people of hundreds of religions, church members, nominal Christians, and dedicated Christians. Most of these people celebrate Christmas, at least a secular Christmas. But then, a secular Christmas, while entirely legal, is not celebrating Christmas.

Some people have an affinity toward snowmen, Rudolph, a jolly old man, gifts, wild parties, elves, and reindeer. That may be your thing, but it isn’t Christmas. Neither are toys, tinsel, and trees.

A significant criticism of Christmas is that it is so commercial, and the message of a baby being born (incarnate God) who would bear the sins of mankind is lost in all the buying and selling, drinking and carousing, giving and getting. However, that does not negate the true meaning of Christmas; after all, man has corrupted everything from sex, the family, the church, etc. What’s wrong with families making an untainted Christ-honoring celebration of His birth?

Colossians 2:16 declares, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.” It is each person’s decision as to what they will celebrate. But it must be sincere and not contrary to Scripture.

It must be remembered that there are precedents for making much of His birth. After all, the shepherds caused a big stir about it. The angels made a big deal out of His birthday. “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

The early churches met each Sunday to commemorate His death and resurrection. And there is no scriptural command to go to church on Sunday. The early Christians met daily and later changed it to Sunday. As circumstances changed, they adjusted as long as no Scripture was violated.

The ultimate reason for the season is to recognize, repent, and receive the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ as the gift of personal salvation—the most important, inspiring, and illustrious events in history. Moreover, it would seem unusual if those events were not recognized as such by His followers.

Whatever you do about Christmas, what will you do about the Santa thing? What will you tell your children? A big mistake is made if you confuse Santa and the Savior. It is already being done because “Santa knows when you’ve been sleeping; he knows when you’re awake; he knows if you’ve been bad or good.” Sounds like the omniscient God to me.

Furthermore, if you support receiving gifts because you’ve been good, you promote the heretical teaching that one must earn his or her salvation. Another horrific result is the children may not believe their parents when they tell the truth about Christ after deceiving them about Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy.

Christmas should be a time of fun for children; however, parents must not instill a lifetime heresy in them. Mary Ann and I never spoke about Santa or discussed it with our children since they were bright enough to know a big fat man could not ride around the world in a sleigh pulled by reindeer and get it done in one night. Furthermore, they knew he could not get down the chimney and eat cookies and milk in every home. Besides, we didn’t have a chimney.

When children ask about Christmas, they must get the right story, not some mindless myth. Go on, if you must, with the Santa stuff but be sure they know it is a myth. You might suggest that they not discuss Santa with their friends. My four-year-old (at the time) daughter was told by her older sister that Santa was a myth, and she told her pre-kindergarten class, causing a sobbing brouhaha with fellow students. I was the school administrator, and the teacher had to calm her whole class. I suggest you require your children not to share with Santa believers that he is a myth. It is the job of parents.

My wife Ellen’s three-year-old Jennifer asked her, “Is there a real live Santa Claus man in this whole world of ours?” Her mother told her the true meaning of Christmas and that people made up Santa for fun. When asked by her pastor’s grown son, what Santa brought her, she replied, “Philip, you know there is no real live Santa Clause man in this whole world of ours.”

For sure, Santa is a myth, but Christ is the reality who was born of a virgin—becoming human so He could die for us providing eternal salvation for those who trust Him by faith.

Wise men still seek Jesus.

(Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives who ran a large Christian school in Indianapolis and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Boys authored 20 books, the most recent, Reflections of a Lifetime Fundamentalist: No Reserves, No Retreats, No Regrets! The eBook is available at Amazon.com for $4.99. Other titles at www.cstnews.com. Follow him on Facebook at Don  Boys, Ph.D., and visit his blog. Send a request to DBoysphd@aol.com for a free subscription to his articles and click here to support  his work with a donation.)

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”  John Bunyan, Baptist Preacher

There are about 4,200 religions, churches, denominations, religious bodies, and faith groups in the world, and Pope Francis is trying to get everyone together; however, each group makes its own pitch for their “way.” Obviously, Francis has to convince everyone to consider their own teaching as non-essential in order to merge with the other groups that are in error. To leftists, unity is far more important than truth.

The Pope is trying to unite the predominant religions in the world— Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism totaling over 5 billion people.  He also wants to include pagan followers, and all those who worship Satan, snakes, snails, and the sun.  At a religious conflab consisting of Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists, he warned against “the temptation to fundamentalism” or the tendency for each group to be true to their foundational truths.

The main reason the world is in a religious mess today is that the early churches strayed from their fundamental roots: Christ died and rose for our personal salvation according to the inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God; the world is lost, needing to hear the saving message; Christians are commissioned to tell the Good News to the world; Christians are commanded to love everyone (but not forsaking truth), live godly lives, and stand for truth even at the cost of our lives.

The early Christians, for the most part, got away from their original teachings, and the religious world has become a vicious snake pit. Francis thinks he is doing God’s work in bringing everyone together; however, the Pope has no heavenly mandate to accomplish this gargantuan task. He does have religious gravitas that goes with his position, but it will take supernatural help to get the job done. His help is not coming from above but from below!

The Pope has enormous influence, but he is not recognized as the leader of all Christians; not even all Roman Catholics recognize him. Only the weakest Protestants recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian world; of course, Jews don’t recognize the Pope as the religious leader, nor do they recognize Christ as Messiah; Islam recognizes their ayatollahs as leaders, not the Pope nor does Islam recognize the Bible as the actual Word of God. And Baptists don’t recognize anyone except their local pastor, and they seem to have a tacit understanding not to recognize each other at a Hooters eatery known for scantily clad waitresses.

What a religious mess!

But Pope Francis is trying to untangle the mess—he will unite everyone, starting with Catholics and Muslims. Of course, he is so uninformed that he doesn’t know he is being used as a tool to accomplish one of the major endeavors of the final days—a world church.

As always, we Baptists refuse to go along, although some liberal Baptists will cooperate with anything if it sounds intellectual, humane, and progressive.

The possibility that Muslims and Roman Catholics would ever unite is literally breathtaking. It seems impossible since both groups claim to be the exclusive path to Heaven. Of course, I never thought the Soviet Union would fall; the Berlin Wall would come down; Jim Hoffa would be found; or Biden would be sitting in the Oval Office, so what do I know?

Muslims have had Rome (Catholic Church) in their sights for hundreds of years, especially after the many Crusades starting in 1098 and lasting intermittently into the early 1200s. European “Christians” led by various popes felt compelled to take Jerusalem from the infidel Muslims who conquered it in 638 A.D. However, the crusades ended when western “Christians” attacked eastern “Christians” by sacking Constantinople in 1204.

There were crusaders with various, dubious, and complex motives for going on a crusade. Some wanted adventure; others wanted to take advantage of the Pope’s offer to get out of debt; some wanted forgiveness of their sins as the Pope promised (but then, no Pope has the authority to forgive sins since only God can do that); some wanted to get away from family responsibilities; many were looking to get rich. Some, no doubt, were genuine Christians led astray by snake oil religious salesmen in clerical collars.

Whatever, Muslims have been peeved since the last crusader staggered back home to France after failing to find his dream—but a vivid nightmare. Muslims want their pound of flesh taken from the gut of Roman Catholicism. They want their flag hoisted over the Vatican.

Imam Mundhir Abdallah, of the Masjid Al-Faruq mosque in Copenhagen, told his followers, “the final solution to the problem of the Levant – after the establishment of the Caliphate and the elimination of the Jewish entity – will be through the conquest of Europe.”

