Old Joke - New Twist
Have you heard that old joke----?? Never mind, I'm going to tell it anyhow. One fellow was telling his buddy: "I just can't bear to see my wife work so hard. That's why I spend so much time fishing."
Or, a little closer; an elder in a business meeting remarked, "These records of our low contributions are disgraceful." So, they quit keeping records. Helping the good wife, or raising the contribution were out of the question, of course.
It seems this sort of thinking has grown in popularity. I know of one church that for years had carried a scriptural exhortation on their weekly bulletin, "Come, Let Us Reason Together!" Then their practices were questioned. They refused to allow an open discussion of the problems, and when the "motto" was called to their attention, they removed it from the bulletin front.
One another count, I called attention to some evidences of change and liberalism in a congregation, as seen in statements of their bulletin; so--they removed my name from their mailing list. In both cases, I must admit the bulletin changes were more easily made than the changes in attitude and practice which the cases demanded. If they only had some way to keep the Lord from checking their activities they might get by with the farce.
An early format for the Herald of Truth admitted that this was the work of the contributing churches. When it became impossible to defend this with scripture, they changed the format to credit one church, Highland of Abilene, but continued with the same plan of operation as before. Gospel Press has made two or three different "policy" statements, but has shown no evidence of changes in practice relative to serving as a media for the collective action of churches.
Who is fooled by such double-talk? Some blinded brethren perhaps; but what brethren think -- including this editor-- is of temporary consequence at best. The important thing is what God thinks of our side-stepping ways.
We "behold ourselves in a glass" and go our way, and straightway forget what manner of man we are. (Read Jas, 1:22-25) Jumping the curb, we drive through the fence, far afield, and hit a tree. Then we say, "Ain't that just like a tree!"
-1608 Sherrard Burnet, Texas