Bob Burney

Drive into and it’s like a step back into history.  The city, founded in 1805, is anchored by a city square straight out of an old post card or possibly a Norman Rockwell painting.  There’s the requisite gazebo, statues and park benches.  All of this belies a true American battle brewing that could shatter the idyllic setting of what has been called “’s most livable city”.

The battle is centered on a mild mannered self-effacing middle school science teacher and his Bible.  John Freshwater has been a teacher in the public schools for over 20 years.  Twice he has been designated as “Teacher of The Year” by the School board – most recently just last year.  That was then.  A few months ago it seems that a student in one of Mr. Freshwater’s classes made accusations that the teacher was being too Christian in his class.  The extent of the allegations are not known as the School Board is not commenting – with the exception of an occasional “leak” to the press about how  “serious” the matter is in light of the “separation of Church and State”.  As a result of the accusations, the School Board demanded that Mr. Freshwater remove a Bible that has been sitting on the corner of his desk for 21 years.  You read that correctly, “sitting” on the corner of his desk.  The teacher is not accused of reading it, proclaiming it, preaching from it.  Nope – it just sits there.  Evidently, that has offended at least one student, so the Bible has to go.  One problem – Mr. Freshwater and his convictions.  At the request of the School Board, the teacher has removed a copy of the Ten Commandments from the wall of his classroom and some other “objectionable” materials that might have been somehow construed as “Christian” – but the Bible was the last straw.  In direct defiance to his employer, John Freshwater has refused to remove the Bible from the desk.  He was offered a compromise – put it in a drawer when students were present and take it out when they left.  No deal – the humble, but courageous man has replied.  He has drawn the proverbial line in the sand – the Bible stays and the controversy exploded.

The ACLU rode into town with the fictional “Separation of Church & State” penciled in the margins of their Constitution.  They immediately threatened the School Board to force the teacher to remove the Bible from his desk or they would sue.  At this point in similar stories, the School board usually cowers before the mighty ACLU and cowardly compliance is the rule.  The ACLU did not bargain for John Freshwater or    This brave man has stood his ground, and the Bible remains on his desk.  Shortly after the initial confrontation over the Bible approximately, 75% of the students in the middle school brought Bibles to school (yes, a public school) and wore home-made t-shirts supporting their beloved teacher.  Reports surfaced of 8^th graders moving from class to class lugging huge family Bibles under their arms.  On a recent Sunday afternoon the swelled with hundreds of supporters for a public rally in support of their “teacher of the year” and his Bible.

No one can predict the end result of the controversy.   John Freshwater continues to teach with a “monitor” present in every class to make sure no one is injured by the Book on the corner of the desk.  The School Board has launched a full scale investigation into the “allegations”.  The Columbus Dispatch has launched a vicious campaign to malign the Christian teacher.  The ACLU is standing in the wings like a bunch of hungry jackals waiting to devour this good man, his reputation, his family and the well-being of his students.  Sadly, the large Christian Civil Liberty organizations that often help in cases such as this have been strangely silent.  It would seem that this battle is not a “slam dunk” and is not worthy of their attention.   Truly sad and very disappointing. 

Vernon, The battle unfolding there should interest every American.  The city was named after George Washington’s home and is nicknamed “Think of that for just a moment – a city with historic ties to George Washington just might declare it is illegal to have a Bible on the corner of a teacher’s desk.   How does this mesh with history?   It doesn’t.  The McGuffey readers used for generations in ’s public schools were filled with Bible references and Bible stories.  The school day began with prayer.  George Washington wrote eloquently about the role of religion in our form of government.  In his famous farewell address he stated the following, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens..  And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”  If the School Board of Vernon, Ohio bans the Bible from even the corner of a teacher’s desk – it would seem they were defying the wisdom of their namesake.  

You probably have never heard of John Freshwater.  Mr. Freshwater is comfortable with that.   This is a battle he did not choose – but one he has chosen to fight.  If John Freshwater’s Bible is taken off of his desk – will yours be next?   Pray for this man and his family.  They will have enormous legal bills and unbelievable stress placed upon them.  They deserve the support of every American who loves liberty.  This cannot, this must not stand!  

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Today, I rise to announce a new movement. I’ve never tried to start a movement before. I’m not even quite sure how to do it, so I’ll just announce it: It’s the Regressive Movement. We’ve got conservatives, liberals and progressives. Now it’s time for the regressives!

I was thinking the other day about all the times God’s people got “progressive” and came up with new ideas.

