Camp David. Christian
camp between Hastings and Waipawa, Hawkes Bay. "Camp
David Adventure Centre is an outdoor education centre with a Godly
emphasis."
Camping, Harold. Harold
Camping (born 19 July 1921) is the founder of Family
Radio. He teaches that all churches are wrong and must be abandoned.
In 1992 he published a book predicting the end of the world would very
likely be in September 1994. (I must have missed it - Editor.)
He now teaches that judgment day and the rapture will be on 21 May 2011
and the end of the world on 21 October 2011. For more information see
Cultwatch's article on Harold
Camping, which includes valuable advice to those who believe the
date is correct. Update: With the failure of his 12 May 2011 prediction
he changed his prediction to 21 October 2011, five months later.
He says the original prediction was fulfilled spiritually, and that God
has now judged the world, meaning that there's no reason to warn anyone
or preach the gospel any more. For this Harold Camping gets a Danger rating.
Update: In March 2012 Harold Camping (aged 90) apologised for his false predictions of the end of the world in 2011. Although he appears to be minimalising his personal responsibility by saying "we" (meaning Family Radio) not "I", he sounds a much wiser person now.
Yes, we humbly acknowledge we were wrong about the timing; ... We have learned the very painful lesson that all of creation is in God’s hands and He will end time in His time, not ours! We humbly recognize that God may not tell His people the date when Christ will return, any more than He tells anyone the date they will die physically. ... we now realize that those people who were calling our attention to the Bible’s statement that "of that day and hour knoweth no man" (Matthew 24:36 & Mark 13:32), were right in their understanding of those verses and Family Radio was wrong. ... We tremble before God as we humbly ask Him for forgiveness for making that sinful statement. We are so thankful that God is so loving that He will forgive even this sin.
"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already
tomorrow in New Zealand." - Charles Schultz, cartoonist/creator
of Peanuts.
Campolo, Tony. Tony Campolo is an American pastor, author and speaker. He has visited New Zealand in an evangelistic capacity. Some of his recent public statements appear to have endorsed teachings of the Emerging Church, including universalism, and he appears to now teach a mystical Christianity. This is nothing new - he was accused of heresy for stating in his book A Reasonable Faith in 1983 "Jesus is actually present in each other person." This listing is under review. Submissions for this listing are now being accepted. Please see the Contact page.
Catholic Church. "Catholic"
is a word meaning "universal." In other words, "the catholic
church" (small "c") refers to the whole Christian church
(literally the universal church) and is not technically the same as the Roman
Catholic Church (with capital initials). However, in common usage
people normally use "the Catholic church"
(big "c") to refer to the Roman Catholics.
Central Auckland Church of Christ. Cult/former
cult. Auckland branch of the International Church
of Christ. See also Christchurch Church of Christ.
The International Church of Christ is currently facing massive internal
changes that may result in the "cult" designation being changed.
For more information see www.rightcyberup.com.
Centrepoint Commune. A
former cult/community based near Albany, a little north of Auckland,
led by Bert Potter. Now disbanded.
Ceragem Massage. A
massage technique supposedly "based on the principles of oriental
science" and made possible by the use of high-tech massage beds
which combine the principles of acupressure with
modern infra-red (heat) technology. The aim of Ceragem Massage is to
balance qi forces within the body, and so qualifies as a New
Age practice. It does this by using chiropractic techniques, moxibustion and
the semi-precious stone jade (which supposedly has an affect on qi).
Another interesting (and questionable) claim is that it improves cholesterol
levels in veins by dissolving the cholesterol so the blood can wash it
away. (Surely this would dangerously increase cholesterol levels in the
blood?) Ceragem Massage is given a Danger rating here because
it involves the use of techniques Christians should stay away from, not
because any physical harm is likely to result from its use (possible
cholesterol problems aside).
Chadwick, Stephanie. Ms "Steve" Chadwick
is a Labour list MP (ie, unelected), formerly of the Rotorua electorate.
Political figure rather than religious, but assigned a Danger rating
for the danger she posed to the physical well-being of New Zealand children
because of a pro-abortion bill she proposed
in July 2010, which would provide abortion on demand at up to 24 weeks. NZ
Herald article. The change from the present 20 week limit is
particularly barbaric when one considers that at that age the babies
can survive outside the womb. One study showed at least 18% of babies
born at just 23 weeks survive, while almost half of babies born
at 24 weeks survive. Another study mentioned in the
same article claims that by the late 1990s there was a 71% survival
rate for babies born at 22-25 weeks.
