Monster Media 1994 #2

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-------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1994 by the Christian Research Institute. -------------------------------------------------------------------- COPYRIGHT/REPRODUCTION LIMITATIONS: This data file is the sole property of the Christian Research Institute. It may not be altered or edited in any way. It may be reproduced only in its entirety for circulation as "freeware," without charge. All reproductions of this data file must contain the copyright notice (i.e., "Copyright 1994 by the Christian Research Institute"). This data file may not be used without the permission of the Christian Research Institute for resale or the enhancement of any other product sold. This includes all of its content with the exception of a few brief quotations not to exceed more than 500 words. If you desire to reproduce less than 500 words of this data file for resale or the enhancement of any other product for resale, please give the following source credit: Copyright 1994 by the Christian Research Institute, P.O. Box 500-TC, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92693. -------------------------------------------------------------------- (This data file constitutes the text of CRI's introductory brochure.) Are you willing to do for the truth what the cults do for a lie? "Contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3) C R I -- A Practical, International Approach to Equipping the Saints For the Defense and Proclamation of the Gospel. In the past two hundred years, an explosion of cults and counterfeit religious systems has shaken the foundation of true Christianity. And in the last thirty years, this phenomenon has accelerated to almost unbelievable proportions. Our Western world's growing rejection of the Bible has opened the door for countless alternative teachings to take hold. A hunger for spiritual reality in our secular culture has led millions to embrace gods and philosophies once unthinkable. And predictably, a vast array of false Christs and false prophets have risen to provide deceptive leadership. These are battling for the minds of unbelievers and believers alike as never before -- and without much organized opposition. The Christian Research Institute (CRI), founded by the late Dr. Walter Martin, is dedicated to equipping Christians to discern the difference between the truth of Christianity and the distorted doctrines of false prophets and teachers. CRI's distinctive mission in the world is to equip Christians to "make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you" (1 Pet. 3:15). In an age of unparalleled apostasy, CRI seeks to teach Christians how to "contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). From the President CRI is not a monument to a man. Rather, it is a movement -- a team effort of people who are dedicated to standing against deception with the truth of God's Word. The last book Dr. Walter Martin wrote before going home to be with the Lord was The New Age Cult. In the preface, he reflected on the 38 years he crisscrossed America speaking on the cults. He said he sometimes felt like a frustrated Paul Revere, calling out "the cults are coming, the cults are coming!" His desire was that God would use this book to re-echo the warning he gave over three decades ago, and to inspire Christians to both the proclamation and defense of the gospel. Dr. Martin is no longer with us. But he has left us with both a vision and a vehicle for carrying out that vision. That vehicle is the ministry of CRI. Through the various outreach divisions highlighted in this brochure, CRI is equipping Christians to share and defend the gospel in a world mired in the shifting sands of spiritual deception. Sadly, cultists are often willing to do more for a lie than many Christians are willing to do for the truth. Our goal at CRI is to help turn the tide by equipping God's people with the resources they need to boldly face these challenges head-on. Many Christians have joined hands around the globe to assure that this ministry will make an impact for time and eternity. Indeed, only from the perspective of eternity will we know what God has accomplished in extending His kingdom through this one-of-a-kind ministry. -- Hank Hanegraaff, President, CRI. A Strong Foundation Founded in 1960 by Dr. Walter Martin, CRI today is the largest countercult ministry in the world. The decade of the nineties will see unprecedented growth as our ministry expands to meet an ever-increasing need. "CRI's ministry will be more important in the 1990s and beyond than when I founded it in 1960." -- Dr. Walter Martin Dr. Walter Martin, CRI's late founder, long ago recognized that the world has entered a " post-Christian era" -- a time in which literally millions of people consider the historic Christian faith to be (at best) merely one of many valid roads to peace with God. He also believed that the world is on the verge of an outbreak of organized evil. Because of this, he saw the need for an organization like CRI that would be a bastion for orthodoxy. Dr. Martin founded CRI to be an independent, transdenominational resource center that could communicate information to needy fields where the Christian church is most under attack. This dream has become a reality. CRI is today the oldest and largest apologetics ministry of its kind in the world. CRI's approach to evangelism -- presenting answers to those misled by the cults, the occult, and aberrant Christian teachings -- has been a tragically neglected missions emphasis in