Breaking news this month, and now published for the first time here in the online Christian Sentinel...  Two people prominent in evangelical circles, former Trinity Law School Dean Winston Frost and evangelical author Richard Abanes are facing new plagiarism accusations that are first coming publicly to light in this E-update, and also in www.cultlink.com.  See summaries of the Frost and Abanes alleged plagiarisms near the bottom right and the left hand side that contain links to related stories. 

INTRODUCING THE PLAGIARISM PROJECT
God, it can be clearly said, is concerned with plagiarism.  Through the prophet Jeremiah He noted, "Therefore, behold, I [am] against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour" (Jer. 23:30).

     Christian Sentinel Publisher Bill Alnor (who is also a journalism professor at Texas A&M University - Kingsville, USA) has compiled considerable research as he begins to write his Ph.D. dissertation on the topic of plagiarism and religion.  Bill asks for your prayers as he plans to become increasingly outspoken on this communication problem affecting the evangelical media.    
     "I am also now seeking additional help from mostly the evangelical world and specifically the publishing industry in pulling together more specific information of why plagiarism has become a rampant problem within the Christian world," Bill said.  "It seems to me that Christians at least should know the Ten Commandments, and one of them is, `thou shalt not steal.'  Can you help add anything more to my plagiarism charts?  I'll keep your help confidential.  To go to my chart on contemporary religious leaders and plagiarism, click here.  To go to my chart on how plagiarism was involved in the formation of religious systems, click here.  
     "I plan on continuing my work on similar matters and will be releasing some of my findings in a new scholarly website called www.religionandethics.com as I have purchased that domain name." 
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Jan and Paul Crouch's Mansion Near the Beach 

The founders of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) in Southern California know how to live the high life as the network paid $5 million gained from contributors' offering money last year to purchase these digs for the Crouches.  Here is how the realtor's notice on the Internet described "Harbor Ridge Mansion": "This elegant estate is located in a prestigious guard gated Newport Beach community. Neoclassic architecture, ocean views, 6 oversized Bedroom suites, gourmet kitchen, wine cellar, library, billiard room, gym and full sauna grace this exquisite 10,000 square foot home. The outdoor grounds are spectacular, featuring ocean views, pool, spa, tennis court and orchard on over an acre of beautiful manicured grounds."

Continuing offer this month: the new 703-page paperback edition of Walter Martin's classic: The Kingdom of the Cults

Cost: $14.99 plus $1.75 postage.  To order this book by invoice click here to tell Bill you want it, and we'll get a copy right out to you.  To go to our order form, click here. Also see a related notice on the right hand side concerning another chapter being removed from the forthcoming edition of this book. 

SPECIAL:  Winston Frost, Former Trinity Law School Dean, Caught Again for Plagiarizing 
© 2003, The Christian Sentinel 
    Winston Frost, the scandalized former Dean of Trinity Law School in Santa Ana, Calif., fired in August 2001, following a major national brouhaha that found him guilty of plagiarism, has been caught plagiarizing again -- twice.
    You're among the first to know; The Christian Sentinel is breaking the story following an anonymous tip in this April 1, 2003 E-update, and also in the pages of our accompanying website, http://www.cultlink.com. 
    As our documentation reveals, Frost's "Message from the Dean" at his new Desert College of Law's website steals directly without permission from the Trinity Law School's "Welcome" on page 12 of its catalogue.  To see our plagiarism chart and commentary, click here.  The Trinity Law School is part of the Southern California campus of the respected Trinity International University of Deerfield, Ill.  
    Moreover, in forming his new law school, the Desert College of Law in wealthy Palm Spring, Calif., Frost or someone under his tutelage, ripped off almost the entire "FAQ" section of the much older California Southern Law School, that operates not too far away from him in Riverside, Calif., as it competes for the same students.  Our investigation reveals that Frost or his agents, simply moved the first two points in his website FAQ from the older law school (that Frost's institution competes directly with) to the end to make it look like his list was different!  Only a few words and phrases are changed. Click here to see this chart and commentary by Christian Sentinel publisher William Alnor.
    At press time we were trying to determine whether either institution was contemplating action against Frost.  At press time Frost did not comment on this article.  We'll let you know what he says if he does in our next E-update. 
    According to an article in the August 20, 2001 Christianity Today Frost was fired from Trinity Law School after "using large word-by-word sections out of an encyclopedia for his article `The Development of Human Rights Discourse: A History of the Human Rights Movement.'"  Later the article noted that other allegations surfaced, including "a 1983 paper by legal scholar Jerome J. Shestack."  There were also claims that "Frost's master's thesis also plagiarized."  Following a lengthy investigation, plagiarism accusations against Frost were sustained. 
    Dr. Francis Beckwith's  wrote an excellent article on the scandal, but it is no longer accessible on the Internet.  Beckwith, who is now moving on to Baylor University this summer, has a home page that can be accessed at http://homepage.mac.com/francis.beckwith