Chaitanya, Ananya. Ananya
Chaitanya is the main spokesperson/teacher of the New
Age, Hindu-based Foundation
for Self Knowledge Inc based in Hillsborough, Auckland. She has many
contradictory teachings. For example, "All these [celebrations etc]
are meant to draw a person home, towards the Self" and "You should
not enjoy [Deepavali] alone - in participating,
in togetherness, you are not being self-centred." Yet from the first
quote we can see that togetherness is counter-productive in moving toward
her idea of godhood - Self. She is given a Caution rating here
because of her New Age teachings, not because
she as a person is necessarily someone to be cautious of.
Children of God. Cult founded by
David Berg in 1968 in the USA. Now known as The
Family International (listed under "The"). Infamous for
encouraging free sex including adult-child sex, and techniques such as "flirty
fishing" for evangelism. They say adult-child sex was banned in
1986.
Chiropractic.
Alternative medical con/scam. Chiropractors "manipulate" their clients
(eg, by popping neck and back vertebrae, etc) to prevent or treat real or imaginary
ailments. In opposition to the scientific evidence (see this Times
article), many chiropractors claim that all sorts of things can be successfully
treated, including asthma, bed wetting, colds, etc, and especially a particularly
dangerous - and fictitious - condition called a vertebral subluxation. Chiropractors
are divided on just what a vertebral subluxation is. Some chiropractors say
they are too small to see, some conveniently claim their nature means they don't
show up physically. A vertebral subluxation has never been seen on an
x-ray, but the complete lack of physical evidence doesn't stop chiropractors
diagnosing them. Chirobase
has an interesting article Chiropractic's
Elusive "Subluxation" by Stephen Barrett MD:
Subluxation is also a medical term. The medical definition is
incomplete or partial dislocation – a condition, visible on x-ray films,
in which the bony surfaces of a joint no longer face each other exactly but
remain partially aligned. No such condition can be corrected by chiropractic
treatment.
(Emphasis added.) The report concludes:
My advice about "subluxations" is very simple. If
a chiropractor purports to locate and fix them – "killer" or
otherwise – seek treatment somewhere else.
If you're interested in following up this issue, we suggest a chiropractic
research project: Call your local chiropractors and ask to see some examples
of vertebral subluxations on x-rays. Let us know your results (see the Contact
page).
"I do not believe that anybody can manipulate the spine
– and that includes physicians who claim to be able to do it – without
it jumping right back because it takes several hundred pounds of pressure to
manipulate the spine. You may move it temporarily, but it's gonna go back to
the same position." – Dr. Reuben Hoppenstein, neurosurgeon at
the Orthopedic Institute of the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City.
He is co-chief of its Problem Back Service. His entire practice is devoted to
microsurgery of the spine.
"Actually, it's been disproven that you can influence the
nerves by manipulating the spine. An anatomist at Yale took people within a
few hours after death and hooked them up to a machine and found that the only
way you can twist the spine to cause the nerve to be interfered with –
like chiropractors say – is to rupture the ligaments, and that would kill
a person." – Dr. Stephen Barrett is a psychiatrist, a consumer
advocate and a medical writer.
"... there's a lot of clearance where the nerves come out
of the spine and you'd literally have to do a lot of disruption of ligaments
and exert 2,000 pounds of pressure in order to try and damage that nerve or
relieve any pressure on that nerve." – Dr. Reuben Hoppenstein.
The simple (and understandable) aim of chiropractors is to make money. The
way most do this is to get as many clients as they can returning for regular
treatments. Chiropractors don't even try to hide this, but try to avoid the
question by claiming that chiropractic treatment should be regular and ongoing,
and imply that serious health problems may result if treatment is not taken
regularly.This is basically the opposite of a GP who (ideally) wants his/her
patient to get better so they don't need to be seen again. Since most people
need no special treatment, by signing on for ongoing chiropractic treatment
a patient is effectively offering the chiropractor their open wallet.
According to Consumer
magazine a few New Zealand chiropractors (15 out of 300 total chiropractors
in NZ) are now adhering to an American set of business practices called Waiting
List Practices (WLP) to enlarge the size of their client base. The result is
healthy people being conned and/or scared into paying around $2,000 for a whole
year of treatment they don't need. The Caution rating is given because
of the huge amount of money wasted on chiropractic treatment (for a family of
four, this could be over $5,300 per year). The New Zealand Cult List acknowledges
that some back treatment may be required in some circumstances, but we suggest
you see your family doctor first. Let them refer you to a physiotherapist if
they deem it appropriate, not a chiropractor.
