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Paul M. Blackmore
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2005
Total Posts : 53

Posted 9/10/2010 4:06 AM (GMT -6)

I have been "silenced" about 2 years ago from an Open Brethren assembly here in Canada. This caused me to withdraw from fellowship there and now I go to a different church from the rest of my family. The unfairness of my silencing for simply believing that the Bible is TRUE, is a difficult thing for me and my family to bear. I was told at the time when they took the action against me that the elders would NOT be opening the Bible with me to discuss my "errors", but that simply I was wrong in my beliefs by their judgement, and that they were not interested to have any further conversation about it.

Here now after about 2 years of rebuilding my life in a new church (which is more service oriented and less doctrinally oriented), I have found the time and the inspiration to issue a 7-part video series on YouTube, entitled
"Seven reasons to allow Open Theism". I will try to post the link to the first video in the series here, but if that doesn't work simply do a YouTube search using that title and/or my name Paul M.Blackmore/Open Theism.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqQPO_EjTdg

We need IMO, to encourage tolerance for this view within the Church at large. That is the real point of these videos. Many churches tolerate Calvinists. If they can tolerate that then there is no good reason why they cannot also make room for the Open view. Check out the videos. Borrow any useful ideas. Comment and make suggestions for improvements as you see fit.

Blessings in Christ

Paul M. Blackmore

Psalms 119

⁹⁶I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.

⁹⁷O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

Similitude
Registered Member

Date Joined Apr 2004
Total Posts : 4968

Posted 9/10/2010 2:37 PM (GMT -6)

Paul: I was told at the time when they took the action against me that the elders would NOT be opening the Bible with me to discuss my "errors", but that simply I was wrong in my beliefs by their judgement, and that they were not interested to have any further conversation about it.

Jeff: Just curious, Paul, but had you had any significant discussion with them theretofore?

Tom
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 10353

Posted 9/10/2010 3:20 PM (GMT -6)

Bless you Paul. Sounds like a tough road. Good luck on the videos. We'll be checking them out.

Tom

KIXYTΘEMTA

Paul M. Blackmore
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2005
Total Posts : 53

Posted 9/10/2010 7:58 PM (GMT -6)

Thanks Tom for your encouraging words.

Note to Similitude: As a matter of fact, my position was known to the Elders several years prior to my silencing, as I had submitted a paper to them when I first discovered these things on my own as a newly minted literalist/ YEC creationist. They were not in agreement with my position but I was not publicly advocating for the position at the time either. When I was later discovered on the internet discussing my position and that became known to some of the church members, then my troubles started. I could have remained in fellowship (albeit as a silenced brother), if I would agree to be silent on public forums etc. etc.

This I did unhappily for several months but my conscience got the better of me and I chose to withdraw from fellowship and resume my promotion of this teaching on the internet. Al Gore of all people shamed me into it. lol I figured if that guy could stick his neck out for a cause he believed in (incovenient truth movie), how could I hide in cowardice and remain silent about a teaching that I felt was so desperately needed in the Church at large? I made the right call I believe. I don't regret it. I was hoping that my videos might help find some sympathy amongst other church leaders for persons who also have come to believe in this very literal Biblical view of how time and history actually work. ie: the Open view.

Truth ALWAYS wins in the end. I shall rest content in that.

Blessings in Christ

Paul M. Blackmore

Psalms 119

⁹⁶I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.

⁹⁷O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

Similitude
Registered Member

Date Joined Apr 2004
Total Posts : 4968

Posted 9/11/2010 2:59 PM (GMT -6)

Note to Similitude: As a matter of fact, my position was known to the Elders several years prior to my silencing, as I had submitted a paper to them when I first discovered these things on my own as a newly minted literalist/ YEC creationist. They were not in agreement with my position but I was not publicly advocating for the position at the time either. When I was later discovered on the internet discussing my position and that became known to some of the church members, then my troubles started. I could have remained in fellowship (albeit as a silenced brother), if I would agree to be silent on public forums etc. etc.

Jeff: So the elders never explained logically/exegetically why you were wrong?

Paul M. Blackmore
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2005
Total Posts : 53

Posted 9/11/2010 7:47 PM (GMT -6)

No they did not. To be fair to them however, my position was not a "lightly held" position and they were quite aware of that fact. I'm not sure they had anything fresh to bring from the Bible texts themselves that I had not already responded to in the various internet debates that they had been made aware of prior to my silencing. It would have been reasonable for them to conclude "what is the point"?

Therefore, I do not hold that against them personally, but I do say that their decision to leave the Bible shut re: dealing with the "open" view, is quite telling nonetheless. Tradition seems to be the only thing that those who oppose Open Theism have to stand on. They do have that in their favor. I say the Bible trumps tradition.