Yunis Al Astal, a popular cleric for Hamas and a scholar on Islamic law, stated, “Very soon, Allah willing, Rome will be conquered, just like Constantinople was, as was prophesied by our prophet Muhammad. Today, Rome is the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital, which has declared its hostility to Islam, and has planted the brothers of apes and pigs [Jews] in Palestine, in order to prevent the reawakening of Islam – this capital of theirs will be an advanced post for the Islamic conquests, which will spread through Europe in its entirety, and then will turn to the two Americas, and even Eastern Europe.”

Contrary to what those soft-on-Islam politicians say, Islam has plans: first Rome, then the world. Only fools, fanatics, and facilitators want to unite with others.

Francis had better be careful lest he fails to converge with Islam and is actually conquered by them. If he is not prudent (and he has no record of prudence), he will be snookered by the wily Muslims.

Pope Francis is the most criticized, questioned, and hated pope in my lifetime. He has made some really dumb statements. And many Catholics will agree with me. Disenchantment, disagreement, and dismay with Francis is manifold, not simply relating to Islam. But uniting with Islam would be the most profound action in the 1500 years of the church’s existence.

When Francis went to Morocco, Vatican officials abandoned the traditional papal insignia and replaced it with the cross and the crescent—the longtime symbol of Islam. Furthermore, the crescent did not appear “alongside the cross, as if a companion to it. Rather, the Islamic symbol encircles the Christian one,” symbolizing a kind of submission to Islam.

Pope Francis has accurately been hailed the “defender of Islam,” As Robert Spencer rightly notes: The Vatican sent a special message to all the world’s Muslims, wishing them “a peaceful and fruitful celebration of Ramadan,” according to  Breitbart, May 10, 2019. The Vatican’s message, titled “Christians and Muslims: Promoting Universal Fraternity” said, this was a “month for strengthening the spiritual bonds we share in Muslim-Christian friendship.”

The Catholic message offered much more than a fig leaf suggestion but declared Muslims and Catholics were part of the same spiritual family! “We Muslims and Christians are called to open ourselves to others, knowing and recognizing them as brothers and sisters,” the text states. “In this way, we can tear down walls raised out of fear and ignorance and seek together to build bridges of friendship that are fundamental for the good of all humanity.”

That same declaration brought down heavy criticism on the pope, particularly due to the assertion that the plurality and diversity of religions “are willed by God in His wisdom,” just as God wills a plurality of colors, sexes, races, and languages. Francis is saying God approves of the weird religions in pagan nations! But then, if Francis can convince his cardinals that the Catholic Church is not the only way to Heaven as they have taught and demanded for hundreds of years, then a case can be made for uniting Catholics and Islam—Chrislam.

However, Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Astana, Kazakhstan  totally disagreed with the Pope, saying, “Christianity is the only God-willed religion,” he says. “Therefore, it can never be placed complementarily side by side with other religions.” He explained, “There is only one way to God, and this is Jesus Christ, for He Himself said: ‘I am the Way’ (John 14: 6). There is only one truth, and this is Jesus Christ, for He Himself said: ‘I am the Truth’ (John 14: 6). There is only one true supernatural life of the soul, and this is Jesus Christ, for He Himself said: ‘I am the Life’ (John 14: 6).”

That is one Catholic I agree with in the matter of Christ being our All in All. The church, while important, is not essential to personal salvation.

Make no mistake, this religious amalgamation is one of the most significant attempts in human history! Astute and informed Christians have always known the church would apostatize and plunge headlong into a world religious system that would characterize the end times. We are watching it unfold with the Pope’s effort to unite all religions.

Not only are Bible-believing Christians stunned at this but so are informed and committed Roman Catholics like Bishop Schneider above. They realize uniting all religions, especially those groups that reject Christ as God, is totally contrary to what Catholics have always believed.

It is not a punch line anymore to ask, “Is the Pope a Catholic?”

Francis said, “Turning to mutual respect in interreligious relations, especially between Christians and Muslims, we are called to respect the religion of the other, its teachings, its symbols, its values. Particular respect is due to religious leaders and to places of worship. How painful are attacks on one or other of these!” Such a statement would gag a maggot and nauseate a whole flock of buzzards. The Roman Church tortured and killed fifty million non-Catholics who disagreed with their unbiblical doctrine between 606 A.D. and the middle of the 19th century. It is interesting that some Catholics now declare that the Inquisition never happened!

The late Cardinal Georges Cottier declared, “The Inquisition per se did not exist.” Cottier must have been a member in good standing of the Flat Earth Society until his recent death. He knows better now.

Pope Francis told Christian high school students they should respect people of other faiths and not attempt to convert them to Christianity, insisting, “we are not living in the times of the crusades.” Asked by one of the students how a Christian should treat people of other faiths or no faith, the pope said, “we are all the same, all children of God,” and that true disciples of Jesus do not proselytize.

Well, the vast number of Church critics in the Middle Ages did not believe that message, nor did the Roman Catholic clerics who tortured, skinned, and killed my theological ancestors in the public squares.

In the year he was chosen to replace Benedict, Francis said that the “key for the church is to welcome, not exclude.” However, no sane, informed Catholic expected the Church to accept Muslims and their heretical doctrine as co-equal with Catholics.

Chrislam is constantly working, often behind the scenes, to unite two world religions: Catholicism and Islam. Even Baptist preacher Rick Warren said, “Pope Francis is doing everything right.” Well, Rick has himself made many overtures toward Muslim leaders. It appears that we are all expected to disregard the truth of the ages and sit around holding hands with unbelievers over hot chocolate and brownies while an international choir sings a little off-key, Kumbaya.

Kumbaya, asking “God” to “come by here” and right all wrongs, make every day bright, put everyone on the same level, and wipe away all tears. And the icing on the cake would be to remove everyone who thinks for himself and is committed to truth wherever it leads.

The World Church is being formed as I write but God is not going to “come by here” since it is a satanic, not a scriptural plan. Frankly, merging all the weird religions may sound utopian but the reality is it will be as awkward, strained, unreal, useless, and bizarre as a three-legged horse at the Kentucky Derby.

Then, it will be co-opted by the Man the unbelieving world has been waiting for and the long-awaited world church will be accepted by everyone—or else.

I won’t be here to see that.

(Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives who ran a large Christian school in Indianapolis and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Boys authored 20 books, the most recent, Reflections of a Lifetime Fundamentalist: No Reserves, No Retreats, No Regrets! The eBook is available at Amazon.com for $4.99. Other titles at www.cstnews.com. Follow him on Facebook at Don  Boys, Ph.D., and visit his blog. Send a request to DBoysphd@aol.com for a free subscription to his articles and click here to support  his work with a donation.)

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”  John Bunyan, Baptist Preacher

The future is somewhere everyone arrives at the universal rate of sixty minutes an hour, twenty-four hours per day and it does not depend on what we do or where we live, or whether we are sincere, nor does it have anything to do with our education, status, or money. Time is always uniform, universal, and utilitarian. It sometimes seems to fly like a bird and at other times seems to crawl like an exhausted worm.

We begin life with a cry and end it with a groan and the cry and the groan are not far apart. Life is like a story that is told—a good story, a bad story— of success or failure. Each year is a chapter in that story. You are the author. You determine whether it is a success or failure. As you look back on each chapter of your life, it is folly to blame anyone but yourself.

With the birth of every person, he or she is given an unknown number of life’s coins—time to use as he wills. It’s all you have and only you decide how it will be spent. And it will be spent since it is impossible to hoard time. Since you don’t know the amount of the coins, you must spend them wisely and for sure, don’t let others spend your time!

When I was elected a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, I also continued as Administrator of the Indianapolis Baptist Academy, a Christian school of 620 students, Pre-K through 12^th grade. I was also a consultant to many Christian schools in the Midwest and Canada. Obviously, I had to use my time wisely. Frequently, a good friend would “drop by” my school office for a chat, and it got to where it was a very delicate problem. He was a good friend whom I greatly respected and would never consider hurting. However, I had to let him know that I would have to limit our chats at least until school was out for the summer. There was too much involved to let him control my limited time.

