The Ohio Independent Baptist, March 1970

• ues We are delig/1ted to be llble to presetit anot/1er sti111iclating article lVr~tten b} Dr. Ea,:e G. Griffi.t/1, Vice President, Pied111ont Bible College, W1nston-Sal:1n, . .orth Carolina. Fe1v 111en l1ave tlze ability to express the111selves in \vrztLng as does ottr friend and brother. Felv are so bold to speak out ar;ainst sin . . . particitlarl}' tl1is sin ... the sin of tl1e loose tong1re! Here is a 111essage tl1at shoctld be read and st11died b,, everv believer! ., ., A Chri tian journal, like a pulpit. cannot ju tify its exi tence if it func– tion is but the pa ing out of piou pleasantries. Many of us never held membership in the Three Little Mon– keys·· club. A normal human never understands the organs of peech ight , and audition to be inately evil and therefore to be rendered inopera– tive. Your natural facilitie are not to be padlocked. It i no urmise to say that a defi– nite portion of the ministry of the Hebrew prophets and all apo tle "vho e v:ords inspiration has pre- erved. was denunciatory and expo e in character. There is, however, no rea on to believe that pinning a black label on another person wa their chief or only ministry. o one of them "-'as ever called to a reckless de truc– tion of reputations. At this moment we ha\.·e in mind an e, 1 il clique of perennial . as tini– \'Cr al as garden \\ ced , equally pesti– lential , ~'hose tongue exude a deadly poi on, c pecially against hristian col– leagues who have a score of virtt1es to their one. They are incapable of a change of pace or improvement of technique . hey handle the1r nefari– ou bt1 iness bct\J..'een dusk and dawn. A Ylitl1 111otl1, o with them. sunlight a11d fre 11 air \l.,ould tcrn1inate tl1cir exi tence and wori'" . A inernber of tl1is foul fraternit}' n1al' e l1i \vay to )'Our office stud}', J101ne or he et 11p a cl1a11ce sidc~'alk • • 1nter,,1evl. ~ a 1 l1e : 'l a111 loatl1c to troul>le ) ou UJ "i11g 1 our i1111t1n1cr– al, le l>urden . But lt:e1)le nigl1ts and • • ago111z1ng pra~ r 1n1Jlel 111 to t111l, ur- d n ." J l1e11 fo1IO\\' Iii da tardl\' tir,':lde w o 111nu ndo again t any l1ri t ia11 ~ 11 gr , t , ortl1 anno , l1i111. )1 ' hi " i g nt:ric ince, r gret- H OHIO INOEP NO NT BAPTIST tably often this elf-appointed mote 1...letector may wear a kirt and a blou e. The privilege of needl ino or knifing i not re trained by e; or age. When he sees that hi groundles accu tations have served to shake the faith of the victim-IL tener in the hap– le s ab entee target , then follow a standard request of which only the weake t character i capable. ' I have told you the hone t-to-goodne truth. Do what yot1 like. Blt t please do not 1rzention 111)' na111e. I do not l1'ant to be 111i:xed 1,p in t/1is. I h ave come be– cau e I felt led. But let it never be known I aid a word. I will pray, you handle it." He i either an illiterate, or not in hri tian work, who wil l be Ltrpri ed to learn that there i a clan of under– cover agent who operate in jt1st thi fa h1on . A f e~ com1nent are long overdue. 1· he C hri tian con1n1unity harbor no c;et of evi l doer o de trt1ctive a these I ha\e labeled ·~ at ling Gt1n- Or. Earle G. Griffith ner ." The figure is a shade weak ince. \.\ e tinder tand. a gatling gun wa traceable and more easily ren– dered po""erle . othing carries the potential for good or evil of the hu– man tongue. We heard recently of a city of 30.000 where every go pel cht1rch \Va in an open row. Church split have been at time traceable to death-dealing worldline , overlord- hip. infidel or f al e teaching, out– ide meddling and le er cau es, but it may' be under cored that irrespon– sible t1se of the tongue ha been the mo t prolific church killer. Flambouy– ant oratory and ecret talk have thi in common, both inflame the ignor– ant and ruin the innocent. I .. et no one ay that he lives in an orb where uch eed of iniquity can– not gern1inate. Churche , mi sion agencie . chool service club all alike uffer from the work of this hidden ground-mole. The effect i not a tempe t in a tea pot. If the grave could yield up tho e ent to it prematurely by religiou per on with currilou tongues what a ho t there would be. ear u lived what appeared to be a very fine )'oung couple who held n1ember hip in a i ter Bapti t cht1rch. For over 20 year the body of that }'oung wife h a lai n in the cemetery, ent there by an act of elf de truction. But back of that fatal deed \Vere the poi onou word whi .. pered into the ear of her young bu band by one of the e ~ ho toop to an)' level to gain their dark. de ign . What n1a)' we a)' about character a a in ? The)' do not have morality. hi tory. e pediency or the Bible to upport then1. We deal onl)' \\ ith the Ja, t named appeal. It i Bibli al for a per on \\ ho t1bn1it a factt1al acct1 n– Lion to identif} hi nan1e ,, 1th his re– port . He \\ ho acct1 e~ 111t1'it be prepar– ed to back it tip under oath . He 1 n t to con, ert a f r1end into a CO\\ arli' ca ·tie. ce l ( or . l : 11 . ,r,t ( l)r111- thi~ n · 1 occttpicd ,, 11h e, 11 in the or1ntl11an ( ~ht1rcl1 ,, 1th 1t, · r1011s i,\Ct1011, and figl1t111gs Patil learned this l1\ repo1 t. /1111 ,,ore. tl1is i, vitc1l l<.'I 2.l)OO \ ca1, t11c na111c, l)f h1 1n– l l)r111ar1t" h<1\C hee11 <)n re 'l)td... the l1,.1t1, l)t ' l1lt)c.' ' 11\.:e ag"1111 Patil ,11111~, lt)rth 111 ~l hr1gl1tcr l1t1e He ~ ll)lcJ l1tl1l!1, \\ hl) t<.1lll l1i111 a 11 i \\ hat t})~ ~,\Ill . 1 ot1r t,ntril)ttt ,r l\)lls ttll~ll tl1~ fa tl1- l r t)t arl Bi a k111l11 \; '- 0 11\l)c "i~I t>f •• l ) llll ( tl,llil' ll I U)' l r ulk,' ' .ll, l lt st 111t 111a lt 0 r ~ lll) \\ ~t'\'t' r, ,l \ ' t 'lr~ 1 • ~t. 1le said : ·' I 11, \' , si1111,l J) l 'l tl . \\'11 ll a l1r is ti ,r1 111e t , 111 ,, itl1 a lib I- (Continued on page 15) FEBRUARY, 1970 5