Arnold Murray
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Pastor Arnold Murray is a Christian televangelist Bible-teacher. He is the pastor of the Shepherd's Chapel in Gravette, Arkansas. Since 1985, Murray's telecasts have been broadcast from his studios in Arkansas to across the United States. Shepherd's Chapel achieved a global reach when it attained a transponder (#16) on the Galaxy 4R satellite. A few satellite dish companies broadcast a 12-hour or 6-hour block of Murray's live and past prerecorded bible study programs, known as the Shepherd's Chapel Network (SCN).
His broadcasts are carried by numerous television stations in the USA, often in late night or early morning hours. Broadcasts originate from a very spartan studio: an unadorned blue curtain hangs behind Murray as he preaches while seated at his desk, which is topped only with a figurine of a bald eagle and occasionally a small bouquet of flowers. Behind him stand the American flag and the Christian flag. His daily program consists of thirty minutes of Bible study, and thirty additional minutes of questions via mail.
Recently, Murray's son Dennis Murray has taken over some of the reins of his father's ministries as Arnold Murray is now past 70 years of age. Dennis Murray is occassionally the preacher on the program when his father is obliged to rest. Though not as engaging and lively as his father, Dennis Murray follows his father's teaching style and general doctrines. It is Dennis Murray's voice that is heard announcing during the opening of each program, welcoming viewers.
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Preaching style
Murray preaches a chapter by chapter, verse by verse approach to teaching, utilizing the King James Version almost exclusively, and routinely excoriates "false preachers" who he claims know little of the Bible's wisdom. Murray makes a point of not naming the preachers and denominations he disagrees with, saying "let's just stick to studying God's word." Murray declines to answer questions about particular denominations within Christianity, and other religions.
Controversy
Murray has come under some scrutiny for his political and spiritual views, which he terms right-wing. He claims to disagree with racist views, and uses the terms "tribes" as a euphemism for "races". When he refers to a "tribe of Cain", for example, his wording is, typical of religious language, ambiguous as to whether it means "murderers all belong to Cain's tribe", or "such a tribe, decended from Cain, is predispositioned to murder." He is a proponant of British Israelism, among other unorthodox views.
He gained a certain level of notoriety for pulling a 9mm handgun out of his briefcase in response to a heckler who shouted "blasphemy" at him during a sermon, and allegedly tried to rush towards the desk that Murray sits behind during the taping of his program. Murray's response was to say "take this nine millimeter to that boy!".
Controversial Views
- Murray rejects the use of the term "reverend" for religious leaders, claiming that only God is entitled to this term.
- He denies the existence of an eternal hell. He teaches that hell is an annihilation of the soul; that wicked souls ceases to exist after judgment day.
- He Teaches the doctrine of the "serpent seed" This is the belief that Satan had sex with Eve,(not a new or unique teaching, as the Medieval Catholic Abbess Hildegard of Bingen alluded to a "rape" of Eve in her writings) and that Cain was the offspring of the union. Further, he believes that the descendants of Cain are called Kenites. The name Kenite, as most concordances note, means son of Cain.
- He teaches that the Rapture is a false doctrine, and that those who believe it will be deceived by Satan during the tribulation.
- He believes that all the races where created on the sixth day of creation and Adam and Eve were created after the sixth day. Traditional Christianity says otherwise; that all people were descended from one man and one woman.
- He has said "shame on you" to all people who oppose Bush's sending troops to Iraq.
- He believes that the Bible supports the Death Penalty for those accused of murderer and rape.
- He believes that scientists have discovered a "missing" day in time that corresponds to the Bible's account of the sun's standing still.
(5/5/2005)
Other Attributed Views
- Teaches the Father, the Son, and The Holy Spirit.
- He teaches of differences between sheol, keber, gehenna, geena, hades, tataroo, and the lake of fire: Biblical terms unknown to the majority of "orthodox Christianity", which in turn is based on the Council of Nicaea. He teaches that the lake of fire is an annihilation of the soul; that wicked souls cease to exist after judgement day. (Ref. Ezek 28, &c.)
- He Teaches the doctrine of Matt. 13. Identifying the "tares" as the "Seed of Satan"
- He teaches that the pre-trib Rapture is a false doctrine, and that those who believe it are in danger of accepting the antichrist.
- He teaches of a difference between adam, and the ha'Adam.
- Teaches Deu. 23:2. The subject of Galatians 3:26 - 4:11 is "SONSHIP IN CHRIST", not "Whom can ye marry".
External links
- Shepherd's Chapel website (http://www.shepherdschapel.com/)
- Murray responses to criticisms (http://www.shepherdschapel.com/answers.htm)
- The purpose of this site is to refute the lies spoken against Pastor Arnold Murray. (http://khyron_4.tripod.com/PMurray/PMurray.html)
- Challenges critics and exposes falsehoods spread by those who oppose teachings of Murray and Shepherd's Chapel. (http://www.scripturetruth.homestead.com)
- The Shepherd's Chapel VERSUS hate groups. (http://khyron_4.tripod.com/PMurray/hgroups.html)