You would not permit another person to control your bank account so why would you permit another person to control your time which is far more valuable than money?

The bad news is time flies but that’s no problem if you are at the controls; however, most people are flying through life blindly not knowing where they are going with no destination in mind. They waste time and don’t realize that time equals life; therefore, if you waste your time, you waste your life, but if you control your time, you control your life.

Charles Dickens opened his classic 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities with, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” however, it was the only time they had. Same with you and me.

We must face each day unafraid with confidence and determination. Time must be used, not misused or abused. If you don’t use time wisely, you will stand on a cold December morning amid the sharp stubble of a reaped wheat field crying, “The harvest is past, the harvest is past” and your life will have slipped away.

Harvey Mackay declared, “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.”

Napoleon appreciated the value of time when the sun was sinking upon Waterloo. He thought if he had a little more time his military fortunes would be retrieved. His advisors saw him point to the sinking sun and heard him say, “What would I not give to be this day possessed of the power of Joshua….” Joshua performed a miracle and caused the sun to stand still giving Israel the military victory. Napoleon thought a little more time would give him victory.

Napoleon was frustrated because time continues and what we want, pray for, or do cannot change that fact barring a biblical miracle. Time and tide wait for no man, but time always seems to stand still for some women once they celebrate their 30^th birthday. Well, it stands still in their minds, but mirrors don’t lie. Humans should be nearly as honest as mirrors.  

Voltaire, the blatant French infidel, appreciated the value of time at least when dying. While living, he wrote some miserable chapters of his life. On his death bed, he said to his doctor: ‘I am abandoned by God and man! I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months’ life.” When told that he could not live six weeks, he burst into tears and said, “Then I shall go to hell, and you will go with me. O Christ! O Jesus Christ!”

He discovered too late that time is what he wanted most, but what he used unwisely during his debauched, excessive, and careless life.

John Wesley appreciated the value of time when he stood on his steps waiting for a carriage that was ten minutes late. As it approached, he said, “I have lost ten minutes forever.” He realized that time once lost is gone forever. It is better late than never, but it is better to never be late since you are taking precious time from another person.

Time should be used for things that will outlast time. Now is the only time we have, so live, love, and laugh, and don’t place faith in tomorrow for the clock may then be still. You can’t have a better tomorrow if you are always thinking about yesterday.

The years flip by like the chapters of a book until we each come to the final chapter. We should live each week as if it is our last for it may well be.

One day, the final century will arrive, and then will come the last decade, and then the final years, and the final months, and the final day.

Like small drops of water and little grains of sand,

Make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land.

So, the little moments, humble though they be,

Make the mighty ages of eternity. (Julia A.F. Carney)

The Angel of God, descending from the throne will put one foot in the surf of the sea and the other on the sand and cry to the nations of the world: “that there should be time no longer.” The last Spring will swing its censer of apple blossoms, and the last Winter will bank its snows. The last sunset will burn like a California forest fire and the last morning radiate the hills. The clocks will strike their last hour, and the watches will tick their last second. Time has stopped and eternity has begun.

You will never have this day with your children again. Tomorrow, they will be a little older than they were today. This day is a gift. Breathe and notice. Smell and touch them. Study their faces and little feet and pay attention. No matter how much time passes, no matter what takes place in the interim, there are some things we can never assign to oblivion; we can never rub precious memories away nor should we desire to do so.

Your spouse that you took as a young person may be stooped, tired, sickly, and wrinkled and the romance may be subdued but love, respect, and appreciation are expressed with a touch of the hand. Young love is usually explosive but mature love is far more expressive and far exceeds the much-touted young love.

I found in my notes the rhyme I have used for decades that makes the point of time’s importance:

The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power

 to tell just when the hands will stop at late or early hour.

 To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed, to lose one’s health is more,

 to lose one’s soul is such a loss that no man can restore.

We only have the present as our own; so live, love, laugh, and toil with a will—place no faith in tomorrow.

We peruse the past only to learn from it; we cannot make any changes. We can look and anticipate tomorrow and determine to live that day as if it will be our last. And it well may be.

(Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives who ran a large Christian school in Indianapolis and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Boys authored 20 books, the most recent, Reflections of a Lifetime Fundamentalist: No Reserves, No Retreats, No Regrets! The eBook is available at Amazon.com for $4.99. Other titles at www.cstnews.com. Follow him on Facebook at Don  Boys, Ph.D., and visit his blog.  Send a request to DBoysphd@aol.com for a free subscription to his articles and click here to support  his work with a donation.)

Pope Francis and many modern Catholics no longer believe the only way to Heaven is via the Roman Catholic Church. Wonder what changed. Apostasy, the act of giving up your religion and leaving religion has always been disdained, but obviously, Catholic leaders, as well as Protestants, have been flirting with apostasy for decades.

Even well-educated people believe the Roman Catholic Church started with the Apostles and has a clear history of Popes from that time. Of course, that is not true as quick research will prove. The misinformation is believed because biased historians, kowtowing to an ever-growing authoritarian church carefully wrote a favorable, not factual history. As time passed, religious leaders got further from biblical truth and usurped authority not approved by Christ or the Bible. It took hundreds of years for a “universal” authoritarian church to emerge about 600 A.D. from the chaos of the crumbling Roman Empire.

Through the Dark Ages into the Middle Ages, Rome garnered support from political leaders throughout Europe. As the church’s power grew, so did its arrogance and pomposity followed by the exploitation of ordinary people. Slowly, as people became better educated through the invention of the printing press and reading of the Bible in their own language, they began to demand answers until a fire was burning all over Europe.

Then came the Reformers and the world experienced an unprecedented shock. Ordinary people realized that rulers, civil and religious, could and should be held accountable. While there were non-Catholic churches throughout history, the Roman yoke was broken as the light began to shine in Europe.

Rome is now trying to reconcile the “separated brethren” (rebels) and bring them back to Rome.

Compromising Lutheran leaders have almost pled with the Vatican to “fully heal their divide with Rome”; however, Luther was not consulted for his opinion since he is persona non grata. You may remember that Luther called the Pope, Antichrist. He gave credit to John Hus for that title, but Hus was not the first person to use it.

It goes back to 991, when Bishop Arnulf of Orleans, describing papal murder, lust, and intrigue, asked, “Are there any bold enough to maintain that the priests of the Lord over all the world are to take their law from monsters of guilt like these?” When a person so deficient in virtue sits on the papal throne, Arnulf suggested that he must “be the ‘Antichrist, sitting in the temple of God, and showing himself as God.’”

That was the assessment of a Roman Catholic official, who like Luther had nothing good to say about the Pope.

Luther is considered one of the major villains in the great split in the 16^th century, but the founder of the Lutheran Church in Germany has been rehabilitated—without his approval. In 1999, the Lutheran World Federation signed a Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification with the Vatican. The major difference was the doctrine of justification, but that disagreement has been overcome. Bible teaching doesn’t seem to matter to dishonest, defective, and devious religious leaders.

Most present-day Lutherans are embarrassed at Luther’s bellicosity and would like to cancel the Reformation if possible. Being impossible, they will apologize for the courage and commitment and character of the Reformers. Luther’s character makes compromising Lutherans look like American Indian shamans or African witch doctors.

In October 2015, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s presiding bishop, Elizabeth A. Eaton declared, “Five hundred years ago, wars were fought over the very issues about which Lutherans and Roman Catholics have now achieved consensus.” However, the two groups are not meeting in a basement singing Kumbaya and drinking hot chocolate.  There are still some points of disagreement, but “much of the heavy lifting has been done already.”