There was the time that was transporting the ark of God from the house of Abinadab where it had been stored. Now, God had a proper way to transport the ark, but it was a bit old fashioned. They were told that the ark should be transported on the shoulders of the priests with long rods inserted through rings on the corners of the ark. Well, someone got the idea that there was a better way. Some well-meaning progressives suggested that an ox cart would be much more efficient and faster. So on the ox cart the ark went. The result? Zap! Some guy named Uzza was struck dead. But it seemed like such a good idea—and very progressive.

Then there was old Korah. Great guy with lots of innovative ideas. Korah was thinking in his tent one day about how Moses was handling the affairs of the Children of Israel. He determined that Moses could use some help in the governance of . After all, Moses’ ideas were old fashioned and out-of-date. Korah said that Moses had “taken too much on himself.” Moses was an old dude, with old ideas. Korah was the innovator, the forward thinker. Result? The ground opened and Korah (and those who followed him) disappeared into the abyss.  

What about Abraham in his “cutting edge” days? God had made some promises to him and his wife, but it just didn’t seem like God was going to come through. The “old fashioned” way just wasn’t working. Perhaps God could use some help in the form of a woman named Hagar? Well, take a look at this morning’s headlines and see how well that “new” idea worked out! It seems that the seed of Isaac and the seed of Ishmael are still having a few problems.

We can’t forget Jonah. God had some really archaic ideas of how the city of was to be reached with His message (preaching). But Jonah had a better idea! (It’s a whale of a story.)

Remember who the first king of was? A big man named Saul. What a guy! Seems that God had some really silly notions about who could offer sacrifices. In 1 Samuel 13 Saul gets impatient with God’s plan and timing so he decides to “innovate” a little and offer his own sacrifice, his own way. Result? The Kingdom progresses right out of his hand.

In considering progressives and innovators in Scripture we must look at the “modern” ’ day. Talk about new ideas! The sacrificial system was old and cumbersome—some might even say, traditional—and messy. Some hip leaders at the had just finished reading “Velvet Herod” and streamlined the whole sacrificial process. Now you could just bop down to worship and buy what you needed when you got there! Convenient, comfortable, revolutionary. Seems Jesus wasn’t impressed; the innovators had the tables turned on them. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

Probably the greatest progressive of all was that old serpent in the Garden of Eden. Wow, did he have some great ideas! He took God’s words and with just a little nip and tuck, voila! A brand new message for Eve and her husband. It was really close to what God said, but now, updated and improved.

Ok, if you’ve actually made it this far, you’ve probably concluded I’m stuck in the dark ages of Church history and want to go back to stone cathedrals, pipe organs and Gregorian Chants. After all, sack cloth and hair shirts could make a come back! Nothing, actually, could be farther from the truth. There is nothing wrong with new methods, technology, and innovation—as long as they’re rooted firmly in biblical truth. But something grabbed my attention recently and I just can’t shake it.

If you look at the totality of Scripture and Church history I think you will come to a strange conclusion. In almost every instance of true revival, the revival was a “return” to truth. Throughout the Old Testament, is challenged to “go back” to God’s truth, God’s ways, and God’s methods. God’s people innovated and progressed right out of God’s will. As a result they lost God’s power and favor. Time and again they were encouraged to go back to the “old paths,” the “old ways.”

Throughout the history of the church I don’t believe you can find a single true revival that occurred as a result of anything but “going back” to faith, repentance, Scripture and dependence solely on God’s Word and power. This doesn’t mean that they threw out everything modern and cultural. They didn’t “revert” to another time culturally. But they did “regress” to the basics, the foundations, the fundamentals.

Here’s an honest question. Are things better in American Christianity now than 50 years ago? Are we having more or less impact on our culture? Is the culture looking more like the Church, or is the Church looking more like the culture? Maybe we’ve had enough progression and innovation for a while. Maybe it’s time to regress a little. Who knows, a genuine revival just might break out.

Bob Burney is Salem Communications’ award-winning host of Bob Burney Live! heard weekday afternoons on WRFD-AM 880 in

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Remember the old cliché, “Just when you think you’ve heard it all ...”? Well, you haven’t until you’ve heard this. I honestly thought the corporations that print today’s bibles had finally exhausted all of the possible “special editions.” I mean, what else is there after the “Left Handed, Near Sighted, Dyslexic with In-grown Toenail on the Right Big Toe, Giant Print, Red Letter Study Bible”? How about the “Poverty and Justice Bible”? The former is a joke; the latter is the real deal. But, frankly, I’m not sure which one is more ridiculous.

