Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry
From Wikireligion
CARM, or Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry is a ministry that claims to be defending the faith. It claims to: 1. Bring glory and honor to God
- CARM does this by presenting the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2. Equip Christians in the truth
- CARM does this by providing information on Christian doctrine, theology, evangelism, and other subjects. The goal is to present an accurate and biblical representation of Christian truth and answer the objections of critics of Christianity.
3. Lead non-Christians to Christ.
- CARM does this by answering objections, teaching biblical truth, and promoting the saving gospel of Christ.
Carm was formed in 1995 by Matt Slick.
Groups that CARM calls Cults
- Christadelphianism
- Christian Science
- How to have perfect faith
- Intern. Church of Christ
- Jehovah's Witnesses
- Mormonism
- Oneness Pentecostal
- Open Theism
- Roman Catholicism
- Seventh Day Adventism
- Shepherd's Chapel
- Universalism
- Wicca
Criticism of CARM
CARM's methods and policies receive criticism from a variety of groups. Some groups described on the CARM website as cults (such as Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses) have posted responses to CARM's articles on their beliefs, and some atheists, who disagree with CARM's published conservative, Evangelical philosophy, have written counter-arguments to articles on the CARM site.
Some aspects of Slick's ministry have been briefly touched on by Douglas Cowan in his critical, sociological survey of the Christian countercult movement.[1] Slick issued a written response to Cowan's article,[2] and he claims to have left a message offering to discuss the issues with Cowan in person and to have not received a response.[3]
CARM's internet forums have fallen under fire from people who have been excluded for alleged rule violations and who interpret this exclusion as an attempt to diminish opposition to Evangelical beliefs through moderation. In 2004, John W. Ratcliff, under the impression that atheists and liberal Christians were being systematically excluded from CARM, created the forum Atheist Apologetics Research Ministry as an alternative forum for discussion that was not subject to CARM's forum rules. Relations between the forums are less than amicable.[4]
In 2006, controversy arose when it was discovered that administrators at CARM were reading users' private messages to each other. Matt Slick wrote an announcement defending the practice, citing the need to protect the ministry.[5]
