Perhaps you are not very familiar with Bono, the lead singer of the rock group U2, but you need to become familiar with him now! Bono was recently named as one of TIME Magazine’s persons of the year and appeared on its cover. Weeks later, Bono was a keynote speaker at the National Prayer Breakfast along with the President of the United States and other national leaders. A week later, Bono and his band received a Grammy for album of the year and song of the year.
Bono has been to the Oval Office, traveled to third-world countries with then Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neil and conferred with many of the world’s political and religious leaders. During the early part of 2005, credible publications wrote about whether or not Bono had a chance at being appointed President of the World Bank. While that did not occur, Bono continues to gain lots of press attention as he gives interviews for his campaign to have rich countries forgive the debit of third-world countries and calls for the nations of the world to fund a more aggressive campaign to deal with the AIDS epidemic in Africa.
I lay out this history so you will realize we are talking about a man that is well-spoken, media-savvy, and respected by many for his humanitarian efforts. This is not just another rocker.
Now, put all this as the backdrop for what you are about to learn. On Relevant Magazine’s website, Tara Leigh Cobble gives an interesting report of what she says she witnessed at a Bono concert:
About five songs into their set, Bono stopped the show and strapped on a headband with writing on it. I stared up at the JumboTron to see that the handwritten lettering said: COEXIST.
Coexisting sounds like a great idea. I fully support the peaceful philanthropy that Bono has encouraged, and this seemed like another way that he was trying to spread the message.
Except, it started to feel like more than a political message. The “C” in “coexist” was the Islamic crescent moon, the “X” was the Star of David, and the “T” was the cross of Christ. Bono pointed at the symbols on his headband—first to the cross, then to the star, then to the crescent moon—and he began to repeat:
The Coexist logo is certainly about promoting the worldview of pluralism and universalism. Pluralism is the belief that all religions are equal, and universalism is the belief that all religions are true and everyone will be saved because all roads lead to God.
The worldwide acceptance of pluralism and universalism will eventually lead to a one-world religion as discussed in the Bible. However, it appears that not everyone is opposed to the Coexist message. Who am I talking about? Well, it happens to be the EmergingChurch. In the words of Gomer Pile I say, “Surprise! Surprise!”
According to numerous websites and authors, Doug Paggtt is a leader of the EmergingChurch. Here is what Doug has written on his website:
Bono - my man.
If you are a reader of my blog you may be aware that I am not a Bono fan, at least not in the way that one needs to be to call themselves a fan. Not only would I not pay to go to a concert but every time I hear the name U2 I can't help but mouth the phrase "over-rated".I think Rattle and Hum was really good and Joshua Tree was a classic, but other than that, well. And I have pushed for Paul to use his real name and not persona when calling people to causes of humanity. But, today I am a fan. Through an email I read an article on the Relevant website of one person’s experience at a concert. I can't find the article on the website, but I read it in the email. It is called "How to Dismantle an Idolized Bono". She was disturbed by Bono's call to Coexist (which is as much a marketing effort of a line of productsas anything else, it seems to me). But the article’s author raises concerns about Bono not being what she thought because of his call for "oneness" and his use of the Coexist logo which included the Crescent Moon, Star of David, and Cross. The article makes statements that made me groan aloud, and yell in frustration a couple of times. It drove me to Bono's side, to come to his defense, to join the Coexist crowd. So, here's to you my man Bono.
On August 10th-12th, Pastor Bill Hybels, and his Willow Creek Association, will be sponsoring their Leadership Summit 2006. Bono will be featured at the conference in a videotaped interview with Bill Hybels.
Is this the point we are to set aside our Bibles, our doctrine and convictions and join hands and sing the song, We are the World? After all, one singer reportedly said the song was not so much to feed the starving people of Ethiopia, but “it was to create a sense of globalism and unity and oneness in the children.”
Since “oneness” seems to be the goal of the Emerging Church, I am confident that this should be their movement’s theme song. Perhaps all the EC leaders could get together and film their own music video of them singing this song and wearing the Coexist T-shirt?
