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Rev. Wade has become a fixture in these pages as we have repeatedly examined this vociferous member of the Doctrinal Police. He is a false teacher, with little thought given to matters of faith and doctrine.
Below is a very old article written by someone named Anthony Wade. We think it is the same person as our nemesis. Here's our evidence:
- It is written in Rev. Wade's style
- It is full of undocumented claims and misused Scripture
- It consists of stream-of-consciousness writing frequently absent paragraph breaks
- The original typeface and formatting is the same as Rev. Wade's website
- This writer shares similar political views, although Rev. Wade attempts to cloak them while this Anthony Wade is direct and unashamed
- The below article blasts the "religious right," a common theme for Rev. Wade as well.
May 8, 2005
The religious right becomes more and more wrong every day. Worse than that, they leave the teachings of Christ behind in the blind pursuit of partisan power, not for the glory of God, but to satiate their own egos and avoid dealing with their own walk with the Lord. The warning signs have always been there but they have been increasing with alarming frequency.
The issue is not that Americans are frightened to have a President who speaks to God. It is having a President that assumes he can speak for God that is frightening. It is having a President who is seemingly without morals, who speaks of morality, that is worrisome. Most Americans believe in God and the teachings of Christ, so the fact that Bush is a self-avowed Christian is not the issue. It is the fact that his policies are decidedly un-Christian that is the problem.
The warning signs have been coming. When James Dobson is questioning the sexual orientation of a cartoon sponge, we can be sure that we have begun to lose our way. Maybe James found some soft porn, B-movie starring Spongebob and the purple Teletubby from before they became famous, but absent of that revelation, he simply has lost his sense of purpose. Jesus did not charge us with saving the morality of youth by protecting them from homosexual cartoons, even if they only exist in the minds of the truly confused.
Now we have the story out of Waynesville North Carolina that is sure to give even Jesus pause. It seems a pastor at a local church led a campaign to expel members of his church who vote democratic. Pastor Chan Chandler is the man behind the madness as he told the congregation that anyone who planned to vote for Democratic Sen. John Kerry should either leave the church or repent, during the run up to the election. He has sought the expulsion of democratic church members since and many have defended this ridiculous action.
I will leave the legalities of this issue for others, as certainly the Pastor has forgone his tax-exempt status by picking political sides. I would prefer to concentrate on the fact that these actions are remarkably un-Christian because the person that the Pastor has demanded his congregation vote for walks a very un-Christian life. George Bush claims he was born again a few decades ago after the Reverend Billy Graham spent a weekend with his family. Even though Graham does not recall that weekend having any profound effect on a younger Bush, I will never question someone's salvation. The question is what has George Bush done since that epiphany? That is what is referred to as one's "walk". The idea from a Christian perspective is that one should be constantly trying to become more Christ-like in their "walk" with the Lord.
After his salvation, George Bush soon became Governor of Texas where his record did not reflect the teachings of Christ. Under George Bush 152 people were executed. Some of them were mentally ill or profoundly retarded. As any Christian should know, we are living under the new covenant of Christ, not the Old Testament law of an eye for an eye. Bush even showed incredible inhumanity by mocking one of the women he put to death. As noted in Talk Magazine:
'"Although he said he was anguished by the decision, in an interview in Talk magazine, writer Tucker Carlson described Bush mimicking the woman's final plea for her life. "'Please,' Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, 'don't kill me.'"
This disgusting display prompted even the most loyal republicans to rebuke Bush, as prominent GOP'er Gary Bauer said back then:
"I think it is nothing short of unbelievable that the governor of a major state running for president thought it was acceptable to mock a woman he decided to put to death."
Under Bush, Texas was ranked second in the nation in uninsured children, ranked first in toxic releases and carcinogens in the air, and 49th in environmental spending. The self proclaimed education Governor saw Texas ranked 50th in teacher salaries, 41st in per capita education spending, and one-fifth of high school teachers were not even certified. Texas was ranked 47th in social services, 48th in per capita healthcare funding, fifth in percentage of people living in poverty, and dead last in children without health insurance. Would Jesus vote for such a record?
