tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4104090089516218102011-07-08T05:10:24.849-04:00This is a parody. Even so, no personal attacks, intimidation, or lies are permitted.Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.comBlogger861100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-22488540397930278272010-06-11T12:28:00.001-04:002010-06-11T12:28:48.288-04:00

Steve Cavallaro is truly prescient (written just after Dr. deWitt’s election as Moderator-Elect in 2008): Dr. J.R. DeWitt, is a relative newcomer to the ARP (more recently than yours truly), but Drs. Evans, R.J. Gore and Sinclair Ferguson believed that his theological acumen are vitally important as the ARP addresses some important issues.  He would not maintain the status quo, and is quite

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-70845561322597528012010-06-11T12:21:00.001-04:002010-06-11T12:21:57.317-04:00

“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. … “Do not let us speak of darker days: let us speak rather of sterner days. These are not dark days; these are great days--the greatest days our [

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-13618198142923418392010-06-10T13:00:00.001-04:002010-06-10T14:13:53.321-04:00

“This site is a parody of SAFE. Even so, no lies, personal attacks, or intimidation are allowed.” Hurrah! Erskine has drifted doctrinally; Barthians and Neo-Barthians run rampant, as do evolutionists and non-inerrantists. Next year we’ll see a Neo-Neo-Barthian for sure. Chuck Wilson told me people at Erskine were “evil,” “terrorists,” “liars,” “intimidators,” and “mutinous thieves.” And some

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-33832687308438697242010-06-08T21:51:00.001-04:002010-06-08T23:16:05.234-04:00

I am constantly reminded of a child that pushed a rock just an inch, because he thought his toy soldiers needed it a bit closer to the edge of a hill. But he pushed half an inch too far, and the rock began to move of its own accord, picking up steam until it demolished a path through the family’s vegetable garden. You see the analogy I hope. Synod was certainly not wrong to demand that Erskine

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-21524233694309626442010-06-07T22:27:00.000-04:002010-06-07T22:27:54.386-04:00

Mercifully, we approach the end. As we approach Synod this week, a comment by Dean Turbeville on Chuck Wilson’s blog reveals what’s at stake. I encourage you to read the entire thing, but I’ll quote just a portion here: Chuck, the issues have now become quite clear: in several weeks the Synod will simply have to decide if it wants to have a Christian liberal arts college and a reformed

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-60181299810014663222010-06-07T20:37:00.001-04:002010-06-07T22:05:10.811-04:00

We have been provided the following email exchange by Dr. Bill Crenshaw of Erskine College relating to the one “culture of intimidation” issue between a student and Dr. Crenshaw during the Commissioners’ Forum as described publicly on ARP Talk and Students Aligned for a Faithful Erskine (SAFE). This email exchange is available at Erskine for Everyone. You might want to compare paragraph 6 of

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-90791917577051957712010-06-06T16:10:00.000-04:002010-06-07T01:10:38.527-04:00

EMAIL EXCHANGE between BILL STUART, MEMBER OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF SYNOD and DICK DEWITT, MODERATOR OF SYNOD These (update: legitimate) unedited emails chronicle a series of exchanges between a member of the executive committee of Synod and Moderator deWitt. My analysis follows. Many thanks are necessary to whoever in ARP-Land sent this to me. Your email address made me laugh. ==BEGIN EMAIL

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-15281148259557383282010-06-06T11:04:00.001-04:002010-06-06T17:18:21.649-04:00

Update: Now, all comments are removed under that post. Wow. My apologies, Facebook now hides comments in a funny way. The comments are still there. Update 2: Somebody also removed a link to letters written by alumni. Seriously, guys? http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=114898180624#!/photo.php?pid=30593924&o=all&op=1&view=all&subj=114898180624&aid=-1&id=84000121 === In a perfect world, I

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-63904914809214145242010-06-03T09:53:00.001-04:002010-06-04T16:55:49.875-04:00

Thanks to an anonymous contributor, I present to you the resolution adopted by the Board of Trustees the day following the Commission’s presentation of recommendations (as seen on this blog earlier). This resolution was offered as a compromise proposal to accept the Commission’s Recommendations. =========== February 19, 2010 In a spirit of humility and acknowledgment of our failings, and a

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-3793622270749514932010-06-01T22:08:00.000-04:002010-06-01T22:08:21.034-04:00