Another interesting resource on plagiarism inside another ministry is Robert Bowman's article that can accessed here.

For the fourth month in a row, the price has been dramatically slashed to $5 on Christian Sentinel President Bill Alnor's book, UFO Cults and the New Millennium

In this 1998 book, which normally retails for $14.99, Bill exposed the dangerous theologies of Malachi York and the Raelian movement (the UFO cult that recently claims to have cloned two human babies) and other UFO cults.  A little more than a month ago York fell into more scandal by admitting to having sex with children in his cult, the Ancient Mystical Order of Melchizedek.

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Why am I receiving this E-update? 
If you have received this E-mail from Bill Alnor and cultlink.com and did not want to receive it, we apologize to you.  Most people were added to this list by signing up for it from our home page.  If you want to be removed write bill@cultlink.com and place remove in the subject line. 

Christian Sentinel Calls for the Removal of United Methodist Leader

(photo UMNS)
Retired Bishop Melvin Talbert

Although he has been officially retired since 2000, Talbert is still a gadfly traveling throughout the world and speaking on behalf of the United Methodist Church (UMC), the second largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. with 9.5-million members. That's because he is still on the UMC payroll making about $20,000 per year in what has become perhaps the most visible role anyone has in the denomination -- that of the ecumenical officer for the UMC's Council of Bishops.  He has been everywhere -- even to Baghdad talking with Iraqi leaders recently to try to promote peace and tolerance.
However, with this April 1, 2003 Christian Sentinel E-update we are calling for his removal as a credentialed UMC leader, and we are calling all of our readers -- especially our many UMC readers -- to press the UMC's Council of Bishops to remove him as their ecumenical officer before he can bring more disgrace, dishonor and damage to the UMC, which was once an honorable God-fearing denomination with a high view of Scripture and a zeal for the lost. "What an embarrassment he has been to us," said an evangelical United Methodist leader.  CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL STORY 
     This has little to do with Talbert recently appearing in a television commercial with other religious leaders to condemn U.S. war plans (prior to the war); indeed all Christians should seek peace and they need to prayerfully follow their consciences in this area.  Instead it has to do with clear evidence that Talbert has rejected the narrow way of the cross of Christ being necessary for salvation in favor of universalism – that there are many paths to salvation.  He has thus denied the historic Christian faith, and he did so before a worldwide audience on the Larry King Live television show on March 11, 2003.
     Talbert also has a long time agenda of promoting faith-destroying liberal causes within Methodism (and has been brought up on disciplinary charges) as he has promoted such causes as a pro homosexual and feminist agenda.  He has  stooped so low as to endorse homosexual marriages and promote the ordination of homosexuals as ministers within Methodism in direct defiance of God's Word, the Bible. How, then, could he have remained a UMC leader for so long to become one of the denomination's most visible leaders, even though he is supposedly retired?  That's because there have been so many liberals within the UMC that know little of biblical Christianity -- and they've taken over.  Thus the evangelicals have been powerless to stop his defiance.  Some answers can also be found in Bill Alnor's editorial exposing the outrageous salaries of the 51 U.S. UMC Bishops that went on line with this E-Update.  Click here. 
     Talbert has been one of the chief reasons evangelical Bible-believing Methodist laypeople and pastors in the California-Nevada conference have left in droves while he was their Bishop.  This month, in introducing our increasing research with the problems associated with the Mainline denominations, we have two editorials related to Talbert and the United Methodist Church. We'll link you to our main editorial again here, and the bishops' editorial can be accessed from the paragraph just above this one. 
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New Offer this month:
Ray Yungren's important book, A Time of Departing, exposes the deceptions of a new spirituality sweeping the planet. To read Jackie Alnor's new review of this book click here. 

