Comments About the Maranatha Ad

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(David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article)

Following are some comments we have received about the Maranatha Baptist College promotional ad that we mentioned in Friday News Notes this week.

Some people stated their opinion that it is just innocent fun and that I need to “lighten up” and stop being so “picky” and some of those (but not all) rebuked me for my “legalistic, hateful” comments. Those representing this opinion would probably form the majority view among IFBaptists today.

Following is an example of this from a Maranatha graduate:

“There is so much that I could say to you right now about hurting the gospel with your site and the cutting words that you write. But all I will say right now is that I pray that you see what you're doing is wrong, that you realize our focus in life should be worshiping God not putting down those whom we don't agree with a hundred percent. Your words hurt. I'm a Maranatha grad. And my husband and I are trying to serve God with every ounce of our being. We read the ESV and we use contemporary music to worship our God. I didn't always believe like that, when I was growing up I was in a church that is very alike to the churches on your directory. But stepping away from that type of living showed me how much that type of Christianity lives in a ‘under the law’ type of way and how everything is done ‘the old fashioned way’ because that's the ‘right’ way. My husband and I have decided to stop living that way and just do simply and only what the bible says and what the bible communicates. I hope and pray from the bottom of my heart that you will stop this hating of other people who were saved by the same blood you were saved by and who are worshiping the same God you worship.”

If a school uses the critical Bible text, it is not surprising that its graduates use the English Standard Version, and if a school plays around with the music issue, treating it lightly, it is no wonder that its graduates love contemporary worship music.

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[brosmith]

I differ with David Cloud on one issue: I don't call it Southern Gospel or Rap. I call it rock and roll. It would have hit the rock charts back when I was a teenager (in the 1970's). Maranatha is definitely promoting the rock and roll spirit. But then they have been following the new evangelical path of compromise and tolerance for years. Even though it is saddening and sickening to see any so-called fundamental Bible college go down the drain (spiritually speakening), it shouldn't be surprising given the track record of compromises that were committed along the way. A Bible college (or a church, or a preacher) doesn't just suddenly accept ungodliness as being something good and desireable.

Edited March 22, 2012 by brosmith