8. Grown Fat, Prosperous, and Influential

"For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and to provide for it."

Patrick Henry, 1775

"Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?"

Galatians 4:16.

In the mid-1960's, when the author was a less experienced member of The John Birch Society, he was invited to a meeting at the home of a couple who were both very active members. The subject of the well-attended meeting was a lecture, by someone from out of town whose name has been forgotten, based upon Dr. Arno C. Gaebelein's book "The Conflict of the Ages."¹ The lecture was followed by a brisk sale of the book. Within a few months thereafter, several Birchers who had attended the meeting, including the host and hostess, had dropped out of the Society. Meanwhile, the out-of-town visitor probably had moved on to other performances in other cities. This was the author's first personal experience with religious neutralism.

"The Conflict of the Ages" contains much true information about the Conspiracy but, in the final chapters, promotes the pre-tribulation "rapture" doctrine. The book also quotes extensively from the "Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion", presenting the notorious "Protocols" as a reliable source of information,² although informed Americanists are well aware that the "Protocols" are in fact an anti-Semitic forgery.³ Thus Gaebelein's book manages to combine two neutralizers, anti-Semitism and religious neutralism.

Gaebelein comments that Nilus, the alleged Russian publisher of the "Protocols", must have been a devout believer in prophecy since the title page of his "Protocols" contains a number of Bible references which the Scofieldians use as parts of their "proof."⁴ Since the main thrust of the "Protocols" is to blame the Jews for the evil accomplishments of the Conspiracy, it is logical to assume that the "Protocols" are themselves a work of the Conspiracy. It is intriguing, then, to learn that the "Protocols" themselves combine religious neutralism with anti-Semitism. Tracing the history of the "Protocols" is itself a fascinating pursuit, but is outside the scope of this book. One book known to the author which provides some highly interesting glimpses down this side road is "The Truth About the Protocols of Zion."⁵

Returning to the main road of our journey, let us examine other signs of the Scofieldian or British Israel influences in areas where they might not reasonably be expected. How about the channels of communication controlled by the Insiders? Hal Lindsey, a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, a prominent transmission belt for the Scofieldian doctrine,* and a professional exponent of the doctrine through his books and lectures, has entree to speak before huge audiences on the campuses of large "liberal" universities throughout the country. His book "The Late Great Planet Earth", first published in 1970, already had been reprinted nine times by March, 1971, and has been made into a film which is receiving wide promotion. Garner Ted Armstrong, the radio spokesman for British Israel, broadcasts the message continually over hundreds of radio stations. Unlike conservative broadcasters, he seems never to have any need for contributions to keep his program on the air, nor does he seem to suffer harrassment from the FCC. Motion pictures such as "The Omen", a gory tale of horror purveying the doctrine, are produced by the movie industry and promoted at length on network television talk shows. Ninety-minute network television programs are devoted to interviewing expounders of the doctrine.⁷

Paperback books promoting the Scofieldian Doctrine abound at nearly every sales outlet. Any reader who questions this should examine the paperbacks on sale at his local supermarket, drug store, or airport, looking for titles such as "Armageddon", "Antichrist After the Omen", "The Last Days of Man", "Amazing Prophecies", "The Great Flying Saucer Myth", and of course the modern prototype of them all, "The Late Great Planet Earth." These titles are a mere sampling of those available. Such books have multiplied like cockroaches in the past few years, until their titles number in the scores. Neither is the college crowd neglected. "Comic" books are available which present the same message in simplified form for the victims of our "progressive" public education system. A sample title here is "There's a New World Coming", by none other than Hal Lindsey, author of "The Late Great Planet Earth."