Cost: $10, plus $1.75 shipping.  To order this book by invoice click here to tell Bill you want it.  Give him the title.   To go to our order form, click here.  
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     Another segment to be deleted from the new edition of Walter Martin's Kingdom of the Cults is "Appendix B: The Word Faith Movement" by Richard Abanes.  As we reported in last month's E-update, Christian Research Institute President Hank Hanegraaff has been dumped from the project as general editor, along with managing editor Gretchen Passantino, in favor of Ravi Zacharias (general editor) and Kevin Rische and Jill Martin Rische (managing editors).  In a brief written statement to The Christian Sentinel the Risches said Abanes' research conclusions and allegations of plagiarism by the evangelical writer were among reasons the appendix will be dumped.  To go the Risches' statement on the matter, click here.  
     The Christian Sentinel is proud to be offering the modified version of The Kingdom of the Cults as part of our resource list.  The late Walter Martin actually performed the wedding ceremony for Bill and Jackie Alnor more than 15 years ago in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.  Click here to go to our order form.  There is also a photograph from our wedding in the pages of our website (cultlink.com).  Let us know when you find it! :-) 
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     For a good resource on the topic of mind control, check out the web site announcing MKmagazine, a magazine for professionals exploring thought reform.    http://www.mkzine.com
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Prominent Apologist/Author Richard Abanes Accused of Plagiarism 
     By William Alnor © 2003, The Christian Sentinel. 
For more than a year as I have been continuing the research for my doctoral dissertation from Temple University in Philadelphia titled "Borrowed or Stolen? A Survey of Plagiarism in Religion with an Emphasis on Contemporary Religious Media," I have been aware that there were allegations of plagiarism floating around against young evangelical author (and friend) Richard Abanes, who in a relatively short time  beginning in the mid 1990s, went on to write 12 books on contemporary religion and related topics such as Harry Potter.  Some have sold very well. 
     But some of his books have been challenged greatly, and earlier this year Abanes fought off plagiarism charges publicly lodged by an Australian scholar, but he was forced to admit that he was guilty of sloppy footnoting in that one of his footnotes led to a misleading source that did not say what he said it did.  And even more recently, another Abanes'  book, a 600-plus page tome on Mormonism titled One Nation Under Gods came under extreme fire that Abanes claimed was due mostly to "editing errors."  As I have learned from looking at pro-Mormon Internet websites, the Mormons are trying to point out a number of significant footnoting errors.  
     Abanes has admitted some of the problems publicly, and as a result he is involved in editing a new paperback edition of the book that will supposedly correct them.  Trouble is, some ministries like the Christian Research Institute (CRI) are selling the error-filled book.  One of CRI's missions is to evangelize the Mormons, but the Mormons already are in heated discussions about the validity of the Abanes book, due partly to the mistakes.  No word yet whether CRI is going to continue to sell the book on its international "Bible Answer Man" Broadcast.  The book has also been endorsed by a number of evangelicals, some of whom are heavyweights.   
     However, it can be similarly argued that the Mormon apologists try to discredit any new product that attacks their faith, no matter how accurate the product is.  Abanes should be commended for exposing the Mormon Church, which is not only founded on lies, but it is spiritually dangerous and corrupt as well.  Mormonism is not Christian, and its doctrines are damnable.   
