I wrote earlier about
Liberalism: Its Cause and Cure. Readers have heard many times over that no one dare raise an issue unless it is face-to-face. But Valleskey and Bivens hated my work so much - not that
they ever told me - that they threatened an independent book publisher if he printed
Angel Joy.
This printer and seller of books, including the Valleskey/Bivens book, said, "I have to feed my family. I cannot publish your book." He then repeatedly refused to give me back the photos for
Angel Joy, even though he was the one who solicited me for books he could publish and sell.
The only public reference Valleskey made to me was in his icky Church Growth promotional article
in the
Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly. He argued that one could harvest figs from thistles, that Fuller dogma was like rich gold, silver, and jewels - good for the stealing
. There he was suspiciously flattering, as the Apostle warned in
Romans 16:18
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
By the way, I challenged Valleskey's awful WLQ essay when he gave it, sought to talk to him about his study at Fuller Seminary - which he denied and later confirmed. I also sat next to Valleskey at supper, but another CG fanatic, now an avowed atheist, made sure I could not say anything.
I also talked to John (Sparky) Brenner about the false claims of the article. He said, "Write a letter." I said, rather heatedly, "Does the faculty support these falsehoods? Are there any editorial standards?" Brenner's wife looked at me like, "How dare you speak to my professor husband!"
In spite of the obstacles created by the WELS Church Growthers, the book came out eventually and sold like beer at a WELS convention.
Here is the Table of Contents -
Introduction 7
Chapter One: Decline Of The Mainline Churches
- 9
The Merry Widow Waltz 9
Reimarus: Liberal Hero 11
Historical-Critical Method 13
Yale and the Progress of
Higher Criticism 15
Benjamin Bacon 15
The New Scholarship at Yale 16
Educational Victories 21
Pietistic Bridge 22
The
Fruit 25
Chapter Two: Merger Mania: 28
Becoming Unitarian 28
A Little Unitarian History 32
Apostasy through Merger 36
Unionism 38
ELCA Doctrines, Shared with
Mainline Churches 39
Merger Works 40
Mainline Churches, Home
Missions for the Unitarians 41
Gradualism
43
Chapter Three: The Mainline Churches And
Evolution 46
Another Approach to Evolution 51
Darwin, Theologian and
Scientist 52
The Earthworm, Darwin's
Nemesis 53
Purpose 54
Compost 58
Why? 60
For the Believer 61
Mainline Malaise 61
Creation
62
Devolution
64
Chapter Four: Charismatics Are Liberals 68
A
LITTLE HISTORY 70
Revivalism
70
Pentecostalism
71
Charismatic
Renewal 72
DOCTRINAL
ERRORS OF THE CHARISMATICS 75
Confusion
about the Two Natures in Christ 75
Two
Baptisms 76
Unscriptural
Practices concerning Tongues 79
Women
in Leadership Roles 81
Theology
of the Cross 82
CHARACTERISTICS
SHARED 83
BY
LIBERALS AND CHARISMATICS 83
Subjectivity
83
Ecumenism,
Unionism by Another Name 84
New
Revelations Transmitted through the Emotions 85
Ordination
of Women 87
Ill-educated Clergy: Rote Memory of Dogma, Shallow Dogmatism 88
Excommunication
91
Work
Righteousness 92
Political
Power 93
Chapter Five: Defending Morality 98
MATERIAL
FALLACIES OF RELEVANCE 98
The ad
hominem (against the man) 98
The tu
quoque (and you too) 100
The ad
populum (to the people) 100
The ad verecundiam (out of respect) 101
The ad
ignorantiam (pleading ignorance) 102
The
fallacy of accidence 102
Ignoratio
elenchi (changing the subject) 103
Ad
baculum (appeal to force) 103
Ad
misericordiam (sympathy) 104
MATERIAL
FALLACIES OF INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE 105
Post
Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc (after this, therefore because of this) 105
Petitio
principii (begging the question) 105
Opposition
106
Special
pleading 107
Hasty
generalization 107
FALLACIES
OF AMBIGUITY 108
Equivocation 108
OTHER FALLACIES 110
Slippery Slope 110
False dilemma 111
Two wrongs/common practice 111
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT 112
Chapter Six: The Cure 116
EVANGELISM 127
PIETISM 127
Unionism 128
Results! Results! 129
Cell Groups 131
APPLICATION 132
A NEW APPROACH 135
Books To Buy and Study
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