We all know the story of the three Synoptic gospels: how each tells roughly the same story of Jesus Christ, possibly borrowing material from each other and from original source material that no longer exists. Many passages are repeated among the Synoptics but contain subtle differences from each other. The accounts also present aspects unique to each one. I had no idea this “Gospel Parallels”

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-79705784881388504242010-05-31T09:22:00.001-04:002010-06-01T12:29:18.191-04:00

Update: Make corrections based on comments. As always, read the comments for alternative interpretations to those presented here.   “Mirror, Mirror on the wall, Who’s the fairest of them all?” As mentioned before, the Board of Trustees is out of legitimate options as far as compromising goes. Synod feels no need to compromise, and as both sides dig in their heels, hate will continue to

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-10989278346148090622010-05-28T14:11:00.002-04:002010-05-28T20:54:30.704-04:00

Update: Creepy! Just 15 minutes after I wrote this Tara Mauney wrote a similar piece on the Alumni Facebook group. Anyway, you should read hers too. Full UpChuck later, but for now, a prediction: Chuck wrote in Extra 12, “Finally, let us make sure that we have righteous nominees for the Board.” I predict the slate of nominees proposed by Moderator deWitt will be approved by the Nominating

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-45101586547897767892010-05-27T11:08:00.001-04:002010-06-01T12:21:56.474-04:00

Update: Corrected factual errors per comments. I suggest you read the Comments section for opposing views to those I’ve suggested here. Mercifully, we approach the end. The Commission has come and gone. It’s recommendations are in legal limbo. Erskine has a new President. It’s time to end this madness. There are two immediate problems. First, nobody trusts Synod/ARP Church or nobody trusts

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-39493511448080398402010-05-26T01:13:00.000-04:002010-05-26T01:28:42.038-04:00

Many people out there in ARPLand/Erskineland would dearly love to get their hands on the Minutes to the Emergency meeting of Synod. Well, so would I! Thanks to a contributor, we know how to do so. Because the Emergency Synod was not an executive session, the minutes are not “secret” and will be freely available in September in printed form co-joined with the Summer Synod, and in digital form

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-7750624686550458412010-05-25T07:08:00.000-04:002010-05-25T07:08:00.120-04:00

[The following is humor. Please keep that in mind as you read]. Dear Rev. Dr. Charles Wilson, Hi, long time reader, thought I'd share a few words. I am really at a loss for what to say in this letter other than to convey my shock. The thing I'm the most frightened about is that Erskine College is morally debased and has no convictions of right or wrong. But there's the rub; I myself cannot

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-7187652939993176142010-05-24T21:54:00.000-04:002010-05-24T21:54:41.380-04:00

[A new series, “[Look the Facts] Up,Chuck!”, posted soon after I find out about each new ARP Talk missive. Because truth is not much harder to write about than fiction.] Today: ARPTalk Extra 11, an amalgamation of old issues already covered on this blog and a few new issues. I’ll cover the new stuff. 2. “No competent person who understand what an evangelical Christian is will call EC/ETS

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-64538767160112818932010-05-23T02:16:00.003-04:002010-05-24T21:43:56.792-04:00

[I wrote this on Saturday, but something went wrong posting it and, well, here it is. Sorry]. Dr. David A. Norman was elected by the Board of Trustees this past Friday by a unanimous vote; thanks to the lawsuit, the Board that elected him was not an interim Board but was instead the original, duly elected, legitimate Board of Erskine College and Seminary. He was selected by the presidential

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-57827907186228728362010-05-21T07:42:00.000-04:002010-05-21T13:43:23.258-04:00

“The third hallmark of an effective board is that it ensures that the mission of the institution, as set forth in its mission statements and other governing instruments, is accomplished.” – The Commission Report (Continuing from Introduction – Won’t Fool All of Us (First Hallmark) and The Second Hallmark) And now the most obvious Hallmark of them all! The immediate impetus for the Commission

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-29954538903093055352010-05-20T00:35:00.000-04:002010-05-21T13:42:09.489-04:00

“The second hallmark of a strong and effective board is that it is independent from the administration. The Board is to establish policy and set guidelines for the mission of the institution, and then exercise the proper amount of oversight by asking the hard questions.” – The Commission Report (Continuing from Introduction – Won’t Fool All of Us) There is no doubt here: an independent Board

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-71622220355419470922010-05-18T22:16:00.000-04:002010-05-21T13:41:47.427-04:00

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.” - Abraham Lincoln How many justifications have we seen for firing select Board members? I have discussed many already on this blog (in Part 1 and Part 2), and in summary,  none really sets the Fourteen apart from the remaining Sixteen. I’ve also

