Thank you, Clint, for your thoughtful rebuttal. It is probably the most eloquent
rebuttal I have seen to date.
You have quoted some appropriate Scripture, and I agree with those quotations. I don't
follow your logic, nor do I agree with all of your assumptions, so I come to some
different conclusions.
Please allow me to offer a little more "iron sharpening" in hopes that it will result
in some general edification.
In a debate such as this, where good-intentioned men come to such opposite views,
there are two main causes for the divergence. One is simple misunderstanding.
Generally, clarification of misunderstanding results in greater unity by clearing up
misconceptions. The other cause is fundamental disagreements. Further clarification of
a position when there are fundamental disagreements do not, in general, bring unity.
Unity on an issue can only come when one or both of the disagreeing parties change
their positions. In our case, the only hope I hold for unity on the NTC issue is for
all parties involved to get closer to agreement with Jesus Christ. That is what I
intend to do, and actually, if I do that well enough, then I consider that change
enough. I expect that any true believer in Jesus Christ would say the same thing. If
we all do that, then we will be able to experience great unity.
In this case, I see both misunderstanding and fundamental disagreements. Because I
desire to see greater unity in the Body of Christ, just as Jesus Christ prayed
diligently for it on the night He was betrayed, I will make an attempt to clear up
some misunderstandings, and maybe even encourage some unity.
First, let's look at some principles of sound Bible interpretation. (See
http://www.rangernet.org/powwow/interpretation.htm for an essay on the subject.) One
important principle in Bible interpretation is that Scripture interprets Scripture.
Clint, in your rebuttal, you quoted the Proverb about men sharpening each other as
iron sharpening iron. This proverb is true. You then went to imply that intentionally
being abrasive to our fellow Christians was therefore a good thing. Frankly, enough
abrasion will come without creating it on purpose. If you search the rest of the
proverbs, you will find admonitions against creating strife and advise to stop it
early when it breaks out. In the New Testament, you will find a differentiation
between confrontation with the intention of restoring a brother or sister and just
plain quarrelling. There are times when we are actually commanded to confront a
brother or sister (Luke 17:3, 1 Timothy 5:20, 2 Timothy 4:2), but keep in mind that we
are!
only to do so in a way that can help people and that is not harmful (Ephesians 4:29,
Colossians 3:8). While the distinction between godly confrontation and quarrelling is
not always obvious to the casual observer, there is a world of difference with respect
to the intentions and the way it is done. I hope I'm successful in doing the former
without doing the latter.
You quote Romans 8:28, and it is true. You shouldn't gather from that wonderful verse
that it doesn't matter what you do to people because God will turn it around for good,
because Romans 6:15 is also true. Just because God can even turn evil events around
for good most definitely doesn't mean that we should create even more evil for God to
turn around. The apostle Paul, writing under the anointing and inspiration of the Holy
Spirit is most emphatic on this point.
You seem to misunderstand my intentions and my heart. I harbor no resentment or
bitterness. The purpose of my NTC report is not to complain or condemn people, but to
confront an ungodly teaching technique that is causing harm in the body of Christ and
in Royal Rangers. I have forgiven all who are involved. That is not an issue. What is
an issue is the continuation of a policy that I perceive as being contrary to the will
of God as revealed in His Word and confirmed by the Holy Spirit in me. My motive is
love for my brothers is Christ and for the boys we lead. Although I freely admit that
my report of NTC is biased in the sense that it was written to point out something
that needs to be corrected, I stand by its literal accuracy. Your perceptions may
differ, but I assure you that I am by no means the only one who sees things as being
so much in need of improvement. The words I wrote were not bitter at all, or at least
were not intended to be so, but full of zeal for the Lord an!
d in righteous indignation at finding such hypocrisy in what is supposed to be a
Christian organization. I look at what I wrote (and write) as an attempt to drive the
evil out, just as Jesus Christ, in His righteous zeal, sought to drive the merchants
and money changers out of the Temple prayer area. Just as Jesus encountered people who
claimed that they did no wrong, and no doubt justified their business location as a
service to the worshippers, I have encountered many people who see absolutely nothing
wrong with the teaching by counterexample at NTC, and who regard me as the aggressor.
My passion for righteousness is unabated.
From the same spring you don't get both fresh and bitter water. You don't get it from
my keyboard, either. Fresh water can be delivered gently (i. e. in a cool cup of water
on a hot day) or forcefully (i. e. with a high-pressure nozzle suitable for getting
the dirt and corrosive agents off of a muddy car). It is the same fresh water. While
forcefully delivered fresh water may seem unpleasant at times, it is effective at
cleaning and removes corrosive chemicals. Salt water, on the other hand, is highly
corrosive, and can rust a car away after prolonged contact. In the same way, I always
endeavor to communicate in love and edification, be it gently, or, when appropriate,
in confrontation.