See Quackwatch
and Chirobase
for more information. Of particular interest is Chirobase's article on the placebo
effect and chiropractic. The article explains how Chiropractic also utilises
the "nocebo" effect (see placebo in the
Glossary) by playing on fear that
a person's health may suffer if treatment is avoided. This is a mind
control technique.
Of interest to those who have trouble understanding why any New Zealand tertiary
institutions would offer Chiropractic degrees, is the write-up of Concerns
About Chiropractic at York University. On the Introduction
page they quote the British Medical Journal (editorial from 18 July 1998):
"we can conclude only that the effectiveness of chiropractic
as a treatment for low back pain has not been established beyond a reasonable
doubt," and, "[o]n the basis of current evidence, it seems uncertain
whether chiropractic does more good than harm."
Christ College of Trans-Himalayan
Wisdom. A
school teaching the very occult and esoteric Ageless
Wisdom and other Eastern
teachings. Formerly operated as Seven
Ray Foundation.
Christchurch Church of Christ. Cult/former
cult. Christchurch branch of the International Church
of Christ, formerly led by Angus McFarlane. Also see Central
Auckland Church of Christ. The International Church of Christ is
currently facing massive internal changes that may result in the "cult"
designation being changed. For more information see www.rightcyberup.com.
Christadelphians.
Cult. Founded in 1833 by John Thomas (b. 12 April 1805, d. 1871) in the USA,
although it wasn't offically called Christadelphians until 1865, a name chosen
by John Thomas which had been used by some branches before then. They're big
on end-times prophecies and doom-and-gloom stuff, although in New Zealand are
nowhere near as high-profile as the Seventh-Day Adventists
on that topic. Each Christadelphian branch is operated independently and is
called an "ecclesia" - from the Greek word meaning church. Unlike
other cults
of Christianity such as JWs and Mormons,
Christadelphians have no formal hierarchy, and instead get things done by committee,
with Christadelphian members being voted onto the committees on a yearly basis.
On the theological side of things the Christadelphians think that Jesus is a
created being and that he was born with a sinful nature* (and yet never actually
sinned), the Holy Spirit is just the "power" of God, there is no personal
devil (they believe the devil is just the impulse to do evil), no Hell, etc
- all of which contradicts Christian teaching. On the practical side, Christadelphians
believe people are saved by works, which means they have to do stuff such as
be baptised (like the Jehovah's Witnesses' belief that
JWs have to go door knocking to be saved). To be saved (or become Christadelphian
members) Christadelphians have to be baptised, after an interview (described
by some as a "lengthy interrogation") by other Christadelphians to
see if they have an intellectual understanding in accordance with John Thomas'
teachings. Some ecclesia are thought to have at times discouraged membership
of groups outside of the Christadelphians (eg, women's social club, after-school
sports, etc), perhaps for being too worldly, but for many New Zealand branches
this has apparently not been an issue. Women are supposed to keep silent in
church but are allowed to teach children. The 1996 NZ Census
showed a little over 1700 members in New Zealand.
* Note that Christadelphians don't believe in original sin - that babies are
born inheriting the consequences of Adam and Eve's sin. Also, in the 1880s a
split occurred which resulted in some Christadelphians accepting that Jesus
was born pure, which affected their beliefs regarding Jesus' sacrificial atonment.
An attempt in the USA in the 1970s to reunite the two groups was unsuccessful.
Christian Believers Church. Tauranga
church based on the seriously bad teachings of false prophet William
Branham. Pastored by Albert Ruegg, who
runs a web site with a similar name.
Christian Community Church. Former
name of the Cooperites, while they were at Cust.
Christian Friendship Fellowship. Christian
organisation for "expanding your group of Christian friends."
Christian Science. Cult.
Founded by Mary Baker Eddy on 23 August 1879.
Believes evil, pain and suffering is just an illusion - an unlivable
worldview. (See the Self
Refuting Statements page for more on reality being an illusion.)
For more information see Watchman Fellowship's Christian
Science Profile or read Harriet Zimmerman's testimony of
how she left Christian Science.
Christians on Campus. Also
known as The Christian Club and the Meeting Place. University front group
of the Local Church of Witness Lee sect/cult.
Has a presence at Auckland, Waikato, Christchurch, Dunedin and possibly
others. While members are reported to be "really friendly",
they also have a tendency to harass other students. Members participate
in various Local Church practices including "prayer reading"
of the Local Church version of the Bible, the Recovery
Version.
Chun Do Sun Bup. Also
known as Ki Health International and Ki Institute.
Submissions for this listing are now being accepted. Please see the Contact page.
