[Carl in Tampa]

Originally Posted by DAWN MARIE

I recently went to a Bible Conf in CA. The Conf was called "Strange Fire" (www.strangefire.org) and one of the speakers was a Pastor from Africa. He said when you hear about the "Christianization" of Africa DO NOT BELIEVE IT. It's some sort of pseudo Christianity, based on feelings and emotions and NOT on established historical doctrine taken straight from Scripture. This again, goes back to what we've been warned about. It's history repeating itself over again. The longer we wait for the return (think of Moses on Mt Sinai as well) the worse we are becoming.

As far as comparing ourselves to Rome and the debauchery of Roman culture I don't think we have to go very far to see we are practically there. Just read the news. Also, we are killing unborn babies in the womb and the sanctity of life in general isn't what it used to be. Think how far we've fallen since the Puritan days here in our own country. We are continuing the slide downward. Why? Because we have lost faith and the desire to wait for our leader to come back.

I read the transcript of Conrad Mbewe's address at the Strange Fire conference, and I did not understand him to say that there was no Christianization of Africa, but rather that there was a competition between traditional Christianity and charismatic Christianity, similar to what the United States experienced a few decades ago.

He was speaking at an anti-charismatic Christianity conference sponsored by Dr. John MacArthur, one of my favorite Bible teachers. (While Dr. MacArthur was visiting my church, he tripped over my outstretched legs and almost fell. I joked with him that if he were injured by tripping over me, I would likely be run out of the church.)

The Pew Study which was the basis for the start of this discussion made no distinction regarding the charismatic movement within the various Christian traditions. There have been charismatics within all of the major denominations, including the Catholics and the Protestant movements.

The dispute between theologians in the United States over the validity of charismatics seeking the "gifts of the spirit" such as speaking in tongues, and those who believe that the granting of such gifts ended in Apostolic times continues to the present, as witnessed by the Strange Fire conference.

I don't see it as a quantifiable factor in the discussion of the alleged "Decline of Christianity" which was the subject of this thread.

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