I know that sound fundamental Christian doctrines are not really on the radar screen of the EmergingChurch or their leaders, but let me remind them of what Jesus Christ said in John 14:6 that flies in the face of pluralism and universalism:
I am the way, truth and life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Act 4:12: Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
It does not get any more exclusive than that my friends.
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The Emergent Church is just the next logical step in the evolution of Sola Scriptura.
Martin Luther opened the door for Satan, now look at what we have now and there is not a bloody thing anyone on this earth can do about it. As scripture says: Satan is the God of this world. ________
2Th 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. _________
Did you know that the Roman Empire fell in 476 and then there was 7 years of tribulation after the fall and then Jesus ruled with an Iron Rod thru his Church for 1000 years and then at the end of 1000 years in 1483 Martin Luther was born. Satan was let loose for a time? ________
We are all just waiting for the Glorious Appearance now. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Bono, Universalism, and the Emerging Church?
Posted On: 03/13/07 01:42:07 PM
Age 43, IN
Everyone is entitled to speak what they believe to be truth. In the end, there is only one truth and those who claim to speak it will be called forth and judged for their acts on earth. If in error, I would not want to be in their shoes.
I don't fully understand why the author gets so worked up about something as stupid as a COEXIST headband and some guy playing to his audience as an entertainer and not an evangelist. I don't think anyone would confuse Bono with Billy Graham.
If we're going to have any reasonable chance at reaching Muslims for Christ, then we're going to have to co-exist with them. I'd have thought fundamentalist Christians would have learned a lesson about that from The Crusades. Certainly going over there and trying to wipe them out isn't going to work. A more tactful approach is needed, the same approach Christ used with the woman at the well, the tax collector, and other wayward souls He encountered during His ministry.
If you believe guys like Bill Hybels have decided to drop the Bible in favor of pop culture, then you really haven't spent much time with them. Otherwise you would realize that everything they do is rooted in Biblical truth and presented in a manner that people can grasp and understand. Is that not what Christ did through His use of parables? He didn't weigh people down with a lot of quotes from Mosaic Law. Instead, Christ used stories and examples that His listeners could relate to easily and make the connection between His teachings and their lives. That is what it means to be culturally relevant.
This whole notion of "the Emerging Church" is nothing more than a slick scare tactic created by those who seem to delight in mixing elements of OT Law (legalisms) with Christ's Gospel of Grace. Created by those who love to impose rules that are nowhere to be found in New Testament Scripture. If you need rules, fine. But don't judge those believers who choose not to follow your rules. Created by those who wouldn't recognize grace if it hit them in the face. Paul took Peter to task over his mixing of grace and law. This public website needs to taken to task over it as well. Click here to reply to this post
JESUS PREACHED THE LAW TO THE RICH AND MERCY TO THE POOR
Posted On: 05/09/08 10:27:51 AM
Age 64, OH
You say, Jesus did not preach the law. Have you ever read the sermon on the mount. Here is a little part of that sermon: Luke 6: 24"But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.-- Lou Click here to reply to this post
Re: Bono, Universalism, and the Emerging Church?
Posted On: 05/08/08 09:34:44 AM
Age 44, NH
What Brannon is reporting is clear. Brannon is not saying that he wants to go to war, or that people do not have a right to believe in what they want. Brannon is simply pointing out that Christians must not give in to the unitarian "all roads lead to heaven" nonsense. Jesus Christ was clear in his teaching that He is the way, the truth and the life! Emergent liberals are simply warmed over 18th century liberals. Bono may do good work, and that is fine but he is a globalist, and to say that we coexist in a "we are the world" utopia is not going to happen. The bible is clear that Jesus did not come to bring world peace under all religion. He has come with the sword of His Word and will sepperate the believer from the unbeliever. Christians must always treat all people with love however we must NEVER COMPROMISE the foundational truths of the Word of God for the sake of "unity". Click here to reply to this post
Re: Bono, Universalism, and the Emerging Church?
