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| April
2006 letters Archives of letters to the editor  |
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| 'What's
next? The BOG (Bible Over the Guardrails) task force?' April 27, 2006 Just when we thought the General Assembly couldn't get any more contentious, along comes the proposed establishment of the FOG task force! Either they are tone deaf to the people they should be serving, or they are employing this as a diversionary tactic to draw attention away from the PUP report. What's next? The BOG (Bible Over the Guardrails) task force? Joe Rumble Former Deacon, Cashmere Presbyterian Member, Wenatchee First Presbyterian Central Washington Presbytery 'It is time for a new reformation to begin' April 27, 2006 History tells us that, when the Church at Rome distanced itself from Biblical authority, it became corrupt. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door at Wittenburg in 1517 that exposed the corruption, the Reformation began. The Church at Louisville now has distanced itself from Biblical authority and become corrupt. That corruption now has been exposed. It is time for a new Reformation to begin. George Hill First Presbyterian Church of Baton Rouge Port Allen, La. Confessions aid the church in understanding God's Word April 27, 2006 The reason the New Wineskins Initiative would commend a multitude of confessions and catechisms is because: They are part of our Reformed heritage, the confessions and catechisms are Scripturally-based and doctrinally sound, and to ignore them and the contribution they have made to the cause of Christ would be a theological error of high order. For Rev. Olive [letter to the editor, posted April 21, 2006] to say that the Reformed confessions commended by the New Wineskins Initiative are a "sandy foundation" is to place himself outside of almost 400 years of Reformed theology. The confessions commended by the New Wineskins Initiative are those from the Nicene Creed through the Theological Declaration of Barmen. Even a cursory review of these documents will show their worth for the church as aids in understanding the Word of God, in teaching and preaching, and in personal devotional use. Randy Jenkins Huntsville, Ala. For 'evangelism' to be successful, one must have a message to share April 27, 2006 "Thus, it should have come as no surprise that Detterick repeatedly urged the General Assembly Council to make evangelism its priority." For "evangelism" to be a successful priority, one must have a message to share. People are not attracted to churches that don't know what they believe. James E. Tuckett Large congregations are in historically liberal states April 27, 2006 It's interesting to note that the majority of these large congregations are located in states that are historically very liberal demographically. Bob Jessen, elder Mt. Holly, N.C. Did presbytery mislead commissioners at presbytery meeting? April 27, 2006 As many at The Layman know, because you were there, our church (Hendersonville , First) and our presbytery (Western North Carolina) were told yesterday by the bills and overtures committee that our overture to G.A. on the PUP report would not be accepted because it was past the 120-day cut-off point. And yet, today I read about two more overtures against the PUP report in a story dated April 25 – the same day we were being told otherwise. Could you please find out if the presbytery was misled yesterday before our vote? Were these two overtures actually approved before February 17? I am not sure which is worse – that presbytery lied to us, or the arbitrary use of the 120-day cut-off point for something that is not a constitutional change! Mimi Jamieson Nothing that goes against the teaching of Scripture is taught at growing church April 27, 2006 As a member of a PCUSA church that's growing, I see the under 25-year-olds coming back to a church that preaches the Gospel and invites both believers and those seeking after truth to be part of its fellowship. There was a testimony and a baptism of a young adult in a recent service at the church I am a part of. There were at least three missionary families that serve overseas in church. The worship team and the congregation represented a number of races and cultures other than those of European background. But for the sake of peace, unity and purity of the congregation I am a part of, nothing that goes against the clear teaching of Scripture, or the statements in the Confessions that the founders of the PCUSA or its northern and southern predecessors stood for is taught by the pastors or non-teaching elders or deacons. But they do teach the truth in love. And all want to see peace, unity and purity of the church that also upholds Scripture and the documents that the founders of the Presbyterian movement wrote out to express Scripture's truths. And I see in the statement released