As an example of what is found in these books, consider these thoughts excerpted from just one of them, "Armageddon — Oil and the Middle East Crisis" by John F. Walvoord, President of the Scofieldian Dallas Theological Seminary since 1952.⁸ (a) The energy crisis is a problem (pp. 43-52); (b) pollution is a problem (p. 148); (c) over-population is a problem (p. 149); (d) mass starvation is a problem (p. 149); (e) economic instability is a problem (p. 135); (f) these problems demand the formation of a dictatorial world government as man's last hope (pp. 135 and 144); (g) Christians need not be concerned, because they will be "raptured" (p. 186); (h) current developments in the Middle East point to the "rapture" as the next dramatic and important event (p. 195); and (i) a checklist is provided for "rapture watchers" (pp. 200-204).

It may be surprising to some that these "religious" books appear in the same sales outlets, and often on the same bookracks, with the pornographic literature which has become almost the standard in the paperback industry. Informed Americanists should ask themselves why. Informed patriots should ask themselves whether Americanists could ever hope to get their message promoted on such a scale through such channels. Fundamental Christians should ask themselves why it is that this one particular aspect of their faith is proclaimed so widely throughout the land through media and institutions which many fundamentalists should recognize as hostile to true Christianity. Both patriots and fundamental Christians should reflect over the possible motives of those who bring such things to pass.

Looking at the other side of the coin, the few books available which contest the Scofieldian doctrine have tough going indeed in today's book market. Anyone questioning this should try to obtain MacPherson's "The Incredible Cover-Up"⁹ at any religious bookstore which sells Scofieldian literature, as most of the Protestant-oriented stores do. Typically, you may be led to believe that MacPherson is a non-person and his book is a non-book.

In the April, 1971 issue of "American Opinion" magazine, Gary Allen, writing about the "think tanks" in America, told how the "think tank" known as the "Institute for Policy Studies" performed the function for the Conspiracy of energizing and guiding the street revolutionaries in this country. He told how Arthur Waskow, one of the founders of the Institute, was predicting in 1971 that the "youth revolution" soon would be taking a surprising new twist, with the "youth" turning toward religion. As Gary Allen observed wryly, "It would be a mistake to rejoice over any 'religious revival' whose 'spiritual energies' had been brought together by the 'Institute for Policy Studies' ** from among its constituency of hippy and New Left elements."¹⁰ Since 1971 we have seen hippy-type "religious" groups sprouting like toadstools around the country, causing untold distress among hundreds of respectable families whose children have been "converted" and sequestered in "religious" communes. This is another clear example of the Conspiracy's use of religion for its purposes. Although it is not directly related to the subject of this chapter, it is interesting that this blossoming of "youth religion" has coincided in time with the blossoming of the "rapture" cult.

Since the majority of the larger Protestant church congregations are "liberal", the Scofieldian doctrine is taught primarily in the smaller, independent congregations. Thus the spread of the doctrine has the superficial appearance today of being a spontaneous, grass-roots movement when in actuality it is just the opposite, having been promoted from the top down as we have seen in Chapter 7. The movement began in the four large cities of New York, Boston, Chicago, and St. Louis, and was spread from those cities to the northeastern and middle-western parts of the country. It was not until much later that the doctrine spread significantly to the Far West and the South, where it is today perhaps stronger than anywhere else. But, as late as 1944, a committee of the General Assembly of the Southern Presbyterian Church reported that the doctrine was incompatible with that church's Confession of Faith.¹¹ To a discerning observer, of course, the very fact that the doctrine is promoted by the Insider-controlled communications media is evidence enough that this is far from being a spontaneous, grass-roots movement, any more so than is the "religious youth" movement instigated by the "Institute for Policy Studies."

Sometimes the Scofieldians use Americanist literature, presenting it as supporting evidence that the "rapture" is near. Needless to say, when Americanist literature is so used, the reader is not motivated to do anything about the problems presented except to await the "rapture" and perhaps to take some "guns and groceries" precautions, in case the "rapture" should be delayed. An example of this use is the book "Amazing Prophecies of the 70's — It's Super K!" by Doug Clark,¹² in which Chapter 5 is a verbatim reprint of an article from "American Opinion" of June, 1975 entitled "Henry Kissinger — This Man Is On the Other Side." Clark's thesis, published in 1975, is that Henry Kissinger may be the Antichrist. We do not know whether Clark has since issued a revision or whether he is still staying with Henry. Gary Allen's excellent book "None Dare Call It Conspiracy" has been used in similar manner by at least one television preacher.

