Hank Hannegraaf, the Bible Answerman has converted to Orthodoxy/been dropped from radio/now has cancer

[flameburns623]

Many of you know of Hank Hannegraaff as an Evangelical apologist who was/is vigorously anti-Mormon  (as well as anti-Jehovahs Witness,  anti-Christian Science,  anti-Word-of-Faith, and pretty much defined by all of the "cults", heresies, and "aberrant Christian teachings" he opposed.

Hannegraaf emerged as the  heir apparent of Dr. Walter Martin, the original Bible Answerman, founder of the Christian Research Institute, and author of the Kingdom of the Cults, a seminal work of it's era and one of the motivating forces of the contemporary Evangelical apologetics movement.

This Easter, Hannegraaff converted to Greek Orthodoxy,  along with several of his family members.

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/protestant-radio-host-becomes-eastern-orthodox-show-dropped-from-evangelica

Almost immediately upon his conversion,  Hannegraaf was denounced for "apostasizing from the Christian faith" and he was dropped from one of the major Evangelical radio networks airing his show:

http://pulpitandpen.org/2017/04/10/the-bible-answer-man-hank-hanegraaff-leaves-the-christian-faith/

Within a couple of weeks of all of this, it emerges that Hannegraaff has an aggressive form of lymphoma, which has already spread throughout his system:

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2017/may/bible-answer-man-says-tumors-have-spread-throughout-body

While we can quietly celebrate that Hank is now learning how it feels to be told he is worshipping "another Jesus" and is no longer Christian, the better part of valor may be to keep the man in prayer as he battles this disease.  

 

[Calm]

Kind of you, flameburn

[Darren10]

Of course he'll be in my thoughts and prayers. Thanks for sharing.

[Robert F. Smith]

I'm unfamiliar with Hannegraaff, but have always found that the anti-Mormon guys keep us on our toes -- opposition in all things being necessary, etc.

I'm sorry to hear of his lymphoma, and I have said a prayer on his behalf.

[mfbukowski]

We are quite close to Greek Orthodoxy in many areas, so I find this gratifying that he is getting closer and closer, with all eternity to find the rest of the truth.  Ask all your relatives on the other side to seek him out!   What a golden investigator he would make!  

[The Nehor]

Smart move. I would not want to show up at the Judgement Bar and try to justify wasting my life with that anti-everyone else garbage either.

[Glenn101]

12 hours ago, flameburns623 said:

Many of you know of Hank Hannegraaff as an Evangelical apologist who was/is vigorously anti-Mormon  (as well as anti-Jehovahs Witness,  anti-Christian Science,  anti-Word-of-Faith, and pretty much defined by all of the "cults", heresies, and "aberrant Christian teachings" he opposed.

Hannegraaf emerged as the  heir apparent of Dr. Walter Martin, the original Bible Answerman, founder of the Christian Research Institute, and author of the Kingdom of the Cults, a seminal work of it's era and one of the motivating forces of the contemporary Evangelical apologetics movement.

This Easter, Hannegraaff converted to Greek Orthodoxy,  along with several of his family members.

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/protestant-radio-host-becomes-eastern-orthodox-show-dropped-from-evangelica

Almost immediately upon his conversion,  Hannegraaf was denounced for "apostasizing from the Christian faith" and he was dropped from one of the major Evangelical radio networks airing his show:

http://pulpitandpen.org/2017/04/10/the-bible-answer-man-hank-hanegraaff-leaves-the-christian-faith/

Within a couple of weeks of all of this, it emerges that Hannegraaff has an aggressive form of lymphoma, which has already spread throughout his system:

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2017/may/bible-answer-man-says-tumors-have-spread-throughout-body

While we can quietly celebrate that Hank is now learning how it feels to be told he is worshipping "another Jesus" and is no longer Christian, the better part of valor may be to keep the man in prayer as he battles this disease.  