Church of Christ. There are many churches in New Zealand with
the words Church of Christ in their name, such as the Church of
Christ New Zealand, branches of the Associated Churches of Christ, etc.
Most are pretty good. A small minority has a tendency to get a little
legalistic, or claim (overtly or by implication) that they are the only
true church. At the extreme the International Church
of Christ (with the two branches Central Auckland and Christchurch)
was until recent years considered a cult - read more in their listing.
If you have any concerns about a particular Church of Christ branch please
read the Cult FAQ.
Church of Christ, Scientist. Cult.
Formal name of Christian Science and
First Church of Christ, Scientist.
Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee). Mainstream
Pentecostal church denomination, small in New Zealand - about 400 adherents
in the 2001 census - but claims about 6 million members worldwide, in
(variously mentioned) "nearly 150" or 166 countries. Founded
in 1886 in Tennessee, USA, where its legal name is simply Church of
God. However it often uses (Cleveland, Tennessee) to distinguish
itself from other groups with Church of God in their name, some
of which are less than desirable to be associated with, even accidentally.
Led in New Zealand by Bishop Rev Ray Bloomfield, an interdenominational
chaplain at Rotorua Hospital. He was ordained as a Bishop in April
2006 by foreign leaders Rev Jack Morris and Rev Thomas J Sands (both
from Australia) and Dr Manning Thornton (USA). As with many Pentecostal
churches, their Declaration of Faith (on their international web site)
emphasises the importance of speaking in tongues and water baptism, but
Rev Bloomfield points out that the Church of God does not believe either
is essential for salvation, and says the Church of God is a conservative
Wesleyan Holiness church. Connected with Church of God
World Missions.
Church of God Preparing for the Kingdom of God. Cult.
Often called Church of God PKG. It was founded and is led by Ronald
Weinland, who believes he and his wife are the two witnesses mentioned
in Revelation 11, and that the end of the world will be in May 2012.
This is explained (or maybe not) in Ronald Weinland's book The
Prophesied END-TIME. There are probably less than two dozen members
in New Zealand and they do not have their own building but gather in
Rotorua a few times a year to celebrate Jewish festivals. Wayne Matthews
in Melbourne, Australia has been appointed as evangelist over Australia
and New Zealand. Adrian Gray is an elder in New Zealand, and Associate
Elders in New Zealand are Rex Blake, Cindy Gray, Pat Cameron, and Pauline
Cameron.
Church of God World Missions. Do
not confuse with the similarly named World Mission
Society Church of God. The Church of God World Missions is the Mission
Division of the Church of God (Cleveland), and operates
under their organisational structure. It was started in the Bahamas in
1910 by Robert M Evans (65 years old at the time, a retired Methodist
minister formerly living in Florida).
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Cult
through and through. Also known as Latter-day Saints or (most commonly)
Mormons - a nickname they accept although they prefer their proper name.
They very much want to appear to be Christians but have major differences
from correct Christian doctrine. Members are subjected to extremely strong
mind control. Their official books include the Bible, but they hold that
as being less important than three other books - namely, The
Book of Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants and Pearl
of Great Price. It is interesting that The Book of Mormon has
had about 4000 word and doctrine changes since the 1830 edition. Mormon
temples never have crosses, but instead have a spire. Members do not
smoke or drink alcohol or caffeine, and are known for riding bicycles
(in pairs) while wearing suits. Maoris and Pacific Islanders are particularly
well represented in the cult (as far as numbers go). Founded by Joseph
Smith in 1830. Mormons believe that wearing special underwear will
protect them from spiritual attack. For more information see the Closeup on Latter-day
Saints/Mormons.
In June 2004 the Mormons sued a New Zealand
individual (RS) because he registered the domain name FamilySearch.co.nz (in
September 2000) for his adoption reunion web site. He changed the name
of his web site but kept the FamilySearch domain name so email will still
get to him. The Mormon church would not comment to TV3 because the law
suit is pending. The Mormons claim that since they hold the trademark
for familysearch, RS owning and using the domain name is an illegal use.
It is believed RS registered the domain name six months before the Mormons
registered the trademark.
Church of Scientology. Formal
name of Scientology cult. Stay well clear
of it.
Church of the New Jerusalem. A Swedenborg group.
Not known to be in New Zealand under this name, but Swedenborgianism
is represented here by the New Church in New
Zealand.
Citizen's Commission on Human Rights (CCHR).Scientology front
group with a presence in New Zealand. Stay well clear of it.
