In the past 10 years or so, there has been a tsunami-like movement across the Christian church,

particularly among the evangelical community, through books and videotapes and internet.

Particularly among college students and younger generation in general, it is called the emergent church

movement. It is not a denomination, it's not an organization, it's a movement that is designed

to, quote, create a new kind of Christian. Ambitious, gold, that seemed to be succeeding to a certain degree. Some of the names that are associated

with that movement are people like Brian McLaren, who is their number one guru, Tony Jones from

New Zealand, now based in Texas. I'm telling you this so you know when you see the books in the

bookstore, you understand where they're coming from. But the real danger of that movement

is that it has so many things that are right with it. I found myself in agreement with

many of the things they say. For example, they attack what they perceive as hypocrisy in the

traditional church. You're not going to get any argument from me on that one. They attack what they perceive as hypocrisy in the traditional church. They're not going to get any argument from me on that one.

They attack what they see as smugness on the part of many traditional churches.

No argument there.

They attack what they see as Christians who do not live the way they say they believe.

No argument there.

They attack what they see as lack of care and compassion on part of some traditional churches. No argument there. But from that point

on, they get off the rails. When it comes to the very core of biblical Christianity, they completely miss a mark.

In their zeal to create what McLaren calls a new type of Christian, they throw the baby with the bath water.

In their desperation to be relevant to the postmodern culture, they deny the core of the gospel, which is the power

of God into salvation. For example, they say that in the Christian faith, anything that offends

a non-believer must not be preached from. They say that nothing is sacred. They say that to question and to

challenge everything, including biblical authority. They question the Holy Spirit's inspiration of the Bible.

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