I have seen corruption boil and bubble 'til it o'er run the stew.
Laws for all faults,
But faults so countenanced, that the strong statutes
Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop,
As much in mock as mark. Shakespeare, Measure for Measure
The Jonesians are often mistakenly labeled "legalists". While the Jonesians like their rules, they don't have a rule they wouldn't ignore, bend, or break for the Joneses or Bob Jones University. Jonesians are, first and foremost, Pharisaical hypocrites.
Charles Underwood noted the Joneses' "disregard of facts." I have repeatedly noted that the Joneses followers share their disregard of facts. In my experiences with Jonesians stretching back to 1977, a Jonesian will ignore any fact, feign innocence and ignorance regarding BJU's past, avoid answering probing questions designed to reveal the truth, lie, cheat, use unethical means, smear and slander any opponent, twist any word, ignore or subvert any biblical principle, cast a blind eye toward any Jonesian evil, etc., in order to defend the Joneses and BJU. Like the Joneses, however, their followers are masters at the smear campaign, ad hominem attacks, killing the messenger and ignoring the message.
In the final analysis, the Joneses have created an entire Pharisaical sub-culture that blindly follows and defends every pronouncement and deed of the Joneses as "gospel". When Bob Jones III claimed his interracial dating position was "based on Bible policy" only to later characterize that position as "insignificant" and "meaningless," the Jonesians instinctively ignored their leader's duplicity. What could be more dishonest than invoking the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, God's heaven, and God's Word as support for racial bigotry. And, what else would disqualify a person from wielding spiritual influence over others? In my view, Bob Jones III prostituted his frock on the altar of bigoted, pragmatic expediency. Only a Jonesian would mindlessly continue to grant unfettered loyalty and trust to one who displayed such a high level of religious duplicity. Again and again, issue after issue, the Joneses have practiced duplicity and have leavened a whole host of BJU-styled fundamentalists who think that duplicity is the norm.
Pharisaical Hypocrisy
Like Matthew-23 Pharisees, the Jonesians judge everyone else - especially those who point out Jonesian hypocrisy - by a set of standards/laws/rules that they themselves have no intention of keeping. Like their spiritual ancestors, "...they say, and do not." (Matthew 23:3, 4)
In my last post, I suggested to Louis Hensler, a Fighting Fundamental Forum member: "You might take a few minutes to peruse the "Rules" thread in light of your second sentence about "bigoted name-calling," "stereotyping," and "haters" and decide whether or not you are willing to weigh your friends on the Forum by the same standard you have attempted to apply to me. Perhaps you missed some of the more colorful ad hominem attacks that pass for civil Christian discourse on the Forum. Did you ever voice any concerns regarding "bigoted name-calling," "stereotyping," or "haters" on the Forum?"
Evidently, Louis Hensler, in his haste to ignore my concerns by stereotyping me as a BJU-hater, "missed" some of the more notable examples of "bigoted name-calling," "stereotyping," and hate practiced by his Forum brethren. In my view, several outspoken Forum members were masters of the arts that Louis Hensler accused me (Former Fundee or FF) of practicing. For quoting newspaper articles, quoting the Joneses own words, quoting letters to and from the Joneses, I was treated to every manner of bigoted name-calling, stereotyping, and hatred. One of the best examples of the ad hominem nature of the Jonesians can be found in an exchange between "Fred" and me in Posts #76-79 linked below. Incidentally, despite the concerted efforts of a few outspoken Forum members, the "Rules" thread has had over 11,500 views, possibly a BJU/FFF record.
Now, I understand "Breslau" (an anonymous Forum member) has accused me of "cherry-picking" posts to prove my points. Unfortunately, "Breslau," cherry-picking was not necessary in order to find examples of dissembling on the Forum. My challenge to this "Anonymous Avenger" is for Breslau to pick any Forum post from those of the members cited below and try to make the point that there was a forthright dealing with the facts that I shared on the Forum regarding the Joneses and BJU. (Why not start with Posts 76 to 79, Breslau?) I'm not holding my breath. While "Breslau" is a master at cute quips and snide cuts, he doesn't seem to have the wit or the will to debate central issues.