Clonaid. In
1997 the Raëlians founded Clonaid in
the Bahamas (a tax haven) with the stated aim of cloning people for the
purpose of Raëlians living forever. Clonaid - which turns out to
be a product, not
a company name - made international headlines at the end of 2002
for claiming they had successfully cloned a human, then again several
more times in following years. In total twelve cloned humans have been
claimed, allegedly born in such places as Israel, the Netherlands, Japan,
South Korea and Australia. However, Clonaid provided no evidence even
that any births had occurred, let alone that they were clones, and no
one believed the claims. The Raëlian founder (known as Raël)
claims not to be privy to what's going on at Clonaid, thus avoiding difficult
questions about whether clones have really been made.
College for International Cooperation and Development. A
front group for Tvind based in East Yorkshire,
England.
Colloidal
silver.
Alternative medicine made from very fine (possibly ionic) silver particles in
suspension in water. Many of the claims made for colloidal silver are straight
from the New Age Movement. Colloidal silver is very
often marketed as having no side effects. Actually there are no proven
health benefits to taking colloidal silver and it provides no help
to the body's immune system, but partakers risk a serious side effect called
argyria (from argentum, Latin for silver), a condition in which a person's
skin takes on a bluish-silver colouration. The discolouring is permanent and
while apparently not harmful in itself, it wreaks havoc with a sufferer's social
life. Rosemary
Jacobs is one American argyria sufferer who has been living with the condition
for approximately 50 years. See also Quackwatch's Colloidal
Silver: Risk Without Benefit by Stephen Barrett, MD.
Some promotors of colloidal silver claim that silver is an essential trace
element and that even a small amount can fend off disease and prevent serious
illness. The truth is that it is not essential (see What
does the human body use silver for?) and the human body normally contains
about 0.25 to 0.5 grams of silver anyway. Silver is a heavy metal is not easily
eliminated or passed out of the body, but instead builds up over time in the
skin and internal organs (including the brain). The amount of extra silver (ingested
by drinking colloidal silver) required to produce argyria may be as little as
1 gram. It can take as little as a week of silver ingestion to produce discolouring,
noticeable as little as a month later. In its colloidal
silver article Wikipedia says "Advocates of colloidal silver ...
assert that, under careful use of properly produced colloidal silver, argyria
is virtually impossible. These claims are anecdotal, and have not yet been confirmed
or refuted by scientific study."
Colloidal silver is illegal in Canada and under laws covering alternative medicines
may not be sold in the USA (since 1999) or Australia (since 2002) if any unproven
health benefits (therapeutic benefits) are claimed for it. In New Zealand colloidal
silver is legal to be sold without prescription only if less than 10ppm
(parts per million), however the ESR has tested samples of New Zealand colloidal
silver and found they exceeded this legal limit. For more information read the
health
warning from a Waikato University chemist, or student researcher Christine
Traversi's Miracle
Elixir or Plague of the Living Dead?
This news article lists some of the side effects of colloidal silver consumption:
There are many side effects. Yes, one of the listed side effects is blue skin. This side effect is called angyria. Angryria is an irreversible condition that causes skin, nails, and gums to turn a blue-gray color.
There are many other side effects such as seizures, kidney damage, indigestion, headaches, fatigue, and skin irritation.
An interesting article titled Systemic
argyria associated with ingestion of colloidal silver explains several medical
conditions resulting from silver exposure, including the most common ocular
argyrosis (argyria of the eyes), argyria, and intestinal ulcers, with higher
doses of colloidal silver possibly causing coma, pleural oedema, hemolysis,
is toxic to bone marrow and may be associated with agranulocytosis. (The article
also explains that higher amounts of silver may result in death, cellular necrosis,
and damage of the central nervous system and cardiac conduction system.) It
concludes (emphasis added):
In the early 1900s argyria was seen more commonly because it
was associated with silver being used in various medications. However, with
an increasing number of reports of problems associated with silver ingestion
(including intestinal ulcers and argyria) and with the development of more effective
pharmacologic alternatives, physician-directed use of silver-containing products
declined. The official drug guidebooks (United States Pharmacopeia and National
Formulary) have not listed colloidal silver products since 1975. On the basis
of its studies, the FDA concluded that the risk of using silver products
exceeds any currently understood benefits; in August 1999 FDA issued its
final ruling to ban the use of colloidal silver or silver salts in over-the-counter
products.
As we begin a new century with the increased interest in food
supplements, alternative medicine, and the availability of information over
the Internet, argyria may again be seen more frequently. Also, the FDA ruling
did not apply to products being marketed as dietary supplements, and some health-food
manufacturers promote colloidal-silver products as a cure-alls. With the proliferation
of the Internet, it has become much easier for these manufacturers to market
their products to consumers using claims of effectiveness against major illnesses
such as AIDS, cancer, arthritis, and infectious diseases.