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-30891153114821041572010-05-17T19:08:00.001-04:002010-05-17T21:03:26.568-04:00

Like the superheroes of old, the Board of Trustees and Dr. Norman are moving faster than a speeding bullet! The Board of Trustees will vote Friday, May 21st on the election of Dr. David A. Norman to the Presidency of Erskine College and Seminary. We knew the Board planned to meet with Dr. Norman from the leaked email sent to Board members introducing him, but I had no idea they planned to vote

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-80755344252827951742010-05-16T00:55:00.001-04:002010-05-16T00:55:32.056-04:00

Commissioner Ken Wingate spoke at Erskine several weeks ago, and I found this gem of knowledge while researching this fiasco. This is a verbatim quote from our friend Wingate: The point is that, the ARP Church owns and operates Erskine College and Seminary, and it said, the board needs to be downsized. The prior board agreed with that, except the prior board thought it should take six years,

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-37546311249387486992010-05-16T00:43:00.001-04:002010-05-16T00:43:49.764-04:00

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's  [or Church’s] wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” - Abraham

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-76787440639873300842010-05-14T15:36:00.001-04:002010-05-17T13:24:01.958-04:00

Update: As corrected on Facebook by David Dangerfield and discussed in a comment left on this blog, these five men were “a new slate of five trustees was offered by the Moderator [DeWitt] and a panel of the most recent moderators.” The full nominating committee has not voted formally on these names. I will report back on their final decision when it becomes available. Thank you for the correction

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-25724250339190304802010-05-13T22:40:00.001-04:002010-05-13T23:11:31.850-04:00

Below is presented the original example of the “culture of intimidation” at Erskine, published in the student newspaper “The Mirror.” I’m glad now I saved a copy all these years! Note how bizarre this news piece is. Daniel Wells was interviewed for this article, but the accused – Dr. Jay West – and the only other witness, Anne Hawthorne, were never interviewed or quoted, except as heresy

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-54666197840227837022010-05-13T13:47:00.000-04:002010-06-06T19:47:07.459-04:00

“I’ll tell Wormwood to follow your example.” * Continuing along the lines of my previous post, I shall try to understand how the Fired Fourteen were chosen from the thirty. Synod presented us with a dozen reasons why members were released from the Board of Trustees: fiscal mismanagement that occurred before any of the Board members were appointed, competing visions for Erskine’s future, too

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-80944351084524064582010-05-12T11:12:00.001-04:002010-05-19T11:30:19.002-04:00

UPDATE: Apparently the BoT will vote Friday, May 21 on the appointment of Dr. Norman as President.   It appears David Norman is the pick for next president of Erskine College (read the confidential letter discussing him here). He is relatively young and inexperienced. He is unknown to a great many of us. And he graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary, a fact which strikes fear into many of

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-63069216102226256272010-05-12T08:01:00.000-04:002010-05-12T08:01:00.820-04:00

“The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness."  - Proverbs 15:14 As you know, I stands 100% behind my Synod and against the lecherous spit of land called Erskine College. However, Synod failed miserably in taking over the school from “doctrinal drift,” as I explain below. Reasons to selectively fire fourteen board

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-20471170277008812912010-05-11T20:10:00.001-04:002010-05-11T22:15:21.032-04:00

I present the original post on the Aquila Report, as well as the deleted exchange from the Supporters of Synod site. Why is the answer always “delete, delete, delete?” Amen to Al Brady Law! Note just one thing: the Aquila Report is affiliated* generally supportive of Synod. In other words, the board member (?) who leaked this document gave it to a Synod-supportive website. This implies that the

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-30728489372384309082010-05-11T08:57:00.000-04:002010-05-11T10:00:35.857-04:00

After reading Chuck’s latest missive calling Christian men “execrable” and “terrorists,” I feel closer to God. I’m sure we all do. Is this really the best way to reconcile our differences? Why will nobody speak out against such “rhetoric?” Favorite line: “Frankly, these Erskine rebels will never find the will of God apart from remorse and repentance and asking the forgiveness of the ARP Church

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-43056233717820549052010-05-10T23:46:00.001-04:002010-05-11T23:30:45.153-04:00

… somebody taketh away. I happily present the removed posts from the Supporters of Synod site, unedited and in the original form (one might call these the autographs, but let’s not go there). Update: An anonymous commenter below has kindly pointed out that Tim Phillips posted an apology on the Supporters of Synod site. His words are appreciated: I posted this story a couple of weeks ago and