by these 15 large evangelical congregations the desire to have peace, unity and purity in the PCUSA under the authority of Scripture and the exposition of that truth as expressed in its Confessions. I am attaching a verse that uses the melody of the Battle Hymn of the Republic as its format to express what I think they are saying. THE PRICE There's a time for every season when we each must take our stand When the unity that's offered means that truth must be denied And that peace renounces purity to gain our compromise Will God's truth be denied? Rising, rising, Hear the chorus Holy Spirit, Give us courage God's truth going now before us We must not compromise When God's truth in love is spoken yet that stand is vilified And truth's motive is rejected for the sake of compromise Will Scriptures standards falter and its purity be trashed? Will God's truth be denied? CHORUS F. Spencer Loomis Towson/Baltimore, Md. The Layman's call to arms plays directly into the hands of Baal April 27, 2006 Elder Steve Jones [letter to the editor, posted April 13, 2006] raises some interesting questions in his analysis of my letter supporting Dr Alan Meenan's views of our current circumstance. Elder Jones suggests, then scoffs at the suggestion, that there is a vast secular right wing conspiracy to infiltrate the church to use it for its own political purpose. A conspiracy is usually defined as a secret plot by persons unknown. He is right,of course. There is nothing secret about it. The movement, as I would call it, is only two mouse-clicks away on the Internet. It puts out newsletters coaching its members on how to influence their churches, what wedge issues to bring up, and how to frame them. Some trace its origins to the Lewis Powell memo to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It was composed by the Nixon administration – not long before The Layman was founded – in response to what the conservatives then believed was a growing left wing attack on America and its political and socio-economic foundations. In it, future Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell mapped out the conservative strategy for taking back our universities, media and pulpits over the next 30 years. Although Powell clearly affirmed that "the need for liberal thought is essential to a balanced viewpoint," the movement has moved way beyond its initial aspirations. Elder Jones questions whether a Biblical view of the world is compatible with a political view. I think that maybe he is confused about the meaning of the words he is using. The Biblical worldview is that the whole world belongs to God (Ex. 19:5), and that the government of the universe is upon the shoulders of our Lord Jesus Christ (Is 9:6-7, Lk. 1:32-33). The definition of the term "political" relates to government and "politics." The most common definition of the term "politics" is the art and science of government, authority and control. The term "obedience to God" is therefore a political statement – by definition. The choice to be under the authority of Scripture and to recognize the Lordship of Jesus is therefore a political choice. It was an early adaptation when secular leaders figured out that to control humanity they would have to pretend God was on their side. In many cases, secular rulers have claimed the status of deity themselves. It should come as no surprise when secular rulers penetrate the Church in order to control their subjects. They seduce us by preying on our own desires for control and power. The bigger the church, the more vulnerable our pastors become to its intoxication. It is the devil's second temptation, but it is based on a lie. The world is already the Lord's, and the devil cannot give what is not his to give. It was to end the evil farce that the political founders of America tried to establish a separation between church and state. A separation that today's neo-cons would disrespect. Elder Jones suggests that my reflections on Meenan's words are only a repetition of someone else's doctrine. Hardly. My writing was based solely on my own experience and what I see. After I shared it, The Layman published a reference to John H Thomas' article regarding the IRD's attempts to influence the Church. Even a cursory examination into the history and founders of the IRD substantiates his claims. The only thing I can say is that there must be a rising awareness and concern over what is going on. The idea that evangelical Christians are being manipulated as innocent pawns should not be difficult to grasp. The Marxists of the '50s and '60s did it to the liberals of their generation, and now the neo-cons are doing it to the conservatives of ours. Since before the time of Christ, the Biblical worldview is that the people of God are like sheep for the slaughter. Nothing has changed. It would seem that when it comes to politics, the people of God tend to be as wise as doves