Fide Libre

Census Commentary by Pastor Bill Hofer I believe that as a Christian I have dual citizenship.  I am a citizen of heaven (Eph. 2:19, 20) and I am a citizen of the United States of America.   It is my duty to be the best possible citizen I can.  Because of this I am not counseling anyone to deliberately break the law.  You have received in your mail a survey from the U.S. Census Bureau.  It is my opinion, and not necessarily the opinion of the Elders of Weed Berean Church, that this survey goes far beyond what we are required to supply to our government.  While you may fill in every blank on the form you are not required to do so.  Here is a sample letter from the website of U.S. Congressman Ron Paul, (R) TX that he recommends you use with your partially completed form. For my form I will only supply my name and the number of persons residing at my address. To Whom it May Concern, Pursuant to Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution,...

“Butler Rebuttal” Is God a Moral Monster? A few years ago a Mr. Butler wrote a guest column in the Siskiyou Daily News (2/20/12) that was brought to my attention from a parishioner.  He laid the blame for centuries of warfare at the feet of religion.  He saved his biggest shots for the Bible as a “manual of wanton bloodshed” and accused the God of the Bible to be monstrous. I responded with the following letter to the editor. It is unfortunate that Mr. Butler ascribes a moral equivalency to all religions illustrated in the history of warfare.  He has every right to his own opinion, but he does not have the right to his own facts.  Throughout America’s history she has fought many wars against nations but not a single war has ever been to spread Christianity.  Recent wars in Kosovo and Bosnia were actually fought to protect Muslim minorities from ethnic cleansing.    Butler tries to bolster his case with stories from the Old Testament and “sugges...

“Heading for Another Hiroshima?” Rev. Bill Hofer Yesterday marks the 76 th anniversary of that “day that will live in infamy.”  The US ended that war successfully, if success is measured by 416,000 US dead compared to 60 million for the rest of the world.  An incredible 3% of the 2.3 billion alive in 1940!  In what, six years?  The end came when “little boy” incinerated 80,000 people in Hiroshima, another bomb killed 70,000 in Nagasaki three days later, with over 250,000 counting radiation aftermath.  The debate rages whether it was necessary 7 decades later.  My own position has changed over the years.  Evidently I am not alone.  See the chart below.  Table 1. 2015 Replication of the Roper/Fortune 1945 Poll                              Polling in the United States on the use of Atomic Bombs on Japan Polling Question : “Which of these comes closest to...

7 Sure-Fire Ways to Recognize False Teachers A false teacher isn’t going to tell you he’s teaching heresy. In fact, he’ll usually look and sound so sincere and passionate that you wouldn’t know he’s actually twisting God’s Word. The size of the crowds around him won’t tell you much either, since many people have been and continue to be led astray by teaching that pleases their ears.           The prophet Jeremiah kept telling the people of Judah over and over what God planned for Jerusalem, urging them to turn from their wicked ways. But the people preferred to listen to false prophets who told them what they wanted to hear. We have to make sure we’re not doing the same. So, how exactly can you tell if someone is “wolf in sheep’s clothing”? You become a “fruit inspector,” just as Jesus said ( Matthew 7:15–16 ). According to Pastor Shane Idleman of Westside Christian Fellowship, there are 7 telltale signs that can take the wool from our eyes: 1. Diffe...

Women in Ministry A look at Headship and Equality Rev. William Hofer I.  PALIN PREDICAMENT         Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin could be “a heartbeat away” from the presidency.  If she were to succeed a President McCain she would be: The commander in chief of the strongest military on earth The chief executive of the strongest nation on earth Able to appoint justices to the highest Court in the United States Able to appoint Cabinet members Able to establish foreign policy Able to veto congressional legislation But in many places in the Christian world she couldn’t do what I am doing right now, i.e. give a message from the Bible to an audience that includes adult males. Why?  Because we have been taught that women are: Prohibited by Scripture from teaching men (although she can teach women and children) Weaker vessels and not capable (Rabbinical teaching, “it is better ...

Celebrating the Cause & Cautioning the Celebrants                                             Rev. Bill Hofer This week Christians the world over observed with varying degrees of enthusiasm the 500 th anniversary of Martin Luther’s famous “95 Theses” on the door of the Wittenberg Church. Unbeknownst to him he ignited a firestorm that has divided Christendom ever since.  That was not his intent.  He wanted to reform the Catholic Church from within.  The hierarchy, however, would have none of it. They pressured him to abandon what he believed was true.  He would not. We should not only remember his courage but celebrate his convictions.  Among them are these: ·     An emphasis on grace vs works for salvation ·     An emphasis on authority of Scripture above authority of the Church ·     A rep...