Posted On: 08/08/06 12:56:07 PM
Age 24, IL
Bono is a believer in Jesus Christ and that He was God. His comments have to do with peace and oneness in the sense that all religions and ideas, especially these three religions, can in fact coexist, for they stem from a similar central idea...even if they didn't, we can all as people coexist. Bono doesn't feel he has to declare what he personally beleives is right in order to accept that others have different ideas and that we can all be peaceful about that difference if we choose to be. The only danger I see comes from people like this columnist who feel peace and oneness is means thinking all roads lead to God. It is the inability to live with eachothers' differences that leads to the violence Bono is protesting. I've learned more about God and Christ from listening to U2 than I have listening to most pastors these days. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Bono, Universalism, and the Emerging Church?
Posted On: 03/02/06 02:01:20 AM
Age 21, MN
This is my second feedback, i'm sorry. I happen to own the DVD of U2's Vertigo tour that includes the "coexist" comments by Bono. I just got done watching the part in question. Bono does not say "all true". He clearly says "Jesus, Jew, Muhammed, it's true...all sons of Abraham". You can't argue with that, read the Bible, Jesus was Jewish and the Jewish people descended from Abraham through his son Isaac, and then Through Isaac's son Jacob. Muhammed is said to be of the line of Ismail, Abraham's son who was born to Abraham's servant Hagar. Bono makes his statements during the song "Sunday Bloody Sunday" which was written in regards to the violence in Ireland, fights that were being fought over religion. It is a call to love even our enemy, as Jesus instructs. Lets try to love, and quit being so quick to jump to conclusions and judge people, ie. the Emergant Church. Whether the emergant church is right or wrong lets take to heart what Jesus says in Matthew 7:1-6.
Mark Bjornrud Click here to reply to this post
Re: Bono, Universalism, and the Emerging Church?
Posted On: 03/02/06 01:06:46 AM
Age 21, MN
So much hate, where is the love. You lump together so many people due to your assumption of the motives of one man. There is such a vendetta against the Emergant Church, do you seek out ways to bash your brothers and sisters in Christ. Even if the EC is the enemy, Jesus told us to love our enemies, i feel no love here. My view of what Bono is attempting to get across through the co-exist slogan is simply a message of love, not universalness. Muslims, Jews, and Christians, we are all on this planet together, we need to learn to love one another, as Jesus has commanded. I think he's on to something, but we as Christians are apparently far from being able to love Jews and Muslims, since we can't even find love for eachother. This, and many other articles i have seen on this site, prove that with the constant and ridiculous attacks on the EC. It saddens me.
Mark Bjornrud Click here to reply to this post
What's love got to do with it?
Posted On: 05/14/08 08:27:43 AM
Age 47, MO
Mark: My appologies to Tina Turner, but you want to FEEL the love? Is that what Jesus was feeling while he was being beat to a bloody pulp? Is the love what he was exclaiming when He said: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", Is the feeling of love what drove God to destroy S&G?, Was God feeling the love when He called Peter a Satan? Mark, I fear your theology is not based upon the gospel truth but upon a feeling of what you think God is. God is not love as you understand love to be. God is love as HIS holiness and HIS rightousness dictates. John Click here to reply to this post
Thank you so much for educating us as parents so we can accurately instruct our teens who have grown up with blind trust of our own church and Christians in general. While we want the deep love for them to continue, I see the strong need now to train them to have BIBLICAL discernment. Hearing what is taking place at our Evangelical leadership meetings/breakfast etc. is most concerning. Doesn't Bono's goal of "coexist" match the call of the King of Jordan at the same National Prayer Breakfast for unity among moderate Jews, Christians, and Muslims to face down "extremism" which was enthusiasticly received by over 2000 of our Evangelical leaders? And this sure matches Rick Warren's quote published on Jan 8th in the Philadelphia Inquirer stating that fundamentalism will be one of the big enemies of the 21st century-Muslim,Christian, Jewish and secular fundamentalism which he said are all motivated by fear. This attitude against God-fearing, Bible believing brothers and sisters in Christ is proof of where they stand. I have been fooled by these leaders in the past, but will use much more discernment in the future. Thanks again for your research. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Bono, Universalism, and the Emerging Church?