Lutherans are rushing back to the fold although there are still principled leaders in all religious groups that are not willing to bow to Rome.

To produce a world church Rome must reconcile with the Eastern Orthodox that broke off in 1054 and then try to pull other wandering Protestants back into the fold. In 2007, the Catholic Church along with Lutheran, Orthodox, Methodist, Anglican, and Armenian-Apostolic churches in Germany all agreed to recognize each other’s baptisms as valid. Wow, they voted to undo the Reformation with a single vote. Then January 25, 2016, the Pope declared, “As the bishop of Rome and pastor of the Catholic Church, I would like to invoke mercy and forgiveness for the non-evangelical behavior of Catholics toward Christians of other churches.”

That’s nice but it doesn’t help the millions killed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. “The numbers given include 50 million, 68 million, 100 million, 120 million, and 150 million.” Of course, those deaths are not the responsibility of living Catholics today who are horrified at such genocide.

The Catholic Church is making great strides in its push for unity with other churches. The Orthodox Schism in 1054 gap is closing quickly. A Catholic can now receive communion in an Orthodox Church and, in many cases, vice versa. However, there are different offshoots of Orthodox Churches. The big disagreement revolves around the role of the Pope, but all the above religious leaders agree on his preeminence, but there is no agreement that he is the top honcho of all “Christians.”

The Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion have been courting each other with a passion—like two out-of-control teens who just recognized their raging hormones. In 2009, Pope Benedict xvi made it possible to allow “groups of Anglican clergy and faithful in different parts of the world” to return en masse to the Catholic Church. That included married priests who could remain in their own group. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby fervently seeks a church marriage between Anglicans and Catholics even if a religious shotgun is necessary to make the union.

King Henry VIII, the founder of Anglicans in the mid-1500s, broke with the Roman Catholics because the Roman Pope refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon permitting his marriage to Anne Boleyn.  Henry ended up beheading his wives Boleyn and Catherine.  No, not the most principled reason to decide on church membership but then no one said Henry was a principled person. He was a gluttonous, obese, head-chopping despot. Not the best credentials to start a religion.

Whatever, Catholics and Anglicans (Episcopal in the U.S.) can now share each other’s communion, and married Anglican clergy can become Catholic priests. The fences are coming down and the rebels are going home! However, it is clear to everyone that any union “will be under the Pope of Rome.” 

America’s largest Presbyterian denomination, along with other major Protestant groups, signed an agreement with the Catholic Church in 2013 that recognized baptism reciprocity. The Pope met with major American clergy including Joel Osteen in 2014. Osteen is pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston with about 43,000 weekly attendants.

Of course, as Osteen goes, so will go lesser Evangelical leaders to the theological slaughter.

While Osteen was meeting with the Pope in Rome, his wife took 300 children to visit the Bronx Zoo. My opinion is that his wife had the more gratifying, biblical, productive, and most important meeting. Joel and Francis used each other: Joel got international attention and Francis made another push to get all the “separated brethren” to rejoin his church.

Osteen said it was a great honor to represent the pastors of America in the meeting with the pontiff, whom he described as warm, personable, and “full of joy.” Of course, Joel didn’t say that “the pastors of America” did not ask him to represent them. Joel is as arrogant as the Pope.

“I like the fact that this pope is trying to make the church larger, not smaller,” Osteen said. “He’s not pushing people out but making the church more inclusive. That resonated with me.” A few days earlier he and a group of others met with Vatican staff members, toured the Vatican, and attended the Convocation of Renewal at Olympic Stadium in Rome. At that convocation, more than 50,000 tongue-speaking Roman Catholics also attended the convocation where the Pope knelt and prayed.

The Pope is even making fervent overtures to other Evangelicals, including Pentecostals. In 2014, the Pope sent a recorded message to Kenneth Copeland Ministries, a large Pentecostal group, seeking unity. “Brothers and sisters, Luther’s protest is over. Is yours?” asked a speaker at the event. The Pope also beseeched the audience, “I am [yearning] that this separation comes to an end and gives us communion.”

While most denominations are willing to apologize for the Reformation and denigrate the brave reformers, the world uniters will never get authentic Baptists since they were never part of the Roman Catholic Church.

Two historians (not Baptists) admitted that fact when they wrote, “We have now seen that the Baptists, who were formerly called Anabaptists, and in later times, Mennonites, were the original Waldenses… On this account, the Baptists may be considered as the only religious community which has stood since the days of the apostles, and as a Christian society which has preserved pure the doctrines of the gospel through all ages.” Dutch Reformed historians Dr. Annaeus Ypeij (professor of Theology at University of Groningen) and Isaak Johannes Dermout, Chaplain to the king).

E. Gotch, in the Encyclopedia Britannica declared, “Baptists can be traced to 618 A.D., and it is presumed that they originated from the original source of the churches.”

Uneducated people often smile when they hear something that is completely new to them; moreover, they often put their foot far into their mouths proving they make judgments without looking at the facts. The truth is there were always non-Catholic churches all over the Levant and North Africa from the earliest days of Christianity.

It appears the Catholic courtship of wandering brothers is paying off. No doubt, thousands of martyred reformers are twisting in their graves. If not, they are observing such religious treason from Heaven and shaking their heads at shameful religious leaders.

It is shocking to see religious leaders succumb to such unabashed courting and more shocking that it is working. Current weak Protestants willingly overlook all the heresy their predecessors warned about for hundreds of years and meekly surrender to the authority of the Pope.

Furthermore, they are marching, almost running, lemming-like to produce what God rejects—a world church where truth doesn’t matter all for the sake of unity. Revelation 17 reveals the condition of Christianity in the last days when a world church has been established and will be known for its biblical and moral corruption. That world church will be established with the concurrence of political officials who will turn on it and destroy it.

During a convocation of one-worlders pushing, not only for a world church, but for one world religion, witches, earth worshippers, heretics, shamans, and pagans were present along with traditional “Christianity.” The evil religious conglomeration has said their holdouts and threats come from “Fundamentalists and orthodox Catholics.”

Evidently, Pope Francis does not seem to qualify as an orthodox Catholic; however, I gladly identify with the Fundamentalists who were never part of the Roman Church or the one-world convocation.

(Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives who ran a large Christian school in Indianapolis and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Boys authored 20 books, the most recent, Reflections of a Lifetime Fundamentalist: No Reserves, No Retreats, No Regrets! The eBook is available at Amazon.com for $4.99. Other titles at www.cstnews.com. Follow him on Facebook at Don  Boys, Ph.D., and visit his blog.  Send a request to DBoysphd@aol.com for a free subscription to his articles and click here to support  his work with a donation.)

Dr. Falwell is depicted as a false Fundamentalist seeking to please his hardline Baptist wife! He allegedly pretended to believe general Fundamentalist values to keep peace at home. Thus, Dr. Falwell didn’t really believe the values he preached at Thomas Road Baptist Church and on national television. Moreover, Jerry Sr. knew he could not build a large university espousing liberal or loosey-goosey Evangelical positions, so he assumed biblical or Fundamentalist positions. Therefore, according to his wayward son, Jerry Sr. was a very successful hypocrite.

That is asinine, abominable, and far from accurate. It is also tommyrot, baloney, balderdash, and a very generous portion of hogwash. Moreover, even if it were true, why would a son purposefully try to destroy his father’s reputation? After all, Jerry Sr. gave Junior life, but also a very gracious childhood and when grown, a substantial position and financial security. Junior is not only an ingrate but a perfect example of a religious jerk.

Jerry Sr. was a faithful, strong yet gentle leader of his home, church, and Liberty University, as those who knew him better than I will contend. We know his egg-sucking son is attempting damage control since his life has been out of control for decades. The thought of Jerry Sr. permitting his wife to determine what he preached and to order him around is supercilious.

