Hi Contendah,
You tell me, "You are very carefully selective in what part of Chuck Smith's history you choose to highlight, totally ignoring the information I posted concerning him and his cult."
No, my Friend, I have told you factual information about Calvary Chapel and Chuck Smith. Do I have a personal interest in either? No, other than the fact that I have personally seen the amazing impact both have had around the world for God and on the Christian communities. I am not a member of any Calvary Chapel, nor have I ever been. I have been to Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa once for a Bible study on Revelation -- and I did attend an Eschatology Conference at another Calvary Chapel church. But, for many years, I have listened to KWVE Christian Radio, their flagship Christian radio station in Orange County, and learned a lot over the years from various Calvary Chapel pastors. And, I do have Friends who attend various Calvary Chapels.
That said, let's look at your "source of information." Christianity Today, and obviously their editor-at-large (Moll) -- is a very liberal publication. I have seen them come out in favor of many issues which only a liberal could support.
So, let's look at Chuck Smith. He is senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa -- the church which has spawned literally thousands of daughter churches and schools around the world. Calvary Chapel is much like most Baptist churches -- each local church is autonomous. So, Chuck Smith is not the senior pastor for all those thousands of churches. That said, most of them do consider him their honorary senior, or founding, pastor and give him respect as such. Calvary Chapel is not a denomination, but is a movement.
Only once have I seen Chuck Smith "so call" take the bull by the horns. Several years ago, when it became obvious that the cancer called the "emerging church" was creeping into different Calvary Chapel local churches. At their annual pastors meeting that year, Chuck Smith issued a White Paper defining this unBiblical cancer of emerging church teachings -- and asked that any Calvary Chapel church which insists upon following that path -- please remove the Calvary Chapel name from their church. He did not want the Calvary Chapel church name blackened by this unBiblical movement. Unfortunately, at that time his son, Chuck Smith, Jr., chose to leave the fold. He has since returned and left the emerging church teachings behind.
Let me finish this by saying that if a person with such a high profile as Chuck Smith did not have people such as Christianity Today and Moll gunning for him -- I would have to wonder if he is doing his job properly. Yes, a successful Christian pastor will have detractors -- for people like Chuck Smith do not teach the "feel good" messages of folks like Joel Osteen and all the "feel good, bring me the money" Prosperity Preachers.
As far as any sexual cover-ups, I have never heard of any. I do know that about 15 years ago, Pastor David Hocking of Calvary Church of Santa Ana (not affiliated with Calvary Chapel) had a problem with a lady which cost him his position at that church and his very successful radio teaching ministry.
David Hocking was, and is, an amazing Bible teacher and pastor -- and Chuck Smith stepped in to help him, to keep that valuable teaching resource from being lost to the Christian community. He did not bring Hocking into Calvary Chapel as a pastor; but, did help him get started teaching Bible studies again. Since then, David Hocking has been fully restored into the Christian community and has a very active teaching and pastoral ministry once again, in an independent non-denominational church. I praise God for Chuck Smith stepping in and helping him to be restored. That is what true Christians are called to do.
Next, you tell me, "Those I have led to the Lord I taught the full gospel to, not the truncated false gospel of Chuck Smith -- the 'just believe and say the sinner's prayer' claptrap so widely taught today. I never engendered the false confidence that Chuck Smith teaches with his 'once saved-always saved' false doctrine."
So, that is your beef with Chuck Smith. Not that he is not a man of God, not that he is not a good pastor and Bible teacher -- but, that his theology is different from your legalistic, liberal, Amillennial theology. Well, that being the case -- there must be literally many hundreds of thousands of "Chuck Smith" type pastors and Bible teachers whom you HATE! For our conservative Christian theology and our Premillennial eschatological views -- are, by far, the most predominant positions in the Christian world today.
So, since you HATE all those many pastors -- I suppose you have just chosen Chuck Smith to be your representative "pastor to trash." True, it would be hard for you to trash all those hundreds of thousands -- so, you unleash your venom toward Chuck Smith. My Friend, he has had bigger and better, and more informed folks than you attempting to pull him down over the years.
So, your little venomous tantrums are like a baby mosquito bite to such a person. But, if it make you feel more holy to attempt to pull down a person who has done so much more for the Lord than you or I ever will -- then go for it!
Did you ever hear the story of the flea crawing up an elephant's leg -- with rape on its mind? Just curious.
By the way, we can see how effective Chuck Smith has been at leading folks to the Lord. But, how about you -- how many have YOU led to the Lord? You said, "Those I have led to the Lord. . . " Approximately how many have YOU led to the Lord? I will admit that I have only led a few; but, then, my ministry is writing -- so I really have no idea where and whom I have impacted. But, from you statement, I would assume that you are holding a much more active evangelical position. So, my Friend, how many? How do you compare with Chuck Smith?
Contendah, I would never compare you to the nuts at Westboro Baptist -- but, can't you see that your hatred of all who follow a different theology than your legalistic theology -- borders on the same level of hatred? My Friend, I beg you to do some serious soul searching.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill