Three quick points. First, the posting of this is encouraging and enabling a gross violation of the scriptural duty of keeping your promises and vows. If that scriptural point is not compelling enough, it is also a violation of the Westminster Larger Catechism. This is not just wrong; it is grotesque.
Douglas Wilson
Tagged “Pastor Doug Wilson of Christ Church in Moscow”
“grotesque”
“Martin Luther King, Jr. was a plagiarist”
We must also guard against another temptation. When the world recently learned that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a plagiarist, those who had a vested interest in keeping him up on his pedestal immediately began talking about feet of clay, the human condition, and we all struggle, do we not? In other words, Dr. King was a scoundrel, but we will admit no evidence that supports the claim and treat as a scoundrel anyone who dares to present the evidence. When confronted, against our will, with indisputable evidence that our hero was not foremost among the saints, the automatic response is to interpret it as evidence that King had a ‘weakness’ or a ‘failing.’ But never is it called by its Biblical name — sin.
Douglas Wilson
Beyond Promises, Beyond Belief
Pastor Doug Wilson of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, abetted Jamin Wight’s criminal behavior. He approved of the young man’s false oath; he taught him to escape accountability by blame-shifting; and he restored him to ministry in the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC) in violation of his written assurance to the local community. Continue reading
“the verse bluntly excludes false oaths”
While the name of God is used comprehensively to refer ultimately to God Himself, the phrase translated in vain means ‘falsely’ (cf. Is. 59:4). The word translated ‘taketh’ means ‘to bear’ or ‘carry,’ as believers bear or carry His name when they are called Christians. But of course if we cannot live in a false manner under His name, still less may we speak or swear falsely in His name. So the verse bluntly excludes false oaths. ‘Thou shalt not swear (utter) the name of God to emptiness (vanity).’ Simply put, we should refrain from appealing to the name of God to confirm or bear witness to a falsehood. When we appeal to God by means of vows, we must honor God by honoring our vows. In the eyes of God, vows are serious business.
Douglas Wilson
Why the Oath: A Post Without Answers
Doug Wilson put a man under oath despite claiming he did not have lawful jurisdiction. And after hearing the perpetrator swear he committed multiple felonies, Doug Wilson did not report the criminal to the proper jurisdictional authority. Continue reading
“Memo for the day”
Memo for the day: ‘You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.’ (Exodus 23:1)
Douglas Wilson
2016 in Review
A brief review of 2016’s major events in the Kirk. Continue reading
Top 10 Posts of 2016
Let’s make it the Top 11 posts of the year. Continue reading
The False Witness and the Sworn Confession of Guilt
A Historical Review
A calculating liar frames a deceitful tale that omits the single-most important forensic event of the narrative.
“consciences are seared”
The lake of fire is reserved for liars, and I take this as referring to those whose consciences are seared as with a hot iron. I believe this is speaking of men who don’t care about the truth, and are willing to advance stories that they know to be false. I don’t ever use that word lightly. One of my tasks in pastoral counseling, while trying to unsort human tangles, is to keep people from using that word.
Douglas Wilson
“The Bible teaches that every matter is to be established through two or three witnesses. . .”
Another problem of pandemic proportions is the important matter of verifying the truth. The Bible teaches that every matter is to be established through two or three witnesses. A very high standard is set for those who would accuse anyone. But in this brave new world of counseling, no one has to prove anything. Suppose a woman comes in and tells her counselor that she was abused as a child. The first question in a pastor’s mind should be, “Is this true?” In other words, he must make a decision about whether he is teaching a true victim of real abuse (the kind of abuse a policeman could tell you about), or whether he is talking to a liar, or perhaps someone who has spent too much time in the wrong section of a Christian bookstore.
Douglas Wilson