Such use of Americanist literature points out another aspect of the problem. A person who is aware of the Conspiracy and its many evil manifestations is much more susceptible to the doctrines of the "rapture" cult than is one who is unaware of the facts of present-day life. The average American, obsessed with improving his golf score and hypnotized by the toob, is less likely to believe in the imminence of a "tribulation" than is the Americanist who knows the score and has been putting his all into the battle but who, becoming weary or discouraged, embraces the "rapture" idea as a welcome relief from his responsibilities. The "rapture" cult could not operate more perfectly to neutralize patriots if it had been engineered to do exactly that.

Responsible pre-millenialists view the activities and attitudes described in this chapter, as well as those engaged in by Joe Goodbuddy, as perversions of their faith. They point out that those who claim to be able to perceive, from the "signs of the times", that these are or are not the very last days, are behaving in an unscriptural manner, contrary to Christ's declaration, "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is."¹³ They point out that, just as there have been perversions of Christianity almost from the beginning, so also there have been perversions of the pre-tribulation "rapture" doctrine, perhaps almost from the beginning.

The author recognizes that the history given in this and the preceding chapters may not be enough evidence to prove Conspiracy involvement in the phenomenal growth and perversion of the pre-tribulation "rapture" doctrine. Unfortunately, this is the usual situation when one delves into the more hidden recesses of the Conspiracy. Perhaps, though, it would be useful to assemble and observe at one time some of the more interesting bits and pieces of circumstantial evidence. The following are some this author has been able to discern:

(a) The sudden appearance in the British Isles, around the year 1830, of two dynamic religious leaders, Irving and Darby, both of whom were able to influence large numbers of people to leave their established churches to form new sects. Both sects promoted the same new, previously unknown, religious doctrine.

(b) The secrecy practiced in Irving's church, where it was forbidden for the "prophetic utterances" to be written down, or even to be repeated verbatim.

(c) Darby's unusual mobility, for his day and time, and his seeming lack of financial problems.

(d) The timing of Darby's work in America — at the same time that the "higher criticism" movement was taking root.

(e) The rather remarkable promotion of ex-Confederate C. I. Scofield, at the very young age of 30, to a responsible federal position. This was done by a Grant Administration which many students believe was heavily influenced by the contemporary Insiders of the Master Conspiracy.

(f) The assertion by Gaebelein that, as late as 1879, no theological seminary in America taught the type of theology which Dr. Brookes taught to Scofield, and which later appeared in Scofield's Bible.

(g) Scofield's unusual mobility, for his day and time, especially during the time of writing the Reference Bible; also, his seeming lack of financial problems, and his seemingly excellent contacts and connections in Europe.

(h) Publication of the Scofield Bible by the Oxford University Press. Informed patriots know the important part played by Oxford University in the promotion and spreading of Fabian Socialism in both England and America.¹⁴ The fact that a university so saturated with the ideology of Godless collectivism should have published, and should continue to publish even today, a Bible which purports to uphold fundamental Christianity, should provide any Americanist with food for thought. Scofield, who apparently had never before published anything except one small book and some pamphlets and tracts, seemed to have amazingly easy entree into one of the most prestigious and exclusive publishing houses in the English-speaking world.

(i) The timing of the appearance of the Scofield Bible, in the same decade in which the Conspiracy launched its open attack upon the large Protestant denominations, through the formation of the Federal Council of Churches and by other actions.

(j) The almost simultaneous origin and development of the British Israel and the Darbyite doctrines, and the similar manner in which both were disseminated beyond the sects in which they have their roots.

(k) Gaebelein's use of the "Protocols" as an authority in his book.

(l) The widespread promotion today of the pre-tribulation "rapture" doctrine through the establishment-controlled communications media, but with very little accompanying promotion of the main Christian message of salvation.

