# Family Radio



## bill c. (Apr 11, 2006)

Does anybody know what the story is on Family Radio? The station here in the Philly area used to broadcast the Bible Study Hour and the worship svces of some local Reformed churches. Then they stopped and people seemed to have not such a good opinion of them. I only listen to them during drive time as I like the old hymns and have never heard any of their teaching programs. Anybody know anything more??


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## blhowes (Apr 11, 2006)

> _Originally posted by bill c._
> Does anybody know what the story is on Family Radio? The station here in the Philly area used to broadcast the Bible Study Hour and the worship svces of some local Reformed churches. Then they stopped and people seemed to have not such a good opinion of them. I only listen to them during drive time as I like the old hymns and have never heard any of their teaching programs. Anybody know anything more??


Are you talking about Family Radio with Harold Camping?


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## bill c. (Apr 11, 2006)

Wow! Cool website. Thanks.


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## blhowes (Apr 11, 2006)

> _Originally posted by bill c._
> Wow! Cool website. Thanks.


Your welcome. I'm really bummed by the direction Harold Camping has gone. I use to really enjoy listening to him on the radio years ago.

[Edited on 4-11-2006 by blhowes]


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## Anton Bruckner (Apr 11, 2006)

run for your lives when it comes to Harold Camping. Run for your lives. The man borders on the cultic.


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## Contra_Mundum (Apr 11, 2006)

The owner of the website "familyradioiswrong" is a personal friend. He's a simple guy, who loves the Lord, who used to be a tremendous supporter of FR, but whose real loyalty is to the Lord Jesus Christ and his church.

The hate-mail he gets is sometimes quite amusing.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Apr 11, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Slippery_
> run for your lives when it comes to Harold Camping. Run for your lives. The man borders on the cultic.



 Harold Camping is bad news. His influence is destructive, and has harmed many of my friends and loved ones. Familyradioiswrong.com is a good resource to combat his grievous errors.


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## blhowes (Apr 11, 2006)

Regarding Harold Camping, what church did he attend before he 'came out from among them'? I thought I had heard he was an elder in a Presbyterian church. Is that right?


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## Pilgrim (Apr 11, 2006)

> _Originally posted by blhowes_
> Regarding Harold Camping, what church did he attend before he 'came out from among them'? I thought I had heard he was an elder in a Presbyterian church. Is that right?



Unless I'm mistaken, I believe he was once an elder in the Christian Reformed Church. 

From about 1999-2000 I used to listen to FR when they used to have good programming, like Boice, Barnhouse, ML-J, John R. DeWitt when he was at 7th Reformed in Grand Rapids, etc. At the time, I was unaware of the failed 1994 prediction. I stopped listening to Camping's teaching about the time that Camping said "the Church Age is over" but before he commanded listeners to stop attending church. But I continued to tune in for the other programming and so was surprised when most of the sound programming seemed to disappear all of a sudden. My understanding is that the sermons from Boice, Lloyd-Jones, etc. could not be aired unless portions dealing with the church were edited out, so the various ministries pulled the programming altogether. Unfortunately, other ministries seemed unaware of the controversy and continued to send them recordings to be broadcast on "Echoes" and other programs for some time afterward.


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## Scot (Apr 11, 2006)

I actually came to Christ through FR. God used Camping to get me into the Bible and convinve me of the doctrines of grace. They even sent me a list of sound reformed churches to look into when I was looking for a church. I really miss all of the excellent programming that they used to have. At one time, it was a real blessing. 

Now.........


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## Pilgrim (Apr 11, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Scot_
> I actually came to Christ through FR. God used Camping to get me into the Bible and convinve me of the doctrines of grace. They even sent me a list of sound reformed churches to look into when I was looking for a church. I really miss all of the excellent programming that they used to have. At one time, it was a real blessing.
> 
> Now.........



I didn't come to Christ through FR, but my Reformed convictions were strengthened through listening at a time when I had few other Reformed influences. I say Reformed in the sense of Reformed soteriology, since, as you'd expect, ecclesiology wasn't discussed, even prior to Camping's pronouncement against the visible church.


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## Contra_Mundum (Apr 12, 2006)

Early on Camping associated personally with the OPC. His construction company built the First OPC in Sunnyvale, CA. Some years later, he was honchoing his own independent "Reformed Bible Church" over in Oakland. That went on for probably over 20 years. They had plenty of good preaching there, but not from any ordained pastor called to its pulpit that I'm aware of.

Ecclesialy, HC has never been very submissive. He wanted total autonomy for his radio empire. But what can't be touched with scandal also can't be touched with discipline. The cult-like following the radio empire gathered, the insulation of his "church", HC's hyper "me and my Bible" approach to doing theology, hermeneutics, and exegesis--all combine for a recipie for disaster. Everything that could go wrong (looking at it from the outside) has gone wrong. And I'm kind of glad of it. (!?!)

No, not because I'm gleeful that a helpful Reformed-leaning work has been laid low (God forbid). Yes, because this should teach the Reformed church (yet again) that God will not spare her own follies, when she kicks against the goads. It would have not brought Christ his honor due, if the abberations of HC & FR had gone on winked at solely because its soteriology was "right". Because "so much good was being done." Because "we're too important for God to discipline."