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-67014809451855172042010-05-10T15:50:00.001-04:002010-05-10T16:25:07.858-04:00

Exchange on the Supporters of Synod site (emphasis added): “Try this. I break into your home and steal all your belongings. I'm arrested and go to trial. The judge is my father. The jury is made of all my relatives. Do you think you would get justice. That's what's going on at Erskine. Just looking for a fair trial, and it ain't gonna happen in the Synod. And, all your talk about rattlesnakes

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-40998448060150401492010-05-10T08:56:00.000-04:002010-05-10T08:56:00.688-04:00

“Make haste slowly, for a general who makes no mistakes is better than a brave one.” - Augustus Caesar   This appeal is perhaps the single worst idea DeWitt ever had. Yes, even worse than firing the Fourteen trustees in the first place, and that’s saying a whole lot. Think about it:   Prior to firing the Fourteen, Synod appointed most trustees on the board. If they stayed focused the

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-22143539974143063362010-05-09T10:58:00.001-04:002010-05-09T10:58:18.238-04:00

Dr. Evans: I am ashamed – ashamed!!! – that Dr. Crenshaw won the student-nominated and faculty-elected Younts Excellence in Teaching award this year (the same award that Dr. Wingate won several years ago), and I am outraged – outraged – that you would raise your hands in polite, though quiet, applause to celebrate his achievement. How dare you! Knowing full well how strongly this man disagrees

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-48556662248442318612010-05-07T01:17:00.000-04:002010-05-07T01:18:31.738-04:00

What was good enough for New York in the early 1900s is good enough for Due West in 2010. … No really, they had the right idea. Left panel: expelling the unbelievers from Erskine. Yes, that is a furnace; heap figurative burning coals on their heads! No, silly, not by turning the other cheek – by vituperative language! Right panel: burning Dr. Burnett’s neo-neo-Barthian drivel, the

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-1886600057986431582010-05-07T01:08:00.001-04:002010-05-07T01:09:13.518-04:00

Our supporters denounced those who sued the ARP Church, and are now filing charges of heresy against an ARP member who participated in or condoned this action. The ARP Church has charged men with heresy for their participation in, or acceptance of, a lawsuit against fellow Christians. We all remember how many articles and discussions occurred on the web condemning the “terrorists” for suing the

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-56273011150264691272010-05-06T01:22:00.001-04:002010-05-06T12:21:00.967-04:00

A few posts ago I wrote predicting what our Leaders would say in defense of the appeal by Synod against Erskine. I had five choices, ranging roughly from “most acceptable” to “most egregious” defense. Chuck has given a rational for the lawsuit, and he did not disappoint! "Is legal defense a violation of either the letter or the principle of 1 Corinthains [sic] 6? The Editor does not think so.

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-76757243381258353152010-05-04T08:43:00.000-04:002010-05-04T08:43:00.418-04:00

Had Synod not (probably) broken the law and (foolishly and needlessly) angered a bunch of people by firing/dismissing/releasing half the Board of Trustees, things might have turned out differently between Christians at Erskine. As it is, our denomination is splitting wide open and Christians are now mortal enemies of each other. Chuck calls fellow Christians “terrorists” and the Supporters of

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-11078724948813604662010-05-03T14:03:00.000-04:002010-06-06T15:47:06.702-04:00

Update: Please refer to series, The Misery of the End   Jay Brantner (Erskine ’09), Facebook group: I'd like to see a student body in which Christians from various denominations are in a significant majority, so as to be a good influence on the non-Christians. I'd like to see a faculty that is both academically excellent, eager to engage with students, and committed to orthodox

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-60365438994212499282010-05-02T08:17:00.001-04:002010-05-03T01:04:48.540-04:00

Never lose sight of what started this fiasco: Synod selectively fired fourteen Trustees from the Board. But please, give Synod the benefit of the doubt. There is a 0.00000069% chance they sacked the Fourteen trustees randomly to shrink the Board. Maybe God stacked the dice to remove the "Culture of Intimidation?" Why else were these 14 chosen? Starting tomorrow soon: we'll figure out why the 14

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-6256657563141610172010-04-30T07:56:00.000-04:002010-04-30T07:56:00.310-04:00

What a bizarre world we live in. Whereas McCarthy vented about so-and-so many card-carrying communists in the State department, our own Commission Committee failed at telling us how many people at Erskine believe… in anything bad. Those of us attempting to make heads-or-tails of the debate over Erskine’s future should be forgiven for not having a clue how bad Erskine’s professors are because the

