[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > TO: ALL OUR SUBSCRIBERS > > FROM: ANTIPAS MINISTRIES (S.R. SHEARER) > > DATE: 10/24/2000 > > SUBJECT: A LARGER QUESTION BEYOND THE WYCLIFFE BIBLE TRANSLATORS > > ---------------------------------------------------------- > > Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord: > > In recent weeks we have received an astonishing number of letters and > emails "taking us to task" for our last series of articles on Colombia, a > two part series which dealt with (1) what's happening in Colombia; (2) how > the United States got there; (3) Colombia's place in America's "New World > Order" System; (4) the evangelical community's involvement in what's been > happening there; and (5) the spread of America's "New World Order" System > northward from Colombia and Latin America into the United States. > > Many of our readers were quite angry with the fact that we had not spared > the evangelical community - and most especially the Wycliffe Bible > Translators - insofar as our reporting was concerned. We were accused of > being "negative" and "unloving;" in addition, we were told that we were > being "divisive" and "hateful." Typical of the letters and emails that we > received was one from John H. Schlosser of Stanwood, Washington. He wrote > the following letter to one of our co-workers, Stephen Bradley: > > "On October 13, 2000 you (i.e., Bradley) circulated a report by S.R. > Shearer. It was noted that "much of this report was derived from 'THY WILL > BE DONE' by Gerald Colby and Charlolette Dennett. > > "It so happens that Mr. Robert Schneider, who is mentioned by name in the > said report [Schneider was an employee of SIL], is a fellow-resident of > mine in our senior community. I shared your report with him. He in turn > gave me a copy of the Wycliffe critique of the book, 'THY WILL BE DONE', > which I am enclosing herewith for you. I believe you will agree with me > that the charges against Wycliffe and other missionaries are without > substantial foundation. I regret that you have shared in circulating > charges that have injured the sacrificial labors of dedicated Christian > missionaries. > > "'Speaking the truth in love' should deliver us from using innuendo or > rumor against fellow Christians'. > > "Sincerely in Christ, > > "John H. Schlosser" > > Mr. Schlosser then enclosed the Wycliffe critique by Arthur Lightbody which > contained 10 BRIEF points of rebuttal under the title "Significant Errors > of Fact" which were anything but significant and in reality related to very > MINOR points of dispute dealing with controversies as to whether this or > that meeting took place between operatives of Wycliffe (or SIL) and > operatives from the CIA or other government agencies [Wycliffe denies that > some (but not all of them) took place, though other documentation proves > that they did indeed take place], some aspects as to how SIL obtained their > Helio Courier aircraft (a plane built specifically for use by the CIA which > "somehow or other" fell into the hands of SIL), etc. [For those who are > interested, an actual copy of Lightbody's critique of "THY WILL BE DONE" > can be obtained, by writing to the Wycliffe Bible Translators at P.O. Box > 2727, Huntington Beach, California 92647; you may obtain a copy of Colby > and Dennett's 960 page book at any public or university library.] > > Mr. Lightbody admits in a cover letter that introduces his 10 point > critique that it (i.e., his critique) was not meant to be a "comprehensive > response" to the book - and he was certainly right on that score. The fact > is, his response is so lacking in any real substance that it leaves one > breathless as to its deficiency and lack of depth. > > The truth is, "Thy Will Be Done" has been critiqued on numerous occasions > in scholastic circles throughout the country and has been found to be free > of factual error - and so much so that Lightbody writes that Colby and > Dennett should be "COMMENDED" insofar as their exposes of the machinations > of big business in Latin America - but with regard to Wycliffe, Lightbody > says, they (i.e., Colby and Dennett) somehow or other got it wrong; and > more than that, insofar as the book pertains to Wycliffe, Colby and Dennett > are to be considered "UNTRUSTWORTHY." What's this? They are trustworthy > when they are criticizing other people, but not when they are criticizing > Wycliffe? - Not hardly! > > Finally, there is the normal charge in matters like this that Colby and > Dennett are "out to get the Christian community." But nothing could be > further from the truth. Neither Colby nor Dennett are "anti-Christian" - > and they find much to commend in Wycliffe. What they find so abhorrent is > that a group like Wycliffe could have allowed itself to have been so > tainted by "big business" and the CIA. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE AT > ANTIPAS ALSO FIND SO ABHORRENT! > > What are we supposed to say to all this, then? - that it never happened? > Is this what our 21st Century Christianity is all about? - a "pretend" kind > of Christianity that makes our modern form of it out to be something that > it really is not and allows for no criticism? A kind of Christianity where > "speaking the truth in love," as Schlosser says, means ignoring our own > history? The kind of Christianity where honest criticism is not challenged > on any kind of factual basis? The kind of Christianity where truth is > consigned to the trash heap as "rumor" and "innuendo?" Is this where we > are? Is this what our form of Christianity has become? God help us all if > it is! This kind of Christianity would have made the real Wycliffe - who > in his day never ceased to criticize the pretensions of Rome (and so much > so that the minions of the Catholic Church made several attempts to > assassinate him) - roll over and vomit in his grave! It would seem to me > that the so-called Wycliffe Bible Translators should have chosen another > name - any name but Wycliffe's! > > If we choose to ignore history, how then can we ever learn from it? How > can we ever repent of it? If we fail to acknowledge our mistakes, we are > doomed to repeat them over and over and over again. > > The fact is, if - as the Bible suggests - where money is to be found, Satan > is close by (I Tim. 6:10), then what are we as Christians doing tying > ourselves to people who are so in love and involved with it? - the kind of > people that Cam Townsend united himself with. It is, after all, not a > deep, dark secret that money corrupts; that it perverts those who become > involved with it; that the so-called moneyed elite (with whom Townsend > allied himself with) is a venal and squalid group of individuals - even the > world recognizes this fact: it's in our literature, it's in our movies, > it's in our culture. Professor C. Wright Mills of Columbia University > writes: > > "The American elite is not composed of ... men whose conduct and character > constitute models for American imitation and aspiration ... (This) is no > set of men with whom members of the mass public can rightfully and gladly > identify ..." > > The very real fact of the matter is, Cam Townsend forgot about all this AND > RUINED HIMSELF AND BESMIRCHED HIS MINISTRY AS A RESULT - and his > involvement with the American multinationals doing business in Latin > America ultimately cost the lives of thousands and thousands of innocent > people, many of them Christians. And all the John Schlossers of this > world, and all of Wycliffe's other apologists cannot absolve Wycliffe from > what they did. Only God can absolve Wycliffe - and He will only do that > when Wycliffe and other ministries like Wycliffe REPENT from what they have > done, and turn away from the moneyed elite to which they have tied > themselves. That's what Wycliffe must ultimately do. But it is doubtful > that they will ever do it - they have lied about it for so long, they > probably have come to believe their own press by now, and all the Gerald > Colbys and all the Charlotte Dennetts and all the Steve Shearers and all > the Dene McGriffs of this world are not going to change that. > > There is, however, a larger issue that should be addressed here - the > matter of support for Christian activities like Wycliffe. I have no doubt > - and for that matter, I think that neither Colby not Dennett have any > doubt either - as to Cam Townsend's genuine and very real desire to spread > the saving message of the Lord Jesus Christ to the lost in Latin America > and elsewhere in the world. The same is true with regard to those who were > (and are) Wycliffe missionaries. But in their desire to do so, there can > be no doubt that Wycliffe resorted to the use of allies of a very > questionable nature - and they were wrong - very wrong - to do so. > > But maybe the larger questions is, Why did they feel that they had to? > Why? - well, the answer goes beyond just Wycliffe and Townsend; it involves > us - ALL OF US! > > THE kind of missionary undertakings that Wycliffe involved itself in are > very, very EXPENSIVE ones! - much more expensive than most average > Christians are willing to admit. -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> <FONT COLOR="#000099">eGroups eLerts It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free! </FONT><A HREF="http://click.egroups.com/1/9698/16/_/475667/_/972446235/"><B>Click Here!</B></A> ---------------------------------------------------------------------_->