our troubled world. It constitutes a vast, nearly untouched "mission field on our doorstep." CRI's goal is to help the church "speak the truth in love" to those who have believed a lie. Mission Statement Our goal is to equip the church to "speak the truth in love" to those who have swallowed the skin of the truth stuffed with a lie. The Christian Research Institute was founded in obedience to Jude 3: "Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." All of our activities are motivated by this fundamental concern to uphold and promote the historic orthodox Christian faith, through which alone salvation is offered to humanity. While we are concerned with and involved in the general defense of the faith (apologetics), our area of research specialization is limited to elements within the modern religious scene that compete with, assault, or undermine biblical Christianity. These include the cults (that is, groups which deny essential Christian doctrines such as the deity of Christ and the Trinity); the occult, much of which has become focused in the contemporary New Age movement; the major world religions; and aberrant Christian teachings (that is, teachings which compromise or confuse essential biblical truth). In keeping with CRI's fundamental purpose, we are engaged in both evangelistic and educational endeavors. We seek to promote both the proclamation and the defense of the gospel and the growth of Christians in sound doctrine and spiritual discernment. In all our endeavors at CRI, we strive to provide carefully researched, well-reasoned answers to teachings and concepts that challenge orthodox Christianity. Research God's Word exhorts: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15). Our research materials are strategically designed to help Christians understand both what they believe and why they believe it. Research is the foundation of CRI's ministry. Every aspect of our work depends on accurate, credible, and up-to-date information. The Research Division is staffed by a team of highly skilled, theologically trained researchers. Their task is to gather, organize, and process current information on the cults, the occult, world religions, aberrant Christian movements, and general apologetics. Based on this data, the staff produces well-reasoned analyses which are then made available to churches, ministries, schools, media, and the public at large through CRI's various outreaches. With thousands of cultic groups flourishing in the world today, the need for primary research in this area has never been greater. CRI exists to meet this ever-growing need. Publications Our publications cover a broad range of topics and are designed to help Christians discern truth from error. The printed word will continue to be one of our primary equipping tools in the 1990s and beyond. The Christian Research Journal, published quarterly, contains scholarly yet readable articles with the latest information on the cults, the occult, non-Christian religions, aberrant Christian movements, and general apologetics. Analyses of themes are both rational and biblical. The Journal is a vital source of information for Christians facing unbiblical teachings and philosophies in this "post-Christian" age. Articles equip Christians to better share their faith with the followers of these teachings. The Christian Research Newsletter, published every other month, highlights pertinent developments in the world of the cults -- both in the U.S. and abroad. The Newsletter also includes testimonies, feature articles by CRI researchers, questions and answers excerpted from CRI's "Bible Answer Man" broadcast, a column featuring excerpts from the taped messages of Dr. Walter Martin, a "From the President" column, and information on free articles available from CRI. A major focus of CRI's ministry is education. This educational approach is facilitated not only by our Journal and Newsletter, but by our vast supply of pamphlets, books, fact sheets, and position papers. These materials cover a broad spectrum of topics to help Christians discern truth from false teaching. Broadcast Media There is perhaps no more personal and dramatic way to influence the lives of people than by communicating to them in the privacy of their own homes. CRI accomplishes this through radio and video tapes. If the Research Division is the cornerstone of CRI's ministry, one could say that "The Bible Answer Man" -- CRI's daily radio talk show -- is the ministry's mouthpiece to the world. This popular weekday broadcast is heard from coast to coast in the United States and Canada. CRI research personnel host the one-hour program and respond to listeners' questions "on the spot" with solid, biblically based answers. Well-known Christian leaders are also regularly featured on the program, addressing a wide range of relevant topics. Cassettes of these broadcasts are available on request. The "CRI Perspective" broadcast is another effective means of providing insights on some of today's most pressing issues. In this three-minute commentary, CRI president Hank Hanegraaff answers some of the most common questions asked of our Research Division. With cultists, occultists, and New Agers using television to propagate their messages, CRI is rapidly expanding into this medium as well. We can now produce our own videos that can be viewed in the homes of believers and nonbelievers alike. International Outreach Though our attention is often focused on the battle here at home, we must never forget that the major cults are committed to waging -- and winning -- the war for souls on a global