     But the continuing rumors of Abanes and alleged plagiarism went on, and although I was aware of some talk along these lines, as a journalist I did not act on them until more substantive evidence came up, particularly in light of my friendship with Abanes.  But strong evidence surfaced from a credible source -- respected scholar and apologist Kurt Van Gorden -- and recently I realized that I had no choice but to explore the issue further.   After all, as a university professor who routinely fails students for plagiarism in their class papers, why should there be a different standard for my friends, especially if one of them is a published author, making a living through selling his words?  I have also taught Mass Media Law (that includes copyright violations) at three universities over the past five years, and I see plagiarism as a serious matter.  
    I also checked the evidence and was convinced of the truth of the allegations.  But I wanted to be sure.  So last month I confidentially sent the table below to a blind panel of eight scholars (meaning the scholars did not know who else were receiving the copies).  I asked for their opinions.  These scholars (four of them with extensive experience with plagiarism) were not necessarily my friends either.  Six told me they perceived it as plagiarism, and two did not answer (I heard they did not want to get involved).  
     I told Richard all this and sent him the chart and asked for his reaction for the record last week.  In the mean time, Van Gorden approached his publisher (Crossway Books) and is now seeking Christian arbitration in the matter.  Abanes, as was his right due to what he perceives may be future potential legal action, declined to comment on the case for the record.  But a few of his friends have sure been busy defending Abanes and demonizing Van Gorden.  I was even threatened by one of his "friends" (who was on my informal panel, a scholar who even admitted that he detected plagiarism) that I should keep quiet about it and not publish this story. If I did he would go to my university and charge me with unethical activities in my reporting of it!  He also said he would go to a listserv I belonged to that deals with cults and religion and he would attempt to hurt my research efforts there (which would be a violation of the rules of the listserv).  I told him to go ahead, and I even provided him with the address of the president of my university and the chair of my department. 
     This man, a Christian, even said that my role in the reporting of the plagiarism charges (even though some were true), was really part of a conspiracy to extract money from Abanes.  This was an outright lie.     
     Of course, I have seen similar things time and time again over the years.  It amazes me how in the Christian world -- even more so than in the secular marketplace -- how Christians are even more likely to defend their friends than nonbelievers are even after they know they are wrong.  Should this man continue with his immature, childish antics, I will expose him by name as one who wishes to cover up sin in the church.  Plagiarism is a public sin, as I have learned in my research, and the readers get ripped off.  It should not be tolerated.  Exposure is the way to deal with it.  
     The questions surrounding Abanes' work have also been there for quite some time and I am launching an informal probe to get to the bottom of it.  It anyone has more information in this regard, please E-mail me confidentially at bill@cultlink.com.  Thomas Mallon, writing in Stolen Words: Forays into the Origins of Ravages of Plagiarism (New York: Ticknor & Fields, 1989), writes that the plagiarist almost always does it again, and again, and again.  
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     Below is the chart that compares the work of Van Gorden in the 1997 edition of The Kingdom of the Cults with the work of Abanes in his book, Cults, New Religious Movements, and Your Family.  To read Van Gorden's account of how he detected the alleged plagiarism, click here to access his article titled Richard Abanes's "Catch-Me-If-You-Can" Copycat Research, Copyright Infringement, and Plagiarism.

Price slashed to $10 for April 2003 E-update readers on our popular video documentary 

The Great Apostasy: The Lost Sign
For us to send it to you today and invoice you for $10, plus $1 shipping, write Bill by clicking here. Click here to print out the April 2003 order form to mail in. 

This video documents the rise of religious deception within the church from the beginning of the 1900s to the present day.  Length: 90 minutes.  It is filled with actual film footage of preachers caught in deception. Jesus warned us of the great falling away.  Yet, many are convincing Christians this very deception is an outpouring of revival.  See for yourselves how the spirit of Antichrist is within our churches.