I believe the article dipped into viciousness and a defamatory attack on Dr. Falwell when it alleged: “Looking back, Jerry said his dad adopted militant stands against drinking and homosexuality to prove to his wife that he would be a conservative Christian. ‘My mother was the only reason my dad became puritanical,’ Jerry said. Jerry said his dad also knew that there was a lucrative market for such beliefs. ‘He became a different person to build a church and a school,’ Jerry said.”

How silly for him to make such a charge that Dr. Falwell taught what he did, not because it was biblical, but to satisfy his wife! Moreover, he became a Fundamentalist not because that is what Christians are supposed to be, but he knew it would be easier to sell than Liberalism or soft Evangelicalism.

First, that is an assessment by a disgraced son who has proved to be a scoundrel, a liar, a fornicator, a drunk, a hypocrite, etc., who is trying to find some redemption, not at the cross of Christ, but in the court of public opinion. Jerry Jr. said that being on the receiving end of Evangelicals’ scorn has turned him away from that movement. He said he believes in Christ, but not the church. But then he has another problem since Christ is head of the church, having died for it. No one can declare to be a Christian and disavow the true church, but the weekly gatherings of many religious people worldwide are another matter. Many of them are poor examples of a failing, cheap, three-ring religious circus.

Most churches are contemptible since falsehood is always repulsive.

Jerry Sr. made some mistakes, as even his beloved church members admit. In 1985, I heard him say, during his original announcement, that his highest goal was to have 50,000 students on Liberty Mountain. Goals are good, but the goal should have been qualified not to compromise to reach his desirable result. That was one of Dr. Falwell’s worse mistakes and some of his future decisions were corrupted by that faulty goal.

Most of my disagreements with Dr. Falwell were with his university decisions and some of his association with religious lunatics. With his supreme goal in mind, he began to appeal to an ever-expanding student pool. Not only Baptists were sought, and not only Baptist professors were hired. The narrow door was expanded to include almost any student, even homosexuals. Moreover, he hired non-Fundamentalist professors with a Ph.D. to satisfy the secular accreditation agency.

It is always organizational suicide when a Christian association permits, for whatever reason, a secular agency to sit in judgment on its purpose, policies, people, or program.

Few church people understand the problem with Christian schools that seek secular accreditation. Accreditation is always deadly to any school, as a cursory look at history will prove. I opposed these major compromises without breaking fellowship with Jerry. He didn’t lose any sleep because we disagreed since his gracious (often too gracious) attitude was very accommodating.

In 1987, he showed an eagerness to meet his goal of 50,000 students when he courted the PTL crowd following the sex scandal involving Jimmy and Tammy Faye Bakker. He actively sought to do a “friendly” takeover of the PTL Network. The PTL people are fine individuals but not Baptists.

I disagreed later when Liberty became a Southern Baptist-approved school in 1999 which opened the door for conservative Baptists who disapproved of the lethal liberalism in the SBC.

Furthermore, I disagreed with many of the Liberty student rules that were far too loose, in my opinion.

My other differences with Dr. Falwell are debatable. Accepting $3.5 million in 1994 from the Reverend Sun Myung Moon’s organization can be hotly debated.

Of course, no one questions Junior’s ability, but it seems everyone questions his discretion, honesty, morality, etc. Jerry admitted to Vanity Fair that he drank a few beers while a student at Liberty and his dad should have expelled him if he was informed.

The Vanity Fair article deals with Junior and his wife Becki’s meeting, mating, and marriage. “They fell in love. Becki dropped out of Liberty after her freshman year and got a waitressing job in Lynchburg. She stayed with Jerry in Charlottesville on her days off.” Jerry was in law school at the University of Virginia.

If words still mean what they used to mean, Jerry Junior was a fornicator while in graduate school at the University of Virginia. His church was obligated to bring him up for disciplinary action to restore him to proper godly living if and when they were aware of his actions. His church failed him and disregarded biblical teaching. His dad was his pastor at the time, and if Jerry did not seek to bring Junior under church discipline, he failed his son in that regard. If Junior had left the church membership, then his dad should have (and possibly tried) to discipline his adult, rebellious son.

I have written about various Jerry Falwell Junior’s scandals here, here, here, and here

Jerry said, “I became a true Christian in college,” but that didn’t mean he had to follow the evangelical rules. “After all, Jesus was a rule breaker too.” Evidently, Jerry did not know Christ kept biblical rules—all of them, but He did disregard some man-made rules.

Jerry is quoted as saying, “Organized religion says you have to earn your way to heaven. What Jesus said was, ‘You just have to believe,’” That is correct as far as it goes. Following one’s personal salvation experience, he is expected to live what he possesses. Jerry Junior never did that. He was a hypocrite while young, a hypocrite in middle age, and probably will die a hypocrite.

Junior is obviously a certified jerk.

The people who refuse to make any judgments will accuse me of being unloving, which is a sin; however, no one knows my motives. Love always deals in truth, never falsehood. Jerry Jr. has proved by his words and lifestyle to be a hypocrite. And frankly, a blatant hypocrite.

Although I hope not, even pray that he does not die in his present condition, that is his decision. He can’t blame that on daddy, and it is a sure thing that he won’t get to Heaven because of his name, lineage, education, baptism, or because he finished the work his father started.

Some of us will question Jerry’s salvation since Christians should live clean, dedicated lives rather than give ammunition for the enemies to use against us. As others, seeking to justify evil actions, Junior will say the Bible records major leaders who did terrible acts, such as King David. However, while David committed adultery, he did not live in adultery, and he came broken-hearted before God and wept copious tears in repentance.

Even if one is stupid enough to discount every other charge against Jerry Jr., he is obviously without discretion, which indicates immaturity. As president of the number one Christian university in the world with student behavior rules, he posted a photo on Instagram of himself with his arm around a pregnant woman with his and her shorts unzipped, and stomach exposed. He was holding what seemed to be an alcoholic drink. Becki and daughter Caroline were horrified and told him to “take it down.” But Jerry “didn’t see the big deal.”

He couldn’t see because he was blind.

Compromising photos that Jerry had taken years earlier showed Becki posing topless on a tractor, but Jerry said, “We were just playing around.” Such an attitude shows shallowness or stupidity or maybe he thought he was special.

Maybe I was wrong to call Jerry a jerk.

Make that a double jerk.

(Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives who ran a large Christian school in Indianapolis and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Boys authored 20 books, the most recent, Reflections of a Lifetime Fundamentalist: No Reserves, No Retreats, No Regrets! The eBook is available at Amazon.com for $4.99. Other titles at www.cstnews.com. Follow him on Facebook at Don  Boys, Ph.D., and visit his blog. Send a request to DBoysphd@aol.com for a free subscription to his articles and click here to support  his work with a donation.)

Jerry Falwell, Jr. is proof that sometimes the apple falls far from the tree, as revealed in a recent Vanity Fair article. The article suggests he has his daddy’s name, but not his nature. He has the Falwell culture but not the Falwell character.

The apple that fell far from the tree was obviously rotten.

If Falwell had any character or self-respect or familial affection, or concern for the cause of Christ, he would climb into a deep Virginia cave and hide therein until his demise. I don’t expect Jerry to do so since he seems to think he is relevant and important. No one cares what Jerry says except the scandal sheets who delight in salacious information, especially if critical of Christians. By Jerry’s vile lifestyle, he has provided many pages of poison that intensified hatred of anything Christian.

I have written about the various Falwell scandals here, here, here, and here.

It seems without debate that Jerry did a sterling job taking control of Liberty University following his father’s death. But for him to suggest he qualifies as the reason Liberty University is one of the largest universities in the world is excessive and embarrassing crowing.