There were a few comments made re: my straying from standard Christians teaching espoused by giants in the faith (Spurgeon, Luther etc.) and why should I (not a giant in the faith by any measure), even think that such a deviation from accepted doctrine could possibly be correct. I cannot recall all the details of our discussion together, but the comment was made that we were not going to be opening our Bibles together to examine whether or not my position had any merit. It was a slam dunk in that sense. I was wrong, and that was it. Hmmmm.

Paul

Psalms 119

⁹⁶I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.

⁹⁷O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

Daniel M
Registered Member

Date Joined Jan 2009
Total Posts : 263

Posted 9/11/2010 8:31 PM (GMT -6)

Paul: I say the Bible trumps tradition.

Daniel: To be accurate, the Bible is, perhaps, the most significant tradition Christianity possesses. The Bible is not ahistorical.

Similitude
Registered Member

Date Joined Apr 2004
Total Posts : 4968

Posted 9/12/2010 2:03 PM (GMT -6)

All I can say, Paul, is I'm glad you found a place to be. Hope it edifies you.

Ronald A. Newcomb
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2002
Total Posts : 45

Posted 9/19/2010 5:38 PM (GMT -6)

Dear Paul,
It was 23 years ago I was told to leave Scott Memorial Baptist Church for the very same reasons. Listening to your videos as I write, your thinking is very much like mine.
Odd coincidence: I was just minutes ago invited by people we have only occasionally seen from our Sunday School class of that time to visit with one of the few couples that did not cut us off from fellowship at that time. (They moved out of state about the same time.)
I am very sympathetic to your plight.
Be encouraged, the vile reaction I see in the church groups is evidence that they do not have a good defense, as you state, this is logical and rational and well-reasoned.
Having said that, the Institute in Creation Research was started at that church, many are friends, yes I am YEC also, but, they are even more exclusivist in that manner. I was in the offices discussing matters with Dr. Cummings when my very old friend John Morris stepped in to be assured that a certain lecturer, a well-qualified scientist had been cut off from lecturing for them because he was Catholic (large "C"

. I asked John if this was the only reason for stopping his work for ICR he looked at me sternly and said, "It isn't open for discussion!"
They believe creationism is only to be used for evangelicals and have thus cut themselves off from many, many opportunities to influence the world as I have spoken of with various staff who disagree with that stance but are powerless to change it under the Morris regime. Love them, but, again, exclusivist.
I went for 15 years reading my Bible and strengthening my beliefs before Boyd came to our church and spoke. I was shocked to find someone I fully agreed with and approached him afterward. He informed me of what my belief was called (Open Theology) and there were others also! I felt as though I had gone to heaven. At last! Even my wife had caused some consternation because I did not know anyone else who believed, as you say, that the Bible is literal in what it tells us about God.
I have many posts here explaining the reality of time, and basically that all dimensions we experience are necessary to existence, not only contingent existence.
Please let me know if you would like to exchange emails ( newcomb1@cox.net ) about some of the trauma you are going through. For us, we lost most of our friends to the accusations by the pastoral staff that we were to be treated as heretics.
I have been developing a website for our apologetics ministry at The Rock Church and as I do I realize even more that traditional theism simply does not work when developing an understanding of the nature of the universe which God created. It simply doesn’t work.

Professor Newcomb

San Diego State University

College of Sciences

Adjunct Faculty Member

P.I. ICATS

Paul M. Blackmore
Registered Member

Date Joined Mar 2005
Total Posts : 53

Posted 9/19/2010 9:52 PM (GMT -6)

I greatly appreciated your post. You are the first YEC Open theist that I have ever bumped into. Thanks for sharing your story. Truth always wins in the end. I guess we just got there before the rest of the crowd. They will all get it eventually, even if it takes a home-call to glory. My e-mail is blckmore@nb.sympatico.ca

Blessings in Christ

Paul M. Blackmore

Psalms 119

⁹⁶I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.

⁹⁷O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

Bob Hunter
Registered Member

Date Joined Dec 2011
Total Posts : 4

Posted 12/21/2011 12:53 AM (GMT -6)

Paul,

I admire your courage in putting speaking out on behalf of open theism ahead of remaining in the church that you and your family were attending. Although I don't know how the church that I attend would react to my speaking out on behalf of open theism, I've remained silent on open theism except for presenting its views in a paper that I wrote on God's omniscience and man's freedom in the summer of 1984 when I was studying with CSUDH, in an article that I wrote on open theism in the summer of 2005 when I was an editor with Suite101.com, occasionally in a discussion in our church's Men's Bible Study group, and within my famiy. BTW, I've viewed your Seven reasons to allow Open Theism videos. I hope that they've received a good response.

Bob Hunter

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