(m) The fruits of the theory — neutralization of active or potential opposition to the Conspiracy.

Any one of the above taken alone might be of little significance, and each could be attributed to normal influences or to coincidence. But taken together they do indicate a pattern, or at least the possibility of one. Certainly there is no proof that any one of the individuals mentioned was in any way directly involved with the Conspiracy, and it is possible that none was. But, to paraphrase an expression used many times regarding circumstances obviously benefiting the Conspiracy, if there had been no pre-tribulation "rapture" doctrine. the Conspiracy would have had to invent one. It may be that the Conspiracy had the incredible good fortune that it all developed spontaneously. Or, it may have originated spontaneously, subsequently receiving a nudge here and a pat on the back there, as needed, from the Conspiracy. Or, it may have originated spontaneously and then was taken over and perverted at some point by the Conspiracy. Whatever the mechanism, it is certain that the vast majority of the people involved were innocent of any conspiratorial purpose, just as in most projects of the Conspiracy. But the tragic fact remains that the doctrine is having a devastating effect today in neutralizing current and potential opposition to the Master Conspiracy which seeks to enslave the world.

Possibly it is no coincidence that there is yet another neutralizing religious doctrine, which is held by many who do not accept the Scofieldian doctrine. This is the belief that a Christian must take absolutely no part in government or politics, even to the extent of abstaining from voting. Needless to say, those who believe in this doctrine are just as effectively neutralized from opposing the Conspiracy as are those who have folded their hands to await the "rapture."' Since the Conspiracy seems to try to have something to mislead nearly everyone, it would be somewhat surprising to find that they were uninvolved in this particular belief, which serves their purposes so admirably. As chance would have it, this belief is a vital part of the doctrine of British Israel, as documented in the book "The Plain Truth About Armstrongism."¹⁵ The belief is not confined to British Israel by any means, but is found in many other religious bodies as well. One of the leading sources of this belief is a book by David Lipscomb entitled "Civil Government." ¹⁶ ***

In the Bulletin of The John Birch Society for April, 1972, Mr. Robert Welch had this to say: "The Communists have always proceeded on the age-old theory that the most important accomplishment in all forms of warfare is to paralyze your enemy's will to resist before coming to actual hostilities. There is no surer nor more deadly form of paralysis to inflict on their enemies than religious neutralism. . . . (Devout Christians who have been neutralized) are the very people who should be most faithful and determined in their resistance to Communism. Instead they have been almost completely neutralized by a now gigantic scheme which the Communists themselves have been skillfully promoting for over a hundred years. And if you do not believe that this whole development has been a most important part of the deliberate strategy of the Communists, then you had better go back and study the Conspiracy some more .... The Communists have a tremendous facility for converting each of their worst liabilities into one of their greatest assets .... The Communists, as deadly enemies of all religion, by infiltrating either false leadership or destructive doctrine into sacred places, have done a typically brilliant job of making the most religious people serve evil purposes, and contribute mightily to the intended suffocation of religion itself."¹⁹ Although Mr. Welch was speaking of religious neutralism generally, and not of any particular doctrine specifically, Americanists would do well to consider seriously and carefully the principles he outlined.

In a highly informative book about the Conspiracy entitled "Karl Marx, Capitalist", June Grem observed in 1972 concerning religious neutralism: "Although much of the Bible has been challenged by agnostics and antagonists, it is of more than passing significance that this one issue should be singled out for unswerving acceptance. Christ said His Kingdom was not of this world but the political manipulators who are promoting world government use every method imaginable to con people into accepting the idea of global dictatorship. They will even attempt to make it look like Bible prophecy, if possible."²⁰

But some devout, sincere Christians may object, "But I believe the Bible as the inspired Word of God. Does not the Bible teach these things?" Let us examine a quotation from MacPherson's excellent book, in which he quotes a personal letter he received: "An Oregon Bible teacher wrote: 'You will be interested to know that many years ago I had dinner in Seattle with a then middle-aged couple who were members of the Catholic Apostolic Church (Irvingite sect). At that time I believed in pre-tribism and told them so. They asked me where I got the doctrine. I told them "from the Bible." They said, "No, you didn't" and went on to tell me how it was not in the Bible but revealed to their church through one of their prophetesses around the middle of the 19th century.' "²¹

Does the Bible itself offer a more plausible alternative to the Scofieldian doctrine?

