Fighting Fundamentalism

At the very least Tom, he has the heart of a Protestant.

 

He was for it before he was against it. The SOTL ran an ad on October 17,1952 which was in favor of the RSV. Carl MacIntire complained. JRR asked for forgiveness of his readers. In the November 14th edition he said he used the RSV for reference and comparison. By 6/4/65 the SOTL ran articles denouncing the RSV using language which is not allowed on the BB.

 

Care to prove this ridiculous accusation?

 

What purpose would it serve to put something on the BB which isn't allowed by the rules of the latter?

 

So you can't prove it. Thought so.

 

Great quote JofJ. I appreciate you sharing this.

Here are my thoughts on this, as I grew up IFB. I really didn't know much else for the first 20+ years of my life. I always went to an IFB church (had to, my daddy was the preacher - he was so for 30+ years and then went into missions work after he retired from the pastorate). I grew up reading SOTL as it was always around the living room, meeting loads of missionaries and other preacher friends, etc.

In looking back, know what? I can't remember anyone that I would label a fighting fundamentalist (OK, a few obstinate deacons...). Yes, most were very conservative in their views, they always contended for the faith, always believed in separation, but fighting? No, not really.

I have been around IFBs my whole life. Most IFB's I know and have known are very conservative - both politically and socially. However, they have also been (for the most part) sweet, loving, and caring people.

 

My experience was the same growing up IFB, right up to the occasional grumpy deacon. I was also a PK. Dad preached the Gospel for 60 years, with the first 10 or so being SBC and then 50 years as an IFB. He was kind, gentle, quiet and faithful.

 

Thinking about this more, and now seeing this battle over David Cloud http://www.baptistboard.com/showthread.php?t=67282 (And this seems to erupt periodically, but always in the Baptist only sections, so I've never been able to join in), I believe it is him I was looking at as the unofficial "leader" of IFB "separationist" old-line fundamentalism. And he is the perennial "fighting fundamentalist".

I know the IFB's I was around were basically friendly and level-headed, but because they seemed to look up to people like Cloud as defending and representing their veiws, especially in the area of music (the people I was around weren't strictly KJVO, though they were strongly against the NIV), I came to see the whole movement through him. And other KJVO's such as Chick & co., and then some others such as the BJ's (whose circle seemed to produce a lot of the teaching on music).
So it's basically an issue of a few vocal leaders as opposed to the mass of followers.

What I would say in the other thread is that no, accreditation is not a sure mandate for genuine spiritual authority, but if one is going to rise up as such an authority on biblical issues and studies like Cloud, to the point of denouncing other brethren and Bible versions; then without any credential, he comes off sort of like a self-appointed apostle or something. (Hence, my mistake of making him "the voice of fundamentalism"). Even the list of his studies ReformedBaptist posted (Which I probably saw myself on his site years ago) sounds a bit like bragging of all his [self-determined] "achievements" rather than any real credential. (Herbert Armstrong had a very similar repertoire!) And then, that followers would lash out at any criticism or even a question about him. Look, he certainly spends a lot of time denouncing people; so he has to be able to receive it as well.

I would agree with Rippon's statements over there.

 

I'm surprised that anyone would consider Cloud a leader of fundamentalism. I don't mean to denigrate him, but all he is, is a man with a website and a lot of opinions who studies a lot. He's just an information guy.

The Internet does not make anyone a leader. Where does he preach? Have we seen God use him in great revivals or great conferences? Does he have a tract that sees many saved and has been translated into many languages? Has he founded a Bible college? Has God used him to build a great church?

Rather, to me the leaders of 21st century fundamentalism are the leaders of missions. More than ever, fundamentalism is global, with 1000s of missionaries all over the world, and new churches being started constantly in many countries. Japan's fundamentalism is small, maybe 120 churches, but there are Japanese fundamentalist missionaries in Uganda, Ukraine, China, Taiwan, Thailand, etc.