"Grandma, What Big Teeth You Have!"

James P. Needham
Louisville, Kentucky

In this issue of the TRUTH MAGAZINE concerning a "convention" (called a "workshop") promoted by the sponsors of the Herald of Truth" for the purpose of concentrating more and more power in the hands of the elders of the Fifth and Highland church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. A few years ago the unusual antics of our promoting brethren were both surprising and disgusting, now they are just disgusting. We have long since ceased to be surprised at any sectarian trick they decide to pull--in fact we are surprised if they don't take the inevitable steps of an apostate body. What used to be unusual is now the commonplace.

Satan has a very clever way of deceiving people. Our liberal brethren have proven themselves to be poor observers of the events of the past or else they just plain don't care. A group of ambitious elders can promote a nation-wide radio and television program that activates the church universal (or at least seeks to) and call it the "Herald of Truth" and the brethren will think it is fine. This same group of elders can call a convention in which these elders bargain for more and more control of brotherhood money and work, and brethren are (or used to b ) ready to oppose it. They seem to think that such arrangements and schemes are wrong only if done by the First Christian Church and called a missionary society. They remind one of the story of two little boys. One said to the other, "Johnny, if you call a cat's tail a leg, how many legs would he have?" Johnny replied, "Well a cat has four legs, and if you call his tail a leg he would have five." To which the other little boy replied, "You missed it. He would still just have four, because calling its tail a leg doesn't make it one!" And so it is with our liberal brethren's current promotions. They may dress up the old wolf of apostasy in grandma missionary society's "Herald of Truth workshop" clothes but those who are familiar with God's divine pattern and the events of the past are going to be saying "Grandma, what big teeth you have!" And they are going to hear the reply, "Yes, the better to eat you with." It is very difficult to believe that these brethren are unable to see the deadly parallel. They can call such meetings whatever they please, but we all know that calling a cat's tail a leg doesn't make it a leg! Furthermore, the old wolf of apostasy still looks the same regardless of its frock.

Truth Magazine IX, 5: p. 1
February 1965