 

Fortunately Hank's type of cancer is treatable, but unfortunately it is incurable. He is in stage four where the cells have spread to other parts of his body from the lymph cells. The problem with this type of cancer is that the symptoms are varied and sometimes even non-existent or maybe attributed to other causes. I had a friend, a former co-worker at a paper mill who died from the disease because he did not realize that he had it until it was too late. I also had a friend a few years ago who was in stage four when first diagnosed but was able to go into remission with treatment.

Even when in remission there is always the realistic worm of worry that there will be a relapse. Former Senator Fred Thompson was such a victim.

Whatever the case, going through chemotherapy is not fun, even with the benadryl that they pump into you. But it is much better than the other option.

My prayers will be for Hank, and another conversion.

Glenn

[cinepro]

Wow.  That's an interesting and tragic turn of events. Has he explained what brought about his conversion to Greek Orthodoxy?  Was it a spiritual conversion, or more based on study and coming to the conclusion that that was where the Bible says he should be?

[flameburns623]

5 hours ago, cinepro said:

Wow.  That's an interesting and tragic turn of events. Has he explained what brought about his conversion to Greek Orthodoxy?  Was it a spiritual conversion, or more based on study and coming to the conclusion that that was where the Bible says he should be?

When he initially announced, he indicated that a trip to China, meeting with persecuted Chinese Christians, ten years ago, started him on a spiritual journey through the Early Church Fathers and Scripture.

I am not clear if these Chinese Christians were Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, or what; but their faithfulness and love of Jesus Christ, in the face of severe persecution and imposed privation made it impossible for him to feel they were not saved Christians.

From this, I gather that these Chinese believers must have belonged to a denomination Hank would have deemed "aberrant" at that time.  

He became a Greek Orthodox catechumen over three years ago, culminating in his Chrismation on Palm Sunday.

So, this has been a long and arduous pilgrimnage for him. 

Edited May 21, 2017 by flameburns623

[Guest]

Don't worry, I would never rejoice or be glad that anyone (even those who see me as anti-Christian) who is having health problems. I would pray for him, just as I would anyone else, such love and kindness and loving our enemies is the very definition of true Christianity. Despite his many attacks of our Faith and others, he is still a child of God, therefore I will treat him as such and pray for him, least I lose my own soul. 

[thesometimesaint]

It is a very mortal failing to want mercy for ourselves and justice of everyone else. I must do better.

[Robert F. Smith]

2 hours ago, cinepro said:

Wow.  That's an interesting and tragic turn of events. Has he explained what brought about his conversion to Greek Orthodoxy?  Was it a spiritual conversion, or more based on study and coming to the conclusion that that was where the Bible says he should be?

Has he been drifting toward priesthood authority perhaps?  I hope he survives or goes into remission, if only to hear the full story.  Sounds selfish on my part, but I am intrigued.

[flameburns623]

1 hour ago, Robert F. Smith said:

Has he been drifting toward priesthood authority perhaps?  I hope he survives or goes into remission, if only to hear the full story.  Sounds selfish on my part, but I am intrigued.

Hank Hannegraaf ruminates very, very deliberately and slowly on subjects. It took him fifteen years to come to a personal opinion on eschatology.

Hank Hannegraaff has spent much of his ministry trying to help Christians discern nuances between what constitutes sound theology; what issues Christians may disagree but ought not divide over; aberrant ideas which might lead to theological confusion; and outright heresies, teachings apt to lead a believer away from Christ and cost them salvation.  

This was a hallmark of the Christian Research Institute from the time that Walter Martin founded it in 1960. At that time,  Evangelicals struggled to get along, with many small denominations making their distinctive practices an absolute test of fellowship.

By the time Martin died abruptly of heart failure in 1989, much progress had been made in downplaying the importance of whether to use wine or grape juice for communion, whether only one loaf of bread could be used, or if multiple loaves were acceptable, and whether or not foot washing is an ordinance. 