and as docile as serpents, instead of the other way around (Mat. 10:16). The Layman uses Elijah and the prophets of Baal as a pseudo-Biblical metaphor to describe the conflict between conservatism and liberalism. This metaphor is wrong. The god of liberalism is a gentle, nurturing, even permissive god who indulges her children and looks beyond all their faults to the point of enabling them. Her name is Asherah. The god of conservatism is an authoritarian, autocratic, disciplinarian head-of-household god who teaches his children the virtues of self-discipline, self-reliance, and how to use force. He is the one called Baal. They are the ultimate power couple. The people of God have always fallen under their charms. Baal's and Asherah's narcissistic hunger for attention is insatiable as they compete with one another for our devotion. They promise fulfillment and power to all who join them, but they do not consider our first-born children too much of a sacrificial offering in return. (Why should we put our children out on the streets of West Hollywood, or bury them in coffins draped in American flags?) The Layman's call to arms appears to resist Asherah, but it plays directly into the hands of Baal. The quarrel between them has nothing to do with the alternative world of the Gospel or God's people. To choose between these gods, between the liberal and conservative factions in our church, is to choose evil. Elijah, meaning God-YHWH, cries out to us from the ancient past to ignore them both (Gen. 4:7). Ritchie Jones Los Angeles, Calif. Churches should move to protect property April 21, 2006 Thank you for publishing the letter from 35 pastors of large PCUSA churches expressing grave concern over the deeply flawed core of the PCUSA. As has been noted before, the larger PCUSA churches are usually biblically conservative. It is time for these "tall steeple" evangelical churches to start banding together to form something new as the PCUSA declines into a worldly irrelevance that only has bible-believing Christians standing against it. In light of the recent action in the Presbytery of Eastern Oklahoma, these pastors and their sessions should move now to file claims to their properties in civil court. Since they have revealed their hand, they might now be targeted by their local presbyteries. I only wish my former church, Hollywood Presbyterian, had the foresight to have done this before it was ambushed and taken over last year by the universalist, gay-ordaining Presbytery of the Pacific. Unfortunately, only hindsight always has 20/20 vision. But what happened to Hollywood should be a warning to other Biblical congregations. One of the 35 pastors, Rev. Mark Brewer of Bel Air Presbyterian, is also in the Presbytery of the Pacific. Now that Hollywood Presbyterian has been scattered, Bel Air is currently the largest church in the presbytery and represents the largest stronghold of evangelicalism there with an average 5,000 people attending every weekend. Bel Air had better watch its back and take pro-active steps now to guard its church campus from the jealous clutches of liberal presbytery officials. Shepherds, guard your flocks! Jon Thomasson Recently-resigned from Hollywood Presbyterian Church Will pastors' voices break through institutional hubris? April 21, 2006 [Thirty-five ministers of large Presbyterian congregations signed a statement, saying,] "...we are ready for a redefinition of that unity and the structural realities that hold us together. God help us." Praise God for the voices of these saints who have spoken so clearly. I, along with many others out here serving the mid-size and small churches of this denomination, have been waiting and hoping to hear these particular voices. The sad reality is that for the most part, I don't believe that the Louisville leadership cadre cares one whit what most of us think. They have become captive to ego and hubris. It is my hope that perhaps these voices will break through the institutional hubris on the top floor at Presbyterian Center. Perhaps now Mr. Kirkpatrick et al will understand that indeed what is wrong (at the core) may well be right under their noses. Wake up and smell the coffee folks, "this PUPpy won't hunt." All it has accomplished is to bring us closer to the edge of a deep and frightening chasm. Read this statement carefully, it is a warning the GAC had better heed. Rev. Jim Yearsley Tampa, Fla. Size of congregations isn't relevant April 21, 2006 Regarding the statement that the pastors of large congregations ready "for redefinition" of unity, I respect these pastors for sharing their thoughts with larger church and believe that voice is important to have in the discussion. However, I do not see the relevance of the size of the congregations that they serve; particularly, when they have made in clear in the first sentence they are speaking only for themselves. Placing that spin on their statement implies that their voice is more important than those of pastors who serve the "average" size Presbyterian congregation. Matthew Sauer Winfield, Ind. We need 5,000 pastors to join the 35 April 21, 2006 Offsetting the statement by the 35 ministers we have: 1. "Without offering the Presbyterian Church (USA) any theological assessment of the final report of the denomination's Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity, the presidents of 12 Presbyterian-related seminaries have endorsed the report." 