Junior only built upon a deep, solid foundation constructed of sweat, blood, tears, prayers, energy, and total commitment of his father. Without Dr. Falwell, Junior would be known as Jerry, who?

Liberty was originally called Lynchburg Baptist College, which began in 1971 and changed its name to Liberty Baptist College in 1977 and Liberty University in 1985. Liberty was founded by Dr. Falwell, with help from Dr. Elmer Towns and one of my oldest friends, Dr. Harold Willmington, who came in 1972. Dr. Towns and Dr. Willmington provided the academic respectability that Jerry did not possess since he only possessed an undergraduate degree from Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri.

While Dr. Falwell lacked academic qualifications, he easily surpassed ivy league university presidents in his ability, wit, knowledge, memory, perseverance, commitment, and genuine love for students. He was one of the most gracious, genuine, as well as one of the greatest men I ever met.

And I often disagreed with him.

Following Falwell’s death in 2007, Liberty experienced spectacular growth and stability under leadership from Jerry Junior. Liberty now boasts over 700 programs from the certificate to the doctoral level ranging from medicine, biology, chemistry, and engineering to design, music, religion, law, and more.

Liberty has more than a billion-dollar endowment fund, gross assets of over 2 billion dollars, an impressive campus with 15,000 students, and a total of 100,000 students when online students are counted. Both the university and church are totally out of debt following payment of a 34-million-dollar life insurance policy on Dr. Falwell.

Liberty’s fiscal stability is impressive even for the secular world and shocking in that it was begun in a small southern city by an independent Baptist pastor with no educational credentials.

The Vanity Fair article reveals a dispute in September 2020, when Jerry and Franklin Graham argued over who should get credit for Liberty’s success. Jerry said, “My dad built the foundation, but I built the house.” Franklin furiously said, “You didn’t build it!”  Well, to put this in perspective, if the bull had not done his job, the farmer would not have any calves to count. Jerry Junior did an impressive job continuing the building on his dad’s foundation. But Junior did not possess the charisma, gravitas, discipline, and reputation to build their Christian elementary school, let alone a university, by his own effort.

Junior has a right to crow but not as the cock of the walk. He can share his daddy’s name and sit in the president’s chair, but he never filled his shoes. But he has often disgraced his name.

In the article, the younger Falwell suggests his aberrant lifestyle was not of his choosing, and it was almost forced on him, saying, “It’s almost like I didn’t have a choice.” But that has been the plea or reason for evil behavior since the beginning of time.

Everyone has a choice, and many of Junior’s were wrong.

He said, “Because of my last name, people think I’m a religious person. But I’m not. My goal was to make them realize I was not my dad.” Wow, what a confession. His goal was not to honor Christ, obey Bible commands, seek to win the world for Christ, or even to make the world a little better but to disassociate himself from the one who gave him life!

What a senseless, ungrateful, despicable jerk.

Furthermore, I will not consider any complaints from religious snowflakes about my lack of love for a brother in Christ, and I’m not sure that is possible with Junior. Even if he is a Christian, it is a sign of love to speak the truth, and the truth is—Jerry Falwell is a jerk. I’m sorry if it offends Jerry and his supporters, but he and his supporters know he is a jerk.

He said his father was not a hardline Fundamentalist at home and did not force him to attend church. But that is not true, according to my sources at Thomas Road Baptist Church. Dr. Falwell allegedly permitted Junior to own rock records and even tolerated moderate drinking. While the rock records accusation cannot be supported or denied, awareness of his drinking became known only when he was in law school at the University of Virginia.

Jerry Jr. did not qualify as president of any Christian college. My longtime friends on Liberty’s Board of Trustees, including the current president Dr. Jerry Prevo and board chairman, Dr. Tim Lee, failed when they turned the university over to him. Of course, they can plead they were doing as Dr. Falwell instructed them to do. However, I believe the control of a not-for-profit organization cannot be handed over to anyone as one might award a prize bull.

One can assume a prize bull will get the job done, but a person with the “right” ancestry should still be suspect as to character, competence, and calling before being hired for a high position.

Jerry Junior said his brother Jonathan became his mother’s favorite son. If so, that was a mistake, but with Jerry’s corrupt record of adultery, drunkenness, lying, stupid behavior, and generally vile lifestyle, I wouldn’t believe him if he swore on a stack of original 1611 KJV Bibles. Besides, my sources at the church and university tell me that Jonathan managed to have a grandchild of Jerry Sr. at their home each night following Jerry’s death. Jonathan’s thoughtfulness and kindness at such a time would endear himself to his mother.

The article drags Jerry Sr. and his family through the slime pits, and it must be remembered that Jerry Jr. has not repudiated the article, so an assumption of misquotes is not supported. The following savaging of the Falwell family is one of the most despicable, disgraceful, and dishonest attacks upon Dr. Falwell and his wife.

The Vanity Fair article reveals that Jerry Junior said his father’s much traveling provided a reprieve from an oppressive marriage. “My dad wanted to travel the world as an escape,” Jerry said. He recalled that his mother’s provincial worldview grated on his father. “She wanted to live a small-town preacher’s life. She didn’t let him mess around.” Divorce was out of the question, according to the article.

How silly. Folks at Thomas Road Baptist Church laugh at such ravings. Note the explosive words, reprieve, oppressive, escape, grated, mess around, and divorce. I am convinced either Jerry Junior or Vanity Fair (or both) was determined to deny, distort, and destroy the memory of Jerry Falwell.

The article continued, “According to Jerry, his dad found ways to take the edge off at home, even though Macel never allowed alcohol in the house. ‘Sometimes, he would drink a whole bottle of Nyquil. He called it Baptist wine,’ he remembered. Jerry [Junior] grew up to learn that he too could have a private life that didn’t align with his public persona.”

That is not the Jerry Falwell I knew from the mid-1960s to his death, nor is that reflected in the hundreds of sermons preached on national television. And the thought of Jerry drinking a bottle of Nyquil because Macel would not permit him to drink wine is so ludicrous I even laughed when I read the stupid statement.

Jerry Junior is not only a jerk but a stupid double jerk. However, God still loves him, and I am trying.

(Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives who ran a large Christian school in Indianapolis and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Boys authored 20 books, the most recent, Reflections of a Lifetime Fundamentalist: No Reserves, No Retreats, No Regrets! The eBook is available at Amazon.com for $4.99. Other titles at www.cstnews.com. Follow him on Facebook at Don Boys, Ph.D., and visit his blog. Send a request to DBoysphd@aol.com for a free subscription to his articles and click here to support  his work with a donation.)

A world-famous father that everyone seemed to love and respect was a violent, mean, raging man who often mistreated his son, especially during Christmas, but that almost unbelievable truth would not be revealed for decades after it could have made a difference.

Christmas is celebrated worldwide, and for that, I am pleased even if the boozing, wild spending, partying, and general excesses usually accompany the season. It should also be an opportunity for parents to teach their children basic principles they need for adulthood. How to live does not come automatically, and it must be taught.

What a story to tell everyone: Christ was born to a virgin as angels celebrated His lowly birth. Wise men traveled hundreds of miles to worship him with many expensive gifts. King Herod the Great killed all males under two years old in Bethlehem and its coasts. There is a hurried trip by the young family to Egypt to escape a bloody king’s paranoia.

Who needs toys, trees, and tinsel with a story like that?

Santa is a fun thing to children; however, most parents make a tragic mistake by letting them think he is real. Maybe they don’t lie, but they go along with that untruth. That is a lie (even if you insist it is a white lie—no such thing), and no child should be told a lie. No parent should undercut their rightful authority by confusing children for “a little harmless fun.” The gifts came from parents and others, not from Santa.

It is not harmless.

Have your trees, toys, and tinsel but inform children that they are honoring the most incredible event in world history: God became man to provide personal salvation to anyone who merely trusts Him in simple faith.  Additionally: children should be taught the qualities needed for a successful life.