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-92090033835374457342010-04-28T08:33:00.000-04:002010-06-06T15:40:20.230-04:00

No, not literally, but I wanted to make the point that the only place to find Dr. Evan’s rebuttal to Dr. Burnett’s email is on ARP Talk. Clearly Dr. Evans feels no need to censure, rebuke, or ignore this paragon of wisdom. That Chuck Wilson has a large, and influential, audience and dedicated following is further confirmed. As I have mentioned previously on this Blog, Chuck’s views apparently

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-41573849888787822742010-04-25T22:39:00.001-04:002010-04-25T22:39:14.330-04:00

But he chose not to. His latest ARP Talk document criticizes Dr. Burnett’s recent document for – of all things – length. And I predicted it would be lambasted for grammar (I guess he couldn’t find any errors). This may be the first time anybody theological has been criticized for writing too much. Odd though – there’s not much difference between Evans’ and Burnett’s documents in length! Consider

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-12631821444070735812010-04-25T07:45:00.000-04:002010-04-25T10:37:27.050-04:00

Tagline: “The Bible, and our strategy, are inerrant.” The Bible is inerrant. Make no mistake about it, we are absolutely correct on that point. The wonderful thing is that everybody else agrees with us – most ARP ministers and church members, most pastors in our friend denominations and their parishioners, our dedicated network of Christian friends across the nation, and probably a fair number

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-70620976674309854352010-04-24T12:25:00.001-04:002010-06-06T13:15:49.639-04:00

Dr. Evans and Rev. Paul Patrick were missing from Dr. Ruble’s Appreciation Dinner as he retires from college president. Surely they were in the bathroom as I searched for them? Surely they would not miss a dinner in honor of their college president? Surely they would not have missed a dinner for, say, John Carson? … Or do they appreciate the good work – and balanced budget – of their

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-40131569366941578642010-04-24T08:07:00.001-04:002010-04-24T12:27:31.186-04:00

The lawsuit against Synod was wholly without merit and “unbiblical,” as we have claimed for weeks. Paul clearly banned lawsuits of Christian against Christian and we were all a bit shaken when Christian men broke their pledges to uphold Synod’s mandates and broke God’s law. There are eternal consequences at stake here. In the words of one ARP minister during this fiasco, “Secular courts should

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-25197105895843670132010-04-22T23:52:00.001-04:002010-04-22T23:53:52.690-04:00

A Critical Review of: “A Teacher’s Theological Guide to Inerrancy In The Original Manuscripts: A Non-Barthian Approach,” by Dr. Richard Burnett.   We Convinced Dr. Burnett to change his mind!!!! YAY!!!!! (please keep reading to find out all about it) As you all know, Dr. Burnett is a professor at Erskine Seminary who as far as I know does a great job teaching his students. He does have one

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-74510085703682089292010-04-22T08:24:00.000-04:002010-04-22T08:24:00.756-04:00

Daniel Wells asked over at the Talk about Erskine Facebook group what we thought about evolution and how philosophy should be taught at Erskine: First, in my time at Erskine and since graduating I have not heard anyone (pastor, elder, administrator, faculty, Synod executive) ever promote young earth creationism or the "six-day" view of Genesis 1 as the sole view needing to be taught at

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-30478328687597107132010-04-21T09:03:00.000-04:002010-06-06T13:11:19.731-04:00

Our view of events is colored significantly by whether we agree with, or denigrate, the opinion. Even if some radical quote is uttered I might look past its stupidity because I agree with what he is saying. Consider what our own Reiggin Hilderbrand wrote: In reading over the opposition's Facebook group, it seems that there are plenty of problems (hard to pinpoint the greatest... but I'm

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-3188626313196536862010-04-20T08:15:00.000-04:002010-04-20T08:15:00.601-04:00

[Part 4 of a series entitled, "The Perversity and Inconvenience Righteousness and Necessity of Lawsuits against Christians Us Evildoers."] I’m not privy to super-secret Synod communiqués, so I’m not sure what the “official” word is on our justification for appealing the injunction. I’m pretty sure I have a few ideas though. Pick any one (or multiple ones) of the following: Paul never

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-81368914176252527532010-04-19T22:10:00.001-04:002010-04-19T22:12:23.464-04:00

Tagline: “Christians do not sue Christians. Unless…” As I said, Christians do not sue Christians!* *Unless, of course, it’s an appeal, because Paul never said anything about an appeal. This is war! This is Holy War to reclaim Erskine; thank goodness our interpretation of the Bible will never hinder us! (please see my previous post about Christians not suing Christians here.")