Here are several examples of "bigoted name-calling," "stereotyping," and hatred that seem to have escaped Louis Hensler's attention. Was Louis Hensler sincere when he voiced his disappointment over bigoted name-calling, stereotyping, and hatred? Or was his expression of disappointment contrived so as to discredit me without having to deal with the facts and the Joneses' sullied reputations? Is Louis Hensler a Bob Jones University hypocrite or will he apply to his Forum buddies the same standards he tried to impose on me?
Petimus Credimus, The BJU product debating issues on the Fighting Fundamental Forum:
Fred, Post #76-#79, “full of hate” and spreading “a lie”. (This exchange is worth checking out.)
Fred, #105, “[Former Fundee's] ranting,” “gossiping,” “causing strife,” “cowardly”.
Breslau, #123, “[FF] You’ve earned ignore status.” Seconded, and thirded by Merlin and Fred.
Fred, #132, “[FormerFundee's] hateful rants”.
Former Fundee, #138 is a long quote of letter from former BJU staffer, Charles Underwood to Bob Jones III. Underwood summed up, “I think this distinctly reveals the trend of BJU in approving idolatry and deceit….” The content of the letter was totally ignored and its “length” became the sole focus of those on the forum.
Merlin, #140, “[FF] I don’t waste the time or the energy to read such rubbish,” referring to newspaper quotes of Bob Jones III and an open letter written to Bob III detailing his double-dealing and dishonesty.
Sacred Singer, #142, “[FF] you’re a nut…I read about 3 sentences of your first ‘novel’ and wasn’t interested in reading your opinions any further…” (Evidently, SS wasn’t interested in Underwood’s opinions or Bob Jones III contradictory statements quoted in the newspapers.)
Breslau, #145 “[FF] You are a wack job bucko”.
Merlin, #146, “Well spoken Breslau.”
Sly Fox, #147, “By ignoring the claims [FF] made against the school and the royal Jones family you appear to be acknowledging their credence. Just an observation from the outside looking in.” (Sly Fox, a clear-thinking forum member, with an astute observation regarding Forum members who ignored well-settled facts.)
Sacred Singer, #149, “[FF's] trumped up accusation...He has…a lot of bitterness/jealousy/insecurity/whatever in his heart. Pretty sad.”
Breslau, #170, “[FF has evidently] fallen away from the Scriptures.”
Merlin, #175, “Facts from you…(as Merlin throws head back and belly laughs)…now that one is truly funny. Fundee, thanks for that laugh…”
Merlin, #182, “…and fundee distorts all the truth.”
Sacred Singer, #204, “[FF] obviously destroyed some brain cells in the process…”
Former Fundee, #205, [Sacred Singer], I don’t believe there is a Jonesian sin that you couldn’t ignore. You must have learned civil discourse and logic from Peter Ruckman. Perhaps you could put this verse to music and make it your theme song: “In religion, What damned error, but some sober brow, Will bless and approve it with text, Hiding the grossness with fair ornament?” Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
Merlin, #219, “[FF] Have you considered professional counseling? Life is too short to harbor such bitterness and hatred.”
Sacred Singer, #223, “Fundee, you are making yourself look more foolish by the day…such lunacy…”
Merlin, #251, “Trumpet, may I remind you that this is an open forum where people are free to share their opinions. Your personal attacks on other forum members are not appreciated or necessary…I have said things on this forum to people because I was angry, and had to go back later and apologize. Thankfully for the Holy Spirit’s convicting power. Don’t let yourself fall into the bitterness trap…”
Former Fundee challenging Merlin to back up his ad hominem smear campaign, #292, “[Merlin, re. your] Post 182, ‘…and Fundee totally distorts all truth.’ Care to back that up, Merlin?’…’What ‘truth’ do you allege that I distorted? What ‘facts’ did you find funny? It seemed like the article ‘Dances With Compromise’ was chalked full of facts: sworn court documents, newspaper articles, television transcripts, things ‘reported commonly’. Hello! Anybody home? Your problem, Merlin, besides your penchant to degrade those who disagree with you with sophomorish pop psychology and your ethical lapses, is that you appear to be so self-deluded that you CANNOT look at facts in an objective manner. The sad thing is that you appear to have learned this at BJU.”
