[YP0534]

I just got my 1957 edition of Walter Martin's "Rise of the Cults".

I found the last chapter fascinating and repost it here for you.

CHAPTER X

THE SLEEPING GIANT OF ORTHODOXY

The universal cry in our era, which appears to be stirring
the sleeping giant of Orthodoxy, is: "Where did the cults
come from?" and "What can be done to combat them
effectively?"
As has been amply shown, the major cults out-propa-
gandize and out-"give" evangelical Christianity in the support
of their beliefs, and they threaten in no small way to en-
danger every mission field on the globe which until recently
was largely free from concentrated cult activities. Unfortun-
ately, some Christians take the attitude of a gentleman I spoke
with five years ago, who has still not changed his views, to
my knowledge, and who enjoys the distinction of being one
of the leading publishers of Christian books on the Eastern
Seaboard.
I approached this distinguished gentleman at the time,
hoping he would accept and publish a manuscript I had
written which was an expose of Jehovah's Witnesses, or the
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Brooklyn, New
York. The co-author and I offered the manuscript for publi-
cation at no profit to ourselves, and we even offered to let
him remove our names from it, as we were then unknown in
the writing field.
Mr. X, as we shall call him, thoroughly read the man
uscript, which we left with him. 'When we returned On the
morrow, he had nothing but good things to say for it.
"The Christian public needs books like this," he said
emphatically. "I have never seen a more thorough job of
documentation than you have done on this subject - it should
be a best seller in its field. I personally wish every Christian
who meets a Jehovah's Witness could have a copy of this,"
he continued. "I think you have done a fine job and I wish
you success."
Upon hearing such lavish praise as this we fully expected
to see the book printed in a very short time, but we were
doomed to quick disappointment, for we did not then know
that a glib tongue often camouflages a quaking heart.
Feeling that at last we could speak of publication, we
pressed Mr. X for details and received the following comment.
"Please do not misunderstand me, gentlemen. Though I
like the book I cannot publish it. You see I believe that we
ought to let the Lord rebuke the devil, and these cults are
devilish, so I take the position of the Archangel Michael
when he contended with the devil (Jude 9) and I just say,
'The Lord rebuke thee,' for I have no desire to be involved
with Jehovah's Witnesses."
We explained to Mr. X that there was no legal risk in
printing the book as three lawyers had already passed favorably'
on its contents, and that he would make a reasonable profit on
it because it was the only book ever written on the subject and
hence a primary source for pastors and interested laymen."
However, all our protestations were to no avail. Mr. X
continued in his "let alone" theory despite Jude 3 and our
pointing out to him that his use of Jude 9 was completely
at variance with the contextual meaning.
Finally, in desperation, we attempted to find out if what
we had suspected all along was true, and we pointedly asked
Mr. X the following question:
"Are you afraid to print this book because you fear the
reprisals of the Watch Tower?"
Mr. X colored noticeably, and raising his voice stammered:
"I - I do not wish to become involved in litigation with any
organization as big as the Watch Tower, so I say again regard-
ing the cults: 'The Lord rebuke thee,' and that is my decision."
We left the presence of Mr. X with heaviness in our
hearts, but as we passed out of his office we saw a sign over
the door which added that touch of humor so often needed
in dark situations. The sign read in large bold type: "If
God is your partner make your plans big."
Here was a man who ignored the commands of Scripture
without blinking, and yet expressed as his motto complete
trust in the promises of God .. This was indeed both humorous
and paradoxical, but it gave us an unforgettable glimpse of
a type of thinking all too prevalent in our day. Pious temer-
ity, we believe, has no place on the battlefield of the heaven lies
(Eph. 6: 12).
In regard to an answer to the foregoing questions, then,
we feel there is a definite solution to the problem of cults,
and we also believe that it can be aided by any and all
Christians willing to cooperate. Here, then, are the facts,
understanding of which can greatly facilitate grasping the
significance of cult problems:
1. The cults came from dissatisfied souls who, because
they could not understand Biblical Christianity, or having
understood it, rejected it, preferred instead the religious
opinions of kindred souls.
2. They grew to their present proportions became per-
sons of similar persuasions sided with the "underdog," and the
Christian Church as a whole failed to meet the challenge
in a positive and unified way.
3. The challenge of cultism can be met only with a
systematic program dedicated to a thorough education of all
Christians, clergy and laity, in the basic tenets, approaches
and propaganda activities of the major non-Christian cults.
Clarifying this third step, we should like to outline a
concrete solution to this growing problem, a problem long
ignored, half-heartedly considered, and thus today potentially
the greatest threat to evangelical missionary efforts known.
We have proposed, therefore, that an inter-denominational
Bureau of Information be formed, supported by all the major
evangelical denominations and groups, or as many as agree
upon its usefulness, with the purpose of supplying primary
data on all cults and non-Christian missionary activities, both
at home and on the mission fields. It will be the duty of this
Bureau to index the major cults, supply resumes of their
origin, history and doctrines with bibliographical material
aimed at specifically refuting their respective teachings.
This Bureau of Information has recently been realized
with the inauguration of a special division of Zondervan Pub-
lishing Company entitled The Division of Cult Apologetics.
This Division will also publish a Cult Digest, supplying up-to-
the-"deadline" news briefs on cult activities and missionary
programs. In this way it will be possible to supply all inter-
ested Christians, ministers and laymen, with first-hand data
on all cults bearing directly or indirectly on Christian mission-
ary programs. Through the function of this Division a large
library on cultism will be amassed and a central information
hub established. The value of such a Division will be im-
mense, and such an information center will soon be a living
reality.
To Christian colleges and seminaries this Division will
prove most valuable and also fill a great need. Strong cult
curricula are offered in some colleges and seminaries, but
not nearly enough proportionately, since confusion on what
cultists believe, and a general inability to cope with them
effectively in the pastorate, is unfortunately much in evidence.
To refute cultism, the Christian public must know what cult-
ists believe, and why they believe it. But more important,
Christians must know why they believe in orthodox theology,
since it is mainly through the contrast of sound doctrine with
heresy that error is exposed and refuted.
The Christian Church today must face up to the fact
that unless unified action is taken against the tremendous
upsurge of cultism in both the United States and numerous
foreign mission fields, the Church shall, in the next decade,
be fighting for its apologetic life against an enemy whose
growth is directly proportional to the Church's Failure to
educate its members to the insidious doctrines of the cults.
God grant that many will see this grave danger and rise up
to the defense of the Eternal Word.