Not content with Texas, Bush's record as President is equally un-Christian. The Bush economic policies are designed to redistribute wealth to the richest people in this country, which is not a Christ-like trait. In fact the entire bible speaks against these policies:
"However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, He will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today" (Dt. 15:4-6).
Learn to do good, to be fair and to help the poor, the fatherless, and widows."(Isa. 1:17).
Anyone who oppresses the poor is insulting God who made them. To help the poor is to honor God." (Pro. 14:31).
He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. (Pro. 19:17).
"First to feel his wrath will be the elders and the princes, for they have defrauded the poor. They have filled their barns with grain extorted from the helpless peasants." (Isa. 3:14-16).
"The smooth tricks of evil people will be exposed, including all the lies they use to oppress the poor in the courts." (Isa. 32:7).
"Tell them to stop oppressing widows and orphans, foreigners and poor people, and to stop plotting evil against each other." (Zec. 7:10).
"But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help--how can God's love be in that person?"
"Woe to unjust judges and legislators," says the Lord, "so that there is no justice for the poor, the widows, and orphans (Isa. 10:1-2).
Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. It is by our actions that we know we are living in the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before the Lord, even if our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. (1Jn 3:17-20).
Moving past economic policies, George Bush's foreign policies are also un-Christian. Jesus Christ is known as the Prince of Peace, not war. His teachings do not inspire war, or justify aggression at all. The Word of God says:
You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, Do not resist the evil man [who injures you]; but if anyone strikes you on the right jaw or cheek, turn to him the other one too. (Mat. 5:38-39).
"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. (Mat. 26:52).
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Mat. 5:43-48).
"Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Cor. 13:11).
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matt. 22:36-40)
He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. (Pro. 19:17).
"First to feel his wrath will be the elders and the princes, for they have defrauded the poor. They have filled their barns with grain extorted from the helpless peasants." (Isa. 3:14-16).
"The smooth tricks of evil people will be exposed, including all the lies they use to oppress the poor in the courts." (Isa. 32:7).
"Tell them to stop oppressing widows and orphans, foreigners and poor people, and to stop plotting evil against each other." (Zec. 7:10).
"But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help--how can God's love be in that person?"
"Woe to unjust judges and legislators," says the Lord, "so that there is no justice for the poor, the widows, and orphans (Isa. 10:1-2).
Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. It is by our actions that we know we are living in the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before the Lord, even if our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. (1Jn 3:17-20).
Moving past economic policies, George Bush's foreign policies are also un-Christian. Jesus Christ is known as the Prince of Peace, not war. His teachings do not inspire war, or justify aggression at all. The Word of God says:
You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, Do not resist the evil man [who injures you]; but if anyone strikes you on the right jaw or cheek, turn to him the other one too. (Mat. 5:38-39).
"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. (Mat. 26:52).
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Mat. 5:43-48).
"Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Cor. 13:11).
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matt. 22:36-40)
"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord. On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:18-21).
"Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. (Mat. 5:9).