Certain Sound, #297, “Former Fundee is the guy who hates all things BJU…Biblically he could be compared to the scorner. He quotes people like Dr. Custer with no references. In his mind people who are dead or retired are still in power.”
FormerFundee, #303, “…No references? Pardon the brevity. The quote was from a cassette entitled ‘Manuscript and Translation Controversy’ by Custer, Panosian, Wisdom, and Bob III…” (Certain Sound still ignored the information and the fact that Bob III said, "When a faculty member speaks, he speaks for the university.")
FormerFundee to Tennessee Trumpet, #314, “Tennessee, Attorney John Whitehead, in trying to dissuade BJU from taking their interracial dating ban/IRS case to the Supreme Court, said, "You can't tell those people anything."
I left the BJU-crowd some time ago and wondered if anything had changed regarding the state of the 'brightest, best-trained Christian product' that BJU produces. I found my answer on this Forum."..."TT, look back at Anchor's statement, that 'the Joneses may be flawed but were not evil.' Did you note how quickly Anchor dropped the issue - an issue that he introduced to the Forum? And, look at the quotes from the Joneses and the questions from me that members on the forum COULD NOT ADDRESS because they brought into question the integrity of the Joneses and the ungodly personal loyalty and institutional idolatry that plague the BJU-crowd. Follow the example of Christ in asking them probing questions and they will reveal themselves to be Matthew 23-Pharisees every time.
Bob IV once wrote, "Everyone loves to laugh at a self-righteous windbag." While, Merlin, Breslau, Anchor, Certain Sound, Sacred Singer, Fred (where are you, Fred? I really have missed you.), and my fellow-BJU family members, have provided me with alarm and sadness at the state of BJU-styled fundamentalism, I have enjoyed a few laughs along the way.
BTW, TT,...Wouldn't it be fitting to apply to the Joneses, BJU, and those on the forum this teaching from Dr. Panosian?
“Wherever truth exposes error, error will oppose truth, and truth will be drawn into conflict. The believer must both stand and advance against the enemy. Although controversy is not to be sought, it must be accepted. He cannot ignore strife, though it is not of his making. Love is a noble virtue, but Christian love is love in the truth.”… “[M]odern history affords ample opportunity for the teacher to illustrate our final lesson, that Satan’s method is to counterfeit the true.”… “We are conditioned to regard the “good” in every mixture of good and evil, when as discerning Christians, we should regard the evil. Few would value the scraps of good food in a garbage can. Just as the good food is totally contaminated by its association with the bad, so is whatever of good may seem to be in a spiritual mixture. In fact, the presence of the good makes the evil more subtly dangerous.” FF
END OF POSTS
Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, wrote, “Benjamin Franklin said, ‘Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other.’ But if someone who will learn only from painful experience is a fool, what do you call someone who won’t learn from painful experience?”
The Jonesians have never been able to learn that a leader like Bob Jones III, who will invoke the Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ, heaven, and his religion to manipulate his followers into accepting his racial bigotry, will also employ the Bible and his religion to manipulate his followers into accepting his twisted view of other issues such as Masonry, separation, pastoral authority, church polity, ecclesiastic commercialism, prophesy, etc. Few Jonesians detected Bob Jones III's interracial dating ban scam and deception and fewer Jonesians learned from the painful experience that Bob Jones III is a devotee of pragmatic expediency. And, the leaven of pragmatic expediency has permeated the thinking and philosophies of the BJU crowd.
A Proposed Solution
The only solution I see to "clean up" some of BJU's past is for Stephen Jones and Bob Jones III to go to those who BJU and the Joneses have wronged and beg forgiveness. Perhaps they could start with Former First Lady Betty Ford, who Bob Jones Jr. publicly called "a slut". And, they should also go the the American people and beg forgiveness for calling their First Lady "a slut". And, don't they owe BJU's students, grads, faculty, and staff embarrassed by the chancellor's inordinate speech an apology? After all, Bob Jones Jr. betrayed their trust that the Joneses would run BJU in accord with basic, fundamental tenets of decency. It's never too late to ask forgiveness, is it? Why not apologize to Mrs. Betty Ford while she is alive?
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