Pastor Arnold Murray is a Christian televangelist Bible-teacher. He is the pastor of the Shepherd's Chapel in Gravette, Arkansas.

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 black curtain 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. His daily program consists of thirty minutes of Bible study, and thirty additional minutes of questions via mail.

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 unorthadox 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.

Controversial Views

• Murray rejects the use of the term "reverend" for religious leaders, claiming that only God is entitled to this term.

• He does not teach the traditional view of the Trinity.

• 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, and that Cain was the offspring of the union. Further, he believes that the descendants of Cain are called Kenites.

• 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.

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 eth 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
• Murray responses to criticisms
• The purpose of this site is to refute the lies spoken against Pastor Arnold Murray.
• CARM.org website page on Murray
• Arnold Murray allegedly predicted that the Antichrist would appear before 1981.
• The Shepherd's Chapel VERSUS hate groups.
• Arnold Murray and White Racism: Christian Identity