By Floyd Chappelear
Legion are the young preachers who have taken up the banner of Ketchersidian philosophy. Although we have no sympathy with that spirit of compromise, we will not deal with the error here but rather with the motivation of those who hold it. Some, in defense, have suggested that the young preachers who are thus led have come to their conclusions because they are weary of the long fight that has recently taken place between the faithful and those who would lead the church into apostasy.
Balderdash! Hogwash! Express it as you will but such conclusions are pure nonsense. These fledglings cannot possibly be overcome of exhaustion from the encounters because they never engage~! in any of the battles. They might be “pooped out” because of their reading about the conflict but “weary because of the conflict” (?), not very likely.
The youthful “knights in shining armor” would hardly recognize the battle-scarred cloaks of the true soldiers of Christ much less actually wear the garments into the fray. Rather, they, coming to the field of battle and feeling the nausea well up in their innards because of their cowardice, throw down their weapons and run to embrace the enemy lest they, too, become part of the devastation.
By Keteberside’s own admission (see; Mission Messenger, Vol. 34, Num. 12, p. 183) his beardless cohorts are made up of gutless wonders that compromise rather than stand upon their convictions. Thus groveling they feel some measure of pride because of their “liberated” views and their superior intellects. Are these the ones who would stand against sin until Satan rallies sufficient strength to have them fired? Not on your life. Are these the ones who have been tempered by the fires of conflict so that they can readily oppose sectarianism within and without? Never. Instead of sympathy, such as Carl gives them, this need to feel the sharp sting of rebuke. Ketcherside may be proud of them but they make this writer hang his head in shame that such are to be regarded as in the army of the Lord.
Let us never suggest that the “wet behind the ears” compromisers are what they are because of battle fatigue. They are what they are because of spinelessness. Furthermore, to place them in the same category as the veterans of spiritual wars is to do a disservice to the old soldiers. Let us not make that mistake.
TRUTH MAGAZINE XVII: 29, p. 8
May 24, 1973