Three Pound Chicken Lays A Five Pound Egg
"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God."
A Christian Chronicle editorial of August, 1959, stated that in one week the Herald of Truth would "reach more people than it would take our pulpits to reach in 64 years." Now, that was some little time ago. During this period the country has been bombarded with "B. B. Baxter and his pals," as well as the liberal's other "top-notch" preachers. What has been the result of this "magnificent experiment?"
Well, if what the Christian Chronicle said is true if one week of HOT equals 64 years of preaching by cornfield preachers, and assuming that HOT has at least "the very best preachers," and throwing in gratis all the unimportant work of non-HOT preachers, what do you think we have? Due to the work of HOT everyone in the United States should have been a "Church of Christer" by September 17, 1961. And BY NOW there should be 314,000,000 converts in the United States. (This is that three pound chicken's five pound egg.)
But surely the Herald of Truth has accomplished something. Yes, it has been doing things. I do not have their figures but I do know of these things that have been accomplished by HOT.
1. HOT has been on radio and television where I have worked for years and there has been ONE contact because of it. (A Baptist preacher who wrote me for a lesson on evolution — not the best contact I ever had.) This was the result of the HOT television program in an area where the church was just being established.
2. Because of the HOT society, churches have been divided where I have visited. Debates, lies, slander, heartache, and strife of all kind can be attributed directly to HOT. (Let's give them all the credit they deserve.)
3. Thousands upon thousands of dollars were drained from local church treasuries to get these "good" (agathos?) results.
4. All of this has been caused for what purpose? Because of the gospel? No! Because of a human missionary society called the Herald of Truth.
I remember the argument long used by gospel preachers that Pine Planks were forbidden in the ark because God specified Gopher wood. (Gen. 6) I understand the position of the Apostle Peter on Assumed Centralized Projects (sponsoring churches); he clearly states that God has limited the authority of elders to the oversight of one local congregation (1 Pet. 5) This is the reason HOT is Wrong — it goes beyond God's revelation. (2 John 9-11) If the HOT promoters had lived in the days of Noah, I believe they might have slipped in a little pine. I also believe the ark Would Have Sunk.
— 1311 Stimson Street, Jacksonville 5, Florida