The claims of effectiveness, of course, are quite bogus. Any improvement at
all in patient condition can easily be attributed to the placebo
effect. Those alternative people looking for a "natural" anti-bacterial/anti-microbial
agent should probably stick (no pun intended) to New
Zealand honey instead, preferrably after consultation with a doctor.
But as for colloidal silver, with known serious side effects and nothing going
for it, it well deserves its Danger rating.
Conservative Friends. Christian
sect. One of the three main branches of Quakers (formally known as the Religious
Society of Friends), along with Evangelical
Friends and Liberal Friends. Both
Conservative Quakers and Evangelical Quakers are a distinct minority
of Quakers in New Zealand.
Cooneyites (Coonyites). Cult.
Registered in New Zealand and Australia as The United Christian Conventions
and known internationally by various names such as the "Nameless Ones" or
Two by Twos, or The Way (not to be confused with The
Way International) and many other names. For more info go to MM Outreach Inc's Two
by Two page or Research
and Information Services or Apologetics Index' Two-by-twos page.
Cooper, Neville. Neville Cooper, aka Hopeful
Christian, an Australian who founded the Cooperites.
In 1994 he was convicted on 10 counts of indecent assault. He denied
the charges.
Cooperite Community, Cooperites. The
Cooperites are a self-sufficient group of about 400 members at Gloriavale
Christian Community on the West Coast of the South Island), where
they moved in 1991 from their former location at Springbank
Christian Community near Cust, North Canterbury (also known at that
time as Cust Christian Community and Christian
Community Church). Founded in the 1960s by Neville
Cooper, who is now known as Hopeful Christian. His second-in-command
is Fervent Stedfast. The contact person for the Gloriavale Christian
Community School is Faithful Pilgrim. The community is self-sufficient,
and runs at least four export businesses including sphagnum moss. Businesses
are directed by Steady Standtrue. The Cooperites hold very conservative
Christian principles, apparently with an emphasis on sex within marriage.
They strongly restrict contact with the outside world, especially contact
with former members (a mind control technique known as shunning).
Submissions for this listing are now being accepted. Please see the Contact page.
Copeland, Kenneth and Gloria. Kenneth
and Gloria Copeland are leading Word Faith
Movement preachers who lead Kenneth Copeland Ministries. They have
many seriously heretical teachings. They have had a show (The Believer's
Voice of Victory) on early-morning NZ television. When listening
to them keep in mind that not everything they say is backed up by sound
doctrine, and some of their teaching is definitely not Christian.
Cornuke, Robert. Robert
Cornuke (also known as Bob Cornuke) is, like Ron
Wyatt (who is now deceased), a self-styled "Indiana Jones" of
biblical archaeology. Although not directly associated with Ron Wyatt
or Wyatt Archaeological Research, Bob Cornuke, like Ron Wyatt, makes
false claims such as having discovered the real Mt Sinai* - after entering
Saudi Arabia illegally. Bob Cornuke also claims to have found the wreck
of Paul's ship from Acts - then got
sued for breaking "all aspects" of an oral contract with
a former US ambassador to Malta (Bob Cornuke apparently forgetting the
Christian teaching of "Let your 'yes' be yes" in Matthew 5:37
and James 5:12)**. Like Ron Wyatt, Bob Cornuke claims to have discovered
the site of Noah's Ark (in a different location to Ron Wyatt's "discovery")
- it's refuted by prominent geologists, creationist groups, and at least
one dendrochronologist (ancient timber specialist). Wikipedia highlights
more controversy:
Cornuke ... relies heavily on one alleged eyewitness
of Noah's Ark, Ed Davis, in which there are problems with him being in
Iran let alone at this site when he claimed to see Noah's Ark in 1943.
The worst problem with these false and questionable claims and discoveries
is not that they are not entertaining (they are if you ignore the misinformation
and half-truths) but that they are promoted as important evidence for
believing the Bible. This is disappointing when even the best claims
are highly questionable. From a promotional pamphlet - "What your
children are taught at Sunday School or church may not suffice them in
a world so oppositional to God's way of seeing things. Bob Cornuke offers
a unique answer..." What happens to those Sunday School children
when they find that the alleged evidence is quite bogus? They tend to
start to disbelieve any evidence, including firm historical evidence
and logical reasoning. It's known as throwing the baby out with the bath
water. People like Bob Cornuke and Ron Wyatt seem to be more interested
in the money to be gained from their claims than in providing genuine,
reliable evidence for anything. Sadly, Bob Cornuke was promoted on his
June 2004 and March 2005 tours of New Zealand by Focus
on the Family and Radio Rhema.
