We’ve put online our Profile of Center / Contemplative Prayer. In this Profile Bob Waldrep looks at the history, beliefs and leading figures of this practice, and provides a Christian response.

You can receive new Profiles by ordering your free subscription to the Watchman Fellowship Profile today!

With the recent news that some members of the LDS Church have continued to perform baptism for the dead on behalf of deceased Jews, readers might wonder: what, exactly, is baptism for the dead?

In our book, The Concise Guide to Today’s Religions and Spirituality, we define baptism for the dead as:

(The) practice of the LDS church based on an unusual interpretation of 1 Corinthians 15:29, whereby living members are baptized by proxy for people who have died without knowing the LDS gospel. If the dead accept the LDS gospel while in spirit prison, they can potentially have access to full salvation or godhood (exaltation). This ceremony is performed only in a Mormon temple.

You can learn more about the way in which the LDS Church misinterprets 1 Corinthians in our article, “Twisting 1 Corinthians 15:29—Mormonism’s Baptism for the Dead.” You can also learn more about the concept of spirit prison—and spirit missionaries—in our article, “Hell, Paradise and Spirit Missionaries.”

Finally, you can watch a short video of James Walker talking about the issue in Watchman Fellowship’s What’s the Deal with Mormons Baptizing Dead People?

We’ve put online our Profile of Edgar Cayce. In this Profile Marilyn Stewart looks at the history, beliefs and practices of the “Sleeping Prophet,” and provides a Christian response.

You can receive new Profiles by ordering your free subscription to the Watchman Fellowship Profile today!

We’ve put online our Profile of The Brethren / Jim Roberts Group. In this Profile Phillip Arnn looks at the general history, beliefs and leading figures of this group (popularly called the “Garbage Eaters”), and provides a Christian response.

You can receive new Profiles by ordering your free subscription to the Watchman Fellowship Profile today!

“Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ” (1 Peter 3:15-16)

Few Christians would dispute that Christianity is under attack from increasingly militant opponents, both religious and anti-religious. Despite this adversity—or, more likely, as a result of it—there is also a growing interest in defending the faith. In fact, Lee Strobel even says, “We’re on the cusp of a golden age of apologetics.” He adds,

We’re seeing such scholars as William Lane Craig, J. P. Moreland, William Dembski, Stephen Meyer, and others making fresh, cutting-edge arguments for Christianity. Academia is taking notice. Terrific websites, like apologetics315.com, are making apologetic material more widely available. Younger leaders like Sean McDowell are taking apologetics to a new generation.

Strobel is talking about general Christian apologetics (rather than Watchman Fellowship’s focus on cults and alternative religions), but there is also a growing interest in academic institutions offering studies in cults and alternative religions (see, for example, Southern Evangelical Seminary’s Truth, Evangelism and Apologetics Mission).

There is a serious need for Christians to engage in apologetics and evangelism to cults and new religions. These groups are growing, and the groups present serious dangers—both spiritual and psychological—to their members. Furthermore, the problem of spiritual abuse [https://www.watchman.org/articles/cults-alternative-religions/elements-of-spiritual-abuse/] can be found even in mainstream churches. It is essential that Christians be equipped to reach out to others, to defend what they believe, and to confront problems that can occur in their own churches.

This is why Watchman Fellowship has three primary goals:  to educate the community, to equip the church, and to evangelize the cults. Education is particularly important—we work both to provide information about cults and alternative religions through the mass media and other venues, and we give educational presentations on a wide variety of topics in churches.

If you are a pastor, feel free to contact us if you are interested in having Watchman Fellowship give a presentation or seminar in your church.

In addition to these presentations, we also offer free resources to anyone who asks. You can order a free subscription the Watchman Fellowship Profile, a four-page overview of the history, beliefs and practices of a group or religious figure; you can also order a free subscription to our newsletter, where you can learn the latest news about educational opportunities and resources.

Defending the faith is important—Watchman Fellowship will help you “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).

We’ve put online our Profile of atheism. In this Profile Robert Bowman looks at the general history, beliefs and leading figures of this religious perspective, and provides a Christian response.

You can receive new Profiles by ordering your free subscription to the Watchman Fellowship Profile today!

James Walker appeared on the January 8, 2012 episode of Christ in Prophecy to talk about some of the basics of Mormonism. You can watch the episode on Youtube.

We’ve put online our Profile of animism. In this Profile James Ventress looks at the general history, beliefs and practices of the wide variety of religions which hold to this worldview, and provides a Christian response.

You can receive new Profiles by ordering your free subscription to the Watchman Fellowship Profile today!

James Walker spoke at Calvary Houston on The End Was Near: The Allure and Agony of Armageddon Addiction. You can watch James’ presentation on the Vimeo website.