The Bible Society of the United Kingdom has announced its newest addition to avalanche of specialty Bibles we’ve seen in recent years. We’re told in their advertising that finally, after all these centuries and after all the previous special editions of the Bible, God’s real priorities are revealed. Forget about all those other Bibles and special editions—this one is “ground breaking.”

A headline on their Web site declares: “The Poverty and Justice Bible megaphones his voice as never before.” (Hmm—I never thought about God needing a megaphone, but evidently He does, and this Bible is it.) The hyperbole flows from the pen of the promoters: “The Poverty and Justice Bible. You know God cares for the poor. Now you can know how much.”

It is absolutely clear that God does care about the poor and so should we. Unfortunately, as you look deeper into the “Poverty and Justice Bible” (hereafter PJB), it is clear that the voice being “megaphoned” is less the voice of God than the theological and political left.

Even a cursory look at the list of people endorsing this new Bible reveals the agenda behind this it. The Emergents—a group many people categorize as part of the evangelical left—are represented by the likes of Rob Bell and the political left is represented by none other than Jim Wallis. Even Bono is cited as an inspiration and supporter. More than the endorsers, it’s the content that is most troubling.

The “Poverty and Justice Bible” emphasizes the “over 2,000 verses that spell out God’s attitude to poverty and justice.” A noble motive.  However, as the old saying states, “The Devil is in the details.” The Web site for this new Bible proudly presents some of the study materials contained in this special edition. Each poverty passage has its own study guide complete with a “Discover,” “Dream” and “Do” portion. The editors tell us that these practical study guides will help us understand poverty and injustice from God’s viewpoint. As you read them, you quickly discover that these study guides are more from the viewpoint of Al Gore (cf. “An Inconvenient Truth”) than that of God. And illustrations? Absolutely!

Consider this disturbing example of what awaits you in the pages of the PJB. As you study Proverbs 14:9 you are challenged in the “Do” section of the study guide to, “Identify your ignorance and do something about it. Use the media to stretch your mind and make you wise. Seek out wise writers, respected reporters intelligent entertainers—and learn from them.” What? Use the media to “stretch your mind and make you wise”?

The Bible constantly warns us about the “wisdom of the world” (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:20ff.). And this new Bible tells you to get your wisdom from a secular media. Oh, and don’t forget the “intelligent entertainers.” It gets worse. When you study Romans 13:8-10, the “Discover” section of the study guide declares, “Paul was a great traveler. It is estimated that he traveled more than 10,000 miles during his ministry. I wonder, if he were alive today, would he be zooming around on the equivalent of EasyJet? Would he be insulating his tent and reducing his carbon footprint?” I’m not making this up. Do you remember the last time you closed your Bible and meditated on how much insulation Paul should have put in his tent?

In the next paragraph of this particular study guide we’re told that if we really love people as Paul did we would make sure that we don’t harm the environment. Page after page of “application” condemns chain saws, deforestation, clear cutting and all things not “green.”

Had enough? How about this “Dream” section of the guide for Matt. 5:13-16: “You’re at a job interview for becoming a human. You’re asked how you intend to make a difference to this world. What do you say?” (A job interview for becoming a human? Who wrote this stuff, Jay Leno?)

Wait, there’s more. When you turn in your new PJB to Amos 5:21-24 you will be challenged to a deeper walk with Christ when you read this “Do” portion of the study guide: “Cultivate a relationship with your garden (or window box). Show it you care.” Can somebody tell me how I show my window box I care?  

To the committed Christian there is nothing more precious than the Bible because we understand it to be God’s word. When someone prostitutes this precious book for blatant political and ideological purposes everyone loses. Love the Bible, proclaim the Bible, study the Bible, memorize the Bible—but check your theological and political agendas at the door.

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The big “buzz” in the American Religious community is the recently released report from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.  In the secular and Christian media alike the results were being trumpeted as “shocking”, “disturbing” and “enlightening” as well as many other hyperbolic descriptions.  The keyboards of the “experts” began to hum churning out what all this means for the future of religion in

There will be much controversy about this report but there are certain conclusions that are unmistakable.  Mainline Protestant Denominations continue their plunge downward through mediocrity to total irrelevance.  No surprise there.  Evangelical churches continue to grow - especially those of the non-denominational variety.  Again, no surprise.  The ranks of the “unaffiliated” shows a rapid increase which is somewhat surprising and very troubling; at least on the surface.  Roman Catholicism is declining more quickly than any other “faith tradition” in One in four adults age 18 to 29 claim no affiliation with any religious institution.  Again, not surprising but troubling.   The study will be the fountain of discussion for the foreseeable future.

