Pensacola Christian College (PCC) has built a bridge to Mormonism via music in the name of “art.” The 5 Browns were featured at Pensacola’s Fine Arts program on Feb. 12 and 13, 2021. The siblings are highly talented young pianists who perform a wide variety of music on pianos, from classical to blues, jazz, and pop. The larger issue for a Christian school forum is the spiritual and doctrinal one. They “were raised their entire lives in the Mormon faith and have stated that they use their musical tours as an opportunity to share their faith.” When contacted by a concerned father of a PCC student, Pensacola’s president replied, “The purpose of Fine Arts is to provide an educational experience that encourages an appreciation of the arts. This is not a church or worship service, but rather a wholesome cultural event and social activity.” But as a former Pensacola student observed on this matter, “It is impossible not to endorse a group when you are paying them to come and requiring all students to attend (on pain of 25 demerits) and encouraging the students to buy their cd’s and look up their website. This was referenced tonight in the program which also advertised a book written by The 5 Browns. This is creating a bridge for unaware students to be misled into the Mormon faith.” No Christian college has the liberty to disobey God’s Word for the sake of “fine arts” or anything else. All art is to be brought under the headship of Jesus Christ. We are to cast down everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Co. 10:5). God’s Word plainly states, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Co. 6:14-17), and, “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11). Through the influence of The 5 Browns, there is a real possibility that some within the Pensacola student body or their associates will be influenced by doctrines of devils. Mormonism teaches a false christ, a false gospel, and a false spirit, but these days Mormons are duplicitously speaking and acting more “evangelical” in order to infiltrate non-Mormon groups, and the naïve leaders at Pensacola are playing right into their hands. Since the 1990s, there has been an “Evangelicals and Mormons Together” movement. In 2004 and 2011, prominent evangelicals held dialogues with Mormons in Salt Lake City. The one in 2004, attended by 7,000, was called “Evening of Friendship.” The evangelicals participating in these events were Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals; Craig Williford, president of Trinity International University; Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Seminary; David Neff, editor-in-chief of Christianity Today; Craig Hazen of Biola University; CCM musician Michael Card; and Ravi Zacharias. Craig Blomberg of Denver Seminary co-authored How Wide the Divide? A Mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation, which states that the divide between Mormons and Bible-believing Christians is not as wide as formerly thought. Mormon discussions have taken place at Wheaton College and Fuller Theological Seminary. Joel Osteen pastor of the largest church in America, has said that Mormons are Christians (Washington Post, Oct. 26, 2011). In 2013, Al Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and George Wood, Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, spoke at Brigham Young University the chief training school for Mormon missionaries.
(Friday Church News Notes, February 19, 2021, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)