From: mckinzie@schaefer.math.wisc.edu (Mark McKinzie)
Subject: Re: Mike Warnke
Organization: Univ. of Wisconsin Dept. of Mathematics
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 07:12:02 GMT

I'm going to get toasted for this one.  Oh well. It is my duty to try....
(i.e. nothing personal if I offend you -- I just feel I MUST say that
which follows.)

sco@aero.org (Stacey C. O'Brien) writes:

>In article <1992Jul27.173313.27523@cbnews.cb.att.com> ajw@cbnews.cb.att.com (andrew.j.whitman) writes:
>>
>>I'm very, very saddened by this whole episode.  If the Cornerstone article 
>>is true (and I'm withholding judgment until I read it and Mike Warnke's 
>>response), then it would seem that a well-known and well-respected Christian 
>>leader has invented a sordid past and "made up" a testimony.  And I find 
>>myself wondering why someone would do this.
>>
>>Perhaps one lesson we can learn from this is to search our hearts to 
>>understand why we, as Christians, often pay particular attention to
>>other Christians who have experienced dramatic conversions.  I don't know 
>>why this is.  But I know that I do it too.  I deplore tabloid sensationalism.  
>>I don't care whether Elvis' Martian love twins actually exist or not.  But 
>>I'm the first to prick up my ears when a brother or sister comes along and 
>>tells me, "I used to be an axe-wielding, drug-addicted, sex-crazed psychopath 
>>who killed my mama but then I found Jesus and, praise God, now I'm a normal 
>>accountant."  
>Yeah, I agree. I often feel very uncomfortable telling people that I
>became a Christian at age 3 and stayed a Christian. I feel like I have
>to explain that I really did understand what I was doing and that, yes,
>it was real, and, yes, it stuck for 26 years (so far). I feel apologetic
>for not having had a period of rebellion or major backsliding, never 
>been drunk or anything like that. I feel like some kind of goodie
>two-shoes ;-) because I think we look at dramatic experiences as somehow
>validating Christianity. Somehow it's not really valid if you had a long
>term, non-dramatic, day to day walk with Christ. You are more valid
>as a Christian if you had to fight uphill through all kinds of hell to
>find the Lord. It's as if Christianity wasn't enough on its own, we have
>to add all this conflict and drama to make it REALLY VALID. Not to put
>down the affect an ex-druggie can have witnessing to a current druggie,
>an affect that I may not be able to have, not having been in his/her
>shoes. But I do agree about this "National Enquirer" Christianity that's
>so easy to fall for.

Just like a person who was under the influence of hard drugs for years,
suddenly deciding they've seen THE WAY?  No one asks them (I know -- I've
been there) to explain how they know it is real and whether they really
understand what they have committed themselves to etc.....  IMHO this
attitude is a natural result of the pseudo-Christian desire to hide from
the secular world.  [I AM THE WAY; ergo every other way is not of me,
and hence evil.]  If everything secular is evil, then EVERYONE who is 
troubled who seeks the Christian Way is automatically in the right, 
regardless of their motives (or inability to have rational motives);
and naturally they NEED to be brought into MY FLOCK in their righteous
fligt from evil.

HE is the way; kindly refrain from sharing your way to HIM; I'll happily
find one that is right for me and my troubles.


Respectfully yours,


-- 
Mark McKinzie          	|    We just won't eat on Sunday
mckinzie@math.wisc.edu 	|    Got to buy him a limousine
UW Dept. of Mathematics	|    Somewhere to live, somewhere to pray. 
Madison, WI 53706      	|               -RJD, "TV Crimes"-