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Another Movement Gathers Steam By David McKee On the website for Truth Magazine, there is an exchange posted between Mike Willis and brothers Shane Scott and Wilson Adams. I am not interested in commenting on the nature of the exchange itself, but I do wish to comment on several statements made by brother Willis. To Shane Scott, brother Willis claims, “We are happy to publish a journal which allows those who disagree with us room to express their disagreement. Other journals have a closed door policy which does not allow dissent. When something is published with which one disagrees, he has no way to express to the same audience his dissenting view. Inasmuch as no editor is infallible, a closed door journal is vulnerable to the mistaken ideas of its editor(s) and staff. The same as is true about closed journals, needs also to be said about closed web sites. Brother Scott refuses to post my original article or my rejoinder to him on his web site, even though he requests me to publish his material in Truth Magazine.” To Wilson Adams, brother Willis claims, “We publish a journal in which dissent is not excluded, in which both sides of an issue may be heard. Therefore, we are happy to provide brother Adams free space and an audience to disagree with us. Not all papers have such an open format.” In his second reply to Wilson Adams, brother Willis stated, “Brother Adams pronounces that ‘woe is the one who criticizes you,’ although we have allowed his criticisms to be printed in the same journal where our original article was published. Did Christianity Magazine allow that?” One might conclude from such strong assertions by brother Willis that Truth Magazine would never be guilty of having a closed-door policy. One would think that the pages of Truth Magazine would be the ideal setting to examine truth and expose error in a fair exchange. But attempts to see if his magazine would assist in an examination of the truth on the post-civil-divorce putting away have proven otherwise. Perhaps I, like others, was naïve in thinking such an exchange would be granted based on the claims of an open-door policy and the seriousness of the matter under consideration. The pages of Truth Magazine have been opened to far less consequential matters when compared to a teaching that will permit adulterous marriages. But brother Willis stated that he does not have to scratch every time someone has an itch, and an exchange would not be permitted. It was not too surprising to later find that a number of the staff writers for Truth Magazine either agree with or defend the position that would allow one who has been put away to later put away. But if such a position is supported by the truth of God's word, an open-door policy should welcome the opportunity to defend that position. We have even been told that the majority holds that position; but still no exchange. Truth has nothing to hide, but it was clear that this position was not going to be brought to light in the pages of Truth Magazine. It is true that brother Willis has permitted opposing views to be expressed in the past, thus supporting his claim of an open-door policy. However, a closer look reveals the attitude of a prizefighter who claims to be open to all contenders. A number of bouts are engaged in and the appearance is given of one who is open to all challengers. But what one comes to discover is that the challengers allowed in the ring are viewed as opponents who can be easily defeated. The challengers who might present difficulties and embarrassments are deemed unfit or unworthy of time in the ring. The editors of Christianity Magazine have been rightly criticized for remaining silent while brother Harrell used the magazine as a vehicle to promote his views on fellowshipping those who teach error. The other editors may not have been able to stop what brother Harrell was doing, but unless they agreed with him, they should have distanced themselves in some way. One cannot remain silent while being associated with what is wrong (Eph 5:11). Should we now be concerned with those associated with Truth Magazine? Knowing where your editor stands on the issue addressed at this website, does your silence indicate your agreement with the position? Have you concluded that it is a teaching that can be fellowshipped? Are you being consistent to continue to criticize the closed-door policy at a now-defunct Christianity Magazine while that which you are involved in and associated with is just as guilty? Mike Willis would do better to claim that he has a selective-door policy. And as editor of the magazine he is certainly free to do whatever he wants. He doesn’t have to scratch every time someone has an itch. He can dismiss those subjects that might present difficulties or embarrassment. And such a claim would allow him to be consistent. One cannot be open and selective at the same time. Nor is having the advantage and the last word to be confused with being open. In brother Willis’ editorial, A Movement Gathers Steam, he spoke of the, “the developments of the unity-in-diversity approach to fellowship.” We are seeing another movement gather steam in much the same way. You have a magazine that is remaining silent and brethren encouraging fellowship with those who practice and teach that one who is put away can later remarry while their ex-spouse is living. Jesus identifies it as adultery, but brethren are identifying it as “agreeing in principle but differing in application.” Satan provides the fire to produce the steam, but he needs men to throw the logs on the fire. Sometimes we are not aware of the steam that is building until we hear the whistle blow. Closed-door and selective-door policies muffle the whistle. But instead of hoping for or waiting on that whistle, let us all be the kind of students of God’s word that would have our ear to the ground so that we might be able to discern those distant rumblings of error before they gather steam. |
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