On September 29, 2021, I took down all the posts I had previously published on my blog, and wrote this explanation.
I thought that was plain enough, but a recent email suggests that there are some who think I took down my posts for reasons other than those I had. I don't plan on ever posting the full story of all of what happened. But I will share a few points here to contend with an accusation someone recently made to me: that I pulled the posts to avoid persecution for what I'd said.
Long time readers of this blog will attest to a dramatic decrease in frequency of posting starting about the time I began writing “Seek Ye This Jesus” what seems like forever ago.
As I’ve learned a little more about how to write and about the things I write about, I realized it was time to start saying fewer things with greater precision and intention than I otherwise would.
I also noticed over the years that there was a surprising number of people willing to making me “an offender for a word”—intent on judging the value of anything I’ve written by everything I have written.
That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought. (Isaiah 29:21)
For many years, I let readers know that the already-published content of the blog would not always be available, and encouraged them to save their own copies if there was anything there they found valuable that wasn’t already in my books.
This blog started many years ago as a sort of public study journal for gospel topics. It was a convenient way of storing and revising incremental learning on gospel-related topics. That wasn’t too odd of a thing at the time it started, however jarringly odd it may be in our present time of woke inquisition.
The old posts were quick, typically stream-of-conscience discussion points for people with whom I share a foundation of beliefs. None of them were written with the care and time required to persuade people who do not already share many of my beliefs. They were a collection of short thoughts mixed with quick sketches of bigger ideas that would later make it into books in a fuller and more careful treatment.
The blog was not a secret, but I never promoted it on campus, separating my job from my religious beliefs. It was not a problem until a person who had waited patiently for years to find a way to get rid of me found the opportunity to do so in the actions of an independent person who had vowed to “destroy me” (actual words). The former colluded with others to secure my ouster by leveraging the predictable explosive emotive reaction of a student mob, and he was successful.
Not yet knowing the depths of malevolence in the hearts of the children of men, I incorrectly presumed that no one would search out and read overtly religious content that clearly had zero appeal to them, let alone comb through it all to flesh out a hit piece, let alone that such an obvious scheme would be sufficient to override the strength of character I mistakenly presumed in the many persons involved, who promptly ignored their years of firsthand knowledge of me, ignored the abundant documented problems of the person who launched this scheme, and promptly participated in extremely unethical actions in order to appease a mob of misinformed students by securing my ouster in a way that would cost them nothing more than their dignity.
It was a shock to me to learn how much effort one very unhappy person had gone through, combing through every post looking for a single sentence or phrase that could be taken out of context or misinterpreted.
I was surprised that so many would instantly and finally pass judgment upon my motives or beliefs when presented such snippets, no matter if I still believe it or not, and without any sympathy for the difficulty of writing so much on so many topics that are each so complicated and nuanced.
While these things surprised me, much of it came as no surprise. I knew many things were coming before they happened, and I had many opportunities to take down those posts throughout the process, all of which would have vastly reduced the fallout of the situation. I did not take them.
I had many opportunities to take down the posts before, during, and after the university investigation whose conclusion informed me that nothing in them violated their policies. I didn’t take them down before, during, or after that.
I had many opportunities to take them down before, during, and after the initial news article that came as a result of a leak of the confidential investigation by one of those trying to “destroy me.” I didn’t take them down before the situation was leaked to the reporter--even though I knew it would be. I didn't take them down before the reporter requested an interview, even though I knew he would. I didn't take them down after he requested the interview, even though I knew he was lying about why he was requesting the interview, pretending to be writing a piece praising my ethics class while conducting interviews to write a hit piece on me. I didn't take them down after he had written about it for days, for which he snidely thanked me later, confessing that if I had done so after the story broke, he would not have had time to gather the material he used.
I only took them down when a sincere-seeming person suggested a few specific posts that she said might suggest ideas that did not match what I believe or intended to convey. I reread the posts, agreed with her, and decided that, since I did not have any time to reread all of the posts, it was time to pull them all until I had time to reread and, where necessary, revise them. So that’s what I did.
At this time, I was in the midst of writing the book on God’s Justice, which I find hilarious given the degree of injustice being heaped upon me at that moment. Anyway, because the value of that book was so great in my eyes, I could not justify pausing it to reread so many posts which I saw as far less important.
While I’ve since reposted maybe a dozen or two of the hundreds, these were just incidentally found as I conducted research for other books, and seemed fine after a quick read. I have not yet been in a place where I don’t have more important writing to do, and I may never get there By the time I do, I may already have rewritten the same or better ideas into published books.
Some of the things in the previous posts were incomplete or incorrect. We all are intended to grow over time. While most of what I have written in the past still reflects my present beliefs, at least some does not, and I strongly disagree with at least a few things I’ve previously written. And I don’t apologize for that. Growth requires leaving behind at least some of what came before. It’s a good thing.
Some of the things in the previous posts could have been said much better. We don’t just grow in what we believe, but in our ability to share that with others. I would definitely rephrase much of what I have written.
Some of the things in the previous posts I would not (and will not) republish. In the war for truth, you have to choose your battles. God has taught me over the years that the battleground for the hearts of men always consists of the very next step from where they are. I did not know that before he taught me. I would definitely speak less about a few topics, having misjudged where people are today.
Hopefully, this ridiculously long post makes this clear: I did not take down any posts because I was trying to protect myself from persecution. I had the full ability to take down those posts many times, early enough to prevent the unjust loss of my career. It was important to let those cards fall, and I did, and that testimony was finished. I took them down after that fate was sealed, and I did so only because I knew that they no longer reflected the best I could do.