Bogard Testifies Against Norris

The testimony of A. R. Scherling, of North Dakota, a Norris Baptist who lost confidence in him at the Debate, and quit him, has been inserted on another page. Below is the testimony of Ben M. Bogard, who has learned, since the debate, that Norris does not tell the truth.

"This reminds me that back in 1941 Elder Ben M. Bogard visited J. Frank Norris' tabernacle and school and church in Fort Worth, Texas. He tells of the

small number he found in the Bible school, contrary to reports he had received about the school. And he says he counted the chairs in the auditorium to see how many it would seat and found that, by filling the aisles with chairs, it would seat only slightly more than half as many as Norris had been reporting. He reports all of this, in the Orthodox Baptist Searchlight, issue of April 25, 1941. And following are some of his comments:

"Wish Dr. Norris and those who are working with him would quit exaggerating so much. It is big enough to tell it like it is without so much exaggeration." Bogard refers to the report of 166 students in the school and said that "One hundred and five were counted to grad the report."

Then he expresses himself this way:

"Such exaggeration shakes confidence when the facts are known. The same way about the house packed to the doors' that we read about and the five thousand' present, etc. Just exaggeration that is needless. But all of us have our faults and one of Frank Norris' outstanding faults is telling it too big." After this Bogard tells that a court found Norris guilty of "malicious libel," assessed a fine of "twenty five thousand dollars" against him, and then after all of this Norris denied "that anything of the kind had been done." Yet Bogard says: "When I get to heaven I expect to find Frank Norris there in spite of that wicked streak that runs through him."

In fact, he plans, according to his report to get Bob White and Frank Norris together and the three of them have a talk about this whole affair. And relative to the talk Bogard says:

"I expect to ask Norris why he sought to ruin Bob White all because White would not submit to his dictation and then when he practically destroyed White and White got a judgment of twenty-five thousand dollars damages and the court called it malicious libel, why then did Norris publicly deny that anything like that ever happened? Selah! My! How the grace of God is magnified when we think of how it takes all three of us to heaven in spite of our devilment!"

"Peter, the apostle, cursed and swore and even denied the Lord and Paul withstood him to the face because he was to blame and if Peter got by with all that and went home to glory, I think it likely that Norris will also." And somewhat as a conclusion to all of this Bogard says concerning Norris: "I feel sure he is in for a terrible chastisement that God gives his children. I see no way for him to escape," this "terrible chastisement" that Bogard "feels sure" he will get, will that keep him out of heaven? Oh no, not according to Baptist doctrine. He will go right on to heaven anyway." -W. Curtis Porter, in Bible Banner.