Hey Don't Shoot The Messenger

“Where do you get your authority to object and challenge those who must answer to God? What have you built? How many have you persuaded to Christ? What have you sacrificed in years, labor, and life's treasures? How many years have you labored faithfully in the ministry? Before condemning, and, or second guessing those who have made full proof of their ministry I suggest that you do exactly that.”


This is taking what I have said and instead of trying to kill the message Paul Dyal attempts to kill the messenger by trying to belittle myself as well as another Brother in Christ. This is called an ad hominem.

According to wikipedia an ad hominem argument has the basic form:

Person 1 makes claim X

There is something objectionable about Person 1

Therefore claim X is false

Ad hominem abusive usually involves insulting or belittling one's opponent, but can also involve pointing out factual but ostensible character flaws or actions which are irrelevant to the opponent's argument. This tactic is logically fallacious because insults and even true negative facts about the opponent's personal character have nothing to do with the logical merits of the opponent's arguments or assertions.

Examples:

• "You can't believe Jack when he says God exists. He doesn't even have a job."

• "Candidate Jane's proposal about zoning is ridiculous. She was caught cheating on her taxes in 2003."



This is what Bro. Paul Dyal has done time and time again. The logic I have used can’t be argued against so the next thing to do is try and take away any creditbilty I might have with anyone who reads my blogs. This not christian behavoir. Kill the message if you can, but don’t try and kill the messenger.

“When comparing men, to men, like Martin Luther, and Nick Gruick you might consider that they were both long time proven servants of God before they challenged or refused the counsel of those over them in the Lord.” Martin Luther was 34 years old when he nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Roman Catholic Church. I would beg to differ that the men who were over Martin Luther were over him in the Lord. I’ll be honest I’m not sure how old Bro Nick was when he refused to listen to the council of men who told him not to go to Haiti neither do I know how long he had been among this people when he did so. But I do know this; Steve Farmer met this people in 1968 and has worked in the ministry ever since. So using the logic Bro Dyal used in his blog I think Bro Farmer has been around long enough to “challenge” the council of men today.

He also uses scripture to say that I am evil for talking against government. I believe in government. I believe in respecting my elders. I know who my elders are and who they are not. I have not tried to make any personal attacks, but I have attacked the message that these messengers have given.1 Corinthians 5:11”But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat”. I am not guilty of any of these. But there is an awful lot of railing coming from other directions.

I have spoke out against what I feel the men we have looked to as leaders have done wrong. I have called them self proclaimed leaders and I do feel with some of them this is the case. I will continue to speak uot aginst things that are wrong and inconsistencies I see. If I’m wrong, prove me so. Don’t try and belittle my character.

Am I and Dan Dillion such a threat to this very influential man that he has to attack us personally? I only have on a good day maybe a hundred hits on my blog. Is little insignifficant me that much of threat to this man who has influence with several hundred people? I thought shepherds were to protect the sheep and not rail on them. I don’t want to be a threat to him or anyone else, but through my writing and my thoughts maybe they would consider what I have to say. Didn’t Paul say “all of you be subject one to another being clothed with humility”?

I recognize the great work men like Paul Dyal, Billy Brown, Alfred Daves, etc have done. But that doesn’t mean that they are above being questioned and disagreed with. I’m not just a lowly saint. There are no lowly saints. We are all children of God. There are no big “I’s” and little “u’s” in the kingdom of God.

I am speaking out of concern for this group of people that I have been a part of my entire life. I am not “railing with rancor” I am concerned about where we are headed to as a whole. If it looks like organization, feels like organization, smells like organization, guess what? its organization. Where and what we are today is not what was envisioned from our beginnings. Politics have no place in the Kingdom of God.