It seems as though Bob Cornuke's recent (2005) PhD is dodgy as well.
According to Wikipedia's Bob
Cornuke entry:
Bob Cornuke's Ph.D. in Biblical Studies was received
in 2005 from Louisiana Baptist University, an unaccredited Baptist school,
where he also serves as an adjunct speaker. There is no record or claim
made by Cornuke for having any undergraduate degree. ... Robert Morey
[another controversial Christian figure] has a PhD from the unaccredited
Louisiana Baptist University in Islamic Studies, but the school does
not have an islamic studies program.
LBU is not accredited by any recognised accreditation
body. As such, its degrees may not be acceptable to employers or other
institutions, and use of degree titles may be restricted or illegal in
some jurisdictions.
The New Zealand Cult List does not recognise degree titles from Louisiana
Baptist University, or Mr Cornuke's claim to have a valid PhD. Wikipedia
also points out:
Louisiana Baptist University is alleged to match several
of the criteria for diploma mills, as defined by the United States Department
of Education (USDE).
LBU is recognised by the Association of Christian Colleges and
Theological Schools, an organisation Credential Watch includes in a list
of Nonrecognized
Accreditation Agencies to which it says:
... any so-called “accreditation”
by these entities should be considered meaningless.
* Ron Wyatt claimed to have discovered "the
REAL Mt Sinai" in 1984, four years before Robert Cornuke "discovered"
the same site in 1988. Ron Wyatt's companion on his second trip in 1985,
David Fasold, is also reported to have given information to Robert Cornuke's
associate James Irwin (yes, the Apollo astronaut and long-time Noah's
Ark hunter) about how to find the site. If that is true, Robert Cornuke's
claim to be the discoverer is clearly a lie. Also, the actual claim that
the site is the real Mt Sinai has been soundly
debunked by people with more biblical and archaeological knowledge
(and common sense) than either Robert Cornuke or Ron Wyatt. To quote
researcher Gordon Franz:
As popular as this idea may be in certain evangelical
(and even Jewish) circles, there is no credible historical, geographical,
archaeological or biblical evidence for the thesis that Mt Sinai is at
Jebel al-Lawz in Saudi Arabia.
** A friend of Bob Cornuke has objected to the implication (by the reference
to "let your 'yes' be 'yes'") that Bob was guilty simply because
he was sued. No such implication was intended. If Bob did at some point
break his word, it is especially regrettable for a high-profile Christian. Christianity
Todayexplained Reuters'
angle of a no-doubt very complicated case, in a 1 May 2003 article:
But it's Co[r]nuke's search for the apostle Paul's shipwreck
that landed him in court.
According to a lawsuit, Cornuke found a Maltese fisherman
with ancient lead anchors that the explorer/archaeologist believed were
from the apostle's ship. But the fisherman wouldn't talk; confessing
to owning the anchors could land him in prison under Malta's antiquities
laws.
That's when Cornuke turned to Kathryn Proffitt, the former
U.S. ambassador to the country. She arranged for the Maltese government
to pardon the fisherman, but there were strings attached. Cornuke couldn't
reveal the pardon arrangement, and he would have to allow Proffitt and
the Maltese government to edit the book. He would also be required to
encourage tourists to visit ancient temples.
Proffitt says when Cornuke reneged on all aspects of
the deal, she sued to stop distribution of the book, The Lost Shipwreck
of Paul.
"I felt duty bound to make sure these promises were
kept," she testified, according to Reuters. Cornuke denied that
he handed over editorial control of the book.
Yesterday, however, a federal judge ruled against Proffitt,
noting that the book is already on shelves and that her agreement with
Cor[n]uke was only an oral contract.
Bob Cornuke's friend provides some more details:
The truth is the lawsuit was predicated on two witnesses
who have since retracted their statements. One of these witnesses even
admitted she lied...
This seems to imply an interpreter was used between him and Ms Proffitt,
so perhaps it's their fault the contract was broken. Or perhaps Ms Proffitt
was mistaken in thinking there was a contract. Either way, as previously
stated, it's a regrettable situation for a high-profile Christian to
be in. It's also regrettable that a high profile Christian would even
think of entering Saudi Arabia illegally, let alone actually do it and
use the story for promotion purposes.