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-44723726908516559362010-04-19T08:41:00.002-04:002010-04-19T08:41:00.403-04:00

… Navigating a minefield after an army has passed through. There are HUGE GAPS in the conversation everywhere. Like on April 6, when Tim Phillips held AN ENTIRE CONVERSATION with himself.

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-46727883674079990742010-04-17T07:30:00.001-04:002010-06-06T13:03:55.996-04:00

The Latin word "sic" means "thus" or "so." I have no idea how Roman centurions or senators might have used the word, but in the modern usage the word is used almost exclusively to mark an error in a quote. Ideally, you would quote a source perfectly accurately, word for word. This established a problem when quoting from a published book or magazine - how might you quote the sentence, "The quck

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-71199673202041399002010-04-16T09:04:00.001-04:002010-04-16T09:04:00.624-04:00

[Part 3 of a series entitled, "The Perversity and Inconvenience of Lawsuits against Christians Us"] In case you missed it, here is the Commission's plan to regain Erskine from "doctrinal drift," by which I mean Erskine not keeping up with the conservative drift of the ARP Synod. Step 1: "Clear the deadwood." The Board of Trustees was an irksome thorn in our side that needed to be dealt with. So

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-85040661497596534372010-04-15T13:33:00.001-04:002010-04-15T13:33:46.885-04:00

Tagline: “Christians do not sue Christians. Ever.” “You may not agree with the actions of General Synod, but they were not un-Presbyterian. Christians taking Christians to court ... well, that drum has been beat enough. Scripture is clear. … Scripture is not considered to apply when it is personally inconvenient to do so. I believe you have already answered your own question. Secular courts

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-10669319167731268942010-04-14T08:30:00.000-04:002010-06-06T12:58:57.475-04:00

Question: Was it not a conflict of interest for the Moderator to appoint himself to the Commission rather than acting as an adviser?" Bill Marsh answers: Neither of us would presume to speak for Dr. de Witt.  However, we would question the premise of the question.  A conflict of interest exists when a person has more than one claim on his/her loyalty.  In this case, Dr. de Witt would only

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-27332956441340798362010-04-13T08:33:00.000-04:002010-06-06T12:56:16.522-04:00

Tagline: “Any more wily and I’d be a serpent.” Chuck Wilson writes, Because Erskine once was so good, we have allowed Erskine to be made into an idol. At this point in time, God has called us to deal with the Baal cult of Erskine. A good institution that was organized to advance the cause of the gospel of the church of Jesus Christ has gone from being an agency of the church that

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-90986425087013762162010-04-12T18:39:00.001-04:002010-04-13T00:24:36.894-04:00

Those interested in admiring the exceptional giving of the Synod-Supporting Alumni may do so in the Inside Erskine alumni magazine, where the giving levels of all past alumni are tabulated. Erskine has an online link to the past four years. Erskine must have messed up though, because surely the list is not complete… Try looking up a few of our prominent people and you’ll see what I mean! UPDATE

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-9452811479237352912010-04-12T10:44:00.001-04:002010-04-12T10:44:37.386-04:00

Good question, Mary Lou.* Why won’t they just do what we tell them?!   *From the Let’s Talk about Erskine and the Synod FB group

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-55789618439438133832010-04-11T21:16:00.000-04:002010-04-11T21:17:01.556-04:00

Dear Alumni, Plaintiffs, and Fired Board Members: For too long we have fought over the most simple of issues, and to no avail. Thousands of dollars have been spent on court and legal fees, and even now the ARP Denomination and Erskine College churns with anger and discontent. All because of… us. So let’s fix it. We fired fourteen Trustees because the board was too big, we claim. You didn’

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-28646080743864196512010-04-10T00:07:00.000-04:002010-04-10T00:07:11.944-04:00

They decide who's naughty or nice. The Commission... has come... to town.