Posted On: 02/28/06 03:11:55 PM
Age 38, PA
Mr. Howse,
Although we would agree that vigilance against eresy is a good and commanded mission, your lumping of all the EC and "the leaders" into one basket is false, misleading and in direct conflict with bearing false witness against another person. EC is just a catch-phrase, not an organization that encompasses all the emergent churches. By definition and practice, much of the emergent churches are not under the authority of the EC leadership team. They are not monolithic and much of them are more true to the King than much of evangelicalism.
Your pointing out the faults of the many and using them to paint the whole is repugnant to the teachings of Jesus, Paul, Peter as well as others. Truth w/o love is like a gong remember...? We are in agreement on pointing out error Mr. Howse, where we differ is on whether or not Jesus condones the besmirching of the innocent because of our ignorance or indifference.
Jim Ricker Click here to reply to this post
Bono and U2 have become a "Smoke" and Mirror show
Posted On: 02/28/06 11:15:11 AM
Age 51, VA
Brannon;
Thanks so much for exposing this issue. While I was very well aware that Bono had become a rather self serving person in the name of humanism, I did not know that he had crossed this line.
The only thoughts that I can raise are included in Matthew 7:13-14 and John 8:42. It certainly seems to me that Bono does not really know the Son. Therefore, I question his delivery, methods and goals in light of the knowledge he is espousing regarding his god.
I now think Bono and I do not share the same God.
Thanks again. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Bono and U2 have become a
Posted On: 03/28/06 05:09:59 PM
Age 57, IL
I agree that according to the guidelines of Scripture, a believer would have to question whether Bono is a believer in Jesus Christ. Christians are not being unloving or judgmental in making such observations. If so accused, the Lord would also be included in the accusation as He taught us to love our enemies--but not to excuse them of their unbelief. He certainly will not on the day of judgment [Revelation 20:11-15]. To ignore unbelief is not to love them--it is to enable them right into eternal damnation. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Bono, Universalism, and the Emerging Church?
Posted On: 02/28/06 10:18:16 AM
Age 71, CA
Thanks for the article - chilling , but exciting. The apostate church of the end times is rising before our eyes. Tellling us we must be about our Father's business more ie. evangelize; we may be the generation that sees Jesus return. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Re: Bono, Universalism, and the Emerging Church?
Posted On: 03/05/06 08:50:37 AM
Age 35, IL
I'm confused...if the One World Church is one of the harbingers of the apocalypse, what are you worried about? Aren't you one of the ones going up to live with Jesus? Leave the judgment to God...worry about your own souls. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Re: Re: Bono, Universalism, and the Emerging Church?
Posted On: 03/06/06 11:10:21 AM
Age 28, KS
This statement is a joke, right? The Bible is more then just pick and choose scriptures - it all goes hand and hand. We need to get the TRUTH out there and warn Christians not to be deceived ... seperation is Biblical. Agape love is not mushy 'tolerant' love, get your Bibles out and do some research on your own instead of listening to the WCC and the like. All roads do not lead to God, and all "christians" are not true to Biblical teachings. Love the Truth. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Re: Re: Re: Bono, Universalism, and the Emerging Church?
Posted On: 03/28/06 05:22:26 PM
Age 57, IL
I heartily agree. When will Christians quit letting the world define "love" and "judgment"? In Matthew 7, most so-called Christians go no futher than verse 1: "Do not judge..." Read on. "You hypocrite, FIRST take the plank out of your own eye, and THEN you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." [Matthew 7:5] The Lord is telling us HOW to judge--not self-righteously, but after making sure we are not guilty of the same sin. If He were giving us a blanket command not to judge in any circumstance, than why tell us NOT to give "dogs" what is sacred or throw our pearls to "pigs." [vs. 6] Dogs and pigs were the most unclean of the animals to a Jew--certainly the Lord was making a judgment in classifying certain people as "dogs" and "pigs" in giving that instruction--and He still "loved" everyone. Click here to reply to this post