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## Pilgrim (Apr 12, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Contra_Mundum_
> Early on Camping associated personally with the OPC. His construction company built the First OPC in Sunnyvale, CA. Some years later, he was honchoing his own independent "Reformed Bible Church" over in Oakland. That went on for probably over 20 years. They had plenty of good preaching there, but not from any ordained pastor called to its pulpit that I'm aware of.
> 
> Ecclesialy, HC has never been very submissive. He wanted total autonomy for his radio empire. But what can't be touched with scandal also can't be touched with discipline. The cult-like following the radio empire gathered, the insulation of his "church", HC's hyper "me and my Bible" approach to doing theology, hermeneutics, and exegesis--all combine for a recipie for disaster. Everything that could go wrong (looking at it from the outside) has gone wrong. And I'm kind of glad of it. (!?!)
> ...





The sad saga of FR appears to be an example of too much power concentrated in the hands of one man and a lack of accountability, ecclesiastical and otherwise. HC seems to be a man who, not unlike Diotrephes, (3 John) wanted the preeminence. This combined with the "me and my Bible" approach certainly is a recipe for disaster. 

I agree Rev. Buchanan, that often too much is excused because someone's soteriology seems to be right.

[Edited on 4-12-2006 by Pilgrim]


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## Semper Fidelis (Apr 12, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Contra_Mundum_
> Early on Camping associated personally with the OPC. His construction company built the First OPC in Sunnyvale, CA. Some years later, he was honchoing his own independent "Reformed Bible Church" over in Oakland. That went on for probably over 20 years. They had plenty of good preaching there, but not from any ordained pastor called to its pulpit that I'm aware of.
> 
> Ecclesialy, HC has never been very submissive. He wanted total autonomy for his radio empire. But what can't be touched with scandal also can't be touched with discipline. The cult-like following the radio empire gathered, the insulation of his "church", HC's hyper "me and my Bible" approach to doing theology, hermeneutics, and exegesis--all combine for a recipie for disaster. Everything that could go wrong (looking at it from the outside) has gone wrong. And I'm kind of glad of it. (!?!)
> ...


 It's like the King who starts acquiring a huge stable of horses...


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 19, 2006)

I found this to be funny from the Wikipedia entry on Harold Camping:



> Some of Camping's trademarks include his deep, sonorous voice and his slow and articulate cadence. Some say he sounds a lot like John Calvin.


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## Kevin (Dec 19, 2006)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> I found this to be funny from the Wikipedia entry on Harold Camping:



 I have often thought that when I am listening to my old John Calvin LP's "now who is that guy on the radio who sounds just like this"


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## jaybird0827 (Dec 19, 2006)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> I found this to be funny from the Wikipedia entry on Harold Camping:
> 
> 
> > Some of Camping's trademarks include his deep, sonorous voice and his slow and articulate cadence. Some say he sounds a lot like John Calvin.


 
I didn't know Harold Camping spoke French. Wow!


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## MrMerlin777 (Dec 19, 2006)

Slippery said:


> run for your lives when it comes to Harold Camping. Run for your lives. The man borders on the cultic.



Frankly, I think he has slipped over the border.

A shame too as I listened to FR quite a bit before Mr Camping went over the edge. There was alot of good preaching on FR at one time.


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## R. Scott Clark (Dec 19, 2006)

Camping was CRC. I know his former pastor. His son-in-law is OPC. As indicated, it's a very sad story. He did a lot of good before 1994, but even that episode really began many years before. He's a classic example of the QIRC. He _knows _the mind of God (he's done the math!). 

He's done a lot of damage in recent years. 

rsc


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## gwine (Dec 19, 2006)

jaybird0827 said:


> I didn't know Harold Camping spoke French. Wow!



il est facile dire Français avec des poissons de Babel

le prononcer est plus dur


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## matthew11v25 (Dec 20, 2006)

I heard Family Radio about a month ago... Someone called in and asked if their family was saved since they were still attending regular churches, and HC said if they are true believers they must eventually come out of the church (since all churches are run by Satan) or prove themselves not of the elect. I was raging mad (there were other things HC said also)...but I am rarely free to call in on their time slots. 

Its strange though, because some of the stuff he says is SOLID...but this is a case of how its better to throw the baby out with the bath water In my humble opinion.


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## jaybird0827 (Dec 20, 2006)

gwine said:


> il est facile dire Français avec des poissons de Babel
> 
> le prononcer est plus dur


 
 

Oh I see he uses the Babel Fish translator! Definitely "Babel"! ​​


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## Kevin (Dec 20, 2006)

gwine said:


> il est facile dire Français avec des poissons de Babel
> 
> le prononcer est plus dur



Bon. Tres jolie.


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## R. Scott Clark (Dec 20, 2006)

Let's see, an engineer, businessman and self-taught Bible scholar who has falsely predicted Christ's return multiple times vs. the Belgic Confession? You be the judge:



> We believe, since this holy congregation is an assembly of those who are saved, and outside of it there is no salvation, that no person of whatsoever state or condition he may be, ought to withdraw from it, content to be by himself; but that all men are in duty bound to join and unite themselves with it; maintaining the unity of the Church; submitting themselves to the doctrine and discipline thereof; bowing their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ; and as mutual members of the same body, serving to the edification of the brethren, according to the talents God has given them.
> And that this may be the more effectually observed, it is the duty of all believers, according to the Word of God, to separate themselves from all those who do not belong to the Church, and to join themselves to this congregation, wheresoever God has established it, even though the magistrates and edicts of princes were against it, yea, though they should suffer death or any other corporal punishment. Therefore all those who separate themselves from the same or do not join themselves to it act contrary to the ordinance of God.



rsc


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