Cranial Osteopathy. Alternative
medical treatment, also called craniosacral therapy. Wikipedia's craniosacral
therapy article maintains "There is no scientific support
for major elements of the underlying model, there is little scientific
evidence to support the therapy, and research methods that could conclusively
evaluate the therapy's effectiveness have not been applied." Little
or no scientific support for cranial rhythms has been found, such as
interreliability between operators. Cranial osteopathy has critics both
in the established medical field and within osteopathy.
Creation, Creationism. Also known as special creation, the belief that the universe was specially created. All origins worldviews depend on certain presuppositions, and this one is no different. For information
about this topic see Answers in Genesis or Creation
on the Web.
Creative Fire Ministries. Headed
up by Rob and Lyn Packer. This ministry
is rated Danger for the Extreme
Prophetic schools and conferences it runs.
Creme, Benjamin. Benjamin
Creme is the spokesman of the New Age cult Masters
of Wisdom and its front group Share
International. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, 1922. Studied Helena
P Blavatski's teachings and Theosophy.
Also see Ageless Wisdom. Possible fruit
loop, albeit a very charismatic one. He is given a Danger rating
here because of his teachings, not because he is necessarily a dangerous
person.
Criminon.Scientology front
group, a prison-based variation of Narconon.
Stay well clear of it
Crowder, John.
John Crowder is a false prophet and false teacher. Founder of Sons of Thunder
Ministries and Publications. John Crowder claims he met Jesus on an acid trip.
He combines drug culture with the Holy Laughter Movement,
and is without question one of the worst manifestation ministry and False
Revival Movement leaders in the world today. He has held "Drunken
Glory" tours in the USA and has been brought to New Zealand at least once,
in February 2010. He is specifically mentioned in Part
3 of Andrew Strom's Kundalini documentary.
Lee Grady, editor of Charisma magazine, in "LIFE AFTER LAKELAND:
Sorting Out the Confusion" writes about the false Lakeland revival led
by Todd Bentley (with emphasis added):
Why did so many people flock to Lakeland from around the world
to rally behind an evangelist who had serious credibility issues from the
beginning?
To put it bluntly, we're just plain gullible.
From the first week of the Lakeland revival, many discerning
Christians raised questions about Bentley's beliefs and practices. They felt
uneasy when he said he talked to an angel in his hotel room. They sensed something
amiss when he wore a T-shirt with a skeleton on it. They wondered why a man
of God would cover himself with tattoos. They were horrified when they heard
him describe how he tackled a man and knocked his tooth out during prayer.
But among those who jumped on the Lakeland bandwagon, discernment
was discouraged. They were expected to swallow and follow. The message
was clear: "This is God. Don't question." So before we could all
say, "Sheeka Boomba" (as Bentley often prayed from his pulpit), many
people went home, prayed for people and shoved them to the floor with reckless
abandon, Bentley-style.
I blame this lack of discernment, partly, on raw zeal for God.
We're spiritual hungry - which can be a good thing. But sometimes, hungry people
will eat anything.
Many of us would rather watch a noisy demonstration of miracles,
signs and wonders than have a quiet Bible study. Yet we are faced today with
the sad reality that our untempered zeal is a sign of immaturity. Our adolescent
craving for the wild and crazy makes us do stupid things. It's way past time
for us to grow up.
FWIW Lee Grady has apparently learned from the Todd Bentley saga. On 27 October
2009 he
wrote
about John Crowder, saying "Let's put the childish things behind
us. It's time for us to grow up and sober up." (More of his article
is quoted in the Drunken Revival Movement
listing.)
It staggers belief that anyone would fall for John Crowder's "tokin'
on the Holy Spirit" (a reference to cannabis use) and the occultism that
he preaches, and yet many of the same people who very publicly supported Todd
Bentley are lining up to support another false revival preacher.
Cult Awareness Network. An
American cult-fighting organisation bankrupted and taken over by the Scientology cult
in 1996. They were never represented in New Zealand.
Cultwatch. A
New Zealand based anti-cult ministry. Their web site is www.cultwatch.co.nz.
Cultwatch is not associated with the New
Zealand Cult List (this site).
Cust Christian Community. One of the former
names of the Cooperites, from when they were
based at Cust in North Canterbury.
Carl
Johan Calleman is a new ager into astrology and (in particular) the Mayan
calendar. Some say he's a bit of a fruit cake.
Christian
camp between Hastings and Waipawa, Hawkes Bay. "
Harold
Camping (born 19 July 1921) is the founder of 
Cult/former
cult. Auckland branch of the 
Alternative medical con/scam. Chiropractors "manipulate" their clients
(eg, by popping neck and back vertebrae, etc) to prevent or treat real or imaginary
ailments. In opposition to the scientific evidence (see this 