Pwer to Change", fascade for a US Cult

international | miscellaneous | opinion/analysis

Friday July 18, 2003 12:21

by James McKenna

jimmymac61 at hotmail dot com

Foremost among those who pushed the "Power to Change" is Dun Laoghaire man Paddy Monaghan. Paddy recently accompanied a group of Christian Zionists to the headquarters of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem , which was mentioned below. This is a right wing group who believes in a New World Order based in Israel.

Paddy lived in desperation in his northside bedsit with only a piece pf paper on the wall with "security, trust, confidence" written on it, until a visit to the University of York introduced him to some "charismatic" people. Some would say weak and ready for brainwashing Paddy, at a weekend in Limerick sponsored by the Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship, finally realised his "mission" to "build up Jewish-Christian relations".

The Power to Change racket , which Paddy drives with fanatical zeal, is a front for the Campus Crusade for Christ, a cult based on a massive complex in Orlando Florida and led by Cult Leader Bill Bright. The organization has an annual budget of over $100,000,000, and thousands of "crusaders" who distribute tracts like the "Four Spiritual Laws" and "witness" on high school and college campuses. The Power to Change is also known as the Zion Trust , less publicly.

Bright also poured money into other groups such as the Christian World Liberation Front (CWLF) . Bright explained his bogus plan to one journalist:
Christian World Liberation Front was, in the beginning a front organization for Campus Crusade - Only about half a dozen of us were aware of what was happening and it was a test. There was a powerful radical movement among the students then, and we were trying to figure out which route to take, whether we as a movement should adopt a radical counter-culture approach on campus in order to be all things to all people that we might win them for Christ.
CWLF - the creation of Bill Bright - eventually split from Campus Crusade, but not before coalescing as an important element in the "Jesus People" or "Jesus Freak" movements in the 1970s, which in turn nurtured the cultish Vineyard churches and communities of that era.
Bright was present at the creation of the modern Christian fundamentalist right, as a participant in the little-known Third Century Movement. His group also poured over one billion dollars into evangelistic projects from 1974 through 1976, including a glitzy "Here's Life, America!" revival campaign funded with help from Texas billionaire Nelson Hunt. Today, Bill Bright is know for his involvement with groups such as Washington for Jesus, Christian Embassy. He is also given a million dollars for the "Templeton Prize in Religion", a gift established by financier Sir John Templeton.
Onward Christian soldiers! Perhaps Paddy would be better employed ousting one of the Mount Argus Cuckoo priests who has been secretly nesting in a family home in Foxrock for the past thirty years and more. Especially since the lady of the house is so keen on the Power to Change!

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Comments (5 of 5)

A little background could help

by Huh?

Fri Jul 18, 2003 13:15

Thanks James,
but what exactly (or even approximately) is 'Power to change' ?

So what?

by .

Fri Jul 18, 2003 13:17

James, you've done it again. "Power to Change"? Isn't that the campaign from last year (or was it the year before)? Glad to see that you're on the cutting edge of news coverage as usual.

And by the way, it's hardly surprising that the people behind "Power to Change" are linked to US religious groups, seeing as it is (obviously) a Evangelical Christian campaign. Do you think anyone reading indymedia is going to be surprised by this, or was involved in "Power to Change" in the first place? Or, conversely, do you think that anyone who supports "Power to Change" is likely to be reading indymedia in the first place?

Go back to your Jew-bashing James.

And by the way, the word is "facade".

To be fair

by pat c

Fri Jul 18, 2003 14:21

"Mainstream" Catholics were also involved in the campaign, so the news is of interest.

Follow the pied piper

by Christian

Fri Jul 18, 2003 17:09

In fact all the Christian churches fell for this American public relations effort. It appears to me (and I consider myself a Christian) that these people are bringing true Christianity into a very low state.

They are bigots and hate-filled troublemakers with a political agenda that is very much in line with the worst aspects of US big business.

We have long had Paisley, but do we really need more?

So why did all the main Christian churches line up behind this banner? Are they really so terrified by global growth of Islam ?

Evangelical Crusaders Prepare to Fight Islam with Aid and a Bible

Fri Jul 18, 2003 17:24

Islam is "a very evil and wicked religion".

Don't you know?

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Pwer to Change", fascade for a US Cult

Comments (5 of 5)