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-78461617470333050032010-04-09T19:25:00.002-04:002010-06-06T12:47:16.863-04:00

Update: This is an important point in the motion to dismiss made by Synod; unfortunately, not only did I misunderstand the legal meaning when I originally wrote this, I still don't understand it now. So, maybe you should skip this post. ============== Did I read this right?! Injunction by the judge reads in part, “Plaintiffs are directed to provide security in the amount of Fifty Thousand

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-13769253055476802682010-04-09T13:21:00.001-04:002010-04-09T13:21:44.488-04:00

Daniel over at Ask a Commissioner, talking about those who persistently asked difficult questions, quotes the Bible: And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-91243821584909427252010-04-08T17:58:00.001-04:002010-06-06T12:41:16.569-04:00

I don’t know the man, but what he says he makes me sick: I believe three of the plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit (one who has since dropped) are ARP ruling elders. Here is their sixth vow for ordination: "Do you promise to submit in the spirit of love to the authority of the session and to the higher courts of the Church?” That, of course, was not done. That they did not submit to the

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-21442553906138473002010-04-08T07:14:00.002-04:002010-06-06T12:36:53.292-04:00

[Part 2 of a series entitled, "The Perversity and Inconvenience of Lawsuits against Christians Us"] Oh my bleeding ears! Oh my aching belly! Oh my incontinence! (Literally – the house reeks). Listen to what the Other side is saying: I get it. I understand. Christians are not supposed to sue Christians over trivial matters. Christians are not supposed to sue the church. We are supposed

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-9324061344081877522010-04-07T13:33:00.001-04:002010-04-07T13:33:27.243-04:00

Tagline: “Have I missed something here?” Out of the mouths of babes come great truth. “Tominaz” writes over at Gairney Bridge: The state needs to keep its hands off church matters. Meanwhile, “pastorvon” laments: If this ruling is allowed to stand — I must be careful here because I have not read the ruling — no church court will be able to function according to its Form of Government

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-88958137146858852732010-04-07T11:18:00.000-04:002010-04-07T11:18:41.737-04:00

Is anybody else weirded out by all the power and influence of the Committee over Synod and, allegedly, Erskine? One the words of a few men, Synod signed their fate to a rash act and the consequences thereof. Stand fast, Alumni, our brave Thermidorians!

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-49545856269290842922010-04-06T11:05:00.001-04:002010-04-06T17:58:28.294-04:00

Tagline: “If at first you don’t Secede…” Courtesy of Gairney Bridge (emphasis added): “The restraining order remains in place, the interim board cannot meet, and the actions of General Synod at the called meeting are null and void. … Big changes are a-comin’, I suspect, just not in the form they appeared to be coming a month ago. The Civil Court may have determined that Synod acted

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-18369227106657810842010-04-06T10:56:00.002-04:002010-04-06T10:58:07.400-04:00

Tagline: “Fool you once, shame on you. Fool you twice, shame on me. Why give you a second chance?” The Commission members were infinitely interested in student opinions. So, they came to Erskine to talk to students. Imagine that – busy Christian men taking time out of their busy day to talk to students. Anybody at Erskine could talk to them. Anybody at all. All you needed to do was email them.

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-39332225273734102252010-04-05T17:53:00.004-04:002010-06-06T12:31:40.976-04:00

Update: Question and answer restored to Ask a Commissioner. Now, there are just two documents I would really like to get my hands on. The first is in the mail as we speak, and will be posted in May. The second: what Laura Griffin wrote about Robyn Agnew on SAFE! Wouldn't you like to see the only document SAFE removed from its site? I sure would. Update 2: Holy cow! I got it! Laura Griffin’s

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-28324716030281869902010-04-02T10:30:00.001-04:002010-04-02T10:30:07.788-04:00

“The Synod presents a very good argument in their brief. I have yet to read the Plaintiff's brief, but I can't imagine the issue being clearer.” (emphasis added) -Andrew DeShazo, Facebook Supporters of Synod group, 4/1/10 And this, my dear friends, is what we call “faith,” and is a desirable only when dealing with God and the Chicago Cubs.

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-75689341094893772602010-04-01T16:29:00.001-04:002010-04-01T16:29:51.255-04:00

4/1/2010 :: Due West, SC Citing Ecclesiastical law as well as Christian necessity, Synod voted via email to remove Dr. Randy Ruble as president of Erskine College and Seminary, and appointed Mr. XXX XXX (redacted) as the interim president. This action comes as the fate of the interim board hangs on the word of a South Carolina judge. While his decision is expected early next week, Synod believed

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-6528549367758026392010-04-01T12:24:00.000-04:002010-04-01T10:30:59.548-04:00

"No really, we promise," says the Commission. "There are examples of the Culture of Intimidation. We just won't make that information public. Except for that one example, the XXX XXXX incident. That one was very public. But no more! We've destroyed his reputation among our friends - how could we do that to anybody else? No, we'll keep our myriad examples of intimidation secret." "In fact, we