In your rebuttal, Clint, you wrote that I claimed that staff members were evil. I
never said that. I did, however, point out some actions that were evil. Do you see the
difference? The staff members were and are, to the best of my knowledge, all saved and
forgiven Christians living under grace, just like I am. They are not fundamentally
evil, and they can't be, unless they really aren't born again. I have long since
forgiven all of them for the actions I condemn. I still hate the evil actions. Do you
see the difference? To me, it is quite clear. There is such a thing as perfect hatred.
See Psalm 139 and many other psalms for the sort of thing I'm talking about. Like the
apostle Paul in Romans and John in 1 John, I affirm the grace of God, but I also
exhort God's people not to sin. Hypocrisy is a sin that is to be confronted. Jesus
Christ Himself, the sinless Son of God, often confronted people for their hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy is pretending, play-acting, and portraying yourself a!
s something you are not. Jesus repeatedly rebuked people who would pretend to be holy.
The Pharisees and Saducees were teaching others to fully obey God's Law and making a
big show of their prayers and alms-giving, then they would turn around and in secret
take unfair advantage of widows and orphans or heap up guilt and burdens on people and
not help them bear the weight of what they unfairly added. The familiar definition of
a hypocrite today is one who says "Do as I say, not as I do." This is exactly what the
official U. S. NTC script does. I see an opportunity to make NTC better by replacing
this "negative example" teaching technique with the kind of teaching Jesus did and
does.
Clint, your rebuttal seem to say that you relish hazing, abuse, and hardship because
of your ability to overcome these things and be strengthened by them. In some
situations, I do too. I have personally endured and overcome much worse than NTC.
Indeed, endurance of NTC is not even among the most significant trials of my life.
James does say to "count it all joy when you encounter various trials," etc. What we
seem to fundamentally differ on is where those trials should come from. James also
says that God does not tempt anyone (James 1:13). If God doesn't tempt anyone, then I
claim that God's people have no business tempting anyone, either. In this fallen
world, there is plenty of sin, temptation, and evil to harass God's people. We really
don't need any self-inflicted wounds or "friendly fire" in our spiritual warfare. It
has been said that Christians shoot their wounded, but I disagree. I claim that real
Christians heal and strengthen their wounded.
Jesus Christ never called us to be a fraternity or gang that has hazing and initiation
rites, but that is exactly what seems to attract some people to Royal Rangers and FCF.
That is wrong. Such hazing and initiation rites can certainly create a natural bond
between the "survivors" and build a sense of accomplishment and pride. I want nothing
to do with such a thing, however, because I know of a better way. There is an even
stronger bond that comes from banding together as a team against a common enemy (i. e.
the enemy of our souls), while supporting fellow Christians in nothing but loving and
affirming ways.
When you have had a good steak dinner, a dinner of earthworms is not appealing. If you
have never known anything but a dinner of earthworms, then you might actually crave
some to satisfy your hunger. They are a source of protein, after all, and can keep you
alive. To me, the best of the arguments about how good NTC is in its current form are
like wormburgers being served by people who know of nothing better to eat than
wormburgers. When I have just been satisfied by a wonderfully balanced meal of choice
cuts of steak, vegetables, and a salad, all topped off by a desert of cherry pie and
vanilla ice cream, eating worms doesn't appeal to me at all. You can argue all you
want to about the merits of wormburgers, and you can react in fear that I might cause
your beloved wormburgers to be taken away and replaced with something unknown to you,
but you are not likely to convince me that wormburgers are superior to a steak dinner,
no matter how much you relish earthworms. Now I realize!
that tradition is strong, and changes may come with difficulty, but just as it is
possible that some people may try a new food (and maybe like steak dinners better than
earthworms), it is possible that some people may decide that Jesus' teaching
techniques are better than the current NTC techniques.
My purpose is not to attack Royal Rangers, any individual, or the concept of good
national training. My purpose is to (1) campaign for improvement in NTC that lines up
with the Word of God, and (2) to warn some brothers in Christ who might be
contemplating going to NTC that it would be better to wait until after NTC is changed
to eliminate the teaching by counterexample.
By the way, Clint, if you are a child of God, then you are of great consequence in the
Kingdom of God. You must be important. God's only Son died to save you.
___
Michael Paul Johnson aka Soaring Golden Eagle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
http://eBible.org/mpj Rocky Mountain Outpost 207 New Creation Church
Jesus Christ is Lord! If Jesus came back today, would you be READY?
_______
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