These are just two facets of the Bush presidency, but it will truly be his legacy. Handed the greatest surplus in history, Bush implemented reckless tax break schemes for the rich, impoverishing millions of people as the tax burden shifted to the middle and lower middle classes. He has presided over the loss of millions of jobs and now has 50 million people without healthcare. You can also point to his horrific environmental record where he has consistently sided with large corporations over the well being of the people. Using deceptive language, he tries to cover up his misdeeds. The Healthy Forests Initiative, for example, does nothing to keep forests healthy, but rather, is a handout to the logging industry. The Clear Skies Initiative actually weakened the current pollution laws, a boon to many industries, while people suffer. Perhaps the true legacy will be the blood on the ground that screams out for George Bush. To confront immorality with immorality is not a moral victory. The Iraq quagmire has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people for no real seeming purpose. Is this war a Christian venture? Did Jesus Christ espouse war, or peace? All one needs to do is read the Sermon on the Mount for the answer. The Prince of Peace would not condone this war, the lack of cause, and the brutality with which it has been carried out. Then why are there so many misguided people like Pastor Chandler? Why do so many people believe that George Bush and the GOP are the party of Christian values? The answer is because they are better at manipulating the message. George Bush can talk the good game. He can use clever catch phrases such as "culture of life" even though he has a legacy of death. From the deaths of 152 inmates in Texas, to the blood on the ground half-way around the world, there is nothing about life surrounding George W. Bush. In Texas, Bush signed a law that allows hospitals to decide when to stop providing life-sustaining services. The deciding factor in these cases which causes the hospitals to review them? Money. In fact the very week when Bush was telling the nation about Terri Schiavo and the culture of life, Texas killed a six month old baby with dwarfism named Sun Hudson, using the death law that bears the signature of George W. Bush. The Pastor Chandlers of the world have lost their way, I am afraid. They have confused their politics with their holy calling. You can be pro-life, against gay marriage and still be against war and the impoverishing of a nation. It does not have to be all or nothing, as Pastor Chandler would have us believe. Jesus was not about exclusivity. There is a place for everyone in the kingdom. Pastor Chandler was charged with bringing as many souls into the kingdom as possible, not alienating as many from his flock as possible. People like James Dobson have lost their way. They claim to represent the teachings of Christ but teach such intolerance they cannot be truly called Christian. God teaches us to love the sinner, but hate the sin. The James Dobson's of the world would propose to throw the baby out with the bath water. Pastor Chandler and James Dobson are good at telling you who to blame, who to hate. They can point to a group of people, call them sinners, and somehow pretend that makes us better people. Unfortunately, they forget that in Romans 3:23, the Word of God teaches us that we ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. True Christians understand these truths. If you are spending too much time criticizing others, then it is more than likely that you need to pay more attention to your own walk. As the bible says in Matthew:
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 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.
From the reports I have read, 40 people in the 100 person congregation in Waynesville North Carolina have resigned due to this incident and I applaud them. As for the 60 who remain I suggest 2 Timothy 4:1-4, which states:
"In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
I understand it is easier to listen to other people and how wrong they are. I understand the itching ears and how we long to not have to examine ourselves but that is just false doctrine. No one man has a monopoly on salvation, except Jesus. Pastor Chandler appears to have lost his way. Do not be deceived, Christianity belongs to no one person, persuasion, or political party. Jesus charged us with saving the lost, not the GOP. As for Bush, Dobson, and the shrill-sounding voices of hate that claim to speak for our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, I leave them and you with the Word of God:
"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (Jam 1: 26-27).
Amen.
Anthony Wade, a contributing writer to opednews.com, is dedicated to educating the populace to the lies and abuses of the government. He is a 37-year-old independent writer from New York with political commentary articles seen on multiple websites. A Christian progressive and professional Rehabilitation Counselor working with the poor and disabled, Mr. Wade believes that you can have faith and hold elected officials accountable for lies and excess.
Anthony Wade's Archive: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=anthony+wade+site%3Aopednews.com&kn=1&ia=web
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 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.
From the reports I have read, 40 people in the 100 person congregation in Waynesville North Carolina have resigned due to this incident and I applaud them. As for the 60 who remain I suggest 2 Timothy 4:1-4, which states:
"In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
I understand it is easier to listen to other people and how wrong they are. I understand the itching ears and how we long to not have to examine ourselves but that is just false doctrine. No one man has a monopoly on salvation, except Jesus. Pastor Chandler appears to have lost his way. Do not be deceived, Christianity belongs to no one person, persuasion, or political party. Jesus charged us with saving the lost, not the GOP. As for Bush, Dobson, and the shrill-sounding voices of hate that claim to speak for our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, I leave them and you with the Word of God:
"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (Jam 1: 26-27).
Amen.
Anthony Wade, a contributing writer to opednews.com, is dedicated to educating the populace to the lies and abuses of the government. He is a 37-year-old independent writer from New York with political commentary articles seen on multiple websites. A Christian progressive and professional Rehabilitation Counselor working with the poor and disabled, Mr. Wade believes that you can have faith and hold elected officials accountable for lies and excess.
Anthony Wade's Archive: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=anthony+wade+site%3Aopednews.com&kn=1&ia=web
Email Anthony: takebacktheus@gmail.com
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