2. "Twenty-five former moderators of the General Assembly and current Moderator Rick Ufford-Chase have issued a statement in support of the report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church (TTF)." The above 12 seminary presidents and the 26 PCUSA moderators were elected to their positions by the General Assembly commissioners. Unless there has been a drastic change in this year's selection and election of the 534 GA commissioners, it appears those who have been elected to their position by prior GA's feel confident they have the votes to approve PUP. Therefore, it seems that instead of 35 pastors signing this statement, we should be looking for 5,000 pulpit pastors signing the statement. Larry Rued First Presbyterian Church Bradenton, Fla. We cannot abide in unity with one another unless we abide in oneness with Christ April 21, 2006 A New Wineskins Initiative White Paper: On the Unity of the Church is soundly disappointing. This effort weakly touts Biblical doctrine as the tie that binds: "Though we have a diversity of parts we stand united in our common doctrine." And again, "The Body of Christ is diverse in its makeup, but unified in its doctrine." And again, "Unity is determined by doctrine and doctrine by the Word of God." And again, in conclusion, "The unity of the Church is based on Christian doctrine as given by Christ and those to whom he gave authority. To rely on anything else is to stand outside of the body of Christ. Those who look outside of Scripture for their authority and those who preach another gospel are encouraged to confess their sin, repent and seek Christ, for he is faithful to forgive. A unity based on anything other than Christian doctrine as given to us by Christ and the apostles is a false unity and will not further either the peace or purity of the church." The repetitious recitation of this "united by doctrine" mantra offers little insight into the source, nature, and expression of our unity. For example, the White Paper lifts up the Biblical analogy that compares the mystery of Christ's union with the Church to that of a man and a woman united in marriage, but only employs it as a megaphone to amplify a harangue on the topic of "sexual expression outside of marriage." There is a complete failure to communicate the truth that our unity in the body of faith flows from our union with the object and source of our commitment, even Christ Jesus. We cannot expect to abide in unity with one another unless we are abiding in oneness with Jesus Christ. "And this is [God's] commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us... By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God ... And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in [that one], and [that one] abides in God" (1 John 3:23-24; 4:2-3a, 14-15, cf. John 15:1-10, 17:20-26). In this passage, the Bible says that our unity is confessional, devotional, connectional and missional: Proclaim Jesus Lord, stay in obedient communion with him, love God and others, share the good news of Christ's saving power in word and deed. A unity grounded in this teaching will reject any other doctrine. While the NWI White Paper: On the Unity of the Church seems to agree, it lacks the clarity, force and richness available in even a brief review of just these few verses from John's first letter. It shouts – over and over again – that Scripture speaks, without ever exploring what the Bible says about our unity as the body of Christ. Content with polemics as usual, it neither convinces nor inspires. Jim Henkel, NWI endorsing church pastor North Benton Presbyterian Church North Benton, Ohio Eastminster Presbytery Why reconstitute a new denomination or movement on the sandy foundation? April 21, 2006 RE: "New Wineskins Initiative releases drafts on unity, confessions and networking" Just out of curiosity, why would any renewal group in the PCUSA commend a multitude of confessions and catechisms, as the New Wineskins Initiative paper does? Most folks can easily document the precipitous decline of the PCUSA as stemming from the decision to abandon the traditional use of the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms. It was the vagueness of confessional orthodoxy resulting from the adoption of the "Confession of 1967" and the Book of Confessions that led directly to the abandonment of Reformed theology and then of Scripture. This is especially seen in the ordination questions, which used to be: "Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, totally trustworthy, fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, the supreme, final, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice?" Then, "Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Catechisms of this church as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures?" And, "Do you promise that if at any time you find yourself out of accord with the system of doctrine as taught in the Scriptures and as contained in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Catechisms of this church you will, on your own initiative, make known to your presbytery the change which has taken place in your views since the assumption of this ordination vow?" Today the questions are: "Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God's Word to you?" Then, "Do you sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and will you be instructed and led by those confessions as you lead the people of God?" And, "Will you be a minister of the Word and Sacrament in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture, and continually guided by our confessions?" (Emphases added.) As you can see, the difference is striking. The first set of questions is objective, authoritative and verifiable, while the second set is subjective, Neo-orthodox (at least potentially) and unverifiable. I would be very interested to hear the rationale for reconstituting a new denomination or movement on the sandy foundation which has led so many to so much sorrow rather than simply seeking to return to the "faith of our fathers" that held this great denomination so steady for so many centuries (i.e., 1642-1967). Rev. Austin Olive What good has been done by Detterick's 'consummate team player' approach? April 21, 2006 I would not presume to challenge the contributions that John Detterick has made to the cause of Christ; however, in reading your tribute to his service, I am prompted to ask what good has been served by his "consummate team player" approach or "ever the diplomat" response to the insanity that has marked the General Assembly in the last 20 years? Richard McClendon Loss which will continue unless Biblical authority is established by PCUSA April 21, 2006 John Detterick is leaving the PCUSA bleeding with membership loss which will continue unless a Biblical authority is established by the PCUSA. I will not hold my breath since it seems to me Icabod is written all over the PCUSA with the sanctioning immoral behavior, defying the Book of Order, accepting just about anyone who will donate money to the church. Whoever succeeds Detterick, the same will continue, and we all should be praying for God's will, his choosing not only a successor, but prayer for new members who are Biblical, believe in the authority of the Scriptures, saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, establishing a purpose driven church for the glory of God. Lou. S. Nowasielski Wilmington, DE Detterick was safe at home when he defended anti-Semitism as 'truth in love' April 21, 2006 John Detterick will also be remembered for his anti-Israel positions and approval of an anti-Semitic canard. Following a 2002 trip to the Middle East Detterick described the anti-Semitic accusation that Israel controls the American government as "speaking the truth in love." When told that "Israel is pulling the strings and manipulating the USA for its own benefit," Detterick responded with introspection and understanding: "These sisters and brothers in Christ were speaking the truth in love to me." Detterick was safely at home in Louisville when he gave that interview, defending raw anti-Semitism as "truth in love." At Ben Gurion airport, he insisted that he was visiting the Middle East in order "To better understand the Palestinian situation." He denied any interest in understanding the situation of Israelis, insisting to an interviewer that his only interest lay in understanding the Palestinians, a position that he reinforced by talking only with radical-left Israelis and anti-Israel Palestinians, while talking to no mainstream Israelis. And, of course, under Detterick's leadership the PCUSA focused like a laser on Israel, ignoring the plight of beleagured Christian communities in Pakistan, China, Nigeria and elsewhere to keep up a steady drumbeat of anti-Israel rhetoric culminating in the divestment vote. It is a sad legacy. Diana Apelbaum New York Written word all but crucified in PCUSA April 21, 2006 In response to Earl C. Apel and his question as to why we just couldn't all get along, and the movie he watched called Joyeux Noel. Yes, all the soldiers did stop fighting a while to sing Christmas carols, but later they started shooting at each other again. We in the church do that, too, but the battle that is raging in our denomination is a spiritual battle and it is one of eternal significance. We are charged by Paul the Apostle to contend for the faith, as he did. The problem we have with that today is that many church members do not believe the all of the Holy Bible is the Word of God for all of us, and that its meaning has not changed one iota. This battle has become a war of empty words and emptier rhetoric. Scripture, the written Word of God, has been wrestled down to the mat by earthen vessels; it has been marred and as disfigured as the loving face of Jesus was when the Roman soldiers crammed the crown of thorns upon His brow; it has been drug through the muck and the mire of academia (i.e. Biblical criticism and intellectualism) until it is as unrecognizable as the face of our Lord after the brutal scourging rendered by the most intellectual civilization of its day; the written Word of God is all but crucified in Presbyterian Church (USA), but it is facing Calvary on a hill called Louisville. Many of its disciples are fleeing the scene, many deny they know Him; He calls, but they do not recognize His voice. Have we not known, have we not heard, that Christ is the Word of God made flesh? Hear ye the Word of the Lord, says Genesis through Revelation; will you read it and heed it, or will you take your pen knife to the words that are not God's Word to you? Praise God, all the words of the Holy Bible are God's Word to me, all the time! I have nowhere else to go, as Peter said to the Lord that day. His breath inspired the writers of the Holy Bible, and every Word is God-breathed and powerful, even to the dividing asunder of marrow from the bone. It is the life's blood to every believer; it is the wine we may drink and never get drunk, but we can get as high as Mt. Sinai in our souls! We are waiting with bated breath to see if Louisville hammers those nails, and thrusts that spear into our Lord again. Will they accept PUP and reject the Word? Remember what happened on the third day, Louisville? He will rise again, and so will the true church. Glenda Smith, elder Weaverville, N.C. GA issues do not bode well for the church temporally or eternally April 18, 2006 Until seeing the article published on April 13, I had little idea regarding the nature of the issues confronting the General Assembly this session; after reading the list shown in the story 'Leaders for GA committees are named by Ufford-Chase,' I am frankly shocked at some of the things that will be brought into question. Hating the Jews, approving sinful behaviors, and compromising the very basis of the faith's tenets (No. 7 and No. 13) do not bode well for the church temporally or eternally. Indeed, based on the debated subjects, the loss of spiritual sanity appears to have now overruled whatever Christ-centered policy remains in the leadership of the PCUSA. My hope and prayer is that somehow light will overcome the secular darkness now evident over the 217th, but I am quite frankly pessimistic about its outcome. Incidentally, I find number 8 (revenue shortfall) most interesting considering the other things that the church seems to need to clarify for itself; would you fund mission projects if their goals are what our church is now attempting to establish? Geoff Stunkard FPC, Johnson City, Tenn. GA is a cruel joke suited only to accelerate the demise of a moribund church April 18, 2006 Regarding Rev. Gretchen Graf being named moderator of the GA Committee on Peacemaking & International Issues: I am outraged that someone like Rev Graf, whose take on the atrocity of 09/11/01 was,
With the deck being stacked like this, it is clear that the forthcoming General Assembly is, basically, a cruel joke suited only to accelerate the demise of a moribund church. The PCUSA is, sadly, a great example of one of those. Warren B. Howe, MD Bellingham, Wash. If it is God's will to save the PCUSA, then he will most certainly accomplish it April 18, 2006 As one of the drafters of the appeal, I appreciate the feelings shared by Ed McLean in his letter [posted April 13, 2006] to The Layman. To Mr. McLean, and others who may well share his feelings, I would first say that waiting is a solidly Biblical and Christian spiritual practice, and one that does not imply passivity, but faithful activity. Mr. McLean expressed both a concern and a frustration no doubt shared by many faithful and loyal Presbyterians, "Why wait? We need action now!" But the very fact that the appeal has been drafted and published shows that action has already taken place. Granted, the action right now appears somewhat similar to the seemingly endless succession of statements of concern and condemnation that have issued from the various renewal organizations for years now with little effect. If I may be so bold, I would ask Mr. McLean what action he would propose at this time? The General Assembly will not meet for another eight weeks from now. While the drafters of the appeal have fairly strong opinions about what is likely to transpire in Birmingham, none of us, any more than the members of the Presbytery of San Diego, possess the ability to peer into the future and predict it with certainty. Please know that long before so much as one word of the appeal was written, the drafters had engaged in action, in months of prayer and conversation to seek God's will for our faithful course at this time. What the Holy Spirit said to those who gathered in Montreat last month was that we should: 1) Continue in fervent prayer for the denomination and the 217th General Assembly [And we hope Mr. McLean and others will join us in this critical spiritual work]. 