The report is filled with the typical statistics and analysis but possibly the most important conclusion is the conclusion reached by Greg Smith, a research fellow at the Pew Forum.  He states, “There is no question that the demographic balance has shifted in the past few decades toward evangelical churches.  They are now the mainline of American Protestantism.”   It’s not clear whether he mean them as such, but his words may be incredibly prophetic in scope.  What a fascinating and pregnant thought – Evangelical churches are now the mainline.  Indeed that may be exactly what is happening and it should cause every Evangelical great pause!

The worse kept secret in American Christianity is the continuing demise of mainline denominations.   Is it possible that Evangelicals could now take their place – not in success but in eventual decline?  Absolutely, if they follow the same pattern and it certainly seems that is where they are headed.  Indeed if the course many are charting is followed the Evangelical movement will suffer the same fate as the Mainlines. 

Hundreds of theories have been postulated as to the cause of the death of American Protestantism.  The clearest and most compelling argument must be their departure from Biblical authority.  A few decades ago liberal theologians gained control of the seminaries and instead of teaching their pastoral and theological students to love, trust and revere the Bible as God’s inspired, inerrant revelation to mankind, they were taught to question, doubt and debate the claims of scripture.  To question Truth became the ultimate objective rather than discovering Truth.  The “search” was not a part of the journey – it was the destination.  Young theologians were taught by their professors that Truth was unknowable even the truth of scripture.  They were instructed to believe that the Bible had to be re-interpreted by each generation.  Truth was defined not by the mind of God but the consensus of the present generation.  As years passed this new theology found its way from the seminary to the pulpit.  Something strange happened.  Those in the pew were more discerning than those in the pulpit.  Many couldn’t put their finger on it exactly, but they knew something was wrong.  Sermons no longer gave answers to life’s problems from the authority of scripture, they offered platitudes and philosophy.  Pulpits devoid of authority lost their power and those in the pew found the door.  The result?  Those in leadership analyzed the drastic situation of declining membership, attendance and revenue and decided that the answer was to…. become more liberal!  The farther the pulpit strayed away from the absolute authority of scripture the larger the stampeded to the parking lot, never to return.  The trend in the pulpit continues, the movement out the door accordingly.  The result?  The Mainline is no longer the mainline.  Evangelicals have taken their place – in more ways than one.

Even a peripheral examination of the current fads and trends within Evangelicalism show a shocking trend.  Those were have been characterized by a strict adherence to the authority of scripture are starting to walk in the footsteps of their mainline counterparts.  The that seems to gain strength daily is characterized, to a great extent, by the same propensities as those who led mainline Protestantism into oblivion.  Consider just one example of thousands.  Rob Bell is, without question, one of the most vocal of the Emergent leaders.  In his book, Velvet Elvis, he considers at length the importance of Biblical doctrine in today’s church.  While stressing continually his love for the Bible, his commitment to scripture and his “orthodoxy” he uses an extremely troubling illustration that contradicts his claims of orthodoxy.  He uses the “brick and spring” argument.  In his theology you look at Bible Doctrine either as a brick or a spring.   A brick is hard, unbending, unmovable, and static.  He berates those who hold this view of doctrine as being out of touch, legalistic and rigid.  On the other hand, a spring is pliable, moving, dynamic, constantly changing – it’s almost alive.  He then relates this to a trampoline.  The springs allow someone on the trampoline to bounce and move.  Now, it’s nice to have all the springs in place, but in reality you can remove several of them and still be able to bounce.  This is his view and the view of the concerning Bible Doctrine.  Doctrine is not to be understood but studied.  To question, to discuss, to debate is the end, not discovery and proclamation.  It would be nice to be able to truly “know” doctrine and to have it all in place – but it’s not necessary.   A spring here or there can be removed without hurting the trampoline.  In other words, the Virgin Birth is important, but not vital.  The whole concept of how a person is really justified may never be completely understood – so, as long as you love Jesus – you’re in.  This attack on the authority of scripture is much more dangerous than the liberals who destroyed the mainline denominations because it is much harder to discern.  It’s cloaked in the language and vocabulary of Evangelicalism but under the cloak is the doctrine of doubt rather than confidence.  To question scripture is more important than understanding it.  Same message as classic theological liberalism – different packaging. 

Unless the Evangelical church wakes up to the fact that the authority of the very Word of God is under attack in their very own movement – Evangelicalism will indeed become the new “mainline” with the same results.  

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