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-30061443010673797372010-03-30T22:10:00.000-04:002010-03-30T23:13:41.304-04:00

“Be patient till the last. Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear. Believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe. Censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. “If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesar was no less

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-45418358732715514762010-03-29T01:21:00.001-04:002010-03-29T13:53:22.671-04:00

Tagline: “… but I’d rather integrate Faith and learning.” Paul Helm (whoever he is) apparently wrote: Certain truths are obvious; any denial of them would be unjustifiable; or alternatively certain truths are reasonable, and any contradicition of these claims unreasonable. … It is reasonable to conclude that if the ball is orange then it is coloured, that if X is smaller than Y then Y is

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-87653530919768568812010-03-28T00:29:00.001-04:002010-03-28T10:34:02.609-04:00

Tagline: “I am always smarter than ‘They.’ Insert whoever you like for ‘They’.” Over at the Supporters of Synod Facebook group, Brandon Kai Oberle’ writes what is perhaps the most encouraging thing I have read since the Erskine lawsuit debacle started: “Well, Crenshaw fails at basic Logic and Philosophy so it's no big surprise for me [that he doesn’t understand a critical thinking essay.].” Our

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-74930634498726769282010-03-27T17:56:00.000-04:002010-03-27T17:57:02.319-04:00

Tagline: “Answers so smooth men turn to stare.” Make sure to read the question and original answer at Ask a Commissioner. Commission member Paul Mulner says: You are correct that the a "primary" duty of the interim Board is to approve the new by-laws.  However, their duties are not limited to this.  The interim Board must govern the institution until the new (resized) Board is constituted

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-16098810222961874032010-03-27T00:00:00.000-04:002010-03-30T21:26:38.543-04:00

Tagline: “Almost as good as Ask a Commissioner, but not quite.” And the first question is: “Are the Commissioners Supporters of Erskine?” “Ask A Commissioner” says: Specifically, half the commission graduated from Erskine or has an endowed chair. Half the commission was “intentionally” chosen to not be connected to Erskine. Generally, each brought three convictions: love of Christ, love of ARP

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-8010997905724556632010-03-26T23:45:00.001-04:002010-06-06T12:22:42.404-04:00

“The ARP Church owns and operates Erskine College and Seminary through the trustees it appoints and therefore has an obligation to ensure that our directives are being followed and the missions of these institutions are being implemented.” – the Commission’s Preliminary Report “In the case of Erskine, the guiding principles of the Philosophy of Christian Higher Education and the similar

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-43694018038953187462010-03-26T00:11:00.001-04:002010-03-26T00:53:04.142-04:00

Tim Phillips, 4/28/2009, predicting what would happen with the Committee: Then it [the Committee] will drag out another year. Of course, most of the folks in the ARP are pretty much fed up by this time. Someone has suggested that the entire Board needs to be disbanded, a new composition devised, and new Board members appointed. I don't see that happening, but it is an interesting suggestion. Part

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-11935316901999179452010-03-24T20:18:00.000-04:002010-03-24T20:18:55.808-04:00

And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. (Matthew 5:40)Wow! Thank goodness this doesn't apply to Synod!

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-30221610993123669712010-03-23T00:07:00.001-04:002010-06-06T12:21:29.395-04:00

ARP Talk had a fine issue last year on the "Chalking" incident at Erskine. You remember - where students went out in droves to cry out for help and salvation from a school that suppressed their faith? Yea, that issue. Well, that was not the whole story. In truth, only a few students went to write about such things. Each student wrote a lot, but people who feel oppressed tend to write a

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-58371413440609559322010-03-22T12:31:00.000-04:002010-03-22T14:24:29.323-04:00

There are 30 members of the Board of Trustees that we are interested in: 16 retain their position, while 14 have been fired/released/let go/thanked for their efforts/dismissed. Perhaps Synod acted improperly here, you say? Perhaps they exercised favoritism and positive selection in removing members of the board who disagreed with the Commission, while keeping members that would do what the

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-52981902290389239472010-03-22T09:33:00.000-04:002010-03-22T09:34:56.495-04:00

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-34936535965423868662010-03-19T15:21:00.001-04:002010-03-19T15:22:25.796-04:00

… and none shall stand in its way.

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410409008951621810.post-56826006488743042362010-03-18T22:27:00.000-04:002010-03-18T22:28:54.887-04:00

Temperance Dogoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283885835173805473noreply@blogger.com0