2) Issue a statement that expressed our loyalty as Presbyterians, not to a severely flawed institution, but to our historic Bbiblical Reformed/Presbyterian heritage, and our concern for the alarming trajectory of the PCUSA, and our hope in and promise of appropriate future action. 3) Wait upon the Lord, who will most certainly reveal the path his people must follow at the very time he has appointed for such revelation. The drafters of the appeal all believe the Holy Spirit spoke to us and inspired our words. At the same time we all realize the imperfection of our spiritual acuity, and recognize that if there is no fruit produced for the kingdom of God through the appeal, then he was not in our work and it does not deserve to stand. At this time we are encouraged with the response to the appeal, while prayerfully looking to the further activity of the Holy Spirit in the Holy Church. As for saving the denomination, if that should be the will of God, he will most certainly accomplish it. For our part, we do not presume to imagine ourselves as the "saviors" of the PCUSA, and would warn others to be wary of any who would claim to be. Jim Wilken, pastor First Presbyterian Church Marion N.C. Don't trust the General Assembly with any disaster relief funds April 18, 2006 The General Assembly is not responding to those people and congregations who contributed to the relief need. Instead it is holding on to money in order to maintain control and power as it sees it. Those funds were given for the Gulf Coast relief. Will they be used to support and care for illegal aliens in the Southwest as our current moderator would like or maybe middle eastern terrorists? The response in the future of Presbyterians should be, don't trust the General Assembly with any disaster relief funds. Find another Christian avenue through which to give. Kay Ward Tulsa, Okla. The future always belongs to the convinced and committed April 18, 2006 It appears that in the next two months, there will be a showdown at your General Assembly. I write this to encourage evangelicals to stick to their guns at this debacle. In the 1980s, I felt convicted to quit my job and go to seminary. My home church is Second Presbyterian Church of Memphis, Tenn. It was at that time a conservative church in a liberal presbytery of a liberal denomination – the PCUSA. My choice of seminaries was Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Miss. The pastor ( a former professor there) and the session fully endorsed and encouraged me in this. I went to appear before the ministerial committee of the Memphis Presbytery – twice. To make a long story short, I got shot down in flames both times, because of my choice of seminaries. They even lied about it and said I couldn't go to seminary because I had a poor showing on my psychological test. I saw the test results myself and it made me look a lot sounder than Sigmund Freud. So I went on to RTS anyway, without their approval. While there, the church withdrew from the PCUSA and joined the EPC. I had no trouble getting ordained by the EPC following ordination, and two doctorates later, I am now in my 14th year of teaching at African Bible College, Malawi. One of the subjects that I teach is church history. I learn from church history that the future always belongs to the convinced and committed, never to the unsure and open-minded. Popes, reformers and ayatollahs will always make a bigger splash upon the world scene than will the kind of people now running your PCUSA. Where would we be today if Martin Luther had said to himself, "You know, the pope could have a point," and kept those 95 Theses to himself? So in the ensuing struggle, be bold enough to walk out, pitch them the keys to the church building, and start over at the school cafeteria or Elks' Lodge. Luther and Calvin weren't always a barrel of laughs, but we could sure use a few like them today. Larry Brown African Bible College Malawi, Africa It was hard reading but I knew the ending was good April 18, 2006 I just finished reading this and have sent it on to my Christian friends. What a way to reflect on this Easter weekend on the sacrifice Jesus made for you and me. It was hard reading at times but I knew the good ending so that helped me get through it. Sarah Hess Pastors remarks did not engender peace April 18, 2006 Rev. Graf may have meant well, but she had to know that what she was not going to engender peace. Her first paragraph was enough to turn off the hearing of many people, especially many Americans.