Hannegraaf proved capable of maintaining such a balance between "unsettled" perpheral issues and more dangerous teachings. Moreover, he was clever at reducing things to clever little acrostics such as "the F.A.C.E. which proves the FARCE of evolution". After a three year period when the Bible Answerman was more of a roundtable discussion with a revolving door of two or three apologists taking turns answering questions, Hank Hannegraaf assumed the role of host full time. 

He is supposedly not actually well educated--some claim he was a high school dropout--but he has regularly had some of the best writers and thinkers of the Evangelical world on as guests. And, he has obviously not merely interviewed themfor the sake of his audience;  but has learned from these people himself. 

But he has been very, very careful about planting his own theoligical flags. He is 67 years old now and I suspect his age will factor in to how well he recovers from his present illness. And, I expect we will not see him make any more dramatic theogical changes this side of Spirit Prison. 

[Kenngo1969]

I've posted similar thoughts on another thread very recently, but ... What the heck?! ... I'm a fan of repeating myself when I accidentally stumble into saying something at least coherent, if not profound .  If anything good will come of the ongoing secularist assault on religion, it will be that many of the faithful will realize that the doctrinal and sectarian differences which so many of us thought were so crucial as require that we vehemently voice our disagreements with one another will fade into insignificance in favor of uniting over what we have in common.  Perhaps, at least to a degree, a similar realization (revelation? ) finally is dawning on Mr. Hannegraaf.

P.S.: Perhaps nothing has a greater tendency to force us to jettison the excess baggage in which we carry trivial things than a sudden, jolting reminder of one's own mortality.  Perhaps Mr. Hannegraaf is experiencing a bit of that now.  Whatever differences we may have that are legion in number and (some of them) gargantuan in size, nonetheless, I wish him well.  

Edited May 22, 2017 by Kenngo1969

[Scott Lloyd]

On 5/21/2017 at 8:38 PM, Kenngo1969 said:

I've posted similar thoughts on another thread very recently, but ... What the heck?! ... I'm a fan of repeating myself when I accidentally stumble into saying something at least coherent, if not profound .  If anything good will come of the ongoing secularist assault on religion, it will be that many of the faithful will realize that the doctrinal and sectarian differences which so many of us thought were so crucial as require that we vehemently voice our disagreements with one another will fade into insignificance in favor of uniting over what we have in common.  Perhaps, at least to a degree, a similar realization (revelation? ) finally is dawning on Mr. Hannegraaf.

 

I had a similar thought but had not fully formed it in my mind well enough to express it. Thank you for doing so.

It used to be that in fora such as this one, the order of the day was defending the Church of Jesus Christ against dogmatic religionists who disputed its validity as a Christian faith. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then, and we mainly find ourselves under attack these days from secularists, atheists, anti-religionists and a variety of dissidents in varying stages of apostasy. The mention of Hannegraaf kind of made me wistful for the old days.

Edited May 28, 2017 by Scott Lloyd

[Ashley]

Two men I know are anti LDS and anti Freemason. Larry Kunk and Duane washam. 

These guys abuse the Bible by taking it out of context then criticise others.

They moderated a discussion board board called Ephesians 5:11 and are very hostile you can visit the site.

Larry Kunk has videos dealing with this topic on YouTube.

 

 

[Avatar4321]

lets keep him in our prayers. The Lord said to pray for our enemies and while I'm not of the opinion that I have enemies, I can pray for people we might disagree with because chances are we disagree with everyone a little.

[Avatar4321]

On ‎7‎/‎14‎/‎2017 at 1:28 AM, Ashley said:

Two men I know are anti LDS and anti Freemason. Larry Kunk and Duane washam. 

These guys abuse the Bible by taking it out of context then criticise others.

They moderated a discussion board board called Ephesians 5:11 and are very hostile you can visit the site.

Larry Kunk has videos dealing with this topic on YouTube.

 

 

this seems irrelevant to the thread and just a shout out for the other board.

[Calm]

Ashley has posted on other posts and started a thread on Salvation in Social, so while that was my first reaction, I think it more likely he was just sharing personal experience for information.

Edited July 15, 2017 by Calm