scale. We cannot afford to do less. The cult and occult problem has mushroomed into a truly worldwide phenomenon. The devastation wreaked on millions of lives is a reality we cannot afford to ignore. Not only are the cults expanding their numbers in foreign lands at an unprecedented pace, but as millions of immigrants come to North America, they are bringing and promoting their non-Christian religions within our own borders. Throughout the world, major investments of money and manpower are being made by the Mormon Church, the Jehovah's Witnesses, Reverend Moon's Unification Church, the Worldwide Church of God, the Mind Sciences, the New Age movement, Transcendental Meditation, Scientology, and many others. The major cults and world religions are committed to waging -- and winning -- the war for peoples' souls on a global scale. Tragically, most people are ignorant and all but defenseless in the face of this cult invasion. As Christians of every tongue and nation face a bewildering variety of cultic and occultic claims and phenomena, they must be equipped to effectively defend the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The goal of CRI's International Division is to inoculate and equip Christian leaders, seminary students, and lay people of all nations to discern, defend the faith, and evangelize by providing well-translated, culturally relevant material on these dangerous teachings. Correspondence People write us every day with tough questions. We realize these questions often pertain to personal, heartfelt issues -- and that's why we prayerfully consider our response to each one. An avalanche of letters streams into CRI at a rate of hundreds per day. Responding to the questions in these letters is a vital function of the CRI Correspondence Division. Because we realize that meeting the needs of our constituents is a weighty responsibility, we prayerfully consider our responses to each and every question in these letters. We provide free articles and fact sheets that give more in-depth information on the topic of concern. Also available are audio-cassettes and other pertinent materials through CRI's Resource Catalogue. In addition to answering apologetic questions, there is an evangelistic dimension to the Correspondence Division. Often, the CRI Correspondence team will thoughtfully guide the writer of the letter through the necessary steps to salvation and subsequent spiritual growth -- an opportunity we welcome. At the current rate, the Correspondence Division will respond to several hundred thousand letters during the decade of the nineties. To accomplish this monumental task as efficiently as possible, CRI utilizes sophisticated computer technology. Our goal has remained unchanged since Dr. Martin founded CRI in 1960: to respond to every letter with the truth of the gospel and in a timely manner. Seminars CRI personnel train both Christian professionals and lay people, providing them with practical tools for the work of ministry. Seminars are one of our most effective means of equipping Christians to defend the faith. Through its Seminar Division, CRI impacts Christians in major metropolitan areas throughout North America. These seminars provide practical tools to pastors, seminary students, and lay people so they can become equipped to internalize God's Word; to understand where the cults, the occult, and world religions deviate from the truth; and to use those deviations as opportunities to share the gospel. For more information on how you can sponsor a CRI seminar, contact the Seminar Division. Christian Research Institute P O Box 500-TC San Juan Capistrano, CA 92693 (714) 855-4428, ministry office (714) 855-9926, products/materials ------------- End of document, CRINFO12.TXT (original CRI file name) "CRI Brochure" Release 1.2, January 14, 1994 R.Poll, CRI -------------------------------------------------------------------- * CRI SOFTWARE: Individual, free CRI software files of articles from our newsletter and journal are available NOT from CRI but on-line from the following resources: -- the Computers for Christ BBS network originating from the JPUSA BBS in Chicago (312) 878-6030 -- the ABBA II BBS in San Diego, (619) 487-7746 -- the GEnie commercial network (800) 638-9636 (voice) -- the CompuServe commercial network (planned for 1994) -- and on enough other systems that we can not keep track of them all thanks to our friends who circulate them. Again, CRI does not offer access to individual article files from its own facilities. So please do not contact CRI for them. No phone calls on this PLEASE. -------------------------------------------------------------------- YOURS FOR THE ASKING The Christian Research Institute (CRI) -- founded in 1960 by the late Dr. Walter R. Martin -- is a clearing house for current, in-depth information on new religious movements and aberrant Christian teachings. We provide well-reasoned, carefully-researched answers to concepts and ideas that challenge orthodox Christianity. Did you know that CRI has a wealth of information on various topics that is yours for the asking? In fact, a free subscription to the Christian Research Newsletter is yours if you contact CRI and ask for one saying that you found out about the offer from this computer text file. We offer a wide variety of articles and fact sheets free of charge. Write us today for information on these or other topics. Our first-rate research staff will do everything possible to help you. Christian Research Institute Post Office Box 500-TC San Juan Capistrano, CA 92693 (714) 855-9926 ------------ End of file.