Would Graf say this about Eric Rudolph who bombed abortion clinics? He considered himself as doing this atrocious act against those whom he considered oppressive and evil; how far is she willing to go with this misguided softspeak? Governments are to exact justice for the people. Pacifists are so misguided ... they enjoy living in our free society, this corrupt and evil society, but they would refuse to defend it. They would be dead within the blink of an eye in Iraq under Sadaam Housein and these "brave and courageous young men." Love, in their vocabulary means "weak;" reason does not dictate their actions, neither courage or faith. Perhaps they see themselves as Lucifer saw himself ... deserving of God's glory; but Rev. Graf would have to go to the pits of Hell to really understand their reasons. Americans in New York on 911 already know; hell visited them that day. Glenda Smith, elder Reems Creek Beech Weaverville, N.C. Modern culture and political correctness more important than Biblical exegesis April 18, 2006 I am completely dismayed with the fact the many who are promoting the homosex agenda have not honestly considered the arguments of those who oppose their "theology." It has been my experience during the past few years that every time I ask the folks on the opposite side of the theological spectrum to read and consider the arguments of Robert Gagnon in his book, The Bible and Homosexual Practice, I get a patronizing "yes, I will" answer but until now they have not done so. This saddens me since I know that we who oppose changing the church's opinion of 2000 years have and do read the books by the opposition (even though they are not convincing). And the few that have read the book many times just brush it off, but never face the arguments Gagnon so masterfully expounds to answer them Biblically. The problem is that these people have already made up their minds and do not want to be challenged to change their ideas. Facing this reality I ask myself, "Whatever happened to honest inquiry? Where is honest integrity when these matters are considered?" The problem seems to be that modern culture and "political correctness" seem to be more important than solid Biblical exegesis. The arguments of those who desire change seem to be more sentimental than upon solid theological investigation. We who oppose the homosex agenda are no less compassionate towards those who struggle in this area of their lives, yet we cannot affirm a lifestyle that is contrary to God's creation and redemption. I would desire that there be more honesty on behalf of those who want the Christian church to follow them in a road that has no support, Biblically, theologically, traditionally or historically but I am not even sure of that. God help us in times such as these!! Rev. Eddie Soto The odds against a reversal of the Spahr ruling by PJC are astronomical April 18, 2006 I read with amusement the report that Redwoods Presbytery will appeal the Spahr decision to the Synod of the Pacific's PJC. If memory serves that's the PJC that accepted with complete equanimity the ordination of Katie Morrison. The odds against an impartial, objective hearing of, and a reversal of, the Spahr ruling by that PJC are astronomical! Fenton G. Cates Ashland, Ore. We aren't guided by Scripture as much as we are by 'New Age' philosophy April 18, 2006 The content of the quote Gretchen Graf gave the Grand Forks Herald is part and parcel to the mindless fear gripping America, and to some extent, the church today. The extent lives were changed as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks is proportional to our lack of trust in God and our apparent disregard of Franklin Roosevelt's statement made almost three generations ago, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Sadly enough we are not guided by those statements or the truth of Scripture as much as we are by the "New Age" philosophy expressed in poems such as "Love Them Anyway." I have actually worshipped in churches where the thoughts expressed in this poem were read as a responsive reading in place of the Psalms. Interestingly enough, the 9/11 attacks were partly inspired by the writings of Sayyid Qtub who said American men were weak, American women were immoral, and American entertainment was mindless vice. If we substitute poems like "Love Them Anyway" for the truth of Scripture, unfortunately, the same accusation made of our entertainment might directly apply to the thought and philosophy that guide us. Sidney L. Leak III Manchester, Tenn. |
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