REFERENCES, CHAPTER 8

* The founding of Dallas Theological Seminary in 1924 fulfilled one of C. I. Scofield's long-standing goals.⁶

** Just recently the I.P.S. has become even more notorious with the disclosures surrounding the murder of the Communist agent Orlando Letelier. See "The Review of the News" of April 27 and May 4, 1977, and "American Opinion" of May, 1977.

*** The best refutations of Lipscomb's debilitating thesis are "The Sermon on the Mount and the Civil State"¹⁷ and "The Christian and the Government"¹⁸, both by Foy E. Wallace, Jr.

1  Gaebelein, Arno Clemens, D.D. — "The Conflict of the Ages" — Published by Pryor N. Russell (no address given), 1966.

2  Ibid., pp. 99-103.

3  Welch, Robert — "The Neutralizers" — The John Birch Society, Inc., Belmont, Mass. 02178, 1983 — pp. 13-14.

4  Gaebelein, Op. Cit., p. 99. The passages cited are: Matthew 24:33; Mark 13:29; Luke 21:31; Revelation 1:3; Revelation 22:10; Daniel 12:4; I Thessalonians 5:4; and Matthew 24:13.

5  Bernstein, Herman — "The Truth About 'The Protocols of Zion' " — Covici-Friede, New York, 1935.

6  Sandeen, Ernest R. — "The Roots Of Fundamentalism" — The University of Chicago Press, 1970; p. 223.

7  The Merv Griffin Show, CBS Television, November, 1976. The author has a tape of this program.

8  Walvoord, John F. and Walvoord, John E. — "Armageddon — Oil and the Middle East Crisis" — Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich. 49506, 1974-Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 74-4946.

9  MacPherson, Dave — "The Incredible Cover-Up", subtitled "The True Story On The Pre-Trib Rapture" — Logos International, Plainfield, N.J. 07061, 1975 — Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 75-25171.

10  Allen, Gary — "Making Plans for a Dictatorship in America" — "American Opinion" magazine, Belmont, Mass. 02178, April, 1971, p. 8.

11  Sandeen, Op. Cit., p. 265.

12  Clark, Doug — "Amazing Prophecies of the 70's — It's Super K!" — Amazing Prophecy Center, Orange, Calif. 92667, 1975.

13  Mark 13:32, 33.

14  Martin, Rose L. — "Fabian Freeway" — Western Islands, Boston and Los Angeles, 1966.

15  Chambers, Roger R. — The Plain Truth About Armstrongism — Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1972, p. 11.

16  Lipscomb, David "Civil Government" — Gospel Advocate Co., Nashville, Tn.

17  Lipscomb, David — "Civil Government" — Gospel Advocate Co., Nashville, Tn., 1957, originally published 1866-67.

18  Wallace, Foy E., Jr. — "The Sermon on the Mount and the Civil State" — Foy E. Wallace, Jr., Publications, P.O. Box 7410, Ft. Worth, Texas 76111, 1967.

19  Wallace, Foy E., Jr. — "The Christian and the Government" — Foy E. Wallace, Jr. Publications, P.O. Box 7410, Ft. Worth, Texas 76111, 1968.

20  Welch, Robert — "The Bulletin of the John Birch Society" — The John Birch Society, Inc., Belmont, Mass. 02178, April, 1972, pp. 13-14.

21  Grem, June — "Karl Marx, Capitalist" — Enterprise Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 448, Oak Park, Ill. 60303, 1972, p. 22. 22 MacPherson, Op. Cit., p. 94. 1957 (Originally Published in 1866-67).

 

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