I am saying Christmas should promote character. One should learn early to be a giver; to stand against tyrants; to serve others; to be humble. All of that is not natural and must be taught.

We know Christ came to provide life, but He also promised abundant life. Children need to be taught that Christ is the pattern for them. Children don’t absorb truth as a sponge absorbs water, instead, they must be taught. Even church people make the mistake of thinking it is enough to tell children the truth and expect that to settle the fact for all time. It doesn’t happen that way. Most parents major in talking, failing to follow up with teaching and training. That seldom happens and our schools and streets are overrun with thugs, made that way by uninformed, or unconcerned, or unmotivated parents.

No child has to be taught to lie, be selfish, or be unkind. With time, usually very early, each child will prove that truth since they are born with a sinful nature, a reality that makes humanists go ballistic. “How dare you suggest my innocent little children have a sinful nature.” Well, they do. That’s why Christ told Nicodemus he needed to be born again: that his first birth was not enough, and he must have a new nature through the new birth.

That’s why we have Christmas.

Since the last few generations have failed in rearing principled children, we have people in positions of power without principle. Political lying is not only accepted, it is expected. University professors, with missionary zeal, peddle ridiculous lies to our youth.

Attractive women, who are blessed with beauty and unblessed with brains, deem it appropriate to expose their bodies for the whole world to ogle. They usually decorate their body with a silver cross, whatever that means. Young adults think someone or some group or the government owes them whatever they want. They think they deserve it since they are poor, oppressed, hated, and ridiculed, doing outrageous things without accountability.

It is too late absent a radical born-again experience for those pathetic people who were failed by their parents. They were not taught biblical characteristics of always being honest, punctual, kind, generous, obedient, honorable, charitable, hard-working, dependable, respectable, and forgiving.

I saw many children in Christian homes without character during my early years because their parents had failed to teach and practice principled living. They taught the Bible but did not apply it to their lives. I determined that I would not be so dedicated to the ministry that I failed my own children. When my wife was pregnant with our son, to be followed by three beautiful blonds, I wrote the principles we would follow in making them normal, gracious, adult Christians. She was faithful in implementing those rules to her credit while I spent much of my time traveling as an evangelist and Christian apologist.

I don’t need to admit that my brood is not perfect, far from it. After all, half their genes are mine.

I am delighted with how our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren have developed. Of course, everyone reading this is saying, “Yes, but wait until they are grown.” Well, my children had enough commitment to train their children, and I think those children are training their children to be an honor to our family, Christianity, and America.

Sending children to a Christian school is not enough since teachers must be concerned with academics: science, history, geography, English, spelling, math, biology, etc. The successful school will implement Christian character into each subject, but that is not enough. Parents must talk, teach, and train their children, which requires work—consistent, persistent work. Most parents are too lazy or selfish, resulting in today’s America—bedlam, which means “a scene of uproar and confusion.”

Using the Bible, parents should train their children in biblical truth. Additional character-building materials are also available. The best help I have seen is a series written by Dr. Ed Dunlop. I was surprised to discover I deeply enjoyed reading the series a few years ago and have since recommended that series to thousands of people, schools, and home schools. It is called The Terrestria Chronicles, a medieval allegory series available at talesofcastles.net . The students don’t notice the abundance of character-building taking place because they are so engrossed in the story.

Be proactive now if your children are disobedient, slothful, angry, unmotivated, or even harm other children or pets. Almost all mass killers have had a history of mistreatment of animals and children. Children should be taught to not even break or destroy a toy.

The above books would be a very beneficial Christmas gift to a child. It could pay big time.

Lindsay was a handsome boy who was given whatever he wanted except love, acceptance, and training. His world-famous father often screamed obscenities at him and beat him at times. He was especially brutal during the Christmas season. He was given extra chores to do during that time, but it never seemed to satisfy his stern father. The whippings often drew blood.

He had three older brothers, but Lindsay incurred most of his father’s rage.

The public would have been shocked if the famous father’s actions had become public. That didn’t happen until many years later, and even today, few know the details.

A friend of Lindsay’s said, “Lindsay was never able to find happiness. He became a hard-drinking rounder who went from woman to woman and couldn’t find peace or success.” Because of his famous father, Lindsay was cast in a few movies that failed, as did his other endeavors, including his three marriages.

Having a famous father, Lindsay and his three older brothers formed a singing quartet and experienced a short period of success on major television shows, but he was always compared to his father. When Lindsay had a nervous breakdown, the quartet broke up.

Another failure.

After a lifetime of failure and being forced to live in the shadow of his famous and brutal father, Lindsay made a tragic decision. It was just before Christmas on December 11, that he watched Bing Crosby’s White Christmas movie in his apartment one last time. He then put a gun to his head and put a bullet in his brain.

Tragically, Lindsay’s brother Dennis killed himself with a shotgun two years later. Shockingly, their dad was Bing Crosby, the world-famous singer and movie star. However, some family members disagree with that extreme characterization of Bing.

Lindsay wrote, “I hated Christmas because of Pop, and I always will,” and continued, “It brings back the pain and fear I suffered as a child. And if I ever do myself in, it will be at Christmastime. That will show the world what I think of Bing Crosby’s White Christmas.”

Christ’s birth is the most extraordinary story ever told, but apparently, Lindsay never knew the true story of Christmas. The death of Lindsay Crosby is one of the most tragic stories ever told.

And it didn’t have to be.

Christ’s birth, death, and physical resurrection were Lindsay’s answers he and his family needed. That is because Jesus Christ makes a difference when accepted, and biblical principles are instilled in children.

The best Christmas gift you can give to your family is recognizing your sin, repenting of that sin, and receiving Christ as Savior.

Merry Christmas and a very successful New Year, the best of your life!

(Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives who ran a large Christian school in Indianapolis and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Boys authored 20 books, the most recent, Reflections of a Lifetime Fundamentalist: No Reserves, No Retreats, No Regrets! The eBook is available at Amazon.com for $4.99. Other titles at www.cstnews.com. Follow him on Facebook at Don  Boys, Ph.D., and visit his blog.  Send a request to DBoysphd@aol.com for a free subscription to his articles and click here to support  his work with a donation.)

The Daily Mail reported Harvard University (whose degree used to mean something) has named a devout atheist to be its new head chaplain (over 40 other chaplains) who wants to be known as a “humanist rabbi.” The over-priced, over-touted, and over-endowed school says, “it’s catering to the 40% of students who are NOT religious or agnostic.” But then, I thought they had done that for 50 years. The newly appointed religious leader said, “We don’t look to a god for answers.” Well, I know that’s been going on for more than 50 years.

Furthermore, Harvard Medical School continued to rewrite their history when they removed portraits of 31 of their past presidents because 30 were white. One of its former presidents has been designated a “racist, homophobic, antisemitic (sic), and xenophobic.” While I hesitate (a little) to defend such a person, it is not scholarly (or honest) to deny history. He did help make Harvard what it is, and all scholars stand on the shoulders of past dead, male, and white intellectuals. Harvard will still accept donations from white, dead (or living) males to fund scholarships to POC whether they qualify as students or not. All Harvard officials who sign on to such reverse racism might deserve a quota-hired surgeon when they need a triple heart by-pass.

The cowardly Harvard officials suggest students should not have to see portraits of a former racist president while they’re “eating Cheerios” in the dining hall. Well, at the cost of $278,000 for four years, students should be eating a more delicious breakfast than Cheerios. How about old-fashioned breakfast from Cracker Barrel or Waffle House, which would include service with a smile.

Harvard officials have not been true to their heritage for decades. Conscientious people are known for their consistency. Not hypocrisy. However, when one remembers the noble history of Harvard and its present place in society, it is evident that Harvard needs to make some significant changes to be consistent, but ones not prompted by political correctness.

If Harvard really wanted to do the principled thing, they would hire a president who willingly accepts the term, Fundamentalist. Or at least Evangelical but not the loosey-goosey kind. They would do that to be true to their heritage and faithful to the many born-again Christians who supported the school for hundreds of years.

The school was taken over by the enemy it was organized to fight against.

Harvard’s history began when the colony established its first college at New Towne (Massachusetts), later renamed Cambridge. Classes started in the summer of 1636 with one professor and nine students in a single frame house and a “college yard.” The present student body consists of over 20,000 students and 360,000 living alumni worldwide.

John Harvard was a Puritan minister who died of tuberculous in 1638 at 31 years of age and left half his estate to the new college. He is known as the “founder” of Harvard but was more of a benefactor since the school was founded two years earlier. There is a statue honoring John at a prominent place in Harvard Yard.

John was a teaching elder at the First Church of Charlestown in the neighborhood of Boston. It is associated with both the United Church of Christ and the Southern Baptist Convention “holding to a conservative view of the Bible and holding to the traditional Reformed view of theology.” Harvard served as an assistant minister at the church until his death.

Therefore, Harvard University owes its existence to a Puritan preacher who believed bizarre things like fornication and adultery were sinful and that such sins were punished by execution (carried out three times.) And no one ever waved the LGBTQ flag at Harvard Yard.

John’s statue should depict him hanging his head in shame at Harvard’s theological and moral bankruptcy.

Henry Dunster was president in 1640 at age 28 and served until 1654. He should get credit for the success of the college since he found Harvard desolate of students, devoid of buildings, and definitely needing income. He left it a blossoming institution with several buildings and a promising future.

Dunster’s forced resignation caused significant controversy because he was a famous Puritan, but by 1653, he became convinced infant baptism was unscriptural—bad news for a Puritan. He refused to have his baby son sprinkled since he now believed “only penitent believers confessing their sins” qualified as baptismal candidates. He even “intervened publicly at the baptism of [a] local infant,” causing a major stir in New England.

The baptism doctrine pretty much made Dunster a Baptist except in church government. More bad news in Puritan New England. He made it worse by asserting all gospel worship is based on Scripture “but paedobaptism (infant baptism) hath none.”

Moreover, Dunster believed in the separation of church and state while the Puritans’ Congregational Church controlled everything, even voting.

Dunster’s cause was clear, and he was forced to leave his home in Cambridge. The Puritan Court ousted Dunster from his home even though he had contributed a hundred acres of land to the college on which he had built the president’s home with his own hands. With winter approaching, he received an order to vacate the home even though his family was ill.

If present Harvard officials were compassionate and principled, they would really do the right thing by replacing the current Jewish president with a strong, male Baptist! I can provide a long list of qualified candidates with Ph.D., Th.D., Ed.D., or D.Min. degrees.

I might even consider the Presidential position under the following conditions: All unbelieving professors must resign immediately; all non-Baptists will be “let go” at the end of the school year; all tenure will be disavowed at the end of this school year; all immoral relationships will be confessed and forsaken; every employee will be expected to read the Bible through each year; Smoking, swearing, and swilling any alcoholic beverage will be cause for dismissal of any student or employee; I will have full authority to make any changes in employees, policies, curriculum, etc. Lastly, I will run the school from Georgia since there is no way I will leave the serenity of the south for the nightmare of Boston.

Note to the Harvard Trustees: I will consider the position. No promises.

One of the early presidents of Harvard was Increase Mather, who graduated from Harvard at age 17, sailed to Dublin for his Master’s Degree at Trinity College, and back to Boston to become pastor of North Church in 1661. The following year, he married his stepsister Maria Cotton. He became president of Harvard in 1685 and resigned in 1701, mainly because of political matters—not because he married his stepsister. While serving as Harvard’s president, Increase Mather used an enslaved man given to him by his son Cotton Mather “to run errands” for the college.

Cotton Mather supported the new college headed by his father and taught that Blacks were “the miserable children of Adam and Noah,” ordained to slavery as punishment.

So, Harvard has slavery in its history, not just racism.

Harvard University’s departure from the faith and its charter is what has happened in every other educational institution in the world. If John Harvard knew what his namesake was doing, he would be appalled at the apostasy.

Harvard (founded by Bible-believing Christians!) is one of the nation’s most prestigious and expensive Ivy League schools. It has granted official school recognition to a BDSM sex club— BDSM means “bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism”! That fits with Harvard’s “incest-fest” party, which a major hall hosts each winter. Proving that a former Fundamentalist institution can be very broadminded, a workshop delved into the ins and outs of anal sex, with a presenter denouncing the “stupidity of abstinence” and the joys of “putting things in your butt,” according to a College Fix reporter who attended the event.

Former president of Harvard John Leverett (died 1724) complained about vile student activities in his day. In his diary, Leverett confesses that the faculty “struggled mightily to control unsavory student behavior such as swearing, ‘riotous Actions,’ and card-playing—to which student diaries add attending horse races and pirate hangings in Boston.”

Obviously, Harvard has drifted far, far from its Puritan roots. It seems anything is permissible, even acceptable at Harvard, no matter how contrary to Scripture. One of their professors, Steven Pinker, pontificated, “The Bible is a manual for rape, genocide, and the destruction of families…. Religion has given us stonings, witch burnings, crusades, inquisitions…and mothers who drown their children in the river.” So, the first college in America now has professors who refuse and reject and ridicule the Bible.

What would John Harvard be thinking?

Harvard’s mission statement at its beginning was, “Everyone shall consider as the main end of his life and studies to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life. John 17:3.” Remember that this statement was told to early Americans who were asked to give of their meager income to finance the new college. They gave but never expected the school to apostatize to become one of the most anti-Christian schools in America. Americans are still giving to Harvard until it has the largest trust fund in the world—over 39 billion dollars. Make a note that it is billion, not million.

With the preceding in mind and Harvard officials draping or removing portraits of former presidents who were racists, some other changes are required in the name of consistency. First, they must remove the statue of John Harvard. After all, he taught that a wife was to obey her husband, believed all sexual activities outside marriage were wrong and taught that homosexuality was an unspeakable sin.

Several Harvard professors were angry that school officials responded to the major college cheating scandal by looking into professors’ private emails. The professors declared that is worse than selling an acceptance letter to wealthy families. But those professors didn’t seem concerned about sex week, anti-capitalism, pro socialism, anti-Semitism, and a general departure from the Bible, their heritage, and common sense.

If students today should not have to eat their Cheerios looking at the portrait of a racist, then students should not have to walk by the statue of John Harvard, who held to the biblical teaching about marriage, sex, and perversion. Nor should they have to face the name, painting, or facts about a Bible-spouting Baptist who embarrassed every Puritan in the colony for rejecting infant baptism. That goes for Mather, who owned a slave while on campus. Call everyone together to scour the campus and every building to remove any reference to Mather because of his reluctance to denounce the Salem Witch Hunt. He must go.

Being run by wimps without character (including the board of trustees responsible for all the incompetent professors and vacuous curriculum), Harvard will not make any changes that the school’s founders and supporters would have thought wise.

The present conditions at Harvard reflect America’s deviancy, degradation, and decline.

I weep with John.

(Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives who ran a large Christian school in Indianapolis and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Boys authored 20 books, the most recent, Reflections of a Lifetime Fundamentalist: No Reserves, No Retreats, No Regrets! The eBook is available at Amazon.com for $4.99. Other titles at www.cstnews.com. Follow him on Facebook at Don Boys, Ph.D., and visit his blog. Send a request to DBoysphd@aol.com for a free subscription to his articles, and click here to support his work with a donation.)