Letters
I was reading a sermon preached by the pastor of the First Christian Church here in Tucson a few Sundays ago. I found a remarkable parallel to some of the things that are happening now. His sermon went like this: "A good many years ago we were accused of digressing from the teachings of the Lord when we began the use of instrumental music in our worship, when we set up our missionary societies, when we began to use the choir, and created various circles and organizations to assist us in the work of the church. But I answer these charges by pointing to what we have accomplished. We have grown to take our place among he leading denominations of Christianity; we have cooperated in all the world efforts of other churches to Christianize the world; we have sent missionaries to every land. By our fruits we let men judge whether we have followed the Lord or not."
Incidentally, this same group here in Tucson recently appointed some women elders, had a woman to preach for them, selected a group of women to wait on the table at communion. And I understand some of the members were very critical of their pastor when he failed to show up for a recent dance for the young people which was given in the basement of the church building.
— Olen Holderby, Tucson, Arizona
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After the battle
—Dear Brother Tant:
I have read every issue of the Firm Foundation for more than twenty-five years, and I think I know you stated the TRUTH concerning brother Showalter's attitude toward grave issues. After the battle was won on the premillennial defection, the F.F. got right on the band wagon! The Guardian is filling a much needed place, and doing a good job. More power to all of you!
Yours in Him, E. G. Creacy, Horse Cave, Ky.
—O—
Individual contributions Dear Brother Tant and Brother Wallace:
Someone sent me a copy of the Firm Foundation (don't know whether it was just a sample copy or what), in which brother James Bales is trying again. His article is called "Individual Contributions." Frankly, I am surprised at James' descending to take such sly personal digs as he does in the article. Notice the sly appeal to prejudice, concealed under the cloak of coyness, in this from his F.F. article:
"While writing on this by-pass, as Tant would put it, of elders, Tant may want to say something about a brother by-passing a local eldership and paying a preacher out of debt. Please do not misunderstand me. I commend heartily any good work which BROTHER AKIN HAS DONE. Furthermore, I am not against some brother by-passing an eldership and paying a preacher out of debt. In fact, it is a consummation devoutly to be wished by some sort of by-pass a brother would pay me out of my book debt!"
Can a person of honor utilize an issue for a camouflage under which to release darts of a personal nature designed to embarrass the person when the darts don't even come close to the issue?
While I have no desire to inject myself into any situation—would not presume to meddle with a thing being as well handled as this—yet I do think I'll write an article on "Community Responsibility and Individual Responsibility." I want to remind James that "while it remained, did it not remain thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thy power?" I wonder if James is going to try to indict us on a count of inconsistency for saying that an individual Christian can give to a school, but a church cannot? He is going to keep on climbing out on that limb until he will be trying to do what neither brother Hardeman nor brother Brewer was ever able to do.
Brother Wallace, you are doing a super job. Keep up the good work. Brother Showalter seems to be itching to uphold the practices of the Broadway brethren. Guess you better keep trailing him until he "trees." Don't let him "mangle" any of the "young men" among us. Are you too young and tender for him to chew on?
Best wishes, Robert A. Farish, Tarrant, Ala.
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Won't defend "certain positions"
I have been asked by the churches in north Arkansas to meet Carl Ketcherside in debate on the College and Orphan Home questions. I told them I was not interested in trying to defend certain positions some of my brethren take in regard to these things. They said, do the job like you think it ought to be done. As soon as propositions can be agreed upon, announcement will be made about it. Hope you can be there if the debate materializes.
G. K. Wallace, Wichita, Kan.
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Cope and Beam The letters and articles by brother James R. Cope relative to Ernest Beam are worth the price of the Gospel Guardian for fifty years. When I think of poison I think of brother Beam ...
A. B. Finley, Italy, Texas
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Letter to an editor Dear Roy:
Have been thinking for a month I would send in my renewal, so here it is. Guess you must have thought I had taken the attitude expressed in this clipping which I enclose:
"Dear Sir: When I subscribed to your paper a year ago, your guarantee was that if I was not satisfied at the end of the year my money would be refunded. I am not satisfied, but to save you the trouble of returning my money, will you please just apply the refund on my next year's subscription."
Here's my check.
Stanley Whitacre, San Antonio, Texas
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Both sides Dear Yater:
I want to express to you my appreciation of the way in which you are publishing, in the Guardian, both sides of questions upon which there differences in conclusion. Such a spirit of fairness is truly refreshing—so different from the attitudes of some editorial writers in our various papers, who have only been willing for their readers to get their own views.
Norman Davidson, Newport Beach, Calif.
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Credit where credit is due Dear Brother Tant:
Giving credit where credit is due is surely never amiss . . . Bill J. Humble deserves a resounding pat on the back for his "Letter to a Lutheran." (January 11) 1 was raised to manhood in the Lutheran Church, but have been out of it more than twenty-five years now. I can appreciate the force of brother Humble's tactful arguments His article should do much good, and I shall be watching the columns to see what visible results, if any, materialize.
Robert C. Welch's article on "A New Jehovah's Witness Bible" is also very fine. Pat Hardeman's "Apologetics and Denominationalism" is literally a masterpiece of logic. Other gospel papers undoubtedly will pick it up and reprint it. It is entitled to the widest circulation possible.
Sincerely, J. Edward Meixner, Pittsburgh, Pa.